Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-08-15
TAFT vET0ES THE
WOOL BILL AGAIN
This Time Measure Is Framed
without Regard to Tariff
Boards Findings.

time within a year President Taft to-day
vetoed a bill to revise the wool tariff,
schedule X, Of the Payne Aldrich law.
With message of disapproval the Pres
ident returned to Congress the bill evolved
as n compromise between the House and
/ Senate holding that It's low rates would
bring disaster to home industries He
| appealed to Congress, however, not to ad-
journ until 1t had enacted a measure to
Enthusiastically reduce unnecessary exist
ing duties" without destroying protection
for the wool industry In the United
States.
The Presidents disapproval Of the wool
bill is to be followed with similar vetoes
of the steel bill and the cotton bill. The
sugar bill is likely to be vetoed. as Is the
excise bill, the latter probably on the
| ground that the President believes 1t I'M
| constitutional
Il shall stand by my pledges to main
tain a degree of protection necessary to
offset the differences In cost Of production
here and abroad. and will heartily ap-
prove of any bill reducing duties TO this
| level" wrote Mr.. Taft.
While the bill vetoed to-day and the one
disapproved last year were Identical in
terms. the Presidents reasons differed.
| He vetoed the former bill because II had
| been framed before the tariff boards re-
port the latter because. he said. 1t had
been framed with disregard for the
boards findings.
WOULD ROB THOUSANDS OF WORK.
Most of the rates in the submitted
BILL" wrote the President, ARE SO low
in themselves that If enacted into law.
the inevitable result would be ire
trievablc injury to the growing Indus
try. the enforced idleness of much OF
our wool combing and spinning ma
cninery ami of thousands of looms,
ana the consequent throwing out of
employment of thousands of work.
men"
The bill sent to the White House
imposed an ad valorem duty of 20
per cent. on raw wool and on cloths
of 40 per cent Both rates Mr.. Taft
held were insufficient to protect the
wool grower AMI the manufacturer.
1t was predicted to-day that the
wool bill might be passed by the House
over Mr. Taft's veto but there was
some doubt as to its fate in the Sen
ate Republican leaders were In
clincd to believe that II would fail OF
passage there as it AID ~ months ago
The Presi dent declared in his mes
sage that he was anxious to see sched-
ule X revised downward and that he
would he glad to see Congress remain
in Washington until a bill he consid-
cred proper was sent to the White
House He found 1t impossible he
sard. in view Of the platform on which
he was elected to approve the sub
, mittei measure. but declared one
agreeable to his views nad been draft
ed by minority members of the House
ways and means committed
DESIRES TO REDUCE DUTIES.
81 strongly desire to reduce duties,
read the message, provided only thu
protective system be maintained and tina
Industries now established be not destroy
ed 1t now appears from the tariff board
: report and from bills introduced into thu
/ House and Senate. that a bill may b.
drawn so as to be within the requirement
of protection and still offer reduction o
~ per cent on most woods and OF from Z
per cent. to 80 per cent. on cloths
IT cannot act on the assumption that !
: majority of either House will refuse t.
pass bill of this kind. therefore urg
=
without taking advantage of the plaii
, opportunity thus substantially to reduc
2 unnecessary existing duties, I appeal Z
Congress- to reconsider the measure. whicl
now return without my approval, AM
to adopt a substitute thereof making
substantial reductions below the rates o
the present act which the tariff boar'
shows possible without destroying an,
established industry or throwing any was
. earners out OF employment ana whlo
= | will promptly approve.
TARIFF BOARD Is UPHELD.
Despite the efforts that have bee
made to discredit the work OF the tarii
. board their report on this schedule ha
>, been accepted with scarcely dissentin
voice. by all those familiar with tn
. problems discussed. including active rel
- resentatives of organizations formed
the interest of the public and the cor
- sumer.'
. The message sent to the House to-da
= was drawn after conferences betwee
l. the President and Chairman Emery of III
: tariff board. 1t was submitted to II
cabinet yesterday at II special meeting
|. Reports that two members of the Pres
o dents official family urged him TO al
- proye this measure were denied at II
l. White House.