The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1900-04-26
The Porto Rican Bill.

Inc Porto niCan DILL
The following is . summary Of the
principal, proyisionso 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
from foreign countries as are levied
on the same goods entering the United
States, save coffee, which has free
entry into the United States, is to pay
duty of cents per pound on enter
ing Porto Rico. Scientific, literary
and artistic works and books and
pamphlets printed in the English lam
guaee may enter Porto Rico free Of
duty.
All merchandise coming into the
United States from Porto Rico and
coming into Porto Rico from the Unit
ed States shall pay Is per cent OF the
Dingley, tariff rates; articles, of the
class which pay an internal revenue
tax in the United States must also pay
a 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 article
One feature of this act, which here
tofore seem to have attracted little at
tention, is extremely important to the
Porto Ricans, because it will permit
them to import free of any duty nearly
Nall of the necessities of life. Under
the orders which the Secretary of
War had issued, -four, bacon, Goldfish,
fresh beef, pork, mutton, rice, bags
for sugar, coopers' wares and wood
cut for making casks for sugar or
molasses, machinery and apparatus
for making and refining sugar, or for
other agricultural purposes, plows,
hoes. hatchets, machetes and other
agricultural implements not machin-
cry, rough lumber and modern school
furniture, crude petroleum, lime, as
phalt, bitumen, trees, plants and mos
ses in natural or fresh state, mineral,
carbonated and seltzer waters, either
natural or artificial, root beer, ginger
ale and similar non-alcholic beverages.
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 articles entered in Porto Rico free
of duty uHder orders heretofore made
by the Secretary of War shall be ad-
mitted 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
will, under the new act, receive from
the United States free of any duty all
of the above important articles in ad-
dition to those regularly upon the free
list under the ,Dingley law, while On
other articles they will pay but Is per
cent Or three-twentieths of the regular
Dingley tariff rates, and WHAT'S equally
important, they may put an end to the
payment of even this small duty'at any
time they may desire, since the law
specifically provides that these duties
cease as soon as the Porto Rican leg
islature shall have provided the neces-
sary revenue for the expenses of the
government of the island. ~
The duties collected under the act.
are to be placed at the disposal of the
President to be used for the govern
ment and benefit of Porto Rico until
the government of Porto Rico shall
have been organized, when the moneys
collected are to be turned into the local
treasury of Porto Rico. Goods i'm
ported from Porto Rico and under
bond are to pay only the duty imposed
by the act.
The capital is to be at San Juan.
Persons who were Spanish subjects
April IL, 1899, and who have not elect
ed to preserve their allegiance toSpaip
are held to be citizens of Porto Rico
and entitled to the protection of the
United States.
An executive council appointed by
the President and confirmed by the
Senate, consists of a secretary, at
torney-general, treasurer, auditor,
commissioner of interior, and educa-
tion, and five other persons to hold
Office for four years. The council is
the upper branch of the legislature,
five of whom shall be natives of Porto
Rico. The other branch shall be a
house of delegates, to consist of thirty
five members, elected biennially by the
qualified electors.
/ No export duties are to be collected,
but taxes and licenses may be LEVIED.
On regular election day in November
and every two wears thereafter Porto