Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-26
TAFT TO INSIST
ON FREE HIDES
PRESIDENT PASSES DAY CON-
SIDERIkG TARIFF BILL
If Raw Material for Leather Is Not
Entered Without Duty Charges, No
Reduction VIII Be Made on
Its Products

WASHINGTON, July 25.-Sunday
brought no cessation of President
Tafts tariff activities. His conference
with house and senate leaders covered
practically the entire day.
The president admitted frankly to
some of his callers today the situa-
tion was not all that could be desired,
but expressed the hope another twen-
ty-four hours would straighten out
Nthe tangle and that the report of the
conferees would be presented in the
house on Tuesday.
1t is also hoped at the White House
that congress may adjourn by the last
of the week.
President Taft has not receded in
any way from his demand for free
hides, as he regards free hides as
underlying the whole principle of
downward revision.
A compromise duty of per cent-a
reduction from the is per cent duty
under existing laW-would be of no
benefit, according to the president s
view.
Unless hides are made absolutely
free, there can be no reduction on
boots, shoes and other leather manu-
factures The president, it is said, has
been deeply impressed by the repre-
sentations by the leather interests that
under the protection of the 10 per cent
duty the leather and shoe manufac-
turers are at the mercy of the four or
five big meat packing concerns of the
middle west.
The president, on the other hand, it
is declared, has not been much i'm
pressed by the arguments of western
senator's that free hides would be fol-
lowed by a demand for free wool.
Hides never were protected until the
nf 10
The presidents chief concern is as
to hides. The other schedules appar-
emily are being worked into acceptable
shape, according to his information,
and once the free hides and reduced
leather goods program has been agreed
on the end of the fight is in view.
President Taft, it is said does not
believe that revision of the tariff down.
ward is going to bring reduced prices,
or would be of immediate benefit to
the ultimate consumer. Instead of a
reduction. it is declared there will be
actual increases during the coming
year on many of the necessities of life,
including wearing apparel
Even the removal of the duty on
hides and a reduction in the duty on
finished leather products are not ex-
pected to work q reduction in the price
of boots, shoes, harness or other leather
goods.
The presidents advices are that hides
are rapidly increasing in price and that
the demand Is so great even the large
importations expected from Argentina
under free entry will not suffice to
keep prices at current figures.
An advance of % to 25 per cent in
wooden goods already has been an
nounced, despite the fact no change has
been made in the wooden schedule. This
schedule, the president has been told,
cannot now be reopened.
In discussing the situation with call
ers today, the president explained his
theory of the principle of downward
revision from a protectionist point of
view The idea is not to reduce du-
ties to the point affecting home indus
tries or to admit imports to the ex-
tent of what Republicans term unfair
competition with homemade articles.
The president is represented as re-
garding downward revision as a means
of protecting the people from monop-
oily and excessive high prices.
Even If the tariff is not lowered
sufficiently to admit Of imports upon
a large scale, the president is said to
feel that in lowering the tariff on arti-
cles of general use a great gain would
be made.