Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1909-02-17
BEVERIDGE ON
TARIFF REFORM
Makes Strong Plea for a Tariff
Commission to Fix
Schedules

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. Feb. IL
One of the principal features Of the
National Tariff convention today was
the address of Senator Beveridge Of
this state. He favors a tariff COM
mission to handle the tariff question
free from politics and among other
things said:
Within less than four months a
new tariff will have been made.
nope and believe 1t will be the hest
tariff that Congress ever has con-
structed, II win be historic In this.
Fhat It will be the last American TAR
III created without the aid OF far
IN commission commission to get
racts and make classifcations for con-
gress; and not to fix duties, which is
the exclusive business OF congress.
Immediate revision must not be
delayed until a tariff commission Is
created and has made necessary in
vestigations and arranged scientific
clasiiications-that would REQUIRE AZ
least two years and ought to take
longer period SO, for the last time.
we must have tariff builded In the
old way. But that this shall be the
last tariff thus builded, we soon must
provide a commission OF tariff ex-
perts. The present emergency never
must be faced again.
Tariff building ON Business Basis.
Heretofore. both parties have
builded our tariffs without sufficient
knowledge of the facts, without seien-
tiie classification OF schedules. Both
whether framing a so-calIed rev
enue tariff or a protective tariff. have
handled this subject in a way
which would have crippled any bus
Jness man or corporation handling
their enterprises in the same fashion.
Both parties have made the tariff ex-
elusiyely political; have waged cam
paigns as to whether our tariff policy
should be on the protective or reve-
nue. basis; work preparatory to re-
vision has been rushed through with
out time or ability to get the facts.
without either the technical know
ledge or scientific skill to make class
ificatlons.
Other Commissions Less Important.
Except upon the tariff, congress
has seen the wisdom OF a commission
Of experts to examine ali sorts of sub
1ects and report to congress. Yet the
tariff is more difficult, intricate and
than all other present
economic problems combined, except
Ing only the problem OF currency and
banking. In currency and banking
has acknowledged that 1t
can not wisely legislate until a COM
mission shall have spent years in
our own chaos of financial
laws and the monetary systems OF
other nations
Congress created the Bureau Of
Operations for this purpose. After
years of thorough work by this bu-
'eau, no man in any party proposes to
destroy It or stop its labors. The same
s eqaully true of the Bureau OF
labor. Congress created the Indus
rial Commission TO find out certain
acts. The report Of this commission
md those of the Interstate Commerce
Commission resulted in the law for
he Department of Commerce and
4abor the Bureau of Corporations.
he Elkins Law, the Rate Law. the
immigration Law and most of the Re-
orm laws Of the last six or seven
ears.
Tariff Commission OF 1882.
The tariff commission of 1882 de-
ised and recommended the most im-
ortant features OF our present tariff
administration. 1t originated the APP
raisers' court: and recommended
lost of the administrative tarif laws
( the Treasury Department which
ave since been adopted. Congress
frantfnuaA an na9a Ra.,rl