The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-12-22
TARIFF COMMISSION.

TARIFF COMMISSION.
There seems to be good ground for
the belief that the present Congress
viii create a permanent tariff com
mission before its final adjournment.
The leaders in both Senate and House
seem to be taking the view that Il
ought 90 be done. and as II comedies
with the Views OF President Taft. the
matter will probably be handled II
the supply and appropriation bills get
out OF the way. Some OF the idealists
believe that the creation OF a commits
sion would take the matter out OF pol
itics and would permit a revision,
schedule by schedule. Chairman
Payne OF the ways and means commit
tee OF the House. with some others. be-
heves that none Of those now living
will see the tariff question taken out
OF partisanship.
Senator Aldrich and Chairman
Payne take the view that a tariff com
mission should be created ~ It will
confine itself TO reporting information
and not attempting TO recommend the
rates Of duty to be imposed. It would
be the duty OF the commission TO show
the cost or production at home and
abroad and thus enable lowering the
tariff, if not already there. to a point
where IL would give the American
workingman full protection. and still
permit the lesseninE Of prices where
they have been advanced. Chairman
Payne takes the position also that a
tariff commission IS not really neces-
sary. as tho ways and means commit
tee has all the Information and can
furnish IL at any time.
The announcement by Payne. Aid
rich and Lodge that they favor a
piecemeal revision OF the tariff. al
ways keeping in mind the desire that
American labor shall be protect
ed. would seem to form a basis for a
reunion Of the party. None OF the in
surgents IS known to favor flooding
the American market with goods pro-
duced by cheap foreign labor. The
insurgents have contended that the
tariff Is 50 high that e represents
more than the difference I'm the cost
or production at homo and IN Europe.
and that Il gives tho American man
ufacturer an unnatural profit. and
causes high prices with the conse-
quent Unfortunately high cost OF liv-
Ing. With the regular Republican
leaders favoring a revision piecemeal
and 90 a proper figure. and the insur-
gents insisting upon tho same thing
there would not seem 20 be much to
quarrel about
In France. the revision OF tho tariff
IS placed IN the hands OF a commits
sion. which takes up the matter Rched-
ule by schedule. and a panic IN France
after a new tariff law IS unknown.
The commission there. apparently. has
the power 70 make the revision. but
a tariff commission that would be
created by Congress IN this country
would merely gather data, and II Is
improbable that Congress will ever
delegate such important powers to
any other body. There are two bills
in the Senate and two IN the House
providing for the appointment OF a
tariff commission. and they disagree
mostly as to tho tenure OF life OF the
commission. II Is not the purpose OF
any OF these bills that the commission
shall do more than merely report
/ facts upon which tariff legislation
| can be based.
/ But the significant feature OF the
| debates IN Congress on the tariff
/ question IS that tho regulars and in
surgents are rapidly getting together
| and that any Democratic hope that
/ they can make capital out OF Repub-
/ Iican differences at tho next national
/ election viii be OF no avail.