The herald., 1898-11-16
PORTER MAKES REPORT
ON AFFAIRS IN CUBA AND IN
PORTO RICO
THE ONE THING MOST NEEDED
Ts a Revision of the Atrocious Tariff
System Imposed Under the
Spanish Rule
Associated Press Special Wire

Associated Press Special Wire
WASHINGTON, Nov. l5.-The Hon
Robert p Porter, special commissioner iol
the United States to Cuba and Porto hico
presented his report to the president ano
secretary of the treasury today. The repor'
submitted goes very fully INTO the hnancia
and economical condition of Cuba. There are
some supplementary reports yet to be made
Mr.. Porter examined both i'll the United
States and Cuba 400 witnesses, all OF whose
testimony is published in the appendix OF
the report. Mr.. Porter has also submitted
for the approval of the secretary OF tne
treasury a complete revision OF the tariil
in the form of new bill which will be exam
ined bv the experts of the treasury depart
ment. and if approved will be promulgated
bv the president and take effect at the port
of Cienfuegos Dec. l, that being in all prob
ability the first important port to come IN
the possession of the United tSates.
The most pressing need of the island is a
tariff. Commissioner Porter says:
"The Spanish tariff was made by Span
iards for Spain, in the interests of the Span
iards. That seems to be the only principle
in it. On any other theory it is inexplicable.
In adopting for an eXigency measure the
rate of duty which Spain levied for her own
commodities, the United States acted wise
". Those rates were, however, full of in
edualities and were not levied on any sound
principle but the 'heads Spain wins and
tails Cuba loses idea, which prevails in the
whole fiscal fabric. 1t was found that the
only way to remedy the inequalities, equal
ize the rates of duty, improve the admins
tration and to reduce the rates of duty on
all articles of general consumption was to
frame new tariff. The tariff thus proposed
and the adoption of which by the United
States when the military forces take hold
of the custom house, will reduce all duties
about 60 per cent from the old Spanish rates
and will average fully twothrds less than
the rates now eXacted by the authorities in
Cuban ports in possession of Spain.
The report also contains an analysis and
definition of Cuba by the agent, in which
the effect of the new tariff on the revenue
and other sources of revenue are explained
and discussed. 10 the question with such
a large reduction of duties, how is it posi-
BILE to secure revenue for the purpose of
administering the government of the island,
the report says:
''Ther are several answers to this question.
The general answer is that by reason of
fraudulent classitications and smuggling,
most of the revenue collected never found its
way into the treasury of that island nor
Spain" Mr. Porter says
''The cupidty and rapacity of the Spanish
official in Cuba is beyond conception and,
if we may judge by the results at Santiago,
the United States officers will be able to
collect quite as much revenue on tariff, the
ii Ina Of ,rbicl, lcle
nearly two-thirds less than under the inioui
tous law now in force
Mr.. Porter submits table showing the
average annual custom house receipts in the
island OF Cuba from 1886 to 1897. inclusive.
to have been Sl2,645,S94. He also gives an
analysis OF the Cuban budget showing how
much revenue is required and how much
may reasonably be expected from the tariff
to he enforced.
The next most important subject reached
in the report is that in relation to currency
1t says in part:
although Cuba is afflicted with many
kinds OF deprecated currency, the estab-
lishcd basis is strictly gold. and in any COM
mercial engagement the value is understood
to be in gold unless specified to the contrary
''The testimony taken and statements
made on this subject have been unanimously
in favor OF the gold basis. The Spanish sill
yer money current in the island is only ta-
ken at the daily value, which is fixed lrin-
cirally by the continually fluctuatng value
of the Spanish money in European markets"
Mr.. Porter then takes up the question of
taxation and suggests the abolition of GER
tain taxes. especially that known as the CON
sumption tax, on the killing of CATTLE which
is an eXaction that greatly increases the
price of fooG.itd the people
Another tax which will fail of its weight
when the United States forces take control
of the island is the ''cedula' or head tax.
which varies in amount from a few cents to
500, according to the rank anl importance
of the individual.
Mr.. Porter then takes up the question of
education. There are free public schools in
Cuba but the teachers have the right to take
pay scholars and naturally those who do not
pay get little or no attention The proper
tion of people who are iliterate is very large
Some statistics show only one in forty OF the
laboring classes able to read and write There
can be no stable government in Cuba, he
says. until this has been revised. In regard
to industrial enterprise, Mr.. Porter con
cludcs tat little can be done until sanitary
conditions have been improved in all the in
duStrial centers. Dealing with the railway
system of Cuba, Mr.. Porter recommends the
immediate construction OF a trunk railway
from end to end of the island, with branches
extending north and south.
In the opinion of the commissioner from
what standnoint it may be viewed, no en-
terprisc could do so much to improve the
situation in the island No revolution could
have existed in Cuba if such railway had
been built by former government.