New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-03-15
TARIFF REVISION.

The special session of Congress begins TO-DAY
with the hope generally expressed that REVISION
of the tariff may be accomplished without uhdue
deIay And that Is natural, for no one wants
10 see the uncertainty about the schedules I'M
necessarily prolonged But this Just desire
should not be permitted TO stand in the way OIL
sucb a thorough and honest readjustment OF
the rates as President Taft in his various ad-
dresses has declared to be imper8tively demand
cd nv the Darty's pledge to the voters. In an
effort 10 overcome the scruples of those members
of the party who feel that public sentiment calls
for considerable reduction in many duties
much is being said about the depressing erect
on business Of a tariff debate As soon as Mr.
Taft made IT clear that, al least so far as he
WAS concerned a real tariff revision was IN
tended. and public sentiment was seen to be
crystalIizng behind him, it began to be heard
everywhere that the failure of business 10 re
yIve was due 10 uncertainty regarding the tariff
Every one interested in maintaining the present
duties took up that assertion, organs and agents
echoed it. and now we dare say the average
member of Congress hears little except that
doubt is delaying business recovery.
The public which desires lower duties, II II
does desire lower duties is not being heard
from. because unfortunately. since the open
hearings of the Ways and Means Committee
ended and the secret sessions began public DIS
c1lssion of the subject has largely died away.
Meanwhile all those who are DESTROYS of having
Congress make few changes in existing rates.
and do the job swiftly, have filed Washington
and industriously sought TO build up the i'm
preston that 1t is a dangerous thing 10 touch
the tariff at all The influence OF the uncer-
taintv on business conditions has been greatly
exaggerated Recovery has not halted 1t is
going on-Slowlv, but not more slowly thah Is
usual after such a convulsOn as the country re-
Gently went through T7nqueStiOnably tariff I'M
certainty is not without its effect. but other ana
Craver uncertainties. normal in such conditions
as these are what are chiefly retardlng progress
No doubt tariff revision should be got out or
the way as soon as possible, and we hope IT VIII
be found that the committee. which has been e1-
ceedingly industrious and devoted for months'
has framed a measure that will deserve and
command unusually prompt approval But rear
of the effect of delay should not be permitted to
nrevent intelligent discussion of the schedules
and such real revision as will satisfy public
opinion.
When the session is under way and the dis
cussion has been taken up In the newspapers
and by commercial bodies throughout the coun-
FRY and when the members Of Congress beg1n
to hear from their constituents, then we shall
know what public opinion really exists. That Is
not clear now. for the campaign revealed com
paratively little Just after Mr.. Taft uttered
his impatient query as to why the consumers
were not being heard from at the Ways
and Means Committee hearings there appeared
10 he some promise Of the development OF public
opinion but the disappearance of the whole topic
in camera soon afterward left the situation IN
choate If the strong public desire for lower
ing of the rates which is evident in certain sec
lions Of thu country is general there is no doubt
that given a reasonable amount of time 1t will
make its influence felt at the present session.
But whatever the sentiment Of the country,
whether Indifference or interest, there ought to
be sufficient opportunity for It TO appear and
exert its due effect.