Salt Lake Telegram | 1931-12-03 | Page 4 | A Washington Daybook

t. iA A Washington Daybook L J By HERBERT D PLUMMER R WASHINGTON Dec 3 3 It remains to lobe be seen whether President Hoovers Hoover's choice as chairman of the tariff commission Robert commission Robert L. L OBrien O'Brien of Boston Boston can continue that wl which ch perhaps perhaps perhaps per per- haps more than anything else commended commended com corn mended Henry P. P Fletcher for tor the Job Fletcher succeeded in bringing a harmony and dispatch to the commission com corn mission which impressed every one who had any dealings with that body Under his liLs regime there have been reports of a new efficiency Work was speeded up A visitor at a tariff hear hear- Ing ng received the impression that hat perhaps perhaps per- per haps laps he had stumbled unawares into the he supreme court chamber Only Only the robes obes would be missing When the commissioners file flIe in in all allin allin allin in attendance stand until they pass around a brass rail ralI to the dais and thence hence to their seats That was Fletchers Fletcher's way of ot getting down to business FAST WORKING COMMISSION D Whether the dignity with which he invested tariff commission hearings had lad any bearing on results perhaps is s not important however The thing things is s that with Fletcher at the head the commission worked fast last and handed down decisions which were more often than han not unanimous Most of the work that a tariff tom com commission om- om mission does dots is highly technical The general gener l public understands little about It But nut repeatedly during the thelast thelast thelast last few months one has heard that Fletcher and his commissioners were working on a scientific basis with notable efficiency and the lik like This must be considered all the themore more noteworthy when it is remembered remembered remembered that that- the personnel of the commission commission com corn mission is by law equally divided between between between be be- tween Republicans and Democrats The successor to Fletcher in all probability will have a difficult road ahead of him The tariff policies of America are In the limelight both at home and abroad as they have seldom been before DIFFICULT JOB AHEAD The Democrats in all probability will control the house The margin between Democrats and Republicans in hi the senate which senate which must confirm O'Brien's appointment is is very slen slen- der With this prevailing situation the activities of OBrien O'Brien and his commission commission commis commis- sion will be watched closely Demands already have been made by various congressional factions for a a. readjustment readjustment readjustment readjust readjust- ment of or the rates In the Hawley- Hawley Smoot bill These must be answered or else something will happen This fact together with a a. presidential hal campaign in the offing aCting makes the Tot lot oT or Mr Mi OBrien O'Brien of Boston not a particularly happy one in prospect