The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-01-07

the work OF collecting information
will facilitate action when the time
to act comes.
There is n feature Of this SUBJ
ject concerning which there exists Il
popular notion. and it is quite wide
~ entertained. which is altogether
mistaken. This is the assumption
that each congress approaches the
subject Of the tariff without any
knowledge Of the facts which affect
1t. OF course there are those who
hold that the tariff is a subject 80
deep and abstruse and complicated
that no mar can possibly understand
It. and there are those who maintain
that the subject was intended
to he understood. but is like the law.
intended to befuddlc people. We may
dismiss this for the moment. and as
sumo that the tariff is a matter OF
business. capable Of being understood.
in the main. by intelligent people who
make the necessary effort.
With this idea in mind n good many
people seem to believe that each con-
gress is composed OF an entirely diff
ferent body OF me from the last, that
the information collected by one diff !
ferent body Of men from the last, that
the information collected by one con-.
gress is OF no value to its successor.
and that each congress that intends.
to do something with the tariff must
begin at the very beginning Of the
subject. as il it were entirely new
matter. and the members were new
students who had never heard Of I'll
before. According to this view the
men who make up the next congress,
taking Office as they do on March Al
will have only six weeks before the
beginning Of the extra session in
which to inform themselves on this
great subject.
The fact is that congress is full OIL
people who have been familiar with
every phase of tariff discussion for a
generation or more. They have been
of committees for the studyj
OF tariff subjects: they have discuss.
ed the subject and heard it discussed
on the floor Of the house: they have
studied it privately; and. if they are
informed now on the subtec, their
!atS a knowledge is not due to any !
lack Of opportunity. The hearings
winch are 'o las, through the remain
of this session will give them IN,
formation as to certain present. condi-
tons. but these hearings cannot add
much to the general information /:
they have nor are they likely
20 be effective in changing the attitude
of many members on the subject in
general. |
1t is noted that xne committee is
following the course Of its predecessors ,
and inviting TO Washington persons
are supposed to be interested in
the tariff on this or that schedule.
In this connection it is recalled that
a few years ago the Canadian govern.
ment. having in mind certain modiica-
tions IN the tariff. appointed a COM
mission to collect information. but.
realizing that many persons whose in
terests were likely to be affected one
way or the other by tariff changes
were unable to visit the seat Of gov
the commission arranged to
so to them. and it travelled all over
the country. holding sessions at nu-
merous convenient points. and in that
way getting in touch. not merely with
great merchants and manufacturers
and other important business men,
it would have met in any case.
but with thousands Of farmers, small
n a fair representation
OF the consuming pubic. We do not|
recall just how satisfactory this plan
proved in the estimation Of the gov
at Ottawa and the general
but it looked good. and one
would suppose that something of the
sort might have been made very use;
full.