The Holly chieftain., 1911-12-29
fIVORS LOWERING
Of TARIFF RATES
eAEsi0ENr TAFT. IN MEssAoG 70
coNoAEes. AovocArEs RE-.
DUcrioN o. DUTIES.
scHEOuLE K UNDER FIRE
h csmmunleation 70 Congress, Chic
Executive lnasrsss ceneiusisns
Arrived at BY the Recently
crsated Tarim Doard.

Washington.-ln transmitting to
congress the report OF the tariff board
N schedule K the president accom-
Danied It with the following message:
10 the Senate and House Of Representa-
evss:
In my annual message to congress, De-
Ssmber. 1909. stated that under section
Of the act OF August s. 1909. I had ap-
bointsd . tariff board Of three members
70 cooperate with the state department
b the administration OF the maximum
Ind minimum clause Of that act, to make
glossary or encyclopedias of the exist
Ing tarin 70 ~ to render its terms intel
vsibls to the ordinary reader. and then
70 Investigate industrial conditions and
tosts Of production at home and abroad,
With view to determining to what ex-
tent existing tariff rates actually exem-
eitfy the protective principle. viz: That
euttes should be made adequate. and only
adequate, to eQuaiize the difference In cost
ef production at home and abroad.
further stated that believed these in
vssttgations would be of great value as a
basis for accurate legislation. and that
thoul& from time to time recommend to
congress the revision of certain sched-
ules In accordance with the findings of
the board.
In the last session of the Sixty FIRST con-
greas bill creating q permanent tariff
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
tariff board. II created by statute, should
report to congress on schedule K 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. board of five.
adding two members of such party affili-
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. I
said that, In my Judgment. schedule K
should be revised and the rates reduced.
My veto was based on the ground that.
since the tarin board would make. in
December, detailed report on wool and
wool manufactures. with special refer
ence to the relation Of the existing rates
Of duties to relative costs here and
abroad, public policy and q 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 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 q fair and reasonable protective
policy: that such legislation might prove
only temporary and inflict upon great
industry the evils of continued uncer-
tainty.
Advocates Reduction Of Rates.
now herewith submit report Of the
tariff board on schedule X. The board is
unanimous in its findings. On the basis
Of these findings I now recommend that
the congress proceed to a consideration
Of this schedule with view to Its revi-
sion and q general reduction of Its rates.
The report shows that the present
method Of assessing the duty on raw
wool-this 10. by the specific rate on the
grease pound. I. O., acknowledgements to
exclude vtools of high shrinkage In
securing, but hne quality. from the
American market and thereby lessons the
range Of woods available to the domestic
manufacturer: that the duty on unsecured
wool Of g cents per pound Is prohibitory
and operates to exclude the Importation
Of clean, low-priced foreign woods OF in
ferior grades, which are nevertheless val
liable material for manufacturing, and
which cannot be imported in the grease
because Of their heavy shrinkage. Such
woods, II imported. might be used to dis
place the cheap substitutes now in use.
To make the preceding paragraph lit
tie palmer. take the instance of hum
dred pounds Of hrst-class wool imported