Evening star., 1901-12-13
PHILIPPINE TARIFF BILL.
Report of the Ways and Means Com
mittee.

hepOrt Oh thc "Uys uuu NcAho SOhAe
mittee.
At a meeting of the ways and means
committee today for the final consideration
of the Philippine tariff bill. Representative
Robertson democrat, La.), announced that
he would vote for the bill in the House and
Representative Mccall republican, Mass.),
announced that he would vote against
it. With these exceptions the republicans
of the committee expressed themselves in
favor Of the measure and the democrats
opposed to it, and by a vote Of to D on
party lines, Messrs Mccall and Robertson
answering present" but not voting, the
bill was ordered reported. The report says:
This bill is designed to raise revenue
| for the government and benefit of the Phil
ippine archipelago. 1t is intended to re-
store the status which existed prior to the
late decision of the Supreme Court in the
diamond rings case. Prior to that decision
the government had been collecting duties
on goods coming into the United States
| from the Philippine archipelago at the same
rates as those provided in our tariff laws
for like articles imported from foreign
countries. The court holds that the Phil
ippine archipelago is not foreign country,
and therefore the general tariff law does
not apply. This bill extends the rate now
existing upon imports from foreign coun-
tries to articles brought In from the Phil
ippine Islands.
I'm the Philippine archipelago the United
States Philippine commission prepared a
tariff act after much care and study. Their
object has been and is to raise Sufficient
| revenue to support a government In the
Philippines, to provide amply for the edu-
cation Of the people, to open up the high
ways Of commerce, both foreign and do
nestle and to provide ample police force
for the preservation of order These diff
ferent forms Of tariff in force there have
produced a surplus OF revenue after pay
ing the expenses of the government. This
bill proposes in the first section to make
this Philippine tariff part of the statutes
of the United States.
THE necessity for continuance of rev.
enue which shall be both ample and GER
tain is imperative. If we continue the police
and constabulary system which has been in
augurated, and which is doing SO much to re-
store and conserve order in the islands. it will
call for a large increase in appropriations.
We have enrolled 10000 school children in
the public schools. OF this number more
than one-half are without any school house
accommodation. 1t Is necessary that we
build suitable houses at once. Ten thou
sand adults were at last accounts enrolled
for night schools, and we are told that
this number has since increased probably
to at least $4,000. These people, anxious to
learn our language and to better their
mental condition, must be amply provided
for. Four thousand teachers have been
employed, nearly all of them recently, and
their salaries must be paid. This great
work of education must not be crippled,
even for a short time, for lack of funds.
Our government has gone to work sys-
tematically through the commission for the
Improvement of the harbor at Manila.
They have let the contract, after public
advertisement and competitive bids, to the
lowest bidder. This contract calls for the
expenditure of three millions of dollars in
the near future. Roads are being con-
structed, and the building Of roads in this
tropical country is expensive. These are
but few Of the many items of eXpendi-
ture which are imperative. All these exi
penditures are preparing the way for a re-
duction Of the army. and in the end will
prove of direct benefit to the taxpayers
of the United States.
'"rhe bill also provides for the collection
of tonnage taxes on vessels plying between
the ports Of the United States and the
Philippine archipelago. It further provides
that vessels not of the United States may
ply between these ports, Notwithstanding
our coastwise navigation laws, until the
1st day of January. 19O3,' when 1t is be-
der 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 handicapped by
the internal revenue tax and duties paid
upon foreign goods imported here and used
in the manufacture of articles sent to the
Philippines. The sixth clause of the pro-
posed bill is designed to remedy this
1.-The fourth section provides that all the
duties and taxes collected under the act
shall not be covered into the general fund
of the treasury of the United States but
pdiu IitO Tic treasury OF the 9hllppfne
Islands. to be used and expended for the
use and benefit of these islands.
The object Of the bill is to meet press
ing emergency. practicaaiy and efficiently.
We present the tariff act Of the commits
sion as the best that can be devised in the
limited time left for us to act
Original Bill Changed.
The substitute bill reported today makes
few changes In the wording OF the bill
originally agreed upon. 1t also removes the
time limit of 1905 from the suspension Of the
navigation laws and makes the suspension
indefinite. The bill also inserts the provis-
ion of section 30 OF the Dingley tarif act
CONTINUED on Eleventh Page.)