Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-11-24
ALLISON ON The tariff
Senior Iowa Senator Discusses
Probable Tariff Legislation
in Next Congress
WILL MEET PEOPLES WISHES
Thinks the Matter Should Be Under
taken Very conservativeIy and Care
fully and Should Be Done by the Re-
pubicans Some Objections to a
Commission Are Cited.

have arrived in Washington. and with
other distinguished statesmen will con-
fer with the president on matters that
are to come before the next congress.
the following interview on the tariff
question:
"There is undoubtedly a feeling of
unrest among the people, which takes
the form of some criticism on the tar
if. Most people do not know just what
they want, and generally they do not
complain of specific things. The fact
of the matter is that this unrest Is
caused by the high prices The wage
earners feel the increased cost, ana
there must GENE a general increase OIL
wages in many lines. Other railroads
must follow the example of the Penn
sylvania.
"The farmers Of the country are not
at all dissatisfied; they are extremely
prosperous, getting high prices, and ex-
press themselves as entirely satisfied
with existing conditions. The demand
for tariff revision comes from the small
manufacturers and from business men
who are affected by the high price of
commodities which they must have.
Most of these high prices are caused,
probably, by the extraordinary demand
and by the unexampled development of
our Industrial enterprises. The wage
earne- and the salaried man are the
sufferers by the high rates of living. and
the small manufacturers who have
made contracts are even unable to get
their raw material at all or are COM
PEELED to pay great deal for It,
ut does not follow that these condi-
lions can be corrected by change in
the tariff, but 1t is probable that con-
gress could do something in the way of
satisfying the people by a proper inves-
tigation and by deciding what sched-
ules, If any, should be changed to meet
the new conditions"
In reply to a question whether he be-
lieved a tariff commission would ac-
complish the end which the people de-
sire to secure. Senator Allison said:
1T might do so; but there are certain
difficulties in the way which must be
taken into consideration. In the first
place, it is assumed that such a COM
mission must be bipartisan or nonpar
tisan. Nothing could be further from
what is to be desired.
1.-THE republican party Is in control of
both branches of congress. We must
accept the responsibility before the
people, and any commission appointed
to revise the tariff should reflect the po-
litical complexion of congress accurate
ly. or its conclusions will not be accept
ed with any confidence whatever.
There is another thing to be consid-
cred. which is that the tariff must be
considered from a practical standpoint
and never as question of mere theory.
1t would be entirely scientific, for In
stance, to say that we are denuding our
forests too fast and that hence we ought
to have free lumber. That would be a
good theory, perhaps, but it would be
disastrous in practice.
There are so many men in congress
who have made special study of the
tariff that necessarily In the end their
views must prevail. The tariff is, as
Gen. Hancock said. something of a
local issue. The interests of different
sections of the country must be taken
into consideration. and in every tariff
bill it Is found that practically all the
members Of the senate must be con-
suited at one time or another to ascer-
tain the situation in their states. and
all these interests must be balanced
one against the other A commission
would be good thing if it's decisions
were at all final, but in the nature of
things the purely scientific tariff theo-
ries of even the ablest commission
would have to be examined in detail by
congress- and this simply means doing
the work twice over
"As you say that congress cannot
do much beyond the usual business at
the short session, what would be your
suggestion as to the mode of procedure
to secure an investigation or actual re-
vision of the TARIFF"
1--WE shall be too busy at the short
session to undertake even an examina-
ton of the tariff. If an extra session
were to be called in March or April
there would be nothing for us to do be-
cause long and patient investigation
must precede any action by congress.
This congress is about to die, it must
be remembered, and no commission APP
pointed by us would bind the next con-
gress at all. The present committees
of the house do not continue after
March 4, so that they can not be author
lied to act during the term of the next
congress.
II have thought it possible, however.
that statute might be passed author
izing three specific members of the
present house who would naturally be
members of the ways and means COM
mittee already reelected to joinWith
three members of the finance committee
of the senate. 1t probably would be
necessary for them to do much hard
work and to sit almost steadily until
the end of the summer.
'Tf it were deemed wise thing, on
the basis of their report, the president
could then call an extra session Of con-
gress for September or October. This
would give an abundance OF time to
have the revision of the tariff out OF
the way some time before the opening
of the next presidential campaign, so
that the effect could be studied by the
people, and there would be time enough
to demonstrate the wisdom of the ac-
ton. If such q plan were adopted, con-
gress would have before it at the special
session report from trusted joint
committee of its own members.
"Such a report, in my judgment
would carry more weight than one from
an outside commission, however ably
constituted. / have found that tariffs
must be studied while they are being
broken down as much as while they are
being built UP. The history Of our tar