The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-09-03

can forces obtained control of Porto
Rico ii was necessary to recognize
some form of government for the time
being. We did not have any ready
made principles and plans to apply at
once, so the laws then governing the is
land were continued in force. The tariff
on exports and imports was in Spanish,
and it was some weeks before it could
be translated into English.
When the translation was made,
certain high duties on such articles as
-four and grain were lowered, but the
main schedule was continued for the
time being. The people found them
selves doubly burdened. They lost
their interstate trade with Spain, that
country having imposed an excessive
duty on all articles as soon as the is
land was ceded to the United States,
and they gained 10 free trade with the
latter country.
An Increase All Around.
I'm addition, through an uneccount-
able error. the duties between Porto
Rico and America were actually in
creased. This is due to The difference
in value between the Porto Rico peso
and the American dollar, the former
being worth only 60 cents. In the pay
ment of dues at the custom houses on
the island, the American value is called
for SO it naturally follows that the poor
Porto Rican, when called upon to pay
one dollar duty on any article, must
surrender S1.60, or 60 cents, Porto Rican
money. more than he paid under Span
ISL misrule,''
On this question the United States in
sular commission consisting of Robert
p Kennedy. C. w. Watkins and H. G.
Curtis), sent down by the president last
February. has this to say:
1.-THE people of Porto Rico find them
! selves in an anomalous position BY
the cession of the island to the United
States they are as to Spain now for
eign country, and deprived of many ad-
vantages they possessed before in deal
ing with Spain. Now prohibitive du-
! ties are in many cases assessed in the
ports of that country. They naturally
expect greater benefits by becoming a
part of the United States possessions,
but so far they find that they are still
regarded as a foreign state by the GUS
! toms laws of the United States. They
are not an Independent province, and
but very few, if any, now desire to be-
come such. No law has been passed by
congress making the island collection
/ district. and no officers provided to
grant clearances as between different
! norris of the United States for coast
1 wise service. and no law has been pre-
pared fixing the duties as between this
country proper and dependencies or
| OUTLYING possessions. as doubtless may
be done under the workings OF the. con-
/ sfitution. So duties on the goods i'm
ported into the United States are still
/ as though Porto Rico were foreign
country. Duties are likewise demanded,
though at different rates. in some in
stances as before the cession from
/ Spain. on all goods imported into Porto
Rico from the United States.
Congress Must Give Relief.
In reference to the possibility of
changing this unjust state of affairs
General Henry said: Relief really
/ rests with the congress of the United
States. The president deplores the con-
6itions in Porto Rico even more than
he has publicly stated. He recognizes
the need of immediate reforms, but in a
way he is powerless. Action under our
| laws must be left to congress. Changes
/, in such national affairs cannot be
made in an hour, nor by the stroke OIL
| a pen Critics who claim that inactlon
is due to dilatoriness have little knowl-
edge of the subject. The reciprocity
! laws of the United States provide for
treaty to be made by the president,
! with the advice of the senate, with
some foreign power, but since there is,
as to Porto Rico, no one to treat WIFE
and no foreign power, this provision
Certainly does not apply. The only So
luton is in the action Of the congress
! of the United States"
In the minds of the people of Porto
| Rico, the presence of American mill
! tary forces in the island is not less an
evil and a burden than the tariff itself
! That the present system of military
control is obnoxious to them can not
be doubted. General Henry says of
them: They are most gentle and