Omaha daily bee., 1910-12-04
Proposes an Organization Free from
All Partisan Influence.
DEFINES tn EsCOPE OF POWER
Shows Necessity for Maintaining Some
Sense in Handling Affairs.
TELLS DIFFERENCE IN METHODS
FuIiest Publicity should Ne Given in
order that the People May Know
what f. BeinE Done ne All
Times

CHICAGO. Dec 3-Henry c. Emery.
chairman OF the tariff commission. tonight
gave the first official utterancs regarding
the definite aims Of that body, in an ad-
dress made before members Of the Chicago
Association Of Commerce. following q ban
quet at the Congress hotel He made a
startling plea for a permanent tariff board
OF commission. free from partisan influence,
70 conduct an extended Investigation into
the Industrial effects Of the tariff and then
70 revise the various schedules without par
tsan Interference.
II may be assumed that Chairman Emery
spoke fer and with the approval OF Presi-
dent Tart
Tho main work OF investigating the In
dustrlal effects Of our tariff had been
divided into three main parts. he said, re-
euirlng three sets OF investigators Of dif-
ferent types. The first part Is the collec-
ton of facts regarding each dutable
article, showing the character and localiza-
ton of its production at home and abroad.
statistics OF output imports and exports,
rates OF duty reduced to ad valorem terms
and the like.
Comparison of Costs Important.
The second part of the work is the col
lection OF data regarding costs OF produo-
ton at the mill. The third consists Of OBJ
regarding homo and foreign prices, local
variations In each industry and the general
conditions OF competition at home and
abroad
The first part OF the work, he said, can
be pushed rapidly, but the second part and,
to some extent. the third must be con-
centrated for the time being on q few
main lines OF inquiry and carried out with
caution.
,,,- .ts -. s4ss--...
groups OF investigators IN each field and
referred TO the fact that experts on cost
accounts would in few weeks have the
actual conversion costs at the min OF every
leading pulp and paper plant in the coun-
try taken directly from the books, and
would then be ready to take up at once
the next schedule.
Schedules 60 BE Considered First.
''You can appreciate the necessity we are
under OF concentrating our chief efforts at
first on Sew main lines" said Mr..
Ismery. Naturally every one who has
some personal grievance thinks his par
tcular schedule Is the one that needs Inn
mediate revision while we have had
vast amount OF earnest and public spirited,
but utterly conflicting advice as to what
we ought to take UP first and exactly
when we ought to have the work COM
pleted whether wisely or unwisely we de-
cided to concentrate for the moment on
schedule M Cpulp ana paper. shedule X
Cwool and woolens) and schedule Cfarm
products). Preliminary work is being done
on schedule A (chemicals) schedule
(rnetals and manufactures on and sched-
ule (cottons,) and the more detailed work
on these win be begun as soon as possible,
Furthermore we are obtaining many spe-
cfal reports from technical experts, both at
home and abroad covering q wide range
OF articles in other schedules, which will
later form the basis for more detailed in
vestigations.
AT the moment. besides the members Of
the board. the statisticien and the strictly
administrative force, we have four chiefs
Of Investigation. eight trained Investigators
employed on the first part OF the work
and about an equal number Of clerks to
assist them. about dozen consulting OF
technical experts devoting q part Of their
time to the third part OF the work. or 10
reports on special topics, and twelve men
IN the field getting actual cost figures
from the books Of Individual producers
There has been" said Mr. Emory,
much MISUNDERSTANDING about hearings
before the board and many manufacturers
have wondered how we can be investigating
their schedules without consulting them.
The answer la that we consider Il waste
OF time Tor all parties concerned to have
them appear before US In formal hearings
until we have first made 3 thorough study
Of the industry and know iust what we
are after When this has been done we
shall invite the testimony Of all interested
parties WE shall lay our results openly
on the table FOR any one to oriticise,
amend, or disprove."
Real sanity a. Needed.
The speaker then urged strongly the
necessity for maintaining a sane sense Of
proportion regarding the influence whether
for good or evil Of tariffs and OF tariff
investigations
Just as there are some who glYe pracu-
oaliy al the credit for prosperity 10 the
tariff and others who think the tariff the
cause III most misfortunes." he said
there ere those who think an Impartial
tnvesugallUn * the tariff is q menace 20
all business. ana others who think that
such an INVESTIGATION win BY some magic
process az once make every mans ineome
adequate for his expenditure and solve the
ase-long problem 81 making both ends
meet
Many economic theorists have attempted
60 find the philosophers stone by means OF
which prices could be made high 70 an
who wish them high. and low 20 an who
wish them low. "a would be q fine thing
4 the farmer could always sea 81 buahel
for his wheat and the workingman pay
only 81 a barrel for his flour Many people
are Inclined 70 held a government rospon-
sihle which does not accomplish such feats
% aichqmy, and the work OF any govern
mont agency IS greatly hhmpercd b. the
absence OF q sane understanding of what
q can. and what lt cannot DO"
rIamr nna Foreisn Methods Dlffer.
Mr. Emery showed the difference be-
tween European ana American methods of
tariff making. and pointed out that the
reason why such elaborate investlga lions
lad not been necessary abroad was be-
cause in those countries there were bodies
CONTINUED on second Pag.s