ITEMS OF INTEREST September 2, 1911 Issue

ITEMS OF INTEREST

In his message vetoing the farmers' free list bill, President Taft declares that the same reasons which impelled him to decline to sign the wool bill, controlled him in this case, and in his summary objects to it because he thinks it should not be considered until the tariff board shall make report upon the schedules it affects; because the bill is so loosely drawn as to involve the government in endless litigation and to leave the commercial community in disastrous doubt ; because it places the finished product on the free list, but retains on the dutiable list the raw material and the machinery with which such finished product is made, and thus puts at a needless disadvantage our American manufacturers; that, while purporting, by putting agricultural implements, meat, and flour on the free list, to reduce their price to the consumers, it does not do so, but only gives to Canada valuable concessions which might be used by the executive to expand reciprocity with that country in accordance with the direction of Congress.

In vetoing a bill reducing tariff duties on wool, President Taft says, among other reasons, that he did so because he is pledged by his party platform to maintain protective tariff by the imposition of such duties as will equal the difference between the cost at home and abroad, together with a reasonable profit to American industries ; because the tariff board is now engaged in investigating cost of production of wool and wool manufactures at home and abroad; because schedule K (wools and woolens) is the most complicated in the tariff, and while sharing the belief that the Payne schedule is too high, the President lacks data needed to fix rates at proper level ; there is no public exigency requiring revision now rather than in December, and the public weal is better preserved by a delay of ninety days, in order to do justice, than now to enact a law which may seriously injure the woolen trade and business in general.

The campaign publicity bill signed by President Taft provides for complete publicity of campaign expenditures for candidates for the House and Senate before election, and limits the amount that a candidate for senator may spend to ten thousand dollars and for representative to five thousand dollars. Every promise or pledge made by one of these candidates or by any one for him must be included in his filed statement. No candidate may promise any office or place of any kind to any person to obtain his support. Candidates shall in no way contribute to or influence the election of any candidate to the Legislature. All contributions and the names of contributors shall be made public before election. The law applies to primaries as well as regular elections.

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