Proceedings of the first Independence congress : held in the city of Manila, Philippine islands, February 22-26, 1930 / Published under the direction of Dean maximo M. Kalaw, executive secretary, University of the Philippines.

90 INDEPENDENCE CONGRESS PROCEEDINGS

necessary that the immediate revision of our present tariff be
effected with a view primarily to raising additional revenue
for the government and fostering our economic advancement.
It is well known that the old Philippine Tariff Law of 1909,
which still remains almost intact, was drawn up not so much
to help the growth of Philippine industries as to give protection to American products that enter the Philippine markets.
Thus we find that under the present tariff, a number of imported articles which are not at all produced in this country
and which are greatly needed here for domestic use or for economic development are being subjected to high import duties.
As an agricultural country, one of our essential necessities for
the better cultivation of our farms is agricultural machinery,
and there is no reason for imposing the present duty of 15 per
cent ad valorem on our imports of this article. Even the
tariff of the United States has been fit to include the cheaper
kinds of agricultural machinery in the free list, evidently to
enable the small farmers in America to secure their agricultural
implements at the lowest possible price. But in the Philippines, with all the known poverty of the vast majority of our
agricultural classes and the dire need for introducing better
methods of working our farms, we are imposing the uniform
rate of 15 per cent ad valorem on all types of agricultural
machinery that enter here. The same thing would be said
regarding the present tariff duties on our imports of mechanical
devices needed for the development of our manufacturing industries.*
On the other hand, various items in our present tariff could
be found which are not high enough to afford real protection
to local products. Articles which can be successfully produced
here in sufficient quantities to meet local needs, such as eggs,
poultry, fish and fish products, peanuts, coffee, canned fruits,
and vegetables, may well be carefully considered for possible
increases in the present rates. In this connection, however, the
tariff protection for our domestic products, especially for do* See, also, the articles on "Necessary Changes in Our Tariff
Law" by S. Araneta and C. Balmaceda in Volume II, Nos. 8, 9, 10 of
The Philippine Finance Review.