New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-08-17
fFrom The Tribune Bureau

FROM Inc AllhhUe bureau
Washington. August is.
PRESIDENT ON THE MINUTE.-Those
worthy members of the Democratic in
surgent coalition VINO have been counting
on the Presidents delaying the preparation
Of his veto of the wool bill, and thus in
curing some portion of the responsibility
for the delay Of the adjournment Of Con-
gress. are badly disappointed by the expe-
dtion with which Mr.. Taft has written his
veto, which is now I'm type and merely
awaiting the arrival Of the engrossed bill
to be sent TO Congress. There was. OF
course, no necessity for the President TO
await the arrival of the enacted bill before
preparing his veto message. He had been
furnished by the Republican leaders with
copy Of the bill as finally passed, and this
served every purpose. lie had his subject
well In mind, and as soon as he reached
Washington this morning he dictated his
veto. Then he called his Cabinet together
and submitted the message. A few minor
changes were suggested and were adopted
After luncheon he went over the draft
smoothed out certain passages and this
afternoon sent II to 1.-The Public Printer
The printed copies were returned to the
are now in the hands OF the press associa-
lions. TO be published as soon as the mess
age reaches the House. Chairman Under
wood, alarmed at the very general criticism
of his agreement with the members of the
Kentucky delegation to postpone action on
the veto until Friday, succeeded in pre-
venting the arrival OF the veto at the Cap
itol to-day. This was accomplished by in
structing the enrolling clerk, after the wool
bill had been duly enrolled and signed by
both the Speaker and by the Vice Presi-
dent, TO hold the bill until tomorrow Such
step is, Of course. decidedly irregular
and was taken without the knowledge of
the Senate, which would have promptly
protested had the fact been known to it.
Should there be any inquiry regarding the
delay, which neither house has any right
TO cause once a bill has been signed by
the presiding officers Of the two houses IT
will not be a difficult matter to make a
scapegoat Of the clerk who carried out Mr.
UnderwOods instructions. Already there
has been criticism OF the Democratic leader
for making an agreement for the con-
venience OF the Democratic members of the
Kentucky delegation which could not but
delay adjournment, and il was realized
that this criticism would be much more
severe should II become necessary to delay
action for forty-eight hours after the
Presidents veto had reached the House.
AS has been told in these dispatches MIR
Underwood was prompted to make this
concession TO the Kentuckians in order TO
placate Representative Ollie James, regard
ing whose method Of capturing the Senate
primary the Democratic leader, in the heat
OF debate, recently told the truth
THE PRESIDENTS POSITION.-As has
been asserted repeatedly in these dis
patches-the first announcement Of the
Presidents intention having appeared in
this column-there has never been a mo-
ment when President Taft was i'm the
slightest doubt as to his course regarding
the wool bill, or, indeed, any other tariff
measure passed at this session Of Con-
gress. During the consideration Of the
Payne tariff bill the President became con-
WINGED that It was impossible by the
method hitherto employed to obtain any
definite information regarding cost OF pro-
duction. Not once did he make up his mind
that he had acquired dennite information
did not appear some one with at least
some title TO credibility with data which
appeared TO refute the conclusions the
President had reached. When he asked
members of Congress for information he
found them equally in the dark and dis
covered that even those charged with
the duty Of framing the tariff law realized
that their information was vague and I'M
certain. He thus came TO appreciate that
the rates in practically every schedule
were the result Of a compromise between
conflicting views and opposing contentious
All Of this firmly convinced the President
that.the first essential to intelligent tariff
revision was definite information such as
could be obtained only through the in
vestiCation of a non-partisan board and
he Immediately bent his energies estab-
fishing such a board. The provision for
such a body, albeit il was provided at
least ostensbly TO assist him I'm the adj
ministration of the maximum and mini
mum provisions, he regarded as per-
haps the chief merit Of the Payne
law. Afterward he determined to OBJ
tain sufficient funds to enable this
board TO make comprehensive investiga-
lions, and failing 10 induce Congress 10
make IT a permanent and bipartisan insti-
tuition, he induced the national legislature
TO make sufficient appropriation TO enable
him to add two members TO the board. lie
took care to select two Democrats, so that
the majority ia the House and the minority
in the Senate cannot reject the findings Of
the board on the ground that 1t is a purely
partisan organization. Having reached
those conclusions and achieved those re-
suits. the President regards attempts at