The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1912-08-07

in Inc price OF living. IL should ex-
anime into the wages and conditions OF
labor and life Of the workmen In any
Industry. so as TO insure our refusing
protection to any industry Nunlass this
showing as regards the share labor re-
ctives therefrom Is satisfactory. This
commission would be wholly different
from the present unsatisfactory tariff
board, which was created under a pro-
vision OF law which failed TO give IL
the powers indispensable II II was 10
do the work IL should do.
IL VIII be well for us 10 study the
experience OF Germany In considering
this question. The German tariff COM
mission has proved conclusively the eff
hciency and wisdom OF this method OF
handling tarir questions The reports
or permanent, expert, and non-par-
tisan tarin commission would at once
STRIKE most powerful blow against
the chief intquity OF the old log-rolling
method OF tariff making. One OF the
principal difficulties with the old meth
od has been that A was impossible
70. the public generally. and especially
10" those members OF congress not d.
irectly connected with the committees
handling a tarir bill. to secure any
thing like adequate and impartial In
formation on the particular subjects
under consideration The reports OF
such tariff commission would at
once correct this evil and furnish TO
the general public full, complete, and
ldis'nterested information on every sub
1tct treated In a tarin bill. With such
reports II would no longer be possible
Ito construct a tariff bill In secret or
to Jam II through either house OF con
gress without the fullest and most
illuminating discussion. The path OF
itae tarin Joker" would be rendered
Infinitely difficult.
AS a further means OF disrupting the
Odd crooked. log-rolling method OF tar
III making. all future revislons OF tho
Itarif should be made schedule by
schedule as changing conditions may
lrequire. Thus a great obstacle will be
thrown In the way OF the trading OF
votes which has marked so scandalous-
lily the enactment OF every tartn bill
OF recent years The tariff commits
sion should render reports at the call
.lof congress or OF either branch OF
&C nGress and TO the president. Under
ltho Constitution, congress Is the tar
IN making power. IL should not be the
PURPOSE in creating a tariff commits
sion to take anything in creating a
tariff commission TO take anything
rather 10 AFFORD wise means OF g'v-
ling to congress the widest and most
scientific assistance possible. and or
furnishing II and the public with the
fullest disinterested information. Only
| by this means can the tarin be taken
out OF politics. The creation OF such
permanent tarin commission. ana
the adoption OF the policy OF schedule
4 by schedule revision. will do more TO
accomplish this highly desired object
| than any other means yet devised
4 Inc democratic PLATFORM declares IoT
la taTif for revenue only, asserting that
la protective tariff Is unconstitutional
To say that protective tarin Is un-
constitutional, as the Democratic plat
| form insists. Is only excusable on
theory of the Constitution which would
make IL unconstitutional TO legislate In
any shape or way for the bettermeEt
OF social and Industrial conditions. The
abolition Of the protective tariff or the
substitution for IL or tarin for reve-
nue. only, as proposed by the Demo-
cratic platform. would plunge this
country In the most widespread indus
trial depression we have yet seen and
this depression would continue for an
indefinite period. There IL no hope from
the standpoint Of our people from ac-
( ton such as the Democrats propose.
THE one and only chance to secure
stable and favorable business condi-
tions In this country, while at the
| same time guaranteeing fair play .
farmer, consumer. business man. and
wage worker, lies In the creation Oh
such a commission as l herein advo-
cate. Only by such acommiss'on and
only by such activities OF the commits
sion Will IL be possible for us to get
a reasonably quick revision OF the tar
| III schedule by Schedules revision
which shall be downwards and not ur-
wHrds. and at the same time secure
square deal not merely to the manu-
facturer. but to the wage-worker and
to the general consumer.
i High Cost OF Living.
| There can be no more important
Question than the high cost OF living
necessities. The main purpose or the
Progressive movement Is to place the
American people In possession OF their
birthright. to secure for all the Ameri-
can people unobstructed access to the
| fountains OF measureless prosperity
which their Creator offers them. We
! In this country are blessed with great
natural resources, and our men and
| women have very high standard OF
| tint nd ~ nd ri
Surely such being the case. we cannot
permanently support conditions under
which each family finds II increasingly
difficult to secure the necessaries OF
life and fair share OF It's comforts
Through the earnings of It's members.
The cost OF living In this country hes
risen during the last few years out
of all proportion TO the Increase In the
rate OF most salaries and wages: the
same situation confronts alike the ma
.ority OF wage-workers. small business
men small professional men, the
CLERKS the doctors. clergymen. Now.
grave though the problem Is there IL
one way TO make IL Rraver, and that is
to deal with IL insincerely, TO advance
fBlse remedies, to promise the impos-
s!ble. Our opponents. Republicans and
/ Democrats alike propose to deal with
II In this way. The Republicans In
their platform promise an inquiry into
be such inquiry But the way the
present administration has failed 10
keep its promises In the past, and the
frank dishonesty OF action on the part
of the Penrose- Ba -Guggenheim ma
Itional convention. makes their every
Ipromise worthless. The Democratic
party Affects to find the entire cause
OF the high cost OF living In the tarin.
and promises TO remedy II by free.
trade, especially free trade In the
| aecessaries OF life. In the first place.
this attitude Ignores the patent fact
! shat the problem Is world wide. that
everywhere. In England and France,
as I'm Germany and Japan. II appears
with greater or less severity: that in
England for instance IL has become n
very severe problem, although neither
THE tariff nor save TO small degree,
the trusts can there have any possible
effect upon the situation. In the Sec
iCnd place, the Democratic platform. IL
IL IS sincere, must mean that all du-
ties will be taken OF the products or
the farmer Yet most certainly we
cannot AFFORD TO have the farmer struck
down The welfare OF the tiller OF tho
sell is as important as the welfare OF
the wage-worker himself and We must
lscdulously guard both The farmer.
the producer OF the necessities OF life,
can himself live only IL he raises these
necessities for profit. On the other
hand. the consumer who must have
that farmers product In order TO live,
must be allowed TO purchase 1t at the
lowest cost that can give the farmer
his profit, and everything possible must
Tie done to eliminate any middleman
rwhose function does not tend TO In
crease the cheapness or distribution OF
the product and moreover. every
thing must be done TO stop all specu-
lating oil hraaH-