Evening star., 1926-03-06
Introduces Bill in Senate to
Cut Membership From
6 to d.
BALDWIN AND CLASSIC
MENTIONED IN SPEECH
Two Could Be Eliminated, Says
Senator, Declaring Mission
Functions Poorly"

An attack upon the United States
Tariff Commission and the manner
in which it has administered the
so.called flexible provisions of the
Fordney. y.McCumher tariff act was
launched in the Senate today by Sen
ator Robinson of Arkansas, Demo
cratic leader.
A bill to reduce the Tariff Commits
sion to four members instead of six
was introduced by Senator Robinson
The bill provides also that no mem
ber of the Tariff Commission shall he
deemed qualified to serve in any pro
ceeding before the commission III tn,
result of which he or any member OF
his family has direct pecuniary in.
terest.
1t is further provided that no mem
Der of the commission shall partici-
pate in any proceedings to which a
former employer of the commissioner
is a party. or in which a former en-
ployer is directly interested whether
such employer be a person, firm. asSo-
citation or corporation.
Senator Robinson. in these provi-
sions. was hitting at members of the
present commission, it was said
At the same time Senator Robinson
introduced a resolution directing the
Senate finance committee to investi.
gate the manner in which the flexible
provisions of the tariff have been ad.
ministered There has been much
criticism of the commission in this re-
gard on the floor of the Senate in re-
cent weeks.
Provides Two Vacancies.
The bill to reduce the tariff com
mission to four members" said Sen
ator Robinson. in Il statement ac-
companying his bill 'instt ad of six
if enacted, would have the effect of
leaving the position to which Mr..
Baldwin has been nominated, vacant,
and the position now filled by Mr..
Classic vacant after the expiration
Of his term. about the middle of Sep
tember.
AS at present constituted. the com.
mission functions very poorly and
scarcely at all in the manner con
templated by the law which receated it.
Every one knows that the tariff
commission was designed to be
bipartisan body, and that the purpose
was to have fairly reflected by the
membership of the commission the
two prominent economic views respect
ing tarlH policies. But by the appoint.
ment of commissioner nominally
Democrat but actually an advocate OF
the principles underlying high protec-
tive tariffs the commission has been
made partisan body. OF course thu
commission ought To he permitted to
discharge its duties without inter.
ference or compulsion from any
source.
The action of the Executiev in re.
quirlnc A member of the commission
to resign subject to the acceptance of
the President necessarily intimidated
and embarrassed the commissioner.
Refers to "Re>ignation.'
The only object of requiring a resis:
nation in such manner would seem to
be deliberate design on the part of
the Executive to subordinate the com.
missioners' views and to restrain the
commissioner from a free exercise of
his judgment Nothing could be more
subversive of the sound principles OF
government"
Senator Robinson had reference in
this statement to the report that
President Coolidge had demanded of
former Commissioner Lewis that he
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