The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1910-07-14
NEW TARIFF METHODS.

tariff revision, and in favor of taking
up only such schedules as need al
teration, is being received with much
favor The Springfield Republican
says.
Word now comes from Washington
that the lnsurgent Republicans, some
of the more conservative Republicans
| and the administration favor similar
! procedure in future efforts at revis-
| ion The plan which finds much sup
port in the dominant party is to take
up first the wool and wooden sched-
ule; after that has been revised then
the cotton schedule could be taken
up, and then the steel schedule, and
so on. 1t is stated that this plan so
far finds support with the administra-
ton that the tariff board has been
| instructed to center its early inquir-
| les respecting differences in cost Of
production upon wool and woolens,
to the end that information may be
available at the next or succeeding
Congress session for dealing with this
troublesome and out-of-date schedule.
The idea of piecemeal revision is a
good one. provided real tariff reform
and reduction are wanted; and if it
is true that the administration favors
such a plan it must be true that it
seeks a substantial downward revis-
ion. such as the country failed to get
in the law of 1909. Senator Lodge
has himself lately admitted in sub
stance that the tariff has been built
up through series of bargainings
among affected interests; and by the
force of bargain it has been and is
being held high where it is. A gen.
eral revision has to fight all these in
terests at once. They are all arous-
ed at the same time and drawn to
Washington together, where they
unite in a common cause of resistance
to any and all reductions quite re-
CARELESS of the merits of any particu-
lar case.
IF. on the other hand, Congress
were to take up only one schedule at
a time such as the wool and WOODEN
schedule, the interest affected would
be less able to command the support
of other protected interests in resist
ance to reform, and the case would
stand a much better chance of being
considered on its merits If the pro-
posal were to place wool on the free
list, the growers could fume ano
threaten free trade for wooden goods
as of old, but they could Mt so easily
summon to their support the stee
and the other protected interests as
when these other interests are them
selves Immediately involved in re-
vision. 1t is to be hoped that this
course will be pursued and that The
wool schedule will first be taken III
and discussed of on the basis either
of free wool or a small ad valoren
duty on the samoa change which
would be of vast benefit to the manu-
featuring industry, and only in The
prosperity of the manufacturing in
dustry can the wool grower find an!
permanent advantage"
The plan commends itself as beins
eminently sensible. There seems Il
be no good reason why once in ev
cry few years the Ways and Means
Committee of the House of Represen
tatives should be obliged to hold pro
tracted sessions, giving hearings t
persons representing the thousands
of items upon which duties are levied
whether changes are needed, or not
A simpler and a better way is to cor
rect schedules as they need revision
merely as an incident of ordinary leg
islation. Some of our high tariff
, friends assert that it is impossible t
take the tariff out of politics. Thu
possibility surely seems much great
er than it did twenty, or ten, or ever
| G,,o no n n
Republicans do not hold to the Chi
nese Wall" theory of protection will
anything like the tenacity that they
did a decade or two ago. In fact the!
do not hold to that kind of protec
ton at all.
In this changed sentiment, there is
| of necessity, no inconsistency Dur
J ing an earlier stage of development
when our industries were being estab
lished, we needed more protection THAI
we do today, when we are seeking
markets for our manufactured prod
ucts. William Mckinley, the apostle
of protection, recognized this fac
, clearly in his famous Buffalo speech
) delivered just before his death.
t 1t is all part of the great process
! of political evolution, by which ma
tons advance from one stage Of de
, velopment to another. With our in
D dustries well established, we do no
, fear competition in production so mucl
as lack of buyers for our wares. W.
are beginning to recognize that it i
possible to have too much politics IL
our business and that a general tariff
bill as ordinarily formulated ant
passed, is one of the most unbusiness
like propositions imaginable and
must require sublime faith for legis
lators to adopt the old policy Will
they pray, Lead us not into tempta
ton"
; There is a continual temptation To-
every member who wants high rat
on some product OF his own district
or one favored by some constituent
to trade with other members, als'
seeking high rates, thus putting tn
4 rates at figures be knows to be exor