| Show VAN CLEAVE CHAVE THE THEAT THEMAN THEMAN MAN AT THE HEAD HEA i I National Tariff Commission if 1 Convention Begins Work in inI Indiana I Capital C SEVERAL ADDRESSES MADE SPEAKERS GREED AGREED UPON MAIN x POINTS AT ISSUE i Indianapolis dl ap lis irdI Ind Feb b 16 Busi Business t si siness ness ies and political representative joined today at the first session of o othe the national tariff commission in denouncing the present tariff as a an unfair unscientific and Illogical ee Fe e eries rles ries of compromises and expedients While views as to the functions of the proposed tariff commission varied the speakers were as one in asserting its Immediate necessity necessity ty Chairman Van Cleave and for former former mer iner Governor Guild urged the mat matters matters of revision of o the tariff from divergent standpoints but were agreed on the point that present conditions demand the constitution constitution tion of a tariff commission at once X Indianapolis Ind md Feb 16 The first national tariff commission convention whose delegates hope to tu p the way for or the establishment of a permanent tan tariff it commission assembled nero here today and chose choe as ae permanent chairman J JVan W IV IVVan Van Cleave of ot St Louis Loula president of the National Association of Manufacturers Manufacturers Manufacturers Chairman Van Cleave had been one of the leaders In the movement for this convention conven lon and his activity had called forth protests from rom the ranks of the manufacturers organization En Endorsement Endorsement Endorsement of his work by the executive committee of his hi organization yesterday made him a double victor The Tito program of o th first session In Included Included eluded speeches by b Chairman Van VanCleave VanCleave VanCleave Cleave Henry S Towne president of o othe the Merchants association of New NewYork NewYork ew York Senator Brown of Nebraska and former Governor Governo Guild of Massachusetts Massachusetts Massachusetts The headed a dele delegation delegation gation gatlon representing the th Boston Cham Chamber Chamber Chamber ber of Commerce and scores cores of other delegates represented various large commercial or political organizations Mr Ir Van Cleaves denunciation of the American Protective Tariff eague aroused the tho delegates who applauded vigorously At the conclusion of Mr Ir IrVan Van Cleaves address Senator Brown of Nebraska was introduced He said jt part Senator Browns Speech While I believe in the wisdom of a tariff which will protect American labor and capital I do not come to argue the economic merits of that policy polley nor to demonstrate the folly foll and the fallacy of ot the tho contrary doctrine I come to com corn commend commend mend arid I hope hepe h pe to encourage this rep representative representative bod of Americas business businessmen men m n In their stand for an intelligent and scientific basis on which congress may nay determine what duties shall be levied on the worlds importations SI S The task now before congress is to adjust not to repeal the Dingley law Its policy and purpose must be perfect perfected ed Cd and not abandoned the judgment of the American people is for its rear rearrangement rearrangement rearrangement in the matter of details and for Its rededication in the matter of principle It is because the details are areso areso so 50 Intimately and inseparably associated associated with the principle and purpose of any aily industrial legislation that every true friend of wie and safe congressional enactment should be willing to have the facts on which the details rest ascertained as and reported to congress The Th creation of o a permanent commis commission commission commission sion of experts to make such an investigation Investigation investigation Is a necessity Business Man Investigates There is not a business man of small or great degree who does not first in instigate I the facts of location of trade of conditions of prices of supply of distribution and many man other facts be bo before Tore fore he ventures to invest a dollar lollar Why hy should congress that acts for or orall all the people be less careful and less Informed about what it undertakes than the average business man who acts for himself Silone llone ilone If that business man Is wise who first obtains the facts before he opens his business house or buys bus a factory or builds a railroad would It not bo be wise for congress to first obtain the facts as a basis for tor or legislation be before before before fore it legislates on a subject which necessarily Involves for tor weal or woe every ever business house and every ever factory and every ever railroad and every laborer in all the land There should be no doubt about an early arly enactment of congress providing for a tariff commission of experts to in investigate te and report all of the facts ob obtainable ble relating to trade and indus industrial Industrial Industrial trial conditions to be used as a basis for tariff legislation Commission Needed A commission of this character is a public necessity and would be a public benefaction It would tend at least to remove the tariff Issue from politics hilo I believe In the existence of po JJ 1 parties partie I do not the tho busl bust bustness ness of the country countr should be disturbed Continued on Page 5 i VAN CLEAVE THE THEMAN THEMAN MAN AT THE HEAD I Continued From Page 1 and the tho industries of tho people threat threatened threatened ened every VCr two years by b an assault on tariff schedules The Tho tariff is purely pur l a practical proposition of detail which should be let alone as much as possible by b the political para pam paramount paramount mount Issue builders bunders of the age The public Is best served sered in its business wants by men willing to act on business facts ascertained by those se whose whole time is given to finding out those facts without regard to the effect they may have nave when found Cound out on the life lIe of some political organization Let It be understood that the work of this commission does not Include fixing the rate of duty on a single arti article article article cle of commerce That is a legislative function and belongs solely to congress No commission could be authorized un der the constitution to fix schedules Senator Brown was followed by b For Former Former Former mer Governor Guild of Massachusetts A Massachusetts View Governor Guild said in part Let me say frankly frankl at the outset that there Is some distrust in business circles in New Ne England in regard to this convention and some business or organizations organizations organizations have hae hesitated to send del delegates delegates delegates here heie for fear that this conven conn con n lion tion might by b vote practically postpone immediate tariff revision by the sug suggestion suggestion suggestion that an investigation by br a pro proposed proposed proposed posed commission should precede any action by congress If It any such idea prevails I trust it may be defeated The present tariff Is outgrown 1 I speak as a protectionist It needs to be modernized and modern now with such information as congress may be able at once to ob oh obtain obtain tain tam Any question of commission must be as ai a corollary to the new mod modern modern modem ern em tariff to be bo prepared at once by this present congress It Is better that the thene new ne tariff should contain as it will some errors than that immediate cou coll of this question should fur further ur urther ther be evaded or postponed Not a Legislative Body This proposed commission as I un it is I in no sense a body that is to take the place or perform p the functions of any existing legislative or executive branch of the th government of the United States Tariffs in the fu future future future ture as in the past will be and should be framed by congress and approved by the president Let t congress and the president and people decide for protection or free trade let Jet congress and the president divide the dutiable from the free list and establish the scale of rates but let letus letus letus us have for tariff legislation as for other legislation some official impartial Impartial impartial dispassionate source of information Information information tion secure from political influence with sufficient ability and above all sufficient time to investigate the fiscal and industrial needs of our people Having let this commis slon sion tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth and not in the th thear ear of the president but in public tf te t the people Representative Fowler of New Jersey addressed the thc convention in advocacy of a bill outlined by himself which pro proposes proposes poses po s the creation of a tariff commis commission commission commission sion of fifteen members at a salary of per year each eachIn eachIn eachIn In urging this bill Mr Fowler admit admitted admitted admitted ted the difficulties in the way of its en enactment enactment enactment into law and to that end he recommended that every commercial body In the United States should be or organized organized organized into a campaign club and through the sheer force of voting power compel your our members of con tOn congress congress gress to commit themselves to the pro program program gram He declared that neither the house nor the senate will yield an atom of its power or prerogative any an more than the thc kings of England did unless driven to do so by an overwhelming consuming sentiment which you alone can create He referred to the voluminous litigation litigation tion out of the customs dis disputes disputes disputes and on on this point said Millions Wasted This litigation which keeps an army ann of judges lawyers and government of officials officials officials constantly busy has cost mil ml lors Kens of dollars to the government many JUan more millions to the people dl di directly interested therein and in the end must mu t come corne from the pockets of the peo people people pie With the exception of the tho members of the bar hardly a single class In this country has been benefited by this un waste of time and money Du the last current year 55 98 clas classification classification protests were received antI and were decided while the s soIl on files now number Is there a single business of the United States amounting to a year ear Yes a year ear yes 10 a year yes yos S even a quarter of that amount that has bas not a body of ex ox export expert pert port men costing as much as DS an expert would cost this govern government government ment mont doing nothing but reducing every factor of the business to a certainty and refining every differential to a or a of 1 per pcr percent percent cent Example of Germany Germany with a foreign trade tr de amounting to three billions has ap applied applied applied plied this principle to her international commerce All AU the countries of Europe particularly particular except free trade Eng England England England land are doing the thing thin Our im import Import Import port and export trade has passed the three billion mark Is it not high time that we too should now imitate our Imitators who have hae reduced foreign trade to an approximate science The tariff commission which I ad advocate advocate advocate provides the effective machinery by which this proposal can be carried out without shock or the slightest in interference interference with the trade of the coun country country country try and yet the matter of ot legislative control rests entirely with the house and the senate |
