William Howard Taft

Recorded Remarks on a Protective Tariff

Recorded 1 October 2012, Beverly, Massachusetts

[AUTHENTICITY CERTIFIED: Text version below transcribed directly from audio]

The platform of 1908 promised on behalf of the Republican Party to do certain things. One was that the tariff would be revised at an extra session. An extra session was called and the tariff was revised.

The platform did not say in specific words that the revision would be generally downward, but I construed it to mean that.

During the pendency of the bill, and after it was passed, it was subjected to the most vicious misrepresentation. It was said to be a bill to increase the tariff rather than to reduce it. The law has been in force now since August 1909, a period of about 35 months.

We are able to judge from its operation how far the statement is true that it did reduce duties. It has vindicated itself. Under its operation, prosperity has been gradually restored since the panic of 1907. There have been no disastrous failures and no disastrous strikes.

The percentage of reduction below the Dingley bill is shown in the larger free list and in the lower percentage of the tariffs collected on the total value of the goods imported.

The figures show that under the Dingley bill, which was in force 144 months, the average percent of the imports that came in free was in value 44 and three-tenths percent of the total importation; and that under the Payne bill, which has been in force 35 months, the average percent in value of the imports which have come in free amounts to 51 and two-tenths percent of the total.

That the average ad valorem of the duties on all importations under the 12 years of the Dingley bill was 45 and eight-tenths percent, while under the 35 months of the Payne bill, this was 41 and two-tenths percent. And that the average ad valorem of the dutyable imports under the Dingley bill was 25 and five-tenths percent, while under the Payne bill it was 20 and one-tenths percent.

In other words, considering only reductions on dutyable goods, the reduction in duties from the Dingley bill to the Payne bill was 10% and considering both free and dutyable reductions, they amounted to 21%.

Original Audio Source: loc.gov/item/jukebox-132175/ (the National Jukebox)

Image Source: wikipedia.org

Page Updated: 9/7/25

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