Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 224, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 September 1911 — PRESIDENT TALKS TARIFF; TELLS OF RECENT VETOES. [ARTICLE]

PRESIDENT TALKS TARIFF; TELLS OF RECENT VETOES.

Awaits Information Accurate and Impartial on Which to Base Logical Tariff Revision. The president of the United Stated is making a tour of importance to all citizens of the country and all should be interested in the fact that Ihe Is traveling 13,000 miles to' talk about the- issues confronting the United States gevernment Thursday at Grand Rapids. Mfeh., he delivered a speech on the tariff, defending his vetoes of the wool, cotton and farmers* free list bills. He toet the issue frankly as he meets all public questions, and said that he was opposed to a revision with “blacksmith tools,” when a commission had been appointed to procure, accurateinformation on which to base intelligent tariff alterations. “Should that policy be approved by the electorate,” said the president, "then, of course, those of us who are now in office must give way to men who will carry out a different policy, but while we are in office one position should be clearly understood. We hollow this policy not only because we are pledged to it, but because we believe it right, because we believe that a full discussion and a close perception on the part of the people will convince them ultimately to approve and adopt it” *ln effect, President Taft charged - the insurgents with bad faith in having advocated the creation of the tariff board and then with not wishing to wait for its report. In speaking of his efforts for such a board, the President said: * ' "I hate had in the past the . hearty, support not only of the regular Republicans, but also, and even with more emphasis, those who call themselves progressive "I am going to tell you In as simple a way as I can why I vetoed the three tariff bills which congress submitted to me for signature at the close of this extra session. I called the session to secure the enactment in law of the Canadian reciprocity treaty. This was done oh July 22. Thereafter the wool bill, the free list bill and the cotton bill were presented to me for signa;, ture, and I returned them, without my approval, and explained my reasons for so doing in a special message on each bill. “I aid not going to discuss the Payne bill, except to say that the controversy over its merits and demerits developed a very strong sentiment among republicans, and, indeed, among many,democrats, that a bureau or commission or board of competent persons should be constituted to make investigation into the facts concerning the dutiable articles in the tariff, and to report them inf such a way that congress and the public, might be reliably advised of the probable effect of any proposed revision of the tariff in the future. It was properly felt that even when full .opportunity for hearings were given as they had been by .the comini tees of the house and the senate, in the case of the Payne bill, the advocates of the protected Interests would have the advantage over the consuming public, who would not organize to secure and present the evidence in their behalf for lower duties needed to secure a just judgment. .... “The Payne bill offered an opportunity to me to appoint a board of competent persons to assist me In the administration of the revenue laws and especially of the maximum and minimhm clause of that act; and the revenue laws were of sufficient latitude to enable me to direct this board to make a ‘glossary’ of the tariff terms and a kind of encyclopedia which would furnish- a guide to the Understanding of the tariff, and also to proceed to determine the comparative difference between the cost of production of dutiable articles under the various tariff schedules in this country and abroad.” ' ■

The President explained that at the extra session of 1909 the congress appropriated $75,000 for the tariff board. te dec?ar’ed W 7he n^n“m d ent torTeh a bokrd spread, and“added: “ThTre,Xng!,t nlnn mid dfnrpciat inir anv future rp- . - I a I K A jw v/waa aawaa sions drawn as to the facts upon which such revision cotild be property made ” Kansas to secure difference’betweeTthe

and home production. Of course, the democrats recognized no such measure of protection as just, but many of them contended that such a commiesion was necessary to secure the facts upon which a proper tariff for revenue only could be framed. The result was that by republican and democratic votes, and among the republicans the so-called progressive or Insurgeht republicans were the most earnest jn its support, a bill creating a permanent tariff board of five, to be appointed by the President, with power to summon witnesses and secure their evidence under oath, was passed by the house. The bill went to the senate and was there amended in a few unimportant particulars. “These changes necessitated a re turn of the bill to the house • ♦ where a small minority was able to beat the bill by filibustering in the last hours of the session. In the uncertainty as to the passage of the bill both houses had provided $225,000 for me to continue the tariff board then existing if the bill for the other board failed of passage. In this appropriation bill the statutory tariff board, if established, was directed to investigate and report upon Schedule K on wool and woolens by December 1,1911. This direction was the result of an amendment offered by a democratic senator.’’ Mr, Taft added he had directed the board to continue investigations into Schedule K (woolens), and Schedule I (cottons) and to report on December 1. “I have gone over with care this history of the movement for a tariff board," he continued, “in order to show how fully committed I am to the proposition that we ought not to have any revision of a schedule of tiie tariff without accurate information as to the operation and effect of the proposed changes, and further to shov. that in this view I have had in the past the hearty support not only of the regular republicans, but also, and even with more emphasis, those who call themselves progressive republicans.

“2. I also wish to point out that all republicans of whatever shade are committed to the maintenance of our protected industries to the point of retaining duties on imported articles which shall equal the differences In the cost of production at home and abroad.

“3. Except for the extra session called only to pass upon the reciprocity bill, the first time that the Sixtysecond congress could consider and pass upon tariff schedules would be in December, and at that time its predecessor, ’ by consent of both parties, had fixed as the proper time at which a full report as to the most objectionable schedule ought to be reported. With the money granted me by congress I had' provided a board, non-partisan, and with the same personnel as the statutory board would have had, to make a report not only on wool but also upon cotton." The President reiterated his charge i that the democrats endeavored to make a record for political purposes ty passing these tariff bills. The wool bill, Mr. Taft said, “was claimed by itq; author to be a protection bill. It was never submitted to a committee, no evidence was ever taken in regard to it, and it was evolved from the independent investigation of a single senator.”