The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1909. THE AMERICAN TARIFF.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2617, 27 September 1909, Page 4

The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1909. THE AMERICAN TARIFF.

Tho tremendous power wielded by the American trusts over tliei destinies of the 85,000,000 who acknowledge the allegiance of the United States is strikingly shown by the shape in which the Tariff Bill recently passed into law. At the Presidential election in November last Mr William Taft, the Republican nominee, was returned with a pledge to bring about Tariff Reform in tho shape of decreased duties. The idea has been gaining ground in the United States for some years that the chief effect of protection there is to enable big industrial corporations to extract infinitely larger profits from the pockets of the people than would have been possible under a system that permitted some competition from foreign countries. The American people are firm supporters of the Protection theory, but they view with dismay the extent to which that principle has been exploited for the purpose of bolstering up the trusts. Following cut his election pledges Mr Taft provided an opportunity for the discussion and passage of a Tariff Bill. The debato is said to have been the longest ever held in a Parliamentary body on a single matter, and the official report occupies more than 5000 printed pages. The net result represents a victory for vested interests and defeat for tho people. Practically, the revised duties beyond doubt are a shade higher than the old; and wherever foreigners seemed to be gaining ground they havo been made almost prohibitive. The woollen schedule is about tlie same as before —or, perhaps, a shade higher; and much the same may be said about al] the “textiles.” Indeed, the net result of this attempt to lower the “tariff as a whole” is plainly a pitiful defeat—just as was predicted by all veteran politicians, and for the obvious reason that a general attaolc compels all the beneficiaries to join their forces and to defend abuses, even the most flagrant, at all hazards, rather than let the system fail. One feature of the new Law is likely to cause considerable discord abroad. In all cases, for example, tho actual duties will be 25 per cent, more than the minimum rates named, unless the President remits sucli addition, which he will do as a matter of course, except in shipments from countries which “in any way” discriminate against American commerce; and in order to gather for him proofs of discrimination commissioners are to be appointed, who shall give their entire time to this task. Exclusion of meats on flimsy averments of possibly diseased •condition has been the rule rather than the exception with more than ono European country, and unless henceforth such exclusion is confined to cases of real danger, there will he higher import duties to face. Many other like discriminations upon frivolous or technical grounds have been alleged, but could not hitherto be followed up because practically tho burden of proof rested upon the complainants; whereas now.the President will simply refuse to remit the 25 per cent, unless proof is presented to him that Americans have not been unfairly treated. The new Bill was passed by the Senate early last month. It was still open for the President to make good his election pledges had he chosen to adopt the unusual course of vetoing the work of the Legislature. Had Theodore Roosevelt still occupied the Presidential chair it is quite likely that the Bill would have still remained unsigned, but the burly Mr Taft is built on less heroic lines than his predecessor and has apparently bowed to what appeared to be the inevitable. H© signed the Bill forthwith and it immediately became operative. Its importance to the commercial world may be gauged from the fact that at the time it cam-e into effect more than 20 great steamships, specially freighted with goods upon ■which duties have been raised—mainly wines, spirits, and high-priced textiles —were hastening across tire ocean stimulated by hourly wireless messages, but lost this race against time, though all would have arrived within another 48 hours, and one of them, a German liner, came in only two hours after the closing of the Custom-house.