The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1908-06-02
TAFT FAvoRs HEARTY ENDORSE
sMENT OF oLIclEs OF PRES
lDENT 40 osEvELT.
TARIFF REVISION
War Secretary Has Made no secret
Ct His Views on Tariff Believes
Schedules Should BE Drawn Is
Cover Difference u Lesser Cost q !
Production IN Other Countries.

washington, June i. There will be-
no lukeWarm endorsement OF Presi-
dent Roosevelt and his policies, In the
republican national platform il the
wishes Of Secretary Taft and his
friends have potency III the framing
of that document. This much was
made known today after the first Of q
series Of conferences to be held with
the secretary Of war on the subject st
the platform. VI :.
Should the Chicago convention
adopt this sort OF a platform and
nominate Secretary Taft 1t Is predict
ed in authoritative quarters that his
letter or speech of acceptance will
contain q pledge to carry out the
Roosevelt policies already inaugural
ed and earnestly strive for those not
enacted, which will have a ring simi-
lar to that pronounced by President
Roosevelt on taking the oath 81 of-
fee over the body Of the dead Nc
Kinley
Ellis confers With TAFT.
Wade Ellis, attorney general 81
Ohio, who has prospects OF being the
Ohio member of the resolutions com.
mittee Of that convention and who
was largely responsible for the con.
ceded virility Of the Ohio republican
platform, is here for a thorough un-
derstanding with the secretary OF
war. He was with Mr.. Taft at his of-
flee for several hours today, and ut
the Taft residence for long time to-
might. Another conference Is to be
held tomorrow, when It - not unlike
" the result will be brought to the
attention of President Roosevelt.
s secreary Taft has made no secret
iof his position on the tariff. He is Tor
revision at a special session Of the
sixty-frst congress, to be called i'm
mediately after the Inauguration,
March 4, 1909. His ideas as to what
the tariff should be also are public
property. The schedules should be
drawn as near as possible to cover
the difference between the lesser
cost Of production Of a given article
in foreign countries and the cost to
produce that article in the United
States. This he regards as spmtec-
tion" in Its true and fair sense.
Unnecessary Protection.
Schedules which are fixed at rate
higher than this difference, he be-
.lteves, are not only unnecessary "a
means Of protection, but are evil be-
cause Of their temptation to capital-
lists to form monopolies and trusts in
this country for the control Of the
market in that particular product.
From this information, the prediction
Is declared to be safe one that the
tarifr plank to be presented to the
resolutions committee by the Taft ad.
herents will follow closely the lines Of
the Ohio platform with the added
specifications regarding the manner
of arriving at the amount OF tarih
which should he levied.
Mr. Ellis is known to be heartily in
favor Of plank STIMULATING that
amendments should be made to the
Sherman antitrust laws, and secre-
tary Taft is known to be a thorough
believer in the efficacy Of trust CON
troll through federal laws. The en-
bodiment Of these ideas into q plank,
which may take the form Of an en-
dorsement Of the Hepburn bill, which
died q peaceful death IN the house
judiciary committee, is said to be
safe prediction.
The conference will not be restrict
ed in their personnel. and it Is be
lieved that before the Taft platform
is finally perfected for submission
the views Of many Of the party lead
ers will have been obtained ssB5 stE