The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-12-19
PHILIPPINE TARIFF BILL
Payne Says the Measure Is Abso-
lutely Necessary.

j Payne says the Measure Is AbsO-
lutely Necessary.
Washington. Dec. 14.-Chairman
Payne of the committee on ways and
means yesterday presented the major
ity report on the Philippine tariff BILL
1t says:
This bill is designed to raise reve
nue. for the government and for the
benefit of the Philippine archipelago
II is intended to restore the status of
the islands prior to the late decision of
supreme court in the diamond ring
case Prior to that decision the gov
eminent had been collecting duties on
goods coming into the United States
from the Philippine archipelago at the
same rate as those provided for in
our tariff laws for like articles import
ed from foreign countries The court
holds that the Philippine archipelago
is not foreign country and therefore
the general tariff law does not apply.
The bill extends the rate now existing
upon imports from foreign countries
to articles brought into the Philip
pine islands,
I'm the Philippine archipelago the
United States Philippine commission
prepared tariff act after much care
and study Their object has been and
is to raise sufficient revenue to sup
port a government in the Philippines,
to provide amply for the education of
the people, to open up the highways of
commerce, both foreign and domestic,
and to provide ample police force for
the preservation Of order. These
different forms of tariff in force there
have produced a surplus of revenue
\ II Jrir,cr tG0 81 I1,~
eminent. This bill proposes in the
first section to make this Philippine
tariff a part of the statutes of the
United States.
THE necessity for continuance of
revenue which shall be both ample and
certain is imperative. If we continue
the police and constabulary system
which has been inaugurated and which
is doing much to restore and conserve
order in the islands it will call for
large increase in appropriations. We
have enrolled 100000 school children
IN the public schools. OF this num-
Der more than one-half are without
any school house accommodation. 1t
| is necessary that we build suitable
houses at once. Ten thousand adults
were, at last accounts, enrolled for
night schools, and we are told that
this number has since increased prob
ably to at least 35O0O These people
are anxious to learn our language and
to better their mental condition must
be amply provided for. Four thou
sand teachers have been employed.
nearly all of them recently. and their
salaries must be paid. This great
work of education must not be Grip
pied, even for short time, for lack
of funds.
Our government has to work sys-
tematically through the commission
for the improvement of the harbor at
Manila. They have let the contract,
after public advertisement and COM
petitive bids to the lowest bidder This
contract calls for the expenditure of
S3,000,OU0 in the near future Roads
are being constructed and the build
ing of roads in this tropical country
are expensive. All these expendi-
lures are preparing the way for re-
ductlon OF the army, and in the end
will prove direct benefit to the tax
payers of the United States.
This bill also provides for the col
lection OF tonnage tax on vessels ply
ing between the ports of the United
States and the Philippines. 1t fur
Their provides that vessels not of the
ohiISd oIhlSo ply D0IWe6l LuGS0
ports, Notwithstanding our coastwise
navigation laws, until the first day of
January 1905. when it is believed
these islands will safely come under
the operation of our present statutes
and vessels only Of the United States
be employed in our commerce with
them
AT present our own people who
ship goods to these islands are handi-
capped by the internal revenue tax
and duties paid upon foreign goods
imported here and used in the manu-
facture of articles sent to the Philip.
pines. The sixth clause of the pro-
posed bill is designed to remedy this
"The fourth section provides that
all the duties and taxes collected I'M
der the act shall not be covered into
the general fund of the treasury of the
United States, but paid into the treas.
TRY of the Philippines, to be used and
expended for the use and benefit OF
these islands.
The object of the bill is to meet a
pressing emergency, practically and
efficiently. We present the tariff act
Of the commission as the best that
ran be devised in the linIted time
left for us to act"
French vitaculturists are using
bright lights to destroy insects which
lnjure vineyards. The lights are sci
about the basins of petroleum into
which the insects fall after being
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