Middletown transcript., 1900-04-28
THE PORTO RICAN BILL.

The following is a summary Of the prin-
cipal provisions of the Porto Rican act,
which goes into effect May 1st:
From the date of the passage of the act
the same custom duties are levied on all
goods entering Porto Rico from foreign
countries as are levied on the same goods
entering the United States, save that coffee,
which has free entry into the United States,
is to pay duty Of cents per pound. on
entering Porto Rico. Scientific, literary
and artistic works and books and pamph-
lets printed in the English language may
enter Porto Rico free of duty.
All merchandise coming into the United
States from Porto Rico and coming into
Porto Rico from the United States shall
pay Is per cent of the present Dingley tariff
rates; articles of the class which pay an in
ternal revenue tax in the United States
must also pay sum equal to this internal
revenue duty, while articles from the
United States going into Porto Rico must
also be subjected to any internal revenue
rates of taxation there collected on that
class of articles.
One feature of the act, which therefore
seems to have attracted little attention, is
extremely important to the Porto Ricans,
because it will permit them to import free
Of any duty nearly all Of the necessities Of
life. Under the orders which the Secretary
of War had issued, -four, bacon, Goldfish,
fresh beef, pork, mutton, rice, bags of sugar,
coopers' wares and wood cut for making
casks for sugar and molasses, machinery
and apparatus for making and refining
sugar, or for other agricultural purposes,
plows, hoes, hatchets, machetes and other
agricultural implements not machinery,
rough lumber and modern school furni-
ture, crude petroleum, lime, asphalt, btu
men, trees, plants and moses in natural or
fresh state, mineral, carbonated and seltzer
waters, either natural or artificial, root beer,
ginger ale, and similar non-alcoholic bever.
ages, and numerous other articles are ad- |
mitted free of duty and will continue to be
SO admitted under the act which says
specifically that "all merchandise and arti- |
cles enter in Porto Rico free of duty under |
orders heretofore made by the Secretary of
War shall be admitted into the several |
ports thereof when imported from the |
United States free of duty all laws or parts |
of laws to the contrary Notwithstanding" |
1t thus appears that the Porto Ricans vii,
under the new act, receive from the United |
States free of any duty all Of the above i'm.
portant articles in addition to those regu-
larly upon the free list under the Dingley /
law, while on the other articles they will /
pay but Is per cent or three -twentieths of
The regular Dingley tariff rates, and what
is equally important, they may put an end
10 the payment of even this small duty at
any time they may desire, since the law
specifically provides that these duties shall
cease as soon as the Porto Rican legislature
hall have provided the necessary revenue
ior the expenses of the government of the
sland.
The duties collected under the act are to
De placed at the disposal of the President to
'e used for the government and benefit Of
Porto Rico until the government of Porto
Rico shall have been organized, when the
monies collected are 10 be turned into the
ocal treasury Of Porto Rico. Goods inn
ported from Porto Rico and under bond
ire TO pay only the duty imposed by the
lct.
The capital is to be at San Juan. Persons
Who were Spanish subjects April IL, 1899,
nd who have not elected to preserve their
llegiance to Spain, are held to be citizens
f Porto Rico and entitled to the protection
f the United States.
The laws and ordinances of Porto Rico s
ow in force are to continue except as
itered by the act, or by military orders,
nd which are not inconsistent with the
AVS of the United States.
The law forbidding the marriage of priests
nd ministers is repealed.
The vessels of Porto Rico are to be nat
rallied and admitted to the benefits of the
eneHts of the United States coasting laws.
uarantine stations are to be established.
orto Rico coins are to be retired. the peso
eing rated at go cents in the exchange.
bree months after the act takes effecta
ofto Rico coins are not to be legal tender.
roperty usually under the control Of the
nited States wal so continue, and other1
roperties acquired from Spain gill be ad-
Mustered by the Porto Rico government.
be goFeupr Is TO be appointed by the Pres