New-York tribune., 1909-07-31
roTGaT A COMMISSION
r. WAS FRIENDLESS IN
CONFERENCE.
outstanding Notifications, Tar
If Bureau Precision Gi7es Pres'-
dent Ample POacerS.
,-ror The Tribune Bureau.l

80 found expression IN thelr eiIOi' So
nsro-;he the provision as 10 leave the Fresl-
-.,bort the power 10 employ experts 10
sen. ,nvestigations and ascertain the truth
'on'-s "a ,be tariff and the cost Of production
'esa'1-. abroad. As originally drafted by Sen
ns ,I5-3ch. at the instance Of the PRESIDENT
sioF .1-,sion. which comes at the end Of the
-..;on providing for the dual tarlI sES'ein'
read: -.,s.
TO ssI.berra Of the duties imposed upon him
II the ois.;o3 oisoI. ou5 information iChich lCjH be
by u Lit n CougresS in tariff iegtSi0I'on and the
pstII ~ +be government in the adFnlnlSlTaIoh
p ,be customs laws the Presloen' Is ne. nereps p
sapn,os N make thorough Investigations ana
rsQuLE-,;o,S irf0 the production, commerce ana
Sss.a,s sas The United states and Foreign countries,
r.S ~ aI conditions affecting fhe same
-. first step taken by the conferrees was 70
,,s o,,t the first words in italics so that in
- oninion. the proposed commission could not
-.,-,f, anv information TO Congress. They ar
- that they preferred the blind. hit-or-miss
-,.hods which they now employ TO any light
-t,.h might be furnished by tariff experts. In
zord. they declared themselves for what Sena-
:. poot has termed "guesswork and conjecture"
r7en the change was reported 10 the President
:, ..,rad that he had no objection TO It. IN
would De ElG0 10 tt4-- S-N44 I--AN
:. she EXPERTS might CLEAN before It went 10
7o,r-ess i was by no means necessary that
- srnerts submit their findings 10 Congress
q, ,-o,ld attend 70 that, and would lay before
T.,,-sss. bv. means Of a message, such infor-
,.+;on as he deemed wise Moreover. he was
s,.nosed TO believe that such information when
.,r,ained IN a message would be more forceful
and would receive wider publicity than were it
IN ~ he commission
MODIFYING THE PROVISIONS.
.nnarently determined that no information
,,orI5 he ACQUIRED. even by the President the
I,,5ers then struck from thesprovision the sec
and massage in italics. Speaker Cannon, who
has criticised President Taft as a rank free
trader" was especially insistent that he should
he vested with no power TO ascertain the facts,
and as one member Of the upper house put it.
rbe Tariff Commission had not a single friend
among the conferrees" With the purpose for
which the President may employ experts limited
70 the enforcement OF the maximum and mini
rum provision, the leaders thought they had
removed all danger Of the Presidents obtaining
ssr information which might prove embarrass-
ng to Congress in its desire to gather its own
information and frame the tariff in its own
way"
EcE-4S -L r44t-e --1 GOT. --DNtNel l4ldL
this Is an administration Of lawyers and that he
e poor lawyer who cannot drive a coach and
four through any statute that was ever written
Ire President, being a lawyer while he would
have preferred that the second curtailment Of
ihs provision should not have been made. per-
CsiTed far mora extensive utility in what re-
NAMED than did those who framed il. Tie first
gszt OF the section makes II the duty of the
President 10 satisfy himself that given Coun-
ry does not ''unduly discriminate against the
United States in the matter OF customs duties,
regulations etc.
The PRESIDENTS RESPONSIBILITY
is pointed out that This imposes on the
Chief Executive q serious responsibility He
cannot proceed lightly OF in any but the most
thorough manner, and 10 ascertain whether
there has been any undue discrimination will
require the most exhaustive examination. in
lp.ying all the facts which might operate TO
render q discrimination undue or the reverse.
For instance. in order TO weigh accurately the
justice Of a duty imposed on imports from the
United States il VIII certainly be necessary for
Tie President 10 inform himself as 70 the cost
q production OF such exports and TO determine
whether such duty constitutes an undue dis
elimination. II viii also be necessary for him
10 INFORM himself regarding the cost Of Produc-
ton Of similar commodities in the country i'm
posing the duty. Constituting the law in this
manner, therefore, there is obviously no limit
under its provisions 10 which the President may
not 90 n his Investigations and examinations
into the production. commerce and trade of the
United States and foreign countries and all con-
oitons affecting the same" despite the fact
tst those words have been stricken from tie
hE
In the opinion of the administration, this So
called tariff commission provision and the cor
p7rstion tax provision. when taken in connection
slth the investigating machinery the admins
Hauon already possesses, afford ample facilities
10: The ascertainment Of all that it is necessary
" Know 10 render possible the exact fuifilment
q the tariff plank in the last Republican ma
1ohal platform. That plank, it viii be recalled.
Which was drafted by the President himself as
seF's that the true principle Of protection is
'es' maintained by the imposition Of such duties
: VII equslize the difference between the cost
Production at home and abroad. together with
RFeasonable profit to American industries" The
eSseution Of that plank, in the opinion OF the
resident. calls for exact knowledge Of the cost
" PRODUCTION al home and abroad"
AMPLE POWERS OF INVESTIGATION.
With the new tariff law on the statutes the
elllifAstration viii have first. the bureau OF
operations with almost unlimited power TO
'sSusate any and all industries. ascertain their
aoos OF manufacture, wages paid cost Of
a'Siials. the conditions affecting the present
- prospective supply OF such materials. and
A1at goes to make up the cost OF production.
~ domestic production and importation. etc
., Uu'eau OF labor. which deals especially with
a.. a1"1eS1 of wages. already conducts exhaust
'esugatons. and, by proper direction and
4la'lon OF its work. can be made 10 check
g. "suteS furnished TO the bureau OF corpora
80 as wei as those presented 10 the tariff
Commission
r,.t the corporation tax provision viii fur