Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-02-09

cnnnEea IN the tariT law necessary TO
project our trade from the raids Of the
nnhonH or Europe mnde hungry by
| VNHB success of the proposed Tariff Com
! a mission will depend largely upon its 10y
atty to the American principle Of protection
| vast majority Of the voters believe in pro-
tecting American markets and developing
! American industries They believe that a
| tariff Is the most efficient weapon for use in
| fighting foreign competition and for opening
| new markets TO American goods: that Is. n
| tariff inteligently conceived and honestly
applied.
They will let who will talk about the "prin-
ciple' OF free trade so long as the policy OF
protection is admitted to be the most expedi-
ent for the United States.
tariff commission composed OF men who
are Americans first, and big enough Ameri-
cans to believe that n man Ia not necessarily
criminal because he happens to be doing a
large business, and. after that, are familiar
with the fundamental principles Of economies
and the methods of modern business can lift
the tariff question from the ruct of sordid
selhshness in which It has been woltering
1t is essential that there should be general
agreement in advance about what the com
mission is to do
There was such an agreement in Germany
few years ago, when that country was con-
fronted with the necessity of revising its GUS
toms laws in order TO make markets abroad
for its surplus products. and to protect its
home markets against the ruinous competi-
tion of the manufacturing nations whose
trade leaders had grown gray in the service.
Germany went at the task with the same
kind of thoroughness that she has shown IN
waginE for the past eighteen months
bo 1,,tv of fray
new law to committee of Parliament. with
instructions to rush some kind of bill
through as quickly as possible. She decided,
in the first place, that the new law should be
framed in such way as to benefit every
German industry to the greatest possible en-
tent. Then n special commission of thirty
two able men was created. They were rep
resentatves of the manufacturers. the whole
salers and the retailers. and the farmers
that is. the men who were interested in pro-
duction-joined in preparing the schedules
with the men who were informed as to the
rights of the consumers through close con-
tact with them. They were assisted by the
experts of every department Of the Govern
ment which dealt either with revenue or with
trade and by experts informed on technical
questions OF manufacture.
Fully two thousand qualified persons were
liminary Investigations, two wears Of which
were devoted to revising the classification of
imported articles and making them so clear
and definite that importer might know
what rate of duty he would have to pay on
each class OF goods The Importance of this
phase of their work can be understood when
1t is recalled that our Board of General Ap-
praisers receives about 10000 protests n year
against the classification and rate of duty
fixed by the Collectors of Customs.
Then, when the German tariff bill was
prepared after five years OF preliminary
study. the Parliament debated it for ten
months before assing it,
This is what happcns when the most ef-
fcent nation in the world sets about tariff
revision
No adequate and satisfactory revision of
the American tariff can be made unless 1t is
undertaken with similar thoroughness and
similar unity Of purpose.
A commission of five members could not do
the work as it should be done in less than
ten years. When the House of Representa-
tivos wanted to know something about the
merits of the wood pulp tariff in 1908 it an-
pointed q committee of six to make an inves-
tigat lon. The committee sat for four months |
and took 1000 pages of testimony without |
it's work; and yet the wood pulp |
question would seem to be simple. as it af-
fects only tn" paper making and the lumber
industries.
We cannot wait ten years, however, before
adjusting the tariff to meet the conditions
that will be upon us the moment peace is de-
clared in Europe, The Allies are already talk
ing Of zollverein, the purpose Of which will
he to protect them against German compe-
titlon i'm their own markets when the war
ards. If Germany is kept out of the markets
Of France, Russia and England by the work
ngs of n tariff and by the hostility of the
people she will seek markets here, the
Allied Powers viii seek to sell to us the goods
which before the war they were selling to the
Central Empires Something must be done at
once 1t can be done better under the advice
IF such experts as should be appointed to the
than through the action OF Con-
yress unasslsted by the experts.
Congress is expected to pass the Rainey
bill in some form without delay. II Is bet
Ter bill than the Democracy would have
year ago. The Republican
md Democratic leaders agree on II in prlnci-
Die. They ought to ind it easy to agree on
details which will make the creation Of a
commission possible in the near
future