Evening star., 1926-03-31
Publication of Documents
Hitherto Withheld Is Or
dered With One Exception.
DR.. DENNIS, ON STAND,
ASSAILS BOARD TACTICS
Accuses Four Commissioners of At
tempt to Break Down Flexible
Provisions of Act.
BN G. GOULD LINCOLN.

HN G. GOULD LINCOLN.
In compliance with the subpoena of
the Senate investigating committee.
the United States Tariff Commission
today laid before that body the hither-
to unpublished reports which it has
made To tho President, including the
sugar report.
Vice Chairman Alfred Z. Dennis of
the Tariff Commission, a Maryland
Democrat. denounced reports that
President Coolidge had been actuated
by sinister motives" in making ap-
pointments to the commission.
The vice chairman defended the f1ex-
ible provisions of the tariff act.
He charged the majority members
OF the commission with being biased
and with being responsible for the
failure of the flexible provisions to op-
crate IS they should.
. Keeps Committee Laughing
Dr. Dennis also charged members
nf the commission with causing long
delays in the consideration of cases
, in connection with application under
the flexible tariff provisions. He
caused the Senate committee frequent
~ % burst into laughter with his
descriptions of the discussions held
around the conference table of the
Tariff Commission. Matters which
could he disposed of within 5 or 10
minutes by an ordinary board of bank
directors, he said were dragged out
f0r days by the commissioners.
IF | entered the conference room" p"
said DIR. Dennis, "and made such a
simple statement as that it was cold,
] would Immediately be asked whether
] had given due consideration to the
matter and whether it was cold to me
or cold to a polar bear. ] can't
make any statement at the confer
ences which is not torn to tatters. ;"
Shrunk Fabric Defined.
one definition evolved after long
discussion was given by DR.. Dennis,
a definition of shrunk fabric. 1t was
"shrunk fabric is unshrunk fabric
that has been shrunk." In reply to
a question, DR.. Dennis said that this
definition finally had been made by
Commissioner Classic. Secretary
Bethune of the Tariff Commission, in
presenting the hitherto unpublished
reports made to the President, said
that the President had been informed
of the demand made by the Senate
committee. The President, not hav-
ING intcrposed any objection, he said,
the commission had voted to send the
reports to the committee.
These reports will be made public by
the Senate committee. except that
dealing with halibut, which is now be-
ing considered by the State Depart
ment. The sugar reports, by both the
ma iOrity and minority groups, We're
made public after the hearing today.
Senator Reed of Pennsylvania, Re
publican, said that he thought it was
due to President Coolidge to publicly
call attention to the fact that when
the tariff bin of 1922 was passed by
the Senate it contained a provision
that all reports of the Tariff Commits
sion should be made public. When
the bill came ont of conference. how
ever, Senator Reed said. that provision
Of the bill had been eliminated There
had been implied criticism of the Presi-
dent, he pointed out for failing to
make these reports public.
Robinson View Differs.
Senator Robinson Of Arkansas, chair
man of the Senate committee. differed
with Senator Reed over his interpre-
tation Of the action of Congress in
this matter. He insisted that the
statute of 1916, requiring the Tariff
Commission To furnish the President
or Congress. on both. copies of its re-
port, had not been repealed. The
elimination Of the publicity provisions
in the 1922 act had been brought
about, he said, merely because it was
feared that il would violate the rule
of trade secrets.
IF there was any reason why the
sugar report should not have been
made public. ii would have been known
u the members of the Tariff Commits
sion" sand Senator Robinson Yet
the members of the commission unani-
mously appealed to the President to
publish the sugar report. 1t is still
unexplained why he did not do So
Dr. Dennis told the committee he
had been n member of the faculty
of three colleges and universities,
that he had been a student of eco
Monies and that he had been en-
gagged in the lumber business at one
time and at another in the bond and
bank business The suggestion that
he go on the Tariff Commission first
came to him, he said, from Senator
Bruce Of Maryland, who told him
that former Commissioner Lewis Of
Maryland was not to be reappointed
At the time, DIR. Dennis said, he was
serving as personal assistant to Sec
ratary Hoover of the Department of
= tlfiHtctft. anu Ildtl ibpll abroad Ill
many countries for the department
as commercial attaChe.
First Opposed Selection.
At first he said he was dis
inclined To become member of
the commission, but Secretary
Hoover had spoken TO him about
the matter and he had gone to see
the President in August. 1924, and
finally had agreed TO take the place
# he could be given some time in
which to complete work for which he
was under contract. 1t was after this,
he said, that Commissioner Lewis had
been given an ad interim appointment.
Il am astonished," said Dr. Dennis,
'that some sinister motive has been
attributed to the President in giving
this ad interim appointment"
He had reference to the charge
made in the Senate that the President
had given Mr.. Lewis an appointment,
but had asked that at the same time
he turn over to the President his
written resignation. to be used when
the President desired.
Dr. Dennis told the committee that
the statute providing tor the flexible
tariff was very vague" and could be
construed in more than one way. The
law, he said. has been miserably ad
ministered by the Tariff Commission
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