The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1907-11-09
TARIFF REVISION
BY COMMISSION
OFFICIALS or THREE REFORM
ORGANIZATIONS WANT A
CHANGE IN METHODS.
LETTER TO THE PUBLIC


A circular lettor Is being sent on
over the country hy officials Of thre,
important organizations Of the coun
try al large which viii receive Gen
cral attention, as a plain business
proposition Il reads as follows
Adequate protection 10 American
labor ana industries ~ Tire established
lpoliey Of this ccuntry II IL q motto
iious fact nevsrtheless thar existins
Customs classihcations as well az
rates Ut duty are sadly ogt OF liae
with conditions now prevailing in the
\ world Of trade. ManY oi these, how
eyar. who reaiiza this fact are IN
clinetI 10 postpone as long as possible
the work ut reimbursement for the fes.
son that tariff changes as hGrtofore
made have unsettled business The
Ianestion arises therefore Is there no
/ WAY in which abuses can be corrected
our foreign trade safegrarded, and
Justice served the consuming public.
without menacing the general pros.
perity?
Three great national conventions
/ OF commercial and agricultural inter
ests, ta-wit. The National Recipro
city Convention. held AZ Chicago ia
/ 1905, the Foteien Commerce Conven-
siou held at Washington, d ~. III
I January, 1907 ana the Annual Con-
| Yention of tie National Association
of Manufacturers, hell in N'aw York
City in May, 1907 have considered
this matter and agreed unanimously
tir calling upon congress TO create D
permanent non-partisan tariff com
mission with semi.iudicial functions
such Az the power to summon Wit
nesses which shall make an un-
biased investigation OF the operation
Of orr customs duties. regulations and
olassihcationa, hear complaints. study
domestic and foreign market condi
tions. and report To the executive aud
to congress from time to time such
notifications as in their Judgment
may safely and properly BE- made In
the interests Of the general welfare
1--WE seek not a reversal Of policy
but an intelligent REIMBURSEMENT Of an
accepted policy to meet changing con-
ditions. The Tact that the protected
industries Of the country themselves,
as represented ia THE National Assa-
citation of Manufacturers are eranest
II supporting this proposition, reflects
the general desire Of business men
everywhere, regardless Of party. tol
sec the considerations of these cues
iions removed as far as possible from
the arena of politics II II believed
that q permanent commission of this
Sort to be named by the president
would in due course Of time demon
starte IT'S value and win the ccn
fidence OF the people and Of congress
10 such degree that its findings AMI
Communications based urup broad |
ht sinsss considerations would be re-
spected and rs a general rule M |
proved.
"A study Of the methods under
which other great commercial nations |
of the world are handling these sub |
iects leads to the conclusion that the |
United States must call into It's ser.
vice I'm the near future the aid Of a |
tiaincd body Of men to enable us TO |
meet intelligently the various per
picking questions arising out OF the
ge neral adoption of maximum and
minimum tariffs by several Of our
strongest competitors srr TIE worlds
tra5
III Is ra'd t'iat the tariff viii ha
revised after The next presidential
election. This would be in 1909. Tho
next revision must be free from graft
honest aud reasonable; based upon
real facts. II viii require not less
than two years of careful study aud
Investigation 20 determine as tn what !
tariff changes should be made. H.
therefore revision is 70 be approached
Ia 1909 il is Of the highest import |
ance that the Intervening time be
utilized wisely. II such inquiry is not
authorized at the coming session OF /
CONGRESS-. il viii mean that actual re-
vision will not be reached until 1910
or 1911. Meantime. ~ ore losing
trade abroad. and arr being Imposed
rpon az home BY reason OF the opera
lion of Che existing law. We re
g2ectivcly submit therefore that
every consideration Of wisdom and
prudence suggests The creation by the |
Incoming congress az a permanent
tariff commission as recommended by
the three important conventions first
above mentioned
Respectively submitted.
J. ". VAN cLEAVE.
Chairman National Association Of
Manufacturers.
WM. M'CARROIL.
chairman National Foreign Com /
rnerce Convention.
ALVIN II. SANDERS.