616 Presidential Addresses 



product. If possible, such change should be made 

 only after the fullest consideration 'by practical ex- 

 perts, who should approach the subject from a busi- 

 ness standpoint, having in view both the particular 

 interests affected and the commercial well-being of 

 the people as a whole. The machinery for providing 

 such careful investigation can readily be supplied. 

 The executive department has already at its dis- 

 posal methods of collecting facts and figures ; and if 

 the Congress desires additional consideration to that 

 which will be given the subject by its own com- 

 mittees, then a commission of business experts can 

 be appointed whose duty it should be to recommend 

 action by the Congress after a deliberate and scien- 

 tific examination of the various schedules as they 

 are affected by the changed and changing conditions. 

 The unhurried and unbiased report of this com- 

 mission would show what changes should be made 

 in the various schedules, and how far these changes 

 could go without also changing the great prosperity 

 which this country is now enjoying, or upsetting its 

 fixed economic policy. 



The cases in which the tariff can produce a mo- 

 nopoly are so few as to constitute an inconsiderable 

 factor in the question; but of course if in any case 

 it be found that a given rate of duty does promote 

 a monopoly which works ill, no protectionist would 

 object to such reduction of the duty as would equal- 

 ize competition. 



In my judgment, the tariff on anthracite coal 

 should be removed, and anthracite put actually, 



