The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-03-27
f Erroneous And
 lJntenabIe"
Methods of Tariff Board so De nounced by Ways and
 Means Committee

Washington. March N.-Denounclng the theories and methods of the tar if board as erroneous and untenable" the Democrats of the House Ways and Means Committee to-day filed with the House voluminous report on the re- introduced Underwood wool bill, Ve- toed by the President last summer.
 The committee declares that the wool report gives absolutely no reasons TOT any change in the bill passed last year.
 After reviewing the Presidents veto, the original bill that 'it would be trif1ing with the people to give further consideration to Republican cOunsels of more delay"
 ''The committee has made a care full analysis of the report of the Tar if Board in order to interpret the find ings and to discover in what part1cu- lars the committees bill of the last session was defective,'' the report states. "This analysis has failed to re- veal anything that requires a. single change in the rates fixed in the com mittee'S bill.
 "As shown in the analysis, the data of the report of the Tariff Board have been found to be tliffuse and unsys- tematic and to present Insignificant findings
 'The theory of applying tariff duties according to the difference in the cost of production in this and in foreign countries, upon which the board has projected and prepared it's report, is entirely erroneous and untenable.
 Those persons who are willing to overlook the lack of theoretical sound- ness and of statistical accuracy, will find the data of the report too frag- mentary and incomplete to admit of conclusions with reference to rates of 0rf I0a Inn question of the tariff duties on wool as much unsolved as before the Tariff Board was formed.
 "In preparing this bill no intention al provision was made for protection, the endeavor being to reduce and ad- just rates with view to producing the largest amount of revenue consistent with the proper consideration of the consumer. It is believed that the rates of this bill approach very closely, at least, to the best revenue-prOducing points, and these rates should, if en- acted into law. permit such quanti- ties of imports as will effectively petition would be an important ser vice to the people. as it would encour- age increased consumption and pro- duction by making more nearly normal the conditions of supply and demand.
 The report of the Tariff Board. so
 
 the rates which meet the consumers needs also sufficiently satisfy those of the producer.
 Probably the most striking feature of the report of the Tariff Board is that it contains little with reference to the tariff. It is primarily an an- alysis Of the money expenses involved in the production and manufacture of wool.''
 After a voluminous discussion of the Tariff Boards findings regarding con- ditions in the production of raw wool, the committee, to justify the rate of 20 per cent placed on the raw pro- duct by the bill, declares that no pro lection" whatever is necessary.
 Discussing the Republican doctrine that the tariff should represent the difference in the cost of production ct home and abroad, the report says:
 ''The view, that the proper basis for tariff duties is found by comparing