The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-03-01
Opposes Making Question Mere Football of
 Politics
REVIEWS WORK OF
 THE TARIFF BOARD
Not Disheartened by Criticism of the Administration Policy--Says He Is Far From Free Trade Idea.
 Reasons for Vetoing Bills

New York, February 29.--President Taft has given an authorized interview on tariff making. It is entitled Common Sense vs. Haphazard Methods" and ap- pears in the current issue of The Out look. It was secured by a special repre- sentative of The Outlook, and is in part as follows
 Not that | wish to see the tarif ques- ton made the mere football of politics.. President Taft explained, we have had too much of that already. But l should like to have the people of the United States pass their deliberate judgment on the issue as it has been made up within the last year-the difference between the common sense way and the haphazard way of making tariff law. As you know. am believer in the republican policy of protection. | want to see 1t continued; but also want to see our party strength eh 1t by giving it an underpinning which cannot be swept away by the first pass ing flood of popular sentiment" His Methods
 And this purpose could be accomplished l how? asked.
 
 dictated by a group of domestic produc- CTS for their own enrichment. and granted in exchange for party support but based
 on the difference between the cost of
 production here and the cost of production ! abroad, ascertaned by means which pre- clnde all doubt of the substantial accuracy of the calculation.
 l Second. by establishing on a permanent foundation the machinery for collecting i the data of cost. so U4at 1t can he in com
 tinuous operation and It's work ever more and more easily done. This machinery. [
 need not tell you, should be in charge of a tarlff commission or board, correspond
 ns in a general way with the non partisan tariff board We now have.
 Purpose of Tariff Board l "A good many persons evidently think | that the whole purpose Of tariff board I K to collect material for single ts l bfn of series of bills, and nut uhnSt1.rall%.s Y those who to see the government econom- 1 ically administered question the wisdom | of spending so much money and employ l ins SO many experts for the preparation of the tariff legislation of 1912 in view
 Of the possibility that all this work inns
 he torn up and done over az soon as a
 new set of hands take charge or our pnb-
 lie affairs. Now, it is Just such a con 1 tinseney that the tariff board Is designed 1 10 avoid The collection of data to guide this years legislation Is only a first step. From now on. if Congress consents 10 prolong its existence, the board will con- | tinue collecting data through the channels if has already opened. and with the aid of men trained In their dntiesH
 After reviewing the work of the board al considerable length, the interview con- tinues.
 t. tariff revision you are not disheartened by what some critics say about the danger Of keeping the country in perpetual fer ment of nervous apprehension regarding coming changes?'
 Would Prevent Ferment
 Nothing could do more 10 prevent such ferment than the very piar. We are now considering. Hitherto we V have seen the whole farid structure torn To pieces and rebuilt whsneye- there has been a change of parties lr control al Washington and even soms- times when the same party has re- mained responsible. but tine personnel of the group in command has changed. Such overhaulngs are always accom- panied by a more or less violent con vulsion of business. followed by state of stagnation protraeted through the whole period while the outcome continues at all in doubt The new Dill. Is talk ed about Tor long time sr> before II is framed; there are extendedf hearings in committee and afterward a series of secret sessions behind barred doors and debates al soinI length on the floors of Congress: sn after all these there is a possible in ierNa1 of 10 days during which if tn. bill is suspected of being distasteful t,- the President. it's fate at his bands reT mains uncertain. At the committa hearings ex parte statements are pri sented by men pecuniariiy intereste in the several trades and industrie which are liable to be affected by u proposed Legislation. Everybody wi; an ax to grind either brings il to sc0n- gress himself or tries to innuencA that body through an agent on the ground In every instance the length of time which has elapsed since the last rr vision and the changes of condition9 sn -- various lines of production and cjm- n.erce in the interval. rouse gendral dI cad lest there be heavy increases of duty in one quarter Or deep cuts in another. and. unhappiiy. feeling has widely prevailed that the decision where to make such increases and cuts would be reached, not by a calm con- sideration of the merits of each ease. but by log rolling or back scratching process.
 Results in Politics
 such unsystematic ways of patching A farfn together open Wide the ave- nueS for perjury and other fraud, for special pleading, for appeals to the most sordld political motives, for the exercise of gross favoritism and the wreaking of petty resenges and have given rise even to charges of bribery and investigations shadowing the good repute of men high in the councils of the nation. Is ft a pleasant reflection that such an atmosphere Is liable 10 continue surrounding our tarin iegis- lation indefinitely
 What have we to o,rer as sub stitutes system which keeps always Of the disposal Of Congress and open To Inc people. chart of the worlds producing activities. corrected almost rom day to day. The changes noted in the foreign cost of production of var:- ouS commodities ara doubtless indi- sIdually slight; in one ease they may swing pendulum-like. little this wa and a little that. ending their sgifs- tfon at about the Ssnae point where I'd began in another there may bc d l~teadV trend to one side for whole do. sa ssaugas mol difficult fo dlSco.av