New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-02-15
sectei TO the following customs duties under the
tariff Of 1892. which is still in force:

Cigarettes unless paper covered were subject
20 cigar rates. The duties on tobacco in snun
and powder were higher than in the United
States; the duties cigars and cigarettes were
states duties. Nearly all OF the tobacco ex-
ported from Puerto Rico in 1897 went TO Cuba
The United States received $1,000 Kilograms
and Spain $4,000 Kilograms.
Wood and lumber, when exported TO Spain or
any other country. were subjected 10 an export
duty Of 10 cents and cargo dues or 10 cents LOT
100 kilos; molasses to cargo dues of IA cents,
and salt and other products to cargo dues Of 10
cents per 100 silos. The total amount OF ex-
FORT duties and cargo dues collected coffee
exported in 1897 was 1898 PSI, tobacco S3,222.
on lumber S75. sugar S44OSl, and on molas-
ses SO $50. making aggregate of S5ol,o24-
So much for the cost OF getting exports out OF
Puerto Rico and into Spain and other countries
DUTIES ON IMPORTS.
Now for the burden on imports into Puerto
Rico from the mother country. On all goods i'm
ported into Puerto Rico from Spain, except sau-
sages. articles of Authorization and for lighting
and firing an ad vaorem duty Of 10 per cent
was imposed, plus the unloading charge of 81 a
ton. Importers in Puerto Rico were compelled
10 take out licenses. The fee or tax for. first
class license amounted to S1.I50 year, of which
500 went to the insular Government and $1,000
10 the municipal Government. The fee or tax
for second class license was $500 for the insu-
lar, plus the tax for the municipal government.
No coffee planter or sugar. planter or manufact-
urer of any description could import any ma
chinery. food or other articles from Spain or
y,
importers license fee tax. 1t therefore
burden or tax upon production.
The duty petroleum, whether heavy, for
lubricating purposes, or refined, was $50 on
one hundred kilograms, and no petroleum could
be brought snto the island except at the port of
San Juan. because there oil refinery at
that place The petroleum duty called
consumption duty" In 1895 the ad valorem
duty imports from Spain raised from
10 per cent TO 10 per cent, plus the unloading
duties. and the only exceptions were wines. nat
ural cider. chocolate, alimentary preserves and
sausages of Spanish origin. On February 26,
1880 by royal decree it was provided that the
duty on Goldfish and stock fish, and also fish salt,
fresh. smoked or marinated. including the
weight of the salt or brine, should be 30 centa-
vos a hundred Kilograms. The foregoing rates
Of duty applied to products of the Spanish
peninsula, although section of the act of
1892 gravely provided that imports of Spanish
products in Spanish bottoms (Which were sub
sidized) should be exempt from duty in Puerto
Rican ports
But there was another little joker in the
Spanish tariff legislation which cost the Puerto
Rican consumers and manufacturers a great deal
of money. It operated so as to give the Spanish
Treasury the benefit Of large sums of money col
lected in Spain upon food and other products
destined for Puerto Rico. A Spanish manufact-
urer or merchant could import any article he
desired from England, France. Germany any
other country, pay the duties at the Spanish
custom house, and re-export the articles to
Puerto Rice after lacking the duties on to the
invoices, and enter them there upon payment Of
the 10 or - per cent ad Valorem duties, plus the
landing dues The Puerto Ricans then paid all
the duties, including the Puerto Rican con
sumption duties, in the enhanced prices of
what they bought for consumption.
PUERTO RICO SUFFERED BOTH WAYS
Spain collected and kept the lions share of the
duties (say 10 per cent?. and the Puerto Rican
Government got what left, and kept IL, to
be returned to Spain OH account of the support
OF the Spanish army and navy and the expenses
of the Colonial Ministry in Madrid. These forced
contributions amounted to nearly S2,OU0,o00
year, of which Ss9S. 502 for the Colonial Of
nee, S1,202,3aS account Of the support of
SPANS military establishment, and S222, 66S on
account of her naval establishment, making
total Of S1,973,54S, which was 81 $50 COS more
Rican Government from duties imports from
Spain.
II ought TO be remembered that, although
more than 40 per cent of Puerto Ricos total i'm
ports came from Spain, comparatively small
percentage of them were the product of the soil
and industries of Spain. The proportion too
small 10 govern the prices Of exports from that
country 10 Puerto Rico-so small that it did not
cut q large figure compared with the proper
ton of foreign articles that had paid duties in
Spain before being re-exported TO the island. 1t
export prices. and the Spanish producers and
manufacturers reaped the profit by selling their
own commodities, which had not paid the Span
ish duties at the prices obtained for commodi-
: ties which had paid such duties. The Puerto
Rican consumer caught IL both ways and from
every quarter.
And Spain is the country that in the Language
Of DR.. Carroll and other forgetful not well in
formed persons, gave to Puerto Rico ''oper
markets to buy and sell in"
CHaPGEc npTEEFEEFcc DrDrarE n