The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-12-21
President Taft Points With Pleasure
To Work On Panama Canal
That Has Baffed Four
: Other Great Nations.
He Also Discusses Tariff Board in
Detail and Tells What 1t
Will Do.
,pyrIehted 1910 by The United Press.

lOunu MN Duslly engaged, COnlrOn(eu
on all sides by the appeals OF con
gressmen, the chickering's of politicians
and the demands of Office seekers.
The president afterwards took up
the permanent tariff commission with
the writer. The president freely gave
his personal opinions and the beliefs
which 'form the basis OF his earnest
hope of making the commission an
accomplished fact. A White House
iule prohibits the direct quoting OF
the president. but in the following an
attempt IS made faithfully 10 give his
ideas as he expressed them TO the
| writer.
The permanent tariff commission
will provide the necessary basis for
intelligent tariff legislation. no mat
| ter by what party or TO what end. II
the Democrats are Champ Clark aud
not "Chump Clark" they Will support
it. No scientific revision of the tariff
is possible without the true facts upon
which TO base il and the facts are
| obtainable in no other way. IL Is be-
yond the ability of any body OF men.
! working temporarily Oh the tariff. 10
! collect and digest the vast amount OF
| detail which must be considered in
! the making OF tariff.
The tariff commission will be a per-
J manent institution where from year TO
| year the data and information in such
! matter, will be assorted, catalogued
and digested in such a way rs To be
ready for instant use. IL will be TO
the tariff what the congressional IL
brary Is to literature. You can send
y note to the library, saying you are
working upon a certain subject and
you are Immediately provided with all
the best reference books and records
on that topic Without such library,
how long and how hopeless a task
would il be to obtain full and accur-
ate information by running through a
volume there, and Swimming through
file of newspapers, without system
and without knowledge, as TO what
might have been overlooked?
1t is In such helter-skelter fashion,
however. that tariffs must be made,
if the permanent commission Is not
established. The countries of Europe
have tariff bureaus where all the rec
ords of the schedules are kept, and
where data is constantly gathered and
kept up TO date. At a moments notice
the complete information regarding
the cost of production OF any given
article in any given country can be
obtained.
The failure OF congress TO support
the permanent tariff commission idea
would be a step backward and make
scientific revision impossible for
years TO come. The matter has now
progressed to the point where the
country Is ready for II. II the COM
mission Is now made permanent It's
value will soon be appreciated on all
sides and II Will never be discon'
tinued II for party reasons-the CHIEF
of which apparently would be that
the idea did not originate with the
lDemocrats-the Democrats are able
10 prevent 1t, many years may pass
before the scientific consideration OF
the subject reaches the point where
II would be opportune again.
While the plan TO permit revision OF
the tariff schedule by schedule Is nee
essary. the establishment OF the per-
manent commission must come first.
There are some difficulties too, con-
fronting the schedule by schedule
plan. II would be easy TO determine
what might be covered by the wooden
schedule. for instance, but when II
comes to such matters as the mlscel-
laneous schedules, 1t would be diff
cult to hold the revision within
bounds. Then In addition, comes the
jealousy between men i'll congress re-
garding the authorship OF bills. Sew
eral men may have measures, design
ed 70 accomplish the same purpose,
but different in some minor details
Each urges his own bill and lights for
II because he wants the law TO bear
his name. These chickering's and
iealousies often actually stand in the
way OF speedy and successful legis-
lation.
The Panama Canal.
The president was enthusiastic re-
parding the Panama canal, which is
bust beginning to appear on the hor-
lion OF the average American as one
of the greatest causes for national
pride. He displayed his vital interest
in its future meaning to the American
people by his amazing knowledge OF
the most minute details 81 the tre-
menGous work-a knowledge fostered
by his intimate connection with its
construction almost since Uncle Sam
undertook the world task.
The greatest effect OF the opening
,of the canal, in the presidents opin-
ion. as felt by the average American.
will be in the reduction in trans-cOn-
.tinental transportation rates This
will draw the country closer together.
The orange grower in southern Cali.
fornia who likes TO wear New Eng.
land brand of shoes will quickly feel
the effect The man employed In a
New England shoe factory who likes
California oranges. will soon realize
the value OF the canal TO him. The
milkman in Seattle, who buys his bot
ties I'm Pittsburg, will suddenly be
come aware that the Panama canal
has transported the glass factory-in
respect 20 freight rates, half across
the continent
So II will go through all branches OF
business and society II will mean
Increased activity all around with the
closer relations between the Pacific
and Atlantic coasts. The central
tates will quickly reflect the DEMENT'S.
One point absolutely essential is that
he government take adequate steps
insure competition and prevent the
ownership OF steamer lines using the
canal by trans coutinental railroads.
rhe coastwise shipping business OF
his country is confined by law to
American ships, and SO the traffic be