New-York tribune., 1907-01-19
RELIEF FOR THE PHILIPPINES.

The visit to Washington of the Hon. Dean g.
Worcester senior member of the Pmllppine
Commission. will, IT is TO be hoped, lead to re-
neryed effort TO pass the Philippine tariff bill.
now pige0nholed In one Of the Senate commit
tees. That bill, passed a year ago by the House
Of Representatives, offers needed relief to
misused American dependency. II seeks To
lower barriers which we have erected against
commerce with one of our outlying possessions
barriers which now serve no rational poliu-
cal or economic purpose. In the beginning, i'm
mediately after annexation, IL was prudent ana
necessary TO emphasize the relation OF depen-
dency in which Spain's former possessions stood
toward the United States The Tribune cord
tally approved the legislation which denied
that the Constitution followed the flag and
asserted the historic doctrine that territorial
acquisitions must accept the political rights
and status which Congress in its wisdom sees
fit 10 confer on them, But We have welcomed
the extension of political privileges and the
simplihcation OF trade relations in all cases In
which II was clear that mutual advantage
would result from more autonomy and freer
intercourse. Congress several years ago decided
that free trade with Porto Rico could harm
no American interest, and despite many pre-
dictions OF injury brought our West Indian de-
tendency into normal trade relations with the
United States We have never enforced tariff
and there remains no excuse In logic for en-
forcing q tariff against the Philippines, whose
products are similar TO those OF Porto Rico and
Hawaii and are Just as much entitled 10 free
entry In our markets.
There are, Of course, n few Overfearful in
terests here that imagine or pretend to imag-
inc, that Philippine competition will prove dan
gerous We have often exposed the hollowness
OF these fears for sugar and tobacco prices In
this country will continue TO be fixed by the
products which come here from countries which
must pay full tariff rates Sugar and tobacco
are imported from Porto Rico free from the
Philippines at 20 per cent OF the Dlngley rates
and from Cuba at so per cent OF the Dinglev
rates, and so long as Cuba pays so per cent
and other importing countries pay 100 Der
cent il will make no difference exceDt in our
customs receipts what Philippine tobacco and
sugar pay. Those receipts are now turned back
into the Philippine treasury, so that the i'm
position OF duties Is merely chlld's play TO de-
lude the American producers who think that
they are getting some material benefit from
protection against Philippine competition
Congress has voted TO subject all commerce
between the United States and the Philippines
TO our coastwise navigation laws thus bring
ing the islands into our domestic system II
is thinking seriously of giving a subvention 10
a steamship line from the Pacific cOast 70
Manila and it is planning to fOrtify the arcbI-
pelagO. But if our relations are TO be made
more intimate politically and commercially.
the most direct and sensible step would no to
sweep away all tariff barriers and encouropa
trade just as we have encouraged If with
Hawaii and Porto Rico. The House bill sf{ould
pass as matter both of equity and of public
policy.