The New York herald., 1922-05-28
been abandoned. although Anal action
has heen deferred till Wednesday,

been abandoned. although ANAL action
has been deferred till Wednesday.
Recognized authorities on economic
subjects wEo have communicated their
view-generally hostile-on the Ford
ney-McCumber bill accord to the au-
thors OF that measure the credit for
having centered the attention of the
country squarely upon the increas-
ingly popular plan OF taking politics
out OF tie tariff" by according scien-
tific instead of political treatment
Inquiry among Republican Senators
reveals that there was very little
science employed in the making of the
Fordney- ey-McCumber measure. The in
spiration of the scheme followed by
the Ways and Means and Finance Com
mittees of the two houses was to pro-
vide as much protection as influential
members of these two bodies demanded
for reasons that were largely political
or personal and not those dictated by
economic necessities.
Did Not Use Valuable Material.
Little or no attention was paid to
the work of the Tariff Commission.
which was created for the very pur-
pose described by Judge Gary to the
steel men. The fact is the trainers of
tke Fordney -McCumber bill did not
take advantage of the valuable mate
rial assembled by the Tariff Commits
sion for use I'm development OF per-
manent economic policy based on
scientific principles.
Some illuminating and potentially
valuable information has been gath
cred by the commission since 1t was
created on the recommendation of
President Wilson. in 1916. The war, of
course, prevented the application of
the correctives disclosed by the in
vestigations of the commission.
The material gathered during the
war and since could, in the opinion of
leading authorities in economics, be
now employed in the production of a
tariff measure based on sound pripci-
pies and fair dealing. A scrutiny of
the work of the commission reveals
that business men generally favor a
scientific tariff over one based mainly
on partisan necessities Of political
character.
Many business men In communi-
eating to the commission statements
regarding their respective industries
have expressed their approval of the
scheme to take politics out of the
tariff" The extent of this recent
tendency on the part of business men
is probably not appreciated by mem
bers of the two houses Of Congress
who regard the tariff as a political
affair pure and simple.
Commission Neglected.
The commission has received little
toward accomplishing the task fol
which it was created. The present
commission is composed Of three Re-
publicans, two Democrats and one In
dependent as far as politics have been
observed by the appointing power.
The commission does not possess the
power to recommend rates, because
Congress has always been jealous OF
its political prerogatives In framing
measures relating to the tariff. There
has been commendable change in SEN
timent. however, in this respect. SEN
ator Smoot (Utah), who originally op-
posed the Tariff Commission idea, is
now an advocate Of the plan to take
politics out OF economic legislation.
Congress has carried its resentment
against the scientific tariff scheme to
the extent OF actually lcrippling the
commission in the matter of funds
The largest appropriation ever granted
for tho maintenance of the commits
sion was $325, 900. which has been
agreed upon for the present year.
The inadequacy of this appropria-
tion is shown by the fact that the
Tariff Commissions work embraces
minute Investigations of every indus.