Catoctin clarion., 1909-08-12
WASHINGTON LETTER.
(FRoM OUR REGULAR CORRESPONDENT.

| (FROM OUR REGULAR CORRESPONDENT
WASHINGTON, D. c., AUGUST 1.
The Payne tariff bill, after twenty
weeks of almost continuous debate,
is finally on the statute books and the
Dinghy law has passed into history.
Final action on the bill was taken by
the Senate on Thursday afternoon,
August 5, and within three hours
after the passage Of the measure by
the upper house, the President afiix-
ed his signature and the first session
of the Sixty irst Congress adjourned
sine die. The bill went into effect
that night at midnight. After sigh
ing the bill the President made II
statement of his views, saying: Il
| have signed the Payne tariff bill be-
cause believe it to be the result of a
sincere effort on the part Of the Re-
pu .lican party t" make a downward
revision and the comply with the
! promises of the platform as they have
been generally understood and as !
interpreted them in the campaign be-
for election.n President Taft frank
ly limits that he is not wholly salts
fed with the measure, saying: THE
bill is not perfect tariff bill or a
complete compliance with the prom
ises made, strictly interpreted, hut n
fulilmcnt free from criticism in re-
spe't to Il subject matter involving
ma!.y schedules and thousands of
articles could not be- expected"
'There have been great number of
real decreases in rates, and they con-
stitute a sufficient amount to justify
| the statement that this hill is a sub
| stantial downward revision and re.
duction Of excessive rates.
To the many who put their faith in
tariff commission the Presidents
words on the subject will prove an
occasion of qualification for he says
that the provision contained in the
maximum and minimum section
4
\ gives him "a wide latitude for the
4 acquisition, under circumstances fav.
! orable to its truth, of information in
respect to the price and cost of pro-
duction of goods at home and abroad,
which will throw much light on the
| operation of the present tariff and be
of primary importance rs officially
| collected data upon which future Ex-
| ecutive action and Executive recon-
mendations may be based.
The session of Congress just con-
| cluded demonstrated i'm remarkable
degree the impossibility of enacting a
tariff law in accordance with the Re-
publican national platform, that Is,
| making the duties equal the difference e
! between the cost of production at
home and abroad plus reasonable
profit for American industries, with
out data hearing ON the various in
dustri.s other than that furnished ly
protected manufacturers whose per-
sonal profits are dependent on the
tariff and whose views cannot be in
any sense unbiased. Such manu-
facturers appear before the commit
tee Of Congress and assert that any
| reduction of the duties below the ex-
isting law will ruin their business and
throw thousands out of work. The
few who attempt to controvert these
statements are, naturally, less famil-
lar with the details of II given indus
try than those engaged in it and they
, are generally made to appear ridicul-
Gus because of that lack of familiari-
ty. The Senator or Representative
dependent on the manufacturers in
his district in large measure for re-
election is hardly in a position to
treat their statements with incrcduli-
ty. 1t is, therefore, imperative that
Congress should have some official
data on which to act and that, above
all, the President who, as Mr.. Taft
has well said, has the entire country
for his constituency. should possess
that data also. Only a tariff COM
mission of the type designed by Pres
ident Taft can furnish such data.
/ The President purposes to appoint
\ his commission as soon as he can find
4 Just the right men. For time the
| commission will doubtless be fully
occupied securing the information
necessary to the intelligent enforce
ment of the maximum and minimum
provision, but even in connection
mi III tbot u,nrE ,purh va Ina hla data