New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-02-19
PUERTO RlCAN TARIFF.
IN HOUSE TO BEGIN TODAY
OPPOSITION OF FREE TRADERS.
lBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE

, GBY TELEGRAPH THE TRIBUNEl
Washington, Feb. 1S.-The debate in the
| House tomorrow on the Puerto Rican Tariff
bill will be opened by Chairman Payne OF the
| Ways and Means Committee in favor of the
measure and he will probably be followed by
MT. Richardson. of Tennessee, who is men,
Der OF the same committee. in opposition to It,
The free traders who have been trying, with
some degree of success, to hamper the Admin
istration and Congress, and the American peo-
pie generally, with groundless assertions to the
erect that under Spanish rule the people Of
Puerto Rico enjoyed the benefits and blessings
| of free trade with the mother country are hav-
ing less to say on that subject than they did a
week ago. OF course they will finally surrender
that false position without even a word of apol-
ogy for the deception which they practised but
with many a fine sneer at those who have ex-
posed It. These superior persons. however will
continue to denounce the majority in Congress
and in the Republican party generally long
after the debate which is to begin Tomorrow
shall end. account of its "inhuman policy"
and It's alleged determination "to starve" the
Puerto Ricans, to one-fourth or more of whom
were supplied food. clothing and medicines
by the bounty of the Government supplement-
ed by private charity. for months after the
August hurricane Of last year to save them
from death by starvation, sickness and ex-
posture.
All the Puerto Ricans need cry these superior
and vociferous friends of their fellow men, is
big dose of free trade to restore their vitality
and energy and put them on the high road to
prosperity and wealth. Only give them free
trade with the United States and everything
else will be added unto them
NATIVES KNOW THEIR NEEDS.
Now the Puerto Ricans themselves who pos
sess ordinary honesty and intelligence. know
better than that. They know and realize that
money must be obtained somehow and a good
deal of it, to build and repair roads to build
public school houses, of which there is only one
on the island (and that one was built last year,;
to pay public school teachers. to buy necessary
school furniture and books and to pay the neces-
sary expenses of civil government, no matter
how prudently and economically it may be ad
ministered. Governor General Davis declares
that not less than 81 900 900 year for ten years
to come ought to be expended public roads
and bridges, in order that the farmers and plant
ers of Puerto Rico may be able to get their
product to market. and not be compelled to
carry home what they buy their own heads
or on the backs Of ponies. He declares that the
100000 year allotted for the support of pub
lie schools is sufficient to furnish limited in
struction" to only 10000 Of the 25000O children
of school age and that the annual allotment
would have to be quadrupled to provide even
decent system and respectable number Of public
schools. Here two items alone which would
absorb nearly the entire estimated yearly reve-
nues of the island under the existing tariff and
tax laws.
QUESTION OF OBTAINING FUNDS.
How is the money to be obtained? BY direct
appropriations from the National Treasury of
the United States? What outcry against
'paternalism' would be raised by free traders
and the Democratic party generally If an at
tempt should be made to do that! And If 1t
should be done for one year. why not for all the
years to come? BY selling bonds to pay current
expenses? If bonds, where is the money to come
from to pay the interest and create a sinking
fund to pay the principal, except by selling
more bonds and so on, ad infinitum? The plan
Of selling bonds to pay current expenses
tried by a free trade Administration in the
United States within a few years past with
what results everybody remember. If
country so rich and powerful the United
States could not stand such a policy. how is
Puerto Rico to stand It?
Recourse might be had to direct taxation.
That was the feature of SPANS policy in the
island which caused the most grievous COM
plants What known consumption
duties, or taxes imposed nearly every
thing imported and they were ultimately paid
by the consumers. In San Juan alone these
taxes amounted to a total of $163 7S6 in 1867,
and a total of $165515 in 1918 The special
consumption duty" kerosene was 81 so for
100 Kilograms, which equivalent to Z 6-10
cents a gallon, and the person who lighted a
lamp in Puerto Rico had this tax to pay. for it
was added to the price of the oil. There was
an oil refinery at San Juan belonging to the
Standard Oil Company, and the Spanish Cavern
ment entered into contract with it, one of the
stpulations of which that the importation
of kerosene should not be allowed at any other
Puerto Rican port except San Juan, according
to a statement embodied in Special Commits
sioner CarrolTs report to Secretary Gage under
date of December 80, 1898.
A planter who imported sugar coffee
chinery, machinery OF any other kind; a
manufacturer who imported machinery or other
supplies-in fact, everybody who imported any
thing-was taxed from $500 to 500 year for
an Importers license, besides the municipal
license tax which was still heavier. Mr.. Carroll
says in his report: Stamped paper was means
employed by the Spanish Government TO raise
money. The stamped paper was made at Ma
drid." If a merchant or any other person gave
promissory note or planter or any other per-
son executed mortgage it had to be written on
stamped paper in order to be valid obligation
and such the fact in regard to all other
documents. The tax varied. A document for
from 81 to $50 taxed 10 cents from 500 to
$500 the tax was go cents, from $1,000 to $1,000
it was S., from $4,000 upward 1t $50 and
for state payments it was $50. Besides these
taxes, there were taxes on occupations, on land,
on merchants books of account and a great
number and variety OF other taxes.
ACTION OF FREE TRADERS