The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-05-29
MUST PAI Full RATES
WAR DEPARTMENT WILL, Rim THE
PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT
AS HERETOFORE
DINGLEY TARIFF TO APPLY
UNITED STATES FROM THE
ISLANDS
PROPOSED INsULAR TARIFF

WASHINGTON, May 2S.-Interest in
the supreme court decisions centered at
the war department today and efforts
We're made TO ascertain the intention of
the department regarding the Philippines
as they are under the departments con
troll Secretary Root would express no
opinion. saying that he had not vet the
full text OF the decision before him and
tnat it would require careful considera-
ton before the entire import of these
opinions could be ascertained with a
view Of governing future executive
action.
Several senators and representatives
called on the secretary today and dis
cussed the situation with him, giving
their views and interpretations of the
opinions rendered yesterday ard the
bearing they would have in the future
government Of the Philippines. Among
these were Senator Lodge, of Massa-
chusetts, chairman of the Philippines
committee of the senate. He expressed
the opinion that the decisions of the
court would make Philippine legislation
absolutely necessary in the coming ses-
sion Of congress. He also was clearly
of the opinion that under the Spooner
law the president had absolute power to
provide for a revenue, both customs and
internal, for the Philippine islands in the
general scheme for the Philippine gov
eminent Another suggestion was made
by senators, previous to the time when
it was supposed that a decision in the
Philippines case would be rendered by
the court similar to the DeLima case in
Porto Rico, was that an export duty on
goods coming from the Philippines to
the United States could be levied In
order to prevent free trade from the
islands to the United States.
DINGIEY RATES
Any such necessity will be obviated.
however, by the determination of the
treasury department to continue to col
lect Dingley rates on Philippine products
and goods coming from the islands
Figures were furnished at the war de-
partment showing the collections from
the Philippines. From April H. 1899, to
Feb. Is, 1901 there were collected on
goods imported from the United States
into the Philippines $l,O12925. During the
same period there were collected on ex-
ports from the Philippines to the United
States $lS6,149. From April II, 1852 until
April 70, 1900 the date of the passage
of the Foraker law, the collections on
imports from the United States to Porto
Rico were Sl36,237
1t is believed that the war department
viii promulgate a tariff for the Philip
pines soon. The Philippine commission,
together with officers in charge of the
customs in the island, prepared pro-
visional draft for a new PHILIPPINE tariff
which was published in March. That
draft has been undergoing number of
notifications al the war department and
is still receiving consideration. Secre-
tary Root has been holding back this
tariff awaiting the decision Of the su-
pTcme court in the insular cases and 1t
is now probable that it will not be pro-
mulgated until he has had time to ex-
anime the opinions of the court with
care.
The following statement is made con-
corning the proposed tariff and what is
being done at the war department:
PHILIPPINE TARIFF.
1.-THE tariff. as prepared at Manila, was
based entirely upon the specific system Of
duties which levies customs charges ac-
cordinS to weight or number of the i'm
ported articles rather than according to
value. This principle has the approval
of Secretary Root, but 1t is thought de-
sirable to apply an ad Valorem limit in
certain cases where there is a wide diff
ference between the values of articles
classified under the same paragraph. The
SPECIFIC duties Will be retained in most Of
these cases, but it will be provided that
the articles shall pay not less than a
certain ad ValOrem rate. The ad valOrem
rate on the necessaries of life and articles
essential to the development of the ISL
ands viii not run higher than Is per cent,
but upon articles less necessary it will
rise to 20 per cent, and in the case of
luXuricS to higher proportions. In such
cases the specific duty Will first be as
sessed, the value of the article will then
be estimated and it will be determined
whether the amount of the specific duty
Is as much as the ad ValOrem limit. If not
sufficient amount will be added to bring
the net duties up to the limit. If the
specific duty is higher than the ad valor-
en- limit, it viii be collected in full with
out reference to such limit 1t is be-
ueVed that this method of assessing the
duties viii obviate the objections made
by the Philippine commission to any ad
VaIOrem duties, upon the ground that
they would afford temptation to under
valuation and be difficult to fix in the alb
scnce of competent experts in the custom
mouse at Manila. The effect of any per
ceptible degree of differentiation under
the system proposed would be trffing
upon the net duties paid and not worth
the risk of seeking to defraud the reve-
nue.. Absolute accuracy in valuation will
be less important, however, than under
the American tariff, and the proposed
system in the nature of the case will lend
TO equallze differences arising under the
system of purely specific duties, even if
the equalization is not perfect
The limit of Is per cent viii apply to a
great variety of articles under the metal
schedule which 1t was found impossible
70 distribute under specific duties Tools
ana implements, cutlery needles pens
miscellaneous manufactures of iron and
Steel and of zinc, copper and nickel viii
pc required to pay duties of not less than
10 per cent In all these cases the specific
duty will be collected, whether it
amounts to l5 per cent or more but where
II falls below 10 per cent ad valorem. an
estimate of the value of the articles will
he made and the amount of duty raised
to 10 per cent al valorem. Plate glass
and mirrors will be required to paw not
less than 20 per cent. while the limit in
the case of cut glass, watch glass and
similar fine products will be fixed at not
less than 30 per cent 1t is probable that
the rate on precious stones will be fixed
at Is per cent, in order to obviate the
temptation to smuggling. The rate on