The age-herald., 1898-12-17

have been guided by the following consid- erations:
 No. l. The necessities of obtaining sufn-
 cient revenue to administer the affairs of the island.
 2 A reduction of duties in those cases
 where Spain retained in the minimum" rate column exorbitant rates because she could not herself supply the commodity. 3. An increase of duty in the schedule re- lating to spirits, wine and malt liquors in
 which the reduction by the addition of the minimum" rate column is altogether too great.
 4. Changes of rates that have been sug- gested by the testimony taken for the pur- pose of encouraging local industry in Cuba. 5. Changes for specific duties to ad va lorem in cases where the former method of levying duties resulted in inequalities and
 in some cases inJustices alike to importer and consignee. Note: Sschedule instruments machinery and apparatus employed in agriculture, etc. 6: Changes in reductions as in the case of aiimentary substances" in which many rates of duty now in force in Cuba in ports In the possession of the United States were found to be unnecessarily burdensome. '. In these changes consideration has been given to the fact that the Cuban cus-
 toms will be collected in United States cur rency, whereas the Spanish duties were collected In go per cent Spanish gold and
 zO per cent Spanish silver; roughly speak ing, therefore, If the old Spanish duties were left unchanged 1t would practically
 mean an increase of 10 per cent in the tar
 III. II should therefore be borne in mind that the reductions made are in fact 10 per cent. less than the figures indicate On | the other hand, however the additional duties exacted by the Spanish authorities ievieo as war tax" since the signing of the protocol, more than counteract the dif-
 ference in currency.
 Witn these general Ideas in mind and the testimony a lar
 together with numerous statements relat. ing to the various classes of the Cuban
 tarin, several schedules have been carefully examined, and the general reasons for the
 changes in rates, etc., suggested may be Iound in the subJoined summary, which
 has been arranged according to the number
 Of the schedule or class which is the more
 literal translation of the Cuban tariff The Following table shows the average
 per cent. of reduction in the several classes
 between the old Spanish rate and the rate
 originally adopted by the United States for all imports:
 Class I-Stones earths, ores. etc.. GAL per cent
 Class II-Metals. etc, 621 per cent. Class III-Pharmacy and chemicals, sub
 stances of, 5S.1 per cent
 Gas IV-Cotton, etc., 63.7 per cent.
 Class V-Hemp, flax, etc, 62.5 per cent.
 Class VI-Wool etc., 70.4 per cent. Class VII-Silk, etc., 59 per cent. Class VIII-Paper, etc., 769 per cent.
 Class Ix-Wool, etc, 6S.1 per cent.
 Class X-Animals, etc., 61.7 per cent.
 Class X1-Instruments, machinery, etc.. 60.6 per cent.
 Class XII-Meat fish, butter and greases 61.5 per cent.
 Class XIII-Miscellaneous 61.S per cent. General average, all classes, 62.0 per cent An explanatory statement issued con cerning the tariff says it is revision kI.N ~.tHf by the war department for the port of San tiago, which was a general reduction of per cent Ion the tariff imposed by Spain on all imports into Cuba from the United States and all other countries except Spain The rates in the tariff about to go into force with some few exceptions are greatly below the rates now in force at Santiago The new tariff has been framed with view to the rehabilitation of the island. The duty on paving stones, which are destined to cut an important figure in the sanitary rehabilitation of Havana has been abol- ished, and the duties on chemicals, tar and pitch and crude oil heavily cut. The iron or steel rail rate has been reduced to 50 per cent. Coal and agricultural imple- ments are on the free list. aQuinine has been placed on the free list and common salt cut down more than two- thirds, the old rate of duty. In cotton and manufactures thereof, 1t has been deemed advisable to make an increase on the Santiago tariff so that the reduction from the Spanish tariff will average 50 per cent instead of 63 per cent. Classifcations have been altered with a view to Tightening the rates of duty on the lower grades of cotton cloth. Hemp and Manila have been put on the free list with view to establish ing in Havana a manufactory for sugar bags, the construction of which has been assured provided the jute cloth, etc., were placed on the free list
 In the paper schedule reduction has been made of about 50 per cent from the Spanish tariff instead of nearly T per cent. as in | the Santiago tariff
 Class is most important schedule for both the lumber interests of the United | States and those engaged in various Cuban industries, especially agriculture The first | things necessary after the supplies after | cheap food is available, will be to remove | as far. as possible the impediments to a | supply of cheap lumber for rebuilding what l has been destroyed by the war. It has been 1 decided to make a uniform reduction of 50 | per cent. on the entire schedule. l The proposed tariff makes a nominal 1 charge of $1 per head on all imported cattle | in lieu of the tax heretofore exacted by the | Spanish government for slaughtering the | animals when used for food. The experi- ence in Santiago indicates that this tax can l be more easily collected in the manner pre- scribed than by farming it out the Span ish did to companies whose emissaries har- assed planters in it's colle ction. The revenue necessities make it inadvisabe to abandon l all revenue from this source The duties on | other animals such as horses mules, sheep, l etc., have also been reduced to a nominal rate.
 The duties on instruments, machinery and | apparatus employed in agricultural indus l try and locomotionf have been changed l from specific to ad valorem and it is be- 1 lieved the reduction of duty made on ma | chinery used in agriculture and the manu- | facture of sugar to 10 per cent will aid in | the reconstruction of the smaller sugar | plantations.
 1 The food schedule has been reconstructed | so as to make it more equitable in it's | classifcations and to eradicate as far as
 possible serious discrepancies in rates. In | view of the fact that Cuba generation ago 1 exported 100 900 900 pounds of coffee annually l and that it produces a very fine grade of | the article, 1t has been deemed advisable to restore the duty on coffee to the maximum | Spanish rate.