The Calumet news., 1912-03-27
RAPS REPORT ON
WOOL SCHEDULE
Fragmentary and Incomplete
Says Underwood Of Tariff
Board S Figures
BILL WILL NOT BE CHANGED
Ways sand Means Committee Chair
man Makes Report
Says II Was Not Intended 20 Establish
Protective Tariff As the Board
Suggests.

Washngton March 27,-That the
tarin board in It's report 10 congress
on the wool schedule proceeded upon
an entirely erroneous theory and that
It's report was "untenabie' Is the con-
clusion of the Democrat members of
the WAYS and Means Committee cr the
House as set forth i'm report prepared
by Rep. Underwood. chairman OF thc
rommittce. in connection with the re-
introduction OF the wool bill placing
a 20 per cent advalorem duty ON raw
wool.
This bill, which after slight revision
In conference last summer. was vetoed
by President Taft. who gave then as
his principal reason for exercise Of the
veto power that the tarin board had
made no report on the subject Last
December the board reported and the
democratic members of the WAYS and
Means Committee. after an analysts
of this report, reintroduced the old
bin claiming that there was nothing
IN that report to justify any change
Summarizing the conclusion Of the
committee Chairman Underwood says
- careful and panstakipg analysis
of the WOOL report of the tariff board
dictates conclusions as follows
Report is incomplete.
The theory OF applying tariff du-
ties according to the difference .n the !
cost of production in this and in for
cign countries, upon which the board |
has projected and prepared its re-
port is entirely erroneous and uuton- /
able Furthermore If this theory
could have been systematically and
carefully applied, it would not have ar
forded Trustworthy results for guild
ance in preparing tariff legislation.
''Thc boards report is fragmentary !
and incomplete. and rests on an incor-
rect statistical basis. Hence il has no
claims To confidence for the results set
forth therein even should the relabil- !
ity of the theory of the cost of pro-
duction be conceded.
These persons who are willing 90
overlook the lack Of theoretical sound |
ness and Of statistical accuracy. will |
find the data of tho report too frag- |
mentary and incomplete tc admit OF
conclusions with reference to rates of
tariff duty. Even under the most IA
vorable Interpretation 1f the report, /
conclusions as to duties can be reached !
for only a few paragraphs Of the wool
schedule. and for those paragraphs Ii |
Is not possible to formulate definite |
conclusions, because the figures vay |
widely, and seriously lack uniformity |
and compatibility.
Leaves Question Unsoived.
So much is this the case that jus
tincatlon is apparently afforded in
the report for rates that are in con-
Gict with one another, II is thus seen
that the report leaves the question OF
the tariff duties on wool as much un-
solved as before the tariff board was
formed.
80 far as conclusions can be draVr
from the boards report il furnishes
nothing to justify any change in the
rates proposed in the present bill.
In making the computations from
which have resulted the rates as JUS
i6ed by tho tariff boards data, the
most expensive and difficult condition
indicated by the data as attending pro
duction have been employed with a /
view to being more than just IN the |
conclusions. The necessity of pfotoc-
tons to ecualize the difference in the
cost of production beyond the rates
carried by this bill exists In but few |
instances, and these are in all prob
ability the result of high costs which !
have been presented boy the board and !
used in the computations.
Protection Not Object.
'In preparing this bill of last session
and n. r. 221e5 of this session 10
intentional provision was made for
protection. the endcayor being 70 re-
duce and adjust rates with q view tol
producing the largest amount Of rev
enue consistent with the proper con-
siderntion of the consumer. IL Is be-
ievcd that the rates OF this bill APP
proach very closely, at least to the
best revenue producing points and that
rates should IL enacted into law. per-
init such quantities Of imports as VIII
effectively regulate domestic prices.
such competition would be an import
ant service To the people as Il would
encourage Increased consumption and
production by making more nearly nor
NAL the conditions of supply and de-
mand Tho report of the tariff board,
so Tar as Il admits OF conclusions,
shows that the rates which meet the
consumers needs also sufficiently sat
isfy those OF the producer"
After reviewing the Democratic at
tempt Of last year 10 secure revision
of the wool schedule and the Prcsi-
dents veto. the committee quoted the
report on the original wool bill TO the
effect that "it would be triiling with