New-York tribune., 1910-12-29
FOR TARIFF COMMISSION
LongWorth Bill Ready To Be In
troduced in Congress.
PAYNE PREDICTS SUCCESS
Expects Passage This Session
It Creates Permanent Board,
with Broad Powers.

Washington, Dec. B-Impetus to the
movement for a tariff commission was
House and at the Capitol, the return or
Representative I.ongworth, of Ohio. TO
Washington with full draft of a Dill
creating commission, and the announce
ment of Representative Payne, chairman
of the Committee on Ways and Means
that he expected such legislation before
March 4.
Following a discussion with the Presi-
dent on various features of the legislative
programme for this session, Mr.. Payhe
said that he was sure that Din LOT
nernanent tariff commission, acceptable 10
both Congress and the President, wouio oe
passed before this session ends. Later MI
Payne had conference with henry y.
Emery, chairman Of the TariH Board' a.
which he asked Mr.. Emery's IDEAS as 10
the personnel and salaries of the proposeu
commission. Mr.. Emery contended that the
nature of the work and the charac'ei "a
the mon the commission would need made
1t impossible to operate advantageousiy IL
pIaces and salaries were rigidly fixed by
Congress. his idea being that they shouio
be fixed by the commission itself He sus-
rested that industrial experts might have
TO be engaged for varying terms at various
salaries. Mr.. Payne believes there should
he a legislative check on the aggregate en-
nenditures, but is said TO agree 10 the
necessity of freedom of action by the coli
mission on individual items.
E,mhodying features of the tariff co1nfnls-
sion bills of Senators Beverldse, OF ihdlaha'
and of La Toilette, OF Wisconsin, ih.io
duced at the last session of Congress- anu
Of Representatives Good, OF Iowa. anu
Ienroot, of Wisconsin. at this session. anu
following conferences with many repre-
sentatives before the holiday recess, MI
LonsHorth, who is a member OF the way
and Means Committee has drawn up Dill
which he expects to Introduce next "eeh-
He will have further conferences Win his
colleagues before introducing the measure E,
with view to making It as strong anu
effective as possible.
Provisions of Loneworth Bill.
IT creates a commission of five members
at $500 each a, year, not more than three
of whom shall be of the same political
party. with Offices at Washington, but EN-
powered to meet anywhere. 1t is TO have
broad rowers for collection and coilatloh
OF facts. without authority TO make recon-
,nendations, and instead of making fixed
reports it can only report on special call
hers. however are to appear with data be
fore the Senate Committee on Finance or
the House Committee on Ways and Means,
the two committees which have to do with
tariff legislation, on their request Ihe
commission is authorized TO require conf
Dental information from corporations as
TO any certain subject but must never dis
close the source of such data, and must
especially safeguard the information from
competitive interests.
An important provision Of the LongWorth
bill is q section defining the scope OF IN
yesfipation. 1t authorizes the commission
o.. icate the cost OF production of all
,.tj,.it5 covered by the tariff. with special
reference to the prices paid for domestic
and foreign labor, the cost of raw mater1-
ais, whether domestic or imported, enter
ing into manufactured articles, the condi-
ton of domestic and foreign markets az
fecting American products, including de-
tailed information Of the cost and Of every
element. together with all other facts which
in the commissions Judgment Will be help
full to Congress in providing equitable
rates of duty on any articles and in aiding
the President and other officials in ad-
ministering the customs laws.
One section re-enacts the maximum and
minimum clause of the Payne-Aldrich tar
iff law. The five commissioners are to be
appointed by the President at first for two,
three, four five and six year terms re-
spectively, but these tenures adjust tenn
selves to regular six-year terms for all.
The Ways and Means Committee will
take I'D the commission question soon after
| Congress reassembles Some of Its mem
hers oppose the commission Idea, holding
that it creates another body, with high
salaries and general expense accounts, on
work that should be done by the Depart
ment of Commerce and Labor or some
other regular department, and that all that
is necessary is TO make an appropriation
to continue the existence of the present
hoard through the Taft administration.