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 
Rhode 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, LXxvil.-—27, 
