The Washington times., 1913-05-09
INVESTIGATING THE CUTTERS.

llN\1 OOlA
The tariff bill has passed the House by rathe
better than the Democratic majority. Five Demo
Gratis, four from Louisiana and one from New York
voted against the bill. But four Republicans, tw'
Progressives, and Independent voted for it, ant
one Progressive declined to vote at all.
In his concluding discussion of the measure be
fore the vote, Leader Underwood conveyed pointet
intimaton that must be set up beside President Viii
sons allusion to Haman's gbbet There is evidence
of good team work among the Democratic manager
in serving notice that the business of creating panic
is not to be permitted
Il give you notice." said Mr. Underwood i'm
pressively, that if any manufacturer attempts, il
the interest of the Republican party, to threaten
labor there is bureau in this government-the Blu
reau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce. created b,
the Democratic party-that will 60 into the factory
make a thorough investigation, and ascertain tn
reason why"
Mr.. Underwood's threat is very definitely under
stood to represent the purpose and plan Of the Presi
dent. He is going to ask an ample appropriation Il
equip this Bureau Of Foreign and Domestic Com
merce, that it may ascertain the facts in case reck
less or malicious manufacturers attempt to precipi
tate industrial troubles upon the country, in orde
|
doubt he will get the money. Without much doubt
too, he will need to use some>of it. There will b.
factories closing down, and the question Of the rea
motive will be answered by this bureau after its in
vestigaton. =
This procedure is certainly most remarkable
How would such bureau determine whether ther,
was justification for closing factory, or for cuun
the wages Of its employees? Manfestly, by gonl
nfo N1o d,,;o ean<
about the business, and, in short, equipping itsel
with all the information that the owner had whe,
he made his decision; then the experts of the burea,
would undertake to form an independent judgmen
as to whether there was justification for the actor
taken.
To reach such judgment, the bureau would hav.
to gather the same information, and exercise til.
same judgment, that tariff commission would EN-
ploy, in studying the conditions Of an industry.
would inform itself Of the general conditions, thu
prospective market, the cost of materials and labor
the foreign cost Of these elements, the difference il
cost Of production and marketing home and abroad
Knowing all these things, it would announce whether
there was good business for the action taken
In short, the Democratic plan is to set q Tariff
Commission at work on q sort Of inquest, post NOR
TEN inquiry. The progressive plan is for Tariff
SOmInlSSlOn 10 90 HI ullS WOTk I'm ADNANSI vi
making the changes in the schedules.
Advocates Of the Tariff Commission plan would
try to find out the probable effect Of their program
before making it into law. The Democrats propose
to make the law first study the effects later, and ther
lambast whoever is guilty of making trouble for it.
patient, finding himself i'll, sends for two doc
tors One says, Here, I'll give you this medicine
and if you die I'll have post mortem and see
whether the medicine killed you, or you would have
died anyhow"
The other says, After I've had chance to study
this case, know all the symptoms, diagnose it thor
oughly, I'll prescribe for you"
Which doctor would the average individual sum
mon?
Yet it is submitted, in all seriousness, that thi:
illustration does not particularly exaggerate the prop
osition which the party in power has put FORTH
When the Tariff Commission was under discus
son Democrats-and most of the standpat Repub
licans for the matter of that-have insisted that i
was substantial impossibiliy to ascertain such data
as difference in cost of production at home ant
abroad. The broad ground of antagonism to the
Tariff Commission plan has been that it wasn't pos
sble to get information in that way that would bs
a reliable guide, that would bolster conclusions tha
could safely be written into the law.
If that be true of tariff commission, why is
not lust as true of the Bureau of Foreign and Do
mestic Commerce? If a tariff board can't find ou
what rates of duty ought to be, how is Bureau o
Commerce to find out that they are all right?
The truth is that this use of the Bureau Of Com