The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-03-01
Wants Revision Based on Sys-
tematic Scheme
OF ACTUAL STATISTICS
Therefore, He Says, the Work of the
Tariff Board Ought to Be Continued
He Appeals for More Funds
to Sustain the Work.

las given an authorized interview OF
tariff making. 1t is entitled Common
Sense VS.. Haphazard Methods" and APP
pears in the current issue of The Out
look. 1t was secured by special repre-
sentative of The Outlook, and is in part
as folows
Not that wish to see the tariff
question made the mere football of poll
tics" President Taft explained: eve
have had too much of that already
But / should like to have the people OF
the United States pass their deliberate
judgment on the issue as it has beer
made up within the last year--the diff.
ference between the common sense way
and the haphazard way OF making a
tariff law. As you know, am believer
in the Republican policy of protection
/ want to see it continued; but | also
want to see our party strengthen it by
giving it an underpinning which cannot
be swept away by the first passing flood
of popular sentiment.
"And this purpose could be accom-.
plished- how?" | asked
First, by finding the rates at figures
not dictated by group of domestic pro-
granted in exchange for party support,
but based on the difference between the
cost of production here and the cost of
production abroad, ascertained by means
which preclude all doubt of the substan-
tial accuracy of the calculation.
Second, by establishing on a perma-
nent foundation the machinery for col
lecting the data of cost, so that it can
be in continuous operation and its work
ever more and msre easily done. This
machinery, | need not tell You, should
be in charge of a tariff commission or
board, corresponding in general way
with the non-partisan tariff board we
now have.
"A good many persons evidently think
that the whole purpose of tariff board
is to collect material for single tariff
bill or series of bills; and not unnat-
urally, those who wish to see the govern
ment economically administered question
the wisdom of spending so much money
and employing so many experts for the
preparation of the tariff legislation of
1912, in view OF the possibility that all
this work may be torn up and done
over as soon as new set of hands
take charge OF. our public affairs. Now
it is just such contingency that the
tariff board is designed to avoid The
collection of data to guide this years
legislation is only a first step. From
now on, if Congress consents to prolong
its existence, the board will continue
collecting data through the channels it
has already opened, and with the aid of
mar, fro iua1 ia fhair d,tfsas
After reviewing the work of the board
at considerable length, the interview
continues:
Tariff Revision
"To return to the broad question Of
tariff revision, You are not disheartened
by what some critics say about the dan.
ger of keeping the country in perpetual
ing coming changes?"
Nothing could do more to prevent
such ferment than the very plan we
are now considering. Hitherto, we have
seen the whole tariff structure torn to
pieces and rebuilt whenever there has
been a change of parties in control at
Washington, and even sometimes when
the same party has remained responsible
but the personnel Of the group in COM
mand has changed. Such overhaulings
are always accompanied by more or
less violent CONFUSION of business, fol-
lowed by state of stagnation pro-
tracted through the whole period while
the outcome continues at all in doubt.
The new bill is talked about for long
time before it is framed there are ex-
tended hearings in committee. and after
ward a series of secret sessions behind
barred doors and debates at some length
on the floors of Congress; and after all
these there is possible interval of ten
lays during which, if the bill is sus.
pected Of being distasteful to the presi- !
lent, its fate at his hands remains I'M
,ertain.
"At the committee hearings ex parte |
statements are presented by men pecuni- |
arily interested in the several trades ana |
Industries which are liable to be af-
fected by the proposed legislation. Ey- /
erybody with am ak to grind either !
brings ii to Congress himself or tries to /
influence that body through an agent on |
he ground. In every instance. the length |
Of time which has elapsed since the |
asst revision, and the changes of condi- /
ions in various lines of production and |
commerce in the interval, rouse gen
raj dread lest there be heavy increases /
If duty in one quarter or deep cuts in !
mother; and, unhappily. feeling has
widely prevailed that the decision where
o make such increases and cuts would |
,e reached, not by a calm consideration
# the merits of each case, but by log.
'olling or back-scratching process.
"Such unsystematic ways OF patching
tariff together open wide the avenues
or perjury and other fraud, Tor special
,leading for appeals to the most sordid
political motives, for the exercise of
ross favoritism ami the wrsakiHy OF
'etty revenges, and have given rise oven
o charges of bribery and Investigations
hadowing the good iePute OF men higA
n the councils of the nation l. il a
'leasant reflection that such an atmos-
here is liable to continue surrounding
UT tariff legislation indeinitelvs
'fWhat have we to offer as a substi-
utef A system which keeps always at
he disposal of Congress, and open to
he people, a chart of the worlds pro-
ucing activities, corrected almost from
sy to day. The changes noted in the
oreign cost of production of various
are doubtless Individually
light; in one case they may swing
endulum like, little this way and a
title that, ending their agitation at
bout the same point where it began.
n another, there may be a steady trend
o one side for while. due to causes
OF difficult to discover through the ma J