Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1911-11-02
pa Storm King

board to inquire into the whole sub
ject of the tariff, but particularly the
wool and cotton schedules. Continu-
ing, the president said:
Non-Partisan Board
Il appointed a commission compos-
OF two so-called Democrats and
[hree so-called Republicans. The head
Of that commission is Professor EN-
cry the professor of economics of
Yale, also a professor from the Uni
Aversity of Virginia, with several 9TH
ers that form the commission as APP
pointed by me, n they are to make
a report of the cotton and raw wool
end wool schedule, and are to make a
report OF December /. Now this com
mission is impartial and is to find out
the effect hat the production is here
and abroad. The first bill that was
introduced was a wool bill and as it
was a free trade measure l had to
deny it. The bill after it had passed
the house, went to the senate and
was met by a bill that was a protec-
ton bill which imposed a higher rate
OF duty, the rate on wool was reduc-
ed something like 100 per cent and
81 on with the raw wool and cotton.
A compromise was made in the SEN
ate and the bill was passed at 35 per
cent on raw wool and so per cent on
wool and in the house there was a
compromise at 40 per cent on wool.
Now / am not going back to the his
tory of the wool industry, but the
tax Imposed in this bill was less than
the Wilson bill tax on wool, and the
N's0n bill was followed by depres-
SION In the wool industry. Now l am
not saying that it was not a proper
bill, but what | am saying is that
since 4 did not nave any adequate in
formation that it would not cause in
jury In the industry and as We are to
have Information in December, /
could not see any other way but to
veto the bill and postpone action un-
til December; but when this went into
conference, lest this argument that I
am making should have considerable
force, they changed the date on which
a. D4ll SnOulu DtCOIlS SiltCtlNt lioII
January l to October .16.
Farmers Free List
I'm the farmers free list bill it was
said That the farmer was to be pro-
tected against injury from the Cana
dian Reciprocity bill. This bill was
drawn up in a very loose way and
was put together in great confusion.
1t did reduce about a million and not
several million as was expected.
Then there was the cotton bill. If it
had gone through the house and to
the senate as introduced / would have
had to veto it as it was opposite the
platform / was elected upon. That
bill added rs per cent reduction on
the chemical schedule. There was a
gentleman in the senate who voted to
reduce the duty and to him the SEN
ate. said since his constituents would
glad to have the reduction made
he could uphold it, it was supposed
that II would reduce everything but
81 wanting were they in knowledge
Of the actual value of the ad valorem
that was to be imposed that when |
submitted it to the tariff board for
investigation l found that perhaps a
dozen items that instead OF reducing
the tariff 25 per cent reduced it 70
items, instead of reducing 1t, it in
creased the tariff as, So to 100 per
cent and my friend that wanted a re-
duction, instead of securing a 25 per
cent reduction had an increase OF 40
or go per cent. But this was not all,
. there was a great reduction in the
liquor tax which would have decreas-
ed the annual income very much. OF
course congress did not intend that
but 1t was the result of throwing to-
gether this bill with a lack of investi-
CATION. The duty on alcohol was re-
/. duced from over SO a gallon to 8
cents a gallon, the Measure reducing
the revenue on alcohol alone some
thing like ST, 900, 900 annually. If
had signed this bill it would have
caused great confusion. therefore 1t
seemed to me that these three bills
needed veto until we could be sure of
what their effect would be.
Tariff and Politics
I'VE cannot take tariff out OF poll
tics as men differ as to whether we
ought to have free trade or protec-
Tn, but we can insist that before ac-
tion be taken that will affect the
whole country that information be
had as to the effect OF amendments,
Tor otherwise we may fall into pit