The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-02-17
VAN CLEAVE IS MADE
 PERMANENT CHAIRMAN
Congressman Ransdell of Louisiana Discusses the Tariff as 1t Affects the South and Says Senti-
 ment Is Changing.

posing political parties, and whose views on the construction of tariff differeo as widely as the tenets of their parties, sat side by side as delegates and joined In tu- multuous applause today as speaker atter snealxer in the first national tariff com mission convention. vigorously denounced .ha rrasent tariff and the method of it's construction.
 That the present tariff system has been outgrown and that the United states fingers decades behind the scientific meth ods of European countries was repeated almost as often as a new speaker ad- dressed the delegates. That the prompt establishment of a non-partisan tar1n commission was the only remedy for pres ent condition was repeated as often.
 l. W. VanCleave of St. Louis, president of the National Association of Manutac- turers, who was made the permanent chairman of the gathering, aroused the first enthusiasm by asserting that the tariff must be taken out of partisan poli- tics. and Congressman Fowler of New Jersey. who is sponsor for the Bevertdge commission bill, now before Congress, caused a demonstration when he asserted that the tariff must cease to be the foot- ball of political parties.
 Van Cleave Cheered.
 More than 100 members of the National Association of Manufacturers cheered J. w. vanCleave as he took the gavel His emphatic declaration that the convention was not interested in the raising or low ering of any particular schedules and that -resident-eiect Taft was in line with the purpose of the gathering preceded viz orous dealing with the question Of the necessity for tariff commission.
 Former Governor Guild of Massachu- setts, Senator Brown of Nebraska and Congressman Ransdell of Louisiana gave the varying viewpoints of their sections. That there was little conflict save on minor points was indicated by their speeches. MT. Guild spoke his thoughts plainly concerning the combination or Cmcago hackers the duty on hides and the al legged yictimizing of the American farmer. Senator Brown did not except himself when speaking of the mystlhcatlon or the average congressman on the subject or the tariff, and Henry R. Towne, ques- toned vigorously the ability of the mem hers of the ways and means committee to deal intelligently with the same subject. H E. Miles, as a manufacturer, coincided with Mr. Towne
 Senator Owen of Oklahoma was delayed in reaching the convention by snow hound train and will deliver his address tomorrow.
 Ransdell's Address.
 That the south is rapidly changing it's ideas on the tariff question, favoring pro- lection instead of free trade, was the
 s1o D 1tof fixra seph E. Ransdell of Louisiana, before the convention. Discussing the southern farmers interest in a tariff commission. Mr. Ransdell urged the convention to se- cure a non-partisan business commission which will help to remove the tariff prob- lem from party politics.
 Being citizen of Louisiana, said MT. Ransdell, which has so many pro- tected industries-sugar, rice, lumber, etc. T cannot help leaning somewhat to that side and in my opinion the whole south is rapidly changing it's ideas on this sub iect Lincoln once said: don't know much about political economy, but l do know that when we purchase ton or steel rails from Great Britain for one hundred dollars we get the rails and Great Britain gets the money, and when we produce the rails from our own mines and in our own mills we have both the money and the rails Now, surely the latter condition is much better than the former. and it seems right and proper to assist in procuring and maintaining It by wise tariff enactments whenever possi- ble'
 Abuses of Tariff.
 MT Ransdell declared that great abuses have crept into the tariff and that many radical changes in the tariff law are nec- essary. Tt is most unfortunate, ne declared, that this great question which concerns so -vitally the welfare or our nation should ever have been partisan one and policies and schedules should have been adopted in many cases TOT political effect rather than Tor economic reasons"
 MT. Ransdell discussed the tariff from a revenue point of view and declared that all political parties have favored tariff in some form, but that the dlHer- ence of opinion is caused by the propieH of protecting home industries.
 Industries of the South.
 Continuing the Louisiana congressman said
 '"rhe south feels a deep interest in the tariff It has not secured financial re- turns from the protective features of the system equal to those sections of the union largely engaged in manufacturing; nevertheless 1t has many industries which are affected and is therefore glad to par ticpate in tnls conVehlion anu uo Wnat 1t can to aid in solving the very inn portant questions before it for discus sion.
 .The south was for many years a pure lv agricultural community and as most of the direct benefits of the tariff go to manufactures rather than to products of the soil the southern people leaned strongly to free trade. They wished to sell their cotton in the highest markets of the Old World and supply their needs untranmeled in the same markets. But since the Civil War vast change has taken place."
 Cotton Factories. MT. Ransdell supported his arguments 1,~ many figures and in discussing the