Tariff Board Advisory Body

dent Lowell was a member. Professor Munro is now chairman of a Massachusetts commission which is to gather and collect data for the coming constitutional convention. In this general class the new Tariff Commission belongs. But it differs from all previous bodies of this sort in that it is not temporary, but permanent. Its duty is not to make inquiries with reference to a single projected piece of legislation, but to keep Congress continuously informed concerning laws which are expected to occupy its attention for many years to come Hence the Commission is appointed for a long period of time. It consists of six members, whose terms of service overlap, one members going out every two years. In the first selection one members is appointed for two years, another for four, and so on, until the longest term is 12 years. Evidently it is expected that the work of the Commission will be carried on through at least 12 years. To make sure that the Commission works in no partisan spirit, the law provides that not more than three members shall be members of any one political party. It is perhaps worth noting that among the six persons appointed on the Commission by President Wilson two are Harvard men, myself and E. P. Costigan '99, and two are Yale men, Mr. Culbertson and Mr. Kent.

The duties of the Commission are to investigate in the widest way all matters relating to the tariff system and to the administration of the tariff laws. It is to consider the various ways of levying duties--specific and ad valorem, or a combination of these two; the revenue accruing from the tariff; the best way of administering the tariff laws; the relations between foreign producers and domestic producers; the treaty relations between the United States and foreign nations on commercial matters; and so on. It is to make an annual report to Congress, and is also to report from time to time the results of special investigations which it may conduct.

The Commission, of course, has no legislative power whatever. The final decision on all matters coming under its purview must rest with Congress. The Commission can, of course settle no policies; those must be settled by the people, and by Congress as representing the people. But the difficulties which have been encountered in the past in securing accurate and well digested information on tariff matters have led Congress to the conclusion that preliminary investigation by an impartial body would be helpful, and accordingly this Commission has been brought into existence. It is an experiment in legislative procedure, and one should not rashly predict just how much it is going to accomplish.