The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1909-07-21
PRAISE PENROSE
Pennsylvania Congressman En-.
thusiastic Over the Senator's
Successful Work in Con-
ference Committee
STATES INTERESTS GUARDED
interesting Exposition by President
Taft Of His Tariff Views Shows
That He is In Perfect Accord With
the Republican Party Platform.

There is every reason to believe
that the Tariff bill the conference
committee will eventually report to
the House and Senate will contain no
drastic reductions in the schedules
with which Pennsylvania industries
are directly concerned. The COM
mittee In reaching an agreement upon
nearly all Of the new rates that affect
the industrial interests of the Key
stone State has, 1t is true, made
changes here and there, but In the
main it has accepted most OF the
amendments adopted by the Senate at
the instance of Senators Penrose and
oliver. These amendments provide
substantial increases In the iron II
steel. chemical. cotton and other
| schedules of vital importance to the
labor and capital of Pennsylvania.
That these increases are likely to
remain in the bill is due to the TACT
that Senator Penrose as a member oil
the conference committee successfully
defended them when they were at
tackled by conferees who insisted upon
lower rates. Members of the Penn
| sylvanis Congressional delegation are
highly gratified over the outlook. They
had feared that in the struggle OF the
House conferees for the adoption OF
the House rates some of the Penn
sylvania industries might be sacri-
feed. They all join in enthusiastic
ally praising Senator Penrose for the
fight he has made in behalf OF the
interests of this Commonwealth.
1t is likely that the conference com
mittee would have reported back the
Tariff bill by this time had II not
been for five propositions which have
acted as stumbling blocks to an agree
ment-iron ore, coal, hides, oil and
cumberland upon which the Presi-
dent has been represented as stand
ing firm for radical reductions or even
an abolition of the tariff. Regarding
the placing of raw materials upon the
free list. the President on July l6, fol-
lowing a conference with over a score
of Congressman. issued a statement
a careful reading of which shows a
door left open TO the conferees 10 en-
able them to fix any reasonable
schedules they please as long as the
new rates represent lower duties than
are carried in the Dingley bill. As far
as raw materials are concerned, 1t Is
evident that the President will not in
sist upon a free list, but will accept
a modification of the Senate rates,
which is probably all that that body
hoped to secur in the face Of the d.
rectly opposite stand taken by the
House on several of the more i'm
portant items.
President Taft's exposition of his
tariff views does not differ in any es-
sential from the creed of the most
straight-laced protectionists. He stands
sQuarely on the tariff plank of last
year-as strong a statement OF protec-
ton as any that was ever written. 1t
declares for protection wherever pro-
lection is Deeded and so does the
President. Mr.. Taft is not In favor
of levying duties protective in their
character where protection is not
needed, in which position he also
stands with his party. He does not
contend that competition in he
shelter of protection unfailingly re-
duces cost of production, rendering
tariff rates in all cases unnecessarily
high. but admits exceptions to that
the same as to all other rules. He
takes reasonable ground as a reason
able man. He does not hold that all
rates ought to be reduced, but only
such as have become excessive, and
he states that some ought to be in
creased because changing conditions
have rendered them non-protective.
To the Republican members of Con-
gress who visited him to ask that he
use his influence to have raw ma
terial such as hides, coal and petro-
leum kept on the dutiable list the
President, after repeating the Republi-
can tariff plank, said that he had
always understood that it meant a
downward revision in many instances,
though perhaps in some few instances
an increase might be needed" AS to
whether either of the commodities
which had been brought to his atten'
ton needed protection, was, he said
"a question of fact which he hoped
to make up his mind with respect tc
On such evidence as was available to
him, in order to carry out what he
understood to be the promises of the
party to the whole people" Also, he
said that the question in each case
was a question of fact to be determ-
ined by evidence as to whether the
present duty was needed for protec-
ton or whether the rate was excess
sive.
Unreasoning and unreasonable ad-
vocates of downward revision On
everything may find comfort in Presi-
dent Taft's statement that "he was
committed to a downward revision of
the tariff" But he is not for down
ward revision with closed eyes. lie
makes it clear that revision should
be with regard for full protection. He
Is no advocate of a mere tarin fof
revenue. He is as strongly de-
termined upon preservation OF Amerl
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