The Washington herald., 1910-12-04

Whether wisely OF unwisely, we de-
cided TO concentrate for the moment on
Schedule NJ tpulp and paper. Schedule X
wool and woolens), and Schedule G
| (farm products) Preliminary work Is
being done on Schedule A ichemcials)
Schedule c metals and manufactures
of. and Schedule / (cottons)."
Chairman Emery appealed 20 the public
for sane view on the work of the tariff
board Their duty was merely 10 accu-
Emulate information for the officers of the
government. but up 10 this time they had
been somewhat aghast 10 find that In
many quarters there is being attributed
to them sort of alchemistic power for
good or evil
Wide In It's scope.
Chairman Emery said that in no coun-
! try of Europe has the investigation Of
Industrial conditions included such ex-
tended examination of cost Of production
as is contemplated by the tariff board
of this country. The chairman acknowi-
edged frankly that mere statistical knowl-
edge of the comparative costs of produe-
ton will not be an all-suficient basis for
tariff Judgment No satisfactory results
could be obtained, he said, unless these
statistics can be supplemented by the APP
plication of common sense and practical
business Judgment. Even II mathematical
ACCURACY cannot be obtained in the max
ing OF tariffs, Mr. Emery said. the board
| is convinced that such information as it
| Is securing, when considered by reason
able men and checked by the knowledge Of
those who have followed an Industry for
lifetime, will furnish fund OF knowl-
edge on which tariffs can be made which
will have the full confidence Of fair
minded men.
In regard 10 the boards method OF
determining the cost Of production here
and abroad. which is supposed to be the
basis OF revision. the chairman said:
Dealing with Conditions.
"One thing we wish to make perfectly
plain. and that is that we intend To deal
with actual costs ard not with hypotheti-
cal or average costs. For our own pur-
poses We believe that averages are not
only of little value. but may prove dan
gerousiy misleading. Every practical man
knows that costs vary. not only from fac
tory TO factory, but from month TO month
| in the same factory. We are sometimes
asked: Which cost Will you take. the
! highest or the lowest; the January cost or
| the July COST The answer is that We
shall not select any one. but shall care
| fully consider all. attempting 10 give 10
| each its due significance. It is exactly
here that II becomes necessary to apply
good sense TO figures. We can never work
out figure IN dollars and cents and say:
| This is the cost Of production But from
al the figures we can get a knowledge of
| - 30 Nr.TE
4 pTehensive and practical
| Chairman Emery is inclined 10 believe
! that the information which the board
will get from a voluntary cooperation on
| the part of American manufacturers
viii be much more reliable and salts
| factory than information obtained from
| them by compelling their appearance I'M
| der oath as Witnesses
FrankRess Is Desirable.
THE board wishes TO be as frank and
open as possible in all its relations with
business men," said Mr.. Emery. and
hopes for the same treatment from them
In return on the part of fair minded
men there should be no occasion for
| hostility or suspicion on either side The
| board IS happy 10 report that In its ex-
perience so far IL is encouraged 10 be-
| lieve that accurate and adequate in
| formation can be secured by such CO.
| operative methods
Mr.. Emery says that the most ardent
| defender OF the present tariff must ap-
preciste that there have crept into IL
not a few Inconsistencies never really
intended by the committees which framed
f. This, ne said, is true Of all tariff
acts, the Inconsistencies have been sim
ply the result of haste In the midst Of a
multitude OF details.
Chairman Emery apparently has faith
| that the tariff board viii b able 10 i'm
press its findings upon a Democratic
House. Says he:
THE tariff board has faith In the
power OF unbiased and unsurpassed truth
TO make itself effective. Those who are
skeptical Of this result forget that where
certain interests are concerned TO sup
press the truth, other interests-whether
from business or political mOtives-will
be equally eager TO give Ii fullest pub
| LEFTY. When il is known that a disin-
terested body Is in the possession of ac-
curate knowledge and Is continually keep
ing Up 10 date by further study. this
knowledge is sure TO be utilized in con-
nection with any proposed tariff legisla-
ton. II ought to be plain that what
ever poHcleS the people choose TO follow,
or whatever party they support. the i'm
partial finding OF facts is equally impOr-
tant in any case
Seeks Only the Facts.
In conclusion. the chairman said:
There are men who denounce the com
mittees of Congress for having attempted
TO revise the tariff IN five months, and
yet would denounce any tariff board
which was not ready 10 report on revis-
ion in the same length Of time 1t is
both inconsistent and unfair TO demand
az one and the same time that the tariff
shall be revised on the basis Of an i'm
partial and scientific investigation OF the
facts. and Yet be revised with impulslve
haste as a political exigency. The two
demands are irrecOncilable and you
must choose between them. So far as we
are concerned the President has given
us our task 10 find the facts. We have
resolved not 10 substitute for facts any
half-formed guesses CT opinions. We
shall not depart from this resolve under
orders or pressure from any man or any
interest. or in response TO mere unthink-
ing clamOT."