The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-01-12
Burden of Taxation Lifted From the
People.
ESTIMATE OF EXPENSES
AMERICANS EFFECT SAVING OF
TWO MILLIONS.
Customs Receipts Will Be Sufficient
to Meet All Expenses of Govern
ment and Carry On Important I'm
provements-Tariff On Flour to Be
Removed-oppressive Taxes,

San Juan, p. r., Jan. 3.-The first grea
blessing that has come to Puerto Rice
since the American occupation has beer
the reduction of taxes and government
expenses. The budget for the year ls9.
has been approved by General Henry
mis- covers the expenses of what is call
ed the insular. government. The fol
I lowing sums, which would have been in
] Guided in the budget of the Spanish gov
eminent for this year. nave been stricken
out; General obligations, S49S, 5Jl; clergy
$685.; war, Sl,252,5l7; marine. $222, ocs:
/ The total of the Obligations that ceased
/ to exist and which are deducted from the
I amount of the budget is $2,172. 1872
ne calculated budget tor 1899 is formed
| tons. $19,5s0; state obligations 1904, 9o5
! justice department, sol, 452 finance de-
partment, $1e9,6l0; interior department.
| $3.50 639.
estimated to be IS, ~, 500. This sum is TO
be reduced by the amount usually raised
by the duty on wheat -four, which has
been taken off by Generay Henry. equal
to 100000.
Inns leaves a net revenue from the Gus
tom house of s., 6S2 800. There will remain
therefore, an excess of Sl,l70,613.
1t should be understood that the above
figures for the estimated budget for the
year embrace only the necessary expenses
for the payment of salaries and other
fixed charges. If this amount cannot be
paid from the proceeds of the customs,
then it must be raised by other methods
of taxation.
General Henry has asked of Washington
the right to apply the customs receipts
to the expenses of the government. If
this should be permitted all government
expenses could be paid and many i'm
proYementS carried on.
At the present time there are many
taxes collected that are a great hind
rance to commerce and if the customs re-
ceiptS could be used these might be done
away with.
Merchants, in doing business in Puerto
Rico, pay almost a prohibitlve tax No
one can engage in the banking or i'm
porting business without paying to the
government tax of about $500 pesos per
annum.
Then there are consumption taxes inn
posed upon every article imported for con-
sumption These should all be done away
with, as they hinder trade and prevent
the trade from America entering here.
Many Americans have come here tor
the purpose of establishing trade with
Puerto Rico and representatives of capt.
tai have visited the island for the pur
pose of securing franchises for the build
ing of publ improvements. They have
received q check by the recent order os
the war department, which prohibits any
town in Puerto Rico from granting any
franchise for public improvements with
out first referring the. application TO the
military governor. The latter must re-
fer the application to the secretary of war
before the same may be granted.
The effect of this order is TO tie the
hands of the military governor and TO
practically put stop to any improve
mentS upon the part of the municipalities.
This ruling of the war department with
the delay in reducing the tariff upon ar
ticles between the United States and
Puerto Rico will delay the development
of the country.
Dyspepsia can be cured by Using
Acker's Dyspepsia Tablets. One little !
Tablet will give immediate relief or
money refunded. Sold in handsome tin /
JFor So1a Inv NJ 4