American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1911-12-21
Tariff Board Will Tell Only Facts
and Conditions.
REPORT IS EAGERLY AWAITED
Presidential Candidates In Congress
Display Modesty In Their 6iog-
raphies Secretary Fisher
Hopes to End Alaska
Middle.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.

ACoSdSo Suggesting CuduScS III luo
Payne-Aldrich bill the report of the
tariff board will loom large. The
members of the tariff board have
been working with less trumpeting
than has sounded above the delibera-
tons of any other government COM
mission In history. At the outset the
members either impressed themselves
or had 1t impressed on them that the
tariff was a ticklish thing and that
anything they might say concerning
their work would be construed by
Democrats or by Republicans as being
partisan or as showing a leaning TO-
ward high rates or toward low rates.
The business OF the tariff board has
been to find out conditions. the diner
ence In cost of production at home
and abroad and the cost Of manu-
features. 1t seems to have been the
general impression that the report
which soon will be sent to congress
will contain recommendations con-
corning the lowering or the raising OF
some of the duties. 1t will contain
nothing of the sort, for specifically
the board is inhibited from recon-
mending anything to congress. All 1t
can do and all it has done Is to put
forth facts as it has found them. le>v-
ing congress and the country to draw
their own conclusions as to whether
duties on the articles are too high
or too low.
James G. Blaine used to say that
most young men leave college free
traders and then in the course OF time
become p~rotectionists. Mr.. Blaine's
word has been d%isproved in a good
many cases, but probably If he were
here to say 1t he would declare thai
the exceptions prove the rule.
Chairman Emery's Views.
In a few days Henry Crosby En-
cry, Alvin H. Sanders, James B.. Rey-
holds, William H. Howard and
Thomas W. Page will be centers Of
public attention. They constitute the
tariff board, of which Thomas w.
Brahany is the executive secretary.
1t is generally agreed in Washing
ton that Mr.. Blaine's word about
young men leaving college free trad
ers and becoming protectionists aft
erward goes astray In any intended
reference to Henry c. Emery. Some
of the high pro%tectionists in congress,
men like Boise Penrose and Reed
Smoot of the senate and Joseph G.
Cannon and John Dalzell of the house.
look on Mr.. Emery. who is the tariff
boards chairman. as being very much
OF a free trader. The chairman's in
Inmates say that his views on the tar
III are neither low nor In the middle
of the scale except as facts concern
ing schedules make him look up. down
or straight ahead. In other words, he
may be a free trader on some things.
a high protectionist on others and a
medium rate man IN others.
Reynolds Held a Protectionist.
James B. Reynolds, the second
member of the tariff board. is held
Formerly he was assistant secretary
of the treasury under the Roosevelt
ministration.
Alvan H. Sanders. the third men,
Der of the tariff board, is another
newspaper man. having been for
years publisher and editor OF the
Breeders Gazette. He is intensely IN
terested in the relation Of agriculture
to the tariff, and generally he is con-
sidered a sort of a middle OF the way
protectionist.
William H. Howard. a Democratic
member of the board. was a former
member of congress from the Eighth
Georgia district. At one time he was
solicitor general In the northern circuit
of Georgia
Thomas w. Page is another Demo
cratic member of the board. He has
been a teacher of economics in a Vir-
ginia university.
Great Men Are Modest.
In congress this year there are
-four real presidential possibilities
and several who are possibilities,
but who as yet cannot have the
adjective real attached. In the
house are Speaker Champ Clark and
Chairman Oscar w. Underwood Of
the ways and means committee, who
diSo is tH6 OeuOCfdtlc mousse leduer.
In the senate are Robert NJ. La Fol-
lette of Wisconsin and Albert B.. Cum
Minis of Iowa.
This mention of the we'll known fact
that four members of congress either
have presidential nomination ambi-
tons or are in a receptive mood is
made only for use in what may
be possibly a curious connection. The
lou men now in public prominence
and considered by many people as
sound presidential timber seem to
ave modesty well developed. and the
question is, does modesty always go
with greatness? In the Congressional
Directory there appear the biographies
OF all the members of congress. Read
M III tbEoaIzI- - 49, fanf