OCR Text |
Show REVISION OF TARIFF IS PRIMARY T aft Hopes for Accomplishment Accomplish-ment by June First, Im mediate Action Asked. New York. Feb. 26. President-elect Wm. H. Taft declared in an interview in this city today that a revision of the tariff is a primary requisite for the relief of the present business conditions condi-tions and he 'expressed tho hope that the revision should be accomplished by June 1. . Speaking of this revision, Mr. Taft said to a reporter: "A6 this is the primary requisite for the relief of present conditions, I want to have it disposed of at once- I am hopeful that there will be Important revisions In tho existing schedules made by congress In an extra session, and I look forward to June 1 as the date when most of these revisions will become effective." Mr. Taft's opinion was given after an Interview with James W. Van Cleave, president of the National Manufacturer's Man-ufacturer's association, who called to urge the creation of a permanent tariff commission. CAfter Mr. Van Cleave's departure, Mr. Taft said that he favored fav-ored such a commission, but did not favor its immediate appointment. Ho declared that he felt that the present tariff schedules are onerous to busi- J ness, halting It with tho forte of a I drag brake, but be added that the revision re-vision was all Important first, and then perhaps a commission. Such a commission, com-mission, if appointed, he said, might block the plan of revision as now contemplated. con-templated. After the revision, the I commission would gather other data, I watch the new laws' workings and sug-west sug-west amendments to It Mr. Taft also made public today a letter which ho sent to S. E. Payne, chairman of the wavs and mcms corn- mlttee of the house, at the tariff conference con-ference hold at Indianapolis, on February Feb-ruary 1C, in which Mr. Taft wrote: "A tailff commission would be harm ful or useful, as its functions were described in the bill. My own ideas havo been that there ought to be a permanent commission of tariff experts ex-perts to keep themselves advised, by all the means possible, of the cost of production of the articles named In tho schedules lu foreign countries and in this country. I think that what wo lack Is evidence and ecrae such means might very well be used for the purpose pur-pose of securing It. I should be tho last to advocate a commission with any power to fix rates, if that were constitutional, as It would not be, or with any function other than that of furnishing the evidence to congress upon which, from time to time, it might act." Mr. Van Cleave and H." H. E. Miles of Racine, Wis , chairman of tho tariff commission of the National Manufacturer's Manufac-turer's association, called on Mr. Taft today, as part of the committee from the recent national tariff committee Convention in Indianapolis. Mr. Taft told Mr. Van Cleave that he desired to have further information concerning a commission of tariff experts ex-perts and would give It every consideration. consid-eration. The present lull In Industry, Mr. Taft said, was undoubtedly duo to impending tariff legislation, but he thought that, with that knowledge in view, congress would conclude its deliberations de-liberations at an early date, possibly in June. Tariff changes . always halt business for a time, was the opinion expressed by Mr. Taft, and the sooner such legislation was drawn and adopted, adopt-ed, tho better for the country. Mr. Van Cleave said after his conference con-ference with Mr. Taft that the 'president-elect expressed bis belief In a tariff commission to consider changes I in tariff schedules from year to year. |