The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-01-06
AN IDEA OF BRIBING.
Three and Two on Commission
Might Result to Suit.
Places for Retired Statesmen
Also Are Considered.

JectS that is now most seriously ag1tat-
ing the minds of legislators in connec-
ton with the tariff commission ques-
tion is whether or not the proposed
body shall consist of three, five, seven
or nine persons. This is the familiar
stage that is usually reached in any
large federal undertaking which seems
likely to afford a field for officeholding.
In such cases almost invariably an eff
fort is made to have the measure to
be passed deal primarily with office
holding and questions relating thereto.
Sometimes such effort does not pro-
duce an absolutely fatal effect upon the
legislation which is being planned. but
on other occasions it has a decidedly
injurious influence. In the present case
it is the opinion of those who are close
to the situation that decidedly greater
Importance should be assigned to the
question of the numerical strength of
the proposed commission than most
people are willing to give it.
Composition of Tariff Board.
The present tariff board, which was
appointed by President Taft without
the express permission of congress, con-
sists Of three members. In his annual
message the president said that he did
not know that an increase to five would
Endorsement Of the idea of an increase.
Experience has shown that there is no
reason whatever for such an increase.
but that, on the contrary, it would be
decidedly better not - add ANY new
factors. The present board mas been
thoroughly harnIDn:Dus. - far as all
outward indications go, and it is quite
likely that. in view of the unsettled
conditions which prevailed after the
adoption of the Payne-Aldrich tariff
had to be applied by the board and
that other matters OF the sans rt
were pending the appointment of three
members was not unwise. Develop
mentS, however, have strongly inclined
the best observers to the opinion that
a board or commission is not wanted
at all in tails matter. but that the best
results of investigation will be obtain
ed by the creation of a tariff bureau
under the head of a single competent
man. Ample precedent for such a de-
cision is found in the fact that The
bureau of corporations has been organ
ICED in the way indicated and has been
set at work along very much the same
lines that it is desired to pursue in
connection with the tariff.
Reason for Enlargement.
The reason which is now confessedIy
put forward for the enlargement of the
commission, or board, is found simply
I'm political considerations. 1t is be-
neV6Q LndI TWO members
tn organization. and by specifying
that these members shall be Democrats
Cthe three already in office being Re
publicans), Democrats will be bribed
into voting for the bill and perhaps IN
paying heed to the recommendations Of
the commission in a way that they
would not under other circumstances
This is directly mentioned by some of
those who have been working on the
new form of tariff commission bill as a
good reason for specifying five mem
bers instead Of three. An interesting
commentary on the whole situation is
seen in the desire of certain Repub-
1icans to have the number of members
raised to seven or nine in order to pro-
vide places for some statesmen who
would otherwise have to retire from
public life at the end of this session of
congress. It is assumed that the three
members of the present tariff board
will be continued on the commission
should the latter be created; and as
the two new members Con the basis of
9. total membership of. five) would be
Democrats, there would be no field for
the placing of Republicans in satisfac-
tory appointments unless the total
number was either seven or nine
Hence the demand for the creation #
unnecessary places.
NIisconception of Work.
The whole tariff commission move
rnent as observed here is based 11pon a
fundamental misconception of what
such an organization ought to do. An
parently, the idea is that by creating q
large body, consisting OF five, seven Or
nine members, a sort of tribunal will
be established which will have some
real authority on the tariff. 1t is now
definitely settled in everybody's mind
that no such organization can have
any functions other than those of in
vestigation. Nevertheless, some of the
tariff commission bills that have been
introduced provide for the keeping of
records of all votes in the commits
sion and for the holding of stated SEES
sions of a public character AS a mat
ter of fact, the present tariff board has
found that there is no occasion for any
such meetings and that it's work con-
sists entirely in determining plans of
investigation and then in getting those
plans carried out. There is no need for
any votes since the object is to as
certain facts, and when the facts have
been obtained there is no chance for a
difference of opinion about them. Some
legislators who have been asked the
pointed question why they want to
create a large piece of unnecessary ma
chinery of this kind are now saving
that the scheme is intended simply to
give confidence" to the public.
Political Buncombe Real Object,
About all that this means is that the
furtility of the tariff commission idea *
now thoroughly admitted by everybody
who has looked into it. and that, as is
admitted, the only object in adopting A
bill of this kind is to quiet public
clamor and enable the conservative Re
publicans to claim that they have done
everything they were asked to do in
this connection Further than this no
distinct object seems to be had in mind
by legislators; yet it is now planned to
establish a tremendously costly piece
of machinery that can serve no very
genuine purpose beyond that of tenn
porary political exigency.
Glass Factories Retrench.
Chanute, Kan, Jan. Sword has
been received here that managers of
factnries nroducing handmade window