Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1911-12-21
TAFT WOULD REVISE
SCHEDULE X
Messages Report Of Tariff Board to
the Two Houses Of Congress.
SAYS WORK WAS WELL DONE
Urges Congress to Adjust Wool
Tariff That Consumers May be
] Helped and Manufacturers
Not injured.

bu&k SSuo&"sSsS "sNt w.
7 Helped and Manufacturers
Not Injured.
Washington, Dec. 20.-The message
Of President Taft transmitting report
Of Tariff Board ON Schedule TX"
follows:
10 the Senate and House or Repre-
sentatives:
In my annual message to congress
December, 1909, | stated that under
Bee. 2 of the act of August S, 1909,
had appointed a tariff board OF
three members to cooperate with the
state department in the administra-
ton of the maximum and minimum
clause of that act, to make a glossary
or encyclopedia of the existing tariff
30 as to render its terms ineligible
to the ordinary reader, and then to
Investigate industrial conditions and
costs of production at home and
abroad with a view to determining
VI WAdJ CAAoblAAAD udlhL 'AuGOp oNSNOsAJ
,exemplify the protective principle,
viz that duties should be made ade-
quate and only adequate to equalize
the difference in cost of production
;at home and abroad. il further stated
that l believed the investigation
would be Of great value as a basis
for accurate legislation and that l
should from time to time recon-
mend to congress the revision of Ger
tain schedule In accordance with
the finding of 1.-The hoard. In the last
session OF the Eixty-first Congress a
hill creating "a permanent tariff board
Of five members, of whom not more
than three should be Of the same
political l4afty, passed each house,
but failed 0of enactment because OF
slight dfnerenceston which agreement
was not reached bbefore adjournment.
An appropriation act provided that
the permanent tariff board II created
by statute, should report to congress
on Schedule. Kiln December, 1911.
Therefore to carry out SO far az
lay hinrmy ppower the purposes Of
this bill !fgr a permanent tariff board,
II appoInted in March, 1911, board
of five, adding two members of such
party AGITATION aas would have full
filed the statutory requirements, and
directed them to make a report to
me on Schedule X of the tariff act
in Deeemher of this year. In my
message OF August II, 1911, accom-.
patiing the weto of the wool bill, 4
said that. In my judgment Schedule
TX should beEefised and the rates re-
,dueed. Ny Reto was based on the
ground that, asince the tariff board
,wou1ld make. in December, a de-
tailed report con wool and wool
manufacturers, with special refer
tenee to the relation Of the existing
rates Of duties to relative costs here
and abroad, public policy and fair
regard to the Interests of the pro
,dueers and the manufacturers on the
one hand and Of the consumers on
THE other demanded that legislation
should not be hastily enacted in the
absence of such information; that ]
was not myself possessed at that
time of adequate hRewledge OF the
facts to determine whether or not
the proposed act was in accord with
my pledge to support a fair and rea'
,sonable protective policy; that such
Legislation might prove cenly tempo
Fary and infict upon "a great in
,dustfy the evils of contiBued uncer-
'tainty. i now herewith srhInit a re-
port of the tariR board on Schedule
X. The board Is unanimoass in its
fndinEs. On the basis Of these and-
dngs i now ireoemmend that con-
STess proceed to . consideration Of
Ahis schedule with a view to rs re-
vision and a general reduction Of
It's rates. The report shows fhat
the present nsthod q assessing She
duty on raw woOl-this is By .
specific rate 20 the grease pound. 4
4. acknowledgements to exclude
Woois Of high SASthkage n securing
but fine Qaaiity from the American
market apA thereby lessons the range
u woods available to the domestic
naanufaetuneF; that the duty on
secured wool Of 80 cents per pOand
4 prohibltory and operates to eE-
clude the importation Of clean, low
priced foreign woods OF inferior
grades which are nevertheless vaiu.
able. material for manufacturing, and
which cannot be imported in the
crease because OF their heavy shrink
age. Such woods, II imported, might
Be used to displaee the cheap substi-
iute now IN use. To make the preced-
ing paragraph a little palmer, take
the instance Of . hundred pounds Of
frlt class wool imported under the