Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-03-12

ANEW FACTOR IN THE FUTURE or THE
SUGAR TARIFF.

Hawaii has more than passing interest II
the Federal Trade Commission, credited by act
Of the Congress which has just ended and YET
little has been said or published locally which
indicates the commissions unusual power in
handling tariff legislation.
The ostensible aim of the law is to take
Virtually away from Congress, and turn il over
to expert investigators.
What effect will this have on the all-import
ant question in Hawaii of protection for sugar
What will the new trade board do about the
sugar tariff Will it make detailed inyesti.
cation of sugar productionf Will it recon.
mend the suspension of the free sugar clause
Will it favor restoring at least part of the duty
on sugar, which is to be removed entirely on
May !, 1876
In the rush and uproar of the closing days
of Congress, the appointment by the president
Of the FIVE members of the commission, and the
confirmation of four of them, received LITTLE
public notice anywhere and the dispatches ia
HAWAII gave only the most meagre of details
"A few words sufficed to tell the story Of the
recess appointment of the fifth member.
More than three months ago Congress passed
The act creating the trade board. The president
did not name dts members until February %
On that day he sent to the senate the nomina-
lions Of the following:
Joseph r. Davies, for a term of seven years;
Edward N. Hurley, for term of six years;
William J. Harris, for five years; w. H Parry,
for four years; George H: Rublee, for three
wears
None of these is a Republican.
Davies, who has been serving as commission
cf Of corporations, is Democrat from Wis
oonsin. Hurley president of the Illinois Mann
lecturers Association, is a Democrat. Harris,
director of the census, is a Democrat from
Georgia Parry, former newspaperman of
Seattle, Washington, now in the real estate and
Investment business, is a Progressive. Rublee,
formerly practising lawyer of New York, now
Of New Hampshire, is a Progressive.
Republicans in the senate opposed the con-
flmation of the appointees They declared it
unfair that the Republican party should not
BE represented on the board. However, the
administration had sufficient votes in the SEN
ate to confirm all but Rublee, who was opposed
by Democrats as we'll as Republicans profess
tdIy on the ground that he was persistent
'6bbyist when trnst legislation was being con-
<dered BY Congress- He was not confirmed
md the president gave him recess appoint
0ent on March 6.
This federal trade commission is to take over
the bureau Of corporations. The law creating
the board gave it broad powers IN handling
commerce and included in its definition of com
nerce a statement which Intentionally meant
the tariff.
1t was to this definition and its giving of
tariff handling to the board that President
Wilson referred in his now famous Indianapo-
lis speech in the following words:
But if BY scientific treatment of the.
tariff they the kepublicans) mean adj
iustment to trade conditions of American
and the world. then / am with them. And
I want to call their attention, for though
they voted for it, they apparently have
not noticed it. to the fact that the bill
which creates the new trade commission
does that very thing
Democratic Interpretation of the new law,
made on the day the board members were norni-
mated, said:
The principal undertaking lof the
board) will be to remove for all time the
adjustment Of tariff schedules from the
eontrol of the political party having a ma
jority IN both houses of Congress. Z
Only time and experience will tell what ef
|ect the new law and the new board will have
al tariff leaislation The board may be per
f,nctory in operation or it may be as forceful
and aggressive in It's work as the Interstate
Commerce Commission
Tho ,rorasal for scientific handling of tho