The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1908-05-09
PHILIPPINE TARIFF
HOUSE COMMITTEE PROPOSES TO
AMEND EXISTING SCHEDULES.
Free Entry Of Agricultural implements
and Practical Abolition Of Duty on
Mining Machinery to BE Provided
for-More Money for Interstate
Commerce Commission.

WdSuluStOu, WAoy OOAAoAO0A eseAOA -
of the sundry civil appropriation bill
was resumed in the house Thursday.
Mr.. Townsend, Of Michigan, offered an
amendment increasing from $4,000 to
$3.50, 900 the appropriation for enforce
ment by the interstate commerce COM
mission of that clause of the Hepburn
act directing the commission to cause
to be made examinations of the &C
counts of the Interstate roads of the
country to determine whether that law
is being violated and to make public
the result of such examination. After
a debate lasting four hours the amend
ment was agreed to.
Chairman Payne, of the committee
on ways and means, introduced bill
to amend the existing tariff law gov
erning importations into the Philip
pine islands. It bears no relation
whatever to the tariff bills to govern
importations from the ISLANDS into the
United States and applies solely to pro-
ducing conditions in the Philippines.
1t is the intention of the leaders in
congress to pass the bill at this ses-
sion. 49,
The adding of section c in para
graph 20 of the existing law is pri-
marily for the purpose of placing the
local button industry of the Philippines
in a position to compete with similar
products imported.
Free Machinery.
1t is intended to establish the free
entry of agricultural machinery, appa-
ratus and implements, road machin-
cry, steam and other motor plows into
the islands in order to assist the agri-
culturists and encourage the construc-
ton of roads.
The duty on mining, smelling and
reducing machinery is reduced to 5
per cent ad valorem, which is the mini
mum duty for other machinery not
given free entry entirely. This is to
encourage the development of mines.
All materials for the construction or
| repair of vessels may be imported free
of duty, to enable local ship builders
and repairers to compete with such
industries at other Oriental ports.
The final change in the Payne bill
does away with the consular invoice
requirement, which has not been found
to be of any advantage to the Philip
pine customs officials and is of no
monetary advantage to the Philippine
government
The house disagreed to the senate
amendment to the District of Column
b1a and pension appropriation bills
and sent those bills to conference.
At 5 p. m. the house took recess
until 1880 o'clock Friday morning,
when consideration of the sundry civil
bill was resumed.
Supply Measure Discussed.
The senate had under consideration
all of Thursday the agricultural ap-
committee amendments were disposed
of except those relating to the forest
service which were taken up Friday
and which provoked much debate.
The appropriation for the bureau of
soils was reduced by the committee
from $333,46O to 100000, which is all
that was asked for by the secretary of
agriculture.
The reading of the bill and the ap-
prevail of the committee amendments
consumed practically all of the after
noon. The bill was then laid aside
and taken up Friday for discussion of
amendments for the forest service.