The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1902-11-21
States, and Members OF the Fifty.
Seventh Congress:

United states, DelleVe tnat any WHOLE
sale revision of our tariff schedules
is inadvisable, as such action Is sure
to seriously disturb business condi-
tons and cripple many business en-
terprises. But realizing, as we do,
that it is only question Of time when
some changes must be made in these
schedules, to provide for such
changes we respectfully and most
earnestly petition you to enact, with.
out unnecessary delay, such legisla'
tion as may be necessary for a BIZ
partisan and permanent tariff com.
mission, whose duty 1t will be to in
telligently assist congress to make
such changes in our tariff and reel.
procity laws, from time to- time, as
may be found necessary"
Busy men are apt to sign and re-
turn this petition without stopping to
think that it contemplates the crea-
ton of something which we already
nave and do not need. The country Is
low provided with tariff commission
that is both permanent and bi-parti'
san AS a matter of fact, we have
two tariff commissions of this BIZ
partisan character. First, the House
Committee on Ways and Means and
the Senate Committee on Finance,
acting separately at first and after
ward concurrently, and having full
charge of all tariff matters. Second,
in, n VI have
Board of United States General APP
praisers, a permanent body OF BIZ
partisan (supposed) tariff experts,
composed of five Republicans and
four Democrats-that is to say, fiyt
protectionists and four free traders
holding office for life, or during good
behavior, and subject to removal only
for cause" and by death.
The two committees of Congress
are made up for the most part of men
who have made the tariff special
study and hence are familiar with it's
relations to the industries and the
trade of the country taken as whole
and also taken in all it's parts. They
q protective tariff must be uniform
and fair in it's operations; that you
must not deprive one interest of pro-
lection for the benefit of another in
terest which retains its protection.
Along these and parallel lines these
men have framed all our tariff laws,
and just as the committees have had
protection or free trade majorities, SO
have they framed protective or free
trade tariffs. In short, a permanent
bipartisan commission taking Its
! overs and it's instructions direct
from the people, and from no other
source.
Not a bad sort of tariff commission,
one would think One of its very best
features is to be noted in the fact
that this permanent bipartisan tariff
commission lets the tariff alone for
years together and never touches it
at all save when ordered so to do by
the votes of the people. In this way
business and industry and trade go
along with certainty and safety. They
know where they are at" all the time,
so far as the tariff is concerned,
Should we improve on this if we had
an additional body of bipartisan ire
sponsibles who, as Andrew Carnegie
expresses it, would have to be doing
something with the tariff" all the
time?
AS to the second bipartisan tariff
commission, which we already have,
the United States Board of General
Appraisers, these functionaries, some
CT them protectionists and some FREQ
traders, afford a splendid example of
the idea of bipartisan responsibility
rs worked out in tariff matters. They
often reverse themselves, and are
still oftener reversed by the courts.
You never know where to find them.
Their rulings have been so varied, so
confusing, in many cases so ridicu-
lous, so essentially and so character
istically bipartisan" that Congress
has for some time past had under
serious consideration the passage OF
bill legislating them out Of office.
Originally constituted to serve as an
Intervening quasi-judicial body which
should tighten the labors of the regu-
lar courts, this bipartisan tariff COM
mission has so muddled and messed
matters as to add materially to bust
ness uncertainties and the labors of
the regular courts.
we would suggest that business
men, before signing the New York
Commercials petition, should ask
themselves:
"Waat is to be gained by the crea-
ion of third bipartisan tariff COM
mission that shall have no final juris'
diction or authority, and whose func.
lions shall consist in part in volun.
teering to Congress advice which
Congress does not need and will not
heed. together with the continual
stirring up of things which had bet
ter be left alone until Congress gets
ready to stir them up?"
Would not the proposed perma-
ent bipartisan tariff commission be
mora Hl,elv I'm DroVp itself q nuisance