The Washington herald., 1909-02-17
REVISION OFTARTFF
VIGOROUSLY URGED
Convention ListenStO Famous
Speakers on Trade.
COURSE OF CONGRESS SCORED
Protection for Producers and Reve-
nue. for Government should Be
Kept in Mind, Says Van CIeave.
Tariff Must Be Taken Out Of Partf-
san Politics and Then Kept Out.

indianapolis. Ind. Feb. 1S-The tariff
convention got started OF
this morning with an attendance OF about
500 delegates, representing nearly al sec
tons of the Union Many delegates were
delayed on the way by inclement weather.
The delegates were welcomed BY Gov.
and Mayor BOokwalter, and the
purpose OF the convention was explained
by Henry Rosenberg in a short address.
outlining the plans for the commission
J. u. Van CIeave. president OF the
National Association OF Manufacturers.
selected as permanent chairman OF the
was received with great ap-
plause when be rose 10 speak, and there
was pronounced approval when he de-
clared that the tariff must be taken out
OF partisan politics. and kept out His
address was listened 20 with great at
tention. and was frequently applauded.
He said in part:
a few weeks hence President Taft VIII
call Congress IN session TO revise the
tariff. In the work OF revision two things
ought 10 be kept II mind-DT0tecti0u Tor
al the producers who need any pTOtec-
ton, and revenue for government These
things are not necessarily 9n:aEonistiC-
An intelligent tariff adjustment would
furnish both Therefore. free traders and
ultrs-protectionists are equally interested
in getting this sort Of an adjustment
The adjustment OF the tariff is an oper-
alton which. directly or indirectly. affects
the prices Of almost every commodity
produced or imported oy nearly 90,oo0.009
people, which determines the volume Of
a domestic trade OF Sc Oe0.o0o annually
and 4 foreign trLde OF S3.0o8ot0 and which
and promotes the welfare OF every
one OF those 100000 persons.
Solution Can BE Found.
a board OF dlsinterested men os large
experience in trade. such as this conven-
ton proposes. could adjust al divergen-
cies- They would have the time. the pa
uence, and the inpartiality 20 look az The
points from al sides. They
would eliminate the nOnessenJsls, recon-
Gle the variances. They wcsld bring a
settlement which would be far enough
20 all interests 70 command the assent or
Congress and the country.
some OF our critics say that a perma-
nent tariff commission would keep trade
disturbed. Germany and
France have permanent commissions
Have any Of our critics ever heard OF
read that the recommendations OF nose
ever unsettled trade over
there2 II think not"
Representative Charles y. Fowler made
a strong plea for organization as the
only means Of getting q tariff commis-
sion, and recommended that every COM
mercial body n the United States be
organized into a campaign club. and.
through the sheer force OF voting power.
compel members Of Congress 70 commit
themselves 10 the programme. He de-
voted much Of his time 10 comparison
OF the German commissions thorough
methods OF tariff revision with what he
termed our ~haphazard catch-as-catch-
can. go-as-you-pIesse. hurry-up-and-get-
through-with-it methods.
Calls Methods Loose.
He even called attention 10 the fact
that this nation. which does two billion
OF the eleven billion dollars exporting
business OF the world. is permitting pres
ert loose tariff methods Even little
Greece has created a commission which IS
70 srend two years IN preparation OF a
tariff schedule. he said
H z. Miles. chairman OF the tariff con-
mittee Of the National Association OF
Manufacturers, speaking as an svowed
p-otectiOniSt. threw some hot shots into
the special interests that. he said.
have brought the tariff into disrepute. He
reviewed the methods by which Con-
gress had been brought TO raise rates
higher than fair protection required
He reviewed what he termed the utteE
incompetency Of Congressional tariff com
naitteemen 70 perform the work assigned
them, and declared that the tariff Ievying
bodies were levyiag these taxes on par
tial information. misstatements. and half
truths. and refusing absolutely 20 require
proofs from those who asked for as
sistance az the expense OF the people"
Systems Are Criticised.
Henry R Towne, president Of the BIer-
chants Association OF New York City, IN
his address. questioned the justness or
the claim that the chief purpose Of a
tariff IS protection to American labor.
and passed 10 8 denial that the rate Of
wages is enhanced by Il nign tariff. Nj.
Towne was strong n advocating q tsriff
which would result in our raw materials
being turned into finished products in the
United States and exported. he showed
the fsliacy Of past and present systems
which produced the result that 81, 90. 90