Show I j NEEDS OF PORTO RICO TWO MILLION DOLLARS HE QUIRED ANNUALLY GovGen Davis Talks of Situation Only a Small Revenue Collected Outside of Customs I I San Juan Porto Rico March 31In I an Interview with tho Associated Press t correspondent GovGen Davis said I j I II have not felt It proper for me to discuss Congressional I matters filling 1 as I do exucuthv position I have expressed my views fully however on I Porto Ricos need and I might say If Congress should adopt free trade the receipts of the custom houses would I I naturally cease One million five hundred I hun-dred thousand dollars has been col lected during the fiscal year and with I free trade this will fall oil Whnt then will run the Island Although I have received no official I I advices regarding an appropriation I understood through the newspapers I I that an appropriation was decided upon I and I infer that this appropriation will be spent on Insular goveiiunenl expenses ex-penses If free trade Is adopted I cannot can-not see how the necessary funds for l conducting the affairs of the island are to be raised by myself or those who succeed me Two million dollars are the present expenses and this amount will be needed annually There Is only a small revenue Incoming from stamps liquors tobacco and mercantile licenses I and It Is Impossible to collect taxes because of the conditions W T Townes president of the Porto Rico American Tobacco company says the proposed tariff will keep Porto Rico out of the American market that Porto Rico will sell to Europe China and Japan and not a pound to the United Spates The tariff means a difference I dif-ference of 72r on each thousand pounds of finished tobacco United I States makers can buy the same leaf and make it up In the United States I and sell It 725 cheaper than the Porto I Rican manufacturers The Porto Rlcan says the American I Tobacco company employs GOO hands I at Ponce and San Juan and has an output out-put of cigars amid cigarettes to the value of 1000000 annually The Mayors of many town have become I be-come dissatisfied and wish to resign although only elected n few months ago They dont like the responsibility I of their offices and the empty treasuries treasur-ies A general order was recently issued Is-sued resignations l except on account of Illness The deficits have been caused for the most part by tIme order of 1830 removing municipal taxes on meats breads foods etc which order 1 or-der however vwis considered just but on account of which the city receipts I have fallen off about half In many towns funds arc unavailable to pay police clerks teachers and the commonest I com-monest expenses for tho past few I months 1 |