East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1910-12-07
PRESIDENT TAFT FOR
TARIFF COMMISSION
ASKS THAT PRESENT BOARD
BE MADE PERMANENT BODY
Executive Advises Progressive Policy
With reference TO ariff Changes
The Panama Canal-War and Navy
Departmcnts-Postof

lowing to lack of space in yester-
days edition the following portion of
the presidents message was omitted
at the time:)
Revenues.
This seems proper place to con-
slider the operation of the existing
tariff bill, which became a law Au-
gust 6, 1909. As an income produc-
Ing measure the existing tariff bill
has never been exceeded by any Gus
toms bill in the history of the coun-
try.
The corporation excise tax, proper
TONED income, has worked well. The
tax has been easily collected. Its
prompt payment indicates that the in
cidence Of the tax has not been heavy
1t offers, moreover, an opportunity
for knowledge by the government OF
the general condition and business
of all corporations and that means
by far the most important
part of the business of the
country. In the original act pro-
vision was made for the publication
of returns This provision was SUBJ
sequently amended by congress and
the matter left to the regulation OF
the president l have decided the Is.
sue Of the needed regulations.
The Payne Tariff Act.
The schedules of the rates of duty
In the Payne tariff act have been sub
1ected to a great deal of criticism
some Of ii just, more OF II unbound.
ed, and to much Misrepresentation
The act was adopted in pursuance oi
a declaration by the party which is
responsible for it that a customs bill
should be a tariff for the protection
of home Industries, the measure of the
protection to be the difference be-
tween the cost of production of the
imported article abroad and the cos
of producing it at home, together
with such addition to that differenc,
as might give a reasonable profit tC
the home producer The basis for tn,
criticism of this tariff Is that in re.
spect to number of the schedules tn,
declared measure was not followed
but higher division retained or in,
serted by way of undue discrimina.
ton in favor of certain Industries ana
measures. Little, If any, of the crit
icism of the tariff has been directed
against the protective principle above
stated; but the main body of the crit
icism has been based on the charg,
that the attempt to conform the mea
sure of protection was not hQnestl.
and sincerely adhered to.
Tariff Board.
The time in which the tariff wa
prepared undoubtedly was so short a
to make 1t impossible for the con
gress and Its experts to acquire tn,
information necessary strictly to con
form to the declared measure. In or
der to avoid criticism of this kind II
the future and for the purpose o
more nearly conforming to the prom
Use. congress at its last session mad
provision at my request for the con
tinuance of board created under th
authority of the maximum and min
imum clauses Of the tariff bill. an,
authorized this board to expend tn
tion for the ascertainment of the cos
of production at home and abroad o
the various articles included in tn
schedules of the tariff. The tariff
board thus appointed and author
lied has been dligent in preparing it
self for the necessary Investigations
The hope of those who have advocat
ed the use of this board for tariff pur
poses is that the question OF the rat
advance imposed shall become NOR
OF business question and less of
political question to be ascertaine'
by experts of long training and accur
ate knowledge. The halt in busines
due to the announcement that a nev
tariff bill is to be prepared, and pu
in operation will be avoided by treat
ing the schedules one by one as occa
sion shall arise for an increase II
rates and only after 1t Is reported. /
is not likely that the board will b.
able to make a report during tn
present session on the present sched
ules because a proper examination in
wolves an enormous amount of detail
and great deal of care; but l hop
to be able at the opening of the ney
congress, or at least during the ses
sion of that congress, to bring to II