Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-09-15
Tariff Revision.

/ LINK LQer6 Is only question VI US-
gree in rates between the democratic
policy of tariff for revenue only and
the republican policy of protection.
Those who are absolutely free traders
would wipe out all tariff taxes and col
lect the 1927, 100000 from other sources
of taxation. But that would entail
either vast increase in the internal
revenue taxation, or an amendment to
the constitution to permit an income
tax or some other direct form of tax
alton. Under .tht present conditions
and circumstances a tariff for revenue
and not free trade. or tariff for pro-
lection, is the most available means
for raising the money necessary to run
the government. A tariff for revenue
means the taxation at a low rate on
such imports as will be in the smallest
degree burdensome to the taxpayers
who are least able to bear it. That is,
necessities must be either free or the
lowest possible rate assessed to them,
and Injuries should be taxed at a high
/ er rate.
The republican policy Of protection
is to tax imports of manufactured arti-
cles so high that little will be import
ed, and to allow raw material for man
ufacturers' use to be imported free.
The insurgent republicans demand a
reduction in rates on manufactures, by
''the imposition of such duties as will
equal the difference between the cost
of production at home and abroad, to-
| gether. with a. reasonable profit to
American industries" That is the
language Of the republican national
platform, through the two factions Of
that party interpret it differently. The
dominant faction even goes so far as
to. defend the increased rates of some
schedules of the new tariff law TN
| der it.
The trouble with the republican tariff
plank is that it was made to deceive
the voters and lead the insurgents into
the stalwart net until after election
which it did. But when the tariff bill
was introduced, the discussion of the
tariff plank by both factions in con-
gress so differed as to duties to be i'm
posed that insurgency became rampant
and has continued so ever since. To
try and settle the matter in the future
President Taft has what he calls
| commission at work both here and
abroad trying to discover what the
cost of production is here and what 1t
| is abroad. 1t is hardly possible that
the commission will succeed in its eff
forts, for manufacturers are most 10th
to give much information, as it would
expose their trade secrets to their
competitors; and this the high protec-
ton republicans Of the Protective Tar
if league knew when they concocted
the plank and presented it to the COM
mittee on resolutions of the republican
national convention.
That the investigation of the cost of
production at home and abroad has
been so far almost entirely worthless
may be judged by the proposal of Pres
| ident Taft to take up one schedule of
the tariff at time for amendment and
not attempt wholesale revision" How
the president proposes to control the
ways and means committee of the
house and the finance committee of
the senate to conf1ne the bill they will
consider to one schedule is not given
|
any experience in tariff making would
attempt to strike off the high protec-
ton to the wooden trust unless a ma
jority of both houses of congress IA
vors the reduction of the high protec-
ton to other trusts. 1t is about as
certain as death and taxes that for
their own protection all the trust In,
terests, in congress and out Of it, will
hang together and join, forces in fight
ing this so-called scientific basis Of
tariff amendment. Neither can it be
| expected that those who want the pres
ent high protection rates decreased
will be satisfied with the reduction of
the rates of some schedule that their
constituents are not interested in, and
have to wait a year or two for the
amendment of another schedule in
which they may be interested is under
taken.
Somebody would get left in carrying
out such program If the republicans
control congress. 1t would be quite
difficult to unite the democrats, who
all favor reduction, to agree on such
! piecemeal legislation when many of
the schedules are equally objection
able.
| So that even II the almost unsur-
mountable obstacle-proposed by the
republican party-of discovering the
cost Of production at home and abroad
were overcome, and. President Taft
recommended his scientific plan of
amending one schedule at time, il
would still remain to congress to enact
such bill before the president could
sign it and take the credit.