Evening journal., 1898-10-05
HAVANA COMMISSION
A Two Hour Meeting Held
Yesterday.
PROPOSED TARIFF AROUSES ALARM.
Tobacco Dealers say the ImpOrta-
dion of sumatrn wrappers Would
Ruin llnvann CirRr business.
WIZ Protest nt Washington.

HAVANA. oct 5.--The United states
and the Spanish evacuation commits
sioners held a joint session yesterday
The Spanish commissioners. Admiral
Manterola, General Gonzalez Parade
and Marquis de Mont0ro. with Scnor
Gifauta and their respective stams, ar
rived az the palace Cf lhe colonial gov
ernment at 8 o'clock where they await
ed the arrival OF the American commits
sioners, who put in an appearance
shortly before 8, coming in two well
appointed carriages.
The conference lasted two hours, no
one being allowed to- approach within
a blocks distance The meeting was
over az II O'Clock. when photographer
took pictures of the joint commission
In several positions. Lunch was then
served in the palace, after which the
commissioners separated.
General Blancos decree directing that
Che condscation of cattle in the island
De stopped has been warmly commend
ed ON al sides especially by tobacco
planters, who at present are the chief
sufferers and all the more SO because
the Spanish troops ia the interior, de-
spite the cessation OF hostiities are not
enjoying the fun blessings of peace, at
/ least so far as food and nourishment
go.
The tobacco merchants planters,
manufacturers and exporters are great
/ ~ excitel and apprehensive over the
new tariff which Washnsto proposes
TO apply Committees representing the
manufacturers and exporters have
placed the maNer fully before MIR. Rob-
ert T.. Porter. the United States spe-
D afu1 arrtt va fa al.frnsp ,as-p1nfufnnr n-naraf,
/ the proposed tariff would be o death
blow to the tobacco industry of the is
/ land and urging him to bring the ques-
tion before President Mckinley with a
recommendation that the taria be mod
ded.
Gustav Book, representative of one
of the largest tobacco syndicates in
the island, has forwarded to President
Mckinley through Mir. Porter a long
and careful study of the problem. Mr..
/ Luis Marx, one OF the foremost Amer
/ lean tobacco merchants here, has been
chosen by the various tobacco inter
ests as a special delegate TO proceed
TO Washington to urge a revision of
the proposed tariff. He viii leave today
for Washington, going by way Of
Tampa Fla.
Heretofore Importation of any kind
Of tobacco has been prohibited but
the proposed tariI would admit impor-
tation. The duty on leaf tobacco is
fixed at $3.50 per pound for stripped and
81 for unstripped. This. while virtual
ly prohibitive for filters, would easily
allow the importation of Sumatra
wrappers. which would work ruin by
adulteration to the world renowned
Havana clrars.
In the same way the duty imposed on
manufactured tobacco Of $500 per thou
sand would allow cheap and inferior
grades Of foreign tobacco to he import
ed here, 70 get naturalization and then
to be rc-cxportad as Havana tobacco.
q process which could have but one re-
suit-that of diaoredsting and running
the status OF the Havana article in ev-
cry market In the world. Mr.. Marx will
fully explain the situation to President
Mckinley urging that the matter de-
serves the closest attention and a
prompt revision of the tariff.
General Solano General Blanco's chief
of staff. left Havana last night for Glen
fuegos, intrusted, it ia understood, with
a special commission relating % the
evacuation. 1T is expected that all the
Spanish troops at Manzanillo win have
evacuated that city by Friday. going by
the transports Porto Rico and Antino-
genes-Menondez 10 Cicnfuegos from
which port they win be shipped 10
Spain