Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-15
TO OVERHAUL TARIFF
PETITIONS FOR A PERMANENT
COMMISSION CIRCULATED.
Expected Recommendation Of the
President Anticipated by Business
Men Throughout the Country.

Business men throughout the country.
according to information reaching here
through members of Congress, are begin
ming to anticipate the expected recon-
mendation of President Roosevelt to the
next session OF Congress for the creation
Of permanent non-partisan tariff commits
sion, and are signing petitions to be pre-
sented to Congress asking the enactment Of
laws providing for such a commission.
These petitions will urge the creation Of a
commission having power to shape for Con-
gress revisions that may be adopted by
that body without Congress having to enter
into a long consideration Of the question.
Thousands OF business men all over the
country are signing the petitions. Many Of
them are doing SO, of course, because they
hope this will postpone for a long time the
contemplated revision Of the tariff. de-
sire will be expressed for capable experts,
men thoroughly familiar with the laws Of
taxation and In touch with economical con-
ditions throughout the country. The work
of the commission would be supposed to be
without political bias, with a view to rec
ommending to Congress such amendments,
notifications and revisions from time to
time as will be of benefit to the country
and the Industries.
Commission of Twenty Years Ago.
The proposition for a permanent commits
sion will differ from that made during the
administration OF President Arthur. A tar
if commission was then created and ap-
pointed by the President, but It's work was
temporary and its recommendations were
entirely ignored by Congress at the session
to which the recommendations were made
In December 1881, President Arthur sent
a message to Congress referring to the
need of revision of the tariff laws. He said
that important changes should be made
with caution. "If a careful revision cannot
be made at this session." he said, "a COM
mission, such as was lately approved by
the Senate and Is now recommended by the
Secretary of the Treasury would doubtless
tighten the labors of Congress" 1t will be
seen that the idea OF rearrangement of the
tariff outside Of politics was then seriously
thought of, just as 1t Is now. Congress at
that session provided for a commission, and
one was appointed by President Arthur 1t
consisted Of John L. Hayes, Massachusetts;
land, Illinois, Jacob A. Amber. Ohio: Rob-
ert p Porter, Pennsylvania; J. w. Under
wood, Georgia; Alex r. Boteler West Vir-
ginia; Duncan s. Kenner, Louisiana, and NJ.
A. Mcmahon, New York.
The commission visited the principal
cities Of the country and held many ses-
sions during the recess of Congress, taking
testimony freely. This was later printed in
two large volumes. Upon the reassembling
of Congress a year later President Arthur
referred to the work Of the commission,
saying that its report would be placed be-
fore Congress. He suggested that this re-
port would materially aid Congress in it's
desire for readjustment of tariff schedules.
The commission, by request. framed a
complete tariff BILL which was. introduced
in the House by Representative Kelley of
Pennsylvania. The bill never passed the
House. The Senate took the matter up
and framed bill of its own, which finally
became law. This was the first and only
tariff commission ever attempted.
An Interesting Question.
How Congress will treat the suggestion
Of a commission, especially a permanent
one. is an interesting question. The crea-
ton Of such commission as a regular
body would mean the intention of Congress
to accept much Of the work of that body,
which would move slowly. If Congress did
not accept the work. that would mean a
body absolutely useless and worthless.
Under these circumstances Congress will
probably go slowly in adopting recon-
mendatton for such commission. The
eastern republican members are likely, ii
is said, to decline to support a proposition
of this kind on the ground that it commits
the republican party to readjustments. The
] east, they will hold, is opposed to changes