Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1911-09-28

hooks OF the different cumpanies-
they prepared exact schedules. m
Guiding all essential items Of equip
ment, cost and wages. and for each
Of the, companies included In the a.
bles they have the original schedules
covering all items in detail
"A study Of this report will satisfy
any candid, impartial observer Of the
completeness with which It Is posi-
BILE to secure information without the
inouisitorial examination under oath.
and the greats- accuracy. that may. be
had ina quiet, friendly examination
of the books than By necessarily
antaRonistic ross-examinatiOn Of the
proprietor Of the business when on
the stand. The report indicates the
Judgment Of the European authori'
ties, whom Professor Emery consult
ed. that the use OF formal cross-ex-
aminations to secure facts In regard
to the cost Of the manufactured ar
ticles il not the best course for get
ting at the facts.
Other Work Not Duplicated.
1T said that other bureaus or agen'
cies of the government longer estab,
lished and Of better organization have
made. or are msl1ng, all the invesdga'
tons Of this kind necessary, The
maker Of such an objection fails to
appreciate the marked difference De-
tween the work Of the board ana most
other agencies of the government The
work Of the tariff board is not prl-
marily statistical. Other agencies OF
the government, especially In the de-
partmert of agriculture and the de-
partment Of commerce and labor. car
~ on statistical Investigations Oh
much Importance, much Of which has
to be used by the tariff board. and In
all cases the tariff board endeavors TO
avoid any duplication Of work OF this
kind. But such statistical work as TO
production, Imports and exports. num-
Der Of people employed, earnings per
week. etc, are very small part OF the
investigation necessary for q consider
alton Of tariff problems. No agency OF
the government has ever done even
statistical work primarily with view
to considering the effects Of tarin
rates on producers and consumers.
For instance, there is much printed
! material on the subject Of wages IN
different lines Of industry, but prac-
tically none Of this is Of much value
for a discussion Of tariff questions
since wages per day or per week sig
nifv little as to the actual labor cost
per unit OF article. The investigation
now being made by the tarin board
into the textile Industries will develop
knowledge regarding wages In rela-
ton to the amount Of output, efficiency
Of laborers and machines in this and
leading foreign countries OF a cnarac-
ter never made public before ana
based on the actual wages paid ana
output secured Of the thousands OF
laborers and thousands Of machines.
"a shown by the pay rolls OF the COM
panies checked up by the earnings OF
individual men,
"The bureau of corporations has IN
some cases made very careful examl-
nation into costs Of production. These
Investigations, however, were not un-
dertaken primarily with reference to
their bearing on tariff legislation so
far as they cover the ground neces-
sary for such purpose, there Will De
no need Of this work being duplicated
nv the tariff board. This is especially
true of the metal schedule. 1t is only
necessary to supplement this material
by such other information as may be
vital to a consideration Of the tarifr
/ proper.
"The best way to understand the
peculiar character Of the investiga'
tions Of the tariff board is to compare
their published report on pulp and
news-print paper either with the sta
tistical work Of other government
agencies regarding this industry OF
with the hearings before the ways and
means committee 1t is shown thai
this investigation does not In any way
duplicate the statistical work OF the
other departments. but that its scope
IL quite different, and yet the investi
cation develops data essential to an
understanding Of industries from
point Of view Of the tariff. F"
Az to Cost Of Production.
After comparing the boards method
Of investigation to that Of the ways
and means committee. to the detri
ment Of the latter. Mr.. TAFT said:
ut is objected that with reference
To the cost Of production there can b.
no scientific conclusion. II BY this Il
meant that there will be found to b
NO exact mathematical measure Of thu
difference in the cost Of production o
goods IN one country and Of goods II
another. Il is true. Conditions var
N different states. in different prov
Inces and In different counties. Thel
differ between different manufactur
ers. and the difference in the cost 0
production between two countries \
therefore a difference that can not b
TAI a W:tK Geihteness. n mSsS be
variable amount, and must be 80 stat
ed, but when thus stated with varia