The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-06-21
TRIES TO LIFT
TARIFF MAKING
FROM POLITICS
Under Frelinghuysen Amend
ment Commission Would be
Enlarged to 10 Members
Would Hold Office for Life.
.FLAYS PRESENT PLAN
tBv Associated Press)

WASHINGTON, June 21.-Machin-
cry for the construction of what was
described as scientific tariff based
on the differences between conversion
costs in this country and abroad would
be set up under an amendment to the
pending tariff bill proposed today by
Senator Frelinghuysen, Republican,
New Jersey, who as a member of the
finance committee helped draft the
present measure
Under the terms of the amendment,
the tariff commission would be en-
larged to ten members and would be
required to recommend to congress
not later than December /, 1923. and
each six months thereafter, rates of
duty necessary to equalize the differ
ences in conversion costs as disclosed
by investigations which it would make.
The members of the commission
would be appointed by the president,
would hold office for life and would
receive salaries of $4,000 each, the
same as cabinet officers Not more
than five of them could be, of the same
political party and none of them could
engage actively in any private busi-
ness, lTdQe OF procession.
5Iames Present System
| In prepared address explaining his
amendment, Senator Frelinghuysen
declared the present tariff making sys-
| tenn was both illogical and unscien-
| ttfic." Describing that system as "a
complication of the statement of man
ufacturers. importers, merchants and
| farmers and of inconclusive data col
lected by government agencies made
quately equipped" the senator said
the public mind was thoroughly awake
| to "the abuses of this system and to
the necessity for reform"
And this awakening should be a
| warning to all of us to take the tariff
/ out of politics." he continued. at has
been said cynically that the tariff can
not be taken out of politics 1t is
| probable that the theory of what con-
stftutes proper tariff levies always
will remain a political question, just
| as it has always been a matter of dis
| pute between economists. But the
method of finding out the facts on
which to assess tariff certainly is not
a political matter"
| Asserting that in offering his amend
mend he was not apologizing for the
| present tariff bill, Senator Freling-
huysen declared that to his mind that
measure was as good as could be pre-
! pared under the circumstances and
| should be passed as quickly as pos
| sible in order to remove from business
the uncertainty that now existed.
! Points Out Benefits
| The New Jersey senator argued
that his amendment would vitalize'
! the tariff commission and would de
move its members from personal and
party pressure" by establishing a fun
I damental principle for fixing rates.
Also he said. it would give the com
mission the time, the money and the
| authority to frame such a bill as
would afford actual, not merely sup
i posed protection to American industry
and American labor"
l Pointing out that the finance com
mittee in framing the present bill took
/ 5000 pages of testimony, Senator
Frelinghuysen declared no one could
wade through this gigantic mass of
/ information without confusion or to
be sure of his conclusion, because of
the technical nature of the subjects. "
He said opponents of the bill had OBJ
tanned similar information from other
sources considered equally as reliable
as those from which the committee OBJ
tanned its information, and that yet
the facts relied upon by both sides
were so different that doubt was
Thrown upon the accuracy of all OF
them.
If congress had all the facts, not
part of them, he added, such a condi
ton would not exist. Attention also
was called that a tariff rate as it is
determined today, often becomes al
best compromise; an attempt tc
meet the varying demands of may
sections and many opDosing interests