The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1911-12-21
ADVISES LOWER
TARIFF RATES
President in Message To-day Urges
Downward Revision.
EXPLAINS VETO OF WOOL BILL
Speaks, of Present Determinations
and offers Remedies - Work of
the Tariff Board is Accord
ed High Praise.


Washington, Dec. 90 President
Taft transmitted to congress today
the Tariff Boards report on Schedule
Is, together with following message:
in my annual message 10 cons. ess.
December, 1909, l stated that under
section 2 of the act of August
), 1909, | had appointed tariff
board OF three members TO coop
crate with the state department in the,
administration of the maximum and
minimum clause of that act, to make
glossary or encyclopedia of the exist
ing tariff so as TO render it's terms in
telligible to the ordinary reader, and
then tC investigate industrial condi-
lions and costs of production at home
and abroad, with a view to determin-
ing to what extent existing tariff
rates actually exemplify the protective
principle, viz: That duties should be
made adequate, and only adequate, to
equalize the difference in cost OF pro-
duction at home and abroad.
| further stated that believed these
investigations would be of great value
as a basis for accurate legislation, and
that | should from time to time recon-
mend to congress the revision OF cer-
tain schedules in accordance with the
findings of the board.
In the last session OF the Sixty-tirst
congress bill creating a permanent
tariff board of five members, OF whomi
rot more than three should be of the
same political party, passed each
house. but failed of enactment because.
of slight differences on which agree
ment was not reached before adjourn
ment. An appropriation act provided
that the permanent tariff board, il
created by statute, should report TO
congress on schedule X in December,
1911.
Presidential Appointments.
Therefore, 10 carry out so far as lay
within my power. the purposes of this,
bill for Il permanent tariff board, | APP
pointed in March, 1911, board of five,.
adding two members of such party af-'
Citation as would have fulfilled the
statutory requirements, and directed
them to make a report to me on sched-
uie X OF the tariff act in December of
this year.
In my message of August II, 19l1,i
accompanying the veto of the WOOL
bill, said that, in my judgment, sched-
ule X should be revised and the rates.
reduced. My veto was based on the
ground that, since the tariff board
would make. in December, a detailed
report on wool and wool manufac-
lures, with special reference to the re-
lafiOn OF the existing rates of duties to
relative costs here and abroad, publici
policy and a fair regard to the inter
ests of the producers and the manu-
facturers on the one hand and of the.
consumers on the other demanded that
legislation should not be hastily enact.
ed in the absence of such informa-
ton; that | was not myself possessed
at that time of adequate knowledge OF
the facts to determine whether or not
the proposed act was in accord with
my pledge TO support a fair and rea-
sOnable protective policy; that such
legislation might prove only tenn
pOrary and infiict upon great indus
try the evils Of continued uncertainty.
Advocates Reduction of Rates.
| now herewith submit a report of
the tariff board on schedule X. The
board is unanimous in its findings. On
the basis OF these findings | now rec
ommend that the congress proceed to
r consideration OF this schedule with
a view 10 its revision and general
reduction OF its rates.
The report shows that the present
method of assessing the duty on raw
wool-this is, by the specific rate on
the grease pound, /. e., unsecured
operates 10 exclude woods of high
shrinkage in securing. but fine quality,
from the American market and there
BY lessons the range of woods avail.
able TO the domestic manufacturer.
that the duty on secured wool of SS
cents per pound is prohibitory and OPP
crates TO exclude the importation OF
clean, lCwpriCed foreign woods of in
ferior grades, which are nevertheless
valuable material for manufacturing.
and which cannot be imported in the
grease because OF their heavy shrink.
age. Such woods, il imported. might
be used to displace the cheap substi.
tutes now in use.
To make the preceding paragraph a
little palmer, take the instance of a
hundred pounds of irst-class wool int.
ported under the present duty, which
is IL cents a pound. That would make
the duty ON the hundred pounds Sill
| The understandable part OF the wool
thus imported is the weight of the
wool of this hundred pounds after
securing. II the wool shrinks so pei
cent, as some wool does. then the duty
In such a case would amount to Sil on
20 pounds of secured wool, This, OF
course. would be prohibitory. n thu
WOOL shrinks only so per cent. 4