Evening star., 1922-08-17
Flexible Feature of Tariff Bill Dis
cuased

CUS6Cu.
The flexible section inserted in the
tariff bill by the Senate has aroused
i much discussion in the papers of the
country. There is a suggestion IN
many quarters that this provision at
least is unconstitutional. inasmuch
right to delegate it's powers to an
other body.
However, there also is disposition
on the part of many editors to greet
the action as step in the right dl-
argued. it will take the entire tarin
question out of Congress and allow
it to be settled entirely from the
standpoint of protecting struggling
American industries while at the
same time failing to allow a certain
class of importers and manufacturers
to make enormous profits.
Even viewed in it's most favorable
light the plan is Of doubtful political
expediency." according to the In
dianapolis News independently. ''rhe
greater part of the difficulties in re-
avoided If Congress could realize that
the tariff could be amended without
revising the whole act from alpha
to omega. The revision madness
grows out Of purely partisan tariffs"
In considering the present section the
Newark News independently sug-
gests that before fexibility read
emergency" and it points out that
"flexibility as it now stands In the
bill is a strictly party measure. Linz
tied though the term be for it's use.
giving the President the right to
make so per cent changes up and
down is too vast power to dele
gate, and, without regard to the per-
sonality of the incumbent. the execu-
tive is the wrong repository OF any
such power. But it was on the cal
endar to dispose of this problem In a
single day. and that is what has'e
does"
Because of the disturbed world con-
ditions. however. the Milwaukee Sem
tinel (republican) considers the pro,
vision wise" because in normal
times, when values are fairly con-
slant, and when foreign exchanges
remain on a stable basis. it is not SO
difficult to establish tariff rates which
will not require alteration. At this
period Of the worlds history. and for
some years to come. 1t is pretty well
admitted that rapid fluctuations in
values and in exchange may render
an established rate greatly excessive
almost overnight"
However, Senator Carter Glass pa
per. the Lynchburg News demo-
cratic). considers the action an "un-
warranted delegation of legislative
authority" 1t argues that the tariff
bill is bad enough as it is, both in
inspiration and formulation, but the
addition Of this gross contempt for
the constitutional demarcations sepa-
rating the legislative and executive
branches of the government adds i'm
m measurably to It's odium, and to the
probability of disast for the politi-
cal party deliberately making itself
responsible for the measure"
There is question of constitution
ality involved, the Syracuse Herald
(independent) points out. because
while Congress may designate other
constitutional powers, it is an abso-
Lutte impossibility for that body to
delegate the power of origination. A
new tariff schedule, proclaimed by the
President, under which revenue is to
be raised, will surely not originate in
the House" ,
In the opinion of the st. Paul Dis
patch independently, the provision is
IA confession of the inefficiency of
Congress" incidentally, the Dispatch
believes that If the bill, with its un-
precedented rates, becomes law long
enough before the fall election, some
Of the senators and representatives
may wish that the tariff had been
delegated to a commission freeing
them from responsibility"
This also is the view Of the New
York Globe Hndependent). which be-
lieves that what the President and
Congress will succeed in doing Will
be to call attention to the futility OF
handing over to. experts job that
has been bungled beyond all repair"
The idea of fexibility in the tarlfr
IS desirable If properly executed" In
the view of the New York Evening
World (independent democratic), but
the present method is wrong, 1t says.
because ito take the tariff out OF
politics and make it scientifically
flexible would require non-partisan
board of experts free from executive
and legislative pressure. Unfortu-s
nately. this sort of tariff policy is
widely at variance with what Presi-
dent Harding recommends"
Because Of the character of the
present bill the Chicago News (inde-
pendent) holds that ''only by this
safeguard can Congress hope to make |
the prospective high duties at all toll
cradle to the people. ANperfect tariff
bill enacted today would begin to de-
part from perfection tomorrow. be-