The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1911-01-12
ILLUMINATING
Continued from Page One.


findings of a tariff commission can
ever alone furnish "scientihc" So
luton Of the tariff question or take
,he tariff out of politics"
IT seems to me important to limit
the functions of the tariff commits
sion in order that we may more ac-
curately determine and more justly
ovaluate the real functions which II
Is called upon to perform. In the flrst
place, i'm this age and country Of
specialization and expert service il Is
astonishing to recall that the Con.
gress of the United States does not
enjoy the advantages which are pos
sessed by the heads of our great I'm.
1ustrial and other organizations. The
Constitution gives Congress the power
of levying duty on Imports for the
purpose of providing national
revenue and the use of this power
for the purpose Of protection to in
dustries has been declared by the
Supreme Court also to be constitu-
tional. This is a power of tremendous
reach, and in exercising ii Congress
may enrich or ruin individuals and
communities, and set up or pull down
Industries. Yet vast and unrestrained
is the authority of Congress is, up
to this time 1t has exercised 1t in al.
most complete ignorance of the eco.
nomic facts and interests involved
Tariffs have Deen made by partisan
ship, by passion, by log-rollng. by
tricks and "jokers". 1t is now pro.
posed that a tariff commission as in
dependent and judicial as the Su.
1reme Court shall furnish Congress
with impartial and exhaustive II.
formation on the subject of the tariff
fhe business of the commission will
he to furnish Congress with in.
formhtion regarding the nature of
arlff legislation and the industrial
effect of each schedule. other coun.
tries, notably Germany and Austria
ave trained government officials witt
permanent tenure of office who devote
themselves exclusively to such tariff
Investigations. and who have now be-
hind them an accumulated experience
If many fruitful years. In the United
states we 'need commission who
hall not only make up so far as
ossble for the lost time which Ger
many and Austria have saved, but
who shall year in and year out de-
vote themselves without fear or ia
}or, with no motive but a disinter
'sted desire to obtain the truth to
he ascertainment of the facts regard
ng the cost of production of com
nodities at home and abroad and
pther information regarding each ar
ticle in the tariff. which in the lam
| suage of President Taft shall have
he effect for the intelligent reader
| Of "translating the tariff into Eng
lish." This Information by itself, as
AVE already said, will not be sum.
lent equipment for the making of d
tariff because behind these facts are
theories regarding the functions Of
government in relation to the indus.
tries of the country. But If this de.
allied statistical Information which
only commission of tariff expert,
can furnish, is not in Itself sufficient
for the making of tariff, it is an
absolutely Indispensable factor. Al
Mr.. Emery the Chairman of tn,
present Tariff Board, has happil,
said, "a sound tariff judgment cni
not be formed without detained sta
lstlcal knowledge" And, again
Without judgement statistics ar