Connecticut western news., 1898-11-17
CUBA'S FISCAL AFFAIRS
Porter's Report to the President
 and Secretary Gage.
A NEW TARIFF FOR THE ISLAND.
Schedule Made, Which Is Soon to He Put Into operation-The Commis- .ioner Tell. How spaniards Have Looted the Treasury.

Put Into 0peration-The Commis-
 .ioner Tell. How spaniards Have
 Looted the Treasury.
 Washington, Nov. l6.-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.
 MT. Porter examined 5o0 witnesses.
 A complete revision of the tarifr 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 1t. The value of the imports
 for 1896 was s61, AS. 1884, with an average
 of 63.7 per cent. The largest item was alimentary substances, s31. .17s, ,2ss. cot
 ton goods following with s5.s0s,2o2.
 It has not been thought advisable ts
 make radical changes in the admins 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.
 Cuptdfty of Spanish 0mciaIs. To the question, With such a large reduction of duties. how is it possible to secure revenue for the purpose of ad- ministering the government? MT. 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 tarin 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 will be greater than during the period when the duties have been prohibitory.
 Tn all cases where there are home industries capat-e of supplying man. ufactured product care has been exer- cised, either by making free the raw material or not making 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, sS,s44, S96; Glen
 fuegos, s1,140.s2s; Matanzas, s7s1.S12; Santiago, se3s.041; Cardenas, s363,6s1; Sagua la Grande. s24s.5o6; Caibarien, s142,12s; Nuevitas. s130. 1882: Guantana- mo. sl15. 057; Gibara, 9S.S73: Manzanillo s76,15S; Baracoa, s31 ,124; Trinidad. s16.- 221: Santa Cruz, ss. .s94; Zaza, t7.6o6; to- | tai, s12. .645. .Ss4.
 "The money collected from Cuba. ' says MT. Porter, whether 1t was s26,- e0o, 900 or less, has all gone and nothing is likely to be found in the treasury The first and most important item oi expenditures is for sovereignty expenses and aggregates a sum exceeding S22, | 000, ,000 These expenses are subdivided
 as follows:
 Interest on public debt and general expenses, s12, ,574, 709: religion and clergy s32s. .o72 war, s5.S96, TAO; navy, s1,055. .136
 executive. s2,s45. .14s; total. s22. sss sos. Reduction In Expenses. "The large items, such as interest on the public debt and war expenditures will disappear, making a reduction, fl we include the civil guards. of SIS, 900 ,00C | or $20. 900, ,000 How much of this amount will be required for necessary expenses under the new order of things 1t 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 ship as many silver dollars to Cuba as possible. one prominent banking hrm suggesting 5000, 900 or 5000, 900. To continue the imitation of Spanish and
 French gold would be a mistake" Mir. Porter then takes up the question
 of taxation and suggests the abolition of certain taxes. especially the "con- sumption tax on the killing of cattle. the head tax. which varies from cents to S100, according to the importance and
 wealth of the individual, and that on lotteries.
 Mir Porter says that no great indus trial enterprise win enter until the san itary conditions are improved in all the
 larger places. The United States owes 1t to the southern states to destroy yell low fever germs. MT. Porter advocates the immediate construction of a railway from end to
 end of the island. with branches to 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 the supply does not equal 1t. As 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- cated for Havana, so that the unem-
 ployed may be put to work at once.