Show I PORTO RICO TAXES I H is unfortunate that tho muchdis cussed Porto Rico tariff question Is so generally misunderstood Senator De pew In his eloquent defense of the tariff tar-iff measure characterized the agitation over it us a baseless excitement The facts Justify this characterization Few I seem lo appreciate that the pioposed bill gives free trade In all the necessaries neces-saries of life and a tariff averaging only 6 per cent upon the market value of other products and even this lax resists to exist in Iwo years or sooner if the people of the island thud il expedient ex-pedient to abolish it Is there hardship hard-ship under such a law No resident of Porto llico who remembers the oppressive oppres-sive taxation enforced by the Spanish Government can Bay so Dr Henry K i Carroll our special commissioner to Porto llico reports that Spain levied duties on imports to and exports from Porto Rico specIal taxes on the loadIng load-Ing and unloading of freight and passengers pas-sengers an Income tax and an Industrial I Indus-trial and commercial tax reaching every merchant manufacturer artisan and private citizen livery retail shop hotel restaurant boardinghouse HodawaUr stand and even Iloor I stand was taxed under the Spanish law A tax was levied on salaries wages and commissions No kind of business escaped The newspapers laundries funeral agencies blacksmiths black-smiths nurses professors of music milliners day laborers and even the manufacturers of artificial limbs had to contribute to the support of Spains oppressive rule The rich escaped by bribery Spaniards were favored and the natives discriminated against Dr Carroll says that if a merchants income in-come were 10000 a year be would pay In direct taxes 1300 besides a tax for a personal passport and direct taxes on Ills residence and furniture his horse and live stock This was taxation under un-der Spanish rule and 11 was oppressive to the last degree Will the citizens of Porto RIco prefer to continue It rather than to submit to taxation on an equi table fair and consIderate basis under the administration of President McKln ley Leslies Weekly |