Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-12-07

I
tice are exerting every effort to dis
cover all the wrongdoers, including the
officers and 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-
eress 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 n Sc
curing 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
erence to the importation into those
countries of the products and mer-
chandise of the United States, and II
the executive finds such laws and prac-
.ces not to be unduly discriminatory
against the United States the mini
hum duties provided in the bill are to
go into force. Unless the president
makes such a finding. then the maxi
mum duties provided in the bill-that
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 a tariff war. l beg to express
the hope and belief that no such result
need be anticipated.
The discretion granted to the execu-
tive by the terms "unduly discrtmina-
tory" is wide. In order that the maxi
mum duty shall be charged against the
imports from country 1t is necessary
that he shall find 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 maximum du-
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 a tariff war or a 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 a 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
administration OF the entire law. An
examination of the law and an under
standing of the nature OF the facts
which should be considered in dis
charging the functions imposed upon
the executive show that. l have the
power to direct the tariff board to
make a comprehensive glossary and
encyclopedia of the terms used and ar
ticles embraced in the tariff law and to
secure information as to the cost OF
production of such goods in this coun-
try and the cost of their production in
foreign countries. l have therefore
appointed a tariff board consisting of
three members and have directed them
to perform all the duties above de-
scribed. This work will perhaps take
two or three years. md 1 ask from
congress continuing annual appro-
priation equal to that already made
for its prosecution. l believe that the
work of this board will be of prime
utility and Importance whenever con,
gresS shall deem it wise again to read
just the customs duties. If the facts
secured by the tariff board are of such
a character as to show generally that
the rates of duties imposed by the pres
ent tariff law are excessive under the
principles of protection as described in
the platform of the successful party at
the late election l shall not hesitate to
invite the attention of congress to this
fact and to the necessity for action
predicated thereon. Nothing. however,
halts business and interferes with the
course of prosperity so much as the
threatened revision ~ the tariff. and
until the facts are at hand, after care
full and deliberate invesI Ation, upon
which such revision can properly be
undertaken, it seems to me unwise to
attempt it. The amount of misinfor-
nation that creeps into arguments pro
and con in respect to tariff rates is
such as to require the kind Of Investi-
board to make. an investigation under
taken by it wholly without respect to
the effect which the facts may have in
calling for readjustment of the rates
OF duty.
War Department.
In the interest of immediate econ
omy and because of the prospect of a
deficit / have required a reduction In
the estimates of the war department
for the coming fiscal year which
brings the total estimates down to an
amount forty-five millions less than
the corresponding estimates for last
year. This could be accomplished only
by cutting off new projects and sus-
pending for the period of one year all |
progress in military matters. For the |
same reason l have directed that the |
army shall not be recruited up to it's |
present authorized strength. These