Los Angeles herald., 1909-04-16
PRESIDENT ASKS
TARIFF REVISION
IN PHILIPPINES
TAFT SAYS PROPOSED CHANGE
IN ISLANDS BENEFICIAL
PRACTICAL FREE TRADE is Sc
CURED FOR FILIPINos
Bill Is Outcome of Many Meetings and
Conferences of Various COM
mercial Interests of In
suIar Possessions
tBy Associated Press. ]

NV dent Taft sent the following
| w message and accompanying pa
pers regarding Philippine. tariff re-
vision to the senate and house of rep
resentatives today:
ITO the Senate and House of Repre-
| sentatives:
| II transmit herewith a communica-
| ton from the secretary of war inclos-
| ing one from the chief of the bureau
of insular affairs, in which is trans
mitted proposed tariff revision law
for the Philippine islands.
This measure revises the present
Philippine tariff, simplifies it and
makes it conform as nearly as possible
| to the regulations of the customs laws
of the United States, especially with
respect to packing and packages. The
present Philippine regulations have
been cumbersome and difficult for
American merchants and exporters
| to comply with. Its purpose Is to
meet the new conditions that will arise
under the section of the pending United
States tariff bill, which provides, with
certain limitations, for free trade be-
| tween the United States and the
islands. 1t is drawn with view to pre-
| serving to the islands as much customs
revenue as possible and to protect in a
reasonable measure those industries
which now exist in the islands.
Tariff Experts Draw Bill
1.-The bill now transmitted has been
drawn by board of tariff experts, of
which the insular collector of customs,
| Col. George r. Cotton, was the presi-
dent. The board had great many open
meetings in Manila and conferred fully
with representatives of all business in
terests in the Philippine islands. 1t is
of great Importance to the welfare of
| the islands that the bill should be
passed at the same time with the pend
ing Payne bill, with special reference to
the provisions of which 1t was pre-
pared.
IT respectfully recommend that this
bill be enacted at the present session of
congress as one incidental to and re-
quired by the passage of the Payne
| bill. WILLIAM H. TAFT.
1.-The White House, April IA. 1907"
| Secretary of War Dickinson, in for
warding the paper to the president,
says:
II have not had time to examine the
bill in detail, and have not sufficient
acquaintance with the subject to say
whether 1t is what 1t should be; but
Gen. Edwards, who is familiar with the
matter, recommends 1t and have no
doubt that with your own familiarity
with the subject you will be able to dis
pose of It,"
| Edwards Sends Letter
| The letter of Gen. Edwards, dated
April IL, and addressed to Secretary
Dickinson, after describing the mea-
sure and its purposes In much the
same language as the president, says:
"It will be understood that the re-
suit of the free admission of American
goods into the Philippine islands must
revolutionize business in the Philip
pines. and unless the adoption of that
policy is accompanied by a revision of
the present Philippine tariff 1t will
prove disastrous to some important in
dustries in the islands and also result
in such serious loss to the customs
revenue as to embarrass the Philippine
government.
"It has had publicity in the United
States, and 1t is believed that contend
ing. interests have been reconciled, and
as far as schedules are concerned 1t
! should meet with no opposition.
For instance, the schedules relating
| to the introduction of tobacco, Sumatra
leaf and sugar are made identical with
| the pending Payne bill. and therefore
have removed the apprehension tnat
| these goods can be imported into the
Philippine islands at less tariff rate,
and thence into the United States free
as the growth and production of the
| Philippine islands.
"The proposed revision has the ap-
prevail of the governor general and gov
eminent he represents In the Philippine
| islands"
President Urges Passage
When the house met today message
was received from the president urging
the enactment of the proposed tariff
| law for the Philippine islands. The
message was Immediately read and
then referred to the committee on ways
and means.
There was more delay in the presen-
! tation of the message in the senate, and
it was read for some time after its re-
ceipt owing to the Intervention of other
business
The presidents message on being read
| in the senate was referred to the COM
mittee on Philippines
| The new Philippine tariff bill sub
mitted to congress today will prove of
great value to American exporters in
| the opinion of George r. Cotton, the
| collector of customs in the islands
| Features of the old Spanish and Gu
| ban tariffs which were vexatious and
annoying to both exporter and import
er have been eliminated. and every eff
| fort has been put forth to make the adj
ministrative features simple and in con-
| formity with the United States tariff
decisions and the interpretations of the
! courts.
Automatic Fines DisIiked
Under the existing tariff the practice
was to levy duty on the packing as
distinct from the merchandise enclosed,
and it provided system of automatic
/ fines which led to all sorts of dissat-
isfaction and complaint from American
/ exporters and prompted illegal prac-
| tees
The German, Spanish English and
| French exporters we're familiar with
| the practices in vogue, and this gave
them decided advantage over Ameri-
| can business men.
| Adequate protection to the principal
products of the United States is given
| by the bill, Mr.. Cotton says, and tobac-
| co and sugar are treated as in the
| house measure.
1t is estimated the revenues from the
bill will aggregate $7,000,000, as against
| IS, 500, 900 under the present law. The
deficit in the budget will be made up
by an increase in internal revenue tax
/ alton.
The schedules in the tariff are con-
| solidated and put under 1862 paragraphs,
as against 4O5 in the old Spanish CLASH
fication.
|