The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1922-11-09
Thursday November .. 1922.
TARIFF REVISION BY PRESIDENT
AND COMMISSION.

According to information from
Washington, President Harding is
preparing to undertake the difficult
and politically dangerous task Of re-
vising downward the recently enacted
markable announcement, considering
that the bill was passed by a repub-
lican congress and approved by the
president. The president would have
Jared better in his relations to his
party If he had taken a more agrees
sive stand on the various schedules
while they were in process Of enact
ment rather than to have waited I'M
til the bill became a law. While he
was authorized by congress to change
the schedules up or down within the
limit of so per cent of the prevailing
rates. upon the advice of the tariff
commission, it was certainly not con-
templated that he would undertake
general tariff revision and thus as
sumo the functions of congress itself
But that seems 10 be his purpose. ac-
cording to Edward G. Lowery, special
editorial writer for the Philadelphia
Public Ledger who says
Mr.. Harding hopes to take the
tariff out of a political atmosphere
and environment and revise it
schedule by schedule on an eco
nomic basis to meet shifting and
changing conditions at home and
abroad.
HE seeks a great stability in
tariff making He seeks to avoid
the suspense of the long drawn
tariff controversies in congress.
He sees a great advantage in be-
ing able to modify individual rates
without the general upheaval of
business that comes with a gem
eral tarin revision"
The power of congress to delegate
this authority to the president is de
MED by many of the best constitu-
tional lawyers, and it is probable that
his carrying It into practice will be
followed by an appeal to the supreme
court TO pass upon the constitutional
ity of the law. Taking the tariff out n
of politics has long been the dream ii
of idealists. and conditions brought y
about by the war were successfully ~
used in the last congress to force a 4
provision in the bill empowering the al
president, with the advice of the tar n
iff commission. to revise the schedules -
as the first step in that direction. The +,
next step will probably be to take tar n,
if legislation out of the hands of con- IT
gress altogether and turn it over to 70
the commission, subject to approval n.
by the president o.
There can be no such thing as TAX o.,
ing the tariff out of politics so long ~
as there remains the present division er
among the people on the question of 81
protection and free trade. These nr
questions represent the chief funda- -.
mental difference between the repub- bo
lean and democratic parties. A tariff 40
aw is essentially for the purpose of 81,
'aising revenue but republicans hold 70
hat it should go further and provide IN,
for home industries against No
oreign competition. The tariff there ne
ore becomes a question of national -,
policy. a political question of first inn
,ortance. A non-partisan tariff COM
mission is impossible for the simple ~
eason that its members would divide .
n the question of protection and free
rade Just as sharply as do members
+ congress. wit
But aside from the partisan view. add
he matter of fixing rates Of duty can mil
OF be delegated to a commission or pull
, the president and we believe the the
mited authority now given the pres VIII
lent and the commission win be de- ing
AIRED unconstitutional, and that it the
i'll be held that the most that a tariff var
,mmission or the president can do enc
to recommend tariff schedules to sele
Defining the powers of con- by
-ess, the constitution says: The ton
,ngress shall have power to lay and the
,llect taxes, duties, imposts and ex- list
SEES" and it gives such power to no ers
her branch of the government. LESS