Arizona weekly citizen. [volume] (Tucson, Ariz) 1880-1901, 1894-07-14
The Free Zone.

1t would seem that the people OF the
Free Zone are very much stirred up
over the possibility of losing their anci-
emit privileges. Formerly they were al
lowed to import foreign goods free OF all
duties, and now they only pay ten per
cent on the regular tariff. In this con-
nection the FL Paso Herald says:
"The claim over the river is that the
milk in the cocoanut of the free zone
futter is the opposition OF Vera Cruz
and Tampico. Imports at those ports
pay full duty then and there. But
goods can be brought from Europe
through the United States in bond into
the free zone where only ten per cent
of the Import is paid, the remainder to
be collected when the goods are sent in
to the interior. However, so much is
smuggled south as to not only make a
big hole in customs receipts, but de-
prive the eastern Mexican seaports of
the handling of goods that would other
wise come there for distribution. How
ever, it is not believed that the move to
abolish the free zone will be success
full
There is not need of wandering so far
as Vera Cruz and Tampico for good and
sufficient reasons for the abolition Of the
Free Zone. The privileges enjoyed by
the inhabitants of that favored strip are
unjust to those of the rest of the coun
try, especially since time and experience
have shown that those privileges have
not accomplished the object for which
they were originally granted. Those
privileges were not extended to the IN
habitants of the Rio Grande border for
their particular benefit, but to stimulate
the settlement of that unpopulated re-
giop. But years have come and gone
and the population of that belt has
shown no greater increase than is shown
by that part of the country at large, and
much less than that Of many sections of
the interior. The facility for smuggling
from the free zone into the interior al
luded to by the Herald is IN additional
end powerful reason for placing the peo-
pie of that section on a level with the
other inhabitants of the republic, so far
as customs duties are concerned. AT
present. the republic revenues are not
reduced by the exemptions extended to
theffree zone, but by the smuggling car
ried on from there to interior points
and this at the time of the government
can not spare any revenues whatever.
The Two Republics has stated on more
than one occasion that it regards the
abolition of the Free Zone Jy degrees as
having already begun, that it believes
the imposition of the ten per cent duty
as the beginning of the end-in fact
there has been an official intimation of
this effect. The immediate and absolute
abolition of that Zone would be manif-
estly unjust, as there are certain inter
ests there which should be allowed time
to prepair for the change. Hence the
policy Of gradual abolition. 1t is be |
heved than from ten per cent the duties |
paid on goods for consumption in the |
Free Zone will be increased until they |
reach one hundred per cent or the full |
tariff. How long it will be before the
full quota is imposed it would be
hazardous to predict, but the sooner the
inhabitants of the Free Zone are COM
PEELED to pay the same duties on import
ed goods as are paid by the rest of the
people of the republic, the sooner SNUG
Cling will be suppressed and the govern |
mept receive the revenues to which it is |
entitled, the sooner the jealousy felt by |
the people at large for those of the |
favored belt will subside and the sooner |
the people ST the whole republic will be
placed commercially on an equal foot
ing.-Two Republics.