THE TARIFF BOARD 393 



may be properly given to them — shall not only gather information for the benefit 

 of the president in determining what shall be done under the powers' given to 

 him under the amendment, but shall gather information which shall be useful 

 to congress in tariff legislation. 



Whereupon Senator Aldrich replied, "Unquestionably." Senator 

 Bacon dwelt further upon the subject and inquired of the senator from 

 Ehode Island if he heard him, whereupon Senator Aldrich answered 

 that he did. And Senator Aldrich further stated : 



I think the senator will agree with me, even from that standpoint, that 

 this information ought not to be gathered by men with a partisan bias. I can 

 imagine nothing which would be more detrimental to the purposes which we have 

 in view than a partisan commission sent out to gather information with refer- 

 ence to one political view or one economic view or another. I think it would 

 destroy the usefulness and the purpose of this commission, or whatever you 

 please to call it. 



This occurred before the clause was changed in conference between 

 the two houses of congress. When the clause came back in the form 

 in which it was finally passed, it was the subject of a long debate in the 

 senate. 



Several senators, among others, Senator Newlands, of Nevada, 

 called attention to the bill as it had passed the senate and then inquired 

 of the chairman of the finance committee, Senator Aldrich, how the 

 change came to be made. Senator Aldrich said that the house con- 

 ferees objected in toto to it. He said : 



The inclusion of the words was a compromise between the two houses. I 

 will say to the senator from Nevada, of course with due deference to his judg- 

 ment to the contrary, that the provision contained in the bill itself is even 

 broader than it was in the senate, in my judgment. It allows the president to 

 employ whomever he pleases without limit and to assign such duties to them 

 as he sees fit within the limitation of the maximum and minimum provision, 

 and to assist the customs officers in the discharge of their duties. Now these 

 two purposes, especially the latter, cover every conceivable question that is 

 covered by tariff legislation. 



Whereupon Senator Newlands inquired whether the bill as it came 

 from the conferees would warrant the president in appointing men 

 who will inquire into and ascertain the difference in the cost of produc- 

 tion at home and abroad, of the articles covered by the tariff. Where- 

 upon Senator Aldrich answered : 



Unquestionably it will, for the reason . . . the home valuation as well as 

 the foreign valuation of goods is a matter which has to be determined by the 

 customs officers, and that involves, of course, all collateral questions. I have 

 no doubt myself that the provision as it now stands is, as I have already stated, 

 even broader than the provision which passed the senate. 



Senator Beveridge then asked Senator Aldrich if he did not differ 

 from Senator Hale when the deficiency appropriation bill was being 

 passed, and Senator Newlands said he was about to ask the same 

 question, to which Senator Aldrich answered that he was not present 



VOL. LXXVII. — 27. 



