The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1909-02-25
TARIFF
BOARD IS FAVORED
Sentiment at Indianapolis Conven-
tion Unanimous for COM
mission Plan.
CAMPAIGN IS TO BE KEPT UP.
Before Final Adjournment j. w. Van
Cleave Is Put at Head of Per-
manent Organization.

The national tariff commission con-
vention came to an end in lndianapo-
lis Thursday and its officials and del
egates, before their departure, ex-
pressed confidence that its work would
soon be perpetuated in the form of
permanent tariff commission, toward
the attainment of which their labors
have been directed.
The convention was small in num-
bers, but large in enthusiasm. Its del
egates represented great commercial,
agricultural and civic bodies and many
were United States Senators, Congress
men or national and state officials
James w. Van Cleave, chosen as its
permanent chairman. had behind him
scores of members of the National AS
ISOLATION of Manufacturers, and from
the platform on the last day Thad
Snow, who declared himself lust a
plain, unattached farmer of Indiana"
Joined with his predecessors in what
had been a remarkable unanimity of
expression from various sections, pro-
fessions and occupations for the estab-
lishment by Congress of a permanent
scientific and non-partisan tariff COM
mission.
During the session hundreds of mes
sages of congratulation and encour-
| agement were received. The messages
bore the names of many great manu-
| featuring firms and business houses.
None came from Andrew Carnegie, al
though the Pittsburg ironmaster had
previously expressed his approval of
! tie purposes of the convention.
Before the final stroke of Chairman
Van Cleave's gavel each delegate
| pledged himself to continue in his
home territory the work for which the
| convention was called.
The permanent committee Of 100, of
which ]. w. Van Cleave is chairman,
will give the widest possible distribu-
ton to the records of the convention
proceedings and carry on the work of
agitating for the creation of a perman-
ent tariff commission. The chairmen
of the permanent committees of the
convention selected by Chairman Van
| Cleave are III. Il. Miles of Racine, Wis,
of the Executive Committee. and John
Herbert, Jr.. of Dayton, Ohio, of the
| Finance Committee
Big Field Ii Open.
Asserting that if the United States
is to develop her trade with the twen-
" Latin-American republics in the
western hemisphere, John Barrett. di-
rector of the International Bureau Of
American Republics, in an address be-
fore the convention urged that most
| careful considerations be given tariff
relations.
Equally important with the i'm
provement of steamship facilities. the
establishment of banks backed by
United States capital and the thor
ough, legitimate exploitation of the
markets of South America by respon-
sible agents of Ameriman manufacture
ers." said Mr.. Barrett, lis the need of
framing our tariff with some reference
| to the interests of our sister republics
"In other words, If the United States
expects these twenty growing, re-
sourceful and ambitious countries to
| purchase our manufactured products
in greater volume we must I'm turn give
them an opportunity to sell within our
| limits their natural products in larger
| quantities.
| He said that the undeniable import
ance of the Latin American field of
trade was proved By the fact that in
the year 1908 these twenty countries
conducted with the outside world a
commerce valued at $2,0OO,00O,OO0. an
increase of $1,0O0,OO0.00O i'm ten years.
or an average of $1OO,O0O,OOO per an
mum.
The share of the United States In
this total,' he declared, "does not ex-
coed $560,000,00O, including both ex-
ports and imports. and the balance of
trade is overwhelmingly in favor of
Latin America"
Scramble Every Ten Years.
D. A. Tompkins of Charlotte, N. c.,
pointed out the evils of the present tar
if system THE present method Of
making the tariff is sort of scramble
about once in ten years." he said 1.-The
industry which gets unsatisfactory re.
suits has no remedy. but has to wait
ten years and take chances again. If
under the present system a tariff is laid
which develops graft, this condition
must continue until the next general
tariff revision. Under the commission
plan the tariff might be in process of
revision or readjustment all the time.
Revision might be upward or down.
ward. 1t would mean whatever
changes were necessary to produce the
best interests at home for the Ameri-