Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-02-16
Business Men Meet in
indianapolis and Open
Conference.
FROM MANY STATES
Let it be Known in Advance
They Want to Hear but
One Side.

indianapolis, Ind, Feb. 16.-The first
national tariff commission convention,
whose delegates hope to point the way
for the establishment of a permanent
tariff commission, assembled here to-
day and chose as permanent chairman
J. w. Van Cleave of st. Louis, presi-
dent of the National Association of
Manufacturers.
Van Clenve FavOrs Commission.
Mr.. Van CIeave delivered an address,
saying in part:
"A question which touches the well
fare of every man, woman and child
| in the country very closely has called
us together at Indiana's capital today.
AS proof that this issue has a large
concern for the United States as
whole, | see before me representatives
of industrial and commercial organ
| izations from New York to San Fran
cisco, from Chicago to New Orleans,
and from Portland, Maine, to Port
land, Ore. We are here to give con-
crete expression to the demand of the
business men of the country for the
establishment of permanent, non-par-
tisan, impartial tariff commission to
gather the facts and to frame the re-
port on which congress can base the
tariff adjustments which are necessary
| from time to time. And | am glad to
tell you that in voicing this demand
Bear in mind always that we are not
! discussing lowering or raising any par
ticular schedules.
II Two Things to Remember.
This is neither the place nor the
time for an academic discussion of
i the relative merits and dement's of
protection and free trade. few
weeks hence President Taft will call
congress in session to revise the tar
iff. In the work of revision two things
ought to be kept in mind-protection
for all the producers who need protec-
ton, and revenue for the government.
These things are not necessarily an
!, tagonistic An intelligent tariff ad-
justment would furnish BOTH There
fore, free traders and ultra protection
lists are equally interested in getting
this sort of an adjustment.
by our present tariff framing ma
chinery we cannot make this sort of
an adjustment of the schedules be-
cause
Il. Like mankind in general most
of the persons consulted by the ways
l. and means committee in framing tar
iff measures are selfish. and thus are
I biased in the interest of their own in
a dustry.
nj "2. The committee lacks the know1
d edge to enable it to detect extrava
: gance or distortion in the witnesses
5 statements.
a "3. Even if the committee had the
o knowledge, il lacks the time to make
the inquiry on which it could correc
them
I Il. The committee is partisan, a:
II it always and necessarily is. unde
democratic as well as under republican
a sway.
,lI System at Fault.
h at is the system of tariff framin,
and not the individual members of tn,
i ways and means committee or of con
y gress that is to blame But, individ
r ually and collectively, congress will b.
e. TO blame unless it abolishes the sys
ID TEN, and gives us the one which 4
Of proposed by the great business organ
e izations of the country. We, as reI
e; resentatives of the business men o
"a the east and west, the north and south
as are here today to give practical voic
~ to this demand. And while here w
$ are likely to say and do things whic
j.
SCI fCo,,;n,,ad I'd, p,-, I,o,-,
"a Sis 80 Oni't