The Red Cloud chief., 1911-12-28
PRESIDENT SAYS
RATES TOO HIGH
Chief Executive Urges Downward
Revision OF Schedule K.
MESSAGE SENT TO CONGRESS
Document Upholds Protective PrineI.
pie But at the Same Time Most
Ardentiy Supports Reeon,men.
dations OF Tariff Board.

Washington. n.--President Taft trans.
mitted to congress the report OF the
tariff board on schedule X. Accom-.
panying the report. the chief execu.
tive sent to the national legislature
the following message:
To the Senate and House OF Representa-
tives:
In my annual message 60 congress. De-
cember. 1863, / stated that under section
2 OF the act OF August 6. 1909. I had ap-
pointed a tariff board OF three members
to cooperate 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 30 as to render Its terms intel
ligible TO the ordinary reader. and then
to investigate Industrial conditions and
costs OF production at home and abroad.
with a view to determining TO what ex-
tent existing tariff rates actually exem-
plify the protective principle. viz; That
duties should be made adequate. and only
adequate. to equalize the difference In cost
OF production at home and abroad.
! further stated that I believed these in
vestigations would be OF great value as a
basis for accurate legislation. and that
should from time TO time recommend to
congress the revision OF certain sched-
the toard.
In the last session of the Sixty-first con-
gress bill creating a permanent tarin
board OF Ave members. OF whom not
more than three should be Of the same
political party. passed each house. but
failed Of enactment because OF slight diff
ferences on which agreement was not
reached before adjournment An appro-
priation act provided that the permanent
tarin board. II created by statute. should
report to congress on schedule * In De-
cember. 1911.
Presidential Appointments.
Therefore. to carry out So far as lay
within my power the purposes OF this
bill for q permanent tariff board. I ap-
pointed in March, 1911. a board OF hve.
adding two members of such party affli-
alton as would have fulfilled the statu-
tory requirements, and directed them to
make report to me on schedule X OF
the tariff act In December OF this year.
In my message Of August II, 1911. ac-
companying the veto Of the wool bill.
said that, in my Judgment. schedule X
should he revised and the rates reduced.
My veto was based on the ground that
since the tarin board would make. In
December. a detailed report on wool and
wool manufactures. with special refer.
ence 10 the relation OF the existing rates
OF duties to relative costs here and
abroad. public policy and fair regard
to the interests OF the producers and the
manufacturers on the one hand and OF
the consumers on the other demanded
that legislation should not be hastily en-.
acted In the absence of such information
that I 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 Ia
support fair ana reasonable protective
policy; that such legislation might prove
only temporary and inhict upon a great
industry the evils of continued 'uncer'
tainty.