Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1898-12-30
NEW TARIFF POLICIES
CUSTOM 5 sysreMs TO FIT TER.
.iToRiAL. EXPANSION.

+, RlToRiAL. EXPANSION.
Substantial Benefits Certain TO Follow
b Emancipation of Our Recently
Acquired Tropical Possessions from
Spanish Oppression and Misrmlc.
The work performed by the United
States treasury officials in preparing a
new schedule of tariff rates for the ISL
and Of Cuba gave opportunity for con-
sidering n number of questions involv-
ed in the tariff policies which may be
adopted in the tropical islands expected
to come under the domination of the
United States as a result of the war
with Spain. Attention has already been
called to the fact that the tariff which
the officers of this Government found
in vogue in Cuba, as II h0ldover from
Spanish domination of the island, was
well calculated to enrich Spain, but to
afford no protection or benefits to the
people of the island or to their indus
tries. 1t appears that the Spanish tariff
rates applied with no settled pol
icy except to get revenues, and in doing
' this all interests in Cuba suffered, IL
those interests came into conflict with
Spanish greed.
OF course, the present tariff policy is
proposed solely for the purpose of put
ting the island On its feet during the
military occupation by the United
States. What the Cuban Government,
which 1t is expected the people of the
Island will ooner or later adopt, will
do in the matter of tariff restrictions
upon trade is purely a matter of con
lecture. But if one may Judge from the
evidence given before the treasury Off
Gals by interested residents of the ISL
and. and of those who have business
interests in the Industrial development
of Cuba, 1T may he safely put down that
the tariff will be much more protective
of Cuban interests than any tariff
schedule ever given to the island by the
Spanish Government.
The chief point of interest in me
ton with the new Cuban tariff is the
act that while 1t a prepared by pro-
tectionists, and under the advice of Gu
ban business men who are Interested in
the development of the of the
island, 1T was found to be practicable to
' provide tariff rates OH imports to the
island, discriminating in favor of the
home productions in only three or four
interests of Importance. This is an in
teresting point, as it calls forth the sug-
gestion that when the United States
takes formal possession Of the other
Spanish islands and applies to them
tariff schedules for the betterment of
their industries, and to furnish reve-
for the upbuilding of the islands,
1t will he found that comparatively few
interests in those islands will require
protection from outside competition,
' and hence the trade to the islands may
he open practically to the world ON the
+, same rates Of revenue tariff exclu-
sively.
This is true to a great extent of Cuba,
and 1T is believed to he true to a greater
extent with Porto Rico and the Phil
! ippines. In Cuba there is a demand for
protection to only such industries as
cordage making, tobacco raising and
' manufacture, soap manufacturing and
tMO vi lAlCC luO ll1lClCSlSs OuuST
the Spanish tariff the raw materials en-
tering into the manufacture Of SOAP
' and cordage We're admitted at rates of
duty higher than those imposed upon
the finished product. One of the Cuban
manufacturers who appeared before
the United States Treasury officials to
ask for n better rate on the manufac-
tured article and lower rates on the ma
terials was asked how he managed to
transact business or exist at all under
the Spanish tariff. He admitted, after
some discussion of the subject, that
the whole affair resolved itself into IAN
arrangement with the Spanish Off
Gals" mother words, a certain amount
was paid on the materials, which sum
went to the Government, and, presum-
ably, another amount went into the
pockets of the Spanish officials. Such
a system will, of course, be unknown
under the tariff policy to be established
for the island by the United States SO
long as this Government retains even
military control Of Cuba. There was a
demand for higher rates discriminating
in favor of the tobacco planters and
manufacturers of the island. This was
alleged to be due to the importation to
Cuba Of Sumatra tobacco and cheap CT
gars which are made of inferior tobac.
co and sold as genuine Cuban goods"
The rates of the new Cuban tariff will
be arranged to afford protection on
lines of this nature.
The rates of duty fixed on agricul-
tural products, flour and implements of
agriculture will be lower under the
: new duty lists, as will also be the rates
on machinery. No implements or ma
chinery Oh flour are produced in the
island, and probably will not be for
many years to come. The rates of duty
on fhaSo %Orfic1nS u,o,.o n,ofnfofpo1 -