Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-05-19
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BY n. 3. WALKER
PUBLICITY IN TARIFF
slar stan Correspopdenl.
Star Bureau.
Metropolitan National Bank Bldg,
WASHINGTON. May 10.

uAsHINOAON, AhS ~
Publicity has gained another point
in Congress. Newspaper men are to
be admitted to the private hearings
given by the finance committee TO
manufacturers and others during the
committees consideration of the
Underwood bill.
In the making of the Payne-Aldrich
bill all the proceedings and hearings
of the finance committee were guard
ed with the greatest care. Every
thing was secret.
Under the rule of Aldrich and Cam
non no bones were made of the stand
pat Republican idea that the tariff
should be made by its friends. These
leaders stood for a protective tariff
that would protect the manufacturers
and producers, and the manufacture
ers were invited to come into the
committee rooms and make their own
duties-to say how much protection
they thought they ought to have.
And what they asked for they got,
1t was delightfully."- simple.
/. Wilson Redfeld Idea.
While it is going little far to say
that this idea does not exist at all in
the Democratic Congress today, or to
suggest that there is no favoritism
in consideration of the schedules and
their effect upon various interests,
the party idea, as enunciated by the
President and his advisers, is wholly
different. Instead of letting the pro-
ducers get the amount of protection
they want, the Wilson-B Bryan Red
field idea is that the beneficiaries OF
protective tariff are the last people
in the world who should be consulted
as to what the rates should be.
you have no right to ask the
American people to pay taxes that
you may make a profit out of any
industry declared Senator Ollie
James in his speech on the sugar
tariff, which was looked upon as
voicing the administrations idea on
the subject.
While some members of the present
finance committee are not entirely
free from suspicion of favoritism in
schedule making, the situation gen.
orally is much different.
Administrators Test.
It is the Democratic belief that
high tariff duties are largely respon-
sible for high cost of living. The
President and his party are going to
make a real effort, by real tariff re-
duction, to reduce cost of living. At
the same time they are under prom
Use to do this without hurting wages
orNinjuring industry. The admins
tration will stand or fall on the man
ner in which both these promises are
kept.
Senators Simmons, James and
others have frankly declared that
while they are willing to give a
patient hearing to any industries or
interests, they do not propose to be
guided to any extent by the claims,
threats or promises of manufacturers
The statements made by those who
attend and testify at hearings of the
finance committee-private hearings
will be printed and made public.
The sessions of the committee at
which the rates are made, however,
will be private and secret. When the
committee decides on It's report, that
is, when the Democratic members of
the committee have agreed, they will
present their report to the Demo-
cratic caucus of the Senate, which
will also meet secretly.
Under different conditions, and with
wholly different purposes, the Demo-
Gratis are doing exactly what the Re-
publicans did in the Senate with the
tariff. bill. The admittance of re-
porters to private hearings before
the committees is not expected to
amount TO much, one way or the
other The majority is to make it's
own program and stand responsible
for the consequence.