The age-herald., 1898-11-16
REPORT OF HON.
 ROBERT H. PORTER Special Commissioner to Cuba and Porto
 Rico. THE FINANCIAL CONDITION
Oi tho Larger Island Fully Investigated
 and Commented Upon.
STAINS APPALLING RAPACITY
Cupidity of the Castilian Officials Almost Beyond Conception Startling Object Lesson Presented at Port of Sam
 tiago Under American Officials.

Washington November 15.-Hon Robert II. Porter special commissioner for the United States to Cuba and Porto hico' presented his report to the president ana secretary of the treasury today. The re- port goes fully into the financial and econ omic condition of the island of Cuba, an- alyzing the budget of that island for four teen years showing the sources of income and the causes of expenditure.
 There are also among the data and the testimony many valuable general state ments in relation to the financial, indus trial commercial and social condition Of the island of Cuba.
 The following extract from a letter writ ten to MT. Porter by General Gomez under date of October 8, will be read with inter- est:
 ..I must congratulate you cordially for the high mission which has been entrusted to you I am completely identified in all and with all concerned. On my side, am doing all I can for the immediate recon struction of the country, its wounds will heal with the rapid promotion Of the Work. This is the battle we are now fighting, ana all men of good will should join us in our struggle"
 MT. Porter examined both in the United States and Cuba some 800 witnesses, all or whose testimony is published Tn the ap- pendix to the report. MT. Porter mas also submitted a complete revision of the tarir in the form of new bill which will be eX- amined by the experts of the treasury, ana if approved will be promulgated by the president and take effect at the port or Cienfuegos, December 1, that being, in all probability, the first important port to come into the possession of the United States
 Tariff for Spain
 Commissioner Porter says: "The Spanish tariff was made by Spaniards for spain, in the interests of the Spaniards. That seems to be the only principle to It. on any other theory it was inexplicable. In adopt ing for an exigency measure the rate or duty which Spain levied for her own com- modties, the United States acted wisely. -lafose rates, however, were full or lnequai- ities and were not levied on any sound prin- ciple, but, on the head Spain wins and tails Cuba loses idea prevails the whole fabric. It was found that the only way to remedy the inequalities, equalize the rates of duty, inspect the administration and to reduce the rates of duty on all articles Of general consumption was to practically frame new tariff. It has not been thought ad- yisable to make radical changes In the ad- n3fnistrative branches nor to change the weights and measures into United States equivalents because the people of Cuba are accustomed to the metric system. United States currency, however, has been substi- tuted for the Spanish pesos. This will simplify the collection of dues, as customs dues at the port they are collected in Gu ban ports in possession of Spain in three different classes of currency, gold, silver and bank notes, all, even the gold, fiuctuat- ing in value. The tariff thus imposed and the adoption of which by the United States when the military forces take charge of the customs houses dscards all duties above 6 per cent. on the old Spanish rates and will average fully two-thrds less than the rates now exacted by the authorities in Cuban ports in possession of Span."
 The Cuban Budget
 The report also contains an analysis and discussion of the Cuban budget in which the effect of the new tariff on the revenue of the country, together with the other sources of revenue, are explained and dis cussed. To the question: with such large reduction of duties, how is it possible to se- cure revenue for the purpose of administer ing the government of the island, the re- port says: "There are several answers to this question, and the facts bearing the subject are given in full in the proper place in the report The general answer is that by reason of fraudulent classification and smuggling, most of the revenue collected from the people of Cuba never found its way into the treasury of that island nor of Spain" gs
 MT. Porter says: ""The cupidity and ra-
 
 beyond conception, and if we may judge by the results at Santiago the United States officials will be able to collect as much rev. enue on tariff the dues of which are more than a half or nearly two-thirds less than that under the iniquitous 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 increase the imports, and the revenue will certainly be greater than during the period when the duties have been prohibitory. A railway company naturally hesitated to import a locomotive when the duty was equivalent to the value of the engine. With a revised tariff of 25 per cent. for Cuba, which has no locomotive works, it may inn port two, or four, or even six. The same is true of a variety of other articles In all cases where there are home industries in Cuba capable of supplying a manufac- tured product made by home labor care has been exercised, ether by making free the raw material or not making too rad ical reduction of duty not to injure the prospects"