The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-09-21
lead inevitably to revulsion OF feel
ing and recurrence Of higher rates
and the old system Of high tariff"
Taft's Speech.
cnotinued from rage enc.

lng and a recurrence Of higher rates
and the old system Of high tariff"
Taft's Speech.
The president said:
My Fellow: Citizens: am going to
tell you in as simple a way as can,
why vetoed the three tariff bills which
congress submitted to me for sigma
ture at the close of this extra session.
/ called the session to secure the en-
actment in law of the Canadian reel
procity treaty. This was done on July
20. Thereafter, the wool bill, the free
list bill, and the cotton bill were pre-
scented to me for signature, and ! re-
turned them, without my approval,
and explained my reasons for so do
ing in special message on each bill.
What say here will be in large part
q resume Of those messages, with some
additional suggestions that the less for
NAL character of this address permits.
] am not going to discuss the Payne
bill, except to say that the contro-
versy over its merits and dement's de-
veloped very strong sentiment among
republicans, and, indeed, among many
democrats, that a bureau or commits
sion or board Of competent persons
should be constituted to make invests
CATION into the facts concerning the
report them In such way that con-
gress and the public might be reliably
advised Of the probable effect of any
proposed revision of the tariff in the
future. 1t was properly felt that even
when full opportunity for hearings
were given as they had been by the
committees Of the house and the SEN
ate, IN the case of the Payne bill, the
advocates Of the protected interests
"a hn
consuming public who would not or
ganize to secure and present the evil
dence in their behalf for lowed duties
needed to secure a just judgment. The
Payne bill offered an opportunity to
me to appoint a board Of competent
persons to assist me in the admins
tration Of the revenue laws and es-
pecially Of the maximum and minimum
clause OF that act; and the revenue
laws were Of sufficient latitude to en-
able me to direct this board to make
a glossary of the tariff terms and
a kind Of encyclopedia which would
furnish a guide to the understanding
of the tariff, and also to proceed to
determine the comparative difference
between the cost of production of du-
table articles under the various tariff
schedules in this country and abroad.
At the extra session of 1909, congress
had given me $4,000 which / could
spend for this purpose; at the regular
session of the same congress, the six
ty-ffrst, the appropriation was enlarg-
ed to $250,000, to cover expenses down
TO July l, 1911. Meantime, the move
ment Tor q permanent tariff commits
sion or board to effect these general
purposes acquired great momentum.
Business associations the country over
united to form a special society for
the promotion Of such legislation, and
the campaign for 1t was carried on
with both houses Of congress gave
the project as strong support as pos
sible, and made a number of public
addresses in support of it, and sent a
specific recommendation of the plan
in a congressional message. The re-
publican conventions Of twenty EIGHT
states adopted resolutions strongly ad-
vocating a statutory tariff commission,
and deprecating any future revision
until needed evidence had been gather
ed and impartial conclusions drawn as
TO the facts upon which such revision
could be properly made. l quote the
resolutions from Ohio, New York, Wis
consin, Iowa and Kansas:
Ohio: Recognizing inequalities due
to changing conditions or that other
wise may be found to exist, congress
has provided a tariff board, with an
ample appropriation, for the investi-
cation of the differences in the cost Of
production at home and abroad, so
that IL any rates are found to be high
er than necessary to AFFORD labor a
high wage and capital a fair return,
those rates will be reduced
New York: In providing, upon the
suggestion OF President Taft for u
tariff board. 1t affords the means of
stiL more accurately determining the
difference in the cost of production at
home and abroad A republican con-
gress is necessary to provide needed
appropriations for this board and to
assure business and labor that changes
in rates will be made only to equalize
the difference in cost of production and
not to reduce rates to the free trade
or purely revenue basis favored by the
democratic party.
Wisconsin: The present tariff board
has no power Of investigation and is
not required to report TO congress. We
favor the creation Of a non-partisan
tariff commission, empowered to as
certain the cost Of production in this
and other countries, and required to
make frequent reports OF the informa-
ton gained to congress. Upon the in
formation so obtained, congress should
proceed to revise the different sched-
ules Independently OF each other, ac-
cording to true protective tariff prin-
ciples.
Iowa: we favor the creation of an
independent, non-partisan tariff COM
mission, which shall be the instrument
tally OF congress to ascertain the diff
ference between the cost of production
here and In other countries, and pub
fish the facts so that not only congress
but the people shan be advised of the
results of its Investigations. Until
such commission is authorized they an
prove the effort of the president to Sc
cure the desired information through
board OF experts employed for that
purpose.
Kansas: We pledge the people Of
Kansas that the republican senators
and congressman from this state shall
work and vote for legislation that will
maintain tariff commission with am
pie power and sufficient appropriation
to ascertain accurately the difference
between the cost Of production at home
and abroad, and after such information
has been obtained we hereby pledge
our republican senators and represen-
tatives Immediately to fix the duties
upon the basis of this information.
Cost Difference Essential.
OF course with republicans, In order
to secure a proper revision on the ba-
SIS TO which they were committed. II
was essential to know from an I'M
biased source the difference between,
the costs Of foreign and home produc-
ton. for this was the limit of protec-
ton which the moderate protectionists
among them and the last party plat
form had set. They did not wish to
tnJure the important industries of the
country by taking away from them the
measure of protection needed to enable
them to live against foreign competi
ton, but they did intend in the next
revision not to give them more than