The Topeka state journal., 1911-09-21

| senate ana another modifying in some
respect the inquisitorial powers of the
board. These changes necessitated a
return of the bill to the house for its
/ concurrence in the amendments. A
| large majority favored concurrence,
bat a small minority was able to beat
the bill by flibustering in the last hours
/ OF the session In the uncertainty as
1 to the passage of the bill both houses
| had provided S225, 900 for me to con-
tinue the tariff board then existing il
the bill for the other board failed OF
passage. In this appropriation bill the
statutory tariff board, if established,
was directed to investigate and report
upon schedule K on wool and woolens
by December l. 1911. This direction
was the result of an amendment offer
| ed by a Democratic senator.
Schedules k and L.
Upon the failure of the bill for a
statutory board, and in an earnest ef-
fort to enable congress to act with
accurate knowledge on schedule K, and,
indeed on schedule lon cotton man.
ufactures-I issue an order to the tar
iff board already appointed to continue
the necessary Investigations OF these
schedules and to report upon the same
on December 1 next. In order to make
as good q substitute for the statutory
tariff board as I could, I added two
competent Democrats to the board.
The board consists of two professors
of economics of the highest standing,
of Virginia former assistant secre-
tary of the treasury in charge of Gus
toms, the proprietor and editor OF an
agricultural and stock raising news
paper-an authority on these subjects
and a former Democratic congressman
OF great ability and experience from
Georgia Except the former assistant
secretary, who is Republican, ana
the former congressman, it IS hard to
say that the members have any poll
tics at ALL certainly none which viii
prevent impartial investigation and
Judgment. They are to report on the
GLOSSARY and the facts as to the COM
narrative cost of foreign and domestic
production after Investigations made
by experts in their employ. They nave
so persons under them working nara
to complete the work marked out for
them.
/ have gone over with care this his
tory of the movement for tariff poard
in order to show how fully committed
I am to the proposition tnat we ougiie
not to have any revision of a schedule
of the tariff without accurate inforrna-
ton as to the operation and ERECT OF
the proposed changes, and furtner 70
show that in this view I have had IN
the mast the hearty support not only
or the regular Republicans, but also,
and even with more emphasis, those
who call themselves progressive Re-
publicans. -
all Republicans of whatever shade are
committed to the maintenance OF our
protected industries to the point OF re-
tanning duties on imported aruclss
which shall equal the differences in the
cost of production at home and abroad.
Third Except for the extra session
called only to pass upon the reciprocI-
ty bill the first time that the Sixty
second congress could CONSIDER anu
mass upon tariff schedules would be
in December, and at that time its pre-
decessor. by consent of both parties |
had fixed as the proper time at Wnlch
n full report as to the most once
tionab1e schedule ought to be report |
ed With the money granted me oy
congress- I had provided a board, nom
partisan. and with the same person
mel as the statutory board Wouia sS, naSes
had. to make a report not only upoiA
wool but also upon cotton
Although many of the democrats
had assisted in the support OF the
sta futorv tariff board bill and had ad- |
--oeate5 s1ich a means of securing ac-
curate information in respect OF tnS +
nrobabIe operation of the proposed |
revision the house at once psgAn - |
make a record for political purposes
Nv IA assine three tariff bills. the wool /
bill the free list blu, ana lne coe coAeo'e
bill They gave no pubic nearlnss u
anv kind on either of these nllls anu
thew presented no satisfactory IN
formation upon which the effect Of
anv Of them upon the industries IN
volved could be judged. Their invesll-
cations may have been Sun1c1eHt 10
sa tisfv the conscience of g. tar1H-for-
revenue man who believes in any re-
duction however great, of existing
duties. but for one pledged as am TO
maintain a tariff high enough to en-
4 abte existing industries to live, the case
is different.
The Wool Bill.
The wool bill proposed revenue
duty of 20 per cent upon raw wool m
stead of II cents a pound, reduction
Of considerably more than SO per cent
of the present duty, and an average
duty of so per cent on wOolen cloth
md manufactures. This was avo~ed-
v tariff for revenue and was not
iraWu for the purpose of protecting
the industries. It passed the house
and went to the senate, where an. in
surgent Republican senator proposed
a substitute in which the duty on wool
Of the first class was fixed at 40 per
cent and of a second class. or carpet
vools. at 10 per cent. and the average
percentage on the wooden manufae-
lures was made so per cent ad valor-
=m. 1t was claimed by it's author TO
be a protection bill. It was never sub
nitted to a committee. no evidence
was ever taken in regard to It, and It
was evolved from the independent in
restigation of a single senator. A ma
iority of the insurgents and the Demo-
Gratis in the senate compromised on
bill which made the tax on raw wool.
1rst class, S5 per cent; second class,