The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1898-12-17
NEW TARIFF
FOR CUBA
It Goes Into Effect With the Be-
ginning Of the New Year,
TO REHABILITATE THE ISLAND.
The Rates Are Framed with a View
to Encouraging the Establishment
of Manufacturing Plants and to Pro-
tect the Agricultural Industries.


to Encouraging the Establishment
of Manufacturing Plants and to Pro-
tect the Agricultural Industries.
Washington, Dec. 17-President Nc
kinney, before leaving for the south
last Tuesday, signed an executive order
establishing customs tariff for the
Island of Cuba, to go into effect Jan.
l 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 in
vestigatlon of the subjects Of revenue
and customs OF the island.
An explanatory statement issued
concerning the new tariff says It is q
revision of the temporary military tar
iff adopted Aug. by the war depart
ment for the port OF Santiago, which
was a general reduction of 60 per cent
on the tariff imposed by Spain on all
imports into Cuba from the United
States and all other countries except
Spain. The rates in the tariff about
to go into force. with some few excep-
tions, are greatly below the rates now
in force at Santiago.
The new tariff has been framed with
view to the rehabilitation of the ISL
and. The duty on paving stones, which
are likely to cut an important figure
in the sanitary rehabilitation OF Ha-
vana, has been abolished, and the du-
ties on chemicals. tar and pitch and
| crude oil heavily cut. The iron ore
and steel rail duties have been reduced
| so per cent. Coal and agricultural i'm
| plements are put on the free list.
Slight changes have been made IN
the schedules relating to common soap
perfumery and raw materials out OF
which these articles are manufactured,
with view of encouraging the man
ufacture of these articles in Cuba.
! Quinine has been placed on the free
list and common salt cut down more
than two-thirds Of the old rate of duty
In cotton and manufactures thereof
| 1t has been deemed advisable to make
an increase on the Santiago tariff, so
| that the reduction from the Spanish
| tariff will average so per cent instead
of 63 per cent. Classfications have
been altered with a view to tightening
the rates Of duty on the lower grades
of cotton cloths.
Hemp and Manila have been put on
the free list, with a view to the es-
tablishment in Havana of the manu-
facture of sugar bags, and for the pro-
! lection of the rope and twine industry
already established there. Spun jute
has also been placed on the free list
for the reason that an American firm
now located in Havana has given the
assurance that if allowed to import
spun jute free they would start a fac
tory in Havana within two m~ntns. In
the paper schedule a reduction has been
made of about so per cent from the
! Spanish tariff, instead of nearly II per
cent, as the Santiago tariff.
! Glass is a most important schedule
! for both the lumber interests Of the
/ United States and those engaged In
| various Cuban Industries, especially
agriculture. 1t has been decided to
make Il uniform reduction Of 50 per
cent on the entire schedule.
The proposed tariff makes a nomina
charge of 81 per head on all importe,
cattle in lieu of the tax heretofor,
exacted by the Spanish government fo
| slaughtering the animals when usec
! for food. The duties on other animals
| such as horses mules. sheep. etc, have
| been reduced to a nominal rate.
| The duties on Instruments, machin-
cry and apparatus employed in agri-
| cultural industry and locomotion have
! been changed from specific to ad
! valorem, and it is believed the re-
duction of duty made on machinery
used in agriculture and the manufac-
ture Of sugar to 10 per cent ad valorcm
will aid i'm the reconstruction Of the
! smaller sugar rlautatfunS.