394 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 
when the senator from Maine (Senator Hale) made a statement on 
that subject, “but,” he said, “I am stating my own views, which are 
clearly carried out in my judgment by the language used in the act.” 
Senator Newlands then remarked that he was much gratified to receive 
the assurance from the senator from Rhode Island and that it did credit 
to that senator’s good faith and to his maintenance of his obligation 
to the senate. 
Senator Aldrich then said : 
I think I can say, without betraying the confidence of the president, that 
the views which I entertain are also the views entertained by the president of 
the United States. 
This language of Senator Aldrich, who was chairman of the com- 
mittee which had charge of the bill in the senate, and who was one of 
the conferees, was frequently quoted afterwards in the debate, particu- 
larly by Senator Beveridge, who was and is in favor of a tariff board 
with sufficient powers to make itself useful, and the bill was passed 
with that understanding in the senate. In the house after the con- 
ference, the debate was general and nothing contrary to the senate’s 
intention occurred. 
For the work of the board the present congress at its last session ap- 
propriated two hundred and fifty thousand dollars in the last sundry 
civil appropriation bill, which contains the following: 
To enable the president to secure information to assist him in the discharge 
of the duties imposed upon him by section 2 of the act entitled “ An act to 
provide revenues, equalize the duties, and encourage the industries of the 
United States, and for other purposes,’ approved August 5, 1909, and the 
officers of the government in administering the customs laws, including such 
investigations of the cost of production of commodities, covering cost of ma- 
terial, fabrication and every other element of such cost of production, as are 
authorized by said act, and including the employment of such persons as may 
be required for those purposes, and to enable him to do any and all things in 
connection therewith authorized by law, $250,000. 
This new provision, while it refers for authority to the old act, is 
indicative of the construction thereof which has been hereinbefore 
stated. 
The limitations of the tariff board are in the absence of ways and 
means of obtaining evidence in regard to the facts about which it is 
to secure information. It has no power to summon witnesses or com- 
pel the production of books or papers. If, however, the board shall 
have access to the facts in the possession of other governmental agen- 
cies, such as the consular and secret revenue service, the bureau of 
corporations in the department of commerce and labor, and of the 
officers of the government, who have charge of the collection of the 
corporation tax (if that is held to be constitutional), the ways and 
means which are otherwise lacking will be largely provided for. Under 
the law the president can direct all other governmental agencies to ald 
