New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-08-07
Would Have the Tariff
Studied by Commission.

The frs. step should be the creation OF
permanent commission Of non partisan
experts. whose business shall b. u study
scientifically ell phases OF tariff making
and OF tariff effects. This commission
should be large enough 90 cover an the
different and widely varying branches OF
American industry u should have ample
powers 10 enable II 10 secure exact ana
reliable information. II should nave au-
thorlty 70 examine closely all correlated
subjects. such as the effect OF any given
duty on the consumers or the article or
which the duty IS levied; that Is II shouId
directly CONSIDER the question AZ 10 what
any duty costs the people IN the price OF
living
II Should examine into the wages and
conditions OF labor and life OF the work
men IN ans industry. so a. TO insure our
refusing protection TO any INDUSTRY unless
the showing as REGARDS the share laoor
receives tneretrom IL satisiactorg;r IDS
commission would be wholly different
from the present unsatisfactory 1ariH
Board, which was created under a pro-
vision Of law which failed 20 give IL the
powers indispensable II IT was 20 DO the
work it should DO.
II will be we'll for us 10 study the eX-
perience OF Germany IN considering thlo
question. The German Tariff Commission
has proved cOnclusively the enclencl auu
wisdom OF this method Of handling tsrlH
expert and non-partisan tariff commls-
sion would al once strike a most power
mi blow against the CHIEF iniQuity % the
Old log-rolling method u tarin MAKING
one OF the principal difhcultef win INC
ola method has been that u was i1lpos-
-ible for tho public generally. and espc'
clally Tor those members o. Conai ess not
directly connected with tho committees
handling a tariff bill, 20 secure anything
like adequate and impartial information
- gha mari iNfflar aunfrrfN Tr6WF con-
siderstion. The reports of such tsrin
commission would at once correct this
evil and furnish - the general pubic
full. complete and disinterested informs-
ton on every subject treated in a tarin
bill. With such reports Y would no
longer b. possible 20 construct u tarin
bill n secret or 70 Jam u through either
house % Congress without the fullest and
most Illuminating discussion. The path
OF the tariff "joker" would be rendered
infinitely difficult
AZ a further means OF disruptns the olt
crooked, log-roliing metnod o. iarltt
making. al future rsvislons 81 the tariff
should DO made schedule Uy schedule as
Changing conditions may require Thus
great obstacle will be thrown 30 the way
OF the trading OF votes which has market
- scaudalously the enactment o. every
tariff bill % recent years. The tariff
commission should render reports ~ the
call OF Congress or o. either branch or
Congress and % the President
The high cos; Of living was also dis
cussed at length. Colonel Roosevelt says.
There must be legislation which Will
bring about a closer business relation
ship between TO farmer and the con-
sumner. Furthermore TIE governments q:
the nation and OF the several states must
combine &c. doing every thing they San 20
make The ysrrer'- business profitable, go
that he shall get more out az the sOu. and
eni0v better business facilities for mar
kgting what he thus gets. II this man
ner his return VII be- increased. while the
price 20 tho consumer rs diminished. The
elimination OF the middlcman D. agr.-
cultural exchange and uy the Use az i'm
proved business methods generally. the
deyelopmeut OF geo roads. the reciama-
ton % arid lands and swamp lands. tho
Improvement iu the productivity Of farms,
the announcement NJ al agencies when
tend 90 bring people back 20 the soil and
70 make country ife moro interesting az
well as more prohtabie--all these move
ments WI. help no. only the farmer. but
,he man Who consumes TIE farmers
products