The Elbert County tribune., 1911-12-29

adjusted to the rate ~ = osnts on
secured wool. are prohfbitory in the same
Measure that the duty on secured wool
is prohibitory. In general. they are ~
sssssd 1t rates ~ high a.. or higher
than. the duties paid on the clean contsnt
Of Wools actually imported They should
be reduced and 20 adtustsd TO the rate
on wool - 70 bssr thstr proper proportion
to the real rate levied on the actual wool
Some Duties prohIbItery.
The duties on many classes Of WOO
manufacture are prohfbitory and greatly
In excess Of the difference in cost Of pro
duction here and abroad. This IL true OF
tops. Of yRrns with tho exception OF
worstsd yarns Of . very high grade). and
OF low and medium grade cloth Of heavy
weight.
On tops up to 80 cents . pound in value.
and on yarns of S cents In value. the
rate IL 100 per cent. with correspondingiy
higher rates for lower values. On cheap
and medium grade cloths. tho existing
rates frequently run TO $50 per cent and
on some cheap goods to over 100 per
cent.
On the other hand. the findings show
that the duties which run to such high and
valorem equivalents are prohibitory. since
the goods are not imported. but that the
prfces Of domestic fabrics are not raised
BY the full amount OF duty. On set OF
one yard samples OF Is English fabrics.
present tarin rates. II was found that the
total foreign value was S4l.sl; the duties
which would have been assessed had these
fabrics been imported. 1850: the foreign
value plus the amount Of the duty sils.n:
or nominal duty of 1s3 per cent. In fact.
however. practically Identical fabrics OF
domestic make sold at the same time at
t697b. showing an enhanced price over the
foreign market value of but 81 per cent
Would Reduce DutIes.
although these duties do not increase
prices OF domestic goods by anything like
their full amount. II Is none the less true
that such prohibitive dutes eliminate the
possibility of foreign competition, even In
time OF scarcity. SO that they form a temp
taton to monopoly and conspiracy to con-
troll domestic prices: that they are much
In excess of the difference In cost of pro-
duction here and abroad and that they
should be reduced to point which ac-
cords with the principle.
Tho findings OF the board show that in
this industry the actual manufacturing
cost. aside from the question of the price
of materials. is much higher in this coun-
try than It Is abroad: that in the making
OF yarn and cloth the domestic woolen
and worsted manufacturer has in general
no advantage in the form of superior ma
chinery or more efficient labor to offset
the higher wages paid In this country.
The finds show that the cost of turning
wool into yarn in this country 10 about
double that in tho leading. competing
country. and that the cost OF turning yarn
into cloth Is somewhat more than double.
Under the protective policy great indus
try, involving the welfare of hundreds of
thousands of people has been established
despite these handhnps.
In recommending revision and reduc-
ton / therefore urge that action be ta-
ken with these facts In mind. to the end
that an important and established indus
try may not be Jeopardized.
The tariff board reports that no equita-
BILE method has been found to levy purely
specific duties on woolen and worsted fab
RIGS. and that. excepting for compensa-
tory duty. the rate must be ad valorem
on such manufactures. 1t IL important to
realize. however. that no Nat ad valorem
rate on such fabrics can be made to work
fairly and effectively Any single rate
which is high enough to equaiize the DIFF
ference in manufacturing cost at home
and abroad on highly finished goods In
volving such labor would be prohibitory
on cheaper goods. in which the labor cost
10 smaller proportion of the total value.
Conversely. a rate only adequate to equal
ize this difference on cheaper goods would
remove protection from the fine goods
manufacture. the increase in which has
been one of the striking features Of the
trade development in recent years.
therefore recommend that In any revision
the Importance of graduated scale Of ad
valorem duties on cloths be carefully con.
sidered and applied.
Praises Work Of Committee.
venture to say that no legislative
body has ever had presented to It . more
complete and exhaustive report than this
on 20 difficult and complicated a subject
as the relative costs Of wool and woolens
the world over. 1t II q monument to the
thoroughness. industry. impartiality and
accuracy of the mon engaged In Its ma
king. They were chosen from both polit-
ical parties. but have allowed no partisan
spirit to prompt or control their inquiries.
They are unanimous in their nndings.
feel sure that after the report has been
printed and studied the value Of such a
compendium of exact knowledge In re-
spect to this schedule of the tariff will
convince all OF the wisdom OF making
such . board permanent. in order that
1t may treat each schedule of the tarin
as II has treated this. and then keep Its
bureau OF information up to data with
current changes in the economic world.
1t il no part of the function OF the tar
III board to propose rates of duty. Their
function IL merely to present findings of
determined in the light of adequate
knowledge in accordance with the eco
nomic policy to be followed. This II what
the present report does.
Tho findings of fact by the board show
ample reason for the revision downward
of schedule X. in accord with the pro-
tective principle. and present the data
az to relative costs and prices from which
may be determined what rates Will fairly
equalize the difference In production costs.
I recommend that such revision be pro-
ceeded with at once.
(Signed) WILLIAM H TAFT.
The White House. Dec. 20. 19u
Napoleon's Model Library.