The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-02-05
NOT YET BUT SOON.
immediate Revision of the Tariff L
Turned Down.

washington. Feb. 5-The present con-
sress VIII not appoint a tariff commits
SION revision of the tariff will be I'M
uer eaAen next winter in the short term.
Inese announcements, in substance.
were made by Chairman Payne of the
muse committee on ways and means.
IA tne presence and with the tacit APP
ploHai OF Speaker Cannon, the occasion
peiiig call upon those leaders by a
raiiiI revision delegation from various
pdfts or the country, comprising repre-
sentat1ves of many of the biggest man
uIIdcIuring and Industrial concerns in
Ine United States and headed by James
w. an Cleve of ST. Louis, president of
the National Association of Manufac-
turers; former Governor N J. Bachelor
u new Hampshire, and H. E. Miles of
racine, chairman of the tariff commit
&c oI the National Association of Man
uLdclurers. The delegation spent more
than an hour presenting their case and
listening to replies by the two foremost
neePupncan leaders in the house which,
vile tney We're cordially couched, were
Practlcaly refusal of all that the
delegation had journeyed to Wasbinp-
TON to plead for
IN introducing the subject of the ap-
| Polntment of tariff commission in line
WIN the Beveridge bill recently offer
Gu IN the senate, Mr.. Van Cleye said
the delegation was unanimous in the
peher that the matter of the tariff can
De pest handled by the application of
d nard headed business bill, which
w mouiu 50 amend the tariff schedules as
10 encourage the development of for
eIsn commerce by the producers of the
United States without at the same time
exposing their goods to the reactionary
! eHeces o! Tree trade. He said it was
the Hrm belief of the vast interests rem
resented by the members of the dele
| gation that wholesome revision of the
.arlli could be best got at by a COM
lnis t n appointed to ascertain the
| i've profits derivable from home and
| foreign sales, and all the multitudin-
! GUS !acts appertaining to so complex
] ana important a subject
we want, and can truthfully state
that the whole country wants, q sound
ana rational business consideration of
the subject and we believe after long
ana earnest study of the situation that
the suggestion of a tariff commission
| TO stand between us and you-to re-
celve and weigh and formulate the mass
OF technical information we have to Of
Ter and to then present it to congress
In compact and intelligent shape-em-
| the result
In his general answer to the statement,
OF the delegation Mr.. Cannon spoke az
Let me suggest that should the Hous,
pass such tariff commission bill as you
s ask Tor there is no certainty of what the
by virtue of their right to an unlimited
occupancy of the floor. hold up any meas
ure Tor as long as two years without DOS
sibility of prevention.
Il fear greatly that your tariff commits
sion would turn itself into a debating
school, just as we do with ourselves here
in the House and that there would like
ly be majority and a minority report"
Representative Payne made HIS position
clear at once by appealing to the delega-
ton to see the unwisdom of the appoint
ment OF necessary partisan tariff COM
mission as proposed in the Beveridge BILL
at the heels of a financial panic and on
| the eve of presidential campaign"
gress to undertake a tariff revision at
such a time he said ''yet how much
more disturbing 1t would be to have
commission holding public tariff meetings
on the tariff at this time.
MY position is that when it shall be
best for the interests of the American
people to undertake revision of the tar
iff, that is the time when will favor re-
vision; and should urge minimum and
maximum tariff coupled with the existing
make trade agreements with other coun-
tries; and 7 would follow France, Ger
many and Russia in the provision that the
minimum tariff should afford q fair pro-
lection to home products.
1T think the signs of the times are that
next winter this Congress will undertake
a revision of the tariff. Shall we get our
working information at first hand from
the producers them selves, or shall we con-
tent ourselves with getting it second hand
from body of men appointed as a tariff
investigation committee. From what
have seen Of the formation of tariff bills
I should by all means seek it at first hand.
You can not convince me. gentlemen. or
the wisdom Of appointing such commits
sion at this session"