The Springfield herald., 1911-12-29

adjusted to the rate Of IS cents on
secured wool. are prohibitory in the same
measure that the duty on secured wool
IN pfdhibNory. IhEeMeraF they are az
sessed at rates high as. or higher
than. the duues patron the clean content
s. Sc ssSaesa sdad t tn ss 9 Psts
on wool IFS To oaaf Their proper proportion
to the real rate Ieyied on the actual wool
imports. ~
IN. . ss',.: f I I'll, '.s..s 10,
manufacture. are prohibitory and greatly
in excess of the. difference in cost Of pro-
ductio1 here 'aAd abroad. Tina Ia, trus OF
top. ,of yanA with the exception Of
wornted yarhs of q veFy'hig grade). and
of low and medium grade cloth of heavy
weight - - u -, -
On tops up to 81 cents a pound in value.
and on syatna. Of. 66 cents in value. the
rate IL 100 per cent. with correspondingly
higher rates for lower valued On cheap
and medium grade cloths. the existing
en- ss st eheae yS0d' to over 100 per
ON tho other hand. the findings show
that the duties which run to such high I'd
the roods are not imported. but that the
prfces or DOMESTIC fHbfics ire not raised
by the full amount Of duty. On = set of
one yard samples of 1e English fabrics,
which are completely. excluded by the
present tariff rates. II gas found that the
total fareisn value wAI td.N: tho duties
which would have been assessed had these
fabrics been imported. 1850: the foreign
value plus the amount OF the duty. e1la74;
or a nominal duty Of 1ss per cent. In fact.
however. practically Identical fabrics Of
domestic make sold at tina, same time at
3ss.75. showing an enhanced prizes OVER the
foreign p.rke. ,velp. 9t But 81 psr cent.
G. Would Rsducs Dulles.
Although these idutesr do not increase
prices of domestic goods BY, anything like
their full amount. il H. none the less trus
that such prohibitive duties eliminate the
possibility Of foreign competition. even in
time of scarcity, 80 that they 2foYfn = temp
taton TO monopoly and conspiracy to con-
troll domestic prices: that they are much
in excess of the difference An cost Of pro-
duction here and. abroad. and that they
should be reduced t9 q point which ac-
cords with the principle. "
The findings OF the board show that in
this industry the ,aetuat manufacturing
cost, aside from the question of the price
of materials. Is much higher In this coun-
try thanIit is abroad: that In. the m alsing
OF yarn and cloth the domestic -woolen
and worsted manufacturer has In general
no advantage in the form of superior ma
chinery or more efficient labor to Offset
the higher wages paid In this country.
The finds show that the cost Of turning
wool Into yarn in this country II about
double that in the leading competing
country, and that the cost Of turning yarn
into cloth lis somewhat more than double.
Under the protective policy a great Indus
try. involving the welfare OF hundreds OF
thousands of people has been established
despite these handicaps.
In Recommending revision and reduc-
ton therefore urge that action be ia
ken with these facts An mind. to tho end
that an Important and established indus
try may not be jeopardizsd. go a Ell.
The tartN board reports that no equita-
BILE method has beep found to levy purely
specific duties on wooden and Wofsted fab
RIGS. and that. excepting for 4 compensa-
tory duty. the rate must be ad valorenn
on ouch manufactures It ID important to
realize. however. that no nat ,ad yalorem
rate on such fabrics can be made.to work
fairly and effectively. Any single rate
Which is high enough to equallze the dif-
ference in manufacturing cost dat home
and abroad -on highly finished goods 'in.'
volving such labor; would BE- prohibitory
on cheaper goods. in which, the, labor cost
is a smaller proportion Of the total value.
Conversely a rate only adequate to equal
lie this difference on cheaper goods would
remove protection from the fine goods
manufacture. tho increase lin which has
been one Of the striking features OF the
trade development in recent years. I
therefore recommend that In any revision
the Importance OF q graduated scale Of ad
valorem duties on cloths DO carefully con-
sidered and applied ";frr7H 7''
Praises Work of Committee.
venture to say that no legislative
body hep lover had presented to II = more
complete and exhaustive report than this
on 80 difficult and complicated . subject
as the relative costs of wool and woolens
the world bver. 1t IL monument to the
Industry, impartiality and
accuracy OF the men engaged In Its ma
&1g. They were chosen from both polit-
tc0 parties but have allowed no partisan
spirit to prompt or control their inQuiriss
TheJsAHs unanimous in their findings.
tel safv that after the report has bsen
printed and studied the value Of such .
compendium of exact,hseHledgSvi H. rs-
spect to this schedule Of the taS1n Will
convince all Of the wisdom OF making
su6& sShboard permanent. In order that
aSst47AAA treated this: and then keep it,
bdspnnakfof information, up to date with
current changes in the economic world.
:. 1t il no part OF the function Of the tar
m board to propose rates Of duty. Their
function il merely to present findings Of
in the light of ADEQUATE
knowledge in accordance with the eco
nomic policy to be followed This u what
the present report does.
The findings of fact by the board show
ample reason for the revision downward
of schedule K, in accord with tho pro
tective principle. and present the data
as to relative costs and prices from which
may be determined what rates will fairly
equalize tho difference In production costs.
I recommend that such revision be pro-
ceeded with at once. I'--' - lc
tsigned) 7f7 WILLIAM H TAFT.
The White House. Dec. 20. 1911 '' s,.h,- a