New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-07-01
TARIFF COMMISSIONS TRIED.

The suggestion is often made that permanent
tariff commission would save great deal OF
time now spent in preparing tarih bills. ana
would enable the Government TO have action
taken changing the rates of duty imposed on
particular articles without the long delay whch
now gives such advantage to importers ana de-
prlves Government Of much of the revenue
desired. But there has been some experience IN
the framing of tariff by that mode which has
not tended to strengthen the position OF those
who favor it, The difficulty at bottom is that
no commission can possibly represent the wishes
and interests of the whole body of the people
exactly as they are represented by the Senators
md Representatives elected under constitutional
provisions for the express purpose OF making
laws revenue and other. The law which might
seem satisfactory to a small commission, not
representing in strict proportion the wishes Oh
various sections. States or districts, would
surely be dislikcd by members from many To-
calities, and with all the more intensity Of an
taconlsm because they would feel that the orig
inal framing of the bill should not have been
,ptrrsted to a body other than that which alone
had power TO pass 1t.
This was illustrated in the framing Of the
thrift of 1888. A commission of distinguished
men. recognized as especially well Informed re-
cardng the principal industries. was empowered
70 investigate the whole subject and report a
bill The investigation was painstaking ana
elaborate. though it may be doubted wnethef
more information was actually elected than
has repeatedly been obtained through hearings
or Investigations by the committees or one
House or the other Its testimony covered
twenty-siX hundred pages, against about twenty
two hundred covered by the House inquiry TINS
vear. But men reasoned that the commission
itself possessed vast body Of information, Tor
which 1t did not depend upon the testimony or
rorsons nossbly interested and by which the
members should weigh and sift all testimony fur
n,sbod The result was bill which Congress
proceeded to tear TO pieces. The grave defects
nf the act of 1888. which appeared most pain
fully in the history Of some industries during the
seven succeeding years, have often been attrib'
uted TO the errors OF the commission. But this
10 only true so far as Congress, in trying to sub
stitute it's own thoughts and wishes for those
of the commission. failed in some cases to adopt
other conclusions and. as might have been ex
nected did not, as n rule, adopt those concu
slops which most deserved adoption.
1t Is wide Of the purpose to consider now IL
what respect plumbers were made by the CON
mission by Congress- or by both, for the really
important lesson taught by that experience Is
that the work of such commission does moi
help Congress to wise or speedy settlement
The commission reported Il complete bill will
explanations and arguments December =. 1882
II was treated with scant courtesy IN the House
The Senate built up different bill, though tax
ing the commissions rates as Il general basis
The House rejected the Senate amendments IL
bulk, and the net finally passed was made up II
conference committee, with all the haste ant
unavoidable errors incident TO such work. TIT
best-kn0wn members Of the commission wer'
so disrcgarded by the action OF Congress, eveI
as 10 the schedules with which they were mos
thoroughly acquainted. that some Of the mos