Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1929-04-14

mlnlStered.
Treasury Compromise
AS usual the treasury comes for
ward with a compromis remedy by
which 1t Is proposed to take away
from the customs court its jurisdic-
ton of the law and facts and to
bestow that discretion in the secre-
tary OF the treasury. In other
words a complete bureaucracy Of
the administration of the valua-
ton provision Of the law. No such
provision should be placed In any
law. This policy Of giving a bu-
reau all power and discretion to
determine matters of interest be-
tween citizens Is wrong, and espe-
cially should not be applied to
tariff taxes.
The third problem is how to deal
with the tariff in the future. Shall
we retain the present tariff COM
mission with extended powers as
suggested by some of u republic
can friends, or shall be adopt some
system by which congress may
function quickly and effectively
without materially disturbing the
general business Of the country. I
think 1t has been demonstrated
that the present tariff commission
Is not workable and is unsatisfac-
tory. Its long delays, its chickering's
OF a political nature, has been DEM
onstrated over and over again
since its creation, and while the
present commission is proceeding
with greater efficiency and more
satisfaction than heretofore, there
Is no assurance that it could, or
would continue because the person.
mel largely controls that matter.
and that can and probably will be
changed in the future.
Wants Fact Finding
I propose, and I feel that many
OF my colleagues r In accord, that
we change the present commission
TO a fact-finding commission for
The benefit of the house of repre-
sentatives, where the constitution
requires all revenue legislation to
originate, and by having facts be-
Tor them the house could at any
moment report a bill adjusting any
paragraph that circumstances
might warrant, and 1t could become.
and probably would become law If
it had merit to justify it. within
two or three weeks from the time
1t is reported.
The constitution, in my judg-
ment, will not permit congress to
empower the president to remove
an article from the free list to the
dutible list, and conversely from
the dutible list to the free list, be-
cause that would be virtually levy
Ing taxes and repeating taxes.
which the constitution places sole
~ IN congress, and such legislation
must originate in the house of rep
resentatiyes, and therefore that
body should equip itself to meet
emergencies at any time they may
arise.
Such a fact finding commission
could and would meet the situation
and thereby permit each para
9AoPA1 W GC SOAlDAQC4 GU uDOll llS
own merits, and ultimately take the
tariff out Of politics. Why should
the tariff remain in politics? There
Is no free trade party In this coun-
try, and the only question to be
considered at any time is the rates
TO be applied at the custom house
on the various articles that may
be offered for sale in this country.
All n agreed that these rates
should be the difference in cost CT
production here and abroad as near
as possible. Now why not ascertain
the facts as to what those rates
should be and apply them without
reference to party organization.
Let me say in conclusion that I
sincerely hope that the republican
organization will give the house an
opportunity to present its views on
this question in the form of amend
ments to the proposed bill. No gag
rule should be adopted. 1t cannot
be defended under ordinary cir
cumstances and surely should not
be applied to a great piece Of eco
nomic legislation such as the pro-
posed tariff bill, especially in view
of the fact that the republican or
ganization has more than a hun
dred majority. and should not be
afraid to trust its own membership
to defend the merits Of their bill.