Omaha daily bee., 1911-06-07
WOOL BILL IN THE HOUSE
Measure Reported by Democrats Of
Ways and Means Committee.
PRESIDENT TAFT IS CRITICIZED
Executive Told that His DisapprOvni
OF Wool Schedule Would Have
Done Some Good Had IL
Come Earlier.


WASHINGTON. June E-sharply criti-
ciHing President Taft. the republicans and
the tariff board. the report on the Under
wood wool bill was submitted to the house
of representatives today by the democratic
members of the ways and means commit
tee. Quoting President Taft's addresses
after the passage of the Payne-Aldrich BILL
| in which he declared "the woolen schedule
is indefensible and I propose to say So"
the report says:
Had the president made these public ad-
missions earlier, while the tariff OF 10 was
under consideration by congress, his dec
larations would have been of real service
to the people and would have enabled them
to protest against the betrayal OF the pub
lie welfare to private greed. The presidents
silence at that time and his approval OF
the act OF 1879, make II impossible for him
to evade his full share OF responsibility for
the failure of revision. which ne now ad-
mits."
Roast for Tariff Board.
The report deals at some length with the
attitude OF the administration in not COM
municating to congress data on the steel
trust" and other industries now being in
vestIgated,- and the failure OF the tariff
beard to communicate data on the woolen
| Industry. n.N. ". a,ss
The position OF the tariff board nppears
TO be-" says the report. that they in con-
| ference with and under the sole control OF
the president shall be the sole Judges as
Ito what part Of the data they collect may
| be likely to be OF service for purposes OF
lezisiation. and this situation must be con-
sldered with reference to the viewpoint OF
the president concerning tariff legislation.
| ut is therefore not imposs Bile that there
may he some such delay in the commuhlca-
ton to the congress of statistical informa-
ton collected by the tariff board concern
| ing wool and wooden goods as there has
been in communicating TO congress or max
Ing public the data b. the bureau Of cor
lporations concerning Investigations Of the
steel and other industries"
| The report maintains that any further
delay in the revision Of the w.o.e1
schedule would be Objectionable to the
public. In explaining the determination
of the committee not to put raw wool
| on the free list, but to reduce the present
duty 10 20 per cent ad vaiorem, the com
mittee insists that the act OF the demo-
cratic caucus rs not to be construed as an
abandonment Of any democratic policy"
Revenue 81 Needed.
"The present situation OF the treasury
the report states, following a long course
OF unwarranted extravaganza by the re-
publican party and the appropriations al
ready made by the Sixty-first congress,
which the democratic party could not limit.
Irequire that the revenue from customs
duties in the immediate future be main
tanned at approximately the total of the
fiscal year 1870"
| The coun,ttfoo atataa that tbara m
sufficient reason for continuing the COM
plieated and troublesome system of classl-
fication OF raw wools. characteriEing Il as
great burden and annoyance to the
customs service and adding to the expense
| OF collecting duties on raw wools."
| II Is asserted that the average ad va
loren rate on manufactures OF WOOL on the
imports ana dtuies as estimated for 1912.
would be 4265 per cent, Rs compared with
SOlO per cent under the schedule In 1910
and that the average ad valorsm equiv
alent of duties on raw wool 20 per cent as
compared with 444s1 per cent in 1910.
All the/democratic members of the ways
and means committee with the exception OF
francis Burton Harrison OF New York
signed the report.
Minority Report.
Tho minority Iep.It Is sigued by Repre-
.entatirss Fayne. Da.+ell, NseGham and
l.-ugworth.
ser purely political reasons" It says
this eo.d-blooded ms sure IS brought fot-
eru. II Il could become law II would
'.GUEhter sheep IN 1894 and close the
Lllis much more universally"
The bill IS not drawn on lines for the
y o5ucu>n OF revenue on raw wool, the
minority report contends and adds that
with duty OF 20 per cent ON wool the
duty on manufactured cloth IS too low TO
enable our manui actu1ers to pay the wool
duty and still comrete With impor ed cloths
I The wool schedule Is Intricate and d.
rectly involves tho welfare and living or
more than 600 GO people" the report con
tnues. without am hear ag q new da.a.
With no Information later than that Of two
Years aEo. this bill Is foyoed en- The us,
a. the mandate OF political caucus. Th-re
! can be no expectation that II WI pass the
\ other house or be oven considered there
before December next al least"
/ The minority report charges that tho
! dtmoer, ~ give the NJ q for revenue rs ihe
rosi reason Tor the introduction OF the
/ measure. II ohArsctevlHes the dsmoeratie
! Ftntsnants with regard 20 ihs eendltich OF
I the treasury ~ ais iHteiy fAiss," ard pre-.
ssnts tres-,trr statements q ru roEtias 20 re-
fute the democrats charges Of repuhllaaS,
sxtravaEsnes In expenditures