The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-05-16
TEE TARIFF Board.


WASHINGTON. May 1.-THE sundry civil
appropriation bill which started on Il,
way through the House last week car.
Ties a proposal that $4,000 be eH.
pended for the maintenance Of a hoard
or commission authorized TO investigate
and ~ far a. possible 10 ascertain the
difference in tho cost Of producing here
and In other countries the several thou
sands OF articles included in our tarih
schedules. To the full and fair discussion
II such q plan there can he no reasonable
objection. The scheme for such an in.
vestigation has many supporters. Presi.
dent Taft among them, and II has many
opDonents. The possible value Of the
work a. well a. its possible uselessness
Tor the purpose intended make it an
entirely proper subject for consideration
ny tho Congress.
All present signs point 70 a prolonged
and acrimonious debate, 20 long ha-
rangues for tho service Of purely political
ends, 10 discussion in which tho main
issue, the creation Of a tariH board, will
no virtually lost in a partisan wranRle
over tho bill approved on August S, 1000.
known as the Payne bill That bill is now
the law. and the business Of the country
has been fairly adjusted 10 its provisions.
lie influence on the domestic trade and
on tho foreign commerce Of the country
Is almost entirely a matter Of mere as
sertion. A foros Of department clerks IL
now employed in a tabulation Of returns
from the customs for the last eight months
IN comparison with tho corresponding
term Of earlier years. Those tables will
serve a. the basis Of much contradictory
assertion. They will in fact prove ahso-
lutely nothing. There has been increase
and there has been decrease in lines Of
importation, gain and loss in items on
which rates gere increased. in others on
which rates were decreased. and in a long
list Of items on which no change was made.
Imports show an unprecedented increase.
but Il IL quite impossible tO regard the
Payne bill as even a prominent factor in
that increase Il il even probable that
the imports Of recent months would have
been very. much what they have been IL
no change had been made in the tariff
rates, yet Il Ia probable that a wilderness
of figures will he used 20 support asser-
tons Of tho unlimited blessings Of the
Payne hill and II its utter failure TO &C.
complish any benefit 10 the country.
Il is conceivable that buard like that
proposed might he vastly ssrvioeable in
revision 81 the ,arih Il tariff revision were
70 he hlsed on purely commercial consider !
atoms and on the general welfare % the /,
country rather than on advantage 10 local. !
tiles. and II the question of revenue could I
h eliminated. That our schedules are |
and unsrientifc there can
b no question. That the methods en- !
plOyed In their construction can I've mate /
rally changed IL most improbable. Scien-
iihc adjustment IL a very beautiful theory. /
~ Beautiful Is IL In impossible in any 1
attempt 20 revise the tariff a. a Whole. I
The revelations Of a tariff hoard may .
serve a. basis for a scientific adjustment, /
bat an entire change In our methods ~ .
revision would he absolutely necessary.
The system could be employed effectively
lnly by the independent adjustment II
tens, and even that method would not
prohibit entirely those compromises be-
wesn localities which have figured largely
n an earlier rrvisions and on which many
4 our present rates ara hased
A comprehensive discussion 81 the plan
or a commission and 81 revision by seEre.
Inted items will hs both interesting and
,roiitable. but a merely political wranRle
'ver tho Payne bill is sure 10 b. tiresoms
nd friitless