The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-03-28


 sion and involves inconsistency. MT. Taft's inconsistency in advocating re- gently the Mccall bill amounts to noth- ing. He compromised, made concessions. We have quoted what he said when speaking his own opinions In his De- oember. 1909, message, when squinting to- ward another possible revision he also said: Nothing, however, halts business and interferes with the course of pros perity so much as the threatened revision of the tariff'-a palpable argument, at that date, against a permanent commits sion.
 Emery Report
 To the message of March 2S, 1910, a re- port from Chairman Emery of the tariff board was appended, asking, as the Pres ident did for more money, and, though the board had been at work for more than six months, neither the President nor the chairman then asked for permanency or for more power
 Insurgent tariff commission bills in Con gross were apparently unnoted by the majority until the time came, long fore seen by these insurgents when the re- publican party found itself, not only d. vided, but defeated
 Then for the first time, with a future democratic House and a new Senate looming into view, we hear from a mem Der of the tariff board. already more than a year at work, that the board needs more power. An assistant secretary of the treasury re-eohoes the cry. Stand patters lend their ears. Business men" also listen, and now we have the spec tacular convention, closing with the love feast in the banquet room of the New Willard.
 Thenceforward the new united repub- licans stand for the Beveridge (perma- nent) tariff commission bil which in the House became the Mccall bill. In that bill we find (section 3 all the in crease of powers the tariff board would have had if the bill had passed the Sen ate. viz: power to subpoena witnesses to administer paths, call for books and papers, and fin case of failure to com ply . the board may report to Congress such failure.' Congress Gin the bilD upon such report cannot, and is not expected to, do anything with the recusant witness, for there Is not even the pretense of a law making it the duty of the witness to obey the subpoena, pro- duce his books, take an oath, or even answer question. If he refuses to do any of these things. the only penalty is that the board may make the matter public by reporting to Congress.
 Dogberry: This is your charge; you shall comprehend all vagrom men; you are to bid any man stand in the prince 8 name'
 Watch How if e will not stand?"
 Dogberry: Why, then, take no note of him, but let him go; and presently call the watch together and thank God you are rid of a knave."
 Congress had improved on Dogberry's 8 injunction to take no note of him."
 The "Vagrom Man"
 The board is to take note, and further, .,,;1I flo,- ;,, aJI, phrase, tell on' the "vagrom man.
 To this complexion has come at last the organized and widely advertised ef- fort for more power in the tariff board.
 Congressman wisely concluded that they could not constitutionaly confer more power over witnesses than MT. Taft's board already had. viz, power to collect information voluntarily given.
 If Mir. Taft now thinks that giving publicity to refusals by witnesses would be efficient, he can direct it by a stroke of his pen. Or, if the board approves of the method, it may, of its own mo- ton, resort to 1t. No action for libel would lie against it's members if ---ey should publish the names of business men refusing to show books, or to other wise divulge the secrets of their busi- ness
 The President has recently added to
 
 contemplated in the Mccall bill, and now with this augmented number of workers let us note how appropriations have been augmented since MT. Taft, in De- cember, 1909, made his estimate of $75,O00 year for three years. The board has had. for 1909, S75000; for 1910, $25000O, and has for 1911. $225,000. Surely, when we recall MT. Tafts estimate in December, 1909. of two three years for the whole work the hoard ChO1116 hy ,ar next have completed, if not two-thrds, at least one-third of the 13 tax schedules
 That trained investigators, with un- limited money to employ helpers, can ob- tain information that will be of value in framing a tariff bill is not denied. Such Information, conscientiously ob- tained, would leave untouched no detail concerning the productivity of labor and of machinery, resources available, eco homie advantages and disadvantages, prices of raw material and of partly fin- ished and wholly finished articles, as we'll as money wages. Tariff reformers would ridicule out of court any report, whether of a majority or minority of the tariff board. that should neglect any of these clements; while with full information on these points nothing would be easier than to combat the theory of the protectionists that money wages constitutes the chief, or even an important, element in the high prices Americans now pay for man ufa ctured goods Full information would demonstrate too. the impolicy of paying two or three prices to a manufact who will vote for protection, if he can show that without exorbtant protection he could not do business at profit
 The tariff board is now presumably n position to give information promptly. Should it fail or refuse to do so there would be no obligation on Congress to wait. On the ther hand if democrats should fall to consider, or to demand before framing their legislation, nfor- nation which the public will believe was accessible, the consequences might be serious.
 It must also be remembered that tariff board reports whether or not called for or considered now. are coming.
 Call for Report
 Tt is therefore, respectfully asked Why not the ways and means committee call now for reports to be made on specified schedules, say, one each in Au- gust, September, October and Novem- Der? As we have seen the board has had ample time, as well as facilities and we cannot presume that either MT. Taft or the board would make any difficult ties If not seen before, it might be awkward, and would probably be loss of time to be compelled to answer tariff board figures, for the first, time, on the floor of the House.
 The request of the tariff board for more power, belated though it was, does not convict it of intent to delay, nor can we presume that any delay has resulted from such request The work abroad, where our laws could give no help, and the utilization here of Glatcrial already at hand we must presume occupied the at