The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-12-21
Accompanied By a Message on Both Wool and
 WOolens
RECOMMENDS A GOOD
 REDUCTION OF RATES
Characterizes Report of Tariff Board as Most Complete and Exhaustive Statement of Difficult and
 Complicated Subject

Washington, December ao.--Gongress will actively begin consideration of tariff legislation in the two houses innledi- ately after the holidays. though demo- cratic leaders of the House. the tariff originating body. say no measure would be ready to report for some weeks. l Senate Republican Leader Penrose said ] the finance committee would begin it's ] work in advance of the House, while Demesratie Leader Underwood declared the bill would not be whipped into fnal shape for report until February The committee. he said, must decide just what rates should be fixed after thoroughly comparing it's own data with the facts submitted by the tarlf board in the re- port which President Taft submitted to- day to the House of Congress.
 senatos Penrose announced that he hoped the republican senators would be l able to formulate bill complying with l the tariff boards views. Representative l Underwood said the Presidents message really pointed out the necessity of a great reduction in wool rates. and that he had no doubt the House would carry out the 1 suggestions made.
 Underwood Talks
 The President, in his message said Mr. Underwood, "fayors placing a specific duty on succored wool as basis for i'm. portation of raw wool instead of pacing 1 a duty on raw wool and then increasing the duty on sueeored wool If the com. mittee should adopt specific rate fos raw wool. there might be much in ths Presidents argument, but I have no doubt the committee will exact an ad valorem Instead of a specific duty
 The President advocates ad valorem i duty on manufactured wool. In the bill passed last year the rates were advanced. 1 based on import valuation, in contradic. ton to the compound, specific and ad valorem rates now exacted in the Payne- Aldrich law. The President says ths present duties on wool and wooden manu. factures in many instances are prohibi. l tive. 1 have no doubt the ways and means committee will agree with him as to the necessity of a reduction. The mes- sage clearly justified the democratic mem- bers in passing the wool bill at the extra session last year that the President se- 1 toed.H
 Representative Dalzell of Pennsy ylyania, republican leader on The ways and means committee, said the message clearly show ed why it is necessary to have wool legis- ] lation other than that proposed by the democrats .it the last session of Congress.
 T am sure" said Senator Penrose,' that we shall have better bill than the 1 wool bill, which was passed during the extra session. The finance committee will htake up the subject immediately after the l holidays, but whether 1t will be possible 1 ceptanee of such bill as we might for mulate | cannot undertake to say. l be- lieve the report of the tariff board does not indicate that the present wool duties are very much too high"
 Senator Bristow
 Senator Bf1stow, who took prominent part in the combination of insurgent sen- ators with the democrats that forced the l tariff reduction bills through the senate at the extra session, declared that if the President had signed the LaFollette wool bill last summer, he would have corrected everything Of which he complained and 1 have served ample protective duties for every American industry. The progress ] sve republicans. he said, would support the same tafiff revision this session.
 Senator Martin of Virginia, democratic leader of the Senate. said he still favored lower duties on wool, "something like the | Underwood hll." Senator Warren of l Wyoming an extensive wool grower, ex- l pressed himself as fairly well satisfied with the boards findings and the Pfesi- dents recommendations. Senator Lippett of Rhode Island, successor 10 former Sen ator Aldrieh, who was co-framer of the Aidrieh- Payne tariff law said the report proved that duties on some classes of fa- ibrics "can well be reduced without in jury to American industry"
 President Taft sent to Congress today the long awaited report of the tariff board on Schedule K of the Payne tariff act, and with it a message recom- mending that the rates on wool and woolens be materially reduced.
 The report shows that the existing duties on many classes of wool and wooden manufactures are prohibitory and grealy in excess of the differences in the cost of production here and abroad. The duties are so arranged as to keep out of the United States entirely wools of finer qualities which, If im- ported, mig be used to displaee the cheap substitutes now employed. President Taft calls attention to these points and urges that revision of the | schedule be proceeded with at once. He 1 lcharacterizes the report of the tariff board as the most complete and eN- 1 haustive statement of a difficult and complicated subject ever presented to d l Legislative body
 1 He declares It cannot De nAuEnl put a monument to thoroughness. industry. | impartially and accuracy of the men engaged in it's making. He also dwells l with emphasis upon the fact that the report is unanimous one, and asserts the belief that it will convince all of the wisdom of making the tariff board permanent
 No Definite Rates Proposed Neither the President nor the board | proposes definite rates of duty, MT. 1 Taft holding the function of the board