New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-05-02
THE DAyINWASHINGT0N

are discrepancies between the Payne bill
and that difference, he will ask Congress
to rectify them. and he is greatly nystihed
at the attitude OF the tariff organ in being
so bitterly opposed to the requirement OF
this information. The only obstacle to the
Presidents plan is the avowed determine
| ton of the Senate insurgents TO try to con-
vert the Tariff Board into a commission
PROVOKING FACTS.-Speaking Of the
tariff the Democratic members of the Sen
ate committee the cost of living nave
had a most difficult and embarrassing eX-
perience. They and their Democratic col
leagues were convinced that the increased
cost of living was entirely due to the tar
If. They began the hearings with alac-
rity, expecting, if the Republicans wouid
permit, to extract abundant evidence with
which TO prove the evils OF the Payne law
Opportunity has been afforded them py
Senator Lodge, the chairman, to ask every
question they could conceive. and III no
single instance have they found Witness
who ascribed increased prices, except III
the case of certain luxurie5, like cham
payne to the tariff. The facts have oeen
most provoking, ana now the commerce OF
the country is proving equally annoying
in it's unwillingneSs to uphold Democratic
contentious. The imports for the nine
months ending with March show an IN
crease of s225. 600, 600 over the same period
of the preceding year. and yet most OF the
articles on which the tariff was lowered
show falling off. Tea and conee, poIn
on the free list. have both fallen off. while
cocoa, on which the duty was reduced, has
fallen or 100000 In nine months
INF ClOW
increase of 5000 900 Silk dress goods.
with decreased duty. show d decrease of
s1,1OO,0 Oo, and the importation of cham
payne. on which the duty was materially
Increased. has jumped for the nine months
from S.. 900. 900 to s5.900.0o6.
LIFE .INSURANCE.-That the co-ordl-
nation of all the government health
agencies in single bureau would con5u-
tute the most effective sort OF life insur-
ance was the novel argument presented 70
the Senate Committee on Public Health
last week by Robert Lynn Cox. OF New
York, who appeared as the representative
of the Association Of Life Insurance Pres
idents Mr. Cox contended for such legis-
Iation on the ground that it was a bust
ness proposition and one worthy OF the at
tention of the federal government
hone NV appearance will serve to empila-
size The economic side of prolonging hui
man life" said Mr.. Coz. IF the Sentt-
mental side is permitted 20 dominate IN
the consideration of this question, as II
has heretofore. tears will again constitute
our main contribution to tho financial
problems presented by untimely and IN
necessary deaths"
DISGRACEFUL PRACTICE. - Such
quantities of obsolete and useless pubic
documents are being shipped into virginia
under the franks Of members of Congress
that emphatic protests are beginning to
reacI, the members whose franks this waste
pa per bears. The reason for this dehSe
which is arouSinC the ire not only OF tne
postmasters. but of those to whom the SUM
is addressed. is that the mails are belns
weighed in that state, Once in two years
the mails In a given section of the country
are weighed and the average struck is
made The basis of compensation Of the rail
roads ;ntu there is another weighing u
course the heavy public documents. ancient
volumes of 1.-The Congressional Record
and similar valuabI publications greatly
tporoocn This average 1t is asserted that
the railroads employ the entire time Of a
man who goes about asking the secretaries
of members of Congress 70 mail this, that
or the other publication 10 addresses fur-
nished in order thus to cheat the govern
ment thorough investigation OF this
antiquated and inaccurate method OF com
DeDsating the railroads for carrying the
malls would doubtless prove far more popu-
lar, and possibly rot less profitable, than
the increase OF the postage rates on perl
odiCa1s so enerKetiCaliy advocated by the
Po6tmaEtcE General. ". u II