The Monmouth inquirer., 1898-11-17
CUBA'S FIsCf! AFFAIRS
Porter's Report to the President
and Secretary Gage.
A NEW TARIFF FOR THE ISLAND.
Schedule Made. which Is Soon to BE
Put Into 0peration-The Commits
sioner Tells How spaniards Have
Looted the Treasury.

I
i Put Into 0peratiOn-The Commis-
/ sioner Tells How spanfards Have
Looted the Treasury.
Washington, Nov. 16.--Robert p. Por-
ter, special commissioner for the Unit
ed States to Cuba and Porto Rico, has
presented his report to the president
and secretary of the treasury.
Mr.. Porter examined 500 witnesses.
A complete revision of the tariff was
submitted in the form of a new bill.
which will be examined by the experts,
and if approved will be promulgated
by the president and take effect at the
port of Cienfuegos on Dec. L
Commissioner Porter says that the
Spanish tariff was made by Spaniards
| for Spain in the interests of the Span
! iards. That seems to be the only prin-
ciple in it. The value of the imports
for 1896 was S61, ,443, ,334, with an average
I of 63.7 per cent The largest item was
| alimentary substances. $31, 179, ,2S9, cot
ton goods following with s5,90S,202-
i 1t has not been thought advisable to
make radical changes in the adminis-
/ trative branches nor to change weights
and measures into United States equiv
alents, because the people Of Cuba are
accustomed to the metric system Unit
ed States currency. however. Will be
substituted for the Spanish pesos. The
tariff imposed reduces all duties about
so per cent on the old Spanish rates
and will average fully two-thirds less
than the rates now exacted.
Cupidity of Spanish Oficials.
To the question, With such a large
reduction Of duties, how is it possible to
secure revenue for the purpose of adj
ministering the government? Mr. Por-
ter says: "The cupidity and rapacity
of the Spanish officials in Cuba are
beyond conception, and we will be able
to collect as much revenue on tariff
the duties of which are more than half
or nearly two-thirds less than under
the iniquitous law now in force. The
reduction to a reasonable rate on ma
chinery, railway supplies, etc, will in
crease the importation, and the revenue
certainly win be greater than during
the period when the duties have been
prohibitory.
"In all cases where there are home
industries capable of supplying man
ufactured product care has been exer-
cised, either by making free the raw
material or not making a too radical
reduction of duty, not to injure their
prospects.
"The average annual receipts from
1896 to 1897 Of the several custom houses
is as follows: Havana, $S,844 1896; Cien-
fuegos, 81, 140,92S; Matanzas, $781,S12;
Santiago, $685., ,041; Cardenas, $685., $751;
Sagua la Grande, s249,506; Caibarien,
s142, ,126; Nuevitas, $1S0,3s2; Guantana-
mo, $115, ,057; Gibara, $9S,S73; Manzanillo,
$76, 1853; Baracoa, $S1, ,124; Trinidad, $16,
221; Santa Cruz, $S,ee4; Zaza, $7606; to-
tai, $12,645,894
1.-THE money collected from Cuba "
says Mr.. Porter, whether it was $685.
600, 900 or less, has all gone and nothing
| is likely to be found in the treasury.
The first and most important item of
expenditures is for sovereignty expenses
and aggregates a sum exceeding $22,-
600, ,000 These expenses are subdivided
as follows:
Interest on public debt and general
expenses, $12, STA, 709; religion and clergy,
1929. .O72; war, 81, 1885, ,740; navy, $1055,136;
executive, s2.645, ,149; total, $22, S96,SoS.
Reduction In Expenses.
"The large items, such as interest on
the public debt and war expenditures
will disappear, making reduction, if
we include the civil guards of S1S,000O00
or $40, 000, ,O0O How much of this amount
will be required for necessary expenses
under the new order of things it will be
Impossible to forecast.
"It is probable, should the United
States currency be made sole legal ten
der, that the Spanish silver dollars will
all be shipped to Spain. In this event
! It will be necessary for the government
to skip as many silver dollars to Cuba
as possible one prominent banking firm
suggesting 5000, 900 or 100000. To
continue the imitation of Spanish and
French gold would be a mistake"
4 Mr. Porter then takes up the question
/ of taxation and suggests the abolition
4 of certain taxes, especially the con
sumption tax on the killing of cattle,
4 the head tax. which varies from cents
to S100, according to the Importance and
wealth of the individual, and that on
4 lotteries.
i Mr. Porter says that no great indus
trial enterprise will enter until the san
itary conditions are improved in all the
larger places. The United States owes
lit to the southern states to destroy yell
low fever germs.
Mr.. Porter advocates the immediate
construction of a railway from end to
end of the island. with branches all
important cities and good seaports. No
other one enterprise could equal this
in improving the situation
The demand for labor is so great that
4 the supply does not equal it. AS a re-
suit sugar plantations lie idle because
the ablebodied men have been killed
or died. In Santiago province 5000
miners are needed. A plant is advo-
Gated for Havana, so that the unem-
ployed may be put to work at once.
First New York Ordered Home.
San Francisco, Nov. 16.-It has been
decided to recall the First regiment of
New York volunteers from Honolulu,