The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-09-18
TARIFF BOARD NOT
! DOOMED TO DEATH
1t Is Expected that the DEM
ocrats Will Oppose the
Plans of Clark.
= (National News Association)

(NNftOnal News ASSOclatIon1
WASHINGTON. Sept. 1s-Despite
hhe fact that the last Democratic
house made no provision for the con-
tinuance of the National Tariff Board
latter July 1, 1912, 1t is not probable
that IL will go out of existence after
that date. Notwithstanding the threat
iof Champ Clark, Speaker of the
House OF Representatives, to cut off
further appropriations for the con-
'tinuance OF the board after that date,
there is every reason to believe that
the house committee on appropriations
will refuse to agree with the wishes of
Speaker Clark. The most radical
change that Is looked for is that the
board may be made to submit its re-
pjOrts directly to congress, instead OF
the President, as is now the case,
The tariff board has many bitter
enemies among the Democratic men,
bcrs of congress, but even they can
not deny that it probably will do a
great deal of good in advising congress
as to tariff revision. The most diff
cult task that it has yet been called
upon to perform will hardly be COM
pleted by the next session of congress,
ind 1t is not thought that it will be
forced out of existence until after 1t
has had time to complete it's investi-
cation Of the steel, iron, and wool in
dustries of the country. While the
steel and iron Investigations will be
comparatively easy, the wool and cot.
ton schedules will be difficult.
Makes Rapid Program.
The board is making rapid pro-
gress, and it's field work in the in
vestigation into raw wool has practi-
cally been finished. Information con-
corning the cost of production of raw
wool Is now being tabulated. Data is
being collected on the cost of wooden
manufacturers, and a study of cotton
manufactures in this country and
abroad is being made.
For nearly year the tariff board
ton of raw wool. In this, as in the
other Investigations of the board, an
exhaustive report Is being prepared
which will answer almost any ques-
ton that may arise in congress con-
corning the subject The gathering of
the fact alone has been a great task.
Practically every sheep expert from
the sheep grower to the manufacture
er has been called in by the board to
render assistance. Government ex-
perts have been sent to all parts of
the world to study will production and
wool manufacture. Conditions in other
countries as compared to this are of
vast importance. The difference in
cost OF production between this and
other countries must be ascertained
before any scientific progress in the
revision of the wool tariff can be
made. Cost accounts have co-operat-
ed with practical sheep men in the en-
ploy Of the board in getting facts.
A Comprehensive Report.
No stone has been left unturned to
furnish congress with a report which
will give it comprehensive idea of
how much reduction the wool sched-
ule will stand without endangering
the wool industry bill reducing the
wooden schedules as passed by con-
gress last session, but rejected by
President Taft, who said that before
he would approve of any measure pro-
viding for reduction in the duties he
would have to have before tim the
confidence of the board. Previous in
formation OF the board on other tariff
schedules has been SO satisfactory
that he will not sanction any tariff re-
vision until after he had had an op-
portunity to pass upon the findings of
the board.
Among the experts sent out by the
board Is John f. Wing, sheep man and
agriculturist, who was sent to Argen-
tina. Uruguay, England, Scotland and
France to study wool production and