Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-03-07

The Rates Recommended by the Taft
Commission.

Commission.
copy of the proposed Philippine tariff
schedule, recommended by the Philip
pine commission, has been forwarded to the
War Department The Cuban tariff has
been followed in the main.
In two cases only throughout the entire
bill are ad valorem duties assessed, name
ly, on crude materials and on goods not
elsewhere provided for at 10 and % per
cent, respectively. Thus is entirely salts
factory to the business interests in the
Philippines, it is stated, as the just and
proper appraisement of imported merchan-
disc is entirely beyond the existing GUS
toms service, and the mercantile classes
are disposed to accept any tariff which the
&C mmission proposes, provided the duties
are all specific.
Throughout the bill the question of rev.
enue has been kept steadily in view. The
necessary food products, the raw materials
OF Philippine industries, the TOOLS impIe-
ments and machinery of production the
materials of transportation by land and
sea, and the producers and transmitters of
power have been taxed as lightly as possible
To manufactured goods and articles have
been assigned rates graduated to the means
and necessities OF the consumers due re-
gard being had to the many existing in
dustries and to those which must be in
evitably introduced in the near future
IL
clothing. carriages or ornaments, have been
taxed as highly as Is consistent with the
production Of the most revenue. Kerosene
oil, which even now is cheaper than the
native cocoanut oil. has been reduced to a
point which, in the opinion of the COM
mission, will cause the greatest importation
and the largest revenue.
The duty on coal has been reduced so Der
cent. On crude petroleum. which. it Is
stated owing to the great and still ad
in nf
use as fuel the duty has been reduced
to almost nominal rate. Building ma
terials of every description and all Indus
trial machinery bears but little burden
The scheme of duties on jewelry and
mounted precious stones. 1t is believed, will
fairly adjust specific duties according to
values. and will greatly increase the in
come therefrom. The tariff on watches is
so regulated as to greatly reduce the pres
ent prices of the lower grades The pres
ent tariff taxes all gold watches at So q
and all others at $1.34 Under the new bin
the cheapest watch unjeweled is charged
% cents, and the cheapest jewelad watch
In silver case will pay so cents.
Dressed leather, boots and shoes hard
rubber goods and waterproof stuffs are
very heavily taxed. In tissues of cotton
and linen the heavily weighted goods are
greatly reduced The earths and sizing in
troduced in these articles by some manu-
facturers to make weight and give a de-
ceptive finish must be removed by washing
ana Crying before assessing the duty. Silks
have been raised about so per cent
All food products and canned goods have
come in for a large reduction. The dutv
on wheat -four has been reduced largely.
AS to exports. the tax on abaca has been
doubled and as it cannot be produced else
where the revenues resulting. 1t is stated
can be increased without being burdensome
in the Philippines. On copra, also. in
creased demand and price has led to the
belief that tax similar to that on abaca
can be levied without appreciably affecting
the producer or burdening his power Of
competition.
What revenue viii result from the new
tariff as a whole necessarily Is matter of
speculation. but when the act gets into
operation and business settles down to an