The Topeka state journal., 1911-09-21

cure accurate information? 1 thought
not. Indeed. I could find no argu-
ment which would satisfy my con-
science in signing the bill
The free-list bill was called the
''farmers' free list for the purpose of
giving an impression that it was passed
to compensate the farmers for some
sort of injury supposed to be done by
the Canadian reciprocity treaty. This
reason was finally repudiated by the
leader of the Democracy on the floor
of the house of representatives, and
is certainly not true. There was moth
that required any compensation to the
farmers, for in q very short period
after actual operation it will appear
that they, as well as everybody else,
have been improved in condition by
our larger trade with Canada. But tn e
bill was framed and came to me in a
form calculated to u1islead as to it's
effect. In the first clause all agricuI-
tural implements were declared to be
free, and a great many were named.
These same implements were named in
the Payne bill, and were made free in
that bill from any country which per-
mitted our agricultural implements to
enter it without duty. This opened to
England the market of the United
States for agricultural implements AS
cultural implements in America is
cheaper, as shown by report of the
bureau of trade relations of the state
department to the American farmers
than to any farmers in the world.
England is the one country that ex-
ports agricultural implements to any
great extent and so successful is the
competition against her in this country
of American agricultural implements
that practically very few have come in
from England. This first clause, there
fore, of the free-1ist bill offers no boon
to the farmers at all, although appar-
emily drawn for the purpose of induc-
ing them to think so. It does contain
some very general words at the close
of the specially mentioned articles
which by Interpretation might be made
to include $50 different articles used
on the farm, but used in other voca-
tions also. And these articles-the
hammers the tools, the cutlery and
the machinery of various kinds-are
now dutiable under the metal sched-
ule. To admit them under this clause
would be to destroy entirely the SYM
metry of the metal schedule and pro-
duce such a confusion as seriously to
interfere with the administration of
the tariff act
As to Barbed Wire.
Another clause provides for the ad-
mission of barbed-wire fencing free,
and then all wire and other material
which could be used for fencing, and
includes wire rods and wire rope To
let in barbed-wire fencing alone would
be unimportant to producers, but the
Of the amending clause is
such that If it were to go into law it
would have serious effect upon the
metal schedule and would utterly de-
stroy the principle which was follow
ed in it's framing and would make free
Of duty some OF the most highly
wrought articles under the metal sche- |
dule not used by farmers at all Then |
there is a clause admitting jute and |
cotton bagging free, and materials from |
which made, which would allow COM |
mon cotton cloth to come in free for |
any purpose, although under the cotton |
schedule, even as proposed to be |
amended by this congress, cotton |
cloth is to pay a certain amount of /
duty. The bill also puts boots and |
shoes of all kinds on the free list. 1t |
did not put on, the free list, except |
some kinds of leather, the materials /
which went into shoes. In other words, |
t put on the free list the finished |
product and continued the tax on raw
materials. This would be such a bur-
len on our manufacturers that its in
Justice must appeal TO everyone. The |
TACT is that under the Dingley bill inn
Jorted shoes were taxed % per cent ad
while in the Payne bill the
1uty was reouced from 25 per cent to
10 per cent, the duty on hides was re-
iuced from is per cent to nothing, and
he duty on leather was reduced to 8
Der cent. No evidence was taken as to
what effect this putting of shoes on
he free list would have on the very
highly important shoot industry of the
county, and as it violated the first |
principles of justice in a tariff, namely,
If putting the finished product on the
rec list and taxing the materials, it
lid not and could not commend itself |
% one who was pledged to the sup
port of a moderate protective tariff.
Finally, the free list has two clauses
sffecting meat and -four AS they went
through the house they put meat on
he free list and flour on the free list.
n the senate, however, an amendment
vas put on limiting the operation of
hese two clauses to imports from
hose countries with which we have
eciiprocal relation and which admit
ertain agricultural products of ours
rec. This limitation made Canada the
'nly country which would be affected
" the provisions of the clause. Now,
n our negotiations with Canada for
we attempted to secure free
neat and free flour. Canada would not
onsent to this because she feared the
fleet of our competition with her
neat and -four. This showed that i'm
iortations of meat and flour from
without duty would not have
nv effect to lower the price in this
of either in normal times. But
his free list bill was giving to Canada
omething for nothing This congress
It the close of the act approving the
canadian reciprocity agreement direct
d me to continue negotiations and ex-
and its terms, and yet in these pro
-isions it proposed to deprive me of
sing the concessions of free meat and
rec flour to secure concessions from
Thus the bill was so loosely
rawn, it was drawn on such a wrong
rincipIe and with so little informa-
ion, and it purpOrted to do so many
hings which it did not do, that 1 had
o hesitation in vetoing it.
The Cotton Bill. 4
FTina11v tha cotton hill came to me |