The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-11-27
VAN CLEAVE
IS STRONG ON
LOWER RATES
President of National ASSoGi-
alton of Manufacturers
Goes on Record.
TAKES A FLING AT THE
HEARINGS GOING ON
INSISTS THAT PLEDGES OF RE-
PUBLICAN PLATFORM MUST
BE HONESTLY FULFILLED.

st. Louis Mo, Nov 26.-Concerning
the tariff hearings before the ways and
means committee at Washington. James
w. Van Cleave. president of the Ma
tional Association OF Manufacturers.
gave out this statement today:
Several strange things connect them
selves with these hearings. 1 am told
only about 100 out of the 250, 900 heads
of factories in the country received no.
tice to appear before the committee. In
most cases the notice they received was
too short TO allow them to present care
fully prepared statements, although all
of them have the privilege OF submit
ting briefs at any time prior 10 Decem-
Der. The hearings, which will close on
Dec. I. Will have covered only about
three weeks in the aggregate. The
questions put by the leading members
of the committee to these manufactur-
ers are admirably calculated to call out
present rates Of duties or advances in
them.
Coaching of Payne.
DO you not believe that your pres
ent duties should be maintained?' This
is the usual query. Scarcely ever is it
put thus: Do you think your rates
should be reduced?' Eastern papers
state that under this seductive coaching
one manufacturer, who has a duty of 30
per cent now on his product, and who
acknowledges that he is making a profit
on it, asks TO have the duty increased
to 40 per cent. and wants to have the
duty taken OFF the materials which he
uses in his factory thus giving him a
chance to swell his profits in two direc-
tons. One or two manufacturers who
asked for lower duty on their own
wares made my friend Chairman Payne
gasp.
Republican Pledges.
Il presume that the COMMITTEES aims
20 get. through these hearings, infOrma-
ton on which il can base bill for re-
vision of the-sDingiey law. In its plat
form of 1908 the Republican party de-
cIared for revision in a special session
Of congress to be called by the next
president just after his Inauguration.
The country. including the National As
SociatiOn of Manufacturers. assumed
that this meant honest and not bogus
revision. On this presumption I and a
large majority of the other members of
the association supported MIR. Taft dur
ing the campaign. We used all the in
fiuence which we could exert in favor Of
his election.
I want to say here that as. in its
membership. the National Association
Of Manufa cturers covers almost all the
great crafts of the country, we never
have, as an association. urged any spe-
ciic changes. up or down. in any par
ticuIar schedules. As practical men,
however. we know that changes are
needed in many cases, and that the
public imperatively demands them All
that we ask il that the change be hon.
est and be equitable
Taft for Revision.
As shown by his speeches and inter-
views during the campaign, President
declaration TO mean honest revision. II
is clear to me from things which some
of his close friends have said about
him in the past few days that in his
message to congress at the opening of
the extra session he will insist that the
platform promise Of honest revision
must be carried out. in spirit and IN let
ter. Ii is likewise clear TO me that in
making this demand he win have a
large majority of the 100000 Republic
can voters i'm the country with him.
''As these hearings of the COMMITTEES
of the tariff, which includes over 1908
items, will cover only about three
weeks. / suppose that my friend Payne
must have arranged for investigation by
experts in all the leading industrial and
commercial centers OF Europe and Asia.
Presumably the experts have been busy
ever since the long session of congress