The Colville examiner. [volume] (Colville, Wash.) 1907-1948, 1916-02-12

The financial interests which
beat the ship purchase bill ad-
vocated by President Wilson two
years ago, will have small help
from the Washington State
Grange members this year. Pres
ident Kegley has taken up the
fight for a government merchant
marine, and has the following
signed letter in the last issue of
the official grange organ of this
state:
"Patrons: The fight as to wheth-
er we should have a monopoly
owned merchant marine or ships
owned and operated by the gov
ernment for the benefit of all the
people is on in earnest. At the
last session of the state grange
resolutions were adopted demand
ing gOvernment-owned and op-
Grated ships, that our representa-
tives in congress be notified of this
action and urged to work for
these reforms, and your worthy
master and executive committee
were instructed to use all honor
able means to make the purpose
of these resolutions effective. See
pages 1913 and 125 of journal.
Now, therefore, pursuant to these
instructions, and in view Of the
immediate urgency of the situa-
ton, [ urge all patrons. through
their oranges and individually, to
write and petition their congress-
men and senator's and let them
know in no uncertain terms that
the farmers of Washington want
government-owned and operated
ships and are unalterably opposed
to ship subsidies in any form.-
G. B. Kegley, state master. "
The establishment Of some kind
of a tariff board is probable. The
efforts of the progressiyes to Sc
cure a non-partisan tariff board
which would handle the tariff,
and the efforts of the republicans
years ago to maintain a tariff
board which should make reports,
and the past announcements of
President Wilson that he would
favor such a board if one could
be secured which would be of any
real value, seem to have merged
into general agreement that a
tariff board can be established
which will be of value on tariff
matters.
The U. S. constitution prevents
any such board from assuming
powers Of fixing tariffs, for that
right is left solely to the house of
representatives. The progressive
party, in its plea for a tariff
board, failed to get around that
difficulty. President Wilson some
time ago stated that all the ma
chinery and the men for such work
are already employed by the gov
ernment in the department OF
commerce and labor and other de-
partments, and that he really saw
no need for any action other than
the delegation Of authority to
these men to investigate tariffs
and make report.
However, the tariff has become
such bugaboo in the public mind,
with so many contrary statements
made regarding its effects here
and there, that it is likely tariff
board will result. A congression-
al fight will result-not as to the
plan itself, but as to the details
Of it. Already bills have been in
troduced by a number of congress
men to provide a tariff board.
Senator PoindeXter and Congress
man Dill have both introduced
bills to create such board, per-
haps not so much with the idea
that their bills will be enacted, as
to show their ideas on the subject.
The bill will be framed by the
committee on ways and means,
with the assistance Of the demo
cratic leaders, and the spring
months may see the tariff board
question uppermOst in congress