The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-04-05
PLEA FOR THE TARIFF BOARD.

President Taft, IN his address to tn,
convention Of American Cotton Manu-
facturers in Washington, laid dow
strong and well his reasons why hc
wishes the continued good Offices Of tn,
Tariff Board in the investigation oi
questions of imports and customs rev
enue. He very Justly says that the day
OF passing tariff laws at haphazard
without obtaining the necessary prac
tical information for the right adjust
ment of tariff rates, has gone by. Nc
longer can we measure tariff PROPOSE
tlons by "rule of thumb Or with
blacksmiths tools.'' but upon sound
information. and practical judgment
based upon that information
The difference between this "rule of
thumb - or hnphazard legislation on
tariff matters is fairly illustrated by
the difference in the House revision OF
the wool tariff bill and in the Senate
revision which goes under the name of
the Smoot revision. This Smoot revi.
sion. as matter of fact, was prepared
upon the facts developed and conclu.
sions formed by the Tariff Board, and
the rates as fixed arc such as the Tariff
Board in its expert investigations
found to be as near an approximation
as possible to the difference between
the production of wool In this country
and the production of wool in Australia
and other countries. 1t is fortunate
that the Tariff Board information goes
to the drawing up of this so-called Smoot
tariff bill, and it is also fortunate that
Smoot himself has changed his opinion
on the point that the tariff can be re-
vised appropriately and properly sched-
ule by schedule. A year ago or SO,
Smoot idea was that it was quite
impossible TO revise the tariff schedule
by schedule. His argument was that
the different schedules had all been so
interdependablv adjusted under the
revision of 1909, that to modify or
change the tariff rates of one schedule
would throw the whole harmonious pro-
tective system as fixed In that revision
out OF Joint. He therefore very vehe-
mently urged that revision of the
tariff schedule by schedule was quite
impossible, and this at a time when
President Taft, who knows infinitely
more about the tariff question than
Smoot knows or ever will know, was
specifically demanding that the tariff
should be revised schedule by schedule
The Smoot contention practically mea Mt
that in Smoot' s view the President was
altogether wrong, and ignorant of the
whole question, BY his changed atti-
tude, however, Smoot now confesses
that he himself was wrong and Prcsi-
dent Taft was right; and the making
of this confession is much to his credit.
The defense of the Tariff Board by
President Taft means undoubtedly, that
the Democratic House in the way OF
refusing to appropriate money for the
work which the board is doing. I'm
douptedly, tue President IS attitude on
this point means, further, that he is
determined 10 make fight for the ap.
preparation, and the continuance of the
board. In this fight, be will uudoubt-
edly be supported by the Senate, and
if the Senate stands firm, as it ought
TO do. the appropriation VIII be made.
1t is fine 10 see that President Taft
takes this firm, open, and admirable
stand in favor of intelligence in revis
ing the tariff. The revision Of 1909
was made under the express condition
that practical knowledge and expert in
formation should be as completely
barred as possible in the formulation
OF that tariff. The Senate, Smoot be
ing put forward TO speak for the Aid
rich contentious, resented the supply.
ing Of the information which the Ger
man Government transmitted to this
country at the request OF our Secretary
Of State, pigcon-holed that report, aud
with the revision without
any aid Of practical information, or In