The evening times., 1900-06-12
PORTER'S CUBAN TARIFF.
To BE Investigated by the Senate
Committee.


Robert p Porter's revision Of the Cuban
tariff win be one Of the branches Of the
investigation Of Cuban affairs to which the
members Of the Senate committee Will de-
vote considerable attention
In that revision the duties On ali articles
generally described as materials and sup
plies for the construction. and equipment
Of steam and electric railways were re-
duced 40 per cent, making the new rates
equivalent to 10 per cent ad va.orem for
period Of twelve months from and after
May 15, the date Of PrOmulgation OF the
revised tariff. IN attempt Was made 10
explain tbs enormous reduction and 70 JUS
tify il BY The following statement put forth
by the War Department simultaneously
with the PRONUNCIATION OF the revised tar
if:
1t has been apparent to all acquainted
with the working Of the Cuban tarln that
the rate of duty upon the schedule for ma
chinery and railway materials and supplies,
namely, 40 per cent ad valOrem, is too hlgh-
The effect o fthis has been 10 step all I'M
portation of such articles, and the revenue
from these schedules has been extremely
small. In view of the necessity Tor inc
construction and reconstruction OF railroads
in Cuba and upon the assurance gwen Dy
the construction and equipment could Do
imported at a reduced rate, they viii az
once begin to import large quantities,
special provision has been inserted In the
tariff which allows railroad companies 10
import their SUPPLIES into the island LOT a
period OF twelve months from the date OF
PRONUNCIATION at a rate OF 10 per cent al
valorem-''
II is known .hat while Mr. Porter is one
Il HnTHH p
is by no means popular With some OF the
influential members OF the Administration.
A high Official. this morning. referring 10
Mr. Porter's work in Cuba generally and 10
the War Department effort 70 explain some
things that are peculiar, in particular
said:
at the time IT was issued the correct
ness OF the War Departments official stare
ment could neither De tested nor success
fully denied. II the tariff had been so high
as TO stop all importstiOns of such articles
that fact might be adduced as legitimate
argument in favor OF some reducuon-eYen
II not so large a one as had been made
The War Department has never yet made
public any statement Of the details OF Gu
ban imports aud exports which Would
throw any light whatever on this important
and interesting subject
In fact. all the statements l. mas put
forth respecting the trade Of Cuba, Porto
Rico. and the Philippines have been o.
fragmentary and imperfect sort. which
made them comparatively. if not actually,
worthless But some figures are now ae-
eessible which are trustworthy, as TO me
experts in detail from the United states 10
Cuba IN the ten months ended April 50
1900 and these figures completely Gemollsh
the statement issued from the War Depart
naent last month. in which IL was asserted
that the effect Of the 40 per cent t2Tlu
had been 10 stop all inpcrtations OF such
articles These figures. il is 10 be re-
mem bered. do not include exports INTO
Cuba Of such ar icles from the United
Kingdom. Germany. or any other country
except the United States. and they were
COMPLIED and published BY the Treasury
Bureau OF Stats tics, which is an Official
authority everywhere accepted
These I'VE items make a total OF w.
O52 Of such articles in ten months. the
duty or which at an average eQuival mt
of 40 ., T cent ad valorem. amounted TO
! nearly S2SI. 600. which hardly deserves 10
I be called an extremely small item. But
/ the respectable sum OF S72100O did not
/ BY any means represent the total impor-
! tatiot, Of railway materials and supplies
! even from the United States alone In the
period named there were exported from
| the United States 10 Cuba other manufac-
! lures Of iron and steel not above enumer-
ated (and not including agricultural i'm
! plemeuts. metal furniture or builders
/ hardware) 70 the aggregate value OF
/ 81 les 0a0. { this fourth at least was
| composed cs railway supplies and mate
! riaIs. And so il appears that some other
/ reason than the one assigned by the War
/ Department existed for reduction from
! 40 to 10 per cent on such articles at a
time when the duties on cotton goods
we're left untouched at 80 per cent. the
/ duties on linen and fax and hemp goods
/ advanced so per cent, and the duties on
! provisions and breadstuffs left far above
4 = per cent.
/ "The reason may perhaps he discovered
J by the Senate Committee on Cuban AZ
fairs the members OF which may be
struck by a curious coincidence, which
I will appear plain to them on a careful
I inspection OF the records OF the War De-
partment. which will disclose the fact
/ that at the very time the Cuban tariff
/ revision was made Special Commissioner
| Porter was perfecting, or had perfected,
his arrangement with the Cuban railway
| syndicate, which was expected 10 be the
| beneficiary of the reduction of = per cent
/ in the duties on such articles The War
| Department has never seen fit to publish
| this fact. which is a pertinent as well as
| an interesting one.
! Before presenting them it viii be well
| to reproduce a list OF such articles II
! includes the following: Passenger coaches
| cor4plete erected or knocked down: freight
cars complete. erected or knocked down.
| trucks wheels. axles. axle boxes. forgtngs
/ brasses and fixtures Of passenger coaches
/ and freight cars; pine wood prepared es-
I peciaily for freight cars; locomotives
| and tenders. locomotive boilers and loco
motive furnaces. locomotive boiler plates
| and tubes. locomotive and tender frames
| wheels axles. axle boxes. bTasses and
! tanks for locomotive tenders: electric mo-
tors and machinery for power houses
! turntables. transfer bridges. iron OF stee
! bridgeworE. riveted or rolled steel rails
points. crossings. signals. and accessories
thereof: gate crossings and metal ties
The foregoing list includes one hundred
CT more articles and classes of articles
covering pretty much everything which en-
| ters into the construction and equipmen
of steam and electric railways. from rail-
and ties and steel bridges and bridge ma
| terials to locomotives, parlor coaches ant
fixtures therefor. Only few OF them arr
separately enumerated in the returns o
the Bureau of Statistics. but they are suf
hcient to show that the 40 per cent tariff
Gid not stop all importations of such arti
clesf into Cuba.
''Ih the ten L-onths ended April 90 1900
Iherl were exported from the Unite'
States 70 Cuba the following:
'Steel rails. S23S. .521; electrical machin
cry and apparatus. S1S4, ,724; locomotives
So. 1874; boilers and parts of engines. S19S.
015: cars for steam railways, $56.66S.
Man Of Action.
| (Errcy, the london Daily Mail