The age-herald., 1901-03-12
PORTO RICANS SEE
 THE PRESIDENT Make Protest Against the HoI-
 lander Revenue Bill MANY OBJECTIONS FILED MT. Mckinley Gave the Committee Nearly an Hour and Listened At tentively-He Does Not Feel
 Like Calling Extra Session.
MANY OBJECTIONS FILED

Washington, March 1.-The President this morning granted a spec... audience to Messrs. Wencesey Borday, Jr. and Vincente Balbas members of the Porto Rican Commission, which was appointed at meeting of the citizens of the island at San Juan on February 9 to protest against the law enacted by the Legisla- ture known as the Hollander bill. This measure provides for raising revenue by property and excise taxes.
 Messrs. Borda and Balbas were accom- panied by MT. Freeman Halstead. the secretary of the commission; MT. Pedro Salazar. the third commissioner being detained in New York.
 The commissioners presented a formal protest. which enumerated series of eighteen objections to the law.
 It Is contended that there exists today in Porto Rico three taxes levied and col lected for the same purpose, from the impoverished pockets of the people-the new excise taxes under the Hollander law, the old insular and municipal taxes, and the customs duties under the Porto Rican civil government art. Any of these it is held is sufficient to cover the budget
 Under the bill s50o00o or more will be collected semi-annually in advance there by, the protest says, lessenng the money In circulation (of which there Is less than S,O0O 0o0, and producing a state of im- poverishment c.nd business stagnation, as the taxes are collected by summary pro- cess. It Is asserted that the measure is both an income and property tax law; that two of the principal industries of the island (rum and tobacco) are taxed so heavily that their production under pres ent conditions is practically prohibited; that the only standard of valuation of property will be the personal opinion of the assessors, and as they may be ap- pointed by Presidential favor, there Is an injustice to a large section of the com munity from excessive valuation.
 Present Law Is Best.
 In view of the fact that no municipal budgets have been prepared and no re- liable estimate of the value of the tax able property of the island made the great mass of the property owners believe, it is said that the interests of the island will be best conserved by a continuance un- der the present law, which has worked well to the present time The people of Porto Rico, the protest sets forth, are ready and willing to meet all taxes neces- sary for the maintenance of order, jus tice and good government but they stren- uously object to tax law, the amount or which Is uncertain, since no valuation of property has ever been made in the island, and which has been imposed upon them without due regard to the actual -4 k1-~~ or the tax payers and in a manner which severely expresses the wealthy producers Of Porto Rico at a time when the island has not yet recovered from the ruinous effect of the recent hurricane and from the 40 per cent reduction from its circu- lating medium by the exchange of pro- visional moneys for the United States currency still further reduced by the ex- cess of imports over exports.
 The commissioners ask the President that Governor Allen be directed to cal a special session of the Legislature to amend the law in a manner which will relieve the people of the burdens com plained of and that the government be directed to exercise care in the appoint ment of the assessors.
 The commissioners also presented a pe- tition from bankers, merchants and other business men of New York and Philadel- phia praying that the protest be given due consideration.
 The President gave the committee nearly an hour and listened to them. He said he did not feel like exercising his authority for calling an extra session of the house of delegates, but would rec ommend that the executive council use the utmost leniency in enforcing the pro- visions of the tax law. The members of the committee hope to see the President again in the near future.