The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1913-01-02
SURPRISE IN LAWS
NAGEL DISCOVERS A TARIFF
BOARD HAS EXISTED SINCE
THE YEAR 1885,
WAS FIRST BUREAU OF LABOR
Its Duties and Powers Of investigating
Production and Prices Here and
Abroad Now Belong to Bureau OF
Commerce.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.

BY GEORGE CLINTON.
Washington.-An extraordinary dis
closure has come through a careful
reading of the laws Of the land by
Charles Nagel. secretary of COM
merce and labor. 1t has just been
brought publicly to notice that since
the year 1888 the government has
had the power through one OF It's de-
partments to do all the investigating
necessary to get proper business I'M
Outstanding of tariff matters for the
uses of congress.
In other words, with all the trouble
that the administration had to get
tariff board and with all the excite
ment of debate attending the attempt,
and with the final killing" OF the
tariff board by congress, there has
been actually in existence tariff
board with full powers which never
has been at work and whose very ex-
istence presumably was unknown to
the law makers
Bureau of Labor's Duty.
In the spring OF 1883 Grover Cleve.
land, who was then president of the
United States. gave his approval to
law establishing what was known as
the bureau OF labor. In the act estab-
fishing this bureau was a provision
which read like this:
ITO ascertain at as early a date as
possible, and whenever industrial
changes shall make 1t essential, the
cost Of producing articles at the time
dutiable in the United States, in lead
ing countries where such articles are
produced, by fully specified units Of
production and under a classification
showing the different elements OF cost,
or approximate cost, Of such articles
of production. including the wages
paid in such industries a day, week.
month. or year, or by the piece, and
hours employed a day; and the profits
Of manufacturers and producers OF
such articles: and the comparative
cost of living. and kind Of living;
what articles are controlled by trusts
or other combinations of capital, bust
ness operations or labor. and what
effect said trusts, or other combina.
tions Of capital, business operations,
or labor have on production and
prices"
When the department OF commerce
and labor was established the bureau
OF labor was merged into 1t. but the
provision giving the tariff investigat
ing power, for that was what IL
amounted TO, remained as part of
the organic law OF the land It's en-
forcement, or rather its operation,
became part of the duty OF the de.
partment of commerce and labor :
Now Up to Commerce Bureau.
At the session OF congress last sum-
mer the bureau of manufactures and
the bureau OF statistics of the depart
ment OF commerce and labor were
consolidated into bureau to be known
as the bureau of foreign and domestic
commerce The section of the bill
following the provision for the con
soiidaton prescribes that those du.
ties 3f the department of commerce
and labor or bureau Of labor confirm.
June 10, 1888. that established the
same. are hereby transferred to and
shall hereafter be discharged by the
bureau of foreign and domestic com,
merce."
Congress last summer did away
with the tariff board. When 1t con
solldated the two bureaus named
above an intimation was made that
the resulting bureau would be OF serv-
ice In collecting tariff data but there
was no intimaton at all that the pow
or to collect it had been In the de
partment of commerce and labor all
along.
More Oiscorc In Sight.
Before this time II has been told
how the Democratic majority does
not intend TO recognize any third
party as such in the next house
Of representatives Now It seems
that another element of posi-.
BILE discord and resentment Is to ba
thrown into the house in connectio.
with this party division matter when
the extra session meets. 1t Is said
that 3 number Of Progressive.R epub-
leans. who must not be confused with
ProEressiyes elected az such, and who
represent new party, are soon to
confer with a view to decide as to
whether or not they will enter the
caucus called by the Republican lead
ers. These Progressive Republicans
/ oil "A.
for five or SIX years those Of them
who have been in the house that long
lave been virtually as progressive %
are the followers OF Theodore Roose-
welt in the last campaign. and who
gave up all further thought of ca l..
! ing thOmRolYes Rcnnhlicnna