Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-02-03
BEFORE HOUSE COMMITTEE.
Sec. Taft Urges Early Consideration OF
the Philippine Tariff Bill.

Washington. Feb 2-Sccrctary Tart has
addressed To chairman Payne ~ tie
HOUSE, committee on WAYS and means. an
exhaustive statement 81 the reasons
which imp"l Tim 10 urge earnestly ON
Congress the id~SstG" GIllnS I'M pres =
session Of the pending Philippine tariff
hill.
Tho scrrctary's reasons arc in s''hs;anc"
as follows:
the Philippines they ar" necessarily To-
ihr next generation Il part oi ihr United
States. a'.d there i lao NOR" reason Tor .
taritI aGiin% Them tn|I, against Hawaii
or porto Rico or ON irrrtori' II lldel
spanish rulc. Philippine sugar Wa given.
a preferential rate ~ tttrc" 'ru.S pcr
pound whrE Impaired irtu Spain. Wnil'
liz Spanish COVER nmrut took an 81 Its to
hlccp "a supply the government muHnpulN
| from Cuha ana INC Philippines. Now
Spain buys in IN" chcaleSi m"ri,"t ari
thr Philippines have lost til" Spa nlSh
| trade The t'rlted State is urdnr uhira-
| tiCn to make good this Griici' nty. Wnich
has been mad" laiS'r ny the increase Of
| the import tax on sugar and tuht"co ~
Japan and Australia. thus reducing the
sales of The Philippines commodities. Tn
vnr of the Philippines tn" Jaw requiring
the islands trad" with tn" United States
| % la carried only i'll American buttOIn<
will he great burden and injustice to tn
Philippines.
Congress should mako good the heavy
! loss to The islands revenues caused hy
tn" repeal. at the demand OF the American
|
not made good hv the return - The is
| lands IF the IMPORT duly on hemp collect
| cd FIR pm The United St4trs. y total re-
| novll Of duties on Philippines products
| entering the United States Is not asked
| Tor at this time. though it Will ~ in l!sr,
when an international revenue system an
piled 70 the islands will probably develop
| enough rcvcnr" to enable them to have
| fl c trade. The opposition Z. tie rrluc-
| tioT Of the duties on sugar ANA tobacco
| has hcen nUrSed ny paid protest. agents
| circulating misleading and uf.folInd..d
| statements. which has now developed A
| decided opposition tn the hill hy The rep
reSertativeS of all tho sugar ana tobacco
| interests in the country except Hawaii
| and Porto Rico.
| The entire present production of the
philippines would not aprretiahly affect
| the American market ii admitted under
| the proposed rates. Tho Philippine sugar
| Cuban land and tho truth is thlt tGc
same land Will produce hemp. copra and
lice much more pruhtahly thar Su.-1i.
so il is the height of ah>urCiitv to s,Inuose
that even with free trade in sugar with
the United States there would ne any
gar product No Philippine tobacco Of
any kline is exported commemorative Ia Az
| United States and only wrapDar ana fIars
are raised and the tobacco cannot he laid
down i'll New York fnr less than 4 cents
per p"und-lonsiderahly more ;han tha
price for the superior Connecticut vran-
pcr-So there is not the slightest danger
of competition with the American filler.
| rates would not do the islands tn sIiaht
| est good. as has beer proved bv evna
rirnce with the N per cent re,t,gtinn
The secretary in conclusion nleads for
justice for the Philippines ''-