Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-04-14
SENATOR GORE URGES
TARIFF COMMISSION
[Continued From First Page.1

petition that is cruel. merciless. unre-
lenting. Quarter is neither asked nor
given. This means the survival of
those who are most fitted to compete
who are the best prepared for this
! kind of pacific warfare. Such prepa-
ration depends upon knowledge of
competitive conditions, including cost
of production. cost of distribution,
wages, prices, freight rates and taxa
ton. Competitive conditions are af-
fected by taxes levied in other coun-
tries as well as our own. The larger
business concerns may be able to as
certain these conditions for them
selves The smaller ones can not This
is the reason why l favor q tariff
commission"
Senator Gore said that he had voted
with the Republicans when President
Taft had that project before Congress
and added, half-humorously: Even.
Democrats, with all their fond faith in
dreams, cannot afford to be entirely
Indifferent or neutral in respect to
facts"
"Everyone's attitude in regard to q
tariff commission must depend upon
his answers to these auestions:
"First-Should facts have any in
fluence in the determination of ar
ticles TO be taxed and the rate of
duties to be imposed?
Seconds tariff commission any
better agency to ascertain the facts
than a congressional committee?
He who answers this question in
the affirmative must favor tariff
commission"
1.-TWO classes" said Senator Gore.
foppose the creation of a commission
one the ultra protectionist and the
other the ultra-free trader"
Between these two small classes
there are two larger classes. One is
made up-I speak with poetic license
of Progressives and Republicans.
who believe that tariff rates should be
graduated to cover the difference be-
tween the cost of production at home
and abroad, and facts are indispensable
to this theory.
Even a theory has a right to n
fair trial. when ii is to he tried at all.
The other class, the Democrats, oppose
this theory The Democrats have their
own theory. They believe that no
article should be taxed higher than the
. lowest rate that VIII yield the largest
revenue. This is easy to define, but
hard to apply"
Senator Gore said that in any case
facts are necessary and that he is con-
vinced that they can be best ascer-
tanned by permanent tariff commits
sion-this regardless of the fact that
the Democrats threw out the only per-
manent tariff commission the country
ever had, which came into being dur
ing the Taft administration.
Congress" said the Senator, "has
done much TO protect the people
against domestic monopolies and com
binations. Might it not be we'll 10 pro-
tect the people and protect dogmatic
business against foreign cartel and
monopolies?"
Senator Gore went at length into
the duties of such a commission as he
PROPOSES and concluded with the as
sertion that the business men of
America have right to ask for such
a commission by reason of the fact
that they always have been and always
will be great contributors to the public
welfare.
David E. Tracy, former president
of the Board of Public Works and
prominent in manufacturing circles
of Tie State, presided at the luncheon
and introduced Senator Gore, who is
a personal friend. Mr.. Tracy said he
believes that the expert advice of a
tariff commission would be very
valuable indeed, in view of the fact
that right here in Harrisburg we have
concrete examples of what expert ad-
vice will do. lie referred TO all of our
many public improvements which are
working out successfully and were
built economically as n result of call
ing into consultation men who were
able to present all the facts i'm q way
10 be most helpful in solving the
problems involved. Mr.. Tracy was
highly complimented upon hiss peech
by Senator Gore.