Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-01-23
TARIFF FOR PORTO RICO
New Schedule for the Island Promulgated
by Secretary Alger.
Average Rate OF Duty is Fifteen Per
Cent-Whaf Commissioner
Porter Says.

BY authority of an executive order issued
by the President the Secretary of War has
promulgated amended customs tariff
which was prepared under the direction of
the Secretary of the Treasury by Special
Commissioner Robert 2. Porter, Assistant
Secretary Howell and DIR. II. X. Carroll.
and which is 10 take effect in all ports and
places in the Island of Porto Rico and all
islands in the West Indies east of the 18th
degree west longitude, on and after Feb
Tuary /, 1929.
The port of San Juan is designated as the
chief customs port. and Ponce and Maya
guez as supports, and the officer of the
army assigned to each of these SUPPORTS as
collector will have general jurisdiction of
the collection of customs at such ports. re-
spectively. Any questions arising at any
SUPPORT will be referred to the collector at
San Juan for his decision, from which there
is no appeal. except in such cases as the
collector may refer for decision TO the Sec
rotary of War.
Trade between ports of the United States
and all ports or places in Porto Rico, and
trade between ports or places in Porto
Rico. shall be carried on in registered yes
sells of the United States. and in no others
Any merchandise transported in violation
of this regulation shall be subject to for
FIXTURE For every passenger transported
and landed in violation of this regulation
the transporting vessel shall be subject to a
penalty of 500.
The tonnage dues established are 20 cents
a net ton on the entry of vessels from
port not in Porto Rico or the United States
Many articles admitted free of duty.
but the average rate of duty is - per cent
adj valorem, as announced I'm Saturdays
Star.
Commissioner Forter's Views.
Commissioner Porter says a high tariff
is not needed for Porto Rico. He says
Porto Rico has not been devastated by war
nor will it require a large United States
army to keep order. There are no armed
insurgents demanding millions for pay
ment of military services to be charged up
to the customs receipts. For these and
other reasons the amended tariff for Porto
Rico has been framed on revenue-yielding
basis of - per cent, instead of - per cent
as in the case of the amended tariff of
Cuba. BY this ii must not be inferred that
all the schedules will be uniformly II per
cent. The schedules relating to wool and
manufactures of. silk and manufactures Of,
and musical instruments have been increas-
ed to - per cent ad Valorem. The rates of
the liquor schedule will exceed - per cent
and are practically the same as in the
Cuban schedule. An endeaVor has been
made to keep cotton and manufactures of
below II per cent only the finer high
grades at the higher rate, and all the
coarser goods Of general consumption have
been placed a 10 per cent ad NaiOrem. The
machinery to be used in extending trans
portatiOn and advancing the Industries of
the island has been put at - per cent or
its equivalent
About Is per cent ad valorcm has here
tOfore been collected on the imports of
the metal schedule, and it is probable that
the proposed rates will keep within this
proportion. Here and there a few changes
have been made, as will be seen by refer
ence to the several schedules which follow,
but the changes have all been dictated by
the desire TO make the revenue tariff less
burdensome on articles of food than on ar
ticles which are consumed by those better
able to pay. The general result will be a
tariff not dissimilar to that of Jamaica.
which averages about 1212 per cent duty,
commission. and which tariff. your commits
sion was informed when in Kingston. will
average, after the revision is completed,
about Is % per cent