East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1909-02-17

Indianapolis. Ind, Feb. 1.-THE
principal feature at today's session of
the tariff revision convention was the
address by Senator Albert j. Bever-
idge. Pointing out the necessity of
scientific tariff revision instead of a
haphazard political revision, the sem
ator declared that the change about
to be made in tariff schedules by con-
gress would be the last made under
the old regime, insisting that the tar
If commission should and would be
In operation before IL became neces-
sary to make another change.
The following is his address in full:
Within less than four months a
new trarlff will have been made.
hope and believe 1t win be the best
tariff that Congress ever has con-
structed. 1t will be historic in this
that It will be the last American tariff
created without the aid OF a tariff
commission-a commission TO get
facts and make classifications for
Congress: and not to fix duties, which
Is the exclusive business of Congress
Immediate revision must not be de-
layed until tariff commission is ere
ated and has made necessary investi-
cations and arranged scientific classf-
fications that would require at least
two years and ought to take longer
period So, for the last time, we must
have a tariff builded In the old way.
But that this shall be the last tariff
thus builded, we soon must provide
n commission OF tariff experts. The
present emergency never must be
faced again.
Tariff Building on n business Basis.
Heretofore, both parties have build |
ed our tariffs without sufficient !
knowledge OF the facts, without sci |
entific classification of schedules. |
Both parties, whether framing a So
called revenue tariff or a protective |
tariff. have handled this intricate sub |
ject in way which would have crp- |
pied any business man or corporation |
handling their enterprises in the same |
fashion Both parties have made the !
tariff exclusively political; have wag- |
ca campaigns as TO whether our tariff |
policy should be on the protective or |
revenue basis; work preparatory to
revision has been delayed until the
people have ordered immediate revis-
ion; and so. finally, new tariff has
been rushed through without time or
al illty to get the facts without either
the technical knowledge or scientific
skill to make classificatiOns.
Olhcr Commissions for less Impor-
tan Subjects.
Except upon the tariff, Congress
has seen the wisdom of commission
OF experts to examine all sorts of sub
jects and report to Congress. Yet the
tariff is more difficult intricate and
far-reaching than all other present
economic problems combined. cX
cepting only the problem OF currency
and banking. In currency and bank
ing Congress has acknowledged that /
it cannot wisely legislatc until n COM /
mission shall have spent years in
our own chaos Of financial a
laws and the monetary systems of 8
other nations. {
Congress created the bureau Of cor a
portations for this purpose. After
years of thorough work by this bu- ,
reau. no man in any party proposes
to destroy 1t or stop its labors. The
same is equally true of the bureau Of
labor. Congress created the indus
trial commission to find out certain ,
facts. The reports of this commits :,
sion and those of the interstate COM
merce commission resulted in the law s.
for the department of commerce and
abor, the bureau of corporations, the
Elkins law, the rate law the lmmi- =
grafton law and mOS OF the reform
avs of the last six or seven years.
Tariff Commission of 1882.
The tariff commission of 1882 de-
,ised and recommended the most im-
Dortant features of our present tariff
administration. 1t originated the ap-
|