Omaha daily bee., 1898-11-16

the United States officers will be enabled
to collect as much revenue on tariff, the
duties of which are more than a half, or
nearly two-thirds less than under the In.
iQuitous law now In force.
The reduction to a reasonable rate OF duty
In certain schedules. such as those relating
to machinery. railway supplies. etc, will
will certainly be greater than during the
period when the duties have been pro-
hibitory. A railroad company naturally
hesitated to import locomotive when the
duty was equivalent to the value Of the en-
gine. With a revised tariff of 25 per cent,
Import two, or four, or even six The same
is true of a variety Of other articles.
In all cases where there are some Indus
tries in Cuba capable of supplying a manu-
factured product made by home labor care
has been exercised, either by making free
the raw material or not making radical
reduction of duty, not to injure their pros
poets. In SO doing II is only carrying oIt
the policy which has been 30 fruitful In de-
veloping the industries of the United States
and securing diversified employment for lis
laborera
Below is showing Of the average annual
custom house receipts in the island Of Cuba
from 1886 to 1897, inclusive. which Mr.. POI :.
ter has compiled from records of the sew
eral custom houses named: Havana, 1884,
496; Cienfuegos, $1.14092S; Matanzas, $751;
S21; Santiago de Cuba. $649.041; Cardenas,
&363,661; Sagua la Grande, $249,506; Cal.
barien, $142.126; Nuevitas, $130,3S2; Guam
tanamo, $115,057; Gibara, $9S,S73; Mama.
milo, $76,15S; Baracoa, $751; Trinidad,
$l6,22l: Santa Cruz, 1894; Zaza, $1,000:
total, 81, ,645.S94.
Money All Disappeared.
In an interesting analysis of the Cuban
budget, showing how much revenue is re-
uuired and how much may be reasonably be
expected of the tariff to be enforced, Mr..
Porter says:
The money collected from Cuba, whether
1t was $26. 100000 or less. has all gone and
nothing Is likely TO be fund in the treasury
but numerous evidences Of promises to pay,
records OF receipts given by the government
Tor goods not paid for, debts Of all kinds,
including the salaries of a large number OF
minor officials. The first and most import
ant item OF expenditures Is for sovereignty
expenses, and aggregates sum exceeding
$22, ,000, 900. These expenses are sub-divided
..s follows: Interest on public debt and gen
eral expenses 81, 2,57i, 709; religion and clergy
tstate religion and Justice), y329,G72; war,
1896, TAO; navy. $1055,13 executive, 81
G45, 149; total, $22.5O0, 800.
The largest item in these expenditures is
OF the interest on public debt, which aggre-
gates $40, 435, 1S3 The other items of expense
under this head seem to be OF a misce llan
eous character. including some salaries, pen
sicns, CIVIL military and naval pensions
public works and gratuities.
The next largest expenditure is for pur-
poses OF war, S5,396, ,740. These items are oil
especial interest to American readers. The
expenses OF the navy aggregate $l.055.l26
and of the executive department $2,645, 14)
Under the last section comes the salary 81
the Cuban governor general, $4,000, and tht
expenses of his office. s46,450, aggregating
$s6.450. In this division it appears the civil
guards were paid. this body Of men receiv-
ing in all $2,O95,22l. The second largest
item in this total is the subsidy to- the Cam
pania Transatlantica, which amounts tc
$471,s36.
study OF these several items at once
shows the principal expenditures for the
island Of Cuba are those which have d.
rectly to do with the control Of the island
by Spain.
Cannot Make an Estimate.
! It Is impossible at this moment to make
| q satisfactory estimate Of this new budget
nor can 1t well be done until after the United
States forces are In full Possession and atlt
20 sscurs complete data as to the persona
needs Of the government of Cuba. OF course
| the large items. such as interest on publ,
debt, expenditures of Spain for the purpos,
| Of conquering the island, will disappear
r.aking a reduction, II we include the civi
| guards, OF $18,000.00O or $20,000,000. How
| necessary expenses under the new order o
things it will be impossible to forecast.
Following Is a t'alance of the estimated
| receipts AID expenditures of the budget o
the island of Cuba for the year 1S9S-99, Il
| Spanish pezos: