New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-08-07
TO NAME EXPERTS SOON
Mr.. TAFT FAVORS j. b. REf-
NOLDS And j. r. SMITH.
Third Member Not Considered
Customs Court of appeals VIII
Be 1ppOinted Later.
lFron The Tribune Bursaul

IFron The Tribune Bursau.l
Washington. Aug 6.-The President and his
Cabinet gave long and serious consideration to-
day 20 the course TO be adopted pursuant to the
provisions in the tariff bill for a board OF tariff
experts and a customs court of appeals. The
board OF tariff experts is TO be appointed just
soon as the proper selections can be made. The
tentative plan is TO appoint three experts as
principals and furnish them with such assist
they may require.
The Secretary OF the Treasury. under whose
supervision the board viii be placed. has been
asked by the President 10 give serious consider
alton TO the ACCESSIBILITY OF choosing James b.
Reynolds now Assistant Secretary Of the Treas
ury in charge OF customs and James r. Smith,
Governor General Of the Philippines now on
six months leave of absence and destined<o be
succeeded as Govsnor General by W. Cameron
Forbes. for this board No name is thus far
under consideration for the third place. This is
true. despite the fact that Speaker Cannon was
insistent that eX-Representstive James f.
watson OF Indiana, be made member Of the
board that he threatened 10 kin the provision
in the tarin law il Mr. Taft would not promise
the appointment 10 Mr.. Watson.
The President has practically decided not TO
appoint the customs court Of appeals until
Congress has made the necessary appropriation,
although Il is asserted that this decision is ten
tative II is emphatically denied by the At
torney General that ne gave any assurance
whatever 10 any one that the new court would
not be appointed. and ~ the Cabinet meeting
to-day Mr. wickersham assured the President
that he had ample authority under the law To
appoint the five members and at a salary Of
$4,000 each the only law the subject being
the tariff Law which went into effect to- day. and
which provides for court the members Of
which are 20 receive that salary. The Presi-
dents tentative decision win prove disap-
pontment 20 eX-Representative Powers. Of
Massachusetts. who WAS Slated for a place
the court. The Presidents tentative decision
20 postpone for the present the appointment Of
the court is due solely TO the belief that such
would be the more diplomatic course.
Mr. HEPBURN's NAME MENTIONED.
There has. by the way. been much talk Of the
selection Of more Of the members Of The
Board Of General Appraisers for this court. and
this may yet be done, but the Secretary Of the
Treasury is disposed TO believe that the purely
judicial character Of the court would be best
promoted by the selection Of lawyers jurists
whose legal experience has not been so closely
confined 10 a single branch Of the law Senators
Cummins and Dolliver have urged the President
10 appoint eK-Representatiye Hepburn on the
court.
There is one argument which made
against the appointment OF the members Of this
court at salaries OF $4,000 a year which appeals
TO the President That is that il is hardly fair
that the members OF a special court. the juriE
diction OF which is confined 10 single class Of
cases, should receive higher compensation than
is received by any United States judges with
the exception Of those on the Supreme bench.
or course, it is a well recognized fact that the
purpose OF the Senate leaders in fixing the sal
aries OF the members OF the new court al that
figure TO make the figure a leverage by
which 70 raise the salaries Of other federal Jur-
lists a step which had been already attempted
by the Senate on former occasion II is the
hope OF the President and the Senate leaders
that the next session Of Congress will witness
increases OF salary for federal judges all ale ag
the line
Members OF the cabinet enjoyed a good deal
of quiet fun at the expense Of Secretary Mac
Teagh to-day over what they term his name
less baby" Mr.. MacVeagh feels that it would
be the reverse Of diplomatic TO term the pro-
posed board OF experts tariff commission"
because Of the intense hostility in Congress to
commission. he regards board OF tariff
perts" as clumsy and otherwise undesirable.
although the experts chosen viii be actually
board. one Of their number being designated as
chairman
MACVEAGH LOOKING FOR NAME.
Many designations were suggested TO Mr.
OF his colleagues in the Cabinet declare that he
is having much trouble choosing a name for
his baby a young mother with her frstborn.
The President is so delighted with the authority
conferred on him 10 create such A board that
he refuses 10 worry over a name. He dismissed
that phase OF the subject AZ The Cabinet meeting
to-day by saying: call IL anything you like
Mr.. MacVeagh. a rose by any other
would smell sweet 10 me-and / guess TO
Eugene Hale"
OF course the first duty Of the board Of
perts viii be TO decide what countries
titled 10 the minimum tariff when the maximum
rates go into effect. on March 81 1910. There
is abundant reason 10 believe that the informa-
tiOn which the President viii deem il necessary
FOR the experts TO procure for him viii be OF
the widest scope. Was clearly indicated by
his official statement the tariff, issued last
night, in which he declared that the provision
conferred on him authority to use these agents
for the acquisition under circumstances favor
able 20 its truth, 81 information In respect 20
the price and cost ~ production Of goods
home and abroad which viii throw much light
on the operation OF the present tariff and be Of
primary imD'rtsnce as officially collected data
upon which future executive action and eKecu-
tive recommendations may be based"