The Washington times., 1911-11-25
THE WORK OF THE TARIFF
BOARD.

The people of the United States are
going to be sadly disappointed if the
experiment of the tariff board proves
a failure. The plan was written into
the Payne-Aldrich act with the ex-
pectation that it would assume care
full study of tariff questions, and enable
Congress to act with valuable specific
data before it. 1t is indeed an expert.
ment SO far as this country is con-
cerned, but it represents method that
has succeeded in other countries, and
there seems no substantial reason why
it should not succeed here.
1t is now declared that the tariff
board, in its coming reports on the
cotton and woolen schedules, will
make no effort to recommend specific
rates or formulate definite conclusions
as to the detailed form legislation
ought to take. 1t will present to Con-
gress the results of its studies, will
present industrial history, statistics,
and much data; but it will not advise
Congress what specific rates should be
enforced.
Some disposition to criticism of this
policy has been shown, but it is too
soon to jump at conclusions. If the
tariff board had taken the other tack,
and had written the substance of two
tariff bills, one dealing with cotton and
the other with wool duties, naming the
rates that in its Judgment ought to
be made law, would there not have been
just as much protestation that the
board was trying to dictate the very
details of legislation? 1t seems alto.
gether likely, and the resentment of
attempted dictation in details might
have been quite as justiiable as the
charge that the board has not finished
its work.
The verdict on the boards work can.
not be made up until its materials
have been laid before Congress and
subjected to analysis and scrutiny. Ger.
tainly the board has had time and
facilities to do much that Congress
could not do for itself, and to do it
better than Congressional committees
could do it. 1t will not do to assume
that the board has failed, until it is
discovered whether Congress is going
to get any useful information out of
the reports.
Considering the political exigencies OF
the present time-a Republican Presi-
dent, a Democratic House, and Sen
ate in which only coalition of ordi-
narily opposing elements can make up
any kind of Il majority--the board may
be adopting the wiser course in main-
tanning a demeanor of modesty and
refraining from effort to force its judg-
ment on Congress. Congress has al
ways felt very well equipped to pro-
dite the judgment in such cases. 1t
might resent assumption that it was
any less able than formerly to assimi,
late and digest facts and reach con-
clusions in legislation. What it es-
pecially needs is information, and that,
it is assured, the tariff board is going
to give in ample volume.
The logical, natural, ultimate de-
velopment of the tariff board or com
mission plan undoubtedly will bring a
situation in which the board will
recommend specific rates; perhaps not
without the request of Congress, but
certainly when that request is pre-,
sented. These proposals need not be
regarded as more than working basis
from which Congress may proceed in
making its own analysis, determining
its own policy, and reaching its owl
independent conclusions.