YORKSHIRE LETTER.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1246, 30 September 1911, Page 21

YORKSHIRE LETTER.

NEW WOOL TARIFF PASSES THE AMERICAN SENATE. , (From Our Special Correspondent.) Bradford, August 18. 1911. Tho event of the week in wool circles is tho announcement on Wednesday to tho effect that tho Senate of the United States Government has seen fit to pass, by 38 rotes to 28, a Bill fixing tho duties on raw wool at 29 peT cent, ad valorem. We had indications of what was taking place Last Saturday morning by a cablegram from Renter's Washington correspondent stating that "a Couferenco Committee of the Senate and Houso of Representatives had come to an agreement" on the basis already mentioned. This in itself was signihoant, the Wool Tariff Committee stating that the duty on combed wool, tops, etc., had boon fixed at 34 pel cent, ad valorem, and on yarns 39 per cent. Many people in tho trade paid little or no attention to this announcement,

owing to a good deal of scepticism which existed. The whole of the -West Hiding has practically come to boliovo' that there is going to bo no tariff revision nntil next year, and notwithstanding this favourable development tho majority are still of tho opinion that President Taft will not give his signature to tho Bill. The above certainly marks a decided step in tho right direction, at least when viewed through European and colonial spectacles. 1 1 dare say American' wool-growers will think otherwise; in fact, 1 know they do, and it is oertain to bo like putting a match to a magazine.; I don't think at th« moment one i? altogether justified in coming to tho conclusion .that although; thor Senate" has passed this important measure th« Bill will becomo law. It appears as' if a "compromise" has been agreed- upon: between 'llr. Clarke ■ Underwood's new duties on wool and textiles and those propounded by Mr. La Follette, the former proposing a duty on raw wool of 20 per cent,, and the latter 35 per cent. Tho present existing duty, accord-; ..-a L

ing to tho best American authorities, is •41.31 por cent., therefore, tlio new duty shows a considerable reduction, and should provido United States Manufacturers with a better supply of Australasian and Eng-lish-prown wools. Nothing is said about tho duty on noils, wastes, etc., but the announcement of the proposed duty of 34 per cent, on combed tops is even more noteworthy than that on wool. Tho existing duty on combed tops is 105.10 per cent., and to be cut down to 84 per ocnt. ad valorem is indeed significant Of course, it should be remembered that the present duty is specific, wliilo tho proposed alteration is nd valorem. I cannot Fay straight off what difference tliis will make in tho actual duties on wool and tops, but I am certain that more favourable conditions will bo furnished for shipping theso important raw and somi-manufacturcd materials to tho United States, and it should be the means of brinsing moro prosperity to American mills. It will bo seen from the above that an important condition of the Bill becoming law is whether or no President Taft will assent to it. Personally, I don t

think Mr. Taft Trill do any such thins. It is well known that at his express command an important now departure has taken, place across the Atlantic by tho formation of what is known as a Tariff Board, this board sending capable men to investigate manufacturing conditions in England and on the Continent, an<! who are.expected to tackle every phaso of textile maufacture, including wool production, nnd report at their earliest convenienco,' when the' Tariff Board intends, next December 1, to have its full report ready to present to the President and to Congress. This very subject was toing discussed in textile circles when the last mail left, and a good deal of talk, was being indulged in ■about President Taft being "embarrassed" about tho coalition- of Democratic-Insur-gent Senators precipitating a serious' tariff situation in so far as tho textile schedules were concerned. 'The following is what a leading United _ Stafew authority says on this very' question: "For a Republican President there fr.pm .of em-

barrassment in vetoing a tariff Bill thin; | violates every protective principle—a Bid i'or revenue onlv, where vaunted 'ineiden-1 tal protection' is more than nullified by ad valorem duties that placo a premium nfion that form of robbery known as under-valuation. It is impassible to conceive of a Republican President being embarrassed by auy form of tariff Bill that is found worthy of tho votes of a Democratic majority. Even thouglj we accept at its face valuo President Taft s Winona opinion, that Schedule K of tho Fayne-Aldrich Bill is 'indefensible,' tlioro can lie no political embarrassment awaiting him for vetoing an indefensible Democratic Bill that involves only this schedule and jeopardises no other. It would lio most embarrassing and extraordinary for any President to sign a Bill that would in effect destroy what may proro ono of the most important accomplishments of his administration — the Tariff Board. Democrats and insurgents are aligning in opposition to tho Tariff Board and to scientific tariff-mak-ing, and are making a clean-cut issue for the Republican, party on this popular proposition. Tho President and his party

need feel no embarrassment in appropriating this issue. No ono with an intimate knowledge of his traits acensed President Taft of playing polities, and there will b9 no embarrassment in 6tore for him on this score. President Taft has won friends and the confidence and respect of those who differ from liini politically and economically by his steadfastness of purpose when convinced that lie is right. It is inconceivable that ho may abandon tho Tariff Board at the eleventh hour. by affixing his signature to either of tho Textile Tariff Revisions Bills now : b6fore CongTess. The embarrassment 'that-has been planned for him bids fair 'to.becorao a boomerang.",',.. '' :'<;ly:noed jhordly add that.' byery, • Austrn-. Ua'sian grower as . well as the.' wool trade Jof Greatßritain is awaiting with interest tho signing of the measure that has already ■ passed the' Senate, but I think President' 1 Taft will veto tho Bill until he receives the information to bo presented by the Tariff Board next Decem|b?r proposed 2D per jtnt., adval-

orew d'llies mean (hat instead of colonial mM'inos and crosfbrods being taxed at 5Jd. P'-'i' lb., as under tho present existing duties, under the proposed new tariff Die duty will be -!l per cent, nil tho invoiced value. Surely this should give ample protection to United States wool growers, besides conferring a benefit upou users and (he public in general.

An exciting fight between a snake and a bull took plaro in tho "Wild Australia" enclosure at the Festival of Empire, Crystal Palace, though not in public. In fact nothing was known about it until tho following morning, when ono of the attendants found a valuable carpet sualcc dead near a bull, the reptile's head being completely pulverised. Tho bull had been bitten by tho snake, but an examination showed that it had not been poisoned, although it was suffering from fright. It is tiioucit that the snake, which is 18ft. long, and which was used by Miss. Cleopatra in her performance, forced its way out of its houso into tho stockyard, in which the Australian cattle are kept, and there tho hngo reptile, which weighed

551b., fell foul of llio bull. It is thought that the bull, after being bitten, succeixled either in trampling on tho snake or butting it with its head.