The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1909-12-08
NO TARIFF WAR PROBABLE.
Further Revision to Wait on New
Tariff Boards Recommendations

regret to refer to the fact of the
discovery of extensive frauds in the
| collection of the customs revenue at
| New York city, in which number of
| the subordinate employees III The weigh
| Ing and other departments were direct
iy concerned and in which the benefi-
| Charles We're the American Sugar Re
timing company and others. The frauds
consisted in the payment of duty on
underweightS of sugar The govern
| ment has recovered from the American
Sugar Refining company all that it ,is
shown to have been defrauded Of. The
sum was received in full of the amount
due which might have been recovered
by civil action against the beneficiary
of the fraud, but there was an express
reservation In the contract of settle
ment by which The settlement should
not interfere with or prevent the
criminal prosecution of every one who
was found to be subject to the same.
Criminal prosecutions are now pro-
ceedlng against number of the gov
eminent officers. Tie treasury de-
partment and the department of JUS
tice are cXcrting every effort to dis
cover all the wrongdoers, including the
officers aud employees of the compa-
MES Who may have been privy to the
fraud. 1t would seem to me that an
investigation of the frauds by CON
gresS at present. pending the probing
by the treasury department and the
department of justice. as proposed,
might by giving immunity and other
wise prove an embarrassment in Sc
turing conviction Of the guilty parties.
Two features of the new tariff act
call for special reference. BY virtue
Of the clause known as the maximum
and minimum" clause it is the duty of
the executive TO consider the laws and
practices Of other countries with ref.
crence to the importation into those
countries Of the products aud mer-
chandise of The United States, and If
the executive finds such laws and prac-
tees not to be unduly discriminatory
against the United States the mini
mum duties provided in the bill are to
70 into force. Unless the president
makes such a finding, then the MAXI |
mum duties provided III the bill-thar |
Is. an Increase OF - per cent ad va
loren over the minimum duties-are to |
be in force. Fear has been expressed |
that this power conferred and duty |
imposed on the executive are likely to |
lead to tariff war. beg to express !
the hope and belief that no such result |
need be anticipated.
The discretion granted to the cxecu. !
tive by the terms ''unduly discrimina. !
tory" is wide. In order that the maxi. |
mum duty Shall be charged against the
imports from country it is necessary
that he shall lind on the part OF that
country not only Determinations In its
laws or the practice under them
against the trade of the United States.
but that the determinations found
shall be undue-that Is. without good
and fair reason. | conceive that this
power was reposed In the president
with the hope that the MIA yimun lu-
ties might never be applied in any
case. but that the power to apply them
would enable the president and the
state department through friendly
negotiation to secure the elimination
from the laws and the practice under
them of any foreign country of that
which is unduly discriminatory No
one Is seeking tariff war or con-
dition in which the spirit of retaliation .
shall be aroused.
Uses of the New Tariff Board.
The new tariff law enables me to ap-
point tariff board to assist me in con-
nection with the department of state in
the administration of the minimum and
maximum clause of the act and also to
assist officers of the government in the
OF the entire law. An
of the law aud an under.
~rs's''-.-s--.---->~--