The sun., 1903-05-17
.s Aserant. and antagonism was in

laws was fragrant. and antagonism was IN.
eyitable. Corruption in the lmposlt'oh o'
direct taxes, like that in the custom houses
was reduced 10 an effective system.
One of the most serious problems ~hlch
confronted the Government OF lnterNeh-
ton was the adjustment OF taxes upon
has;s which would provide a fairly ade-
,ua@e revenue without bearing nnouiy
,non an impoverished people The nrst
s,en taken was All adjustment OF the fnsular
tari6. Under the Spanish system lhere
existed a preferential rate upon ar''c'ee W
nossible import from Spain whioh eavo
- ,hat country almost an absolute monop-
,,I, unon such articles. while the tar1n upon
some Of the articles not produced OF no'
nossible Of production by the mother "u,.. m
,rv was fixed at an exorbtant rave d!
an executive order. issued from "ash'ns-
ton on Dec. l3, 1898. the tarlh iorlheig
,nn,vinu onlv to Spanish wares was apphe'
~ al, imports OF the character specineo.
o,d tho tariff on articles not possible Oh
a,a ..'d,,n,;on in Spain was scaled to rea-
s.n.ble basis. This placed all countries
competing for Cuban trade upon Ai a.
lutely equal footing so far as impor. uuV'es
we're concerned, Naturally, ineaua'','es a,'u
undesirable results were developer ".'o
a.. on.ration of this tariff 1t was. al oes''
,,nlv an expedient applied for the PurPosc
~ h,-idpinc an Intermediate PERIOD Ear!
l., ,ooo a revision was ordered ana '.e
..,.s.d ,a,in was put into effect on june 10,
,ono This essayed no general or raoiea,
,,Ioss;6cation, although it was unoe'N.o,' ",
10. ,horouph reconstruction was eth'-
wa. a.s;r.hle Tho same tariff. except ior
. Tow minor notifications, IA IN oPe'a'o'
to-day. No preferences are shown w :4l'
oorntrv and it's average rate OF ot'.| -"
nosed is about 2? per cent da f''o''
H. efrec. upon the total revenues AZ COM
,arsd with it's predecessor. is httle'n az a"'
perceptible. .,.,,,e features
Ill, ramaininp in undue measure, a COM
n,is.;on WAS appointed in March. lsoi' 10
w., more radical rev, sion and to dra'|
tariff which. in the judgment o. Wv.
hers OF the commission. shouiu o
su;ted to the needs and interests OF 'he 'e'a1'u
The committee submitted us report ~ "
.Iuly. but no action was taken upo"
hecause of the announced PurPoee VI
80 I-r;,ed States Government to WIN
drox its control from the island at an early
a,,. II WAS held, most wisely. fhat 40
radical n step in insular affairs belonged
.,.,r,arv IN those for whose election prepala
,;an u,as then being made. Some OF tho
no,nmondations Of this commission ~ere'
houeyer Immediately adopted. These o.
tao,e al reductions upon sugar machlner!'
ooricultural implements. railway materials
20 ooeee No charges Of special lmPor-
lance have been introduced by the Nuoa''
T.ar.rnment. and the income from tha'
s,,,,-ce has not altered materially from the
snm received during the American oecu-
patton. ,, ,,- ,hs IN.
,or,.erinp Government in the department
~ ;nternal revenues. The citizenship tax
wss nro,nptly abolished. and soon AFTER
,rard the consume de gdnudo was done
aw.v with. It is Of interest to note, in
connection with the latter, tha' "n''e ~
was prominent in the list OF genera s,,e,'
ances during tho days OF its operauo'' D.
II had not been abolished more 'han
few weeks before very vigorous cry
went up for it's restoration. its rePea
bsnkrupted municipal treasures ana Oh
fcials had no money for either puphc nees
or for the payment Of their own salaries
This difficulty was adjusted by the very
questionable system of appropriations TO
the municipal ,reasuries from the genera,
insu)ar fund 1t was n,akeehift OF
doubtful expediency, but it was the most
simple way out Of the difficulty Naturally
local taxation Of any kind for municipal
purposes encountered opposition Ia1es
anywhere are a necessary rather than
popular institution, and the impoverished
Cubans viewed with alarm any eHor'
to extract few pesos from their pockets
for the maintenance Of local police. schools
or ssrita,iop II remains an open ques'