The Washington herald., 1909-05-09
D. JANEs B. MoRRow.

Serene Elisha Payne. the lawyer and
legislator from Auburn, n. Y
The Ways and Means Committee OF the
House Of Representatives. in which all
tariff measures originate. often confers
upon its chairman the attribute OF eter-
nality- The Morrill, Law. the Mckinley
law. the Wilson law. and the Dingley
law have become perpetual phrases in
the politics and economics CT the United
States They designate great national
periods, or eras, with their passions.
philosophers, and men The sdministra-
ton OF President Taft viii never be
separated n history from the Payne
tariff. It's schedules. and ifs effects on
human life and all the concerns OF
money and business
There are two Serene z. Paynss. Both
OF them are large-headed and big
bodied men. Their faces. however. are
noticesbly dissimilar- The one sits II his
room at a long table Ike an austere
judge. heavy-faced, silent, enigInatic. and
yet shrewdIy skepticsl. while importers
and manufacturers earnestly tell him
what IS for the country's good
The other Payne has g resistIsss
twinkle in his round, gray eyes, and q
hearty greeting for his friends. He has
been known TO sit under the trees on the
banks OF the Potomac, with Thomas 3.
Reed and John Dalzell. listening to Rob
ert G. Cousins, Of Iowa read summer
pOstry from an azure-colored book
Two Sometimes Meet.
Sometimes the two Paynes come TO
gethe- into q single personality for ora
toricaI purposes. The peculiarly of the
dualistie Payne Is that his eyes invari-
ably twinkle, though his voice mar
boom with indignation and his robust
gestures may indicate carnival Of
fury within. TIE twinkle. however, does
uot fool the old men on the other side.
When they hear the outburst and view
the revolving fists they scramble Up the
scarps and take refuge N their handy re-
doubts.
win you tel ne in a few plain words. %
asked NJ Payne. "what method IS
followed in the preparation OF tariff
bT!2-
a year and a half ago" he answered,
7 thought the country might authorize
the Republican party 10 revise the Ding
ley law. Consequently. 7 began 70 get
rea6y for the work. Clerks were employed
70 obtain and tabulate necessary informa-
ton. First, we made a comparative
statement OF imported merchandise. en-
tered fer consumption IN the United
States under the Mckinley law OF 1880.
the Wilson law Of 1884 and the Dingley
law OF 1887. We began with the year 1sez
The various imported aTticles-and there
were thousands OF thel1-vere grouped by
quantity. value. and average price. The
tariff duty on each was ascertsiued. to
gether with the whole amount OF duty
collected. When the statement was done,
and II was az entirely rev i5ea n tariff
legislation. by the way. It made book
OF 1.090 pages
Notes on Tariff Revision.
Notes on Tariff Revision another
new undertaking. gave the decisions OF
the courts and the board OF general ap-
praisers on disputed OF Ambiguous parts
OF the three last tariff Laws and contained
general and important information con-
cerning articles on which there was a
tariff duty. The notes when printed
and bound. also made about 1000 pages.
To show the character and the scope OF
the work We performed shall open q
copy Of the notes and read az random.
Starch is a proxImate principle OF
the vegetable kingdom Mr. Payne read
aloud which IS especially abundant IN
wheat. potatoes, arrowrOot. and similar
kinds Of vegetation Starch may be di-
vided into two classes. that which IS fit
for food and that which IS used for
laundry and other Industrial purposes
The food starches embrace arrowroot,
tousies-mois. OF Gamma root. sago, tapl-
oca. and cornstarch- Starch for Industrial
purposes IS chiefly obtained from potatoes.
wheat. and rice. and sago IS also used
industrialIy as well as Tor food
Then figures are given" Mr. Payne
were on TO say. showing the state OF the
industry. IN 1866 there we're 81 esta5-
hshments engaged IN the manufacture OF
starch: their capital was s7.097.65s. ana
their product was valued at SS.0S2. .go4. We
exported starch 70 the United Kingdom.
Belgium. the Netherlands. and Turkey
n Europe. 10 the value OF 8, ,I26. .s65. We
imported starch 70 the value OF SI5G, $50.
mostly from Germany.
Practically every article that IS sod
abroad or bought from foreign countries
e described in the same comprehensive
way. through the fourteen schedules
covering chemicals. earthenware, metals.
sugar, agricultural products. cotton.
wool, wood silk. and so on Ny object
was TO give the twelve Republicans and
seven Democrats on the Weys and Means
Committee every possible item Of inf0r-
nation that would be helpful IN the
preparation and discussion OF a modern
tariff bin.
Talked with Leaders.
Next. saw President Roosevelt. the
Secretary OF state. and the Secretary
Of Commerce and Labor. and through
them procured from our representatives
abroad facts about the manufactures OF
Europe-the rates OF wages. the cost OF
production. the capital invested. and
other vital information There was some
complaint from Germany, at first about
the Yankees prying into the business
secrets Of German mills and factories.
When a full explanation was given by
US the complaints ceased. Indeed the
different countries OF Europe treated rs
with great courtesy. When assured t,at
whatever they gave Us would not be
made public IN America 10 the ad-
vantage Of their competitors here or else
where. but would 80 into the confidential
files OF the Ways and Means Committee.
they freely supplied such information as
We wanted
Two days after the election last
November, the country having voted n a
Republican President and a Republican
House Of Representatives. sent ont teIe-
grams that public hearings would begin
on the tenth Of the month Later. days
were set apart for the various interests
and the programme wes published in the
country through the channels Of the dif-
ferent newspaper associations The hear
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