The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-12-07

and the same spirit of change and reform
| has been infused into the other customs
offices of the country" the message says.
That there are too many customs dis
| tricts and too many collectors Is the
Presidents statement, and he urges the
consolidation Of those ports where the
cost of maintenance far exceeds the reve-
nues collected. The reorganization OF the
special agents service and the extension
OF the revenue-cutter service to prevent
| smuggling is touched upon briefly.
Would Control supply.
Regarding public buildings and the
method of appropriation therefor, the
message says:
I'm our public buildings we stiil suffer
from the method OF appropriation. which
has been so much criticised in connection
with our rivers and harbors. Some meth
! Cd should be devised for controlling the
supply OF public buildings so that they
will harmonlze with the actual needs
of the government Not only are build
| ings appropriated for by Congress which
are not needed. and buildings left unap-
propriated for by Congress which are
| needed, but when IL comes TO the actual
| construction there has been in the past
/ too little study of the building plans and
sizes with view TO the actual needs of
| the government Post-office buildings
which are in effect warehouses for the
| economical handling of transportation OF
| thousands of tons of mail have been
/ made monumental structures, and often
| located far from the convenient and
| economical spot In the actual construc-
| ton OF the buildings a closer scrutiny of
the methods employed by the government
/ architects or by architects employed by
the government have resulted in decided
| economies. 1t Is hoped that more time
will give opportunity for more thorough
| reorganization The last public building
/ bill carried authorization for the ulti-
/ mate expenditure of $751; 500. and / APP
! proved IL because of the many good fea-
/ lures IL contained just as / approved
| the river and harbor bill, but 1t was
| drawn upon a principle that ought 10 be
/ abandoned. IL seems to me that the
wiser method Of preparing a public
building bill would be the preparation of
| a report by a commission OF goveI nnent
experts whose duty II should be 70 re-
port TO Congress the governments needs
in the way OF the construction OF public
buildings in every part of the country.
! just as the army engineers make report
with reference TO the utility of proposed
| improvements In rivers and harbors, with
| the added function which I have recon-
| mended for the army engineers of in
| Guiding in their recommendation the
relative importance OF the various prof.
ects found TO be worthy of approval and
execution"
Tariff board Urged.
| Regarding the corporation excise tax.
the message says the tax has been easily
collected. and offers an opportunity for
/ knowledge by the government OF business
/ conditions OF the country The President
has authorized the publication OF returns
from corporations. in accordance with an
| act OF Congress
| President Taft defends the Payne
Aldrieh tariff law in these words:
THE schedules OF the rates OF duty In
| the Payne tariff act have been subjected
TO a great deal OF criticism, some OF 1t
1 just more of Il unfounded. and TO much
Misrepresentation. The act was adopted
| in pursuance OF a declaration by the
party which is responsible for IL that
customs bin should be a tariff for the
| protection OF home industries, the meas
ure OF the protection to be the difference
! between the cost Of producing the i'm
ported article abroad and the cost of
producing it at home. together with such
addition to that difference as might give
a reasonable profit to the home producer.
| The basis for the criticism OF this tariff
| is that in respect TO a number OF the
| schedules the declared measure was not
| followed. but a higher difference retained
or inserted by way OF undue discrimina-
| ton in favor Of certain industries and
! manufactures. Little, If any, OF the
| criticism Of the tariff has been directed
| against the protective principle above
| stated: but the main body OF the criti-
cism has been based on the charge that
| the attempt To conform to the measure of
| protection was not honestly and sincere
| ly adhered 20.
''The time IN which the tariff was pre-
pared undoubtedly was so short as TO
make il impossible for the Congress and
| its experts to acquire the information
necessary strictly 10 conform 20 the de-
clared measure. In order 10 avoid eriti-
eism OF this kind in the future and for
the purpose Of more nearly conforming
to the party promise, Congress at its
| last session made provision at my re-
quest for the continuance OF a board
created under the authority OF the max
| imum and minimum clause OF the tariff
| bill. and authorized this board to eXpend
the money appropriated under my direc-
ton for the ascertainment OF the cost of
production at home and abroad OF the
various articles included in the schedules
OF the tariff. The tariff board thus ap-
pointed 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 become more of
L. A~s-4
cal question. to be ascertained by ex-
perts Of long training and accurate
knowledge.
As Occasion Demands.
''The halt in business and the shock
to business, due to the announcement
that a new tariff bill is to be prepared
and put in operation. win be avoided by
treating the schedules one by one as oe-
caslon shall arise for a change in the
rates of each, and only after report
upon the schedule by the tariff board
competent to make such report 1t is
not likely that the board viii be able
to make a report during the present ses-
sion Of Congress on any of the sched-
ules, because proper examination in
wolves an enormous amount of detail and
great deal of care; but 1 hope to be
able at the opening of the new Con-
gress, or at least during the session of
that Congress, to bring 10 its attention
the facts in regard 10 those schedules
in the present tariff that may prove to
need amendment.
1.-THE carrying out OF this plan, of
course involves he full cooperation of
Congress in limiting the consideration in
tariff matters TO one schedule at a time,
because il a proposed amendment to a
tariff bill is to involve a complete con-
sideration of all the schedules and an