The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-02-07
MANY LEPERS
IN THE ISLANDS
Governor Taft Says There Are
IS 900 or 20, 900.
COST OF MANILA GOVERNMENT
is INCREASED BECAUSE OF COST
OF SANITATION.
COST OF MANILA GOVERNMENT

Washington. Feb. 6.-Discussing the
needs Of the islands, Judge Taft said
that the assessable taxable property in
Manila would not exceed $50. ooo.
This, he added, would not exceed one
sixteenth Of the valuation of the Amer
lcan cities Of the same size and vet
Manila would require a far larger ex-
penditure than would an American CITY
OK the same class. One considera HE
item Of expense for administration
there would be that OF maintaining
sanitary conditions. 1t was necessary
at ali times to guard against the plague
and there are from $1,000 to 20, 600 lepers
in the entire archipelago.
These conditions, he explained, rem
dered i necessary for the central gov
eminent TO bear part of the expense of
municipal government.
Tariff in Both Countries.
Taking up the subject Of general tax
ation, he said the. commission is max
ing an effort to make the customs tar
iff the only source OF revenue. and
while, he said, I'VE should be glad to
have free trade with the United States
IN order TO insure the progress of agri-
culture, We cannot but feel that if it
is fair TO collect a tariff on goods COM
ing into the Philippines from the United
States, il is only fair 10 provide for d
tariff on Philippine articles coming in
to the United States.
I'm our judgment the customs tax is
absolutely necessary. as the govern
ment could not be supported by direct
taxation. OF course, il there were nc
customs collection on goods coming
from the United States the effect
would be to nullify all tariff collections
az practically all the importatiOns into
/ the Philippines would be from thu
United States or from Spain. which
would also be given free trade under
the peace treaty
He said that the tariff adopted by the
commission is a specific duty amount
ing to from T. TO 30 per cent reduced
to an ad valoreni system. and that the
effort had been to place the higher
/ tariff on Injuries and the lower or
I necessaries.
Reduction a Matter of Sentiment.
/ In this connection Senator Patterson
reminded the witness that ne had il
! his report recommends a reduction o.
/ so per cent. and asked why such a re
1 ductiOn had been suggested. Governor
/ Taft replied:
/ Il am bound 10 say IndL dI pIeoeiI
our principal reason for asking re
! duction is sentimental. The effe9t of I
reduction of 50 or IS per cent on Philip
pine imports into the United States
would not be great for the next few
wears. and anv concession of that char
acter would be beneficial in our deal
ing with the people in the Philippines
'Tf we can go back to them and sa!
that congress has recognized them Il
this they will appreciate the discrim
/ inati1n in their favor. Such a ccurS
on the part of congress would be
| great aid in giving them assurance O
( the friendly feeling of the American
peopIe. The exact effect OF such re
duction is difficult to estimate. To
barco would be benefited somewhat
as would sugar. the product of this lat
ter article amounting to about l'oeO
10 1000 tons annually. But / am as
sured by the planters that the beneh
of the proposed reduction would not 0
great in actual money saving.