Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-25
BLAMES INTRIGUE
AND2PRES|DENTS
IN TARIFF FAILURE
La Toilette Asserts Useful.
ness of Flexible Plan Has
Been Destroyed.
TREND UPWARD EXCEPT
IN FIVE CASES, HE SAYS
Cites "Harding's Simple Faith"
and "Coolidge's New England
Views"
b. the Associated Press

b. the Associated Press.
Senator La Toilette. Republican, Wis
consin. said in the Senate today that
intrigue and political influence OF
Presidents Harding and Coolidge had
destroyed the usefulness of the Tariff
Commission" and resulted in tragic
failure" of the flexible provisions law.
! "Harding's simple faith in the Ohio
school of protection and Coolidge's New
| England view of the tariff" La Toilette
asserted, lied to a packing OF the COM
mission with tariff lobbyists"
! With the exception OF f1Ve cases, ne
added, the flexible tariff had moved
! in but one direction, and that was
upward OF thirty-seven cases decided
he added, 80 Of them resulted In in
creased rates.
Worked With Slowness.
! Senator La Toilette said the Tariff
! Commission worked with ponderous
slowness," which disproved the conten-
ton of the flexible provisions being
needed for rapid changes of duties. He
| cited that the commissions 1nveStlga-
! ton for the purpose of equalizing costs
of production of sugar was completed
! only after two and half years work.
| President Hoover, as Secretary of Com
merce, La Toilette said, told the COM
mittee hearing the nomination of Vice
| Chairman Dennis of the Tariff Com
! mission that the flexible provision had
been "miserably administered"
Congress could revise the tariff in
much less time than the Tariff Com
mission, the Senator said.
Contending it was dificult to reason
why the President had not broken his
silence" on the tariff before in view of
his action in throwing the great weight
of his Office against the debenture
plan" during the debate on farm bill,
La Toilette said Mr.. Hoover had not
spoken to indicate whether he approved
the pending bill.
He has not indicated whether the bill
complies with his ambiguous statement
in his message to the special session, 4"
the Wisconsin Senator averred.
Desires TO Keep Power.
>. The Wisconsin SenatoFs<said it was
not difficult to understand why the
Executive desires to keep the enormous
power conferred upon him by the act
of 1922" He added the people had seen
the continual absorption Of power by
of the Constitution would not recognize
that great document"
The flexible clause, La Toilette said.
constituted the power of life or death
over the institutions of business and
agriculture in this country"
With Senator La Follette's speech
the Senate was plunged into its first
major conflict of the tariff debate. with
| the flexible rate policy the point at
issue.
The Republican regulars advocating
@f n,If kanI AA ftaIl
weight of administration prestige be-
hing them, President Hoover having
made it the occasion for his first pub
lie pronouncement on the bill since It
was first laid before the present Con-
gress in the House.
Ranged against the.l was the solid
Democratic leadership, advocating re-
peal of the flexible provision, which was
written into the Fordney- y-McCumber act
seven years ago, on the ground that, in
authorizing the President to raise or
lower rates, not to exceed so per cent,
after investigation by the Tariff Com
mission, it delegated to the Executive
powers which should be confined to
Congress.
Look to Independents.
The Democrats were counting on the
support of 10 to II members of the Re-
publican Independent group, headed by
Senator Borah of Idaho, one of Presl-
dent Hoover's leading campaigners last
year. With such addition to their vot-
ing strength. they believed they would
| be able to take the flexible provision
out of the bill in the Senate, and, look
ing to its ultimate elimination, they
claimed support for their view among
Democrats, Republican Independents
/ and even Republican regulars, in. view
of the argument made against the pol
| icy by Representative Beck OF PennSyl-
| vania.
The President, in his public state-
ment, described the flexible tariff as
"a necessity in protection OF pubic
interest" Asserting that under the
provisions of the law, the President mas
no authority to initiate any changes IN
! the tariff, but is empowered merely 10
act on recommendations Of bi-paru-
! san commission made up OF members
approved by the Senate, he held that
"in no sense, therefore, can 1t oe
claimed that the President can alter the
tariff at will. or that other despotlc
power is conferred upon the Executive.
Text of Statement.
The Presidents statement in full
! follows: :,
In my message to Congress of April
| is, at the opening of the special session,
I gave my reasons as to broad principles
which / felt were important in tarln
| legislation. One of the subjects tnen
! presented was the importance OF main
! tanning the flexible tariff. That prin-
| ciple was advocated over long term
! of years by members of all political par
! ties and it was enacted in the 1922 tarln
law. I advocated it at that time ana
/ since as necessity in protection OF pup
lie interests. -
1.-THE essential of the flexible tariff
| Is that with respect to particular
commodity, after exhaustive determine :
! ton of the facts as to differences OF
! costs of production at home and abroad
by a tariff commission, comprised OF
one-half Of its members from eacn
political party, whose selection Is ap-
proved by the Senate, then the Presi.
dent should, upon recommendation OF
the commission. promulgate changes IN
| the tariff on that commodity not 10
exceed so per cent of the rates fxeo
| by Congress. Under these provisions
the President has no authority to IN
ltiate any changes in the tariff. NO
power rests on the Executive until after
recommendations by the commission:
ANY change must arise from apph.
cation directly to the commission, and
his authority In the matter becomes a
simple act of proclamation OF the
recommendations of the commission. or,
on the other hand. refusal to issue