The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1911-09-28
Has No Regrets or APP
ologies for His
Action
o CONSISTENT
With HIS Fixed Policy of Sci
enti1ic Tariff Revision,
He Says

Grand Rapids, Mich.-A detailed
defense OF his vetoes OF tho demo
cratic tariff bills passed at the sre-
cial session of congress, was dclivcr-
ed here today by President ra't y
chilly rain greeted him here on his
arrival and dampened the enthusiasm
of the crowds. The presi Cent went
to tho Country Club for breakfast
with Senators Smith and Townsend.
After breakfast, Taft took the clubs
and drove two golf balls abou, the
course.
In his address this afternoon, Pres
of his vctoes upon the foundation
that his administration is committed
to the revision Of the tariff scien-
tiically through the tariff board. Taft
criticised the methods of congress in
framing bills revising the WOOL
schedule and quoted from the plat
forms of the republican state conven-
tions of Ohio, New York, Wisconsin,,
Iowa and Kansas, to SHOW that the
party is pledged to the tariff board
policy.
Following is a slightly abridged
report of his address:
Defense of Ills Nctocs.
Il am going to tell YOU in as SIM
pie a way as can. why ! vetoed the
three tariff bills which Congress sub
mitted to me for signature at the
close of his extra session. called
the session TO secure the enactment
in law of the Canadian reciprocity
treaty. This was done on July %.
Thereafter, the wool bill, the free
list bill, and the cotton bill were pre-
scented TO me for signature, n ]
returned them, without my approval,
and explained my reasons for so do
ing in a special message on each bill
What say here will be in large
part a resume OF those messages,
with some additional suggestions
lllGl VIC ICES M vi 'iit'
address permits. ! am not going 10
discuss the Payne bill, except to say
that the controversy over its merits
and dement's developed a very strong
sentiment among Republicans, and,
indeed among many Democrats, that
a bureau or commission or board OF
competent persons should be constl-
tuted TO make investigation into the
facts concerning the dutiable articles
in the tariff. and to report them in
such a way that Congress n the
public might be reliably advised of
the probable effect of any proposed
revision o. the tariff in the future. 1t
was properly felt that even when
full opportunity for hearings were
given as they had beer by the the
committees of the House ana the
Senate, in the case OF the Payne
bill. the advocates of the protected
interests would have the advantage
over the consuming pubic, who
would not organize to secure and pre-
sent the evidence in their behalf TOR
lower duties needed to secure a just
Judgment. The Payne bill offered
and opportunity to me to appoint
a board Of comeptent persons to as
sist me in the administration OF the
revenue laws and especially of the
maximum and minimum clause OF
that act; and revenue laws were OF
sufficient latitude to enable me to di-
rect this board to make a glossary
of the tariff terms and a kind of en-
%cyclopedia which would furnish a
guide to the understanding OF the
tariff. and also to proceed to deter
mine the comparative difference be-
tween the cost of production of du-
table article under the various tar
if 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 Sixty-firs,. the appro-
priation was enlarged to $25O.O0O, to
cover expenses down to July /, 1911.
Meantime, the movement for a per-
manent Tariff Commission or Board
to effect these general purposes ac-
CURED great momentum. Business
associations the country over united
to form a special society for the pro-
motion Of such legislation, and the
campaign for it was carried on with
both Houses OF Congress. | gave the
project as strong support as possible,
and made a number of public address
cs in support of it, and sent a speci-
fc recommendation of the plan in a
congressional message. The Ttepub-
lican convention of % States adopted
resolutions strong advocating a
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