Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1913-01-17
odRPR|SE IN LAWS
NAoEL DISCOVERS A TARIFF
BOARD HAS EXISTED SINCE
THE YEAR 1888.
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 cLINroN.


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. It has Just been
brought publicly to notice that since
the year 1888 the government has
had the power through one of its de-
partments to do all the investigating
necessary to get proper business un-
derstanding OF tariff matters for the
uses of congress.
In other words. with all the trouble
that the administration had to get q
tarfh board and with all the excite
ment or debate attending the attempt,
ana with the final killing" of the
tariff board by congress, there has
been actually in existence q tariff
board with full powers which never
mas been at work and whose very ex-
istence presumably was unknown to
the law makers.
Bureau Of Labor's Duty.
A In the spring of 1883 Grover Cleve-
land. who was then president OF the
United States. gave his approval to a
law establishing what was known as
the bureau Of labor. In the act estab-
fishing this bureau was a provision
which read like this:
To ascertain at as early date as
possible. and whenever Industrial
changes shall make It 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 I'm such industries day. week.
month. or year. or by the piece. and
hours employed 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
3 or other combinations of capital. busi-
ness operations or labor and what
effect said trusts, or other combina-
lions 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 It. but the
provision giving the tariff investisat.
ing power. for that was what II
amounted to, remained as q part OF
the organic law of the land. It's en-
forcement, or rather its operation.
became d part OF the duty Of the de-
partment of commerce and labor.
Now Up 70 Commerce Bureau.
At the session of congress last sum-
mer the bureau of manufactures and
\ the bureau of statistics of the depart
Nment OF commerce and labor were
.Sonolidated into q bureau to be known
as the bureau of foreign and domestic
commerce. The section Of the bill
following the provision for the con
solicitation prescribes that those du
ties of the department OF commerce
and labor or bureau OF labor confirm
ed In section OF the act approved
June Is. 1888, that established the
same. are hereby transferred to and
shall hereafter be discharged by tht
bureau OF foreign and domestic com
MERGE"
Congress- last summer did away
with the tariff board. When II con
solidated the two bureaus named
above an intimation was made thai
the resulting bureau would be of gerv
Ice in collecting tariff data. but thert
was no intimation at all that the pow
or to collect II had been In the de
partment OF commerce and labor al
& along.
More DIscord In Sight.
Before this time 1t has been told
! how the Democratic majority does
& mot intend to recognize any third
PARTY as such in the next house
s. of representatives. Now 1t seems
that another element of posi-
BILE iiscord and resentment Ia to be
thrown into the house In connection
with this party division matter wher
the extra session meets. 1t IL said
that q number of -Repub
iicans, who must not be confused with
Progressives elected as such, and who
represent a new party. are soon to
confer with a view to decide as tc
whether or not they will enter the
caucus called by the Republican lead
era These Progresive-Republicans
all were elected as Republicans, but
for five or SIX years those of them
who have been in the house that long
have been virtually as progressive as
are the followers OF Theodore Roose
welt In the last campaign. and who
gave up all further thought OF call
ing themselves Republicans.
II the Progressive-Repu shall
refuse to caucus with the Republicans