New-York tribune., 1912-08-15
STEEL BILL VETOED;
REPASSED BY HOUSE
President Points Out the Evil
Effects Of the Measure on
Industry and Labor.
PROTECTION THROWN ASIDE
Democrats Call Sixteen Repub-
licans to Their Aid and Over
ride the Veto by Major
ity Of Three Votes.
From The Tribune Bureau. !

aVJ Va III SS sSeSS'
From The Tribune Bureau
Washington. Aug. A-Clearly and losi-
caly setting forth the evil effects of hasty
and reckless legislation, especially its
vital harm to- thousands of small indus
tries and its injustice to millions OF work
ingmen and the families dependent on
them. President Taft's veto message on
the ''so-called steel bill" which was rail
roaded through both houses under Demo
cratic leadership for political purposes,
Was sent to Congress to-day. The House
quickly repassed the bill over the veto
President Taft points out that the bill
IS essentially a measure for revenue and
utterly disregards the principle of protec-
ton, and that there is a glaring lack of
any consideration of more than two
thirds of the Industries covered by the
schedule. He also calls attention to the
fact that no public hearings Oh the meas
IRE were attended by importers, domestic
producers. employees. consumers and
others vitally involved in the effects Of
The law, as was the case in the general
revision or the tariff IN 1919.
Careful and disinterested inquiry into
the conditions Of the whole industry, as
contemplated by the establishment OF the
tariff board is urged by President Taft.
who insists that the welfare Of those en-
IA ged i'm the varied industries affected.
including millions, of laborng men of All
classes. storekeepe.s. distributors and
others, should be safeguarded by sane
action
II is pointed out i'm the message tnat
there is nothing to show that the duties
provided in he bin will equal the differ
ence in the cost OF production here and
abroad in the great line of industries and
that the wages of the workmen Will not
he reduced by a measure which svowedly
disregards the principle Of fair protection
Inconsistency Pointed Out.
Inconsistency in the bill is referred to
by. the President. who SAYS II Is difficult
to understand BY what process of reason
ing it is possible 10 JUST fy transfer 10
the free hist Of great line of finished
articles while nearly esery one OF the
crude products from WHICH they are made
are retained on the dutiable list.
Summing M his general objections to
the dangerous measure, President Iaft
says
on tAe whole. I am not willing to ap-
urove legislation OF this KIND wmCh
vitany affects not only mg Ions o. Worh-
ingmen and the tamlheS uepehueeh1Ii en1i or %,
them but hundreds of mln onS oi dolldrS
worth Of stocks of goods II the HANDS OL
seorekeepers and distributors generally,
without first providing Tor a careISi ~. ane .,l
disjntereSted inquiry Into the COndulo1s
of the whole industry.
From the outset Of my administration
] have urged a revision of the tailn nastd
on a non-partisan study OF inc lacts.
! have provided means for securing sucn
information i'm the appointment OF a
tariff board Their thorCDSh work, al
ready completed on several schedules. has
justified my. confidence In ths methoo'
Mr. Taft gives as one reason for his
veto that the bill affected. not only the
iron. and steel industry. hut hfty-nine
allied industries. which. I've says, are
worthy Of separate classification.
MIR. Taft says he is not prepared 20 say
there are no items in the 81 aeel schedule
which might not We'll be reduced, but he
polnts out that its ad valorem rate Of
duty is an apparent reduction of Is per
cent from tie duties of the Wilson law,
and he adds:
A bin for a complete revision Of this
schedule was presented to .nle a year nd,ass aso
Many increases and decre;lses of rates
are now made from those named IN the
former measure. The chang rs are not ex,
plained and indicate the insty meth9a %
il not fair to ask, either on the basis OF
projection or revenue. which was right!
House ovcrrides Veto.
Democrats in the House were in an
oxultant franc of mind following the
oyarridinE of the Presidents veto OF the
wool bill Yesterday, and Mr- Underwood,
noting that his followers were out In
force. insisted on an immediate vote on
the steel bill Al the conclusion Of an
hour of partisan debate the vote was
taken. and when it was announced that
the steel bill had been repassed by a vote
Of l73 to S.. jubilant Democrats IN various
sect!ons of the chamber cried joyously.
''Bripg on the next veto! Let's get rid
Of EN-
Sixteen Republican insurgents voted
with the Democrats, and shis gave them
three more than the necessary two thirds
10 repass the measure.
As soon as the Presidents s. message was
read Representative Underwood moved
Immediate consideration Of the measure,
without the customary reference Of the
message to the committee having juris-
dictiOn Under the rules this was 'cal-
endar Wednesday" and the Underwood
motion carried with II the sidetracking
OF the regular business. A parliamentary
wrangle OF considerable bitterness imme-
diately developed
Sneaker Clark held that the motion to
override Presidents veto was Of the
highest privilege. Representative Mann
appealed from the decision Of the chair,
and Dfr. Underwood moved TO lay the ap-
peal on, the table. The Speaker was sus-
tained by vote of 241 to 10, Mr. Fitz-
gerald and nine Republican insurgents
voting against the Speakers ruling. Mr..
Mann. with a chuckle, voted 10 table his
own motion.
Attacks the Veto.
Mr. Underwood made a spirited attack
on the motives that prompted President
taft TO veto the steel bill, which, ne said,
had been passed by a Republican Senate
with only two slight amendments. He
referred to the Presidents explanation
that changes had teen made In the sched-
ule as IL was presented TO him last year
.-----~...---.@-..---.----s
~