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Show PRESIDENT LOTS SPECIAL MESSAGE TO CONGRESS Deals With Question of Revising Tariff Tar-iff With Philippines and Contains Recommendations of tha Secretary of War. Washington. The president on Thursday sent to congress a special message in relation to the Philippine tariff. The message transmits recommendations recom-mendations by the secretary of war for a revision of the Philippine tariff so as to permit as much customs revenue rev-enue as possible for the islands, and at the same time to extend to the islands the principle of a protective tariff for its industries.. The message and accompanying letters, let-ters, with a copy of the proposed act, were submitted to both bouses of congress shortly after they convened. Generally speaking, the bill submitted sub-mitted by the president makes a slight increase in the rates of duty now provided iu the Philippine tariff bill, but its framers say its tendency is to insure as far as practicable the benefit of the Philippine market for American manufacturers and products. pro-ducts. The bill makes some additions to the free list. The message follows: To the Senate and House of Representatives Repre-sentatives I transmit herewith . a communication from the secretary of war, inclosing one from the chief of the bureau of insular affairs, in which is transmitted a proposed tariff revision revis-ion law for the Philippine islands. This measure revises the present Philippine tariff, simplifies it and makes it conform as nearly as possible pos-sible to the- regulations of the customs cus-toms laws of the United States, and especially with respect to packing and packages. The present Philippine regulations have been cumbersome and have been 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 cer-tain limitations, for free trade between be-tween the United States and the islands. It is drawn with a view to reserving to the islands as much customs cus-toms revenue as possible and to protect pro-tect in a reasonable measure those industries in-dustries which now exist in the islands. The bill now transmitted has been drawn by the board of tariff experts, of which the insular collector of customs, cus-toms, Colonel George R. Colton, was the president. The board had a great many open meetings in Manila and conferred fully with representatives of all business interests in the Philippine Phil-ippine islands. It is of great importance import-ance to 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 pro-visions of which it was prepared. I respectfuly recommend that this bill be enacted at the present session of congress as one incidental to and required by the passage of the Pavne bill. WILLIAM H. TAFT. The White House, April 14. 1909. Secretary of War Dickinson, in forwarding for-warding the papers to the president, says : "I have not had time to examine the bill in detail, and have not sufficient suf-ficient acquaintance with the subject to say whether or not it is what it should be; but General Edwards, who is familiar with the matter, recommends recom-mends it, and I have no doubt that with your own familiarity with the subject you will be able to dispose of it." The letter of General Edwards, dated April 11, and addressed to Secretary Sec-retary Dickinson, after describing the measure and its purposes, in much the same language as the president, says : "It will be understood that the result re-sult of the free admission of American Ameri-can goods into the Philippine islands must revolutionize business in the Philippines, and unless the adoption of that policy is accompanied by a revision re-vision of the present Philippine tariff it will prove disaslrous to some Important Im-portant industries 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 it is believed that eon-tending eon-tending interests have been recon ciled. and as far as schedules are concerned con-cerned it should meet with no opposition. oppo-sition. For Instance, the schedules relating to (he introduction of tobacco, to-bacco, Sumatra leaf and sugar are made identical with the pending Payne bill, and therefore have re-moved re-moved the apprehension that these goods can be Imported into the Philippine Phil-ippine Islands at a less tariff rate, and thence into the United Stales fro, as the growth and production of the Phil Ippine islands. "The proposed revision has the approval ap-proval of the governor-general and the government he represents In the Philippine islands." |