Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-09-29

rests upon the protective tariff basis
Everyone knows this, and everyone
must be aware that a change Of tariffs
IN such a way that those businesses
that are dependent upon protection for
their existence shall lose it must in
lure present conditions in all bust
ness. whether dependent on the tariff
or not The change, therefore, from
a protective tariff 70 q tariff for rev
enue only is necessarily hostile 10 ex-
listing business, and must lead TO bus
mess depression and al least temper
airy business disaster. But there are
many, and am among those who be
lieve that protection IN the past has
been too high and that il is possible
10 lower the tariff SO as not TO inter
fere with business, give living rate
of protection to existing enterprise and
yet prevent excessive prices growing
out of excessive rates. In carrying out
such a policy and maintaining such an
attitude, II is essential that the inter
ests OF business should be guarded by
close investigation into their needs as
70 q protective tariff, and this empha-
sizes the Importance and vital neces-
sity CT the maintenance of q tariff com
mission and of its asceTtainment OF
the facts with respect to business ana
the difference between the cost Of pro
duction here and the cost of produc-
ton abroad before tariff changes are
made.
IN OTHER COUNTRIES.
zone Of the prominent and useful
features of the administration of the
government in Germany, in Austria,
and in France is the existence Of under
officials consisting of a tariff bureau or
commission who follow closely the
changes in trade in their own coun-
try, and in other countries through
consular bureaus and otherwise. and
who keep IN constant readiness for use
4 digested mass Of Information which
enables them to advise the government
with the utmost accuracy what changes
in the tariff Law would help the trade
Of their own country, and what the ef-
feet Of the changes will be. They ex-
eTcise the closest guardianship over
the business OF the country with the
hope Of promoting its prosperity and
expanding its volume They would no
more think Of changing a policy like
that Of the protective tariff 10 a free
trade policy by one stroke. breaking
down the business Of the country in
many directions. than they would of
blowing up their battlaships or de-
stroying their fortifcations.
we have had in the past two years,
since the agitation and the excitement
growing out of the passage OF the
Payne bill. a strong movement toward
the establishment OF a tariff board or
commission which, by furnishing &C
curate information as to tariff matters
and the comparative cost of foreign
and home production in respect TO
manufactures and products. should en-
able congress TO act with care toward
the existing Industries Of the country.
and TO save them as far as possible in
any changes that might be made Tn
der circumstances which II is not now
necessary for me TO recount and by
appropriations furnished by congress,
| have been able to establish a tariff
board. and I have declined to promote
the passage of tariff measures framed
without the knowledge that within Il
few months this tariff board can fur
nish; and l have done so because |