The Detroit times., 1911-01-12

With President Taft urging con-
gress To provide for a permanent tar
in commission with congress. more
especially the house OF representatives.
seriously considering the passage OF
q bill on this subject; and with ma
tional convention representing large
number OF commercial bodies In ses-
sion for the purpose OF adding impetus
To the movement, IL Is safe TO say
the question of having permanent
tariff commission provided for by law
is more prominent in the United
States just at present than II has
ever before been. President Taft in
his last message spoke out for tariff
commission and he will address the
national convention at it's banquet.
At tariff commission convention
held ut indianapolis in 1909, the need
OF strong and permanent tariff COM
mission was emphasized and an eff
fort was made 10 impress this idea on
the country. A committee OF one hun
dred was appointed TO conduct an ag,
gressive campaign. This commit
tee finally resolved itself into the Ma
tional Tariff Commission association.
| Tn work OF the association has been
! in part educational. Ii has devoted
attention to the state conventions OF the
different parties and the result has
| been that d large number OF such con-
| veations have endorsed the perman.
ent tariff commission idea. The OH
Gals OF the association maintain that
| IL was in large measure due TO their
efforts that the present tariff board
was organized. Not only does the
association favor a commission, but
also action on one tariff schedule al
time.
The advocates of the tariff commits
sion take the position that a perman'
ent, non.partisan board, with powers
| specifically enumerated by law, Is es
sential TO the proper adjustment OF
tariff schedules. The removal OF the
tariff from politics. IL is urged, will
| be brought about IL the country is pro
vided with tariff commission. The
great function of such a commission
| as advocated by the National Tarifl
Commission association, Is toN GET al
the facts as 10 the cost Of production
in this country and abfoad~fn order
that tariff schedules may be adjusted
so as TO measure this difference. The
believers in a tariff commission as
sert they do not want such a commits
/ sion or board TO make recommends
tons. but they do want the facts sci
| forth so that congress can have them
at its disposal and adjust duties in the
| light OF the information thus present
ed.
| Support OF the tariff commission
idea in congress and the country can
no longer be said TO be partisan. The
| commission plan has strong Republi
can support and at the same time
many leading Republicans are op
posed to II. And there is also a divi
sion OF opinion among Democrats
/ Twenty-eight Republican state conven
lions have in recent months endorsed
/ the tariff commission principle, fifteen
have endorsed revision by schedule
! twelve have kept silent In eight there
has been no convention, and from one
there Is no report. Most OF the Dem
ocratic state conventions have made
no mention OF the subject but in Cali
fornia and Utah the tariff commission
principle was endorsed. In three Of
the states, Minnesota, South Dakots
and Wisconsin. the tariff board has
been denounced by the Democrats as
| u SuulCiluSCs
Recent conferences between tbs
president and leading members OF con
gress have resulted in strong dis
position to concentrate about bill
presented by Representative Long
/ worth, who Is a member of the ways
and means committee. This bill pro
vides for a commission of Ave mem
bers, with terms of six years, liberal
salaries, and ample powers to investi
gate persons or papers and to summon
| witnesses under oath. 1t is generally
supposed a tariff commission bill will
be passed at this session OF congress
1t Is set down as foremost in the
presidents program OF legislation
which he wants enacted at this SEES
sion. While the indications now favor
! legislation, II Is not to be forgotten
1 that short sessions OF congress are
proverbial for achieving little in the
way OF important general legislation
and there are rocks in the path on
which the commission idea may stun
BILE before March 4.
The constitution of the United States
says that all bills for raising revenue
shall originate in the house of rep
resentatives. This means that nc
other body can originate a tariff hill
Many argue that in view OF this pro
visiou of the constitution and hpcouss