Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-04-19
CONGRESSMAN COMES OUT IN
FAVOR OF REAL TARIFF
COMMISSION.
IMPROVES CHANCES FOR
VOTING OF APPROPRIATION
Tawney Changes Front Because of At.
titude Of Constituents and Threat to
Defeat Him For Support Of Payne
AIdrich Tariff 6ilI-senate May Line
Up.
Especial Correspondence

! Washington, April 1s-Details of the
plan for converting the existing tariff
board into what will amount to a real
tariff commission have been given out
by Chairman James A. Tawney, OF
the house appropriations committee.
Mr.. Tawney is confident this is going
to be effected so far as the house is
concerned and he believes it will go
thru the senate
Mr.. Tawney is now on a trip to his
district out in Minnesota. where his
opponents are lying awake nights in an
effort to beat him. There, Mr. Tawney
has given out an interview on the plan
to enlarge the powers of the tariff
board and copies of it have found their
way back to Washington.
The president has recommended the
continuance of the present tariff board,
with enlarged powers" said Mr.. Taw-
ney. and has also recommended an
appropriation of s250,o0O for the pur-
pose OF carrying on the work Of this
tariff board, or tariff commission, dur
ing the fiscal year, 1911. When 1 was
at home last January. I stated that
~ Oo i1OcaA AlIy LII 4dtOT Oh COLI.
mission, as recommended by President
Taft in his annual message, and that l
would favor an appropriation of a suf-
hclent amount to enable that commits
sion to carry on the work as outlined
president has sent a special MESA ge to
congress, setting forth his desires to
broaden and extend the function of this
board, and that to do this it would be
necessary to appropriate s25O,000.
One Big Advantage.
"One of the great difficulties con-
gress has had to contend with in the
preparation of a tariff bill that will
provide revenues and at the same time
embody the republican doctrine of pro-
lection, is to ascertain the difference
between the cost of production here
and abroad. If the plan proposed by
the president is carried out, as think
it will be, this difficulty in preparation
of future tariff bills will be overcome,
as it is proposed to authorize and di-
rect this commission to make such in
vestigations here and abroad into the
question of the cost of production, as
will enable the president to give con-
gress reliable informa ton on this SUBJ
ject.
This information will enable con-
gress to prepare a more scientific pro-
tective tariff bill than it has heretofore
been able to prepare
Before leaving Washington I made
a thorough examination of the law, and
am convinced that the law now author
ICES the investigation and that the ap-
for this purpose, which the
committee on appropriations will re-
- Ir~
under the rules Of the house / have
no doubt that the house will adopt it,
and l do not much doubt that the SEN
ate will likewise agree to it. 1t may
be that the matter will have to be
threshed out in conference between the
two houses If so, it will be done by
the conferees of the two houses and
the house conferees will be myself.
Judge Smith of Iowa. and Fitzgerald of
New York. Judge Smith is as heartily
In favor Of the proposition as / am.
Work Could Begin.
with this legislation, and the ap-
the president. thru the
tariff board or commission, can begin
at once, the work of collecting data
necessary to determine to what extent
the present duty fails to measure the
exact difference in the cost Of pro-
duction here and abroad. and then to
make such recommendations for
changes in the existing tariff law as
the results of these Investigations show
to be necessary.
This statement by Chairman Tawney
Is the first authorized expression from
the house appropriations committee as
to what the plan is regarding the tar
If board. 1t means that the way has
probably been paved, so far as the, 4
house is concerned, for getting an APP
for a tariff board or COM
which has real authority.
It has been pretty freely talked that, |
While the house might provide for
The tariff board, giving it enough |
money and authority, the senate will be
he stumbling block. It is wellknown
Senator Hale, chairman of the senate |
committee on appropriations, is hostile
% a tariff commission.
But lately, there are whispers about
he capitol that Senator Hale, being in
hard row of stumps up in the Pine
Free state, may conclude that tariff