New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-03-28
WOOL CHALLENGE ISSUED.
Republicans Urge Democrats to
Make Radical Reductions Now.
TWO REPORTS ON HOUSE BILL
Upholds and Majority
Attacks Conclusions Of the
Tariff Board.
From The Tribune Ruroanl

y
characterize the majority and minority re-
ports on tho wool bin presented to the
House to-day by the Democratic and Re-
publican members Of tho Ways and Means
Committee.
Is forecast i'm The Tribune. tho majority
report is largely devoted 10 harsh criticism
Of the Tariff Board and tho data gathered
by It regarding the wool industry. Tho mi
nority denounces this characteristic Demo
cratic attitude and urges the Democrats to
Join with the Republicans In passing the
substitute bill offered by tho minority mem
bers Of the committee. which is drawn in
accordance with the findings Of the board
IN drafting the ma joritv report the Demo
cratic members make repeated use of al
jectives denunciatory Of the findings Of the
Tariff Board. They arc called "incompl"t"
fragmentarv. unsatisfactory. inadequate,
unreliable. insignificant and incorrect"
The entire majority report indicates tho
determination Of the Democrats to abolish
tho board and 70 return to the old haphaz
ard method Of tariff revision without acien-
ufc information.
Views OF the Minority
itFDuDlllcl ll|lNbflE wv NV Commute
declare that the findings ot the board are
able and complete" Defending the reduc-
lions proposed I'm the Republican substitute
bill which contains specific rather than
the unsatisfactory ad yalor"m duties Il tho
Democratic measure. tho minority report
says that tho substitute hill corrects the in
equaltie- Of the present schedule ana
"Opens the wool markets Of the world tn
US. still preserving tho home market TO the
American producer"
The Republican bin provides for the 70
ductiou Of existing duties from 80 10 - per
cent The minority report says.
We have divided woods into two instead
OF three classes uniting classes l and IN
this bill, and making the old Class 3 class
Of duty on class Of this bill ~ IS cents
p pound on the clean content 81 the wool
This measures The difference In II" cost OF
production az home and abroad on nearly
all wool imported and the bulk Of the
wool grown I'm the United states.
The minority report adds that the report
OF the Tariff Board has thoroughly eHplod-
ed the fiction OF the greater efficiency ~
the American la1orer in the textile indus
try
Urgirg the Democrats TO support = bill
ITdIl-l IN dFCFlGUCe WIN Lii' N't'il "a wv
Tariff Board, and not the Democratic biz
Of last session which has simply been re-
introduced with regard for the boards
andings. the minority report continues
The Official returns 70 date indicate 2
Treasury surplus Of not less than $500
GO for the present fiscal year what new
excuse viii now be invented Tor a revenue
duty on Schedule X cannot be coniee'urec
until the ai0vity report IS seen. We IN
vite tho majority 70 cooperate with US N
passing the bin We present and make
radical reduction nov, Instead ~ prevent
ing a reduction By adhsring 10 the Demo
cratic bill
The report. submitted BY Representative
PAYNE, was signed by all the Republican
members OF the committee Representa-
tlves Payne. Dslzell, Mccall Hill, Need
ham. Longworth and Fordncy. They say:
The very able and complete report Of the
Tariff Board on wool was presented 20 the
House on the 2lst Of December last. The
majority members OF the committee have
had II now FOR three months. Upon the
facts IN the rerort IL seems they are not
able 10 make any changes IN their WOOL
bill heretofore introduced They have ap-
parently settled down upon CONVECTION
avail IN the formation Of a Democratic
tariff bin for revenue only.
Democrats Attack Tariff Board,
Summarizing the views Of tne majority
Chairman Underwood says
The theory Of applying tariff duties &C.
cording TO the difference N the cost OF
n-oduction IN this and in foreign countries,
upor which the board has projected and
DrpDarcd its report, Is entirely erroneous
and untcnable Furthermore. II this theory
could have been Systematically ana care,
fully applied. II would not have afforded
trugtWorthy results for guidance IN pre-
pairing tariff legislation. The board re,
rort Is fragmCntsry and incomplete. ana
rests on an incorrect statislSs5l Das rs:
Hence II has no claims 70 conhdencs i2t
tho results set forth therein, even should
the reliability of the theory or me cost OF
production be conceded.
tatiou 81 the report conclusions as 10 du-
ties can be reached for only few para
graphs OF the wool schedule and for these
paragra phs n IS not possible n formulate
definite conclusions because the hgures
vary widely, and seriously lack uniformity
and compatibility.
The committee. ayerring that the report
Of the Tariff Board ia not tarin docu-
ment" says
Probably the most striking feature Of the
report Of the Tariff Board Is that IT con-
tains little with reference 10 the tarin. II
rs primarily An analysis OF the money eX-
penses involved in the production and
Apparently the chief reason FOR under
taking this inquire vas me opinion that u
would thus DC possible 10 demonstrate tho
relative insignihcance OF woollen goods as
an item OF common consumption. 1t may
he concluded that, so far as the question
II tariff rates or wool and WoCllen cIoths
IS concerned. that part OF me GoarH re
pOTt which relates 10 retdE-mad~ 'loLhiHb
r largely irrelevant
The committee charges that the Tariff
gr,, ppgFaFJal
the theory that maintenance Of tho exist
ing tariff was necessary. The committee
also discusses AT length the condition re-
lating 10 the production of raw wool in this
country and abroad. and, after reviewing
the three classes OF wool as considered in
the report and in the Payne drich bill
the committee says. in justification Of tho
bill placing q revenue duty Of 20 per cent
on raw wool.
Class III wool needs no protection, be-
cause II is scarcely produced az all In tho
United States
those OF our woods which compete with II
are produced al a very low cost.
Class | woods need no protection as indi-
Gated by actual figures OF sales As shown
by estimated cost or production the needed
duty would not exceed ID TO 20 per cent
a duty Of q per cent would be consider
ably I'm excess Of the requirements OF pro
duction IN the West that are indicated by
the hgures OF the board; while in the Ohio
region the industry IS partly at least In
cidental 10 general farming and cannot be
considered on the competitive footing.
Every item in the wool schedule as treated
by the Tariff Board is analysed at length
by the committee, such az tops, noils
yarns, cl ,ths, carpets, etc, and the report
submits that there is nothing 10 justify