The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1911-12-03
Wool and Cotton Schedules Will Again
Be Focus of Interest in Com
ing Congress.

Of the agricultural classes and is the
author of a history of short-horn cattle
He believes in reciprocity and was chair
man. when appointed to the tariff board,
of the American Reciprocal League. As
an editor, he is an expert In the field Of
facts. Manifestly, politics had nothing
to do with his appointment Again the
party workers would have been overjoyed
had the President summoned them to the
White House for a conference and a
season of suggestion.
The board. at the beginning, had three
members. A section of the Payne-Aldrich
law gave the President of the United
States power to retaliate against those
nations which denied this country the
advantages they conceded to other coun-
tries for trading in their markets. II
Germany, for instance, let in the wheat
and meat of the Argentine republic on
better terms than it let IN the wheat and
meat of the United States, then the Presi-
dent was empowered to raise the Amer
lean tariff on German products coming
into this country 25 per cent.
A Weapon for the President.
Such is the plain English of the mini
mum and maximum section of the present
tariff act. A weapon with which to fight
for business was put in the hands Of the
President. The United States asked for
no favors. All that 1t demanded was an
equal opportunity with its competitors
If the opportunity were denied, the United
States would or could hit the offending
nation in its pocketbook when it came
to sell things in this country. Deal fair
ly with me, and I'll deal fairly with you,"
Uncle Sam said to the rest of mankind.
discriminate, and I'll pay you back"
Necessarily, the President had to know
what countries, If any, were Withholding
from the United States the terms they
were granting to other countries. A
worldwide and technical study of tariffs,
therefore, was essential. The Payne-Al-
drich law, accordingly, authorized the
President to employ such persons as
may be required" to do the work. Moth
ing was said about investigating the
cost of production at home or abroad
that question was taken up later. AS the
President was permitted by law to in
crease the tariff against the countries
which were not giving this country
square deal, and as he was to choose the
men who were to ascertain the facts, it
followed that the men so chosen should
send their reports to him. The law made
him the agent of Congress. In a limited
sense he was given legislative functions.
He alone was responsible.
The men whom the President selected
for the work were DR.. Emery and Messrs.
Sanders and Reynolds. They are all Re
publicans. The politics of Emery, who is
a professional economist. however, is in
some doubt. Sanders is a professional
agriculturist. and Reynolds was a special
list in the laws and methods of CUSTOM
houses and custom duties These men
studied the tariffs of Great Britain, Ger
many, France. Austria-Hungary, Italy,
Russia, and other countries. It was a
dry and complicated task. If the board
found any unfair rates or arrangements
against the manufactures or farm prod
ucts of the United States they were quick
Iy and quietly ended through the negoti-
atoms of diplomacy carried on by the
State Department. At all events, Presi-
dent Taft was never required to raise the
American tariff on the goods or merehan-
disc of a foreign country.