The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-02-17
VAN CLEAVE THE
MAN At THE HEAD
National Tariff Commission
Convention Begins Work in
Indiana Capital.
SEVERAL ADDRESSES MADE
SPEAKERS AGREED UPON MAIN
POINTS AT ISSUE.

= Indianapolis, Ind, Feb. ls.-Busi- :
=. ness and political representatives =
=: Joined today at the first session of =
= the national tariff commission in =
:: denouncing the present tariff as an =
:: unfair, unscieutific and illogical Sc -
- ries of compromises and expedi- -
:. ents. :,
= While views as to the functions =
= Of the proposed tariff commission =
- varied, the speakers were as one ::
- in asserting its immediate neCessi- -
ty. Chairman Van CleaVe and for =.
- Her Governor Guild urged the mat -
- terS of revision of the tariff from :.
= divergent standpoints, but were =
- agreed on the point that present =
:: conditions demand the constitu- :.
- ton of a tariff commission at once. =
e'@'':'''''';''::'
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 today
and chose as permanent chairman ]. w
Van Cleave of St. Louis, president of
the National Association of Manufac-
turers. Chairman Van Cleave had been
one of the leaders I'm the movement for
this convention. and his activity had
called forth protests from the ranks OF
the manufacturers organization. En-
dOrsement of his work by the executive
committee of his organization yesterday
made him a double victor.
The program of the first session in
cluded speeches by Chairman Van
Cleave; Henry S. Towne, president of
the Merchants association of New
York; Senator Brown of Nebraska, and
former Governor Guild of Massachu-
sets. The last-named headed dele
cation representing the Boston Cham
Der of Commerce. and scores of other
delegates represented various large
commercial or political organizations.
Mr.. Van Cleave's denunciation of the
American Protective Tariff league
aroused the delegates, who applauded
vigorously. At the conclusion of Mr.
Van Cleave's address, Senator Brown
OF. Nebraska was introduced. He said
part:
Senator Browns Speech.
while I believe in the wisdom of a
tariff which win protect American labor
and capital. do not come to argue the
economic merits of that policy, nor to
demonstrate the folly and the fallacy Of
the contrary doctrine. I come to COM
mend, and hope to encourage this rep
reSentative bodr of Americas business
men i'm their stand for an intelligent
and scientific basis on which congress
may determine what duties shall be
levied on the worlds importations
( The task now before congress is to |
Ayeadjust, not to repeal the Dingley law.
It's policy and purpose must be perfect
ed and not abandoned; the Judgment
of the American people is for it's rear
rangement in the matter of details and |
for its rededicatiOn in the matter of |
principle. It is because the details are /
so intimately and inseparably associ- /
ated with the principle and purpose of /
any Industrial legislation that every
true friend of wise and safe congress
sional enactment should be willing to |
have the facts OH which the details rest /
ascertained and reported to congress. |
The creation of permanent commits /
sion of experts to make such an inves- |
tigatiOn is a public necessity.
Business Man Investigates.
There is not a business man of small /
or great degree who does not first in /
vestigate the facts of location, of trade.
of conditions, of prices, of supply, of /
distribution, and many other facts be-
fore he ventures to invest a dollar
Why should congress that acts for
all the people be less careful and less
informed about what il undertakes than
the average business man who acts for
himself alone2 If that business man is
wise, who first obtains the facts, before
he opens his business house or buys a
factory, or builds railroad, would it
not be wise for congress to first obtain
the facts, as a basis for legislation, be-
fore it legislates on a subject which
necessarily involves for veal or woe
every business house and every factory
and every railroad and every laborer in
all the land?
There should be no doubt about an
early enactment of congress providing
for A tariff commission of experts to in
vestigate and report all of the facts OBJ
relating to trade and indus
trial conditions to be used as a basis
for tariff legislation
Commission Needed.
"A commission of this character is a
public necessity, and would be public
It would tend. at least, to
remove the tariff issue from politics.
While I believe i'm the existence of po-
hTcal parties, do not think the bust
hess of the country should be disturbed
Continued on Page 5.
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