The Charles Mix new era. (Wagner, Charles Mix County, S.D.) 1???-1911, 1909-04-23
President. IN Message, Asks Con.
gress to E,cvise Philippine
Revenue System.
Payne BILL FORCES CHANGE
Accommodations of Secretary Dick.
inson and Gen. Edwards Are
Transmitted with Act.

Ihe President sent to Congress a
special message in relation To the
Philippine tariff. The message rams
mit~ recommendations 10y the Secre-
tary of War for Il revision OF the Phil
ippine tariff 50 as tn permit as much
customs revenue as possible for the
islands and at the same time To extend
to the islands the principle OF a pro
tectife tariff for its industries.
Under the conditions which will
arise from the enactment Of the tariff
bill pending I'm Congress. which pro-
yld"S under certain conditions for free
trade between the Philippines and the
United States. the revenues of th isl
and VIII be considerably affected. and
numerous protests have been received
here on this account. The proposed
amendments to the bill are To interfere
as little as possible with these free
trade conditions and at the same time
permit collection of ample revenue.
The message and accompanying letters
Of recommendation from Secretary
Dickinson and General Clarence II. Ed
wards. chief of the insular bureau of
The War Department. with Il copy OF
the proposed act. were submitted to
both houses OF Congress shortly after
they convened.
General speaking, the bill submitted
by the President makes Il slight i'm
crease in the rates OF duty now pro-
vlded in the Philippine tariff. but its
Trainers say its tendency is to insure,
rs far as practicable, the bencf. of the
philippines market for American man
ufdctures and products. The bill
makes some additions to the free list.
There Viii he an increase In internal
revenue duties. by which it is hoped
to make up the loss which the Philip
piar Islands win sustain by the opera
tioES OF the free-trade provisions in
the pending Payne traiff bill. The in
ternal-revcnue laws for the Philippines
are enacted by the Philippine assem-
bly,.
President Taft's Message.
TO the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatives | transmit herewith a com
mu"ia2tiou from the Secretary OF Wal
iEc..sin@ one from the chief Of the bu.
rean # ilsnlar affairs. in which is trans
m,t.na a proposed tariff revision law for
the philippine Islands.
"ihia measure ~reviseS the present Phil
ippi3e tariff, simpiifes it and makes il
to"itrm as nearly as possible TO the regu-
iatt2as q The customs laws of the Uni
TED States, especially with respect to
packing and packages. The present Phil
ippine regulations have been cumber-
some and difficult for American merchants
and exporters to comply with. Its pur-
pose Is t0 meet the new conditions that
Will arise under the section Of the pend
inc United States tariff bill, which pro-
videS, with certain limitations. for free
trace between the United States and the
islands. 1t is drawn with a view to pre-
sert~ng 70 the islands as much customs
revenue as possible and to protect in a
reasonable measure those industries which
now exist in the islands.
The bin now transmitted has been
drawn by a board of tariff experts. of
which the insular collector of customs,
Col. George X. Cotton. was the president.
The board held a great many open meet
ines in Manila and conferred fully with
Representatives of all business interests
in the Philippine Islands. 1t is of great
Importance 10 the welfare Of the islands
that the bill should be passed at the same
time with the pending Payne bill. with
special reference to the provisions Of
which it was prepared.
Il respectfully recommend that this
bill he enacted at the present session of
Congress as one incidental to and re-
Auired By the passage of the Payne bill.
civilian III. TAFT"