The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1909-11-26
TOPICS Al WASHINGTON
News Letter From Nations
Ca apital
TARIFF BOARD REVIVED
WIZ Gather Statistics Bearing on
Schedules.

washington, ~. u, Nov. 20 The
confident prediction is made that 10
the course Of few years the govern.
ment will be Ia possession OF com.
plete and accurate data bearing on
the tarifl question. When the Payne
revision was being made there was
general criticism to the effect that
congress was cropping Ia the dark aud
hat intelligent revision was ,mpossi.
BILE without lnfOrma Cion bearing IN
Tue cost OF production here aud
abroad. President Taft frankly said
that he was in favor of a tariff com.
mission. In terms the Payne law did
not provide for the creation OF such a
commission, but under the AUTHORITY
granted the President in the maxi
mum and minimum section of the
law be has Brought into life a tariff
board which eventually will do the
work OF a tariff comMission.
For the next few months this
board will be engaged Ia the task o,
gathering data bearing on trade dis
EXAMINATIONS against the United
States. When this work is com.
pleted President Taft will set the
BOARD To work Inv estigating all phases
of the tariff question. He made this
clear in his first Conference with the
tariff board this week. In order to
carry out this program it will be
necessary for congress, to make an
additional appropriation. Attorney
General Wickersh ham and Secretary
MacVeagh Of the treasury depart
ment are convinced that the law
gives this board ample power to make
the necessary Investigations, and that
at the next revision congress will
have before II an array of facts which
will be accurate and exhaustive.
! The coming convention OF the
National Rivers aud HarbOrs con.
gress which is to be held In Washing.
ton December 8, 9, and 10, will mark
the supreme effort of this organiza-
! tlon to impress congress with the
i necessity of committing itself to a
definite policy for the improvement
Of the internal waterways Of the
uatiOn. Four hundred boards Of
trade and chambers of commerce,
twenty. five govern ors of the states,
and every waterway organization in
the country have appointed delegates
to this convention.
Experienced me mbers OF congress
are opposed to Congressional inves-
tigatiOn Of the customs frauds al
New York. They believe that the
campaign which s now being coh,
Quoted by Attorney General Wicker
sham and Secretary MacVeagh for
the rehabilitation of the customs
service will develop all abuses and
will result In the summary punish
ment of the guilty. Attention il
called to the fact that congressional
investigation would serve only tt
befog the issue ar might seri0usl,
hamper the department of justice Ia
its efforts to trace crime to those who
by reason of an intrenched system
have hitherto eluded detection il
their rascalily.
The War department is making al
effort to improve the conditions sur
rounding enlisted men 10 the Army
It is believed that II the army
life OF the soldiers can be made NOR
congenial there will be fewer deser
tions and that better results will b'
accomplished. Much is done by th,
War department to make thing
agreeable for the enlisted man
Places and forms of entertainment
are provided and opportunities fo
promotion are given.