New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-09-24
|MPEACH JUDGES A CURE
Continued from first page.

board not as tariff experts but as eco
nomic experts. competent to gather, COM
pile and analyze costs of production. He
cited the report on the pulp and paper
industry as the best example of the type
of reports which may be expected from
the board and asserted that those who
would take time TO study that report in
diligently could not escape the conclu-
sion that such information must prove
Of incalculable value to all who would
honestly and intelligently frame tariff
bill.
Mr.. Taft acknowledged that the cost
of production would be found To be a
variable amount. but he declared that
be obtained to afford a basis for tariff
| rates just alike to the producer, the
manufacturer and the consumer, and he
asserted that no such information had
been at the command Of those who
| framed the Mckinley, the Dingley or the
Payne bill and that this Is especially
true of those who framed and passed
the tariff bills Of the last session.
The audience, which filled every seat in
the great auditorium, gave the President
the closest attention. applauding his re-
marks with an intelligence and dis
elimination which indicated that his
hearers were following his statement
closely and that his reasoning carried
conviction.
Attacks for Political Purposes.
OF attacks on the Tariff Board the
President said: Attacks on the board
are horn not of candid consideration OF
it's previous work, not Of frank acknowl-
edgment of the ability Of the various
members. but of the thoughtless heat OF
political controversy. They should have
no weight with unbiased friends Of the
public veal" His speech was, in part,
as follows:
1t has been said that the Tariff Board is
a mere preteXt that IT is board or my
hiTellngs and clerks, and that II Is ABSURD
for me 10 delay Congress in the enactment
| of that which is its highest priyllege-to
wit revenue measures-untl l can secure,
through an agency of mine. information as
! TO the wisdom OF the proposed bills
Ny exercise Of the veto power at all is
severely criticised as a remnant of the
royal prerogatiye and my attitude Is com
pared 10 that of George III. or course, l
understand that these periods OF rhetoric
are usual under such circumstances ana l
DO not find myself greatly troubled by them
when called upon TO exercise a clearly i'm
posed constitutional function.
1t is said with respect to the Tarln BoaTd
that its Investigations are not 10 be relied
upon, because II must secure its lnIorma-
ton from interested parties ana that no
information IL available TO II that II not
available directly 10 the Ways ana Means
| Committee, and that the committee can Sc
cure testimony OF such. people more eHec-
lively than the Tariff Board.
Such a statement fails entirely 20 recog-
nize the real Character OF the INVESTIGATIONS
of the Tariff Board. Material secured BY
that board is not In the nature Of testimony
OF different parties examined as 70 what
they think on any Of these tactS. IL Is IN
the result OF an examination Of the books
and records of producers and mdnutact-
ureFs and a tabulatiOn from these by the
expert agents of the board resulting IN per
fectly definite and precise Information as
10 the actual results given by the pest IN
dustrial or commercial operations for
given time. In short, IL is the substitution
Of records compiled from the books OF the
concerns for the testimony OF individuals.
The best way % understand the peculiar
character Of the Investigations OF the Iarin
Board is 10 compare its published report on
pulp and news-print paper either with the
statistical work Of other government dSen-
CleS regarding this INDUSTRY or Win lne
hearings before the Ways and Means Com
mittee. II is shown that this investigation
does not in any way duplicate the statisti-
cal work Of the other departments, but that
it's scope is quite different, and yet the in
vestigation develops data essential TO an
understanding of industries from a point OF
view OF the tariff.
II will also appear that the method Of
investiga ton is quite different from that Of
a Congressional committee, and the infor
nation afforded much more detailed in
character, and on the other hand, is much
more condensed than the Information de-
veloped by the verbal examination Of wit
nesSes.
Committee Inquiries Imperfect.
1t has been said that members OF the
Ways and Means Committee are themselves
eXnerts ON thrift mntfers and that thew