Evening star., 1924-01-16
CLASSIC UPH0LDS
]. TARIFF BODY RIGHT
D. C. Member Shows Wife'S
Sugar Holdings No Re-
Election on His Fairness.

Henry H Classic, well known
washingtonian, prominent in the
councils Of the Chamber Of Com
merce. and q member OF the United
States Tariff Commission, whose right
to participate I'm the commissions hear
tngs on sugar, because his wife owns
stock in a sugar company. caused divid-
ed opinion among the commissioners, in
a. formal statement late yesterday.
said he believed he could honestly.
fairly and impartially discharge the
duties of his Office and that he in
tended to do So
He asserted that as much as he dis
liked to be made the subject of criti-
cism and imputatiOn. he felt that IT
would be nothing less than moral
cowardice" to refuse to do his duty In
this case.
In his explanation Mr.. Classic stat
ed that the three members of the
commission who Joined In the chal-
lish an artificial rule which would dis
qualify any member Of the commits
sion from sitting at a hearing when
relatir. or wife has a property In
terest in a company engaged I'm the
industry affected by a tariff duty.
SHOCK NO secret.
Amplifyins his prepared statement,
ne said the fact that his wife owns
some stock In a sugar company Is
not a secret. and that II is generally
known. He called attention to the
fact that it was well known at the
time President Harding appointed him
to the commission. and until this ac-
tion on the part of the three members
of the commission yesterday. there
has not been the slightest intimation
or inference that he would serve
In explanation OF his wife's inter-
ests. Mr.. Classic said At the hearing
Of the commission yesterday: My
wife IL the owner. by inheritance, OF
se ia s1smsa 81 SUGAR psr ya9s OF So In
1esaph sasar psn,as,on auo,ns and aha m, He said
he doubted IL this stock is worth
more than 5000. and ha(only three
dividends Of 8 per cent .h;%e been re-
cetved since 1909.
This small ownership. he said, could
not swerve him in any respect in the
performance of his duty under the
law.
let him speak" Mr.. Classic said.
Mr.. Classics statement.
Mr.. Classics public statement in
full follows:
Il have given fun consideration to
the observations which fell from the
gentleman at this mornings session.
I observe that in none OF these OBJ
servations Is there any suggestion
or intimation that any party here
TO believe. that I am actually biased
for or against any parties in interest
In this investigation. or that I am
not capable of performing my full
Nut IL 10 frNA
fairly, impartially and according to
law.
THE protest against my participat-
Ing in this hearing has az It's sole
ground, as I understand 1t, the prop
wife of commissioner has a prop
erty interest in a company engaged
IN the industry affected by a tariff
duty. such member is thereby neces-
sarily disqualified from sittin g IN an
investigation concerning that indus
try. That contention has been the
subject OF full debate In the commits
sion and for reasons fully stated by
me on the minutes Of the commission.
] md myself unable to accede to it.
Would Set Precedent.
"T cannot accede to 1t for one rea
son, because it is thereby sought to
forever exclude. from the considera-
tion OF an industry affected by a
tariff. any commissioner who hap
pened to be related to a person
ssss hasss Sa in
for example. could sit in an inves,i-
cation on the subject of wheat who
had any near relative engaged in the
production Of wheat.
mind is eoncsrnea af,er f fail s,ass as;dept OF
alton. I am able to- say that 1 be-
i1eve that can honestly, fairly and
fmpartfally discharge the duties of
my office In this investigation. and. so
as l dislike to be made the subject
OF criticism or imputation, feel that
1t would be nothing less than moral
coWaroice to refuse to sit in this case.
viction by the fact that while IL Is
conceivable that three members con-
stituting clear majority Of ave
memoers might pervert or otherwise
IN some sinister way affect the find
Ing OF the commission or the recon-
mendations of the commission, IL Is
not possible for any single member,
because Of q family property or any
other interest, to control or domi-
mate the entire commission or allow
report to be made to the President
not supported by the facts in evil
dence."
Commission IL Divided.
The commission is divided in its
opinion regarding the propriety of a
member with q relative owning a
financial interest In a company whose
commodity should come before the
commission for = hearing sitting dur
ing that hearing. The commission
carried the matter to the President
several days ago. expecting that he
might make ruling that would set
lie the question which had equally
divided the commission. The Presi-
cent, however, did not do that. He
said II was a matter for the commis-
sion itself to thrash out and that ne
expected II to do 80.
The President IL represented. how
ever. as not believing the law lis being
violated In the event of q commis-
Sioner with q relative financially in
terested in company affected by a.
tar1n duty setting during q hearinr
The President is known TO have
expressed himself to the effect that
ne feeie very sure that the commts-
sion would transact its business in
an honorable and legal manner In
any event. He 10 known also to have
pointed out that the Tariff Commission
sion Is not court or tribunal hut
Is fact.fnding body. It's duty "a
to make inquiries and investi9a tons
and to report the same to the Presi-
dent. II the commission 10 not unan-.
1mous on q report, each member 10
entitled to make an individual report
60 the President.
CATHOLIC CHlIRcu WING