The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1910-12-09

I! lCCk. is NOC So liz teu vi OTucICu lO1
sale are directed to be open to the in
spc cction and examination of creditors
and stock holders of the corporation
whose record is sought. The returns
of all corporations are subject to the
inspection of any government officer or
which the return made by the corpora
tion is relevant and competent evi-
dence.
The Payne Tariff Bill.
The schedules of the rates of duty
in the Payne tariff act have: been sub:
jected to a great deal Of criticism.
some of it just, more of it. unfounded,
and to much Misrepresentation. The
act was adopted in pursuance of dec.
laration by the party which is respon:
sible for it that customs bill should
be tariff for the protection of home
Industries, the measure of the protec.
tion to be the difference between the
cost of producing the imported article
abroad and the cost of producing it at
home, together with such addition to
that difference as might give reason
able profit to the home producer.
The basis for the criticism Of this
tariff is that In respect to number of
the schedules the declared measure
was not followed, but q higher differ
ence retained or inserted by way Of
undue discrimination I'm favor of cor
tain Industries and manufactures. s
Little, II any, Of the criticism Of the
tarin has been directed against the
protective principle above stated; but
the main body OF tile criticism has
been based on, the charge that the dt-
tempt to conform to the measure of
pasotesction5 pas s was not honestly 81 and q sin Y
cerely adhered to. & = 7
* t.. l.. Tariff Board. i5 i
The time in which the tariff was
prepared undoubtedly was SO short as
to make 1t impossible for the congress
ard its experts to acquire the informa-
ton NECESSARY strictly to conform TO
the declared measure. lii order to
avoid criticism of this kind in the fu-
ture and for the purpose OF more near
ly. conforming to the party promise
congress at its last session made pro-
vision at MY request for the continu-
ance OF a board created under the au-
thority of thesmaximuln and lminimunl
clause of The tariff bill and authorized
I this board to expend the money appro-
priated under my direction for the as.
certainment of the cost of production
at home and abroad of the various art
icles included in the schedules of the
tariff. The tariff board thus appoint
ed and authorized has been diligent In
preparing itself for the necessary in
vestigations. The hope of those who
| have advocated the use of this board
| for tariff purposes is that the question
of the rate of duty imposed shall be-
| come more of business question and
| less of a political question, to be as
| certained by experts of long training
and accurate knowledge. The halt in
business ard the shock to business due
| to the announcement that new tariff
bill is to be prepared and put In op-
Grafton will be avoided by treating the
schedules one by one as occasion shall
| arise for change in the rates of each
| and only after report upon the sched-
ule by the tariff board competent to
make such report. E2- .E'-
It is not likely that the board will
be able to make a report during the
| present session Of congress on any of
| the schedules, because proper exam
| ination involves an enormous amount
| of detail ard a great deal of care, but
| I hope to be able at the opening of the
new congress-, or at least during the
session of that congress, to bring to
it's attention the facts in regard to
! that may prove to need amendment
The carrying out of this plan, of
course, involves the full cooperation
of congress in limiting the considera-
tion in tariff matters to one schedule
at a time, because If proposed
amendment to a tariff bill is to in.
volve a complete consideration Of all
the schedules and, another revision
then we shall only repeat the evil
from which the business of this coun.
| try has in times past suffered most
grievously by stagnation and uncer-
tainty, pending resettlement of a
law affecting all business directly or
Indirectly, and the effect of which no
| wise business man would ignore in
new projects and new investments.
The inquiries which the members of
the tariff board made during the last
summer into the methods pursued by
other governments with reference to
the fixing of tariffs and the determine
tion of their effect upon trade show
that each government maintains an
office or bureau, the officers and en-
ployes Of which have made their life
work the study Of tariff matters, of
foreign and home prices and cost Of
articles imported and the effect of the
tariff upon trade, so that whenever a
change is thought to be necessary in
the tariff law this Office is the source
Of the most reliable information as to
the propriety Of the change and its
| effect.
NO. .s5Es4z .st-5 Ea43f&2.s