Daniel Martner
Daniel Martner | |
|---|---|
| Ministry of Finance | |
| In office 23 December 1920 – 12 May 1921 | |
| President | Arturo Alessandri |
| Preceded by | Antonio Viera Gallo |
| Succeeded by | Francisco Garcés Gana |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1880 |
| Died | 24 August 1945 (aged 64–65) |
| Party | Radical Party |
| Education | University of Chile (B.Sc) University of Bonn (Ph.D) |
| Profession | Economist |
Daniel Martner Urrutia (1880–1945) was a Chilean economist, academic and politician.[1]
He was an early figure in the development of economics as an academic discipline in Chile and held positions including rector of the University of Chile and Minister of Finance under President Arturo Alessandri.[2]
Biography
[edit]Martner was born in Constitución in 1880. After completing his early education in Constitución and Talca, he studied at the Instituto Pedagógico, where he trained as a secondary-school teacher in Spanish and philosophy.[2]
His academic interests later shifted toward economics. In 1910, he received a government scholarship to continue his studies in Germany and enrolled at the University of Bonn. He completed a doctorate in economic sciences in 1916; Memoria Chilena identifies him as the first Chilean to receive a doctorate in that field.[2]
Following his return to Chile, Martner combined university teaching with public service. He became closely associated with the development of economic studies at the University of Chile, including the creation of its School of Economics, and later served as rector of the university. He also entered government service and held the Finance portfolio during the first administration of Arturo Alessandri.[2]
Martner's approach to economics was influenced by intellectual currents he encountered during his years in Germany. Rather than supporting a largely unrestricted market economy, he argued that public institutions could play a significant role in fostering national economic development. His writings consequently addressed such questions as industrialization, international trade, protection of domestic economic activity and the relationship between private enterprise and the state.[2]
These subjects formed an important part of his two-volume Estudio de política comercial chilena e historia económica nacional, published in 1923. The work combined an examination of Chile's commercial history with a discussion of contemporary economic policy. Martner considered the country's trade policies in historical perspective and contrasted them with those adopted by several major industrial economies.[2]
In his analysis, Chile's reliance on liberal trade policies had not provided sufficient support for the development of domestic productive capacity. He instead favored policies intended to strengthen national industry while encouraging Chilean businesses to participate more extensively in international markets. His conception of state intervention did not entail replacing private enterprise; rather, he regarded government action as a means of creating conditions in which domestic economic activity could expand.[2]
Martner died in 1945.[2]
References
[edit]- ↑ de Ramón, Armando (1999). Biografías de Chilenos: Miembros de los Poderes Ejecutivo, Legislativo y Judicial (1876-1973). Vol. I. Ediciones Universidad Católica de Chile.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Daniel Martner". Memoria Chilena (in Spanish). National Library of Chile. Retrieved 17 September 2026.