Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1909-02-15
INDIANAPOLIS CONVENTION.


A convention is 20 be held at In
dianapolls this week for the purpose
OF urging upon congress the advisa-
bility of providing for q permanent
tariff commission.
When the commission plan Of deal
ing with the tariff was first sug-
gested It was proposed to put the
whole matter into the hands Of the
commission with power to act In the
way Of altering, amending or fixing
rates, at any time Hut this feature
was very soon abandoned, because
tho fixing OF rates Is a function Of
congress, exclusively, ana therefore
the coming convention VIII deal with
the matter Of formulating and recon-
monding TO congress a plan for n per-
manent commission, TO devote It's
time 20 the matter Of ascertaining by
careful investigation. and reporting
IRON time to time, the facts upon
which congressional action can be in
te%lligently based. Mr.. Taft expressed
his sympathy with this thought IN n
recent letter To Mr.. PAYNE that there
ought to be q permanent commission
Of tariff experts to keep themselves
advised by al means possible or the
cost OF producing the articles named
IN the schedules In foreign countries
nnd In this country. | think" he
adds, that what we lack Is evidence.
ana sorne anch means might very wen
be used for the purpose Of securing
IT,"
This is sufficiently cautious. II Is
probably as far as anybody Is dis
posed to go just now. But II must
be evident that the tariff schedules
have become so extremely complex
that their right adjustment ~ no
longer q question OF general policy,
such as congress must determine. but
rather of minute expert knowledge
which is impossible even to n select
committee Of congressman. only an
impartial body of scientific specialists
could be expected TO master all the
intrloacies OF these multifarious sche-
dulles.
- wy lfffAAf '''HN ~ ~ ~
ciplc which has been declared, az n
matter of general policy that export
duties should be adjusted To the dif-
ference in tho cost of production, al
lowing for n reasonable profit" has
introduced m element of close in
quiry and calculation concerning
every industrial product never roqul-
Effa hHtATa Tho flftnAapIinm ~ .F th.t
and means committee have
shown the difficulty of ascertaining
the actual cost of production in oven
the best systomatized branches of
manufacture at homo ana the prncti
cal impossibility of ascertaininR such
cost abroad IT the tariff IL to be re-
Niaed on the basis of the republican
platform, n commission TO obtain the
facts would seem an indispensable
part of the programme.
Nominally this is what tho ways
and means committee has been trying
10 do, and the new congress is ex-
To take up the subject of tariff
port. The permanent commission to
be advocated at indianapolis Is not
as a substitute at this time
rho idea OF the promoters is APP ,
parcntly that no immediate action
Fan be complete aud permanent but
hat the very difficulty Of The task
viii impress upon congress the flu
ility OF attempting a final adjust I
ncnt OF The tariff schedules without
systematic study as Is proposed y
Ia this view the proposition rs not
hopeless. Ii
There ARE many who contend that
or cXcesses TN the tariff
IRE less harmful than changes. since
business can adjust itself TO a bad +
hut not to an uncertainty. A 3
,ormancnt commission, however.
Would tend rather to stability than to
hange. It's recommendation would q
be- presumably based upon knowledge
md consideration, and To this extent y
he Industries concerned would be re
OF the danger OF frequent tin |
by congressional indiscrction
his is assuming that congress would !
any attention to a tariff commits
as Il seldom has done hereto
ore. But the idea Is reasonable u
.scif. and Is apparently gaining lea
encral favor. especially among
manufacturers. ana IL Is not impro-
Iahlc that results Of importance may /
ono from h Indianapolis eonven-
ion.