Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-14
PRESIDENT BUSY
WITH HIS VET0ES
Continued from First Page


same thing is true of more than two
thirds Of the industries covered by the
schedule.
1T appears in the discussion of this
! revision now presented to me for con-
| sideration that no public hearings have
| been given by the ways and means COM
| mttee of the House on the ground that
| it would thereby cause delay. The ways
| and means committee avOwed that the
principle of protection had not been con-
| sidered. but that in framing the present
| revision of the metal schedule the com
| mittee had adopted the general prin-
| ciple Of reducing all duties to a revenue
| basis SO far as practicable, except In
| those cases where more cogent considera-
ton than those relating to the fiscal
| policy of the government dictated the
| transfer of given items to the free list.
| This makes clear-cut issue between the
| protective policy and that of tariff for
revenue only. and without fuller informa-
! ton. therefore, / am obliged to treat
! this bill a revenue bill, and one In
which the consideration of preserving the
| industry by maintaining tariff neces-
| sary to do SO, had little weight.
Nothing to Show Protection.
'There is nothing to show me that the
| duties provided in the bill will equal
| the difference in the cost of production
here and abroad in the great line of in
dustries. and that the wages of work
men will not be reduced by a measure
which avowedly discards entirely the
principle of fair protection. 1t should be
noted that the labor employed in the
secondary Industries. which have had so
little consideration in this bill. is in a
large measure high grade, skilled labor,
commanding a high level of wages.
This schedule was included in the
general tariff revision of 1909. at which
time public hearings were given, attend
ed by importers, domestic producers, EN-
nd nd fhn fos
on many of its items We're heavily cut.
ranging from 10 to 75 per cent, and it
would seem now that thorough study
of each one of these separate Industries
should at least be made, that the eXecu
tive and Congress well might act wise
ly and intelligently upon them, in order to
avoid further revision at an early date
when the facts concerning them could be
ascertained
THE products of many of these indus
tries affected by this bill do not enter
directly into the daily consumption of the
people. The consumers of these products
are, to large extent, manufacturers
using these articles in further processes
of production. There is no evidence of
any widespread demand from such con-
sumerS for revision of the rates on
these articles, and for this reason a suf-
ficient time may well be taken to give
the study to the respective Industries
which their Importance would seem to
demand.
Il am not prepared to say that there
are no items in this schedule which might
not well be reduced, but the general
average ad valorem rate of duty under
it, taken as whole, for the year 1911
rs 32.O3 per cent, as against 31.91 per
cent in 1896 under the Wilson law, or an
apparent reduction of 1876 per cent of
the Wilson duties. The Dingley rates for
this schedule in 1909 were $500 per cent,
showing reduction in 1911 for the pres
ent law OF 1919 per cent of the Dingley
] Toll cir
1888 when the government statistics show
as low an ad vaorem rate of duty for
this schedule as is shown in 1911. and 1t
does not appear that schedule statistics
were kept prior to 1883, SO that no COM
parison can be made prior to that time.
Method of Revision Criticised.
There is little logical reason be-
tween the reductions made by this bill
in the schedule. For example. steam en-
gines and machine tools in the pres
ent law are dutiable at 80 per cent. In
duced to Is per cent and the whole
machine tool industry is put on the
free list, without any reason what
ever being given in the. report of the
ways and means committee in either
case for such action.
1.-The term machine tools has al
tion. and it's scope should be clearly
defined before the. great variety of
articles which it now seems to cover
are placed on the free list.
The expansion of our foreign trade
would seem to demand that transfer to
the free list, like the one made in this
BILL of such an enormous range OF unde-
ternined products, and the opening of the
best market in the world to free and
unrestricted competition, should not be
made without at the same time a least
| securing, is the case now of specified
| agricultural implements, the privilege of
Frnn fryy int tnn "a Of
competitors.
| 1T is further difficult to understand by
| what process of reasoning 1t is possible
| to justify transfer to the free list of
| a great line of finished articles, while
nearly every one of the crude products
| from which they are made are retained
OH the dutiable list.
"A bill for complete revision of this
schedule was presented to me a year ago
| in the extra session of this Congress.
| Many increases and decreases of rates are
| now made from those named in the for
| mer measure. The changes are not eX
planned, and indicate the hasty method
pursued in the preparation of both. Is if
| not fair TO ask either OF the basis of
protection or revenue, which was right?
| ''On the whole, therefore, | am not will
| ing to approve of legislation of this kind.
| which vitality affects not only millions of
workingmen and the families dependent
on them, but hundreds of millions of dol
! lars worth of stocks of goods III the
| hands of storekeepers and distributors
| generally, without first providing for "a
| careful and disinterested inquiry into the
| condition of the whole industry. From
| the outset of my administration | have
! urged revision of the tariff based on d
non-partsan study of the facts.
| Il have provided the means for sccur
| ing such information in the appointment
| of a tariff board. Their thorough work,
| already completed on several schedules.
| has justified my confidence in this meth
| cd. The principle is indorsed by cham
/ bers of commerce and boards of trade in
| almost every city of Importance in the
| country. The proposed bill has not been
| framed on the basis of any such study
of the industry. Avowedly it's rates arc
| fixed with no consideration of anything
| but revenue. The principle of protection
| is disregarded entirely, and therefore, 1T