The Washington times., 1911-01-03
BOARD MAY REPORT
SOON ON WOOD PULP
Rapid Progress Being Made
BY the Tariff lnveS-
/ tigatorS.
BODY EXPECTED TO
PROVE ITS WORTH
Going Into Facts Thoroughly and
Employing Only Able
Experts.

Rapid progress is being made by the
Tariff Board in the investigation into
the paper and wood pulp schedule.
1t will not be surprising II an early
report to the President on this schedule
will be made by the board. 1t is not
supposed that the President can lay the
facts before Congress in time to make
revision of this schedule possible in the
present session, for, even If report
should be made at once, there would be
many obstacles put in the path of any
attempt to revise a single schedule OF
the tariff.
Good reason exists for the belief that
when the-first report of the Tariff Board
does go to Congress, the country Will
sit I'D and take notice. 1t is declared
that when that report is made, the
country will gain an entirely new idea
OF the effectiveness OF the existing
board. This board has been widely as
sailed as being weak and inadequate to
its task, not so far as personnel Is con-
cerned, but in relation to its powers. In
fact, many of the Democrats have at
tackled the tariff board plan as sub
terfuge.
MAY Mean Lower Duties.
Whether the forthcoming report will
make such a showing of facts that II
will be pointed out clearly the duties
should be lowered on paper and pulp is
not disclosed, but intimations of That
sort are coming from responsible
sources.
Members of the board resent the no
ton that they are not going into the
facts demanded of them with the utmost
thoroughness. They point out that there
is lust one thing the board and the eX-
perts under it are doing, that Is to find
out the cost of production. Ihey are
not seeking to make recommendations
but simply facts and figures as 10 costs
and not as to prices. They are carefully
avoiding any treading on the toes OF
Congress by seeking to make recon-
mendations.
Numerous Experts.
In a quiet way, 1t is learned, the board
has gathered up numerous able experts
It has been hunting for men Of expert
knowledge in various lines. when
man is found who has the capacity to
find out the things the board wants to
know, he is employed. Among the mem
bers of the force of the tariff board are
various scientists and staustlclans OF
recognized ability and reputation.
It has been the idea of President En-
ery, of the board, and his two associates,
Messrs Reynolds and Sanders, that only
competent experts should be employed
tc make investigations and collate the
data, and that partisanship should be
absolutely disregarded.
: 1t is declared the board is finding
that some Of the testimony given before
committees of Congress is worthless
and worse than worthless in that II is
false and misleading. This is said to
be the case as to some of the testi-
mony before the Mann special commit
tee that investigated the paper and
wood pulp question. Some of this tes-
tImony gives an entirely erroneous idea
of costs and puts the figures too high.
Method of Inquiry.
The method of investigation of the
tariff board is to send two experts
Jointly to go through the books Of
manufacturer. The book figures are
obtained and not accepted until they
are indorsed as correct over the sigma
ture of the head of the establishment
or company. Then one or more experts
make an entirely Independent inquiry
and investigation. Nothing is taken for
granted when it comes to statements by
interested parties as to production cost.
1t is said the board has not thus far
felt the need of having authority to
examine persons under oath.