The New York herald., 1922-06-22
REPUBLICANS ADMIT
TARIFF BILL FAULTS
Frelinghuysen Calls 1t I'm
! scientific and Asks Per-
manent Commission.
'sGIvE IT MORE POWER
Proposes Members Be
Named for Life and Re-
port Findings.
FOR NoN-PARTIsAN BODY
Senator Believes Pending Bill
Best Available Under the
Circumstances
FOR NON-PARTISAN BODY

6secssl Dispatch to THE New York HmALD.
New York Herald Buresu,
The first formal Republican criti-
cism Of TIE unscientihc character Of
the McCumber tariff bill was made in
the Senate to-day by Senator Freling-
huysen IN. .J.). close associate of
President Harding.
! Senator <Frelinghuysen said the
schedules were written without ade-
quate knowledge Of the facts and pro-
posed as an amendment to the bill
permanent tariff commission with in
creased powers, so that future tariffs
might be built upon sensible business
lines. instead of the trading and log
rolling basis Of tie present hit and
miss measure.
Acknowledging a part in the author
SHIP Of the bill, which he criticized
Senator Frelingkuysen said the inter-
ests Of the country demanded its pas
sage as a stabilizer even with its
faults.
Senator Frelinghuysen's close per-
sonal and political affiliations with
President Harding gave to his speech
semi-Administration flavor and added
to the confusion resulting from an at
tempt to pass a bill admittedly so
poorly prepared as the present one
While this is the first important Re-
publican assault upon the tariff. it rep
resents growing dissatisfaction with the
pending measure and lessons the stand
ing which it already has with many
Republican Senators.
''The tariff bill now unaer considera-
tion is not a scientific measure" said
Senator Frelinghuysen. 1T is the out
come Of past conditions when scien-
tific finding of facts was not regarded
as an essential to tariff making"
To BE Appointed for Life.
The amendment Senator Freiinghuy-
sen proposes provides for the enlarge
mont of the Tariff Commission to ten
members. each to be appointed for life
An appropriation OF S1.000,000 is to be
made to carry out the operations of
the commission.
1t is Senator Frelinghuysen's idea
TO make the members of the commission
free from party pressure by life ap-
pointment and to pay them salaries
which will make the positions attractive
10 skilled and capable men.
The commission from time to time
would furnish exact information that
would enable the Congress to fix tariff
dIttf hA -
production and conversion at home and
abroad, SO that the higher standard of
American labor would be protected
Its aim would be to. take the tariff
out of politics, to make the preparation
of tariff bill a scientific problem af-
fecting trade and economies, and to
furnish Congress with facts rather than
with theories.
Outlining the idea back OF his pro-
posed amendment. Senator Frelinghuy-
sen said:
primarily tariff making affects
trade and commerce. 1t is there
fore a matter Of economies. not of poll
tics. The determination OF rates is prop
orly a subject for expert study and con-
, sideration. It ought to be IN the hands
Of sufficient body Of men equipped to
give 1t specialized study.
"The amendment which I propose
would vitalize the Tariff Commission
and extend its powers It would re-
move the members of the commission
! from personal and party pressure by
establishing fundamental principle for
fixing rates.
Public Observes Abuses.
"The public mind Is now thoroughly
awake to the abuses of this system of
tariff making and to the necessity for
reform, and this awakening should be
! a warning to all of us to take the
/ tariff out Of politics by providing legis-
lation setting UP the machinery for a
scientific system OF ievying tariff du-
ties. for which purpose this amendment
is offered.
I'm offering this amendment am
not apologizing for the present tariff
measure that we are considering and
which assisted In drafting. To my
4 mind II is as good a measure as could
be prepared Snder the circumstances
and should be passed as quickly as pos
I sible.
But neither this tariff measure. nor
any 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 pre-
pairing tariff measures. This applies
equally 10 HepuphcanS ana democrats,
and we all know It.
"Our tariffs Of the past have been the
result OF approximation and by reason
OF the fact that the rates have been
fixed by statute they have been inflcxi-
BILE. Therefore, any rate improperly
fixed has not been subject to change
or revision because no government agen-
cy has the power to revise by amend
ment
"It Is generally agreed that the prime
purpose of a protective tariff Is the
protection OF the wage scale. The
American wage scale per unit Is the
highest in the world. and II is this wage
scale that makes a protective tariff alb
solutely necessary in this country be-
cause II Is the element In the cost Of pro-
duction and conversion that makes our
Psoducts more expensive to put out than
oty,nr countries