The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-02-23
BUSINESS LEAGUES VIEWS
Its Ideas on the Tariff are Conveyed
to Mr.. DingleY.

Washington, Feb. 23.-John w. Ella,
attorney of the National Business
league, by direction of Messrs. Ferdi-
nand w. Peck, c. A. Gilbert and Ell
bridge C. Keith, members of the execu-
tive committee of the league, has pre-
scented the following statement to Chair
man Dingley of the ways and means
COMMITTEES:
Conference.-The National Business
league is composed of business men of
differing partisan relations The mem
bers of this national league believe that
there should be thorough investigation
into all matters concerning which leg
islation affecting business interests is
proposed, and desire that such legisla-
ton shall be prOmpt,Shall be along bust
ness rather than along political lines,
shall foster general rather than special
interests.
I'VE regret that our organize ton was
not completed in season for our repre-
sentatiVes to be present at the public
hearings given by your committee. In
view of the well known fact that a large
proportion of the people who take the
trouble to go to Washington or to at
tend such hearings, are seeking to pro-
mote their own private interests with
out regard to the effect on general bust
ness in this, and the further fact that
public statistics as to tariff effects are
at present meagre and not easily pro-
cured from the interested parties, we
might, perhaps, have rendered assist
ance to your committee through the
combined experience of our member
ship. Your committee, however, is we'll
aware of and has undoubtedly made all
arrangements for the eX parte charac-
ter of such testimony.
Members of your committee very
courteously expressed their willingness
to receive and consider any state
mentS we may present to the commit
tee, and We now take occasion to eX-
press to you the desire of this league,
which we believe is also the desire of
a large majority of the business men of
the country, that the present revision of
the tariff upon which you are engaged
shall be a conservative one. While we
understand that it is your intention by
this revision to obtain more revenue
and to protect American labor, we ask
that its benefits and its burdens be
spread as nearly equal as possible and
so as to foster general, rather than
special interests We believe that the
country has now had sufficient exper-
fence with tariffs to furnish a basis for
reviSions to be made more scientifically
than heretofore, and that the objects
desired, whether revenue or protection,
may be secured, and at the same time
general business prosperity forwarded.
We understand that your committee is
endeavOring to work along these lines,
and we tender you any assistance in
that direction which you may desire
from US. We will furnish you some sta
tistics from time to time as soon as we
are able to get them into proper form.
I'VE also take this opportunity to say
that the league being in favor of TAX
ing the tariff out of politics, favors the
establishment of a new department of
the government, to be designated the
department of commerce and industry
(the scope of which we will not discuss
here and of a tariff bureau in that de-
partment who shall pass upon all tar
if legislation before taking it before
congress.
use it's influence in forwarding legisla-
ton in this direction"