The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-09-22
Explains at Grand Rapids Why He Vetoed the
 Tariff Measures
SAYS GOVERNMENT
 USED NO TRICKERY
Leaves After Banquet for Peoria, H., Where He Will Spend To- day-Forty Thousand Peo-
 pie Hear Address

Kalamazoo, Mich, September a.-Pres- ident Taft brought to A close his four : days swing through Michigan here to- night and headed for the west His last day in Michigan found the President speaking and visiting in Grand Rapids. Battle Creek and Kalamazoo places Of Interest
 | The Grand Rapids address was one of the set speeches on the subject of tariff and his veto of the woolen and farmers free list bills. In Battle Creek he talked of Canadian reciprocity and the annexa- tion bogie He wound up the hours here with a speech on peace and arbitration. In every town visited there were large crowds eager to see the President of the United States. The speech in Grand Rapids was deliv- cred in drizzling rain from stand erected in Camp Square, but several thou sand persons listened attentively in spite of the discomfiture.
 | In Battle Creek President Taft talked to the largest crowd so far assembling on his trip.
 :! Senator Townsend of Michigan. who iil- troduced the President estimated that there were io,ooo persons packed in tiie square before the platform and around it. Others, more conservative, placed it at 25,0 000 persons
 The address tonight was made at a ban ouet given at hotel. The Presidents speech at Battle Creek was the first hs had made on reciprocity since the Cana dian parliament was prorogued several months ago Until this evening, when any utterance he might make in regard to reciprocity could have no effect upon the Canadian election. Mir. Taft felt that he had no right to discuss the question at a late hour. He explained at some length the meaning of the treaty. which he de- clared was nothing less than a trade pact through which there was not even re- mote possibility of annexation of the Do- minion by the United states.
 $ MT. Taft said the accusation that this government had 'resorted to trickery or had likewise played unfairly to gain reciprocity was without foundation.
 T know he said. some irresponsible newspapers have called me trickster, 1 a swindler and other things. and say l. in some way, deceived or played un- fairly with the ministers of Canada to secure the treaty Well, I am not con scious of it, and furthermore l do not believe they are. There was not any trick about 1t. The cards were laid on the table face up They say we want to anex Canada, huh' Gentlemen, my experience in this government has taught me that we have territory enough without enlarging borders. Can ada Is our good neighbor and along her border line of 4000 miles there Is not Il gun or fort, or battleship worthy
 ,l.1 we have ours l can say for one, that talk of those on the other side who say that treaty making of reciprocity for annexation is bosh.
 Let me make you a prophecy" he continued II want to predict that about the time of the next general election the effect of reciprocity so far as the business of the farmer is con cerned 1t will be so slight that it will form no considerable part, or maybe none at all. in the issues promoted" | The President said he favored the abolition of all custom houses on the border line of Canada. He said free trade with the dominion might yet come.
 At the conclusion of his address tho President was taken around the city in an automobile. Before entering the ban quet at Kalamazoo he reviewed the school children of the city, visited Kal- amazoo college and Nazareth academy and participated in the cornersto lay ing of the new Young Mems Christian association building. He left after the banquet. for Peoria, Ill., where he spends all of tomorrow.
 Taft's Speech
 My Fellow Citizens I am going 10 tel. you in as simple a way as 1 can. why l vetoed the three tariff bills which Congress submitted to me for signature A1ae ..f hfu rgrn called the session to secure the enact- nient in law of the Canadian reciprocity treaty. This was done on July 22 There after the wool bill, the free list bill and the cotton bill were presented to me for signature and returned them, without my approval and explained my reasons for so doing in a special message on each bill.
 I am not going to discuss the Payne bill except to say that the controversy over it's merits and denerits developed g. very strong sentiment among republicans and, indeed among many democrats. that | a bureau or commission or board of com |, | petent persons should be constituted to make investigation into the facts con corning the dutiable articles in the tarif + and to report them in such way that .ICcngress and the public might be relia- | bIy advised of the probable effect of any proposed revision of the tariff in the fu- ture
 Upon the failure of the bill Tor stat lutory board, and in an earnest effort to enable Congress to act with accurate knowledge on schedule K, and, indeed, on schedule Lon cotton manufacturers is- sued an order to the tariff board already appointed to continue the necessary in- vestiga tions of these schedules and to re- port upon the same on December next In order to make as good substitute for tile statutory tarin board as could. [ added two competent democrats to the board. The board consists of two pro- fessors of economies of the highest stand
 ing, one at Yale and one at the Unl- versity of Virginia, a former assistant secretary of the treasury in charge of customs. the proprietor and editor of an agricultural and stock raising news par er-an authority on these subjects and a former democratic congressman ot great ability and experience from Georgh.
 I have gone over with care this his tory of the movement for tariff board in order to show how fully committee. | am to the proposition that we ought not to have any revision of a schedule