The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-03-28
THE TARIFF BOARD IDEA
 ITS GENESIS AND PROGRESS
By HILARY A. HERBERT


 apolis, for tariff commission but noth- | ing came of 1t. At Chicago, in 1908, the | republican party. however, declared in its national platform for tariff revision and laid down a plan-protection. limited to the difference in the cost of production at home and abroad, plus a fair profit. Nothing was said about any commission to ascertain this difference. Sources of | information were supposed to be suffl- cient-government statistics, consular and bureau reports. treasury and customs ex- perts, etc.
 | The party won a victory on this plat l form in 1908.
 | Then came in December a short session l of Congress. No tariff commission or board was provided
 Then President Taft in 1909, without any mention of d tariff commission, called Congress in extra session to redeem the pledge of the platform.
 | The new Congress, without any aid from tariff commission began it's work. The republicans in control of both branches very properly excluded the democrats from their committee deliberations. Ii was the job of the republican party.
 Disregarded Plan
 The majority disregarded the platform plan. minority protested and became | insurgents. The majority persisted. The minority foresaw a party shipwreck and | camored loudly for a tariff commission l to ascertain scientifically the difference | in the costs of production Such pro vision if tackled on to the majority bill | would hold out to dissatisfied voters promise of a better bill in the future.
 The majority contemptuously refused | to allow tariff commission" to be named in the bill.
 | They did, however, consent to an ap- propration of s75,e0O to enable the Presi- dent ito employ such persons as may be l required . to secure ln1orlnatioh | to assist him in the administration of the customs laws'-a proposition that, in the hands of the President was at | later date to prove quite flexible. 1 With this little rider the Payne-Aldrich bill became law, and MT. Taft soon aft erward, at Winona, commended It as the best tariff act ever passed.
 Dissatisfaction With Law
 But dissatisfaction with the new law was widespread, and the President soon saw that something more than speeches was necessary So in December, 1909 less l than four months after the Winona speech, availing himself of the provision | in the tariff act, he informed congress l that he had appointed "tariif board or 1 three members to secure "information as to the cost of such goods duty paying goods) in this country, and the cost or their production in foreign countries' and he now half promised another re- vision, saying: If the facts secured should show generally that the rates of the present tariff law "are oxeessjve I shall not hes- tate to invite the attention of Congress to 1 this fact and to the necessity for action predfcated thereon"
 In this message of 1909 the President asked for the board only an annual ap- propriation equal to that already made S75, ,O0O). But he said nothing about tho | board being permanent or needing more power.
 This message did not satisfy the insur- gents. From the outset of the session they loudly advocated the Beveridge ill, constituting, not a board, but commls- sion, not temporary, but permanent, with more members, more power and more money than MT. Taft mad asked for.
 Presidents Message The President must have known of this | llQucn-talkeQ-O1 beNtIluBt Dlll hich, Cii March 2s, 1910, he sent in a special mes sage asking s25o,O0o for his already-ap- pointed tariff board" Yet he made no demand for increased membership of that | board or for permanency, or increased l power He also at this date March 2S, | 1910, by quoting from his December mes- | sage, indorsed his estimate that the board would be able to complete it work 'in two or three years.'
 Commenting on this message, The Out look as did other papers, thought that if MT. Taft got his $250,t00 he would have all the working machinery necessary to en- able Congress to give the country the scientific tariff revision that seemed to be ! wanted.
 All this before the canvass of last fall began. While the canvass was on the public was treated to constant news paper statements that much efficient work was being done by the tariff board, two of them were abroad. and they would be able to make valuable reports to the coming Congress-and there was then | nobody to contradict these reports What effect on the vote these reports had no one can say. The election. resulted in d republican defeat.
 Then we hear news Assistant Secretary of the Treasury Andrews and Mir San ders of the board come ca now in pub lie statements. The board has been ham peied-its members have mot as much power," they say, as an internal reve- nue officer"
 The next important step in this history was the grand Willard hotel convention, g. descent upon Washington, on the 9th and 10th of February last, of ''business men, including democrats and republi- cans. representatives of all sections and all interests" all believing. not in a tariff board of three members appointed by the President but in d fully empowered com mission of five persons, confirmed by the Senate.
 Movement Advertised | No movement in our land, economic l social patriotic, or political, has ever | been more lavishy advertised than this | and it is perhaps not strange that con | tinued iteration in so many able newspa- | rcr articles, of arguments for tariff | commission and not d board. did succeed | in manufacturing some sentiment in favor | of the new scheme-some belief that the | President must have been mistaken 1T | thinking his board had power enough 1 and that at some time in the future il might finish it's work.
 The convention was dramatic Mir Taft. MT. Lodge, NIT. Cumnlins, etc. | spoke from the same platform and at the same banquet but the advertised demo- cratic speakers were eonspicuousy ab- f sent.
 | still, the vast expenditures of the ''busi- hess men were not ali in vain. Stand ratters and insurgents did get together l and they are now standing side by side | on tic only common tariff ground they l have so far been able to occupy. viz on q plea for having the tariff board tc continue a search for information about