The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1911-12-03
REPORTS OF TARIFF BOARD EAGERLY AWAITED

In the meantime Congress had been
voting money for the support Of the
board 1t had authorized. From foreign
tariffs the board turned to domestic tar
IFS, to pulp and news-print paper, spe-
officially, and later to Canadian reciproc-
ity. Concurrently It was investigating
wool and cotton. There was a can inside
and outside Of Congress for what was
termed "a scientific settlement Of the
tariff question" Facts were demanded.
How much does ii cost to make a yard
Of cotton cloth In the United States?' 1t
was asked. And how much in Eng
land?' There were similar questions con-
corning shoes, pig iron, steel rails, ready
made clothing, and so on. A bill passed
the House of Representatives last sum-
mer giving the tariff board standing
in law-the President can turn the board
out of Office in a day II he'is so inclined
and increasing its membership by two.
The bill got into the jam of the Senate
during the last days of the session and
failed to pass. Besides, 1t was not I'M
opposed in some quarters.
Mindful OF the spirit OF the proposed en-
actment, desiring also to show that a
packed jury was outside of his purpose,
the President recently added two men,
both Democrats, to the board-Mr. How
ard, of Georgia, and Thomas w. Page,
forty-four years old, Of Virginia and Cali
fornia. DR.. Page-he IS a Phi. D., by a
degree given him at the University OF
Leipzig-had been a professor Of COM
merce, history, and economics. He studied
at the universities of Oxford and Paris
and has taught in Texas and on the
Pacific Coast. While he is classed as a
Democrat, he is, like DR.. Emery, a scien-
fist first, and, no doubt, theoretical
free trader.
The political divisions of the tariff
board are, therefore, about as follows:
Emery, economist, inclinesJ toward Re
publicanism: Page, economist, with de-
cided appetency toward Democracy; San
ders, agriculturlst, low tariff Republican;
Reynolds, newspaper man, high tariff Re
publican, and Howard, lawyer, a tariff
for revenue Democrat. Helping these
men are sixty investigators in the field
and eighty economists, statisticians. ex-
pert accountants, trade specialists, clerks
and stepograohers. So far the board has
received $4,000 for its support. Its offices
are in the Treasury Building. Its objects
have been concentrated into single,
short sentence "a tariff board" DR..
Emery has said, should neither propose
nor dispose (these are functions of Con-
gress) IT should merely disclose, In
other words. get the facts. And facts.
President Taft explains, are what he is
waiting for.
Never Will he Settled.
But will a board, sitting constantly, as
has been planned, but not arranged so
far, having its information always
brought down to date. remove the tariff
from political debate and make it a bust
ness matter of dollars and cents?
The answer is. Tt will not" There
can be no hope whatever in that direction
unless the voters OF the country prac-
tically agree on the ethics, fundamentals,
and principles of a purely economic ques-
ton. Men believe in high protection,
low protection, incidental protection, and
no protection. Their differences in three
Of the cases, at least, are radical. In
cidental protection-meaning a tariff
for revenue only-might reach an under
standing with low protection. Agree
ment, however, would go no further.
Shall saloons be open-yes. Shall saloons
be open-no. High tariff and free trade,
though not moral questions, are equally
as wide apart and irreconcilable.
The tariff board in time" DR.. Emery
says, should be able to show what kind
of a duty would prevent foreign COM
petition Altogether; what kind of a duty
would prevent foreign competition when
business is good and the demand active;