New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-08-18
Sees No ReaSonfor Menacing In.
dustry Involving Prosperity
of 100000 People.
"REvISIOM BY CONJECTURE"
Mr.. Taft Promises That Report
of Tariff Board Will Be Ready
December Underwood
to Call Up Bill To- day.
From The Tribune Bureau

i
vetoed the compromise wool bill to-day.
/ He accompanied his disapprova of the
message with a plain and frank state
ment of the reasons impeiling him 20
adopt this course, chief Of which is that
there is no public exigency which war
rants menacing an industry involving
the prosperity Of more than five millions
of people by a tariff revision based en-
tirely on conjecture, even If framed IN
good faith, when by waiting ninety days
definite information on which 10 base
such a revision will be available.
| President Taft recites the history of
this bill. showing that it Is a compromise
! between tariff for revenue measure
passed by the House and protection
measure passed by the Senate, that ~
was actually framed in conference ana
without consideration by any committee
of Congress. and involved in its COM
position those very evils which he has
sought to eliminate through the agency
Of a competent, non-partsan tariff
board.
Mr. Taft points out that by the votes
Of both parties the tariff board has been
! instructed 10 present detailed informa-
! ton regarding the wool schedule by De-
cember /. and promises that this will b'
done He traces his own course with re-
gard to the tariff and his earnest and
| consistent effort 10 secure revision
which will make the tariff conform To
the provisions Of the Republican national
platform "A protective tariff which shall
not exceed the difference in the cost OF
production plus n reasonable profit 10
American industries, and he makes
forceful argument To show that the full
ilment of this pledge is possible only IN
the light of the information which tho
tariff board will be able TO present.
Incidentally. the President points out
that the protection afforded 10 the manu-
facturers Of woollen goods by the meas
ure he rejects is materially less than
that afforded by the Wilson bill, and
that the measure provides for an increase
in the duty on carpet woods Of per
cent over the rate fixed by the House
and Of 10 per cent over the rate fixed by
the Senate. and that there is no evidence
that any of those concerned in the franz
ing Of the bill did 50 with any informa-
ton whatever regarding the costs Of pro-
duction. either here or abroad.
The Presidents Message.
| The text of the message is as follows:
! return without my approval House bill.
No. ll,0l9 with statement Of my reasons
| for doing.
| The bili is an amendment OF the existing
. tariff law and readJUsts the customs duties
l in what is known as Schedule IS. emhrac-
| ing wool and the manufactures ot wool
/ was elected TO the Presidency as the
candidate of a party which IN It's plat
form declared IT'S aim and purpose 10 be
| 70 maintain protective tariff by the
"in1positon oF such duties a will equal
! the difference between the cost OF pro-
duction at home and abroad. together
with a reasonable profit to American
industries | have always regarded this
language as fixing the proper measure
OF protection at the ascertaned difference
between the cost Of production at homo
and that abroad, and have construed tho
reference 10 the profit OF American in
dustries as intended not to add new
element to the measure stated. or 10 ex-
clude from the cost OF production abroad
the element of a manufacturers or pro-
S
importance of including IN the Arer-
can cost a manufacturer or producers
profit reasonable according to the AmerI. p
can standard.
In accordance with a promise made IN
the same platform, ! called an extra ses-
sion Of the 6lst Congress, at which a gem
eral revision Of the tariff was made and
adopted i'm the Payne bill. II was con-
tended by those who opposed the Payne bill
that the existing rates of the Dingley hiil
were excessive, and that the rates adopted
in the revising statute were not sufficiently
reduced 10 conform % the promised meas
ure.
The Great Difficulty
The great difficulty. however in dis
cussing the new rates adopted was that
there were no means available by which
impartial persons could determine whaa
i'm fact was the difference ia cost of pro-
duction between the products Of this coun-
try and the same products abroad. The
American public became deeply !npresse0
with the conviction that. in order O.
secure a proper revision Of tho tariff IN
the future exact information as 10 the
effect of the new rates must be had. and
that the evil Of log-rollng or COM
promise between advocates OF different
protected industries i'm fixing duties could
be avoided and the interest OF the consum-
ing public could be properly guarded only
by revising the tariff one schedule at a
To help these reforms for the future. |
tariff bill enabling me 20 create Tauf
Board Of three members, and directed them
to make a glossary and encyclopaedia OF
the terms used I'm the tarin. and TO secure
information as TO the comparative cost of
production OF dutiable articles under the
tariff at home and abroad.
Here the President quotes from hts
message OF December :, 1909, request
ing money 10 continue the work OF the
Tariff Board. and stating the good results
he believed would be obtained by scien-
tidc revision. lie continues:
4 popular demand arose FOR the formal
creation los law OF "A permanent ncn-paT-
tiSan tariff commission. commercial podicf
all over the country united IN "A movement
10 secure adequate legislation FOR this pur-
pose and an association with nation
wide constituency was organized 20 promote
the cause The public opinion IN favor OF
such a commission was evidenced by reao-
luuons adopted in 1909 and 1910 by Repub-
lican state conventions IN at Ieast twenty
In addition. efforts We're made TO secure
a change in the rules OF procedure in the
House and Senate with View 10 pre-
venting the consideration Of tariu changes
except schedule by schedule.
The business of the country rests on
a protective tariff basis. Tho public
keenly realized that a disturbance OF
business by a change in the tariff and
threat of injury to the industries of tho
country ought to be avoided, and that
nothing could help 50 much 10 minimize
| tho fear OF destructive changes as the
known existence OF reliable source OF
information for legislative action.
The deep interest in the matter of an
impartial asccrtainment OF facts before
any new revision was evidenced by .t