The Washington times., 1909-07-21
Ultra-ProtectioniStS Do Not
Want Taft TO Pick
Experts.
LINING UP FORCES
TO DEFEAT PLAN
Friends of High Duties Bring Dele,
cations Here to Strike Clause
Out of Bill.

Sudden apprehension over the provi-
sions in the pending tariff bill with re-
speot TO a tariff commission has seized
the high tariff men in Congress.
As a result the provisions in the bill
relating to a commission may be knock
ed out or greatly restricted. If the pro-
visions remain in, strong effort Will
be made to so limit the activities of
the Commissioners that any information
thsy may gather will not be transmit
ted to Congress for its edidcation and
enlightenment.
This situation is the result OF the re-
cent statement Of President Taft in IA
vor Of no duties on certain raw ma
terials and in favor Of downward revi-
sion, also Of the reports that are per
meating the Capitol from time to time
as 10 the way the President really feels
on the tariff question. These reports
do not make him out an ultra standpat-
ter; far from it, in fact.
The high tariff men 10 Senate and
House have been suspicious Of anything
EaVoring OF the idea Of a tariff COM
mission from the first. They have urged
that what the country needed as to
tariff was that 1t should be settled some
Way-it didn't matter much how-but, at
any rate, that il should be settled so
every man would know just what to
expect and should not be handicapped
by the expectation Of constant changes.
Argue Much
On Ways and Means
They have argued that the Ways and
Means and Finance Committees are
quite competent TO probe into all the
facts appertaining TO the operation Of
schedules and that no outside commits
sion was needed to give advice. So, the
tariff commission idea found much op-
position, but it was insisted on so strong
~ that It was finally put in IN q mild
form. giving the President authority TO
name experts TO obtain such informa-
lion as might be needful in connection
with the administration OF the maxi
mum feature Of the proposed law.
The President approved the idea and
Il went into the Senate bill leaving
The President wide latitude in tGe selec-
ten OF the experts OF commissioners
to aid him.
This was widely looked upon as a
harmless sort Of proposition. But as
il would give the President great deal
of latitude in the selection OF experts,
II is conceivable that the President
might make up a commission that
would evolve information extremely
embarrassing to the high tariff forces
in Congress.
High Duty Men
Are Awake Now.
This is Just what the high duty men
have awakened to. They point to Pres
ident Tait's late statement as indicat-
ing that he is really a tariff reformer
az heart and they fear lest he Will
name set Of commissioners who VIII
run amuck through the schedules and
force reductions. They understand that
II the President names commissioners
who are anxious to bolster up high du-
ties. Who are appointed for that Dur-
pose IN fact no harm viii come TO the
cause OF high protection. On the other
hand. they understand that d commits
sion which Is for revision downward can
do much TO bring it about What the
nigh tariff men in Congress fear is that
the President has such views on tariff
that any commission ne makes Up will
be hostile TO anything but downward
revision
The disciples Of the school OF high
duties have been studying Mr Taft q
good deal. They have been diligently
casting about TO see what manner OF
tariff man this is They have found
some things that perturb them and keep
them sitting up nervous al nigLtE-ShV-
ing al shadows jumping 18t the rust
lings Of the merest breeze and hearing
II seeming 70 spell downward revision.
They have learned not merely that
Mr. Taft has been quite pronounced
for downward revision in his speeches
on the stump but they have found that
he took political economy under q pro-
fessoT at Yale who Was hereucaI on
the protection doctrine.
Professor Has
Free Trade Leauings-
In fact, this professor had free trade
leanings. So the high tariff men think
that the President, having been n0ur-
ished on the milk OF free trade IN his
younger days. may be. at heart, an
enemy Of the system TO which lbey give
allegiance. Needless 10 say, they are not
euamoTed OF the idea OF having d nan
OF this sort name commissioners 10 lock
into the workings ot schedules and
like questions.
Taft may name a bunch Of college
professors as tariff commissioners, say
the high tariff men I'm Senate and House.
Deliver US from the college professor.
What we want Is practical men, not
theorists"
IT is possible the tarIn commission
plan as It stands in the Senate rim
vii be spared, but If IL is il viii rot be
because the high tariff men IN Congress
ike il.
A delegation Of business men who at
tended the recent Indianapolis C0nven-
ton, where a strong stand was taken
for tariff revision, has come 20 Wash
ington for the purpose Of preventing
the elimination of the tariff commission
idea They wanted a much stronger
provision than was put into the Senate
bin and they are now fearful that rrC-
vision win be cmasCulated or dropped
entirely.
VFRNONTERS KICK