The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-01-12
WAY MADE CLEAR
Permanent Tariff Board to Re.
move All Difficulties
Besetting a Satisfactory ADJUST
ment of Duties.
PEOPLE WILL KNOW
When a Statement of Facts Is
Laid Before Them. !.
Can Then Decide ON What They
PEOPLE WILL KNOW
Can Then Decide ON What They
Want Says Lenroot.


the permanent tariff commission re-
celved an important stimulus today in
| the closing session of the convention
OF the national tariff association.
speeches in advocacy of the movement
were. delivered by President Taft,
senators Cummins, Newlands and
/ Lodge as well as Representatives
Longworth. Lenroot and Burke.
From the academic and commercial
world President Schurman of Cornell
and John Kirby, jr., president nation
al association of manufacturers made
the principal addresses. The delegates
We're received by President Taft in the
White House. Following an address
there by the president the delegates
proceeded to the Pan American build
ing where reception to their wives
and families was given by John Bar
rett, director general of the bureau
of American republics The conven-
at which the principal address will be
made by President Taft.
Tariff Millennium.
Only when a permanent tariff COM
mission will have been created and
empowered to secure facts on produce
ton and consumption and attendant
phases of the tariff will the voters of
the country be able to decide clearly
whether they want the Republican
principle of protection or the Demo-
crat doctrine of a tariff for revenue
only according to Representative Len
root. He said in part:
THE facts to be ascertained are
necessary for the proper framing of
a tariff bill on either theory.
IF the protective tariff can not
stand an honest investigation of facts
then it ought to be wiped out at once
and forever.
But it has nothing to fear. If in
stead of the log rolling lobbyingv Sc
cret session methods of the past there
shall be substituted findings of fact
by a tariff commission and the appli-
cation of those facts to schedules con-
sidered separately then the protective
tariff system will not only become
more firmly entrenched in this country
but tariff bills will be honestly made"
Mr.. Cobb's Report.
Mr.. John Chandler Cobb said
Gentlemen: 1t is incumbent upon
me to say a few words. as a report, on
behalf of your directors to whom has
been entrusted the active conduct of
the work of the association.
THE idea of a permanent tariff
commission is not new. IN fact it has
been tentatively suggested and dis
eussed in an academic way for nearly
a generation, but the real active work
to produce results is covered by pc
Rod little over two years, may almost
say beginning with the Indianapolis
convention, held in February, 1909
THE fundamental basis of our work
is the fact that there mas existed in
spread and earnest conviction that our
tariff making system is unsound and
inadequate to cope with modern con-
ditions, with all the complexities exist
ing in the relations of labor and CAPT.
tai, the consumer and producer and
the adjustment of the tariff to domes-
tic business and foreign trade.
THE levying of duties must of ne
cessity affect all these questions and
if we desire to produce sound results,
first step should be thorough know1-
edge of existing conditions. 1t has
been our province simply to present to
the country for general discussion and
consideration, the idea that this neces-
Sary knowledge of conditions can best
be acquired by a permanent indepen--
dent tariff commission We have
worked assiduously for two years to
present this idea and have met with
an affirmative response so unanimous
and so general from all sections of the
country and from all kinds and condi-
tions of men, regardless of business
and political affiliations that your
board of directors has felt justified in
calling you together here in Washing
ton to say to congress that the coun-
try desires and deserves tc have per-
manent independent tariff commission
with provision for the consideration of
the tariff by schedules in the full light
of public discussion, based on investi-
cations made by commission so es-
tablished that it will command public
confidence.
A Simple Proposition.
cit is a perfectly simple PROPOSE
ton, this suggestion that the tariff
question, affecting as it does, directly
or indirectly, the welfare OF every citi-
zen in most intricate manner
should be thoroughly Investigated and
analysed by men of ability and expert
ence who shall devote themselves ex-
clusively to the work The result of
their Investigations and finding of facts