Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-09-26

| tective principle has heretofore been rec
ognized and enforced, have a direct
bearing upon the business and prosperi-
/ ty OF the country, and a substantial
change in the rates ought not to De
made without an earnest inquiry as to
the effect that may be had upon the
1 industries affected. The reform aimed
at in LIE organization of a tariff board
for the purpose OF making an Impartial
/ investigation into such facts as are rel
| evant TO these issues is of the highest
| Importance to the country. In the long
run believe IL to be of higher import
ance than the reduction OF any partic-
ular schedule. The agitation for such.
a board in the last two years has been
greatly in the public interest. and now
to throw away the benefit secured by
this public movement toward better
method Of readjus ing the tariiA Is to
take a retrograde step.
The tariff board has been referred 10
sometimes as a board of experts on the
tariff This is hal lily correct descrip.
ton. 1t would be impossible to secure
board all the members Of which nao
expert knowledge upon all the subjec-s
of the tariff. for the IA or 15 schedules
are very broad in their scope and in
clude much of what is manufactured
or produced in the world. Indeed. it Is
by no.means clear that il would be or
advantage to have in the board itself
men who are experts upon the making
and sale of particular articles mention
ed in the tariff. 1t is far better to have
in the board men who are in the habit
of making Investigations, who are IN
the habit OF calculating costs, VINO are
in the habit of digesting and analyzilg
great collections of evidence and re-
ducing them to inte-.-I emit conclusions
which may be stated for the benerit of
those who intend to use them. Thas ir
the profession of trained economists, ana
therefore I put at the head of this,
board Prof. Henry c. Emery, upon the
recommendation OF the president of a
number OF universities who were con.
suited. Mr. Alvin Sanders was the eo-
itor of the Breeders Gazette, a man Of
the highest standing, who hau devoted
his life to the study of the agricultural
interests of this country, while Mr.
Reynolds had been four years an assist
ant secretary of the treasury under
Roosevelt, in charge Of customs, and
had become very familiar with the OPP
Grafton of the existing tariff and its
construction. To these three added
Professor Page, OF the University CT
California, and then of the Universe y
Of Virginia. well known economist,
with the same general standing as that
of Professor Emery; and Mr.. w. M.
Howard, a former Democratic congress-
man from Georgia, and admittedly one
of the ablest and fairest members Of the
half dozen congresses in which he serv-
ed. The makeup Of the board insures
non-partisan action. The truth is. that
with the exception of Mr.. Howard ano
Of Mr.. Reynolds the board may be said
TO have no political affiliations at all.
AN INTELLIGENT BODY.
The board is board Of the highest
intelligence and ability, and well quail
fed by their previous experience to act
as Investigators, analyzers of evidence,
and judges of issues Of fact They are
under instructions to draw their con-
illusions without respect to their effect
and / venture to say that there Is no
board In the country less likely TO be
influenced by political or other improp-
er considerations than the tariff board
as it Is now constituted. Even the at
tacks made upon it. prompted by the
heat Of political controversy and impa-
thence at my vetoes, can not turn 1t
from judicial attitude toward all Ques-
lions that 1t is now considering.
In preparation for this work, Professor
Emery visited Europe and devoted a
very considerable time to consultation
with bureaus in Germany, in Austria.
and in other countries in which similar
bureaus were engaged in this same work.
He made a full report to the secretary
of the treasury, and. proceeding upon the
lines of experience which were pointed
out by the reports OF these foreign bu-
reaus, the board have organized an of
flee in which they employ 50 persons, Of
whom many are technical experts In the
investigations that they are making and
reporting to this tribunal for It's analy-
sis and consideration.
They were called upon to make a re-
port upon the comparative cost of the
manufacture of print paper in Canada
and In this country. They first made
a preliminary report, and then they
made a final report, and / venture to
say that never before has a report so
complete, so comprehensive, and so sat-
isfactory as to the comparative cost
of any product in two countries been
made as this upon the pulp and news
print paper. The data on pulp and paper
included in the report were secured from
50 ground wood mills. Is sulphite mills.
and sS news-print mills, making a total
of 11e mills. and representing 940,f7S tons
of news-print paper, or 80 per cent Of thei
news-print paper production of the Uni
ted States. The date for Canada were
taken from 10 ground-wood mills. sui
phite mills, and news-print paper
plants. Reports were secured covering
1872 per cent of the news-print paper.
COZ per cent of the ground-wood, and 557
per cent Of the sulphite pulp capacity in
Canada. All of these figures. including
those from Canada were secured direct
ly by representatives OF the board from
the books of the different companies.
They prepared exact schedules, includ-
ing all essential items Of equipment, cost,
and wages, and for each OF the compa-
MES included in the tables they have
the original schedules covering all items
in detail. They drst show the produc-
ton Of pulp and paper in the United
States, then the cost of production in the
United States. with an explanatory state
ment and tables and comment: then the
result of the Canadian investigation OF
the cos. of production of pulp and paper
there. In the fifth chapter is COM
parison of costs in the United States
and Canada. The sixth chapter treats