Daily Kennebec journal., 1910-12-29
Permanent TARIFF
COMMISSION PROBABLE,
longworth Drafts Bi||--Passage Expect
ed Before March 4---InternationaI
Commission TO Regulate Rates
Between States and Canada.

dSillngtOn, Dec. 2o.-impetuS to the
movement for a tariff commission was
given today by conferences at the
White House and at the Capitol, the
return of Representative Longworth Of
Ohio to Washington with a full draft
OF a bill creating a commission and an
nouncement of Chairman Payne of the
House committee on ways and means,
that he expected such legislation be-
fore March 4 next.
Following discussion with the
President over various features of the
legislative program for this session,
Mr.. Payne. who is Republican lloor
leader Of the House. announced that he
was quite sure q bill for permanent
tariff commission. acceptable to both
Congress and the President, would be
put through the Senate and House be-
fore this session ends. when Democrat
ic control of the House begins
Later Mr.. Payne had q. conference
with Chairuan Henry C. Emery Of the
Tariff Board. ut which he asked Mr.
Einery's ideas as to the personnel and
salaries of the proposed commission.
Mr.. Emery cOntended that the nature
of the work and the character of the
men the commission would need made
it impossible to operate advantageous
ly if positions and salaries OF the com
missions staff were rigdly fixed by
Congress. his idea being that these
should be regulated by the commission
itself. He suggested that industrial
experts might have to be engaged for
varying terms at various conpensa-
tions. Mr.. Payne believes there should
be Il legislative check to the aggre-
gate expenditures. but is said to agree
to the necessity Of freedom of action
by the commission as to Individual
items.
Enbodying features Of the Tariff
Commission bills of Senators Beveridge
of Indiana and La Toilette of Wiscon-
sin. introduced at the last session of
Congress, and of Congressman G;oode
of Iowa and Lenroot of Wisconsin ut
this session, and following conferences
will, d number OF representatives before
the holiday recess, Mr.. LongWorth.
who is q member Of the WAYS and
means committee, has drawn Il bill
which he expects to introduce next
week. He will have further conferences
With his colleagues before introducing
the measure, with view to mohinS it
as strong as possible
1t creates Il commission of five mem
bers, salaried at $500 each. not more than
three of the same political party. with
offices at Washington, but empowered to
meet anywhere. The commission Is Civ
en- wide powers of collection and COLA
ton of facts without authority to make
recommendations aud instead Of making
fixed reports it can only report on special
call of Congress or of the President. Its
members, however. are to appear with
data before the Senate committee Oh ii
nance or the House committee on ways
and means, the two committees which
have to do with tariff legislation on their
request. The commission is authorized
to require confidential data from corpora
tions as to any certain subject. but must
never disclose the source of such data
and must especially safeguard such data
from competitive interests.
An important provision of the Long
worth bill is a section defining the scope
of investigation. 1t authorizes the COM
mission to investigate the cost OF pro-
duction of all articles covered by the tar
iff with special reference to the prices
maid domestic and foreign labor. the
prices paid for raw materials whether
domestic or imported entering INTO 'hs
manufactured articles. the condition OF
the domestic and foreign markets affect
ing the American products. together with
all other facts which in the commission
Judgment will be helpful to Congress in
proyiding equitable rates of duty on any
article and aiding the President anu other
officials in administering the customs
laws.
One section re-enacts the maximum anu
minimum clause of the Aldrich-Fayhe
tariff law. Under the Longworth blli'
the i've commissioners are to be appoint
ed Nv the President at first for =. g. -
= and 6-year terms, respectlVel' pu'
these 6-year terms for all.
The ways and means committe VIII
take IN the commission question very
soon after Congress reassembles.