The Topeka state journal., 1911-09-21
Mr.. TAFT EXPLAINS.
Continued from Page one.)


New York-'In providing, upon the
suggestion Of President Taft, for a
tariff board. it affords the means of
still 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"
Wisccnsin-'The present tariff board
has no power of investigation and is
not required to report to congress. We
favor the creation of a nonpartisan
tariff commission, empowered to as
certain the cost of production in this
and other countries, and required to
make frequent reports of the informa-
Ation 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-'sWe. favor the Great tion of an
independent nonpartisan tariff COM
mission. which shall be the instrument
tality of congress to ascertain the diff
ference between the cost of production
here and in other countries, and pub
lish the facts so that not only con-
of the results of its Investigations
Until such commission is authorized
they approve the effort of the president
to secure the desired information
through a board of experts employer
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 a 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
2las been obtained We hereby pledge our
Republican senators and representa-
Jtives Immediately to fix the duties upon
the basis Of this information
The Republican Plan.
OF course with Republicans, in order
TO secure q proper revision on the basis
to which they were committed, it was
essential TO know from an unbiased
source the difference between the costs
of foreign and home production, for this
was the limit of protection which the
moderate prOtectionists among them
and the last party platform had set.
They did not wish to injure the i'm
cortant industries of the country by
taking away from them the measure
or protection needed to enable them TO
live against foreign competition, but
they did intend in the next revision not
to give them more than this
OF course the Democrats recognized
no such measure of protection as just,
but many of them contended that such
q commission was necessary to secure
the facts upon which a proper tariff
for revenue only could be framed. The
result was that by Republican and
Democratic votes, and among the Re
publicans the so-called progressive or
insurgent Republicans were the most
earnest in it's support, a bill creating
a permanent tariff board of five, to be
appointed by the president. with pow
ed to summon witnesses andsecure their
evidence under oath, was passed by
the house. No more than three MEM
bers of the same political party could
be appointed as members of the board.
The Investigations to be undertaken
and the reports to be made were set
out in the act and included as proper
subject matter the comparative costs
Of home and foreign production. The
board was to report to the president
and to congress as either directed The
bill went to the senate and was there |
anne nded in a few unimportant particu- |
lars, one requiring confirmation of the |