Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-04
Secretary Taft Discusses the
Philippine Tariff.
SOME CHANGES NEEDED
FREE TRADE WITH THE ISLANDS
PRONOUNCED IMPOSSIBLE.
Hearing by the Ways and Means Com
mittee-Mr. Williams Believes Treaty
With Spain Unconstitutional.

Secretary Taft was heard by the House
committee on ways and means today in
favor of a revision of the Philippine tariff.
Schedules were presented, having been pre-
pared by the Philippine commission and
subsequently submitted to conference be-
tween the commission and the Secretary of
War.
The necessity for the revision was stated
by Secretary Taft to be twofold; first, TO
admit at lower duty to the islands art-
cles necessary to their development, and
second, the production of an increased
revenue. The tariff applied alike to all
countries
Mr.. Clark (Mo) asked why free trade
could not be established and the revenue
to operate the government derived from To-
cal taxation.
The answer was that the people were too
poor TO be burdcned with internal taxes to
such an extent, also that they We're accus-
toned to support the government through
tariff duties, which, being an indirect tax,
was not OnerOuS.
Believes Treaty Unconstitutional.
Referring to the treaty between the
United States and Spain ceding the islands
to this government, a provision of which
makes each country share alike in any
preferential tariff rate, NJ. Williams (Miss.)
observed that in his opinion the Supreme
Court If it should ever pass on this treaty,
would declare it unconstitutional. In view
of this belief he suggested that those arti-
cles which the Philippines buy in this coun-
try, which, he said, We're very few in num-
Der, should be placed on the free list
In answering a further question by Mr..
Clark, Secretary Taft said that the expenses
of the Philippine government were much
greater under American than under Spanish
rIll iheara hi
under Spain was derived from poll tax,
collected alike on men, women and chill
dren. a tariff also was imposed.
Treatment of Opium.
Secretary Taft called attention to the
opium schedule in the proposed tariff
measure, and said it was an important
matter to the islands. The duty ON opium
Is raised about % per cent, and provision
made for complete control of the drug by
the Philippine commission. The Secretary
explained that the recommendation was
made on the strength of a recent report
OF special investigating committee con-
sistinS of Col. Carter, DR. Alber, "A promi-
nent Filipino physician, and the Right Rev
Charles II. Brent, the Episcopal bishop in
the Islands. This report, he said, was the
most complete and satisfactory ever made
ON the subject, the committee visited
tHe VI rental countries where the inhabitants
are addicted TO the drug, besides having
the beneht of the royal commission in
lndla. In brief, the recommendation is
that for three years the Philinpine GOV
ernment shall have a monopoly in the sa le
OF the drug; that its sale during this time
shall be restricted to Cinnamon addicted
to the habit who shall be required to reg
lister before obtaining IL. After three wears
lis sale shall cease III The islands aIto-
gether except for medicinal purposes.
The secretary said the Spanish control of
TINS EVIL was excellent. Under il FiIininos
were prohibited its use and the prohibition
was effective. At present the annual reve-
nue. from the drug in the islands is $3.50
| 00o, and the secretary said he was afraid
tlllplnos We're becoming addicted to the
use ot opium to some extent. He said Gov
errnor Wright favored a high license for
three years instead OF "a government
monopoly, but that neither of these ulanS
could prevail without legislation by Con-
gress
Col. Edwards Explains.
Colonel Edwards, chief of the insular b,1-
reau Of the War Department, preceded
Secretary Taft in discussing the question
He said the present Philippine tariff might
be considered an 1sA per cent tariff, while
| the proposed revision would make1t about
70 per cent tariff The revision how
ever, could not be considered as an in
crease all along the line, as many articles
had been changed from n specific duty to
an ad yalorem duty and in these cases re-
instances or decreases are in machinery.