The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-06-20
Answers a Request for Report
of Tariff Board.
1T is NOT READY YET
And viii Not Be Completed Be-
fore Next December.
Partial Results Would Be Use
less and Misleading.

Washington, June 2O.-In a special
message to the house OF representatives
today President Taft stated that the
tariff board would not be ready to sub
nit a comprehensive report on woollen
and cotton schedules of the tariff law
until December next. The presidents S
message was called out by a house res
olution requesting him to transmit at
once all of the information procured by
the tariff board relating to wool and
the manufactures of wood. Mr.. Taft in
cluded in his message d statement from
the tariff board as to the status of its
inquiry and also a statement by a COM
mittee Of the national tariff commission
association which recently conducted
an investigation Of the methods of the
tariff board. This report was highly
commendatory of the boards work
Mr.. Tafts message found the house
engaged in final discussion of the I'm
derwood wool tariff revision bill, which
it expects to pass before adjournment
TODAY.
President Taft said he transmitted
the house resolution to the board which
in reply prepared a statement enclos-
ed. In this statement the board said
that the statistics compiled by It frOE1
the latest available foreign and dOmes-
tic sources covering the production, di )
tribution and consumption of raw woods
and wooden manufactures had already
been transmitted, on request, to the
ways and means committee of the
house and used by it. The board de-
clares it is conducting an inquiry which
involves original research work that is
world wide in its scope
This incomplete information" the
board says necessarily is fragment
arv in character and if transmitted to
congress would be not only of doubtful
utility. but actually misleading. we
shall develop the essential facts in re-
Iation to both the wool and cotton
schedules in time fo- forwarding to
congress next December" The president
says in part:
i.The board of experts was first en-
gagged in assisting the executive in the
discharge of his duties under the max
imum and minimum clause OF the
Payne tariff bin. It's attention was
then directed to accumulation OF IN
formation for use in connection with
the reciprocity agreement made with
Canada.
1.-The sundry civil appropriation act
of last year provided that II tariff
commission or board was established it
should report on the wool schedule by
the first of December. The tariff com
mission bill was lost but under the
discretionary power vested in me, ap-
pointed a board as near like the one
described in the bill which was lost as
possible nonpartisan board of five
the examination into schedule K, its
meaning and the cost of production of
wool and of woolens in this country
and abroad, and to have their report
ready by the first of December.
Meantime the board is not in a
position to transmit anything except
what has already been sent to the ways
and means committee.
In order that congress may more
fully understand what the board of ex-
perts is engaged in, transmit. in con-
nection with their statement a report
by a committee of the national tariff
commission association which applied
to me for permission to investigate the
methods of procedure of the board of
experts and the scope and progress of
the work.
Their judgment is shown in the fol-
lowing paragraph:
d" In conclusion, our committee finds
that the tariff board is composed of
able, impartial men who are devoting
their energies unreservedly to the work
before them, and that congress and
the people can await the completion
of that work with entire confidence
that it is progressing as rapidly as
consistent with proper thoroughness
and that it will amply justify all of
the time and expense which it en-