The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-10-16

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 that year, a Republican Congress ere ated a Tariff Commission to consist or nine members to be appointed by the President: The commission was given blanket authority to investigate dues- tions which might lead to the estab- ,lishment of "judicious tariff or a re- vision of the existing tariff, such tariff as would be flair to all inter ests' The life of the commission was limited The law which created it provided that its activities were to end on the first day of the next ses-l sion of the Congress and its activities did end at that time. The commission made g. report which attracted but little attention and which was not seri- ously considered in the tariff revision which followed Up to that time no political party in its national plat forms had ever declared for a. Tariff Commission.
 Four years ago the Republican Par ty in it's platform declared for Tar if Commission. The Democratic plat form was silent upon that issue. In the Tariff Board plank of four years ago the Republican party criticized the Democratic party for its failure
 
 of Tariff board. This was the first declaration ever contained in the plat form of any great party favoring g Tariff commission. In the platforms of this year, however, every great na- tional party declared unequivocally for Tariff Commission; thus, by their platform declarations, making the subject of Tariff commission I,~1 ,k4Ix oJ1 declare in favor of a proposition it can no longer be claimed that the pro- position belongs to any one party.
 The Tariff Act of August 5, 1909 (The Payne-AldrichS Act) contained maximum and minimum tariff provi- sions providing that sas to all nations which unduly discriminated against the United States a maximum rate |25 per cent higher than the rate spe- cified in the bill--should be imposed land the President was authorized, in order to secure information to assist him in determining whether the Uni ted States was being discriminated against by any other nation, to em- ploySpersons to assist him in the dis charge of his duties under that par ticular section. Under this provision small appropriation of about $60, 900 was made. The President selected five persons to secure for him this In- formations This was the alleged Tar if Board the Democratic party was charged with destroying. It was nev- CT authorized by any law. In com tpliance with the provisions of the Payne-Aldrich bill the labors of these five persons ended prior to the 31st day of the following March. Under kthe law and imediately after the 31st l day of March the President issued his proclamation declaring that no na- ton was discriminating, in a com mercial way, against the United States. | Therefore. the minimum rates went into operation and the duties of these five persons misnaned board, ceas- ed. The Republicans, however, were still in power controlling the Execu- tive and both branches of the National l Congress and a little over a month after the labors of this board were completely ended an attempt was made by the Republican Chairman of the Appropriations Committee MT. Tawney, to enthuse some life into this so-called Tariff Board He proposed an amendment to the ,Sundry Civil Bill appropriating ,$250,00O for the pur- pose of continuing these five men in office and an attempt was also made by this amendment to give them something to do. Various amend ments were offered and points of or der made to all the amendments were sustained by the present Leader of the House, Mr. Mann, who at that time was acting as Chairman, upon the theory that the amendments were contrary to law and not supported by any law. Upon some theory or other the Appropriation was finally made and the next year a{ like sum was ap- propriated. The first session of the 62nd Congress, found the Democrats in power in the Lower House and the Democrats at once discontinued the appropriation for the support of an alleged Tariff board which had nc authority in law for it's existence.
 There were three sessions In the | 61st Congress. During all of them the Republicans had a decisive working majority in both branches of the Ma. ttional Congress and the President o1 the United States was Republican o1 the old school. Two sessions of the 61st Congress passed without the slightest attempt to create a Tariff Commission. The third and last ses. sion was the short session commenc. ing in December 1910 and ending the fourth day of March 1911. At this short session it is seldom possible te
 accomplish any legislation except tc pass the Appropriation bills. The two
 sessions in which legislation of thi.
 character might have been accom-.
 plished were over. Finally on the
 30th day of January 1911 Mr. DalzeI
 of Pennsylvania, on behalf of the Committee on Rules, presented a rule
 for the consideration of bill to create
 a Tariff board. The board was to bt
 composed of five members, no more
 than three of them to be of the same fpolitical party. The board was as
 signed no duties except the duty of in
 vestigating the cost of production al
 home and abroad. The bill had beer
 reported out by the Ways and Mean,
 Committee without any Minority Re. port. Hon. Champ Clark, now Speaker
 of the House of Representatives, wa.
 the ranking Democrat on the Com.
 mittee. He stated on the floor in z
 speech supporting the bill that there
 were five Democratic members of the
 committee who favored the bill. The
 bill was opposed by Hon. Francis Bur
 ton Harrison now Governor-Genera
 of the Philippine Islands. the only
 Democratic member of the Ways anC