The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1909-04-29

!, The fight fora perman emit body. OF
tAritf ! investigator has An6ilys Thar
ctS&ed down to- this Queat F0ff ormss
sfhat some sort, Of: comm SstoM viii
bss crsatsd during the present sAs-,
|{sioh&o OF Scongress is. ett1ed sEank TOR,
drieh Is nov quoted alb has}nE told
hia eqlleagues ON thea finShce Esoioina-
mites and others that Ne fav6TSs 4 a.
plan. to +BstA bllshS a body 81 investi-Ss
gators, and His colleagues are entire.
H'Willing to cave the matter to him. )
/ III The sole remaining .SQuestfomsv is,
The kind Of board. The friends and.
advocates of, q commission. Sine3uaS
ling the two hundred prominent h&s-:i
mess associations which Qsent dele
gates to the Indiananpfist Tahff Com
mission = Conventions, consider i the
fight only half won. They appre6i-
ate The stupendous advance made In
gaining even an acknowled gment ''oS
the need Of, q board Of investlgators,s
but they insist that a make-shtft:
board will not answer and must not
be accepted. - ~ >..'.e =" - -
The starif bureau plan originated
Sby Senator Aidrich Is by no MEANS
aceahtable to the advocates OF, Safffn
reform. 1T Is now scpera11y Known
that he wishes to limit the, conces-
sion to the creation Of q bureau
made up OF representatives from the
bureau of foreign relations, Of the
state department, the bureau Of GUS
toms, from the treasury department
aud bureaus of manufacturers and
of statistics from the department Of
commerce and labor. This joint bur
eau Will have no power save to Sc
cure Interruption for the President
to utilize in the application of, the
maxifum1 and finimpm policy and
to be on hand in case congress de-
sires tariff enlightenment. -
This is a far cry from the plans of
the commission advocates. They be-
lieve n scientific, protective- tariff,
one based Upon the difference be-
tween the cost Of production at home
and the cost abroad. Such artariff
| must, In the mature Of things, be g.
matter of expert, and pafnstaking' in
Vestigation and statistics involving
constant adaptaaiontoi inject the
shifting condt Of Industrial life.
A tariff BUREAU made up OF gov
ernmental en- D10yes such as Senator
,Afuffch' proposes viii not be able to
pass. upon costs. OF production. Ex-
perience in manufacturing is abso-
lutely necessary, and at least one or
two members Of any board must have
practical knowledge. T..
fThere is only one: right solution
|,of the American tariff problem
| the formation Of a permanent tribu-
nal of men equipped with expert
KnOW1aHDo IND
yet bound to no special interest:
men of prominence and character
| such as will command the confidence
OF the people, yet dependent in no
way for their livelihood or standing
upon political leaders.
Henry r. Towne, president OF the
Merchants Association Of New York,
| epitomized the situation by Saying:
/>tIt is evident already that the new
| tariff bill. whatever it's final form,
will not satisfy popular demand
| This implies the danger Of contfn-
| ued tariff agitation. and the demand
| for another tariff bill next year,
| whereas, If provision is made now
for the intelligent and impartial
| study Of tarif1 facts by a permanent
board, 1t is probable that the people
will be content to bear with the new
bill until congress is prepared, on
the secure foundation Of the work
of such q board? =.
| H. E. Miles, the Racine mauufac-
turer and chairman Of the executive
| committee authorized at the Indian
| apolis Tariff Com mission Convention,
| said recently: a..
II believe with Roosevelt and Nc
Kinley that we should look out first
| for number one and should try and
push our exports. A. competent board
with knowledge of production and
cost could satisfactorily study con-
ditions at home and abroad that con-
| gress might 1egislate wisely and that
The executive might justly apply the
maximum and minimum rates" : ~.
)r}%That' competent tariff board
would mean real protection Is the
important point brought out by
| Charles NJ Jarvis, head OF the AM
fsrican Hardware Corporation, Of
| Coahecticut, who said in recent in
| teryisW:
rThe salvation of the protective
| policy.fn this country lies through a
tariff board, or sonic method Of ac-
| curate]y, carefully, Systematically
and honestly investigating our man
! ufactulfng industries IN order, to
give adequate protection to athose
who need protection.t Such an In
vestigation would show clearly the
difference In wages. and other costs
| ofpfbduction and the American peo-
pIeTwoB1d approve OF " Drotect6h to
home Industries based upon accurate
testimony =
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