El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-12-02
TARIFF BOARD
PROVES ITS
WORTH
President Wished a Bi-
partisan Commission, but
Takes Board Instead.
EXPECTED TO END
TARIFF LOG ROLLING


suit of the decision OF congress to
enact a maximum and minimum tar
if law For several years there has
been a widespread agitation in favor
of taking the tariff out of politics"
and of constructing schedules with
each item standing on its own merits
rather than through the cOuuSiOn or
all interests and the system of log
rolling that has obtained, making them
all stand or fall together
But this agitation might have been
barren Of results except for the fact
that when congress decided to enact
maximum and minimum clause in the
Payne-Aldrich bill, it placed in that
measure a provision that the president
might employ such persons as were
needed to enable him to gather the
necessary information for the appL-
cation Of the maximum and minimum
provisions of a tariff. An appropria-
ton Of $4,000 was made for the en-
plOyment of these such persons
Finds a Wider Range.
The president found some work to
be done under the strict consideration
OF the tariff law by these such per-
sons" but he also found much wider
range of activities for them. he ap-
pointed three men, and called them
the tariff board. After this board,
which consisted of Henry Q. Emery,
noted political economist; Alvin H.
Sanders the editor Of an important
farm journal, and James B. reynolds,
an assistant secretary OF the treas
ury had completed its Investigations
into the maximum and minimum fea-
lures OF the tariff, president Tart set
il to work making further 1nVesuga-
lions, and when he made his report
TO congress asking for additional ap-
organizations for the tariff board, and
mapping out the work he proposed 70
have it do, that body gave MN the
necessary funds and endorsed the gen
erai idea Of having the tariff board
TO the COST OF
production in the United states anu
abroad.
At the last session Of the 6lst con-
vress president TAFT strongly urged
the creation of a tariff commission
to be made up as q bipartisan organl-
cation its members to inquire INTO
matters pertaining to the tariff VITA
out any reference to the political ext
gencies Of tariff making. 50 sure vas
he that the tariff commission lQea
would be enacted into law that ne nao
prepared a list Of commissioners IN
adva0ce This was to consist OF the
members Of the existing tarlIL podIo
with the addition Of former congress
man William NJ. Howard OF georgia
and professor Thomas w rage OF
the University of Virginia
Congress did not see lit TO create
tariff commission, but 1t was Wiling
TO continue the appropriations neces-
sarv for the conclusion Of the Work OF
the tariff board Upon the strength
of that president TAFT appointed
Nessrs Howard and Page as the DEM
ocratic members Of this tarlI1 ooaro'
and thereby made 1t what II IS To-Day
The first organized fight in favor
of the creation Of non-partlsan coiI
mission for the investigation OF laflAA
matters had its inception in Indian
aDoIfs in February, 1903, When the
National Tariff Commission assoc1a-
ton was formed. This assoclauoI
made a careful study OF the evils OF
the system of making tariff laws ~
the mast and decided to urge upon al
interests the creation of a tariff COM
mission This association embraces
inward of a hundred affiliated organl-
cations and more than hundred Lho1-
sand firms CORPORATIONS and 1ndlFlG-
IaIs It's work is also supported by
the National Association OF ManuIac-
furers as well as by the National
Grange Of the United States.
Those who advocated the I i1z -, CON- ~,
mission asserted that it would put an
end to log rolling in tariff matters.
It is claimed by the advocates OF the
tariff commission idea that the pres
ant tariff board has abundantly de-
rnonstrated the value Of tarirI COM
mission. They assert that IaIlLL
rate intended to prevent 1mportaI loh
ceases to be a tax and becomes a SUI
sidv and that in the enactment OF tar
lee iavTs the only side usually heard
to anv extent is that Of those VINO are
interested in higher duties on COM
Beverfdge Leads Fight.
Former senator Albert J. Beveridge,
~ indiana. was one Of the leaders IN
the fight for the creation OF -arlLL
commission. He has pointed out some
Of the phases of tariff leglslatO1
which he regards as startling and
ridiculous. He calls attention TO the
fact that the duties fixed in the house
and senate on bOrax under the DlnSley
hill varied from cents in the house
2 in the senate n1Ll-
sugar cane varied from 20 cents in the
house measure to 10 cents as passed
BY the senate; floor mating was Il1eo
at S cents per square yard IN the mouse
and 4 cents in the senate He calls
afteution tc the fact that there could
he no scientific basis for such tremen-
dous differences as these, ana declares
that the conference committee which
adjusted differences on the whole Dill,
which in many cases, ranged from 90
percent to $50 percent, was IN session
only five days.
AFTER congress had created the tariff
board. 2S Republican state conventions
in their party platforms endorsed the
tariff commission idea The Repubn-
can party platforms in 10 states ad-
vocated the revision OF the tarirr
schedule by schedule. Not a single Re
publican state platform declared
against either.
Although there have been many
national tariff commission, whose aim
it would be to investigate tariff mat
ters without reference to the exigen-
cies of politics and to make recon-
mendations in accordance Herewith,
on the other hand, there have been
forces which have consistently Op-
posed the creation Of such a commits
sion Principal EmOng these is the
American Protective Tariff league It
has insisted that the best tariff COM
mission in the world is the congress Of
the United States, and that the proof
thereof is to be found in the tariff
laws that have been enacted. It has
been the experience in every investi-
cation by a commission in the past
that tariff duties have been declared
too high, and the Protective Tariff
league has never accepted this con-
clusion with reference 70 any tariff
laws vet enacted The Tariff league
passed a resolution in which it de-
cIared itself unalterably opposed to
the creation Of any such body as tar
if commission.
It is more than probable that the
forthcoming session Of congress viii
find two widely varying interests al
1fa7 N eraaffor of