Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-12
Revising the Tariff.

Inc creaClon OF the new TAr1n Com
mission was greeted at the outset by
words Of wisdom from one Of the Ma
tons outstanding commentators on
current events. In q few terse and
highly remunerative sentences ex-Presi-
dent Coolidge gloomily noted reports
that the Tariff Commission is about
to start Investigations Of wide variety
of commodity schedules and predicted
that this news would not be cheerfully
received by business, for "A very bad
tariff would be better than constant
agitation, uncertainty, foreign animosity
and change. Hope for q purely
scientific tariff viii prove q delusion.
-" Any prolonged investigation
will do more harm than good. Many
will be injured while none win be
satisfied"
With the picture Of the difflculties that
beset his own Tariff Commission in mind
the former Presidents rather bleak out
look on what many profess to see as
the one bright feature Of the new tariff
act was obviously justified. And 1t is
safe to say that no one was, or Is,
more fully aware Of the dynamite that
lies In "monkeying" with the tariff
schedules than Is President Hoover or
his chairman Of the commission, Mr..
Henry Fletcher. For them the vicissi-
tudes and pitfalls Of tariff -making have
been merely transferred from the halls
Of Congress to the hearing rooms OF
the Tariff Commission. Some seventy
odd applications for revisions In the
1880 tariff schedules are now before
the commission. Needless to say, there
Ia enough potential controversy IN
many of them TO send resounding
echoes through the ranks Of business.
The commissions first duty is to dis
pose of this food Of applications. Natu-
rally, it may be presumed that they are
for revisions upward. After that the
commission will doubtless undertake on
its own initiative the matter Of downward
revision to equalize few other sched-
ules. But in either case the commits
sion's success In adjusting tariff rates
will depend upon the procedure adopted.
Any long period Of uncertainty as to
what viii happen, once the commission
takes an application for rate change
under advisement, u certain to react
adversely In the industry affected. As tits
impossible entirely to avoid this reaction
the commissions only recourse is TO
cut short the period Of uncertainty and
waiting. This 1t hopes to do by regard
ing every application as matter Of
public importance and expediting the
business Of hearings. investigation and
final report by the commission. The
former commission in some cases re-
quired as much as two years to reach
q decision, and the whole matter was
kept q deep and dark secret during the
period of investigation. Mr.. Fletcher's
plan. which is described In detail else
where in today's Star, should make It
possible to cut down this time TO
months. instead of years, and the pro-
ceedings will be given full publicity.
President Hoover foresaw the dan
gers inherent in the principle Of tariff
tinkering when he advised Congress
last June concerning the new flexible
clause of the 1880 bill. In discussing
revisions, he guaranteed that such re-
visions can be accomplished without
disturbance to business, as they con-
Germ one item at time, and the prin-
ciples laid down assure o protective
basis" In other words. the Tariff Com
mission Is not planning to go into O
huddle over the 1880 schedules and
emerge with q recommendation for
wholesale revision Of rates. Each item
will be, and should be. handled sepa-
rately on It's merits and disposed Of one
at a time.
The keynote of the Tariff Commits
sion's policy should be speed and GER
tainty that every application will be
settled, one way or the other, In the
least possible time. This can only be
accomplished by rigid adherence to the
principle that the Tariff Commission Is
not political tarif-making machine,
but scientific fact-finding body, and
by the introduction Of efficient methods
for the quick disposal of public busi-
ness. Mr.. Fletcher's announced plans
are the best answer to Mr.. Coolidge's
undoubtedly well founded, but not nee
essaruy accurate, observations.
-S~o0-S-
Atlanta, Ca, In her suit against the
d4rao$o~ - %I,n o.-s,,. - .Lk~s. - u..-L