The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-07-26
TAFT'S VIEW OF.
 TARIFF REVISION
Not to Reduce Prices by Greater Importations, But Prevent Increases by
 Combinations.
DEMAND ONLY FOR THAT

Washington, July 26-Developments
 have made it clear that there is an
 apparently irreconcilaEble difference of
 opinion regarding the pending tariff bill between President Taft and those Republican Senators who are various ly described by others as ''insurgents'' or real revisionists' and who style themselves "progressives."
 Most of the criticism of the bill by the progressives has been either that
 it has increased duties instead of re- ducing them, or that it has not cut
 them enough where reductions have been made In their discussion of the bill they have made much use of the figure of importations and revenues under the Dingley law and of the es- inmates of importations and revenues under the new law. Their talk has given rise to the impression that the revision they are seeking would be far enough dow.nward to bring about a. re- duction in prices to the consumer, which, in a. measure, would be effected by the importation of foreign goods.
 Such a. revision, in the judgment of ed by the framers of the tariff plank in the Republican National platform of last year. Certainly 1t has never heen contemplated by him. He be heves there has been a tendency in the country to get away from the basic principle upon which the Republican party pledged itself to a revision of the tar1ff-a revision which he himself has declared should be substantially downward"
 The President has given a great deal of considerati ton to the question of just exactly what that platform declaration meant. This consideration has in- cluded not only what the platform said but also the theory upon which the tariff blank constructed holds that that plank was built upon the protective theory, and that there has never been any other intention by Republicans than to maintain the pro- tectfve theory. The platform declara- ton was not framed upon the tariff for revenue only theory or upon the incidental protection theory or upon the free tradetheory.
 Consequently, in MT. Taft's view, the attempt to determine the worth of the pending bill by comparison of the fmportations under the Dingley law with the estimates of those under the new law is the most illogical course that could be pursued. But that is exactly what he understands to have been done by several of the progres- sive Senators in their arguments in the Senate and elsewhere, as to the defects in the Aldrich-Payne bill. The true comparison, in his opinion would be of the total consumption of any given article under the Dingley law with the estimated consumption under the new law, and the difficulties in the way of accuracy in such a comparison prevent even that having much value
 The President believes that there should be return to the original prin- ciple underlying the tariff>revision dec laration of the Republican party for the consideration of the pending bill | If it is criticised from the tariff-for- revenue-only view, or from that of the incidental protectionist, or free trader, that is one thing. But when a man calling himself ''protectionist Repub- 1ican," as every one of the insurgent Senators does, begins to criticise the | bill, he ought, in the view of the Pres | fdent, to recall the fact that it's whole | structure is based upon the retention of the protective principle. SEEKS TO PREVENT MONOPOLY.
 With that end in view, the reduc- tions which have been asked for have been sought not in the effort to reduce | prices to the point where importations | of foreign goods would necessarily fol- | low-which would be contrary to the protective theory-but with the pur- | pose of bringing duties down to such a | point that it would be impossible, l through combination and it's, conse- quent destruction of competition, to | force prices above what they now are. | In other words, the object sought is tod prevent the further raising of prices | rather than the reduction of them | through foreign competition