The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-11-25
TARIFF BUARU IS
CALLED FAILURE
Forthcoming Report Will Not
Suggest Single Rate in
III the Schedule
CARDS ARE STACKED
FOR THE PRESIDENT
Not Even Wool or Cotton to
Be Distinguished--Rep
Confined to Cost of
Production

less authority than that Of tariff
board offcaai. the International News
Service Il enabled To present the
amazing fact that in tts report. now
ready In part Tor presentation to the
President. that body OF experts will
rot nx 4 single rate on the tariff. and
that least Of all will it suggest a rate
on wool or cotton.
This news II all tho more aston
iehing In that It dissipates the theory
which has been fostered In admins
tIation circles and disseminated at
every opportunity that there could be
no intelliyent tariff legislation with
out the expert counsel OF the tariff
board.
This information. which was obtain
ed officially from the tariff board to-
day. therefore means. AS explained by
it's officials, that the only assistance
which Congress or the country liz to
get Immediately IL a monumental mass
OF statistical information as to the
cost OF production of wool and cotton.
4 large amount OF which statistics was
known to both Democrats and Re-
publicans nj the time OF the passage
OF the Democratic tariff bill at the ex-
ira session and which the President
vetoed.
Fear Is oppressed that instead of
settling any particular tariff rate the
report Of the tariff board OF, weui s,r,ti
cotton viii AMPLY prectpitate All in
terminable wrangie In the House. and
IN the Senate. on statistics that have
been threshed over Tor ths pas. two
ears.
Work /. pointfssa
In view OF the pointless work of
the board in its highest analysis 1t is
pointed out that It has not advanced
tho subject Of tariff reform In the
sliKhtest degree and that its report
viii be the most surprising disap-
pointment ever lsuEctes1 upon Com
kresa. 4ss~Fs'sts s
Il viii be demonstrated the moment
the report OF the board Is made pub
nc that It could not possibly have had
anything to do with the veto OF the
tarf6 bill by the President. even II IL
had been cc-ssplete on the important
wool and cotton schedules and availa-
Die At tho aeseion 1t which the DEM
ocratic blu WIS passed.
IN view or these strange develop
ments belief In expressed here that
tho leaders OF the straightout Re-
pubiicans on the floor Of the House
will have as much dif!iculty IN sx-
planning the shortcomings OF the
Tariff Board rs they will have IN
Justffyfng the veto OF the Democratic
blu by the President.
II In stated By officials with whom
the International News Service talk
ed today that the special value OF the
Tarin Board report will DO that tho
President may use It In case he
should have again to veto the tariff
bill
In other words. II a combination
OF Democrats and Liberal RepubN-
cans should PASS a tariff bill at the
next session. or even only wool aud
cotton schedules that Is not accepta-
BILE TO the radical protection element
IN Congress. the President could ind
In the statistics Of the Tarify Beard
reason for vetoing such bill.
Cards Are Stacked.
This II all In the cards, and Is
made quite plain by the position in
which Congress will find itself, that
Of being enabled merely to guess
what ought to be . specific rate on
ANY given material
Tho expeftn Of thu board them
solves ny IN extenuatton OF the fact
that they are not to advise specifi-
patton Of the functions OF the Ways
and Means Committee. This expla-
nation II made At i very late day.
II 10 reported that the Tariff Board
differs from the ngutes Of the Dem
Ocratic Congress as to the cost OF
production. The difference n said to
!, he above the 3 PEI, cent IA excess Of
the INJURIES on IN average OF the
pemocsatio expertA
From one point Of view It seems
that. tho sliGht higher percentage. Of
cost thus obtained by the rarife
Beard win be used by the radical
siement TO pretend that tho tariff
schedule ought to be higher than that
evolved At tho last session OF Con-
greaa.
Tho gum total Of thH work Or the
Tariff Board. however. even suppos.
ing that II shows Per cent hlgh-
ef rata Of domestic production -
agatnss foreign productions = tn
muddy the question and 10 leave tho
situation precisely a. It was before.
According to the best information
available tho conclusion appears to
10 inevitable that the Tariff Board
was not essential ana wa never In
tended to AZ any rata of any tarfR
ocAAdula or bill.