Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-27
HEARINGS CRITICISED
Van CIeave Discusses Ways
and Means Committee.
LITTLE TIME CONSUMED
Points to the Labors of German
Tariff Commission.
DEMANDS AN HONEST REVISION
Chairman Payne Defends the Action
of Himself and Associates and
Tells of Their Plans.
DEMANDS AN HONEST REVISION

Association of Manufacturers. mas given
out the following statement:
! Several strange things connect them
selves with these hearings. l am told
only about 100 out of the 100000 heads
of factories in the country received no
tice TO appear before the committee. In
most cases the notice which they re-
ceived was too short to allow them to
present carefully prepared statements
although all of them have the privilege
Of submitting briefs at any time prior
to December 4. The hearings, which will
close December T. will have covered only
/ about three weeks in the aggregate. The
questions put by the leading members
of the committee to these manufacturers
are admirably calculated to call out
answers asking for the retention of the
present rates of duties. or advances in
them.
DO you not believe that your present
duties should be maintained? This is
the usual query. Scarcely ever is 1t put
| thus: Do you think your rates should
be reduced?' Eastern papers state that
under this seductive coaching one manu-
| facturer who has a duty of 80 per cent
now on his product, and who acknowl-
edges that he lis making profit on it,
asks to have the duty increased to 40 per
cent, and wants to have the duty taken
off the materials which he uses in his
factory, thus giving him a chance to
swell his profits in two directions. One
or two manufacturers who asked for
lower duties on their own wares made
my friend, Chairman Payne, gasp.
Pledged for Honest Revision.
Il presume that the committee aims
to get. through these hearings, informa-
ton on which it can base a bill for the
revision of the Dingley law. In its plat
form of 1908 the republican party de-
| cfared for revision in a special session
of Congress to be called by the new
President just after the Inauguration.
The country. including the National AS
sociation of Manufacturers, assumed
that this meant honest and not bogus
revision. On this presumption / and a
large majority of the other members of
the association supported Mr.. Taft dur
ing the campaign We used all the in
fiuence which we could exert in favor Of
| his election.
| Il want to say right, here that as in
Its membership. the National Associa-
| ton of Manufacturers covers almost all
the great Graf $ of the country, we never
cific changes. up or doWa. in any par
ticular schedules. AS practical men,
however. we know that changes are
needed in many cases and that the pub
lie imperatively demand them. All tina.
we ask is that the changes be honest
and be equitable.
i las shown by his speeches and inter
; views during the campaign, President
elect Taft also interpreted this platform
declaration to mean honest revision. 1t
is clear 10 me. from things which some
of his close friends have said about him
in the past few days. that in his mes
yf,n
extra session, he will insist that the p at
form promise of honest revision must be
: carried out in spirit and in letter. 1t
: is likewise clear TO me that in making
this demand he Will have large ma
jorty of the 5000 900 republican voters
of the country with him.
las these hearings OF the committee
on a tariff which includes over 1000
items will cover only about three weeks,
ii suppose that my friend Payne must
have arranged for Investigations by ex-
perts in all the leading industrial and
commercial centers of Europe and Asia.
Presumably these experts have been
busy ever since the long session of Con-
!. gress c,osed las, spring, and they will
continue their work until the eve of the
. extra session. l have seen no word yet
in the papers about the activity OF these
delegated investigators, but Mr.. Payne
knows the inadequacy of his committee s
: inquiries and he therefore must have
provided for this supplementary work in
the leading old world centers of trade.
Investigation by Germany.
Mr. Payne's easy confidence in being
able to make REIMBURSEMENT of the tariff
schedules which will be satisfactory to
the country must mean that he has pro-
yided for scientific aid from the outside.
7 am strengt hened in this belief by the
fact that he knows that Germany, as a
preliminary to its latest tariff revision
created commission of thirty-two eX-
perts and that they gave five years OF
: investigation to the subject, many of them
visiting every country on the globe with
which Germany had any trade. Several
| of them came to the United States.
Moreover our tariff covers far more
. items than Germanys. Our industries are
three times as great in volume as Ger
manys. and they are more diversified.
Germany s. parliament. I'm the preparation
of it's tariff. legslating for 6O0OO,-
200 of people. Our Congress will legis-
late for nearly 90,om.UO The wealth
. of the United States is nearly three times
as great as Germany's. Our lead over
Germany in population. wealth and
: volume and variety of industries and
. commerce is steadily frightening
I'm getting its tariff investigation made
by a board of experts Germany was ap-
plying business principles to what is pre-
eninently business subject. Railroads.
great Industrial and commercial houses
and all the other larger enterprises in
the United States employ experts to in
ouire into business conditions throughout
this country and the rest of the world.
and make reports which plans for
future activity can be based. The men
who are running the big corporation
called the United States government know
that the trade laws of the universe will
not suspend themselves for their gratifica-
ton
Warning to the Leaders.
If any one supposes that he can safe
~ assail the public's patience. he is TAX
ing gamblers chances. That's how 1t
looks to me at this moment. In politics,
as in everything else, there is a here
after although some OF our lawmakers
sometimes seem to forget this. In our
case the hereafter may strike us In 1912.
II IL gets sufficient provoCation 1t may
hit us in the congressional election of
1910.
we who worked and voted for Mr.
Taft and a republican Congress, who be-
lieye that he and the republican platform
i mean exactly what they said. and who
have faith in his sincerity, his coura ge.
his INCONSISTENCIES and his devotion to
republican principles, call upon Mr. Taft
and the ways and means committee not to
forget these elementary truths.