Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1911-08-23
THE TARIFF BILLS VETOED.

President Taft last week vetoed the
wool tariff revision and what is
called the farmer free list" bill,
passed few days previously. His
action was not unexpected as he had
let it be known that it was his inten-
tion to do so These bills were passed
at this time for political effect and to
place the president in the attitude OF
opposing downward revision of the
tariff. SO that it may be used against
him in by his enemies in the coming
presidential campaign
The bills were loosely and un,-
scientifically constructed, being the
result of frequent compromises be-
tween the democratic mem bers who
advocate a tariff for revenue only and
the insurgent republicans who claim
to stand for a tariff that will be
protective in its features
In his veto messages the president
points out that the language IF the
free list bill is SO Ambiguous that it
would be- impracticable for the
treasury department to give an exact
estimate as to the diminutiou in
revenue which would follow it's enact
ment, and that while apparently only
effe.ting a few articles it is so louise
in it's phraseology that it would
affect hundreds of items in the exist
ing law and enable importers to
bring in many articles that do not
belong to the class intended to be
favored and use them for other and
general purposes
AS to the wool revision the presi
dent stands firmly for tina policy of
board, appointed to make "a thorough
investigation of the difference in cost
of production at home and abroad and
report to congress next December the
result of their findings, in order that
the duties revised may be fixed upon a
scientific basis, fair alike to the pro
Queer and the consumer He says.
If ther3 ever was a schedule that
needed consideration and 1nvestiga-
tiOn and elaborate explanation by ex-
perts before It's amendment, it is
schedule X. There is a widespread
belief that many rates in the present
schedule are too high and are in ex
cess of any needed protection for the
wool grower or manufacturer. share
this belief and have so stated in
several public addresses. But [ have
no sufficient data upon which l can
Judge how schedule X ought to be
amended or how its rates ought to be
reduced, in order that the new bill
shall furnish the proper measure of
protection and no more.
There is no public exigency reduir-
ing the revision of schedule K in
August without adequate information.
rather than in December next with
such information, December was the
time fixed by both parties in The last
congress for the submission Of ade-
Quate Information upon schedule X
with view to it's amendment. Ger
taiply the public veal is better pre-
served by delaying ninety days in
order to do justice and make such
reduction as shall be proper, than now
blindly to enact a law which may
seriously injure the industries invOlv-
ed and the business of the country in
general.
In an attempt to pass the wool bill
over the presidents veto the house
failed to give the necessary thirds
vote, the vote being 227 to 1919 and on
the free list bill the vote was 226 to
1877
1t is pointed out that the states Of
Iowa, Kansas and Wisconsin all went
on record in their republican state
conventions in favor of the tariff com
mission, which the insurgent senators
from these states gave their approval
to, but which recommendation they
now rapudiate in demanding i'm,
mediate revision under these hastily
prepared bills.