The Alaska daily empire., 1916-04-14
rHE rARIFF BoARD pRoJEcr
(Boston News-Bureau)


 What appears to be an honest effort to take the tariff out Of politics" to large degree is embraced in the tariff commission bill just introduced under ad- mnistratlon auspices. The nonpartsan or bipartisan board proposed with terms that Hl ultimately span three administrations, is given assuredy enough du- ties and apparently enough powers of ascertanment to make it, if carefully named. real factor in the ancient equatation.
 The hops that It will be such and will contribute 10 the establishment of truth and hence of fairness in this thorny province springs from the new world conditions now prevailing and likely to preval,-the same ones which induced Presidential conversion on the matter The prospective need of such auxil- Iary instrument is papabe that it should guaran- tee not only the adoption Of the experimental reform but also the giving of good start to t under proper nou-partisan conditions It takes national need to minimize partisanship
 Hitherto the besettng trouble has been the disin- clnaton of Congressional committees to heed and re- spect expert finng especially when lacking any par tcuar statutory authority and when apt to run coun- ter to party theories convenience But our poll cians have had recent lessons on the value or expert advice; and have learned that the truth ap plies also other than military matters The aver age Congressman knows how. and knows that gerat part of the people know, that he is not capable or meeting according to old preconcepton Of party theory the many specific problems already created by con vusions in the worlds trade and the many more sure to follow later
 Congress knows that an increasing number of in- 1uentia adherents have been won to the principle of scientific tariff making; and u VIII well know that if such a boards personna and efforts command gen. era confidence its recommendations to President and committees and its annual report will weight that cannot lightly be disregarded And the problems of postbellum readustments especially toward the new Europe, will be numerous and complex and uncertain that there should actually be relief in being able to shoulder off of the responsibility
 The peril to permanence of such an institution lies of course In the necessary legislative Of life or death that Congressional majority will always have If the tariff is remain acute party issue But there never was time when a general situation whatever It's many other harrassments created so Ia vorabe an opportunity launching the tarin board project If a board like that outlined is now provid ed it's own early performances will go far toward settling the issue of permanence It may so root the slender sapng that the of partisan politics will be ineffective. Such board itself would be the strongest agency to dismiss tariff theories as well as technicates from the party arena.
 And insofar as the project is clearly part of preparedness" the fact seems to be that the party n power Is now necessarily sacrificing good share of It's own extreme and typical dogma on the tarff-"for revenue only The chances all are that the most pressing issues of the near future will be those of protection of industry or promotion of trade To that extent in England there is in' voved a surrender of academic gospel to eyigient facts and conditions.
 world war accelerates as well as destroys many things that before 1t came were simply stamped theories.