Perth Amboy evening news., 1911-08-18

needed protection For the wool grow
ers or manufacturers.
I share this belief and have so stated
In several public addresses. But I
have no sufficient data upon which 1
can Judge how Schedule X ought to
be amended or how its rates ought to
be reduced in order that the new bill
shall furnish the proper measure Of
protection and no more. Nor have l
sources Of information which satisfy
me that the bill presented to me for
signature will accomplish this result.
The parliamentary history of the bill
is not reassuring upon this point. 1t
was introduced and passed in the
house as providing a tariff for revenue
only and with the ayOwed purpose Of
departing from a protective tariff pol
Icy, The rate of duty on raw woods
Of all classes was changed from a
specific duty of II cents a pound to
20 per cent ad valorem.
On the average for the importation
for the last two years this Is a reduc-
ton from 47.24 per cent to 20 per cent.
Rates on cloths were reduced in the
bill from the present average duty of
07.27 per cent to 40 per cent and on
wearing apparel from S1.31 per cent
to 45 per cent. The bill was defeated
in the senate, and so was a substitute
introduced as a protection measure.
The proposed substitute fixed the
duty on raw wool, first class, at 40
per cent and on a second class Of car
pet woods at 10 per cent and cloths at
90 per cent and on wearing apparel
at the same rate. On reconsideration
a compromise measure was passed by
the senate which was a compromise
between the house bill and the senate
substitute bill and in which the rate
on first class wool was fixed at 80 per
cent, on carpet woods 10 per cent and
on cloth and wearing apparel So per
cent.
In conference between the two
houses the rate on all classes of raw
wool was fixed at 20 per cent, this be-
ing an Increase on carpet woods Of 0
per cent as fixed in the house bill and
of 10 per cent as fixed In the senate
bill. The conference rate on cloths
and wearing apparel was fixed at 40
per cent. No evidence as to the cost
of production here or abroad was pub
lished, and the compromise amendment
in the senate was adopted without
reference to or consideration by a com
I do not mention these facts to crit
Icise the method of preparation of the =
bill, but l must needs refer to them
to show that the congressional pro
ceedings make available for me no &C
or scientifically acquired infor-
nation which enables me to determine
hat the bill supplies the measure of
protection promised in the platform
n which I was elected.
Without any investigation Of which
details are available an avowed
artf for revenue and anti-protection
III is by compromise blended with a
rofessed protection bill. Rates be-
ween those of the two bills are adopt i
! and passed except that in some I
npOrtant instances rates are fixed in Y
le compromise at q figure higher q
Id In others at q figure lower than 4
ere originally fixed in either house. +
principle followed In adjusting :
e amendments Of existing law is z
erefore not clear, and the effect of u
e bill Is most uncertain. p
of ca, Will" =.
wing the manufacturer Irga-W2Ql5 -
royided as high duties on leading +
~anufactures of wool as does the r I
at bill, which at the same time taxes {
le manufacturers raw material at {
8 per cent. Thus the protection af- /
orded to manufacturers Under the s
bill was very considerably ,
higher than under the present bill.
During the years in which the VIII
bill was in force the wooden manu-
lecturers suffered. Many mills were
compelled TO shut down These were
abnormal years, anC IL ts not neces-
sary to attribute the hard times solely
least an addition to other factors op-l
TO injure the wooden business.
1t is the only experience we have had
for a generation OF a radical revision
Of this schedule, and without exag- !
.gerating its Importance one pledged to |
a moderate protection policy may well
hesitate before giving approval with
out full information to legislation
which makes a more radical reduction
in the protection actually afforded to
manufacturers of wool than did the
Wilson act.
Nor does this hesitation arise onlv