The San Francisco call., 1899-01-23
AMENDED CUSTOMS
TARIFF ARRANGED
FOR PORTO RICO
Fifteen Per CeDt I'D VoIorem to
Be tbe Average Rate oD
ali Imports.
Special Dispatch to The Call

WASHINGTON, jan 22.-By author
ity of an executive order issued by the
President January 20, 1899. the Secre-
tary of War has promulgated an
amended customs tariff. which was pre-
pared under the direction of the Sec
retary Of the Treasury by Special Com
missioner Robert P. Porter. Assistant
Secretary Howell and DR.. H. K. Car
roll and which is to take effect at all
ports and places in the island of Porto
Rico and all islands in the West Indies
west of the seventy-fourth degree west
longitude on and after February l. 1899.
The port of San Juan is designated
as the chief customs port and Ponce
and Mayaguez 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 respectively. Any
questions arising at any SUPPORTS Will
be referred to the collector at San Juan
for his decision, from which there is no
appeal, except in such cases as the col
lector may refer for decision to the
Secretary 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 vessels of the United States
and in no others. Any merchandise
transported in violation of this regula-
ton shall be subject to forfeiture. For
every package transported and landed
in violation of this regulation the trans
h1PGt a.
penalty of 5000.
This regulation shall not be con-
strued to forbid the sailing Of other
than the registered vessels OF the
United States with cargoes and pas
sengers between the United States and
ports or places in Porto Rico. or be-
tween ports or places in Porto Rico.
provided that none are landed. but are
destined for some foreign ports or
place. This regulation shall not be
construed to authorize any lower Gus
toms charged or tariff charges on the
cargoes of American vessels entering
from the United States than are paid
on the cargoes of foreign Vessels enter
ing from foreign ports
The following are ransportauonaI
articles which are admitted free OF
duty on compliance with certain speci-
fed conditions:
Manures, natural; trees, plants and
moss in natural or fresh state; national
products returning from foreign eXhlDl-
lions; carriages, trained animals, porta-
BILE theaterS, panoramaS, wax ngureS ana
other similar objects for the purpose Oh
entertainment, exported temporarily; re-
ceptacles exported from Porto Rico with
fruits sugar, molasses, honey and brandy
and reimported empty, including recep-
tacles of galvanized iron intended for the
expectation of alcohol; specimens and col
lections of mineralogy, botany ana zool-
ogy; furniture of persons coming to set
tie in the island; samples Of felt, wall
paper and tissues; samples OF trimmings
in small pieces, of no commercial value
or possible applicat ton; archaeological and
numismatical objects for public museums,
academies, ETC.; works of fine art ac-
quired by the Government, academies or
other official corporations, and intended
for museums, galleries or art schools;
gold in bars, powder or coined; also ma
tional silver or bronze coins; wearing ap
parel, toilet objects and articles for per-
sonal use, bed and table linen, books,
portable tools and instruments, theatrical
costumes, jewels and table services, i'm
ported by travellers in their luggage;
stone, unwrought, for paving purposes;
plows, hoes, hatchets, machetes, cane
and other agricultural implements not
machinery; quinine. sulphate and bisul-
phate of, and all alloids, salt or chinchona
bark books, maps and scientific instru-
ments for the use of schools: mineral,
carbonated or seltzer waters, natural or
artificial; root beer ginger ale and other
erwise provided for; fresh fish; second
hand clothing donated for charitable pur-
poses to needy persons, and not for sale;
tar and mineral pitch, aSphaltS, bitumen
and schists; crude natural petroleum and
crude oils derived from schists.
Importations from the United States
of articles not on free list are dutiable
thereon.
In the course of his report, upon
which the Porto Rican tariff is largely
I'll n
shows that the value of the importa-
tions into Porto Rico during the year
1897 amounted to 1855, ,063 pesos. upon
which was collected, in duties. $2.4S1, 1852.
He says:
The tariff in force in Porto Rico until
the United States took possession of the
island last summer was purely revenue
measure, the total amount of duty col
lected averaging about IA per cent on the
value of merchandise imported. These
values, both as to importations and duties
collected are given in silver and therefore
under existing conditions-two silver Por-
to Rican pesos for one United States dol
lar-must be divided in order to express
the same amount of revenue Is required in
Porto Rican pesos and the exports are
likely to keep up to the 1897 standard, the
fiscal problem confronting the. Treasury
Department is briefly this: Probable total
value of dutiable imports, 1888 ,O63 pesos,
or s., ,769 OBJ; total revenue to be collected,
2,4SS, 1862 pesos, or. 81 .240, ,9Sl.
Discarding the money question, which,
after all, in this case is a purely Porto
importation of about SO 900 United
States money and a needed revenue of ST.
25O 900 United States money. The aim in
framing the Cuban tariff was to secure
a revenue representing about % per cent
ad valorem Of the imports. The aim has
been in the Porto Rican tariff to secure
revenue representing about 10 per cent ao
Valorem on all 1mnorts.
The value of the importations of mer-
chandise into Cuba the last normal year
11S951 was S61 443 334 and the total revenue
collected thereon $14, ,5S7 ,926, or an average