BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1905-01-19

snfM aWt ArEe@4AN NrfK
fsf sa aNt#ha
ffsster. 1.eHfai $50 ffanre 80 shs csrtss
81 ihr - seFrm, n,. ant 81 pas@Gsosu'
lnsrHesf "a n iaNpsvef
The ssssxFssos has observed. 'hr
alarming Fa4nncf in ~hioa fht oeGCtr
swovsp.s aFx GrcfraNng
THIS msEAa h. cven siiA greater fhaN
as Il scaaiis IS ii rai 80 ise grra,
faiilon Cts la uui coinmefct Cauaca ~
q lesseT consumption attributable io 5
grc.'cf tnienfiiv 81 he cccnomiCai
CRISIS i nigh l'e sad actno~ ~,cdgy
ncr' iha' the island has hsd io con
tent itself with the consunrp;i n on
half rafions oi the everyday neccs
Si'ieS ~ life Bui u has nos that rhaSC
- deep and - serious In Us scope.
The cause which determines such a
notable diminu;ion IL the customs
receipts Is one 81 those ~hich can be
corrected with lr,le good VIII Ni;h
uu; 4 being necessary - employ he
roic measures
We nave already pointed cut. anal
izing this feature OF the Governor 5
message. the cause Of the recognized
evil.
And il is because the merchants
have horror Tor the custom houses OF
Porto Rico. for there they are
treated not for what they are honest
taxpayers upon whom rests in cirec;
line the enormous weight of sustain
ing the major part Of The extravagant
insulsr budget: they are no; treated as
merchants They are treated as SNUG
glers, as though they were contraban-
dists.
And in order not 70 endure this in
su)ting conduct. SO that suspicion and
distrust may not harass them, and
also because their interests are pre-
JUDGED by these inconvenience, the
merchants have found a means Of
transacting their business without suf
fering the vexations of the custom
house. They bring their foreign mer-
chandize via New York.
And this is very Nplain. The treasury
of the United States collects what
belongs to the island treasury. The
money which should find its way into
the custom house of Porto Rico enters
the Golfers of the United States Gus
tom houses.
And the treasury is reduced and
in order TO reestaolish an economical
equilibrium an increase in taxation |
will become necessary. ~
That is intolerable.
The insular government. the leglS-
lature, the press, all the organizations
which have power in the island,
should treat carefully and conscien-
tiously this weighty question which If
it does not find some early and eff
cacious remedy, will succeed in taking
on all the seriousness of a conflict.
1t is necessary that the money |
which is ours should return 10 us; II is
essential that the employees of the
custom houses cease antagonlzlng the
importers.
We are in too much need Of money
to consent that what we are IN most
need of be wrested from us, and all
because the employees here do not
comply with the same regulations that
are carried out by those in the United
States.
The Governor knows already where
the enemy of Porto Rico is. At pre-
sent it is the Collector OF Customs
If this official obeys orders from the
United States it will become necessa-
ry to appeal to him who can make the
of the custom duties
understand that Porto Rico needs
her duties to continue its existence
as the special and foreign
tariff which it enjoysf has excessively
reduced its income. %*"s:- -,.-'."..3
Something abnormal and strange
can be observed IN the conduct Of the
Collector of Customs. Whether it is
his fault or that of some one higher,
it is indispensable that an end be put
to what is going on; it is urgent that
it terminate quickly.
The country cannot permit anything
else nor allow this waste, this mlsman-
agement of money, which falls into
foreign hands when here, the last cent
even though it is not prohtted is SO
sadly needed.
1t is necessary to proceed with the
greatest energy in this case. The
Insular Government already knows
what is going on. We have told it to
them.
And inasmueh as they are not una
ware, inasmuch as they are not igno