The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-12-29
Scheme for Permanent Com miSSi0nGrS Drafted By
 LOngWOrth
SERENO PAYNE LEADS
 PRESENT MOVEMENT
fdge and LaFoliette, Which Were Introduced At the Last
 Session Of Congress

Washington. December 2s.-Impetus 10 the movement for a tariff commission was given today by conferences at the White House and at the capitol, the return Of Representative Longworth of Ohio to Washington with a full draft of a bi1i creating a commission, and announce ment of Chairman Payne of the House committee on ways and means that he expected such legislation before March. next
 Following discussion with the Pres- iderR over various features of the legisla- tive programme for this session, Mr. Payne republican floor leader of the House, announced he was quite sure a bill for permanent tariff commission ac- ceptable to both Congress and the Presi- dent would be put through the Senate and House before this season ends, when democratic control of the House begins r Late, at Mir. Paynes instance, he had conference in the ways and means com mittee room with Chairman Henry c. Emery of the tariff board at which MT. Payne asked MT. Emery's ideas as to the personnel and salaries of the proposed commission.
 Against Fixed Salaries
 MT. Emery contended that the nature of. the work and the character of the men the commission would need made 1t impossible to operate advantageously if positions and salaries of the commits sions staff were rigidly fixed by Con gress, his idea being that these should be fixed by the commission itself He suggested that industrial experts might have to be engaged for varying terms at various compensatons MT. Payne be- lieves there should be a legislative check to aggregate expenditures but is said to agree as to the necessity of freedom of action by the commission as to individual items.
 Embodying features of the tariff com mission bills of Senators Beveridge of h. diana and LaFoilette of Wisconsin. in- troduced at the last session of Congress, and of Congressmen Goode of Iowa and Lenroot of Wisconsin at this session and following conferences with number of representatives before the holiday recess. Mir Longworth, who Is a member Of the d bill which he expects to introduce next week. He will have further conferences with his colleagues before introducing the measure with a view to making 1t as strong and effective as possible It ere ates commission Of five members. sal aried at s750O each. not more than three of the same political party with offices at glinPtOn htlf where.
 Time Of Making Report It is given wide powers of collection and collation. of facts without authority to make recommendations, and instead of making fixed reports of 1t can only report on the special call of Congress or of the President. Its members, however, are to appear with data before the Senate com mittee on finance or the House commit tee on ways and means, the two com nittees which have to do with tariff legis- lation, on their request. The commls- sion is authorized to require confidential data from corporations as to any certain subject but must never disclose the source of such data, and must especially safeguard such data from competitive interests.
 An important provision of the Long, worth bill is a section defining its scope of investigation. It authorizes the com mission to investigate the cost of pro- duction of all articles covered by the tariff with special reference to the prices paid domestic and foreign labor, the prices paid for raw materials. whether domestic or imported entering, and foreign markets affecting the Amer ican products. including detailed infor- nation of the cost and of every element, together with all other facts which, in the commissions judgment. will be help full to Congress fin providing equitable rates of duty on any articles. and in aiding the President and other officials in administering the customs laws
 Naming the Commissioners
 One section re-enacts the maximum and minimum clause of the Aldrich-Payne tariff law Under the Longworth bill the five commissioners are to be appoint ed by the President at first for two, three. four. five and six-year terms. re- spectiyely, but these tenures adjust themselves to regular six-year terms for all.
 The ways and means committee will take up the commission question very soon after Congress reconvenes. Some of its members oppose the commission idea. holding that it puts Into being another body with high salaries and big general expense accounts on work that should be done by the department of commerce and labor or other regular departments, and all that is necessary is to appropriate money to continue the existence of the present board through the tariff admfnis- tration.