Evening star., 1923-01-07
BY JAMES A. BUCHANAN.

YITH the retirement of Sem
M ator McCumber on March
" " 4, 1928, there will exist a
vacancy in the chairman
ship of the Senate committee on
finance and. in accordance will all
rules OF seniority and fitness, Senator
Reed Smoot of Utah, ranking men,
her, will undoubtedly be made chair
man OF that extremely important
committee.
While it is true that all measures
of revenue producing nature must
originate in the House OF Representa-
tives il is an Acknowledged fact that
the last word is said by the Senate
committee. Now, more than ever. does
the country appreciate the need of a
man who is we'll informed as to the
different angles Of tariff rates.
Ever since the beginning of the
American government the fixing OF
tariff rates has been q matter that
has tested the ingenuity and skill of
the lawmakers, and the question IL
more complicated today than ever be-
fore, for with changing conditions in
Europe and a reconstructive period in
this country, IL 10 not an easy matter
to construct a tariff that will produce
revenue for the country's needs and
also give protection to American in
dustrfes.
Tariff rates must also be SO fixed
as to permit importers TO carry on
their business with a legitimate
profit There must be reciprocal ar
rangements. and dozens Of other con-
ditons must be met; in fact. many OF
them must be anticipated.
yTYHILE it is true that thousands
w of citizens have, from time to
time, read of the activities of Senator
Smoot during the many years he has
been in public life, few of them have
had an opportunity to know what
sort of an Individual this tariff ex-
pert really is Few have had an op-
, portunity to read anything of his
early life.
Reed Smoot was born at Salt Lake
City, Utah. January 10, 1852. When
he was ten years of age his father
and mother moved to Provo, Utah
Young Smoot received his primary
education at this place, later attend
ing the Brigham Young Academy.
He also attended the state university.
from which he graduated at the head
of his class. Even as a boy the fu-
ture senator gave promise of being
an astute business man. One day.
k6A
while the present tariff law was be-
ing discussed, the subject Of marbles.
the kind that boys play with, came
up, and there appeared to be an un-
usual CLEAN of interest in the eyes
of the senior senator from Utah. The
explanation is as follows: When lit
tie Reed, for in his youth he was
delicate, undersized chap, attended
school. his favorite recreation was
playing marbles. He cultivated this
snort with the same intensive effort
that has marked everything else he
has ever undertaken with the result
that he used to win all the other
boys marbles and sell them back to
them at the end of the week, netting
him about So a month.
They tell a story out in Provo OF
how an out-of-town boy dropped in
one day with a device evidently pre-
pared for the purpose OF breaking the
embryonic business man. The visit
ing lad brought with him board
about six inches high and two feet
long, in which had been cut little
archways of different widths. Certain
odds were given IL the shooter could
send his marbles through the holes,
standing at a distance of twelve feet
from the board.
It was a new one on young Smoot
ana at first he declined to play. but
smarting under the taunts from those
from whom he had been winning
marbles every week, he accepted the
challenge, with the result that he
busted the visitor from faraway
fields.
Not content with this source of in
come. young Smoot took up the busi-
ness oe raising rabbits, thus adding
materially 20 hin income and. in the
remaining hours Of leisure ne used
As take oewa TO and from thA pasture