The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-12-20
In Message to Congress Accom-
panying Its Report.
FINDINGS UNANIMOUS
He Asks for Immediate Revision
of the Wool Schedule
And RecOmmendsThat theBOard
Be Made Permanent.

Taft sent to congress today the long
awaited report of the tariff board on
schedule X of the Payne tariff act
and with it a message recommending
that the rates on wool and wooIens be
materially reduced.
The report shows that the existing
duties on many classes OF wool and
wool manufactures are prohibitory and
greatly in excess OF the difference Ia
the cost of production here and abroad.
The duties are so arranged as to keep
out of the United States entirely wool
of finer qualities, which, II imported.
might be used to displace the cheap
substitutes now employed.
President Taft calls attention to
these points and urges that a revision
of the schedule be proceeded with at
once.
He characterizes the report Of the
tariff board as the most complete and
exhaustive statement OF a difficult and
complicated subject ever presented TO
legislative body. He declares II "a
monument to the thoroughness, indus
try, imDartiality and accuracy of the
men engaged in its making. He also
dwells with emphasis upon the fact
that the report is a unanimous one
and asserts the belief that It will con-
vince all of the wisdom of making the
tariff board permanent.
Neither the president nor the board
proposes definite rates of duty. Mr..
Taft holding that the function of the
board merely is to present findings OF
fact on which rates of duty may be
fairly determined in the light OF ade-
quate knowledge and in accord with
the economic policy to be followed.
President Taft recommends that the
proposed revision adhere to a policy OF
protection based upon the difference in
cost of production at home and
abroad.
ExpIaina His Veto
In his message after referring brief
~ TO the creation of the tariff board
the president says
In my message of August IL. 1911.
accompanying the veto OF the wool
bill, said that. In my Judgment
schedule K should be revised and the
rates reduced. MY veto was based on
the ground that, since the tariff board
would make. in December. a detailed
report on wool and wool manufactures,
with special reference to the relation
of the existing rates Of duties to rein
tive costs here and abroad. public
policy and a fair regard to the inter
ests Of the producers and the manu-
facturers on the one hand and Of the
consumers on the other, demanded
that legislation should not be hastily
enacted in the absence of such infor-
nation; that / was not myself pos
sessed at that time of adequate know
ledge of the facts to determine wheth-
er or not the proposed act was in ac-
cordance with my pledge to support a
fair and reasonable protective policy
that such legislation might prove only
temporary and inflict upon great in
dustry the evils of continued uncer-
tainty.
Il now herewith submit a report Of
the tariff board on schedule X. The
board is unanimous in its findings. on
the basis OF these findings. / now
recommend that congress proceed to
a alteration of this schedule with a
Viz. to rfafs nd
duction of it's rates.
The report shows that the present
method of assessing the duty on raw
wool, that is by a specific rate on
operates to exclude woods Of high
shrinkage in securing but fine quality
from the American market and there
by lessons the range of woods avail
able to the domestic manufacturers
that the duty on secured wool OF 30
cents per pound is prohibitory and op-
crates to exclude the importation Of
clean, low priced foreign Wooia OF In
ferior grades, which are nevertheless
material for manufacturing
and which cannot be imported in the
grease because of their heavy shrink
age. Such woods. If imported. might
be used to displace the cheap substi-
tutes now in use
Gives an Illustration.
ITO make the preceding paragraph
a little palmer. take the instance OF a
hundred pounds of first class wool,
imported under the present duty
which is j cents a pound. That would
make the duty on the hundred pounds
S11. The merchantable part OF the
wool thus imported is the weight OF
the wool of this hundred pounds, ar
Ter securing. If the wool shrinks 50
per cent as some woods do, then the
duty in such a case would amount TO
I'll on 20 pounds OF secured wool
This of course. would be prohihtory.
II the wool shrinks only so per cent
t would be S11 on so pounds of wool
and this is near to the average OF the
great bulk of woods that are imported
rom Australia. which Is the principal
source OF our imported wool.
Charge Against the Clip
THAT if account is taken Of the en-
ire wool PRODUCTION OF the country,
including both fine and coarse wools,
he average charge against the clip rs
lbout 9h cents per pound.
THAT in South America, the cores
bonding charge Is between and cents
,er pound.
THAT taking Australasia as a whole
{ appears that a charge Of a very few
ents per pound lies against the great
lips of that region I'm the aggregate
While the board cannot therefore un-
Iertake to name an exact figure IN
hat case. It is certain that the Aus
ralasian costs at large fall materially
,eloW the South American
THE board finds that the present
method of levying the duties upon raw
WOOL is defective in that IL operates.
" reason of the varying shrinkages O.
he different kinds of wool, to prevent
he importation Of many heavy condi-
ioned sorts which II imported. would