Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-12-07
IAFT'S MESSAGE
sent 70 CONGRESS
Continued from Fourth Page.)

speak. ana any assumption on the
part Of congress. so often made in
been prepared with the expectation
that they may be reduced will result
In seriously hampering proper admin
istration.
To reduce the cost Of permanent
administration, says the president, a
thorough reorganization of bureaus,
offices and departments would be nee
essary. An expert accountant has
been making an investigation into this
matter and the result of his work
shows opportunity for both substan-
tial reductions in cost and increase of
efficiency.
Frauds in the Collection Of Customs.
regret to refer to the fact Of the dis
covery of extensive frauds in the collec-
ton of the customs revenue at New York
city, in which a number of the subor
dinate employees in the weighing and
other departments were directly con-
cerned, and in which the beneficiaries
were the American Sugar Refining Com
pany and others. The frauds consisted
in the payment Of duty on underweights
of sugar. The government has recovered
from the American Sugar Refining Com
pany all that it is shown to have been de-
frauded of. The sum was received in full
of the amount due, which might have
been recovered by civil suit against the
beneficiary of the fraud, but there was
an express reservation in the contract of
settlement by which the settlement should
not interfere with, or prevent the GRIM
inal prosecution of everyone who was
found to be subject to the same.
Criminal prosecutions are now proceed
ing against q number of the government
officers. The treasury department and the
department of justice are exerting every
effort to discover all the wrongdoers, in
GLIDING the officers and employees of the
companies who may have been privy to
the fraud. 1t would seem to me that an
investigation of the frauds by congress at
present, pending the probing by the treas
ury department and the department Of
Justice, as proposed, might by giving i'm
munity and otherwise prove an embar-
rassment in securing conviction of the
guilty parties.
Maximum and Minimum Clause In
Tariff Act.
Two features of the new tariff act call
for special reference. BY virtue OF the
clause known as the maximum and min
imum" clause, it is the duty of the exec
utive to consider the laws and practices
Of other countries with reference to the
importation into those countries OF the
products and merchandise of the United
States, and If the executive finds such
laws and practices not to be unduly dis
criminatory against the United States. the
minimum duties provided In the bill are
Ito go into force. Unless the president
makes such a finding, then the maximum
duties provided in the bill. that is. an in
crease of rs per cent. ad valorem over the
minimum duties, are to be in force. Fear
has been expressed that this power con-
ferred and duty imposed on the execu-
tive is likely to lead to tariff war.
beg to express the hope and belief that
no such result need be anticipated.
The discretion granted to the executive
by the terms "unduly discriminatory" is
wide. In order that the maximum duty
shall be charged against the imports from
a country, 1t is necessary that he shall
find on the part of that country not only
Determinations in it's laws or the prac-
tice under them against the trade of the
United States, but that the discrimina-
tons found shall be undue; that is, with
out good and fair reason I conceive
that this power was reposed in the presi-
dent with the hope that the maximum du-
ties might never be applied in any case,
but that the power to apply them would
enable the president and the state depart
ment through friendly negotiation to Sc
cure the elimination from the laws and
the practice under them of any foreign
country of that which is unduly discrim-
inatory. No one is seeking a tariff war
or q condition In which the spirit Of re-
taliation shall be aroused
The new tariff law enables me to ap-
point tariff board to assist me in con
nection with the department of state in
the administration Of the minimum and
mo yfv, r1a 49, no u
assist officers Of the government in the
animation Of the law and an understand
ing OF the nature Of the facts which
should be considered in discharg-
ng-the functions imposed upon the execu-
i've show that have the power to direct
the tariff board to make a comprehensive
glossary and encyclopedia Of the terms
used and articles embraced in the tariff
law, and to secure Information as to the
cost Of production of such goods in this
country and the cost Of their production
N foreign countries. I have therefore ap-
pointed tariff board consisting OF three
members and have directed them to per-
form all the duties above described. This
work will perhaps take two or three
years, and ask from congress a continu-
ing annual appropriation equal to that al
ready made for Its prosecution. believe
that the work of this board will be of
prime utility and Importance whenever
congress shall deem 1t wise again to re-
adjust the customs duties. If the facts
secured by the tariA board are of such a
character as to show generally that the
rates of duties imposed by the present
tariff law are excessive under the prin-
ciples OF protection as described In the
platform Of the successful party at the
late> election, ] shall not hesitate to in
vite the attention of congress to this fact
and to the necessity for action predicated
thereon. Nothing, however, halts bust
ness and interferes with the course of
prosperity SO much as the threatened re-
vision Of the tariff, and until the facts are
at hand, after careful and deliberate in
vestigation. upon which such revision can
properly be undertaken, 1t seems to me
unwise to attempts IT. The amount of mis-
Information that creeps into arguments
pro and con in respect to tariff rates is
such as to require the kind of invesuga-
ton that have directed the tariff board
to make, an Investigation undertaken by
it wholly without respect to the effect
which the facts may have in calling for a
REIMBURSEMENT of the rates of duty.
War Department.
In the interest OF immediate economy
ana because of the prospect Of deficit,
l have required reduction in the esti-
mates Of the war department for tho
sming fiscal year, which brings tpe 10.
Deafness Can Not Re Cured