The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-07-10
CAPITAL S1,50O, 100000

WaSh1nSton, July 9.-tSpeclal.)-Ih tariff board, which has given the admin istration it's excuse for delaying the pas sage of any tariff legislation until the next regular session, has gotten itself in a nice little mess through the very parti- san work of it's Impartial investigator George W. Burton, who is now in Europe gathering data for the board, which is supposed to be impartial, but which is so positively partial that 1t has disgusted and alarmed even the most pronounced standpatter
 referred to Burton's partisan contri- butens to the Los Angeles Times few days ago when the matter was called to the attention of the Senate through Sem ator Works of california.
 writer in Washington newspaper describes the predieament of the tariff board in the following pertinent manner: Burton Burton, who's got George w. Burton?
 The tariff board is not guilty. It hired MT. Burton and paid him $10oo to make a report on the citrus ffQiit industry; but after it got the first installment of the l set about the business of firing him. Thus far, though it has been engaged in that effort. for several months. it has not succeeded. Burton is travelling around Europe somewhere, or was at last accounts. But the tariff board has never been able to catch up with him, and he is presumably l,;. the fruit industry, bissfully unconscious that the board doesn't care a cent for his views, and has been trying hard to dis charge him.
 ''It is positively sorrowful, the trouble the board has had firing Burton. He was hired about year ago to help investigate the citrus fruit industry> At that time the board was assured he was equipped by knowledge of the business in Califor- mia. He was told to prepare a general survey of the situation. He was planning trip to Europe, and was to do some work while there; the board was not to pay any of his expenses while abroad He was to be paid 5000 for the entire job.
 ''The tariff board doesn't know who paid
 
 as result of which heFwas to report on fruit conditions there. Neither will it tell by whom Burton was recommended for arpointment to do this special work. In California the story is that Gen. Harrison Grey Otis, owner of the Los Angeles Times, interested President Taft In Bur ton, and that the President got his tariff board 10 make the appointment.
 Chairman Emery and Secretary Bra hany have no recollection of the Pres ident taking an interest in Burton, but they do not want to say on whose recom- mendation the appointment was made.
 Sent His Report
 At any rate. the mysterious Burton wrote up a preliminary survey of the fruit situation as related to tariff. and sent 1t to the board. In due course 1t was read by one in authority, and the decision was that Burton was not just the investigator needed
 Exactly why the Burton report was not acceptable, is difficult to get at. Of- ficials at the tariff board intimate that Burton had a good deal more of opinion than of information. He presented nu- merous facts, or alleged facts, but failed to quote authorities for them The board decided that it didn't want any moro of his reports, and communi- catd the fact to his last known ad- dress.
 But 1t was too late. Burton had gone merrily on his way to investigate fruit raising in Mexico. The letter didn't get to him; there was some tele- graphing, in the effort to head him off. But word came back from Los Angeles that he had gone to Mexico his associates couldn't give his address
 Nothing more was heard from the busy investigator. In due time how ever, he sent a report on fruit in Mexico. and word that he was going to chase off to Europe, on the trip that the tariff board. would not have to pay for but of whichsit would get the bene- fit in the form of reports on fruit in Spain and Italyss-g
 Again the board attempted to catch up with the agile Burton; and again he was too fast for it. The report on Mexico was filed away, and the commits sion tried to forget Burton.
 He had been paid his s1000,' ex- plained Secretary Brahany. and his service had ended He was under no ob- ligation to do any more work for us and we didn't want any more. But we couldn't get into communica tion with him.
 Burton went along to Europe, and after while a report came in from him there. But again the board was unable to locate him. He was always a few laps ahead of all letters or tele- grams. The board considers that he s not in it's employ, and has no interest for it. A man who won't stay in one place long enough to receive notifica- ton that he is fired Is subject to prohibitive tariff in the opinion of the board.
 Still Unfired
 "It is now something over a half year since the board has been in the enter prlseing act of firing Burton, but up to date he has kept comfortably ahead of 1t. He is believed to have made a new worlds record in the matter of keeping just out of range.
 "The last information as to his where abouts is from his letters published in Los Angeles newspaper. In these Burton is writing a series of castiga- tions of the whole tariff reform idea that would rejoice the very soul of Will bur WalSeman and make the Home Market club realize that it really never knew much about standing pat at best Persons who want ito tamper with tariff schedules are engaged in a gigantic plot, according to Burton, to pauperize this country. It's something awful. the criminality of questioning whether particular duty could be reduced. Of course. it couldn't, decides MT. Bur ton, Impartial and expert investigator
 The tariff board doesn't care to talk much about Burton. fF
 I've were looking into lemons and
 HUBBARD BROS. & GO.