The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1916-01-28
WILSON EXPLAINS
CHANGED ATTITUDE
President Outlines to Kitchin
His Position in Regard to
Tariff Commission.
OUTLINES WORK OF
TARIFF BOARD
To Deal With Unfair Methods of
Competition Between This
and Other Nations.

Chairman Kitchin, of the house
ways and means committee, eX-
planning why he had withdrawn
his opposition to tarff commits
sion and now was urging the
creation of such a body by con-
gress. He wrote frankly that he
had changed his mind because
"all the circumstances of the
world had changed"
Declaring that he had mo
thought whatever of a change in
attitude toward, the so-called
protection question:" the presi-
dent said the proposed commits
sion would have nothing to do
with theories of policy, but
would be charged only with the
duty of seeking facts to guide
congress in legislation. In an
other letter to Mr.. Kitchin Mon
day he set forth fully his ideas
of what a tariff commission
should be, and urged that the
ways and means committee cor
slider the matter Immediately.
He favored a wholly non-parti-
san, expert organization.
81 have changed my mind
said the letter, because all the
circumstances of the world have
changed, and it seems to me that
in view of the extraordinary ard
far-reaching changes which the
European war has brought about
1T is absolutely necessary that
we should have competent in
strument of industry along the
whole line of the many questions
which affect our foreign com.
merce. y
81 dare say you feel as | do.
that it would be folly at this
time, or until all the altered
changes are clearly understood,
to attempt to deal with ques-
tions of foreign commerce by
legislation, and yet having dealt
directly and clearly with the
whole question of unfair compe-
tltlon within our own borders, it
is clear that as soon as we know
the facts we ought to deal with
unfair methods of competition
as between our nation and 9th
ers, and this is only one of the
many things that we would prob.
ably wish to deal with. " *
You will remember that in
my last message to congress !!
foreshadowed Just the consider
ationS which were operating in
my mind in this matter. The
passage to which | refer was
this:
Many conditions about which
we have repeatedly legislated
are being altered from decade to
decade, it is evident, under our
very eyes, and are likely to
change even more rapidly ana
more radically in the days imme.
diately ahead of us, when peace
has returned to the world. Is
Just what these changes will be
no one more certainly can forsee
or confidently predict. The
most we can do is to make cer-
tain that we have the necessary
instrumentalities of information
constantly at our service so that
we may be sure that we know
exactly what we are dealing with
when we come to act, if it should
be necessary to act at all = s
Congress has so much to do
at the present time that it is
clearly impossible that it should
be able to collect all the data
which such a commission would
gather, and | feel that it would
presently find such commission
indispensable to it."
In his letter sent to Mr.. Kitch-
in Monday the president said:
II am convinced, as | suppose
every disinterested person must
be, that it would be mistake to
provide for such board with
the idea of serving any particu-
lar theory of fiscal policy. What
we would need would be above all
things else board as much as
possible free from any strong
prepossession in favor of any
political policy and capable Of