The Oskaloosa herald., 1908-02-06
DEvERIDGE WOULD
FOLLOW GERMANY
FAVoRs COMMISSION PLAN TO
DEAL WITH ARIFF.
TAKE IT OUT OF, POLITICS.
Would Have Maximum spd Minimum
Rates to Compel Reciprocity With
Other Nations Of the World

Washington, d. c., Feb. 5.---l1 ad.
dressing the senate today on the pro
posed commission plan of revising the
tariffs, Senator A. j. Beyeridge, pgiin-
diana, said in part:
The tariff is fixed bysfaets; how 10
get at these facts Is the tirst qlest ion
in the whole tariff problem Common
sense and experience answef the qiies-
ton: we should create a body of the
fittest men that can be found For this
work; they should give their whole
time to this work and lay before us
the result Of their work
This bill seeks to create such a
commission of experts to find out the
facts upon which congress builds a
tariff and to make classification of
articles to which Congress can plainly
and accurately fix customs duties.
BY this bill tie commission. itself,
S not allowed to nix duties or even to
juggest any rate. The fixing of duties
$ left to Congress. The commission
$ kept strictly to the task of gathering
facts and making clear classifications;
the first is expert investigating work,
the second expert clerical work. .Neitn-
ar is legislative work
We Follow the Plan.
If we thought it wise for the Presi-
lent to send commission to find out
he facts in so simple matter as a
strike at Gyldfield; if it is wise in liti-
cation for chancellor to appoint
jpecial examiners and commissioners
o find out aud report the facts in
single cases; If the Senate directs the
Bureau Of Corporations to find out the
acts about the doings OF single trust
n single branch of its activities; ii
Congress creates a body of men to
lind out the facts about any grea,
business which the President thinks
should be Investigated, and II It's Yorl
is so wise that no man In any part,
lsks that that work Vi .sfSe. - y. 81
much wiser and more necessary Is the
same plan to our tariff, which is more
important, more intricate, more diff
,ult than all these other things put to-
gether.
If we provide experts to find out the
facts about things which have to do
with only a few of the people, how
much more should we provide experts
% find out the facts about a thing
which has to do WIN all of the people.
f we take such measures to learn the
truth about matters which are easy to
earn, how much more should we take
similar measures to find out the truth
about a matter that is hard to learn.
Congressional comittees.
Our tariff covers thousands of items.
Whether duties should be placed up
IN these articles is question of fact.
Heretofore we have forced committees
Of the House and of the Senate to
lind out these facts. These commit
tees do not work at the task all the
time; they work at it only when the
tariff is being revised, which is about
once in every ten years. Even then
these committees work but for few
months, and only part Of the time
during these few months. That part
of the time during these few months
is not given wholly to the task OF
finding out the facts, but also to the,
fixing OF duties upon these facts, con
sidering how each of these duties at
fects the others, how each of them
taken alone and all of them taken to-
gether affect our foreign and domes-
tic trade, and all the other things
that must be thought of in making a
tariff.
Ridiculous and Unjust.
Will any one contend that a SIM
pie article like nails should have the
same rate as an electric dynamo?
Is there any logic in CHASING but
tons and stoves together?
Should bullets and buggies, should
automobiles and bulls-eye lanterns
pay the same duty?
Are farm implements and gold
boxes in the same class?
Is there any connection between
carriages and dress trimmings
Is there any reason why cannon
for war and crosses for churches
should be classified alike? ~
Yet all these are in the same class
ification and pay the same rates; but
more absurd than this is the fact that
they are PIT in the same classification
by the appraisers and the courts pass
ing on each article because congress
did not classify them at all. Nobody
knew what duties these articles
would have to pay mta the guess OF
the appraisers and the courts filled
up the holes In the law
Compared with the scientific, clear
accurate classification OF the German
schedules, for instance. our classitica
tons are confused, uncertain. chaotic
The German classification reduces
confusion and doubt to the minimum
our classification raises confusion and
doubt to the maximum.
a Continued on Page %