Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-09-15
MORE DENSELY POPULATED THAN
THE UNITED STATES.
only Two of the States support n
Larger Population to the square Milo
Than Porto Rico-Cuba Densely
Populated as Compared with
Many states.


more than one ordinarily level-headed
American has dreamed dreams of fortunes
to be made there by raising certain crops.
But these dreams are generally regarded
as dclusivo by the well informed, for
Porto Rico Is already over-cultivated, II
anything. Certainly her soil is far more
assiduously tended than that of any State |
in this Union. There may be some sec
tons in few of the older States that
have reached grade of agricultural
development approaching that of Porto |
Rico, but they are few and small. And
there is no comparison whatever between
the high state Of cultivation attained there
and the agricultural development of tho
greater part OF the available farming land
in this country.
This statement is made primarily on the !
evidence of travellers in Porto Rico, who ,
speak with wonder OF the thorough sub
jugation OF the soil there, but 1t need not
rest on their evidence alone. 1t Is fully |
borne out by figures, which sometimes lie, |
but are perfectly trustworthy In this IN /
stance. Porto Rico, with an area of only |
$3.50 square mIles-lcss than one-thirteenth |
the area of the State of New York-has
populat OF about 500 900. or c25 to the !
square mile, and most of this population |
is agricultural at that. The United States, |
with an area OF 1903 800 square miles, has
population OF about H,500,000, or only
twCnty-onc to the square mile. n much |
larger proportion living In cities and
towns than Is the case in Porto Rico.
SURPRISING COMPARISONS.
There are. in truth, only two States In
our Union that support II larger popula-
ton to the square mile than Porto Rico.
These are Massachusetts and Rhode Is
land. Massachusetts, with an area of S,3l5
square miles has n population of 22}S,9iS,
or 2G9 to the square mile. Little Rhode
Island, with 1880 square miles, has 3i0.56
or @16 to the square mile. But neither or
these States is chiefly agricultural-in
fact, the bulk of the population In both
Is supported by the mills and factories in
the cities and towns. The farms of neither
Massachusetts nor Rhode Island are cul-
tlvated with anything like the care be-
slowed upon the Porto Rican acres, nor
will they be until the United States Is des-
pcrately crowded, much more desperately,
perhaps, than 1t will be in the lifetime OF
any one who reads this article.
No State besides these two approaches
Porto Rico in denc!ty of population. New
Jersey. largely manufacturing and
suburban commonwealth, supports 1Si
persons to the square mile; Connecticut,
chiefly by manufacturing. supports 149 to
the square mile: New York supports 132,
vastly more than half by commercial and
manufacturing enterprises, and Pennsyl-
vania, with the third largest city in the
Union and her myriads of miners ll6
These figures are enough to show that
the cnterprslng American. DESTROYS of
winning wealth by agricultural pursuits,
would find far more room for his am
billions in some OF the most thickly popu-
lated States OF the Union than in Porto
Rico, to say nothing OF California. with Its
vast territory, embracing 15S,36o square
miles. whercon dwell about 10000 souls,
or to the square mile, or Texas, extend
ing over ejj7s0. with 2.236.0oO inhabitants
and about the same density. There is, in
fact better chance for agricultural eX-
panson in Michigan or Missouri, or I'LL
nois, or Indiana, or any other state in
the country except those which are too
arid or TOO mountainous to cultivate pro-
| itably
CUBAS PRODUCTIVE SOIL.
| 1t is little different with Cuba, and
yet the population OF that fair island.
| though not to be compared as to density
with that of Rhode Island. Massachusetts,
New York. New Jersey or Connecticut, Is
still greater than that Of the United States
as whole, Before the be ginning of the In
surroction, which was followed by the
Standardization war, Cuba had popu-
lation OF more than 100000, which was
supported on 1870 square miles, about "a
! to the mile Allowing for all probable de-
crease Cuba must still contain 100000
souls. or more than 23 to the square mile.
| This, however is BY no means dense
enough to preclude n great degree of agr!-
/ cultural expansion. especially ms the soil
of Cuba Is wondrousy productive. There
| Is no arid area. and nearly every square
! foot of territory can be cultivated Aside
! from climatic drawbacks, Cuba should.
| in spite of them. probably will furnish a
| field for the agricultural exploitation of
much American capital, 1t is within the
| knowledge of the writer that the pro-
! motors of at least half dozen schemes
Of mr. to
stock and bonds in New York to carry
| them on. Some who invest will probably
make money, but there isn't the slightest
| doubt that others, particularly among those
| who make primary investments, Will lose
| their funds with ncatncss and dispatch.
Still another sort of condition exists In
| the Philippines, where, with an area of
| 1li,326 square miles, the population Is
about 300, 900, or 81 to the square mile.
! This Is really denser than 1t seems. since
! the proportion of arabic acres in that
group of Oriental islands is much smaller
! than in either Cuba or Porto Rico. The
! density in the Philippines is almost the
same as in Delaware, where the area is
1850 square miles and the population 1885,
/ 1913, or about Sc to the mile. Yet, should
the Philippines finally fall under our
! dominion, there will undoubtedly be some
/ cultivation OF their soil by American
/ capital. though II is highly improbable
! that laborers from America or any other
country of n temperate climate can be
employed on the plantations. because Of
! the climate,
! AFFORD NO OUTLET.
The same will undoubtedly hold good
with regard to the West Indian islands
Thus. while American capital may be pro-
| htably employed in the agricultural de-
velopment and surely Will find a place In
the commercial development of the Span
ish Islands, they will afford little or no
outlet for the surplus labor of this coun-
try. American managers will undoubtedly
direct whatever American enterprises are
few Americans may find employment as
! clerks, but even they will be few, since
men of native birth, who can stand the
climate better may be hired for smaller
| wages in both Cuba and Porto Rico than
! Americans would demand, while in the
! Philippines the Chinese--in some respects
! the finest clerks In the world-may be had
I for stipends that would seem pitifui to
| the most modest Occidental. But this Is
trenching on a problem which is sure to
be taken up by the labor organization OF
the country and over which more than
one pitched political battle is certain to
be fought.
| The total population of Cuba, Porto
Rico and the Philippines Is II. 800 900, or a
| little more than ohe-seventh as large as
i the population of the United States, and
| almost Identical with that OF New Eng
| land and the State of New York combined.
| The population of the Philippines is about
| once and q half as large as that of New