Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-07-19
FRELlNCHUYSEN SAYS
WHAT EVERYBODY KNOWS
When He Tells the Senate There Has
Never Been a Scientifically Con-
structed Tariff Bill and Pro.
poses a WAY to Get One

THEltE IS n refreshing frankncss in Sen q.
ntor Frcinghuysen's discussion Of the
defects in the present Tariff Bill and of the
need for Il change in the method Of fixing
duties.
lie says that "thc Tariff Bill now under
consideration is not scientific measure, y
and that it could not be expected to be
scientific under the conditions that gov
crncd its preparation. II" says further:
But neither this tariff measure nor any
tarin measure that has ever been passed
or ever will be passed can be adequate to
the needs OF the country so long as We
continue our present system of preparing
tariff measures. This applies equally TO
Republicans and Democrats, and re all
knoW II.
llo made these remarks in the course of
n plea for an amendment to the bill which
would enlarge the existing Tariff Commits
sion. broaden its powers. increase the salary
of its members and provide an adequate ap-
propratton for carrying on It's work. His
larger commission is to he non partisan,
and ho Appealed To III" members of both
parties 10 mite IN establishing 1t.
The Senator does not intend that the
commission shall fix rates That function
belongs to Congress. lie does intend. how
ever. that it shall gather all the facts neccs-
sary to form judgment as to what rates
should be levied in order 10 protect Amerl.
can workinginen and to maintain the Ameri-
can wage scale. After gathering the facts
the commission would compute the rate of
duty which would give the domestic worker
an advantage in his own market and would
report it to Congress-
Th" responsibility for action would rest
upon Congress as II docs at the present
time. But Congress would have authentic
Information to guide It.. 1t does not have
that information now. As the Senator says,
the Republicans have assembled certain
amount Of information about the needs of
an industry and the Democrats have assem-
bl"d another certain amount Of information
about the same industry. The Republican
information is so different from the Demo-
cratic information that fair minded man
is compelled to reject both as untruStworthy.
An immense amount Of time has been
wasted in gathering this worthless informa-
ti"n. The testimony given before the Senate
Finan"" Committee fills 5000 pages. Senator
Frolinghuysen is convinced that there IS
not more than 100 pages Of the whole mass
that is competent.
The Senator's proposition is that the
Tariff Commission shall ascertain tho differ.
cnco between the costs abroad and the costs
at home and compute the tariff accordingly.
When It s impossible to learn tho costs he
would hav" tn" selling prices aecertained as
tho basis for a tariff rate. The commits
siOnerS. Of whom there would be ten. ap-
pointed for life or during good behavior.
would receive Il salary of 81 900 and would
devote their entire time to their duties
They would be empowered 10 appoint ad-
viS"ry committees without compensation
and 10 use all reasonable means for assem-
bling information.
There Is not u valid argument against this
general plan. for its purpose is to provide
Congress with trustworthy information. No
one whose sole interest is in equitable pro-
tc"tivo tariff duties or even revenue duties.
can oppos" it, as it is nothing but a plan
to get the facts.
Its adoption together with the adoption
Of the provision row in III" Tariff Bill en-.
powcrng tho President to raise or lower
the fixed duties by 80 per cent ms the cx-
igcncies Of trade demanded would produce
Tariff Law much nearer the idcnl than
any that has eyer been passed. We should
then have flexible tariff that would adjust
itself 10 changing conditions with the con-
sent "f Congress. and the adjustments would
b" based on Huth"nti" and accurate infor-
nation gathered by impartial and expert
agents Of th" Government. And when Il
general revision Of the tariff was to be made
The needed data would be already at hand
II the other Senators will be as frank
with themselves as Senator Frelinghuysen
has been they will admit the force Of his
arguments. even If they do not accept his
plan. But it Is difficult to see how they
can accept his arguments without co.
operating with him in pcrfecting his plan
and in cmbodyi ing it in the bill now under
discussion.