Norwich bulletin., 1910-08-29


 tial downward revision, and a reduc-
 ton of excessive rates This is not
 a free trade bill. It was not intend
 ed to be. The republican party did
 not promise to make a free trade bill.
 It promised to make the rates protec- l tive. but to reduce them when they | exceeded the difference between the
 cost of production abroad and here | making allowance for the greater nor i mai profit on active investments here | I believe that while this excess has
 not been reduced in number of cases.
 in great majority the rates are such l as are necessary to protect American industries, but are low enough, in case | of abnormal increase of demand, and
 raising of prices, to permit the possi 1 bility of the importation of the for | eign article and thus to prevent ex- l cessive prices.
 "The power granted to the executive 1 under the maximum and minimum
 clause may be exercised to secure the
 removal of obstacles which have been ! interposed by foreign governments in l the way of undue and unfair discrim- ! Ination against American menchan- | dist and products
 The Philippine tariff section I have i struggled to secure for ten years last | past and 1t gratifies me exceedingly | by my sigma ture to give-it the effect of law. am sure it will greatly, in crease the trade between the two coun- | tries, and it will do much to build up
 the Philippines in a healthful pros perity.
 s'The administrative clauses of the bill and the customs court are admira- bly, adapted to secure a more uniform and a more speedy final construction
 of the meaning of the law.
 The authority to the president to
 use agents to assist him in the appIi-
 cation of the maximum and minimum
 section of the statute, and to enable
 officials to administer the law, gives
 a wide latitude for the acquisition un-
 der cirPIIr1 Sf f9VOT1hlA f0 it's
 truth, of information in respect to the
 price and cost of production of goods at home and abroad, which will throw much light on the operation of the present tariff and be of primary i'm portance officially collected data upon which future executive action and executive recommends tions may l be based.
 ''rhe corporation tax is a just and | equitable excise measure, which it is | hoped will produce a sufficient amount | to precent a deficit and which incl dentally will secure valuable statistics | and information concerning the many | corporations Of the country, and will | constitute important step toward | that degree of publicity and reguia- l tion which the tendency in corporate | enterprises in the last twenty years | has shown to be necessary"
 This fairly states the effect of the | bill. The bill has been criticised for | certain of it's rates and schedules. l Some of the criticisms are just and | some are wide of the mark and most unjust.
 The truth is that under the old pro- tective idea the only purpose was to | make the tariff high enough to pro- tect the home industry. The excess of the tariff over the difference in the cost of production here and abroad was not regarded as objectionable be- cause it was supposed that competition between those who enjoyed the high protection would keep the price for the consumer down to what was reason able for the manufacturer. The evil of excessive tariff rates. however, showed itself in the temptation of press competition, and then to main tain the prices so as to take advan- tage of the excess of the tariff rate 1 over the difference between the cost 1 of production broad and here
 The Payne tariff bill is the first bill assed by the republican party in which the necessity for reducing rates and it is therefore a decided step in the right direction. and it ought to be as such On the whole, it 1 was a downward revision, particularly The actual figures on the first years operation of the law dem Onstrate this. It must also be remem- bered that the tariff rates in the new law on imported liquors, wine and silks were increased substantially 1 over the Dingley rates. because these were luxuries and it was intended to increase the revenue
 The charge that the present tariff is ! for the increase in the prices of necessities is demonstra bly, ialse. because the high prices, with 7ery few exceptions. affect articles in he tariff upon which there was no increase in rates or in respect to which here a substantial reduction.
 Tariff Board.
 xzor1 { ,ne feature of the operative part of he tariff law. is that section which nables the executive to appoint a ( arif commission or board to secure he needed information for the proper amendment and perfection of the law 1 The difficulty in fixing the proper tar | if rates in accord with the principle 2 Itated in the republican platform, is in 1 difference between the cost of produc- ion at home and the cost of produc- ion abroad. The bias of the manu- acturer seeking protection and of the , imposing it Weakens the , weight of their testimony. Moreover, vhen we understand that the cost of differs in one country broad from that in another, and that changes from year to year and from nonth to month we must realize that l he precise difference in cost of pro- l uction sought for is not capable of I efinite ascertainment, and that all ilsl even lHe LnOsL SclGnt1nc person l an do in his investigation is after consideration of many facts which he earns, to exercise his best judgment l . T reaching a conclusion i, The commission, however, already n elected and at work, is a commission r r disinterested persons who will ascer-i l z ain the facts not in a formal hearing . V examination and cross examination f witnesses. but by the kind of in that statisticians and scien- fic investigators use. When the com lission completes it's work either on \ le entire tariff or on any of the sched- n les Tn respect to which issue has h risen, and the work of the commits K
 fftoa fixueA. en.r r.auA si-