Arizona republican., 1913-04-21
Instead of Writing Tariff Bills by Guesswork and Then ''Squabbling" New Party Advocates An EX- pert Commission
WOULD INSURE SANE PROCEDURE
Present Proposed Measure is Generally Styled "the Underwood Bill,' But More Properly is the Wilson Bill

tF'rom Republican CorrespondenD WASHINGTON, D C., April 20- Tn much of the discussion of the ! new tariff measure, it probably will be described as the Underwood bill" Possibly it would be more exact to describe it as the Wilson Under- wood bill." for there is no doubt that, l if it depended upon MT. Underwood alone to supply the chief element of driving power the bill as finally enacted would not bear much re- semblance to the measure he intro duced on the opening day of the session. The real force behind the bill is the president. MT. Wilson has done a number of things since his election quite out of the ordinary presidential course, but he has done nothing more extraordinary than is his ambitious attempt before the bill was made public. to effect an agree ment upon it between senate and house leaders, so that il should go through practically unchanged More over, there are many indications now that he has been largely successful and it will not be particularly sur prising to find his bill going through
 
 any important particular.
 Thre are numerous elements of dis satisfaction in the bill Many demo- crats in both house and senate are vigorously opposed to several of it's provisions. They would be glad to see important changes made. If they dared, they would fight for these changes but they do not dare. Mr Wilson has been successful in his first move, for the bill is accepted widely as a smashing reduction of rates and already there is no little talk that the result is bound to be substantial decrease in the cost of living. Many articles of daily con- sumption by all the people either go on the free list or sustain substantial cuts in duties
 This is really the paramount per formance of the bill. The promise of the democratic campaign was to re- duce the cost of living and the chief method which the democrats promised to employ in bringing about such a reduction was just this kind of a smashing cut in tariff rates So the test of fulfillment of that promise will come when the pending reduction becomes law and has had reasona ble opportunity to operate.
 Both republicans and democrats display interesting anxiety over the situation. Many democrats are desperately afraid that the bill will produce hard times and possibly panic Many republicans are afraid that it will not. The democrats hope but do not know-that the bill will fulfill their campaign promises. The republicans hope-but do not know that it will smash industry as wei as rates and afford an opportunity for a reneweal Of the old standpat cry for tariff privilege
 The fact is, nobody knows what the bill will do. just as nobody knows exactly the reason for any particula provision in it. The bill has beer made in exactly the same manner ano by the same methods that previous republican bills were made, on secre information rather than on data ob tainable by the general public. Tn democratic ways and means com mittee went through the perfunctor, farce of holding public hearings jus ss the republican ways and mean
 
 testimony was given on each occa sion. MT Underwood ostensibly use this testimony to justify one set o rates just as MT Payne ostensib used his testimony to justify hi rates In each case. if there was an positive information on which tn rates were based, it was conveyed t the authors of the bill in secret an has never been made public Tn democratic method of tariff maxim IS exactly as much a sham as wa the republican method The demo crats talk of the principle of tarii for revenue only" the republican talk of the principle of high protec tion' Neither side has the suppo, of scientifically obtained authenti information. Each writes tari, bill by guesswork and by rule ( thumb"
 The demand of the progressix party is that all this sham fightin shall cease: that there shall created. first of all. a permanent. ir dependent, nonpartisan. expert tari commission with ample power ar means to secure complete, reliable il formation upon all subjects enterir into tariff legislation. Thus . the would be furnished to everybod high tariff, low-tariff and no-tari