The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1900-04-27
THE PORTO RlCAN BILL.

The following is IL summary Of the
principal 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 Uni
ted 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 pamphlets 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 10 per cent
of the present Dingley tariff rates;ar-
ticles of the class which pay an inter
nal revenue tax in the United States
must also pay Il sum equal to this in
ternal 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 here
tofore seems to have attracted little
attention, is extremely important to
the Porto Ricans, because it will per-
nit them to import free of any duty
nearly all of the necessities OF life.
Under the orders which the Secretary
of War had issued, flour, bacon, cod,
fish, fresh beef, pork, mutton. rice.
bags for sugar. cooper's wares and
wood cut for making casks for sugar
or molasses. machinery and apparatus
for making and refining sugar, or fol
other agricultural purposes. plows,
hoes. hatchets, machetes and other
agricultural implements not machin'
cry, rough lumber and modern school
furniture, crude petroleum, lime
asphalt, bitumen, trees, plants and
MOSES in natural or fresh state, min
eral, carbonated and seltzer waters,
either natural or artificial, root beer.
ginger ale, and similar non-alcoholic
beverages. and numerous other ar,
ticles are admitted 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 under or
ders 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 con-
trary Notwithstanding" 1t thus ap-
pears that the Porto Ricans will, I'M
der the new act, receive from the
United States free Of any duty all
of the above important articles in adj
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
is equally important, they may put
an end to the payment of even this
small duty at any time they may de-
sire. since the law specifically prOvid-
es that these duties shall cease as soon
as the Porto Rican legislature shall
have provided the necessary 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 in
to the local treasury Of Porto Rico.
Goods imported 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 tc
Spain, are held to be citizens Of Porte
Rico and entitled to the protection Of
the United States.
The laws and ordinances of Porto
Rico now in force are to continue ex