258 ECONOMIC PRINCIPLES

protection to agriculture. In comparing the strength of the
sentiment in favour of free trade in England, at that time,
and elsewhere at any time, this circumstance must be borne
in mind, In Germany and the United States, for example,
especially the latter, the weight of the protective tariff is
found in the duties on manufactured articles. Hence the
same argument cannot be applied to these cases, or will
not apply with equal strength to conditions so essentially
different.
When considering the weight of the argument, for
protection to industries at their nascent stage, in the light
of experience, the industries of the United States, or some
of them, are often referred to as demonstrating the power of
protection to establish industries on a sound basis. Some of
the previous remarks, as to the obstacles to the removal of
tariffs when they have become unnecessary, and when they
afford opportunity to maintain prices at a higher level than
is needed for reasonable profit in the industries, or than
would be maintained were imports free, an opportunity
which is not neglected, may be held in mind with advantage.
But, in addition to this, the obstacles to the growth of
industries in localities favourable to them, in the active and
unrestrained competition of well-established industries of the
same class elsewhere, are seen not to be insurmountable.
The internal development of the United States may afford
some illustrations of the aid rendered to struggling industries
by protection, but it also affords illustrations of the ability
of industries to struggle through initial difficulties in the
face of entire freedom of internal trade. The expense of
transportation is the only obstacle to the competition of the
industries of different parts of this vast territory against
those of other parts. If the infant industries of the country
needed, or need, protection against the established industries
of Europe, how is it that infant industries in some states
survive without protection against the established industries
of other states? The theoretical argument in favour of the
protection of infant industries is worthy of careful attention,
but needs discriminating application in the light of actual
experience.