Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-05-23
Joint Action for Scientific
Tariff Adjustment.
SUGGESTION TO CONGRESS
Representative Boutell Lauds Payne
Tariff and Outlines Plan of
Future Legislation.

LIE Ruiz, MICH, MAY ID. Removal OF
the tariff from the domain OF partisan
politics was urged by Representative
Henry s. Bouteli in a speech deliver
ed here today At a luncheon given at the
Bankers Club.
Mr.. Boutell spoke in support OF the
item in the sundry civil appropriation bill
appropriating S2lOO0o for securing in
formation bearing upon the tariff and
outlined the change in the parlis -ientary
procedure i'm Congress that must he made
by joint rule before IL will be possible
to make specific changes in the tariff
Every one must concede,'' said Mr.
Boutell. that. judged solely as a revenue
/ increase, the Payne tariff act has justi-
fed the opinion of President Taft that it
is the best tariff law that has ever been
passed
Charge Without Foundation.
The charge that the Payne tariff has
been the cause OF the increased cost OF
living Is found on investigation to be
without the slightest foundation. There
is not in the Payne tariff any advance
i'm rates above those in the Dingey
| tariff that justifes the increase in final
retail price TO the ultimate consumer OF
a single necessary article of food. cloth
ing household use Notwithstanding
this, some INSCRIPTIONS dealers have put
up the prices of their goods. giving the
Payne tariff as the necessity for the. ad-
vance.
The Payne law is the most logically
| constructed and scientific tariff that We
have had. 1t IS we'll adapted to serve a
permanent, general revenue statute
that shall DE amended from time to time
to meet the exigencies of the Treasury.
and conform TO industrial changes.
I'VE ought now to do away with po-
i.tical tarf reNisions with their accom-
panying upheavals in the business world.
and inaugurate a system of tariff devei-
opment by way of natural growth. IL
other words. We should from now Oh
wise the tariff gradually by scientific bust
ness methods This cannot be done and
| ought not TO be attempted py a taii,
| commission.
In Open Conflict.
An executive tariff commission vested
with power to recommend rates might,
and frequently would be, i'm open conflict
with the House of Representatives. Such
a situation would ne intolerable. and the
possible creauon of such situation il
not to be thought Of.
IAN executive tariff bureau could &C
| cOmplish nothing I'm the way of collect
ing facts that cannot be done by the
| listing departments under direction OF the
President with ample appropriations in
| accordance with the congressional author
! ity. But the suggestion and adoption OF
specific duties and taxes always have
been and always must be solely a legis-
| lative function. Even il tariff com
mission should be created and should rec
ommend changes in rates of duty. it's
| recommendations would be abcrtive under
| the present legislative procedure in Con-
| gress.
Two Things Necessary.
I'm order to replace the present un-
satisfactory method, two things are
necessary The first requisite is up-to-
date information, the fullest and most
searching, on every subject related TO the
tariff. gathered through the various de-
partments and by specially trained ex-
perts under the direction of the President.
When this information disclosed de-
feet i'm the tariff the information would
be like vast. complicated machine, that
no one could start. because the lever for
setting il in motion could not he found.
| In the House Of Representatives
| mendment to a paragraph Of the tariff
might be considered without opening up
the whole tariff, but under present rules
such a bill in the Senate could be amend
ed without limit.
The second requisite. therefore. TO-
| scientific tariff adjustment the means of
making information fruitful, the lever for
starting the engine. is joint rule of the
| two houses of Congress whereby n para
graph of a revenue law can be amended
| without opening up for consideration any
other portion of the law.