Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-09-23

for me to continue the tariff board
then existing if the bill for the other
board failed of passage. In this appro
priation bill the statutory tariff board
if established, was directed to investi
gate and report upon schedule X on
wool and woolens by December /
4 1911. This direction was the result OF
an amendment offered by demo.
cratic senator
Added TWO 20 Beard.
Upon the failure of the bill for a
statutory board and in an earnest ef.
fort to enable cong, ass to act with &C
curate knowledge OH schedule K, and,
4 indeed, on schedule Ion cotton man
ufactures, I{issued I'm order to the
tariff board already appointed to con-
tinue the necessary Investigations of
! these schedules and to report upon
the same on December next. In or
| der to make as good substitute for
4 the statutory tariff board as / could,
4 / added two competent democrats to
the board. The board consists OF two
| professors Of economics OF the high
est standing, one at Yale and one at
| the University of Virginia, former
assistant secretary Of the treasury In
\ charge of customs, the proprietor and
editor of an agricultural and stock
raising newspaper-an authority on
/ these subjects-and a former demo-
cratic congressman of great ability
and experience from Georgia, Except
the former assistant secretary, who
is republican, and the former con-
gresham, it is hard to say that the
members have any politics at all, GER
tainly none which will prevent impair
tial investigation and judgment They
are to report on the glossary" and
| the facts as to the comparative cost
of foreign and domestic production
after investigation made by experts
In their employ. They have 80 persons
under them working hard to COM
lplete the work marked out for them
Wool Report Set for December
/ have gone over with care this
history of the movement for tariff
board in order to show how fully
committed am to the proposition that
we ought not to have any revision of
q schedule of the tariff without accu-
rate information as to the operation
and effect of the proposed changes,
and further to show that in this view
have had in the past the hearty
support not only of the regular repub-
Leans, but Also and even with more
emphasis, those who call themselves
progressive republicans.
Second, also wish to point out that
all republicans of whatever shade, are
committed TO the maintenance of our
mr. ind of1,in fa iT1f nf
retaining duties on imported articles
which shall equal the difference in the
cost of production at home and
abroad.
Third, except for the extra session
called only to pass upon the rsciproc-
ity bill, the first time that the sixty
second congress could consider and
pass upon tariff schedules would be
in December and at that time Its
predecessor, by consent Of both par
ties, had fixed as the proper time at
which full report as to the most OBJ
jectionable schedule ought to be re-
reported. With the money granted
me by congress had provided a
board, nonpartisan, and with the same
personnel as the statutory board
would have had, to make report not
only upon wool but also upon cotton.
Says Democrats Played Politics.
Although many of the democrats
had assisted in the support of the
statutory tariff board bill and had ad-
vocated such means OF securing ac-
! curate information in respect of the
probable operation Of the proposed re.
vision, the house at once began to
make record for political purposes
by passing three tariff bills. the wool
bill, the free-list bill and the cotton
bill. They gave no public hearings
Of any kind on either of these bills
and they presented no satisfactory In
| formation upon which the effect of
any of them upon the industries In
| volved could be judged. Their inves-
LEGATIONS may hare been sufficient to
satisfy the conscience of a tariff-for-
revenue man who believes in any, re.
duction. however great. of existing
duties, but for one pledged as | am
L. maintain a tariff high enough to
enable existing industries to live, the
| cnse is different.
! How Bill Was Prepared.
| The wool bill proposed a revenue
duty of 20 per cent upon raw wool in
stead of II cents pound, a reduc-
ton OF considerable more than SO per
cent of the present duty, and an av-
GRACE duty Of so, per cent on WOODEN
cloth and manufactures. This was
evowedly tariff for revenue and was
not drawn for the Curpose NJ pretrc:-
ing the industries. 1t passed the
house and went 10 the senate, where
all insurgent republican senator pro-
nosed a substitute u which the du!v
on wool of the first class was fixed
at 40 per cent, and of second class.
or carpet woods, at 10 per cent, and
the average percentage on the WOOL
en- manufactures was made 60 per cent
ad valorcm. 1t was claimed by its au-
thor to be protection bill It was
never submitted to a committee, no
evidence was ever taken in regard to
| it, and it was evolved from the indie
pendent investigation of single SEN
ator. A majority Of the insurgents and
| the democrats in the senate compro-
missed on bill which made the tax
on raw wool, first class. 35 per cent;
second class, 10 per cent; and the av-