The morning journal-courier., 1908-12-30
SPEAKS ON TARIFF
Seymour c, Loomis of This City Delivers Address at Johns
 Hopkins University,
BUREAU IS NECESSARY
Permanent Board for Consideration oS Subject Urged--Ordcrly Change
 Would Result,

Baltimore, Dec, 29,-1seymour C.. Loomis of New Haven. member of the committee of the American Bar as- soclation on uniform state laws, sum marlalng the tariff situation at a meet ing held at Johns Hopkins university said to-day;
 From the six volumes of conflicting testimony taken during tho six weeks session Of the ways and means com nittce it ia evident that the framing of a new tariff law Is fraught with many complexities, It Is important to make it. as nearly as possible, adapted to tho accomplishment of the desired end Frequent changes arc to be avoided because they upset oalcula- tions which are at the foundation of trade. Even if the object of a tarhf is agreed Co and settled, that object may not be attained by the means pro posed A tariff builder always has In mind one or both of two ideas or re- suits. G) revenue, with which to run Inc federal government. @ protection Co domestic industries These ideas may be- and generally are, autagonis- tlc A schedule which produces a large revenue may not be protective, and one which ia protective may produce no revenue at all Between these extremes there are numberless conditions, where che relative amounts Of revenue and protection change as tho duty ls more or less and when the notifications of supply and demand and the variations or cost of production, arc considered, the situation becomes worse than kaleidoscoplc Persons may even agree as to the principle upon which a tariff law should be drafted, and yet be hopelassly apart as to It's applications to @ given case Tho essential facts relating to many industries are hidden, and, if discovered are not easily placed and held at their true relative value They need to be co-ordinated with other facts relating 10 other in- dustries here as well as abroad Iron and steel enter into and form a part of so many articles, structures and things in general that. it is claimed, f the price Of those commodities was the same here as abroad, foreign markets. now closed, would Do opened 10 our manufacturers who use Iron and steel as their raw material This ls also claimed concerning other staples. Whether this be true or false depends upon great number of facts which only an expert dislnterested person can discover.
 For these and other obvious reasons it is apparent that a corps of men in the employment Of the government uu- der the tivN service whose permanent duty it should be to probe Into, obtain and corelate these facts would be oi great public advantage and utility A permanent commission, like the Inter- state commerce commission, has been spoken Of, which should have author ity to investigate, and upon giving no. tce Of from one 10 three years, tc change the rate or schedule within cer. tain limits prescribed by congress, say from per cent 10 per cent, A com, mission. however. with such power. would be unconstitutional Article | Section of tho Constitution provide, "The congress shall have power to lny taxes. dutles' etc The power iE giv. en to congress and according to tho familiar principle that no Legislative body can delegate 10 any other persor or tribunal whatever the power which was conferred upon it, such power can not be delegated 10 any commission Congress must not only lay the tax and duty but t must lay ono whicl shall Do uniform definite and certain It cannot eutrust the slightest modlf cation or change to tho discretion o Judgment of any other tribunal Tf slight change in the tax can be made by commission, then congress can an thorize fl to make a great change there is no middle ground Tho entIr power of laying taxes and duties conferred on tho congress and tha power cannot he shifted 4 commission is in no eense a representative hody and the right to lay taxes is, under ou { system Of government peculiarly linn fled to a body which is representatv Of the whole people Snoh essentially l the congress, to which the authorit
 as given by tho constitution
 An the benefits which would legal flow from a commission could also h had from a bureau of tariff in tho do T~'7-7H--