The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-03-16
THREE POINTS OF VIEW.

ulss, the understanding being tnaJ Sucb
revision would be downward. The ways
and means committee has prepared a
BILL which will be presented at once,
embodying the ideas of the Republican
party in general and the majority MEM
bers of the committee in particular.
The situation presented at the nation
al capital is complex. While both par
ties in their national platforms are
pledged to a reduction of the tariff
taxes, many sections of the country
are interested in the protection of GER
tain articles, and under the system of
log-rollng can unite and keep the du-
ties at the top notch. President Taft
is in favor of crowding the Payne bill
through at the earliest possible mo-
ment, on the ground that business cam
not possibly revive until the matter is
definitely settled. So if his advice is
followed the bill will be passed by the
house in practically the shape it leaves
the hands of the committee and the
real work of tinkering viii be done in
the senate.
While considering the tariff question
congress is confronted with The neces-
sity Of raising revenue to meet the defi-
cit of the Roosevelt administration and
provide against future contingencies of
like character Revival of the war
taxes seems to be the only solution Of
fered. In the meantime the usual pull
ing and hauling is going on in Wash
ington, the different interests endeavor-
ing to prevent a reduction of the tax
on their particular article, no matter
what happens to the others. In the end
they will combine and probably pre-
vent reduction to any considerable ex-
tent.
During the past winter. while the
ways and means committee was en-
gagged in listening to pleas In favor of
this or that article, the subject of a
permanent tariff commission was
preached, and the idea has taken root
to some extent. President Taft is said
TO favor the plan. which is championed
by the National Association of Manu-
facturers. Regarding the proposed COM
mission President Van Cleave says:
''Our salvation as a manufacturing
country viii compel US to adopt the
tariff commission idea, France and
Germany, which have had such boards
for years, and which have found them
very advantageous, are using them with
disastrous effect against US. We need
the commission in order that we may
be able to meet our industrial rivals on
equal terms in our home and foreign
trade"
The commission, which it is proposed
shall be non-partisan, is to be composed
Of liable, experienced business men.
who are to collect the facts for the ways
and means committee to use in shaping
future tariff legislation Of course the
consumer does not figure as an active
participant under this plan. Next in
order comes William Whitman, pres-
ident Of the National Association of
Wool Manufacturers, who writes the
chairman of the ways and means COM
mittee as follows:
"a permanent tariff commission any
ious to justify its existence by inces-
SAINT activity, would be a. veritabIe
plague TO the country's business. Pres
ident Taft is right in declaring that
we can have no full prosperity until the
present tariff revision is COMPLETED. and
after that is done. what the business of
the country wants is absolute rest for
at least ten years from tariff agita-
ton"
Mr.. Whitman says the only way TO
take the tariff question out of notifies
is the overwhelming defeat of the free
trade party, so that it will have To
abandon its cause as a hopeless fraud
and delusion, condemned and abborred
by the American people," OF course
Mr.. Whitman knows there isn't anv
free trade party, and uses the term
with that same careless disregard for
the truth characteristic of those who
have long enjoyed the benefits of high
protection, so long. in fact, that what
was once considered a privilege is now
regarded as an inherent right. Mr..
Whitman, naturally enough, is in favor
of placing the duties at the highest
possible figure and then dropping the
subject for another generation.
The chances for an honest revision
of the tariff are not regarded as par
ticularly brilliant at the outset. The
last number of the New York Indepen-
dent contains an article from the pen
OF Jesse T. orion, H. NJ, in which the
situation is summed up as follows;
ut cannot be doubted that congress
has departed very widely from that
protection which, by way of compare
son, may be called honest and consist
emit That this is the inevitable result
of the system of protecting private in
dustries is my belief, but that it is a
necessary consequence of that system.
conjoined with our unrepresentative
scheme of government, 1 think no OBJ
server at Washington can fail to see
Not only do selfish private interests
nominate and elect congressman and
influence their course in regard to leg
islation, but congressman themselves
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