Evening star., 1898-10-20
A WEIGHTY PROBLEM
Questions of Taxation and Customs
for the Annexed Islands.
SAME BASIS As THE UNITED STATES
Some Figures Presented by Assist
ant Secretary Howell.
EXPO RTS AND IMPO RTS

The problem Congress will have to wres-
tie with in the annexation of Hawaii and
Porto Rico and probably of the Philippines,
is going to be one which officials in the
various departments recognize as a big one
The short session of Congress will be una
bic to dispose of this and all other i'm
portant and necessary business, it is
thought by many, thereby necessitating an
extra session after the 4th of March.
Porto Rico's finances will be no more diff
ficult to deal with than the questions Of
taxat1on-customs, internal revenue. etc.
The same problem will apply to Hawaii
and with much more seriousness to the
Philippines, if they come permanently un-
der the flag.
The Case of Porto Rico.
The Constitution provides that all i'm
posts, excises, duties and taxes shall be
uniform throughout the United States
This was commented upon today by a
prominent administration official. He said
that If the new acquisitions of Uncle Sam
are to be treated as different from home
territory the Constitution will have to be
amended by Congress. If there is no
amendment to the Constitution Porto Rico
for example, will share the same customs
and internal revenue laws the balance
OF the country. Exports from the United
states 10 Porto R1co Will go to that country
without customs duties and imports from
there to the United States will come in
without duty.
As to Hawaii, Congress provided that
those islands should remain under their old
form OF government until change was
made by the legislative body of this coun-
try Porto Rico will temporarily remain
under a military form of government AS
a matter of fact, Porto Rico is not legally
territory of the United States. Only Con-
gress mas the power to annex territory.
Inc annexation of the island will be pro-
Vlded by Congress, which must also provide
laws and government.
Imports and Exports
Assistant Secretary Howell of the treas
ury has some figures of the imports and
exports of Porto Rico. These figures show
that the total revenues collected by the
island in 1Ss3-'H were $36l4,60S, of which
s., $500 were from customs. The ex
pcnses the Sc me year We're 50, ,J92, 1o7.
Heretofore Spain has sent to Porto Rico
the bulk of her goods. In 1S45, for instance,
the imports to Porto Rico We're SIG, 10000.
Spain sent 80 per cent Of this, the United
States 10 per cent and Great Britain 10
per cent. The imports from the United
States consisted largely of -four and picked
pork, other things being lard. corn meal,
vegetables, butter, cheese, bread and bis
cults, cotton goods and machinery. Many
of these items, however. did not aggre-
gate much over $4,000. The value of the
flour sent in was s734,o0o and of picked
be turned in the future and the United
States will furnish the bulk of the goods
going to the island
Porto Rico exported less goods than she
imported. Her total exports in 1895 were
81, ,629s s4, Spain getting 30 per cent OF
this, Cuba % per cent, the United States
l. per cent and Great Britain, Germany and
France, 10 per cent each. Coffee, sugar,
export coffee making up over half the
amount. The value of the coffee sent out
of Porto Rico in 1885 was s., 1883 7Ss. Sugar
was valued at S,o41 .S91, tobacco at SG46.-
600 and honey at $4,000.
Situation Expected to Improve.
Comparatively the business of the island
is small and insignificant, but under the
guidance of Uncle Sam the situation will
quickly improve. The exports and i'm
ports will both increase.
Assistant Secretary Howell may make
trip to Porto Rico this winter to tnvesti-
gate the customs business of the island.
He is one of the best posted men on Gus
toms matters in the United States, and
handles all business of this kind In the
He has not yet decided whether
it will be necessary to make the trip
Assistant Secretary Nanderlip some time
ago decided, as then announced in The
Star that he would visit Porto Rico this
fall to look into the financial situation. He
may get away next month after Secretary
Gage returns to the city.
All of the treasury officials are posting
themselves on Porto Rlcan affairs, as the
business of the island will come largely