Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-03-28
Identical Measure Vetoed by
President Last Summer
Again Submitted by Dem
ocratic Majority in House
REPORT OF TARIFF
BOARD IS IGNORED

UnQerWOOu Bays IsoPoAt
is Incomplete and Built on
Wrong Tariff Theory.
washington, March 27.-That the
tariff board in it's report to congress
on the wool schedule proceeded upon
!, an entirely erroneous theory ana thaI
it's report was "untenable' IS the con.
clusion Of the democratic members OF
the ways and means committee Oh Tue
house as set forth in report prepared
by Representative Underwood, chalr-
man OF the committee, in connectloH
with the re-introduction OF the WOOL
bin placing a 20 per cent ad Valqrem
duty on raw wool.
This is the bill, which after slight
revision in conferences last summer.
was vetoed by President Taft, who
gave then as his principal reason 1or
exercise of the veto power that the
tariff board had made no report on tue
subject. Last December the board re-
ported and the democratic members OF
tha ways and means committee, after
an analysis Of this report, reintroduc-
"a the old bill claiming that there was
nothing in that report to JUSTIFY any
change.
Summarizing the conclusion of the
committee, Chairman Unoer"ooou W
says:
rs "a careful and painstaking analysis
~ the wool report of the tariff board
4. dictxtAa conclusions as follows:
seThes theory of applying tariff duties
.ccnrdinrr "a the. difference in the cost
az production in this and IN foreign
d countries. upon which the board has
projected and prepared its report. Is
entirely erroneous and untenaole.
Furthermore, if this theory could have
been systematically and carefully ap-
piled, it would not have afforded trust
worthy results for guidance in prepar-
Ing tariff legislation.
Report Held incomplete.
""The boards report is fragmentary
and incomplete, and rests on an 1ncor-
rect statistical basis. Hence, it has
no claims to confidence for the re-
suits set forth therein, even should the
reliability Of the theory OF the cost OF
production be conceded"
.sThose persons who are willing to
overlook the lack of theoretical sound
ness and of statistical accuracy, will
And the data of the report too frag-
mentary and incomplete to admit OF
conclusions with reference to rates OF
tariff duty. Even under the most
favorable Interpretation of the report
conclusions as to duties can be reach
ed for only q few paragraphs OF the
wool schedule, and for these para
graphs it is not possible to formulate
definite conclusions, because the fig
ures vary widely, and seriously lack
uniformity and compatibility. So
much Is this the case that justifica-
tion is apparently afforded in the re-
mort for rates that are in conflict with
one another. 1t is thus seen that the
report leaves the question of the tar
~ duties on wool as much unsolved
as before the tariff board was formed.
$50 far as conclusions can be
drawn from the boards report, 1t furn-
ishes nothing to justify any change IN
the rates proposed in the present bill.
"In making the computations from
which have resulted the rates as JUS
tilted by the tariff boards data, the
most expensive and difficult conditions
indicated by the data as attending pro-
duction have been employed with
view to being more than just in the
conclusions The necessity of protec-
lions to eaualize the difference in the
cost of production beyond the rates
carried by this bill exists IN but few
instances, and these are in all prob
ability the result OF high costs which
have been presented by the board and
used in the computations.
No Protection Given to Wool.
SIn preparing this bill of last session
and II. r. 22,195 of this session no in
territorial provision was made for pro-
lection, the endeavor being to reduce
and adjust rates with view to pro-
ducing the largest amount of revenue
consistent with the proper considera-
ton of the consumer. 1t is believed
that the rates of this bill approach
yery closely, at least, to the best rev.
enue producing points, and that rates
should. if enacted into law permit such
quantities of imports as will effective
" regulate domestic prices. Such
competition would be an important
service to the people, as it would en-
courage increased consumption and
production by making more nearly
normal the conditions Of supply and
demand The report of the tariff board
30 far as it admits of conclusions.
shows that the rates which meet the
consumers needs also sufficiently sat
isfy those OF tie producer
The report Of the committee fur
ther states that the tariff boards re-
(CAntinesd on Page ~