Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1912-03-30
DEMOCRATS DEMAND
CUT IN WOOL DUTY
House Democrats Declare Findings Of
Experts Fragmentary and Based
on Erroneous Theory.

Washington, March 2S.-Both ma
iority and minority reports on the I'M
derwood wool tariff revision bill were
made to the house. The reports were
made on a strict party division In the
ways and means committee.
That the tariff board in It's report on
the wool schedule proceeded upon an
entirely erroneous theory and that It's
report ls "~untenableo Is the conclusion
OF the Democratic members act forth
in the majority report prepared by
Representative Underwood, chairman
of the committee, In connection with
the re-introduction OF the wool bill
placing a 20 per cen ad yalorem duty
On raw wool.
In brief, the report says that the
tariff boards work Is useless as a ba-
sis for determining duties. The theory
on which the board based its findings
is scored as erroneous and unten-
able" The committee says that there
Is such variation In the cost of produc-
ton In every country that It is impos-
sible TO compare in absolute terms the
productive power of n country with
another, and so 1t concludes the find.
ings OF the tariff board are imperti-
nent to the matter OF fixing duties
and useless.
Stating that the Democratic wool
bill Is Identical, except for a few in
significant details, with that presented
at the extra session OF congress last
year, which was vetoed by the presi-
dent, the committees report says that
an analysis OF the tariff boards re-
port fails to disclose anything In which
the bill Is defective. Rejecting the
boards theory, 1t declares that costs
of production that have any meaning
or use are mot ascertainable or OBJ
tainable."
Iaasmuch az the rspoFt aah,nitted
may be correctly held to express the
Democratic attitude toward the tariff
board, to which the majority is op-
posed in theory as well as in practice.
it is considered the most important
tariff document that Is likely to be
produced by the Democrats this SEES
sion. The report consists of seventy
three printed pages and goes with
minute detail into every paragraph OF
the wool schedule with relation to the
tariff boards report and to the stats
tics gathered by the ways and means
committee during last summers spe
cial session.
THE tariff boards report" says the
ways and mea report, is fragmen-
tary and incomplete, and rests upon
an incorrect statistical basis. Hence
1t has no claims to confidence for the
results set forth therein, even should
the reliability of the theory Of the cost
OF production be conceded.
"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
tariff duty. Even under the most IA
vorable Interpretation of the report.
conclusions as to duties can be reach
ed for only a few paragraphs OF the
wool schedule, and for these para
graphs II 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 justification is
apparently afforded in the report for
rates that are in conflict with an
other. 1t is thus seen that the report
leaves the question of the tariff du-
ties on wool as much unsolved as be-
fore the tariff board was formed"
The minority members declare they
have framed and introduced a wool
bill based upon the tariff boards re-
port and have ~endeavored to adjust
the rates in accordance with the doc
trine of protection by prescribing a
duty equivalent to the difference in the
cost of production at home and abroad
as found by the tariff board.