The Washington herald., 1920-10-29
BY OTTO III. KAHN.

by bI1Io H. nAhNs
In the course of these articles i
have suggested the appointment Of
committee to study the problem of
taxation, 1 should like to amplify
and generalize that suggestion.
One of the main reasons for Ger
manys remarkable development in
the thirty or forty years period
preceding the war is the way she
has dealt with the complex and dit-
ficult problems of economic, COM
uehercial and fiscal policy. She recog-
niZed. long since, that such prob
lens cannot be successfully handled
in a haphazard way, or in town
meeting fashion, or emouonally;
stnI less should they be made the
football of politics.
Expert Advice Obtained.
Her practice was to turn such
matters over for study and report
to those best qualified by experience
and training, and thus having OBJ
tanned dependable advice, to respect
it, and, as a rule, in its large out
lines to follow it. OF course, that
does not mean that the government
and the legislature resigned their
functions to outsiders. There would
be counter arguments, criticism
notifications, sometimes respection
but in the great majority of cases
the broad outlines would be adopted
which the consensus of competent
opinion, after special study, had In
dicated as appropriate and adYan-
tzgeous-
- similarly. Great Britain, for many
years, by the appointment of Royal
commissions" so called, has en-
ployed with success a method OF
obtaining Tight without heat" In
respect of problemo as to which the
and tlSo people desired
Sfsinterested and competent Infor-
nation and suggestions Such COM
missions are composed usually Of a
& certain proportion OF Legislators to
whom are added a greater or lesser
number of persons particularly
qualified to advise on the subject
under review.
Careful study Made.
The bodies thus constituted in
vesti gate, hold hearings, ascertain
facts, collate views and submit theiT
findings, and, if desired, their rec
concentrations in public report. In
the great majority of cases sucE
commissions. though composed OF
very diversified elements, have ar
rived at a consensus of opinion In
the main.
1t would seem that it would
serve the public advantage if a
similar method of procedure were
to be made customary in this coun-
try, especially in view of the move
problems Of an economic. social anC
financial character which haY,
arisen directly or Indirectly from
the war.
Lawmakers 0yerworked.
The President. the heads of this
executive departments and Con,
gress are vastly Overworked. 1t II
simply inconceivable that these in
strumentalities of administration
and legislation can give the neces
.ry time and thoroughness o
study to the variety of complies
questions which call and will in
Creasingly call for consideration
and action. The burden which boil
the Senate and the House plac,
upon their members in the investi
eating and gathering of facts ant
the hearing of witnesses is exceed
fngly heavy. 4 very large portion o
the time and energies of our legis
lators are absorbed in these func
tions. wi.h the best Intentions ant
the most conscientious application
1t is not possible to do that kin,
Of work to best advantage. i,
Difficult for Congress.
Moreover. experience has proves
that Congressional committees can
not give to the task that continuou
and concentrated attention which
requires. They are bound to fin
themselves subject to frequent in
terruptions by the call of other du
ties and compelled to squeeze thei
hearings and deliberations into cd
moments, so to speak, as time an
their other occupations will permit
The attendance of members /
necessarily sporadic, IL being tn
rule rather than the exception tha
only a fraction OF the membershi
often merely a minority. some
times only the chairman-are pres
et at the hearings. Consequently
~ conclusions of such committee,
as a rule, hardly represent that ma
ture and competently and thorough
ly informed collective judgment
which Il is the purpose Of commit
tee Investigations to secure.
Reports Incomplete.
The result of II all is that re
ports thus arrived at have neithe
the helpfulness nor the exhaustive
ness, csnclusiyeness and authorit
which ought to be theirs. 1t Is in
structive to compare our aperag
Congressional report with like re
ports of British royal commission
While numerous reports of the latte
kind have become standard work
on the subjects with which the
deal and are referred to many year
after as authoritative sources OF in
formation, / know of no report b
Congressional committee With
this generation Except the Aldrfc
report on currency reform) that ha
attained a similar standing.
Much relief could be obtained b
our legislators and very advan
tageous results accomplished IL par
Of the burden of holding hearing,
~nethering views and investigator
bcpnomic and other nonpolitics
subjects were placed upon tn
shoulders of others-non-o officchold