Perth Amboy evening news., 1911-07-05
TAFT PUTS IN
BUSIEST DAY
President Braves Heat to
Fellow Program,

parade or floats, q hA~ndShaK1ng recep-
ton for the Hoosiers, lunch with the
Columbia club, a Republican organiza-
ton, a track meet, motorcycle races,
an exhibition of two locomotives sent
into each other pellmell at a speed OF
some thirty miles an hour and four ad-
dresses marked probably the busiest
day In President Taft's career here.
Despite the intense heat-105 In the
streets-the president smiled through
1t all and just managed to catch his
train back to Washington.
The central idea of the celebration
was "the safe and sane Fourth" The
civic associations Of the city arranged
a wonderful program to crowd up
every minute Of eyerybody's time to
lessen temptation to celebration In the
old fashioned way.
They opened the day with a parade
Of historical floats, augmented, of
course, by companies of Knights of
Pythias and many brass bands.
President Taft came from former
Vice President Fairbanks house,
hhNA AC hdd oPCLL Lt hASbtJ hNSOLh
panied by the reception committee,
and took his place in the reviewing
stand at the base Of the Soldiers and
Sailors monument
From this parade Mr.. Taft went to
the Marion club and shook hands as
the people streamed by him, his collar
melting, but his smile rising, and Ma
Jor D,,tt bout 81 hj, ,-opI- no11t,r o,t
the names of the people as seriously
and theoretically as though he were
stocking a furnace.
An automobile ride was inserted In
the program as a rest for Mr.. Taft,
and it rained just a little while he
was out, which cooled things off some.
His address to the railroad man was
short, but be referred to railroad I'M
ion men as the best element Of union
labor, which was all they seemed to
want, and they clee%gied him loudly. -
l1>hrs reciprocity speech he answer
ed the charge that his Canadian reel
procity bill does not represent the true
Republican idea of reciprocity. He
promised his speech with the state
ment that "the Republican policy of
protection has suffered material mOdi-
tication since 1t was first adopted as a
plank of the party's platform"
Extreme protectionists," he said,
insisted hat 1t made no difference
how high duties were on articles, prod
ucts or merchandise that would COM
pete with those of our own country,
provided they were high enough to
prevent competition altogether.
THE argument was that by compe-
thion Iotweou our 5~n peopia there
would be found a sufficient stimulus
for the reduction Of the cost of pro-
duction and the reduction of price, so
that behind the tariff wall we would
enjoy low prices.
Il need not comment on the justice
Of this argument, for the reason that
In the exigencies Of business competi-
ton was not allowed full play, and
the temptation of excessive duties led
to combinations to control prices,
which prevented their reduction, so
that excess of duties had q tendency
to promote excessive prices.
This the Republican party recog-
nized and in their last national plat
form declared in favor of tariff duties
which would measure only the differ
ence in the cost of production Of ar
ticles here and of articles abroad.
"In other words, the sound Repub-
lican doctrine has become the fmposi-
ton of duties only where the condi-
tons are naturally UNEQUAL and where
duties are necessary to enable our pro-
ducers to meet on q level the compe-
titiOn Of foreign producers.
1.-THE inequality in condition is gen.
orally in the cost of labor. The pres
ent doctrine of protection, therefore.
does not require or call for duties In
excess Of those which will secure
equality of conditions. The Canadian
reciprocity agreement squares exactly
with this doStrine.
at is my own judgment that the
reciprocity agreement Will not greatly
reduce the cost Of living, If at all. 1t
will, however, steady prices by en-
larging the reservoir Of supplies for
those things that are raised In both
countries, and 1t will make more re-
mote the possibility Of cornering COM
modities and extorting excessive prices
for them from the public"