Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-08-25

producer. "Extortionate and unreason-
able'' profits, the president declares,
are to be tolerated no longer.
Outlines His Position.
The presiden has stated these 1acts
and has outlined his position in detall
in the letter he has sent to Representa-
tive Mckinley of Illinion for puDllca-
ton in the republican congressional
campaign textbook. The letter was
mailed from Beverly yesterday me
time Of making 1t public has been lett
entirely in the Judgment OF the COM
mittee.
Political observers regard this move
as about the shrewdest that mas Deeh
made during the present administra-
ton. It offers an excellent opportunity
for the insurgents and regulars to get
together in the campaign, and Presl-
dent Taft has been exceedingly anx-
ious to fnd ground upon which tns
different factions could meet without
embarrassment to either.
Bows to Insurgents.
The principal fight of the insurgents
was upon certain schedules OF the tar
~ bill. President Taft is meeting them
more than half way In admitting that
individual schedules need further re-
vision. At the same time he is backing
up the regulars in that he believes
they did the best they possibly could
with the unreliable information that
was in their hands.
With the creation of the tariff board
under the Payne-Aldrich act and the
enlargement of its power by provision
of the last congress, the president be-
lieyes way has been opened to put
the tariff on scientific basis for the
first time in the history Of the country.
The objection has been raised and
urged upon the president that the
opening Of an individual schedule OIL
the tariff would mean the possible
throwing open Of the entire tariff act,
with another long debate and stir
ring up Of conditions generally
Plans New Tariff Rule.
Mr. Taft proposes to meet this with
the recommendation to congress that
before any schedule is taken up for
further consideration, a rule shall be
passed both by the house and by the
senate providing that amendments
to a certain schedule of the tariff shall
be in order and that any amendments
not germane to that particular sched-
ule shall be declared out of order. 1t is
believed that with workable majority
in the two houses of congress- and
with the insurgents lined up with the
regulars for the program outlined by
the president, there will be little or no
difficulty in putting through such
rule.
From the very first President Taft
has been deeply interested in the work
of the new tariff commission. He re-
garded the creation of that body as one
of the most important provisions Of
the new tariff act, and one of the rea-
sons for his declaration that it was the
best tariff act ever passed.
The president takes the ground that
1t was impossible to revise the tariff
Immediately after the republican plat
form was adopted, and to revise at the
same time on basis of the difference
In the cost of production at home and
abroad. He believes that substantial
progress was made in the Payne-Al-
drich act, and now that the tariff COM
mission has got its inquiries we'll un-
der way it soon will be possible to take
up the individual schedules as fast as
the facts and figures are available and
revise them actually on the basis de-
clared for in the party platform.
The president already has had two
conferences with Chairman H. G.
Emery of the tariff commission this
summer. The first of these was on
board the yacht Mayfiower at Bar Har-
Dor late in July and the second was at
Burgess Point two weeks ago. The
president proposes to have the entire
tariff board meet here in Beverly some
time in September.
Professor Emery recently spent sew
eral months abroad. James B. Rey-
nolds, a member of the commission.
has been abroad for long time. There
is every reason to believe that pre-
liminary report from the commission
will be available this fall.
Representative Ebenezer ]. Hill of
Connecticut. member Of the house
committee on ways and means, had a
conference with the president ten days
or more ago. He agreed, it is said that
a revision Of the tariff by individual
schedules was the best possible solu-
NON of the puzzle.