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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 21, 1911)
711 E MORNING OREGONIAN. TIIURSDAY, DECEMBER 31. 1911. TARIFF BILLTO RE ' CONSIDERED EARLY TUFT HOLOS WOOL OUIY EXCESSIVE PROMINENT NEW YORKERS. WITH THREE OF WHOM TATT CON FERRED YESTERDAY. ROOKWOOD POTTERY TIFFANY FAVRILE GLASS S3 33 33 Message Counsels Revision Downward, Leaving Fixing of Rate to Congress. Congress Leaders Agree Measure Will Take Much Time to Prepare. 23 TRUSTS NOW BENEFITED VIEWS ARE DIVERGENT a" - t - - v-t""""- ' ' - " ' ill "m : ' -V- -' , V-Ml 111, ? V V v 5 i 11 H' f v President Says Difference Between Cost at Home and Abroad Is Proper Basis Report of Board Submitted. WASHINGTON. Dec. JO. President Taft sent a mriufo to Congress today mommfidlnt a downward revision of the tariff on wool. Accompanying the message was the report of the Tariff Board. Neither the message nor the report attempts to fix the rate of duty, but the President recommends that the proposed revision adhere to a policy of protection based upon the difference In cost of production at home and abroad. The message says that the present method of assigning; the duty on raw wool operates to exclude wools of high shrinkage In scouring, but of fine qual ity, from the American market, and tnerety lessens tiie range of wools available to the domestic manufacturer, ami that the duty on scoured wool of II cents per pound Is prohibitory and operates to exclude the Importation of r!-in. low-priced foreign wools of In ferior grade, which are. nevertheless, valuable material for manufacturing anl Mcti cannot be Imported In the grease because of their heavy shrink age. .uch wools. If Imported, might be uned to displace me cneap substitute now In use. the President says, and con tlnus: "There discriminations could be over come by assessing a duty of ad valorem terms, but this method Is open to the objection, nrst. that it Increases admin istrative difficulties and tends to de crease revenue through under valua tions, and. second, that as prices ad vance th ad valorem rate Increases the duty per pound at tu time when the consumer most needs relief and the produce can best stand competition, wlnle If prices decline the duty Is de creased at the time when the consumer l least burdened by the price and the producer most needs protrctlon. Method f Fixing Daly Saaaesle. "Another method of meeting the dif ficulty of taxing the grease pound Is to assess a speclflo duty on grease wool In terms of Its scoured contents. This obviates the chief evil of the present vsiem. namely, the discrimination due to different percentages, and thereby tends greatly to equalize the duty. The board reports that this method Is feasible In practice and could be ad mtristered without great expense. "The report shows In detail the diffi cult es Involved In attempting to state In categorical terms the cost of wool production and the great differences in com as between different regions and different tvpes of wool. It Is tound. however, that taking all varieties Into account the average cost of production for the whole American clip is higher than the cost in the chief competing country by an amount somewhat less than the present duty. "The report shows that the duties on noils, wools and wastes, which are adjusted to the rate of 23 cents on soured wool, is prohibitory. In gen eral thev are assessed at rates aa high as or higher than the duties paid on the clean content of wools actually Imported. "They should be reduced and so ad justed to the rate of wool as to bear their proportion to the real rate levied en the acuta! wool imports. "The duties on many claases of wool manufacture are prohibitory and grea t-lv- In excess of the difference in coat of production here and abroad. Csmsfsulerr Dwly Kat esalvsv. "On tops up to 63 cents a pound In vaiue. and on yarns of S cents In value the rate ! lo per cent, with corres pondingly li'kh rates for lower values. On cheap arid medium grade cloths, the existing rates frequently run to lo per cent and on some cheap goods to ever : per rent. This Is largely duo to that part of the duty which is lev led ostensibly to compensate the manu facturer for the enhanced cost of his raw material due to the duty on wool. As a matter of fact this compensatory duly for numerous classes of goods Is much In excess of the amount needed for strict compensation- "Although these duties do not In crease prices of domestic goods by any thing like their full amount, it is none the ls true that such prohibitive duties eliminate the possibility of for eign competition, even in time of scarc Itv: that they form a temptation to monopoly and conspiracies to control domestic pricee: that they are much In excess of the difference In cost of pro duction here and abroad, and that they should be reduced to a point which ac cord, with this principle. "The endings of the board show that In this Industry the actual manufactur ing cost, aside from the question of the price of material, la much Tiigher in this country than abroad; that In the snaking of yarn and cloth the domestic woolea or worsted manufacturer bas In general no advantage In the form ef superior mschlnerv or more efficient labor to offset the higher wagee paid In this country- The findings show that te cost of turning wool Into yarn In this country Is about double that In the leading competing countries and that the cost of turning yarn into cloth Is somewhat more than double. I'nder the protective police a great Industry, involving the welfare of hundreds of thousands of people, has been estab lished despite these handicaps. ladaatrr ! lint reaalderatloaw "In recommencing revision and re du.llon. I therefore urge that action be taken with these facts In mind, to the en.l that an Independent and es tablished InJustry may not be Jeop ardised.' The report of the Board, which Mr. Taft submits with the message, makea no recommendations, but says that the majority of the rates are prohibitory and condemns the peaseoe system of letting them. It would assess duty on xrui'ne.l wool, not wool and grease tomoinej. and suggests a graduated of ad valorem rate on cloth. Jo raw wool the Board finds the present svstem of levying duty bad. and the duties higher than the differ ence la coet of production in the United stales as compared with the cost abroad. The method of levying duty Is condemned because It charges for grease as well as fer wool, and oper ates ta keep out of this country the hea T-shrinking woolens. tin tops, from which yarn Is mad, the present rate of duty la found pro hibitory. It costs l per cent more In the United States to convert tope Into ysr than It does anywhere else. On yarn, from which cloth la woven, t'.-e present rate of duty la found to be t 1 s ,,. ' .e iit g)Vf S. a- -KfJ-swa t ABOVE tVII. I.I M BinXES, JK- I10 MtTIIH KT. UIO Will. t-iK A HKI.T ALOOF FROM rOVKEREirEll rtPtlU DIIIIATUH. BKI.Un, II I I l I.OK1I. Jit., LA W AHL. A.NOTHKH CAIIPAItiX DIRKCTOH, AND OTTO T. prohibitory, because It keeps out all except the finer grades. Costs Higher la l otted States. On cloth, the present rate of duty Is pronounced prohibitory on heavy weight, cheap and medium grade cloths, principally because of the spe clflo compensatory duty, which flies a certain charge per pound before the ad valorem rate begins. It costs 100 per cent more to make cloth from yarn In the United States than It does In Engiand and France. The present sys tem of fixing the same ad valorem rates of duty on different grades of fabric Is condemned as unfair. The board holds that a fair solution would be the adoption of a graduated scale under which the advalorem rate would be properly assessed on goods of low value, then increase progres sively, according to slight Increments of value, up to whatever maximum rates should be fixed. For purposes of computation the board takes a suit of clothes retailing at t:3 and wholesa'lng at $16 SO. This Is said to represent fairly the suit of clothue worn by the average American. The farmer receives for the wool In such a suit t:.!2. and his profit Is 8 cents; the manufacturer of cloth re ceived for his product $178. and his profit Is 2$ cents; the wholesale cloth ing dealer receives for his product $1 tl.50. and his profit is $2.18: the re- II clothing dealer received I -3. and his profit is $ 50. Meriaes Are Moat Expensive. Fvtracts from the report follow: The result of the raw wool Investi gation established the fact that it costs more to arrow wool in the Lnited states than In any other country; that the merino wools required in such great volume by our mrlls are the most ex pensive of all wools produced: that the highest average cost of production of suth wool In the world Is In the state of Ohio and contiguous territory, and that the lowest average- cost on similar wool Is in Australia. "It Is not possible to state In exact terms the actual cost of producing a pound of wool considered by Itself, for the simple resson that wool Is but one of two products of the same operation. "That in the western part of the United States, where about two-thirds of the sheep of the country are to be found, fine and medium wools carry an average charge of at least 11 cents per pound. Interest not Included- "That if account Is taken of the en tire wool production of the country. In cluding both One and coarse wools, the average charge a clip Is about thi cents per pound. "That In South America the corres ponding charge Is between 4 and S cents per pound. LatMtr Xot Ceaerwlly ffnaerier. "The cost of manufacturing woolen and worsted -ynrns and cloth In the United States is much higher than In Europe. The main cost of production Is the cost of plant, material and labor. The cost of erecting and equipping both woolen and worsted mills is much higher In tins country than In Eng "The material Is Increased in price by the duty on raw woois. The manu facturer who Imports his wool must pay the full amount of the duty. Woola grown in tne I nited Mates are in creased In valoe by the duty, but not by the full extent of the duty. Wages are much higher In the United States, but wages are In themselves no tier. essarv Indication of relative cost of production. Frequently It is found that high wages and low labor coats go together. "It appears that this particular In dustry is one mhlrh the high elements of costs in this country are not In general offset by any particular ad vantage or by any marked superiority In the efficiency of labor. To a cer tain extent European countries have the advantage of us In this latter re gard. "It may be said. then. that, taking the Industry as a whole, the American manufacturer practically has no ad vantage In efficiency of labor and equipment over hie foreign competi tor n certain speclsl rases the larg est and most efficient American -mills are able, by skillful organisation, ma terially to reduce the difference In cost." t - THE NEW EUPHONA S475. "SS-r.ote player, fully warranted. What is your old piano worth? We will take It. Sherman. Clay Co, Morrison at blxtb. Open evenings. ( Mills College, Near Oakland. Cal. A woman's college: alt preparatory courses dropped. Spring semester oien January I . li:. Luella Clay Carson. A. M. 1.1. P. president. lor rataiouue auurce rtir'.strar. MUls Col lege. . P.. California. f S Per Month Kent. A piano. Uhlekering. Kimball. Kohler. Fisher and many other makea Kohler Jt cr.ase, l'i Washington street. LEADERS FOR TAFT "Old Guard" in New York Ral lies to Support. PRESIDENT GOES SHOPPING AutomobilisU Told of Opposition to Opening National Treasury to Kipcnslve System of National Holds. fContlnnsd From First Psge. emphatically against the opening of the National Treasury for the building of great highways. The President began 'at once to put matters on a genial basis by expressing wonder why be had been Invited to the dinner, because, ha said, be bad never belonged to the "carriage class." It was only lately that he had ever been temporarily affiliated with It. "The accident of office and the gen erosity of a Republican Congress," the President remarked, with a broad smile, gives me for a, time the pleasure of travel by a new method: but there Is no permanence of tenure. Therefore I beg you to understand that I am here merely In a temporary capacity aa an automoblllst." Aeto Is Peace Agency. The President expressed his appre ciation of the value of the automobile In the development of friendly relations between sections and even between na tions. "I have tried to help you." he said, "by getting the duty lowered Into Canada. Once In a while I do some thing that ought to make somebody gratified." Raising objectfona to the proposed policy of the Federal Government en tering extensively Into road-making Mr. Taft said there was no doubt that the Government has the. power, but he added: "I venture to question the wisdom of opening the National Treasury for money to use that way." The state and the neighborhood act ing as a unit were the proper sources to look to for both the building and the maintenance of proper highways, he said. Once started on a scheme of National roads, as well as . of water ways development, there would be no end to the expense likely to be de manded by 48 states, each wanting Its share, he said. With a allver trowel, handed to him by a blind woman. President Taft laid the cornerstone this afternoon of the first settlement house for the blind In the world. A crowd of several thou sand persons congested the street to get a glimpse of the Presidential party on the huge wooden platform, on the site of the proposed building, and sev eral hundred more looked down and cheered from the housetops. "My dearest hope Is that this struc ture will be typical of the duties those who have sight owe to those who have not. to aid and succor them Jn their difficult Journey through life." said Mr. Taft. DENEEN REPRIEVES FOUR Murderers of Track Farmer Gain New Lease of Life. SPRINGFIELD. Ill, Pec. 10. Gov ernor Deneen granted today a reprieve until February If to the four convicted slay-era of Fred W. Guezlow, J r the truck farmer who was killed while re turning to his home the night of Oc tober 2 In the entsklrts of Chicago. The four were to have been hanged Friday, December 23. Norwood's' Name Withdrawn. OREKNIAN NEWS BUREAU. Wash ington. Dec 20. (Special.! The Presi dent haa withdrawn the nomination of Jsmes A. Norwood as postmaster at Redmond. Or, Norwpod having re signed after being appointed. Repre sentative Latterly haa not yet recom mended a successor. Penrose Thinks Rates Not Much Too High Underwood Finds Justifl- " cation for Passage of Bill Vetoed by Taft. WASHINGTON. Dec 20. Congress will begin consideration of the tariff legislation in the committees of the two houses after the holiday recess, though Democratic leaders of the House say that no measure will be ready to be reported for several weeks. Republican Leader Penrose, of the Senate, said the finance committee would bgin Its work In advance of the House, while Democratic Leader Un derwood said the bill would not be whipped Into final shape until Feb ruary. The committee, he said, must decide just what rates should be fixed, after thoroughly comparing Its own data with the facts submitted by the tariff board In the report which President Taft submitted to Congress today. Senator Penrose said that he hoped Republican Senators would be able to formulate a bill to comply with the tariff board's views. BUI Mill Improve Situation. "I am sure," Senator Penrose said, "that we shall have a better bill than the wool bilb passed at the extra ses sion. The finance committee will tako up the subject Immediately after the holidays, but whether it will be possi ble tu bring the Democratic House to the acceptance of such a bill as we might formulate I cannot undertake to say. I believe the report of the tariff board does not Indicate the present wool duties are much too high." Representative Underwood said the President's message really pointed out the necessity of a reduction in wool rates and that be had no doubt the House would carry out the sugges tions made. "The President. In his message," Mr. Underwood said, "favors placing a spe cific duty on scoured wool aa a basis for Importation of raw wool instead of placing a duty on raw wool and In creasing the duty on scoured wool. If the committee should adopt a specific rate for raw wool, there might be much in the President'a argument, but I have no doubt the committee will ex act an ad valorem instead of a specific duty. Underwood Finds Jnstlflcatloa. "The President advocates an ad valorem duty on manufactured wool. In the bill passed this year the rates were ad valorem. Based on import val uations. In contradistinction to the compound, specific and ad - valorem rates now exacted in the Payne-Aldrlch law. The President says the present duties on wool and woolen manufac tures In many instances are prohibi tive. I have no doubt the waya and means committee will agree with him as to the necessity for the reduction. The message clearly justifies the Dem ocratic members In passing the wool bill that the President vetoed." Representative Dalxell. of Pennsyl vania, Republican leader on the ways and means committee, said the message clearly showed why it is necessary to have wool legislation other than that proposed by the Democrats at the last session of Congress. "Progressive" Attitude Unchanged. Senator Bristow, who took a promi nent part in the combination of insur gent Senators with the Democrats that forced tariff reduction bills through the Senate at the extra session, said that If the President had signed the La Follette wool bill last Summer he would have corrected every abuse of which he complained and have pre served ample protective duties for every American industry. The "progressive" Republicans, he said, would support the same tariff revision this session. Senator Martin, of Virginia, Demo cratic leader of the Senate, said he still favored lower duties on wool, "some thing like the Underwood bill." Senator Warren, of Wyoming, an ex tensive woolgrower. expressed himself as fairly well satisfied with the board's findings and the President's recommen dations. Senator Lippitt. of Rhode Island, successor to ex-Senator Aldrich, said the report proved that duties on some classes of fabrics "can well be reduced without injury to the American industry." CHAPERONAGE IS URGED Advisers of "Co-Eds" Conclude Con ference In Chicago. CHICAGO, Dec. 20. Better medical supervision In coeducational Institu tions, training In the newer vocations for women, self-government and closer chaperonage of girls were urged In resolutions adopted today at the close of the fifth biennial conference of deans and advisers of women In state universities. Among the officers elected were: President, Miss Lucy Sprague. Univer sity of California; secretary. Miss Isa bella Austin, Washington State University. 33 33 33 Christmas Sentiment expressed by a gift of stei'ling value is more than ably represented by a selection from our refined stock, where prominence of quality stands unequaled. DIAMONDS and WATCHES of the highest grade only and in a Feldenheimer box are the proper gifts. IN GOLD and SILVER NOVELTIES there yet remains a splen did variety of choice sug gestions for suitable gifts. Opticians Diamond Importers Manufacturing Jewelers 283-285 Washington Street, Between Fourth and Fifth STORE OPEN EVENINGS REFORM PLAN NOW Waterusers Get Together in Chicago Convention. KLAMATH FALLS MAN TALKS BUY APLAYER. $275 Player Piano, used but guaran teed. Free music library. Kohler & Chase. 375 "Washington street. President Ady, of Oregon Organiza tion Returns From East Unity of Desire on Part of Various Bodies Means Mnch Aid. KLAMATH FALLS, Or., Dec. 0. (Special.) President Abel Ady, of the Klamath Waterusers' Association, has Just returned to his home at Midland from a trip to Chicago, whither he went as delegate to the convention of waterusers' associations, which conven tion was brought about largely by his efforts. Mr. Ady is enthusiastic about the re sults of the meeting, which he regards aa aiming; for much that will benefit the patrons of the Government's irri gation projects, the fact that there is a unity of desire among the various associations for reforms being re garded as auguring decidedly for the success of the wanted reforms. Among the things for which it is Intended to make a concerted fight are advance estimates of cost, as well as plans and specifications of intended work to be done by the reclamation service; more drainage of lands under projects where the failure to keep lands sufficiently dry is an evil costly to the homemaker, less red tape and bureaucratic methods. Organisation la Korsned. At Chicago an organisation was designed to be known as the Feder ated Waterusers' Association and an executive committee was appointed of five members to draft a constitution and bylaws, which are to be submitted to the various waterusers associations for ratification, the same to become binding on all associations. It is intended, if the landholders ap prove the tentative plans in view by the executive committee, to shortly hold a convention of the Federated Waterusers' Association at Salt Lake City, at which a plan of campaign will be decided on. memorials of what is wanted will be drawn for submission to Congress at Washington, and a dele gation chosen to go to Washington and work for the objects sought under the memorials. The executive committee consists of Governor Sloan, of Arizona : Abel Ady, of Midland and Klamath Falls; 8. A. Nelson, of Shoshone. Idaho: R. F. Bur gess of El Paso, Tex.; C. E. Farnham, of Belle Fourche, S. D. At Chicago delegates from 10 different waterusers' associations were present, while com mtmlcations received by the delegates, gave assurances of co-operation of 11 other associations. It is proposed that If 15 associations ratify the constitu tion and bylaws, which are now being printed for distribution among the landholders for their perusal, the con vention will be called. Reforms Are Favored. As the waterusers are, 'as a rule, men of but moderate means, it is argued that any unnecessary expense In reclamation by the Government makes more than the usual hardship for them. But the waterusers in the Klamath Association, who represent about 60,004 acres of land, are strongly In favor of reforms and In favor of any reasonable expense to obtain them. "In many projects the increased cost over the original estimate has boon so great that It appears - impossible for settlers to meet the payments and sup port their families from the land," said Mr. Ady, speaking of the Chicago con vention. "The demand for information relative to the plans and policy of the proposed work and for itemized state ments of moneys spent, seems to have been agitating the people of ,very project. "Practically the only landowners especially feeling the burden of cost and meeting the payments thereof are those paying construction charges on lands producing no crops because ot the lack of drainage. However, In cer tain other projects, because of higher cost than that of the Klamath project and because of various other climatic conditions, inability to meet the pay ments without serious burden seems universal. One of our main conten tions Is that adequate drainage ditches should be constructed simultaneously with the irrigation ditches." structlon department to proceed with the erection of additional heavy cop per wires between all Important points on the system of the company for the purpose of extending the telephonic use of the same to the Independent telephone companies. Postal to String Heavy Wires. NEW TORK, Dec 20. (Special.) Minor M. Davis, who was recently ap pointed superintendent of telephones of the Postal Telegraph Cable Com pany announced today that his com pany has Issued Instructions to its con- $275 Player Piano We're selling Player Pianos at the rate of eight to ten a day. There's a reason, too, for such large sales, the prices are right, the terms are right, and the Player Pianos are right. Free Music Library Included with every Player Piano. Auto pianos rented. $6 per month. KOHLER A CHASB 875 Waahlngtosi St. Open EvealBKi PRINTING Baling, Binding and Blank Book Mskug. Fhoaee Uaia 8201. A S2SL Portland Printing House Co. J. Ia. Wrtrtit, Pre, and Oca. Mftntvcer. Book, Catalogue and CtamerclaL Tenth and Tartar St., Portland, Oregon. Gill's Gift Certificates Solve the Problem Issued in Any Amount. Good in Any Department THE J. K. GILL CO. Books, Office Supplies and Furniture 3d and Alder 3d and Alder Ever Hear of Mendota Coal? HIS Isn't an ad for that coal. I mention It only to cite an instance where small space in the newspapers produced wonderful results. I had a lot to do with that campaign. I wrote 15 different advertisements for that coaL A new one every day. And the campaign paid, and paid big. Let me take bold of a campaign for you. If you have something to sell to Portland people. 300 a month wilt start you In good shape. Extra profits will take care of the cost. 501YeonBld Telephone AdvertisingService OLD VIRGINIA ANTIQUE FURNITURE CO 131-133 TENTH STREET, NEAR ALDER Are selling their entire stock of rare and valuable Antiques, comprising Colonial, Chippendale, Adams, Sheraton, Hepplewhite and Dutch Marquetry Fur niture, superb Vases, rare old China, Sheffield Plate, Brasses, Mirrors, Clocks, Paintings, etc. INSTRUCTIONS FROM HEADOUARTERS ARE THAT EVERY ARTICLE MUST BE SOLD AT ONCE, ABSOLUTELY REGARDLESS OF COST