The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-12-07


 curing conviction of the guilty parties.
 Two features of the new tarif act call for special reference. By virtue of the clause known as the maximum and minimum" clause it is the duty of the executive to consider the laws and practices of other countries with ref erence to the importation into those countries of the products and mer- chandise of the United States. and if the executive finds such laws and prac- tices not to be unduly discriminatory against the United States the mimi mum duties provided in the bill are to 70 into force. Unless the president makes such a finding. then the maxi mum duties provided in the bill-that is, sn increase of 20 per cent ad va- loreTr over the minimum duties-are to be in force, Fear has been expressed that this power conferred and duty imposed on the executive are likely to lead uo a tariff war. I beg to express the hope aud belief that no such result need be anticipated
 The discretion granted to the execu- tive by the terms "urduly discrinina- tory" is wide. in order that the maxi mum duty shall be charged against the imports from a country it is necessary that he shall find on the part of that country not only determinations in its laws or the practice under them against the trade of the United States, but that the discrimiRations found shall be undue-that is. without good and fair reason. ] conceive that this power. was reposed in the president with the hope that the maximum du- ties might never be applied in any case. but that the power to apply then would enable the president and the state department through friendly negotiation to secure the elimination from the laws and the practice under ? them of any foreign country of that which Is unduly discriminatory. No one is seeking tariff war or a con dition in which the spirit of retaliation shall be aroused.
 Uses of the New Tariff Board.
 The new tarif law enables me to ap- point tariff board to assist me in con-. nection with the department of state in the administration of the minimum and maximum clause of the act and also to assist officers of the government in the administration of the entire law. An examination of the law and an under standing of the nature of the facts ! which should be considered in dis charging the functions imposed upon the executive show that have the power to direct the tariff board to make comprehensive glossary and encyclopedia of the terms used and ar ticles embraced in the taric law and to secure information as to the cost of production of such goods in this coun- try and the cost of their production In foreign countries I have therefore appointed tarif board consisting of three members and have directed them [ to perform all the duties above de- seribed- This work will perhaps take two or three years, and I ask from congress a continuing annual appro- priation equal to that already made for its prosecution. believe that the 1, work of this board will be of prime utility and importance whenever con- gress shall deem if wise again to read just the customs duties If the facts secured by the tariff board are of such a character as to show generally that the rates of duties imposed by the pres ent tarin law are excessive under the principles of protection as described in the platform of the successful party nt 4 the late election I shall mt hesitate to ] invite the. attention of congress to this ! fact and to the necessity for action predicated thereon Nothing. however, i halts business and interferes with the course of prosperity so much as the | threatened revision of the tariff, and until the facts are at hand, after care | full and deliberate Investigation upon | which such revision can properly be undertaken, 1t seems to me unwise to
 attempt it. The amount of misinfor- nation that creeps into arguments pro and con in respect to tariff rates is such as to require the kind of investi- gation that I have directed the tarif board to- make, an investigation under ! taken by 1t wholly without respect to the effect which the facts may have in calling for a readjustment of the rates of duty.
 War Department.
 In the interest of. immediate econ ofny and because of the prospect of a deficit I have required a reduction in the estimates of the war department for the coming fiscal year which brings the total estimates down to an amount forty-five millions less than the corresponding estimates for last year. This could be Accomplished only by cutting of new projects and sus- pending for the period of one year all progress in military matters For the same reason I have directed that the army shall not be recruited up to it's present authorized strength. These measures can hardly ab be more than I temporary-to last until our revenues are in better condition and until the
 whole question of the expediency of adopting definite military policy can
 be submitted to congress-for I am sure that the interests of the military
 establishment are seriously in need of careful consideration by congress- The laws regulating the organization of our armed forces in the event of war need to be revised in order that the organi- Zation can be modified so as to produce L.. g...~