The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-08-14
Nothing is Going to slip by Tas
Which Does Not Meet With
His Full Ap-
provai.
STEEL BILL HALTED
Hastily Prepared Measure Which Was
Passed by Congress Without
Ample Study and In
vestlsatlon.

United Press Leased Wire Service
WASHINGTON. Aug. 14.--Basing
his objections ON the fact that the
bill would be disastrous to the iron
and steel industry and that It was q
revision OF the tariff without ample
study and Investigation, President
Taft today sent message to the
house vetoing the steel bill.
The message declared that despite
the statement of the democrats that
the bill WAS prepared basically to re-
wise iron and steel manufactures, less
than one third of the revision was ap-
piled to those products. Fifty-nina
allied industries the president assert
ed, were directly affected.
The ways and means committee
avowed," the message said, that the
principle of protection had not been
considered, but that in framing the
present revision, the committee had
adopted the general principle OF re-
ducing all duties to revenue basis
SO far as practicable, except in those
cases where more cogent considera-
tion 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 With
out fuller information, therefore. | am
obliged to treat this bill as revenue
i,, tcL
tion of preserving the industry by
maintaining a tariff necessary to do
SO, had little weight. There Is Meth
ing to show me that the duties pro-
vided will equal the difference in the
cost of production here and abroad IA
the great line of industries and that
the wages of the workmen will not be
reduced by a measure which discards
entirely the principles of fair protec-
ton. 1t should be noted that the lab
orer employed in the secondary indus
tries which have had so little consid-
Grafton In this bill, Is in a large meas
ure, high grade. skilled labor COM
manding a high level OF wages
The message declared that before
revision should be attempted there
should at least be public hearings and
plenty of time for careful study OF
the rates.
Il am not prepared to say that
there are no items In this schedule
which might not well be reduced" the
president declared.
Commenting on the fact that all
machine tools were put on the free
list by the bill, the president said that
the term machine tools" was of such
wide application that its scope should
be clearly defined II free entry were
made of such tools, he said, the sam.
privilege should be secured for Amer
ican tools abroad
"A bill for complete revision OF
this schedule" the message conclud-
ed was presented to me a year ago.
Many increases and decreases Of rates
are now made from those named in
the former measure The changes arc
not explained and indicate the hasty
method pursued in the preparation OF
both 1t Is not fair to ask, either on
the basis of protection, or revenue,
which was right.
con the whole, therefore, am not
willing to approve Of legislation OF
this kind which vitality affects not
only millions of workingmen and the
families dependent upon them, but
places on the free list millions of dol
lars worth of stocks of goods in the
hands of storekeepers and distributors
generally, without first providing for
careful disinterested Inquiry into
the conditions of the whole industry
From the outset OF my administration,
have urged revision of the tariff
based on non-partisan study OF the
facts
Taft outlined the tariff board plaI.
and declared It's reports had Justified
/ his belief in its work.
/ @The proposed BILL he said, has
not been framed on the basis Of any
such study Of the industry Ayowed-
ly lis rates are fixed with no consid-
GRAFTON Of anything but revenue. The
principle OF protection is disregarded
entirely, and therefore, 1t is not too
+ much to say that the effect of those
sweeping changes on the welfare OF
those engaged in these varied Indus
4 tries had been disregarded.n
(continued nm mage "a