The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-11-16
R ?. PORTBR'S REPORT,
Our Commissioners Observations
= in the Island Of Cuba. n :
TARIFF REVISION NECESSARY.

The Spanish Tarin Constructed on the
s'IIeads Spain Wins, Tolls Cuba
Loses" Idea-The Rapacity Of the
Spanish OHicials in Cuba.
Washington. Nov. 16.-Hon. Robert
r. Porter, special commissioner for
the United States to Cuba and Puerto
Rico, yesterday presented his report to
the president and gecretary Of the
treasury. The report submitted con-
tains about $4,000 words and goes very
fully into the financial and economical
conditions of Cuba. analyzing the
budget Of that island for IA years.
showing the sources Of income and the
causes of expenditure. There are some
supplementary reports yet to be made.
The following extract from a letter
written to Commissioner Porter by
General Gomez will be read with in
terest:
Il must congratulate you cordially
for the high mission which you have
had entrusted to you. I am completely
Unidentified in all and with all concern
ing II. On my side I am doing all I
can for the immediate reconstruction Of
the country; Its wounds will heal with
the rapid promotion of the work. This
is the battle we are now fighting. and
all men Of good will should join US in
our struggle"
Mr.. Porter examined both in the
United States and Cuba some 500 wit
nesses, all Of whose testimony Is pub
llshed in the appendix to the report.
ho1 ,lr~ t1I Co. tIa
approval of the secretary Of the treas
Gry complete revision Of the tariff In
the form Of new bill which will be
examined by the experts of the treas
ury department and II approved will
be promulgated by the president and
take effect at the port Of Cienfuegos
Dec. /, that being. in all probability,
the first important port to come into
the possession of the United States.
Commissioner Porter says:
"The Spanish tariff was made by
Spaniards for Spain, In the interest
of the Spaniards. That SEEMS to be the
only principle in it, On any other
theory it was inexplcable. The rates
were full of inequalities and were not
levied on any sound principle. but on
the heads Spain wins, tails Cuba
loses idea. which prevails in the whole
fiscal fabric.
"The cupidity and rapacity Of the
Spanish official In Cuba is beyond con-
ception, and IL we may judge by the
/ results at Santiago the United States
officials will be able to collect as much
revenue on tariff the duties of which
are nearly two-thirds less than under
the iniqutous law now In force. The
reduction to reasonable rate Of duty
in certain schedules, such as those re-
latlng to machinery. railway supplies.
etc. will increase the importation, and
the revenue will certainly be greater
than during the period whe n the duties
'have been prohibitory. A railway COM
pany naturally hesitated to import
locomotive when the duty was equiva-
lent to the value of the engine. With
a revised tariff of 25 per cent, for Cuba
has no locomotive works, 1t may import
two, or four, or even six. The same
Is true Of variety of other articles"
Mr.. Porter gives table showing the
average annual custom house receipts
in the Island Of Cuba from 1886 to 1897,
Inclusive, to be $12,645,S94
In an Interesting analysis of the Gu
ban budget showing how much reve-
nue. is required and how much may
reasonably be expected from the tariff
to be enforced Mr.. Porter says:
"The money collected from Cuba,
whether 1t was $26.000,0O0 or less. has
all gone. and nothing Is likely to be
found In the treasury but numerous
evidences of promises to pay. records
OF receipts given by the government for
goods not paid for. debts Of all kinds,
including the salaries Of large num-
ber Of minor officials. The first and
most important item Of expenditure Is
for sovereignty expenses. and aggre-
gates sum exceeding $22, 1000. 900. The
largest item Is that Of the interest on
public debt, which aggregates $685.
aS3.
An important subject In the report is
that in relation to the currency. Says
the report:
although Cuba is afflicted with
many kinds Of deprecated currency,
the established basis Is strictly gold.
Indeed. there is something almost
pathetic In the manner in which Cuba.
though plundered and depleted Of her
resources of wealth, has never wavered
from gold basis. The testimony taken
and statements made on this subject
have been unanimously In favor of
continuous gold basis, for the Cubans
have suffered SO much from Spaln's varl-
Gus attempts to force deprecated cur
rency upon the people. both in the form
Of silver and bank bills, that they want
no further experiment with the cur
rency. The Spanish silver money cur
rent In the island Is only taken at the
daily value, which is fixed partly by
the larger or smaller demand for
wages and necessities Of the govern
ment to pay troops, but principally by
the continually fluctuating value of the
Spanish money In the European mar
ket."
Mr.. Porter then takes up the ques-
tlon of taxation, and suggests the abo-
litlon of certain taxes, especially that
known as the Consumption tax" on
the killing of cattle, which Is an ex--
action that greatly increases the price
OF food to the people. This tax" says
Mr.. Porter. like many others, is
simply farmed out to private firms or
corporations, whose enissaries in its
collection become a constant menace
to thrift and Industry in their respec-
tive districts. Another tax which will
fall down Of lis own weight Is the
:''cedula." or head tax, which varies in
amount from few cents to 500, ac-
cording to the rank and Importance of
the individual. Curiously enough, this
tax when not collected becomes a
greater source Of injustice and annoy
ance than when collected. 1t Is gen.
orally allowed to run until some occa-
sion comes for the unhappy victim OF
Spanish rapacity to require public
document or permit to bury child or
relative, q license to marry, a trans
fer of real estate or a notarial ac-
acknowledgement. Then 1t Is that the
petty rascals in charge of public busi-