194 Presidential Addresses 



liminary inquiry by and upon the findings of a body 

 of experts of such high character and ability that 

 they could be trusted to deal with the subject purely 

 from the standpoint of our business and industrial 

 needs; but, of course, Congress would have to de 

 termine for itself the exact method to be followed. 

 The Executive has at its command the means for 

 gathering most of the necessary data, and can act 

 whenever it is the desire of Congress that it should 

 act. That the machinery for carrying out the policy 

 above outlined can be provided I am very certain, 

 if only our people will make up their minds that the 

 health of the community will be subserved by treat 

 ing the whole question primarily from the stand 

 point of the business interests of the entire country, 

 rather than from the standpoint of the fancied in 

 terests of any group of politicians. 



Of course in making any changes we should have 

 to proceed in accordance with certain fixed and defi 

 nite principles, and the most important of these is 

 an avowed determination to protect the interests of 

 the American producer, be he business man, wage- 

 worker, or farmer. The one consideration which 

 must never be omitted in a tariff change is the 

 imperative need of preserving the American stand 

 ard of living for the American workingman. The 

 tariff rate must never fall below that which will 

 protect the American workingman by allowing 

 for the difference between the general labor cost 

 here and abroad, so as at least to equalize the 

 conditions arising from the difference in the 



