The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-02-23
NEW NATIONAL BUSINESS LEAGUE
DECLARES AGAINST ANY
SWEEPING CHANGES.
AN OFFER OF INFORMATION.
ORGANIZATION WILL FURNISH
OUCH STATISTICS AS MAY BE
DESIRED,
EENERAL BUSINESS PROSPERITY.
It Is the Object of the League, as
Outlined in Formal
Statement.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 22-John w.
Ella, attorney of the National Business
league, by direction of Messrs. Ferdi-
nand w. Peck, Moses P. Handy, c.
A. Gilbert and Elbridge G. Keith, men,
bers of the executive committee of the
league, today presented the following
Statement to Chairman Dingley, of the
ways and means committee:
Gentlemen: The National Business League
Is composed Of business men of differing par
tisan relations and varying shades of politi-
cal opinion throughout the United States, aux
Hilary councils having been and being rapidly
Formed in the various states of the union.
1he members of this national league be-
Iieye that there should be thorough investi-
cation into all matters concerning which
legislation affecting business interests is
proposed, and desire that such legislation
shall be prompt shall be along business
rather than political lines, shall foster gen.
eral rather than special interests.
We regret that our organization was not
completed in season for our representatives
to be present at the public hearings given by
your committee. In view of the well-known
fact that large proportion of the people
who take the trouble to go to Washington to
attend such hearings, are seeking to pro-
mote their own private interests. and the fur
ther TACT that public statistics as to tariff ef-
fecTS on domestic manufactures at pres
ent meager and are not easily procured from
the interested parties, we might, perhaps,
through the combined experience of our mem
bership. Your committee, however, is well
aware Of, and has undoubtedly made allow
ances for, the ex parte character of such testi-
mony.
Members Of your committee having very
courteously expressed their willingness to re-
celVe and consider any statements we may
present to the committee we now take occa-
sion to express to you the desire of a large
majority of the business men of the country
that the present revision Of the tariff upon
which YOU engaged shall he a
tive 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 equally possible, and so as to
foster general, rather than special interests
We believe that the country has now had
sufficient experience with tariffs to furnish
q basis upon which revisions may be made
more scientifically than heretofore, and that
the objects deSired-whether revenue or pro-
tection-may be secured, and at the same
time general business prosperity forwarded
We understand that your committee is en-
deavoring to work along these lines, and
tender you any assistance in that direc-
ton which you may desire from us. We will
furnish you statistics from time to time and
as soon as we are able to get them into
proper form. We also take this opportunity
to say that the league being in favor Of
taking 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 tariff
bureau IN tnat department, Wh1ch-dfter the
present revlsion-shall investigate and report
on all contemplated changes in the tariff be-
fore action by congress. And we believe
that this bureau should be composed of non
partisan experts, of such character and repu-
tatlon that their report on each schedule or
subject investigated by them will be conclu-
sive as to the facts and influential in the de-
cision. In such case there would be few oc-
casiops for general reVsiOns of the tariff
with accompanying periodical upsetting of the
business Of the country for months before and
afterwards, and the tariff would gradually
become a matter of economic science
1t is the intention of the league to use its
influence in forwarding legislation in this d.
rection.