The Elk Mountain pilot., 1911-12-28

= proAihitery. IN ssnsrai thsy are ~
oasDeA At rates - high -. or h1ghsf
than. the duties paid on the clean content
ef wools actuaiiy imported They should
- reduced and - adjusted To ths reas
On wpel a. to bsar their proper proportion
to tfS real rate levied ON the actual wsol
imports.
ssns Dulles PrehIbltory.
The dutiss' ON many 6iasAss Of wool
manufacture are prohibttosy an greatly
In sxesss Of the dinersnss IN cost q pre-.
ducfion hsss and abroad This b true ef
tops. of yarns with the exception Of
worsted yarns OF . very high grade). and
Weight.
On toss up to = cents peund In vaius,
and ea yaSns OF . cssts In value The
rate - ~ Per cent. with correeponding1y
higher rates for lower values. On cheap
and medium grade cloths. the 'sxistiae'
ratss frequently run to 10 per cent. and
on sonss cheap goods to ever - per
cent
On the other hand. the dndinsn show
that The 1uties which run to such hton "a
walk rem equivalents are prohibitory. since
the woods are not imported. but that sne
pE1ess Of domestic fabrics are not raissA
By the tull amount OF duty. On . ~ ef
one yard samples Of ~ Hnoa1sA esnocs.
which are completely excluded ~ the
present tarfn rates. Il was found thet the
total foreign value was ei1-H; the duuee
which would have been assssssd had thess
fabrics bssn imported. e7eso; the foreign
value plus the amount OF the duty. ulAN'
or . nominal duty Of II Per cent. In fact.
however. practically Identical fabrics OF
domestic make sold At the same time AZ
eo.U. showing an enhanced price over the
foreign market value Of but u per cent
Would Reduce Dutlse.
Although these duties do not increase
prices Of domestic goods by anything like
their full amount. It IL none the less true
that such prohibltive dutss eliminate the
possibility of foreign competition. oven In
time Of scarcity. 30 that they form temp
taton TO monopoly and conspiracy to con-
troll domestic prices: that they are much
in sxcess of the difference in cost OF pro
duction here and abroad. and that thsy
should be reduced to = point which ac-
cords with the principle.
The findings of the board show that IN
this Industry the actual manufacturing
cost. aside from the question OF the price
OF materials. 10 much higher in this couh-
try than Il 10 abroad: that In ths making
OF yarn and cloth the Domestic Wooien
and worsted manufacturer has in general
no advantage In tho form Of superior ma
chinsry or more efficient labor TO onset
the higher wages paid in this country.
The hnds show that the cost OF turning
wool into yarn in this country IL about
double that in the leading competing
country. and that the cost Of turning yarn
into cloth IL somewhat marc than double
Under the protective police greax indus
try, involving the welfare Of hundreds OF
thousands of people has been established
despite thess hsndicaps-
In recommending revision ana reduc-
tion I therefore urge shaf acuon % u
ken with these facts in mind. to the enc
that an important and established Indus
try may not be jeopsrdixcd. 80
The tariff board reports that no eouita'
BILE method has been found to levy purely
specific dutiss on wooden and worstsd feo-
rics, and that, excepting for . compensa
tory duty. the rate must be ad vaiorsm
on such manufactures 1t II important TO
realize. however, that no nat Ad vaiorsm
rate on such fabrics can be made 10 wotN
fairly and effectively. Any single rats
which 10 high enough to eQualixe the dif-
ference In manufacturing cost At nome
and abroad on highly finished goods IN
volving such labor would be pronio)toty
on cheaper goods In which the labor cost
is . smaller proportion OF the total saIuS
|.Couvsrssly. . rate only adequate to equal
lie this difference on cheaper goods wouid
remove protection frem the nns soods
manufacture, the increase In which nas
bssn one Of the utrfking features OF tns
tTAds development In recent ysar.
therefore recommend that in any revision
ths Importance Of graduated scale OF ad
valorem duties on cloths Be carefully con-
sidsred and applied
PraIsss Work Of Committee.
venture 10 say that no iesis'atfve
body has ever had presented to II . more
complete and exhaustive report than this
on 20 difncuit and complicated q subject
- the relative costs OF wool and wooiens
the world over. II is . monument to the
thoroughness. Industry. impartianty ana
accuracy NJ the men engaged In tts ma
king. They were chosen from both poit-
teal partiea but have allowed no partisan
spirit to prompt or control their inquiries.
They are unanimous In thslr andings.
feel sure that after the report has been
printed and studied the value OF such
compsndfum Of exact knowisdgs In ro-
spsct to this schedule Of the tarin VIII
convince all OF the wisdom Of making
such Q board permanent In order that
Il may treat each schedule OF the tar1n
a. Il has treated this. and then keep IL
bur1au OF information up to date Win
current change IA the economic world
II. h no part Of the function Of the tar
IN board TO propose rates OF duty. Their
function u merely to present. hndfngs OF
fact on which rates of DUTY may Be fairly
determined In the light OF adsopate
knowledge In accordance with the eco
nomic policy to b followed This II what
the present report DOES. =.
The findings OF fact By the board show
ample reason for the ssvisson downward
Of schedule X, In accord with the pro
tectivs principle. and present the data
- to relative costs and prices from which
may BE- determined what rates Will faiEav
sQualfss the difference In production costa
I recommend that such revision Be PRO
1siSped, WILLIAM H. TAFT.
The white Hovss. Dec. 70. Dl1-
Opera Houses In Europe. h:
Milan, with . population Of some
q.