New-York tribune., 1909-09-19
THE PRESIDENT AND THE TARIFF

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President Taft has made his eagerly looked
for tariff speech and has declared himself in
terps which viii please the great majority of
the American people, who are neither free trad
crS nor extreme protectionists With character
istic franlness Mr.. Taft admits the defects of
the Payne bill. With judicial care he weighs
lis merits and its faults and decides that judged
whole, it is good He makes no pretence
that it is an easy task 10 revise tariff. nor
does he minimize the difficulties which confront
the conscientious legislator who seeks to ascer-
tain the cost Of production at home and abroad,
He emphasizes that construction of the law
providing for a tariff board which has been ad-
vanced in these columns and makes clear his
expectation that the new board will devote
itself to the task OF ascertanng costs OF pro
ductiOn at home and abroad.
Discussing the tariff bill as q whole, Mr.. Taft
shows that the Payne tariff bill makes three
times as many decreases as increases; that de-
creases have been made on articles entering
into consumption 10 the amount of 5000
100000. mostly necesssries. and increases on
articles entering into consumption to the
amount of SS51 100000. OF which S579,o0o.OOO
are luxuries. Concretely stated, therefore. the
Payne bill. measured in terms of consumption.
made decreases on commodities to the amount
of $4,000, 100000 and increases on the neces-
saries of life 70 the amount of $272.O00,OO0
only. IN the light Of this showing it was GER
tainly unnecessary for the President 10 make
any profound apology for his course in sign
ing the bill or any excuses for those who voted
for il
Taking UP the method Of reasoning which
was used by the insurgents in Congress, the
comparison of imports under the various sched-
ules of the old and the new law, Mr.. Taft dis
ing could be more unjust in a protective tariff
(which also contains revenue provisions.
To the extreme stand -patter'' Mr. Tafts
discussion of the tariff bill will doubtless prove
almost rs unsatisfactory as Il will TO the free
trader. His declaration that the wool schedule
ought TO have been reduced. that 1T Is the one
important defect in the present Payne tariff
bill and in the performance of the promise of
''the platform 10 reduce rates to a difference
.in the cost OF production with reasonable
profit to the manufacturer will afford as lit
tie solace to the injured feelings of the range
Senators TO the wOollen manufacturers OF
the East His intim2ton that the schedules
will have to be still further revised when his
new Tariff Board shall have acquired the in
formation he will demand of it will disQuiet
the heart Of the extreme 'stand-patter" But
10 the great majority of the voters. including
not only Republicans but a large number of
latter day Democrats, Mr.. Tafts attitude will
strongly commend itself.
Not least important was Mr.. Taft's broad
intimstion that the next Presidential campaign
would be fought out on tariff lines. that three
years hence the Tariff Board would have ac-
quired the information necessary 10 the consid-
Grafton Of the tariff on a more scientific basis
than ever before. and that by that time the Re
publican party would be ready to go before the
people with definite proposition. Three years
IS long period in politics. but there can be
little doubt that If the question of revision of
the tariff is then uppermost the people will re-
gard the passage Of the Payne bill and PreSi-
dent Taft's frank discussion thereof as an
earnest that the Republican party will make
sincere effort to fulfil the party pledge whereas
the debate and the votes on the Payne bill
amply demonstrated that party pledges have
no binding force with the members of the op-
position.