The record-union., 1898-12-17
Establishing Customs to 60 Iato Effect on
the First Of January.
Are Based Upon the Report and
Recommendations Of Special
Commissioner Porter, Who Was
Sent to the Island Some Months
Ago to Make an Investigation
of the Subjects Of Revenue and
Customs.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 16.-President
Mckinley, before leaving for the South
last Tuesday. signed an Executive ord
er establishing a customs tariff list for
Cuba, to go into effect January 1st
next. This tariff is based upon the
report and recommendations made by
Hon. Robert p. Porter, Special Com
missioner of the United States, who was
sent to Cuba some months ago for the
special purpose of making an investiga-
tion of the subjects of revenue and GUS
toms of the islands.
The list of articles which may be i'm
ported into Cuba free of duty includes
trees and plants in the natural state,
trained animals, carriages, theatrical
properties and similar objects import
ed temporarily for public entertain
ment; used furniture of persons going
to settle in the island; wearing apparel,
jewels, portable tools and instruments,
ETC., for personal use of travellers enter
ing the island; stone for paving pur-
poses; plows, hoes, hatchets, machetes
and other agricultural implements not
machinery; quinine and all alkaloids of
salts of cinchona bark; hemp, fax and
ramie; spun jute for the manufacture
of sugar bags; books, maps, etc, for
use of schools; coal and coke; mineral,
carbonated or seltzer waters, root beer,
ginger ale ETC.; also samples of felt,
wall paper and tissues, and of trim
ming, when in small pieces or of no
commercial value.
Export duties on tobacco are pre-
scribed as follows: Tobacco, cigarettes
in boxes, per LOCO, ninety cents. Should
wrapper and filler leaves be exported in
the same package, bale or bundle the
export duty leviable on wrapper to-
bacco shall be collected when the weight
of the latter exceeds ten per cent. of
the total weight. Tobacco, cut, 100
kilos, $3S5; others, $500; cigars, per
thousand, 45 cents.
In the leaf, or filled tobacco, harvest
ed in the province of Santiago de Cuba,
and exported through the custom
houses of Santiago, Gibara or Manza-
milo, 100 kilos, $220. Tobacco, in the
leaf, for cigar wrappers, shall be liable
to the duty leviable on tobacco in the
leaf, with a surtax of 100 per cent.
The long schedule enumerating the
rates of import duty on alimentary sub
stances, animals. cotton, machinery,
etc, is summarized in a table which
Mr.. Porter submits, showing the aver
age per cent of reduction in the several
classes between old Spanish rate and
rate originally adopted by United States
for all imports. The table follows:
Glass 1, stones, earths, ores, etc, 64.1
per cent.
Glass 2, metals, ETC., 62.1 per cent.
Glass 3, pharmacy and chemicals,
substances of, 5S,1 per cent.
Glass 4, cotton, etc, 63.1 per cent
Glass 5, hemp. flax, etc, 625 per cent.
Glass 6, wool, etc., 7O.4 per cent.
Class Z, silk, ETC., 500 per cent
Glass 8, paper, etc, 76.9 per cent
Glass 9, wood, etc, 631 per cent.
Class 10, animals ETC., 61.S per cent
Glass II, instruments, machinery, etc,
60.6 per cent
Glass II, meat. fish, butter and
greases, 61.5 per cent
Glass Is, miscellaneous, 61S per cent
General average all class go per
cent
In commenting upon the schedules,
Mr.. Porter says: I'm reaching changes
of rates in the sevral schedules of the
Cuban tariff now in force in Cuban
ports in possession of the United States
I have been guided by the following
considerations:
"First-The necessities of obtaining
sufficient revenue to administer the af-
fairs of the island.
"Second-A reduction of duties in
those cases where Spain retained in
the minimum rate column exorbitant
rate, because she could not herself sup
ply the commodity.
"Third-An increase of duty in the
schedule relating to spirits, wine and
malt liquors, in which the reduction. by
the adoption of the minimum rate col
umn, is altogether too great
"Fourth-Changes of rates that have
been suggested by testimony taken for
the purpose of encouraging local indus
try in Cuba.
'Fifth-Changes from specific duties
to ad valorem in cases where the form
er method of levying duties resulted in
inequalities and in some cases inius-
tice, alike to importer and consignee.
(Note: Schedule instruments ma
chinery and apparatus employed in ag-
etc.
"Sixth-Changes in the line of addi-
tional reductions, as in the case OF
'alimentary substances in which many
of the rates of duty now in force IN
Cuban ports in the possession of the
United States were found to be unnec-
essarily burdensome. In this case the
aim has been to make the specific rate
of duty average not over 25 per cent
from the present market value of the
imported commodity.
'Seventh-In these changes of duty
consideration has been given to the fact
that the Cuban customs under Ameri-
can administration will be collected in
United States currency, whereas the
Spanish duties were collected in so per
cent. Spanish gold and 20 per cent.
Spanish silver. Roundly speaking,
therefore, If the old Spanish duties were
left unchanged, it would practically
mean an increase of 10 per cent. in the
tariff. It should, therefore. be borne
in mind that the reductions made are
in fact 10 per cent. less than these fig
ureS indicate. On the of her hand