The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1910-09-09
TARIFF NOT RIGHT
ROOSEVELT SAYS IN SIOUX FALLS
IT ISN'T SATISFACTORY.
COMMISSION HIS SOLUTION
He Believes That Problem and the
Matter Of River and Harhor Leg
islatIon Should ee Handled by Ex-
pert Body.


Sioux Falls, s D.. Sept 3.-That the
tariff now in force Is not satisfactory
and that the remedy for the trouble
Is the creation Of tariff commits
sion was the burden Of an address
delivered here today by Col. Roose
welt. The former president arrived
late In the afternoon prepared to
spend the night here. His speech
was as follows:
whenever men just like ourselves
probably not much better, and certainly
no worse-continually fail to give us the
results we have right to expect from
their EFFORTS, we may just as well make
up our minds that the fault lies, not in
their personality, but in the conditions
under which they work and profit comes,
not from denouncing them, but in seeing
that the conditions changed This Is
especially true Of tariff making. 1t has
been conclusively shown, by experiments
repeated again and again, that the meth
oos OF tariff making by congress. which
have now obtained for so many years,
cannot, from the very nature Of the case
bring really satisfactory results. / think
that the present tariff is better than the
one before the last but It has certainly
rallied to give general satisfaction. ! be-
Neve THIS country is fully committed to
the principle of protection: but 1t is to
protection as a principle; to protection
primarily In the interest OF the standard
OF living Of the American workingman.
I believe that when protection becomes
not principle, but q privilege and q
preference-or rather. q tumble of privi-
leges and preferences-then the American
people dfsapprove of II. Now to correct
the trouble, 1t Is necessary in the first
place, to get in mind clearly what we
want, and, In the next place to get in
mind clearly the method by which we
hope to obtain what we want What we
want is square deal in the tariff as in
everything else; square deal for the
wage-earner; square deal for the en-
ployer; and a square deal for the gem
eral public. To obtain 1t we must have a
thoroughly efficient and well-equipped
tariff commission
The tariff ought to be q material issue
and not moral issue: but II instead OF a
square deal we get crooked deal then
1t becomes very en1phatically a moral is
sue What we desire In a tariff is such
measure of protection will equalize the
cost of production here and abroad: and
as the cost of production is mainly labor
cost, this means primarily a tariff suff-
Dor cost here and abroad The American
public wants the American laboring man
put on an equality with other citizens 40
that he shall have the ability to achieve
the American standard Of living and the
capacity to enjoy It: and to do this we
must see that his wages are not lowered
by improper competition with inferior
Wage-Workers abroad-wtth waCe-work-
ers who are paid poorly and who live as
no Americans willing to live. But
the American public does not wish to sec
the tariff SO arranged .s to benefit pri-
martly few wealthy men
Commission Is the Solution.
/ AS a means toward the attainment of
It's end in view we have as yet devised
nothing In any way effective as a tar
if commission. There should be a com
mission of well-paid experts: men who
should not represent any industry: who
should be masters Of their subjects; OF
the very highest character; and who
4 should approach the matter with ebso-
lutte disregard Of everv outside c.nsidera-
/ t'on These men should take UP in sue
\ cession each subject with which the tar
I lH deals and investigate the conditions Of
I production here and abroad they shealld
/ hnd out the facts and not merely ACCEPT
the statements of interested parties and
they should report to congress on each
I subject as soon as that subject has been
covered. Then action can be taken at
. once on the particular subject concerned
Whlie the commission imm mediatey pro-
. ceeds to Investigate another Rv these
! means logrolling would be avoided and
each subject treated on its merits while
. there would be no such shock to general
industry as is implied In the present Gus
tom Of making sweeping changes in the
whole tariff at once. Finally, It should
be the duty of sorne governmental de.
partment or buresu to investigate the
/ conditions in the various protected In
dustrfes. and see that the laborers really
are getting the benefit Of the tarir sup
/ posed to be enacted in their interest
Moreover, to insure good treatment
abroad should keep the maximum
and minimum provision
For Waterway Legislation, Also.
The same principle OF a f1rst-class out
side commission should be applied "a
river and harbor legislation. At present
a river and harbor BILL like tariff bill
tends to be settled by a squabble amona
lot OF big selfish interests and little
selfish interests. with scant regard to the
one really vital interest that Of the gon.
eral public. In this matter the National
legislature would do we'll to profit by the
example OF Massachusetts. Formerly
Massachusetts, dealt with its land and
hsrbor legislation Just as at Washington
tariff and river and harbor laws hav>
been dealt with: and there was just the
sans pulling and hauling. the same bar
gaining and rolling, the same suhor-
dinauon Of the general interest to various
special interests. Last year Governor
| Draper took up tho matter, and on his
recommendation the Legislature turned
tho whole business over to a commis-
sion Of experts; and all trouble and scan.
dal forthwith disappeared. Incidentally
this seems to me to be a first class m
stance of progressive legislation.