The soundest argument for protection is known as the infant-industry argument, which means simply that a society is justified in burdening itself to protect new industries temporarily against the competition of similar foreign industries, already full-grown and strong. Alexander Hamilton clearly saw this need and urged on Congress in his Report on Manufactures (1791) the necessity of encouraging those struggling industries which gave promise of future development. The practical difficulty which the carrying out of this policy has met has been the disinclination on the part of the protected infant to see when he has really reached his manhood stage.