Daily Kennebec journal., 1910-07-20
Il Is a Science and Tariff
Board Invaluable.
Important Conference May Be
Held in Maine.
Taft to Meet Chairman Emery,Who
Is Back from Europe.

visit to President Taft of Professor
Henry c. Emery. chairman of the
tariff board. will be interesting, not
for any immediate news outcome but
as another incident showing the in
tense interest of the President in the
tariff question. writes the Transcript's
Washington correspondent AS this
correspondence has intmated before
the institution of tariff board by
President Taft is in reality an epoch
making event. The Bourbon organs
of high protection. like the American
Economist. have opposed the tariff
board idea from the outset. These
are representative. however, of ex-
treme opinions which all but the
Bourbons themselves realize the coun-
try has outgrown.
Professor Emery is just back from a
sojourn i'm the capitals of Germany
and Austria Hungary. where he went
for the special purpose of studying
government methods of tariff revision
He will be able to explain to the
President the systems adopted by
these strong protectiOnist countries
and to tell the President also how
tariff changes are made from time to
time without disturbing the business
of the country. ,n.. +"
n I. Stone. the statistical expert of
the tariff board. will sail for Europe
Saturday to make study of the de-
tails of the foreign systems. as Pro-
fessor Emery, in his limited time, was
able to gather only the most general
idea of the methods pursued. James
B. Reynolds, another member of the
board, will spend the summer in
France. Germany and Switzerland.
making Il specially of the business
phases of the tariff situation. with
special relation to manufacturing
methods and costs.
Manufacturers Need Not Worry.
1t may be found, as the result of the
summer studies of the tariff board, that
the manufacturers of the United
States need have little fear that their
books and plants will be overhauled
by agents of the board in an effort to
dig out all the hidden secrets of pro-
ductiOn costs The foreign expert
ence has been that no such probing is
necessary On the contrary, it has
been found that witnesses represent
ing all sides-importers. domestic
traders and manufacturers-can give
sufficient information to enable the
tariff experts to gain all the knowl-
edge they need for tariff purposes.
Most foreign tariffs are made by the
ministries. not by committees of the
Legislative bodies; and while every
foreign government maintains staff
of trained economists to advise it
wit 20 f1,,iff nhn fhn
government well knows when it in
PRODUCES a tariff bill that the duties
must be reasonably satisfactory to the
legislators and the country or the bill
will be voted down.
The point is not that the tariffs of
Germany and Austria Hungary. as
passed are the best that human skill
can devise. but that the government
at least knows what is righteous and
what is not. 1t is altogether likely
that the German tariff experts believe
the agricultural duties are too high.
but with the Agrarians dominating
the Reichstag, the German ministers
would be mighty poor politicians If
they handed down list of duties which
the great Iandholders thought too low
Foreign tariff making. therefore. con-
tinually present contest between
csience and selfishness. with more
science in the customs assessments
than American tariff bills ever con-
tanned and little less grasping hu
man nature written into the custom
laws.
On the continent. the governments.
unlike those of Great Britain and the
United States. do not have to contend
with free trade element in the
country Although it may not seem so
at first blush. this condition in prac
tice makes for fairer tariffs. The
manufacturer is not so fiercely at
tackled for the alleged graft in his
tariff demands and the protectionist is
not continually on the defensive.
With the country as whole COM
mitted to the protective idea. the pro-
tectionist on the one hand is not i'm
PEELED to grab more than he needs for
fear everything will be taken away
from him, while the government, on
the other hand is bound to have an
eye to the consumer Tariff making
is no more finalty in Germany
than in the United States. but is pos
sesses a scientific element which so
far is lacking here.
President Taft and the Tariff.
It would appear from the recent tone
Of the press. to say nothing Of hun
dreds of letters received by govern
ment officials. that the people of the
United States are slowly but surely
coming to see the great merit of the
tariff board idea as enunciated by
President Taft. Allowing that opinion
at the capital is not altogether at
right angles with that of the rest of
the country. the President could not
have done much differently in signing
the Payne tariff bill. In his Winona
speech too much emphasis has been
placed by many people upon the one
line in which he commended the tariff
mill as whole. and too little atten-
ton has been given to the critical
ANALYSIS of the law which the speech
contained If the Republican voters
who still prefer their party to any
other desire to be fair rather than
hysterical. they will look forward and
not back. as far as President Taft
and the tariff are concerned. If Mr..
Taft and the tariff board are let
alone. they will work out tariff sys-
tenn which all fair-minded men will
approve, as a general proposition. and
they WILL without sacrificing any leg