Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-06-16
Mr.. Longworth Says It Is
Based on Ignorance.
ATTACKS Mr.. UNDERWOOD
Blames Democrats for Not Waiting
for Tariff Board Report.
SCOPE OF THE INVESTIGATION
Commission, Says Speaker, Is Devot-
ing It's Entire Time at Present
to Schedule x.

Charging that the pending measure Is
founded on vague rumor and igno-
rance. Representative Longworth OF
Ohio, republican member Of the COM
mittee on ways and means, denounced
the democratic wool revision bill in the
House today. Pleading for the framing
of tariff bills along scientific lines, Mr..
Longworth said he could not understand
why Speaker Clark and Oscar w. Under
wood of Alabama could stand for the
democratic wool bill. in view of the fact
that they voted at the last session for a
plan to create q tariff board.
The creation of that board. Mr.. Long
worth insisted, was supposed to be the
first step in the direction Of tariff build
ing. based upon authenticated data
gained by research in domestic and for
|eign markets.
Il rather think the gentleman from
Alabama has reached the conclusion
that the facts gathered by permanent
tariff commission would invariably prove
inimical to any tariff bill which could
possibly receive the support or demo-
cratic caucus exclaimed MIR. Long
worth.
an authorization of failure to gather
about him the valorous hosts OF democ-
racy under a banner of reason and COM
mon sense, he prefers to trust toll valol
1t be-the valor Of ignorance
Calls It Unfair.
Representative Longworth declared that
republican vote against the democratic
bill Should not be considered as in any
sense vote to perpetuate forever all the
provisions of schedule Is as it now
stands, but that it amounted Ito re-
fusal to plunge in the dark into a
wholesale revision of this most In
tricate and important schedule with
no more Information about 1t than we
now possess. From every point of view
this proposition to utterly ignore the
tariff board, which the democrats as well
as we have voted to maintain, the effort
to ram this bill down our threats at this
unfair and ill-advised. and ! predict viii
not in the end rebound to the credit OF
the democratic party.
Referring to the proposed favorable
action for the wool bill by the House
before the receipt of information on the
wool schedule from the tariff board, MIR.
Longworth said:
The criticisms made In the report OF
the committee, and particularly by the
gentleman from Alabama in his opening
speech on the present tarin board are, In
my opinion, unjust and uncalled for. IL
Is treated with contempt and held up to
ridicule because it has failed to make a
report upon the wool schedule.
Took Up Inquiry in March.
Now, the fact is that the tariff board
has only been investigating this subject
in any detail since last March. During
the term OF its existence up until then 1t
had been engaged with other questions.
Neither they nor any one else expected
that they would be called upon for re-
port until the LIST of next December.
How on earth. then. under the cir
cumstances. could the board have made
a satisfactory report upon so intricate
subject as this is last month? Any
sensible man. not blinded by party
prejudice would see that such a re-
port. incomplete as it would necessarily
be. would be valueless, If not worse
than valueleSs.
OF course. the gentlemen from Ala
bama and other gentlemen upon that
side Of the House have somewhat weak
ened their position by admitting that
even il the tariff board made q report
they would not have followed it, but that
does not alter the fact that ii Is plainly
unjust to criticize the board for not do
ing what it was absurd that they should
he asked Ito do.
Il am not here as the spokesman Of the
tariff board, but resent the injustice of
the attacks that have been made upon 1t.
In my opinion there is no body of men
III this government or any other better
lifted for the duties which have been i'm
posed upon them. IL we had succeeded in
securing the creation of a permanent
tariff commission. while its powers and
duties weufd have been satisfactorily
provided for. 1t is n well known fact
that its personnel. at Least 50 far as the
majority membership Is concerned,
would have been the same AS ii now is
and sd. | have no doubt. would have
been the minority.
But il could not have made a specific
report upon this schedule Before Deem
her any more than this board could.
and criticism of either would have been
equally UNJUST