New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-06-12
PORTER'S CUBAN TARIFF.
THE SENATE COMMITTEE LIKELY TO
MAKE An INVESTIGATION.
TREASURY FIGURES DEMoLIsH THE WAR
DEPARTMENTS EXPLANATION OF RE
DUCTIoNs ON RAILWAY
MATERIALS.
fBr TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE
MATERIALS

fBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNEl
,,-.sbingron. June lit is understood that
o,r the branches of the Cuban investigation
sich members OF the Senate Committee are
-~,ors 70 explore is the revision Of the Cuban
.-,- which was made ny Robert 2. Porter. In
&c, revision, It rnay be remembered. the duties
:, ell articles generally described as materials
ens suprlies for the construction and equipment
~ steam ana electric railways were reduced IS
re- cent making the new rates equivalent TO 10
rer cent aa valorem for period Of twelve
months from and after May Il, the date of
,,-o-,ulrstlor II the revised tariff. An attempt
VS. mace T. explain this enormous reduction
and % Justify II by the following statement put
fo--b bv the war Department. simultaneously
with the PRONUNCIATION Of the revised tariff
r hss been apparent to ali acquainted with
~ working OF the cuban tariff that the rate of
6,,+v mt upon The schedule for machinery and
RAILWAY materials and supplies. namely 40 per
cent sd val0renl. = too hlgn- The effect of this
has been 70 stop all importation of such articles.
and the revenue from these schedules has been
extremely small III view OF the necessity for
The construction and reconstruction Of railroads
n Cuba and upon the assurance given by the
rariou, companies that If material for the con
sr~uctf0r and equipment could be imported at q
reduced rate they VIII at once begin TO import
large quantities. special provision has been in
NAMES 10 import heir supplies into the island for
6 period Of twelve months from the date OF
IrOuuIgaIiCn at rate Of 10 per cent ad va
loren.
AN INCORRECT EXPLANATION.
At that time the correctness of this official
sta1emeut could neither be tested nor success
fuzzy denied II the tariff had been so high as
40 stop all :rnportations Of such articles" that
fact might be sdduced as a legitimate argu-
Inent in favor Of some reduction-even if not
50 large q one as had been made The War De
partmenr has never yet made public any state
ment OF the details OF Cuban imports and ex-
ports which would throw any light whatever
or this important and interesting subject. In
facI al the statements IL has put forth respect
ing the trade OF Cuba Porto Rico and the Phil
lppines have been OF z frsgmentary and imper-
feet SORT, which made them comparatively. if
nor actually, worthless. But some figures are
nov accessible, which are trustworthy, TO the
exports n detail from the United States 10 Cuba
IL the ren months ended April 80, 1900 and these
figures completely dernolish the statement is
sued from the War Department last month, in
which II was asserted that the effect OF the 10
Ter cent tariff had been TO stop au iuporta-
lions Of such articles These figures II is TO be
remembered, do not include exports into Cuba
q such ar1icles'' from the United Kingdom
Germany or any other country except the
United States. and they were compiled and pub
Hshed BY the Treasury Bureau OF Statistics,
which is an official authority everywhere &C
copied
Before presenting them II VIII be well 70 ia
produce e list Of such articles" It includes
the following: Passenger coaches complete,
erected or knocked down: freight cars cornplete.
erec4d s< knocked down; trucks wheels axIes
axle boxes, forgings, brasses and fixtures Of pas
senger coaches and freight cars: pine wood pre-
pared especially for freight cars; locomotives
and tenders, locomotive boilers and locomotive
locomotive and tender frames, wheels. axles
axle boxes, brasses and tanks for locomotive
tenders: electric motors and machinery for
poweE h!pllses turntables. transfer bridges, iron
or steel br1dgework. rveted or rolled: steel rails
points, crossings, signals and accessories there
Of: gate crossings and metal ties.
The foregoing list includes one hundred or
more articles and classes Of articles. covering
pretty much everything which enters into the
construction and equipment Of steam and cleo
trio railways, from rails and ties and steel
bridges and bridge materials 10 locomotives.
parlor coaches and fixtures therefor. Only a few
OF them are separately enumerated IN the re-
turns q the Bureau Of Statistics. but they are
sufficient 10 show that the 40 per cent tariff did
not stop ali inportations Of such articles into
Cuba
IMPORTS UNDER ER RATES.
IN The ten months ended a prf 20. 1900. there
were exported from the United States 10 Cuba
the following:
Steel ratIs sooS -,
Esiectrieaf iachinery and apparatn@ 1871
boilers and parts of enEtne. ia: 81 ~ :
Cars for steam railways. 56.00s
These FIVE items make total Of 1927 O52 Of
such articles in ten months, the duty on which
al an average equivalent Of 10 per cent ad
yaIorem, amounted 10 nearly S29IOGO which
hardly deserved To be called an extremely
small" item But the respectable sum Of ST27,-
900 did not by any means represent the total
importation Of railway materials and supplies
even from the United States alone. In the
period named there were exported from the
United States to Cuba other manufactures Of
iron and steel not above enumerated (and not
including agricultural implements, metal furnf-
turs or builders hsTdware) TO the aggregate
value Of 81 1fjS. 900. OF this one-f0urth least
was c0up4s&d q railway supplies and mate
rlsls- And 50 il appears that some other rea-
son than The one assigned by the War Depart
ment existed for a reduction from 40 TO 10 per
cent on such articles" at 2 time w en- the
olues On cotton goods were left untouched at
- per cent the duties linen and fax and
hemp goods advanced 20 per cent, and the
ouJes On provisions and breadstUfs left far
above 10 per cent
Mr. PORTER AND THE SYNDICATE
That reason may perhaps he discovered by
the Senate Committee on Cuban Affairs. the
members Of which may be struck by curious
coincidence. which wiz appear plain TO them
On z careful Inspection Of the records Of the
War Department which viii disclose the fact
that Al the very tine the Cuban tariff revision
was made Special Commissioner Porter was per
fecting had perfected, his arrangement Win
The Cuban railway syndicate, which was eE-
pected 70 be The beneficiary Of the reduction OF
- per cent n the duties on such articles
The War Department has never seen fit 70 pub
Lsh this fact which is q pertinent as wen as
a. an interesting one
TO SEEK GOLD or sTBERIAE COAST.
san Francisco. June 1.-THE Russian syndicate