THE IRRIGA TION A GE. 91 



action shall be taken and the 15 per cent, tariff thus terminated, is 

 being discussed by the press and public of that island as is shown by 

 the following leading editorial taken from the San Juan (Porto Rico) 

 Daily Neivs of November 13, 1900, just received by the Treasury Bu- 

 reau of Statistics: 



"We have lived now for six months under the 85 per cent, prefer- 

 ential tariff. The question now is is it good or bad? Has it helped 

 or injured us? The Legislature will have these questions to decide. 



"We now have the question to deal with aside and apart from poli- 

 tics. Its use as a campaign club is past and gone. The burden of de- 

 ciding this very important question is solely upon the Legislature. As 

 it decrees, so shall it be. If it desires to abolish the tariff and operate 

 the island upon a free trade basis, it can be so ordered. 



"If the people of Porto Rico through the Legislature, desire to 

 continue the tariff it can be done. A precedent has been established 

 which will permit this taxation. It has been legally decreed that such 

 action is constitutional. 



"If the tariff is abolished, it is at once evident that a more bur- 

 densome and higher rate of internal taxation must be imposed. Where 

 and upon what shall this be levied, is indeed a perplexing question. 



"Aside from all the difficulties that may or will arise from the 

 abolition of the tariff, let us glance at the tariff itself and see what it 

 has done. In the last six months the 15 per cent, tariff has afforded 

 the island as much, if not more revenue than the 100 per cent, tariff- 

 'The theory that ' the way to increase revenue is by lowering the 

 taxes,' is proven to be true for Porto Rico. This revenue will be con- 

 stantly increasing as our trade increases, as it is sure to do. It has 

 helped the consumer, for it has lowered the taxes he has to pay, not 

 only on American goods, but upon all goods that enter our market in 

 competition with them. This results in an increase of importations. 

 This helps the producer by constantly providing him a means to carry 

 his goods to the great American market, which is always so hungry 

 for the products this island has to dispose of. Again, unless we have 

 a traffic both ways, the steamers must make one trip without a cargo 

 and the freight is thereby doubled. 



"A tariff helps us as borrowers; it will give our securities a stand 

 in the United States, which they could not have without a permanent 

 revenue like the tariff revenue. The argument so often advanced in 

 favor of a tariff tax as against other means of raising revenue, that it 

 is easily collected, is especially forcible in Porto Rico, We would ad- 

 vise that the tariff is necessary, and if it were not it would still be the 

 most convenient and logical means of raising our revenue. Let the 

 tariff stand at 15 per cent." 



