New-York tribune., 1905-02-03
JUSTICE TO PHILIPPINES.
Secretary Taft again Urges Red~c-
tiOn of Tariff.

Washington Feb. 2-Secretary Taft has ad-
dressed to Chairman Payne of the House Com
mittee on Ways and Means exhaustive state
ment of The reasons which impel him to urge
earnestly on Congress the passage at the present
session of the pending Philippine Tariff bill
The Secretary's reasons are in substance fol-
lows:
Whatever ultimately will be done with the
Philippines. they are necessarily for the next
generation a part of the United States and there
is no more reason for tariff against them
than against Hawaii or Porto Rico or the Terri
tories. Under Spanish rule Philippine sugar had
a preferential rate of three cents a pound when
imported into Spain, while the Spanish govern
ment took all of its tobacco to supply the gov
ernment monopoly from Cuba and the Philip
pines Now Spain buys in the cheapest ma arket
and the Philippines have lost the Spanish trade
The United States is under obligations to make
good this deficiency. which has been made larger
by the Increase OF the import tax on sugar and
tobacco by Japan and Australia thus reducing
the sales Of the Philippines commodities I'm
less the American tariff is reduced in favor of
the Philippines, the law requiring the ISLANDS;
trade with the United Staets to be carried only
in American bottoms will be great burden and
injustice to the Filipinos. Congress should make
good the heavy loss to the islands revenues
caused by the repeal at the demand OF the
American farmer, of the export tax on hemn a
loss not made good by the return to the Islands
of the import duty on hemp collected In the
United States. - '''e
A total removal of duties on Philippine prod
ucts entering the United States is nor asked
an interval revenue system applied to tbs
islands probably Will develop enough revenue tn
enable them to have free trade The onnos,
ZION to the reduction OF the duties on sugar and
tobacco has been nursed by paid professiona al
agents circulating misleading and unfounded
statements. which has now developed q deci6aJ
opposition to the bill by the REPRESENTATIVES, of
all the sugar and tobacco interests of the cC,,T1
try except Hawaii and Porto Rico The entira
present production of the PHILIPPINES v,ouId not
appreciably affect the American n1arl,at 80 o.
hltted under the proposed rates The PhiIiD-
pine sugar land is limited; is not so good as the
CuDan tand, and the truth is that the same land
VIII produce hemp, cOpra and rice much roora
pfoHtaply u an sugar, 80 IL is the height ~ r.
surdlty 10 suppose that, even with free trade IN
sugar. win the United States. there would be
any considerable increase in the PhlipDfna sI,gor
product. No Philippine tobacco OF anv LinS e.
exported commercially TO the United states ap5
only wrappers and filters are raised and tha
tobacco cannot be laid down in New O.
than the price for the superior Connaetio,,t
wrapper-so there is not the slightest 6arSar -
competition with the American filler The
Philippine cigar cannot COmDeta Will, en- f,,.LI,
export Of Philippine cigars to all countries was
only l0oWnWp, whereas American produces
I.OD,ODO.OOO cigars. that the sugeestior of
competition is absurd A 30 per cent ra6uct,o,,
slightest good, as has been proved bv exnerience
with the % per cent reduction.
The Secretary. in conclusion pleads for iust,ca
for the Philippines. He supports his statement
by letters from Colonel Edwards of the InsrIar
Bureau, and figures from Collector Cotton Of
Iloilo
Representative Williams. of Mississippi, intro
duced bill to-day admitting all products OF the
Phihppine Islands free of tariff in ports of the
United states and free of export duties In the
Philippines. " N