New-York tribune., 1898-11-28
ILL.NOTRISHED PORTO RIClNS.
prrAor 4 NATIVE PHYSICIAN FOR PRO-
VISIONS AND BUILDING MATERIAL
FREE OF DUTY.

FREE OF DUTY.
San Junn de Porto Rico. Nov. 2'-Dr Am'"eo'
Porto Rcan who has passed much OF nls ne !"
the United States. recently made stu'y oi INC
foods OF the poorer classes Of Ms ccuntryn'" anu
has embodied some OF the results OF his laoors In
an open letter to Msjor-General Brooke His state
ments give an idea OF what the island laDorer Is.
In the course OF mis- letter Or. Amsdeo says;
Five years ago upon my return from the Cnited
States | began 10 make certain corhpa.lsD
among The Americans. | noted physlcal .Ici.S,, S,
itv among the Porto Ricans. The blame ior tnls
Of EXCESSIVE duties on the rccessar!es Of NE, al
ways prevented the poor man mere rom rneni
shows US that man. in order 70 mainta,n ~ s
ronen,1od an od na,fer to grammcs Of matter
taining starch and - grammes containing grease.
Hense the indispcnsabllity OF meat But the a6oIer
OF Porto Rico lives on carbonates Of hydrogen alone
Meat Is a luxury he very rarely tastes llls lfIE
" explains the condition OF the laboring classes IN
from defective n0urishment, and the brain inacuve
ond dg eRIye Of R kind
severe organic trouble. II n, the e end d n, dreS le
suit among people OF a diet OF tuoers ana "a
nanas. 40. ov,o., from, mon on such die, that de-
gree OF Intelligence and activity which wouh ~
oh hwsician and when nv patients come 10 me- for
reief from their many indrmities. am obliged 70
cinycs bnt ven do need meat and hsh and nourish-
ing foods" These are very important fafts ,,s 20 ns
l..
that General Br0oAG WI VII no 80 and M froe or ali Gus
tom duties OF saltcd FISH and meats from the tnited
states and Of rice and -four. To the man "no %
70 give a market in which his fifty cents will buy
him proper nOurishment. believe the regeneration
OF OF Ihs in nndae Rd Sa9q Trey It Would I'd be- pity If the in
habitants OF a part Of the rich American tn9n na
of affairs COMPROMISING under thf spanish re,
gimc but It would be hard indeed 20 unders'and % ,
cp is to care for it's people As in Porto Rico
for the people resolves Itself now into their proper
! majority Of the Porto Ricans are Of EuroIsesn
huts and in the open WOODS as can t,e % , - on, N
of Africa We should make II possible lor thetn IT, ~
obtain shelter and homes a least as good az uJ'
Of their forefathers This could be done by permit.
ting the entrance. free from all restrictions ana
aa db 4. 25 tP 'Gpe"f% 3oa rom POOH roofing and nails
consider these recommendations which ! VEN ven;
ture submit. to be OF prime necessity foE te eou
Of the people Humanity demands their adoption.
hg 9o95ef % ap6racae II their Obligations to the United
States much less 10 fulfil intelligenty tne auues
raj and nhvsical condition-thc direct result of mall
nutrtlon-makes this impossible to them we snaI
proceed with the work % eI 9t tg 70 bayo beathy minds
10 work upon We must first secure healthy bodies
Put we cannot look for healthy bodies in country
the poorer classes from eating MAJ ana roo,s
compel them to resort for sustenance 10 roofs
and bananas
TARIFF on PRODUCTS FROM SPAIN
There is one feature Of future tariffs OF special
interest 10 the island which is apt 10 escape atten-
ton Certain products now imported from Spain
and chiefly consumed by the poorer classes are
not products OF the United States These are prin-
oipally cheap oils and cheap wines. certain white
bean that is a staple article % food among the
Door garlic sandals or "apargataS." much worn
by the laborng classes and. though these are pro-
duced I'm the United States. olives and rasins Tho
islands consumption OF these articles amounts 70
about 100000 worth a year, on which a duty OF
fth
possible exception OF olives and rans these things
are necessities in the daily life OF the common
people The duties to-day collected by the United
States on their importation from spain amount on
the average. to about - per cent which means
the payment OF nearly sl.jNrO annually on highy
Important articles OF food.
a scheme Of customs collection that meets with
favor among the more sagacious Is a system o,
tariff reform reducing the present rates tnat
the payments would be only a slight burden upon
the people, while keeping them high enough 10
proviie money for island Improvements. Those
who favor this idea fully realize the advantages
OF free. trade bu, they also perceive II would he
A good thing for Porto Rco were she 10 pay All
the expenses OF her improvements and to appear
upon the books Of the United States doing SO.
COASTWISE COMMERCE.
There is a law concerning coas'wse commerce
which has caused considerable irconvenience 10
American shippers This provides that all American
goods comlrg from American ports in other than
American bottoms shall De conii-cattd or fined upon
arrival. The ruling is not hardship when the
goods come from the United States. because Amer
lean bottoms are easy 10 find there, but when the
shipment is TO be made from Cuban or Porto
Rican port to another. American charters are gen
orally the hardest 10 obtain and h. shipper Is
subject 70 a fine II he employs to'eiSn ship. In
three or four months time. during which arrange
ments could be made Tor American transportation,
the enforcement Of this law would b" iair ara
not bring hardship TO the shipieA but at the
present day IL dverts trade that void come here
otherwise. There are not many shippers from
Cuban 10 Porto kcan ports as yet. but there VIII
b.. more as American goods come down 10 Dotn
Islands. and as these conditions grow Complaints
because OF the coastwise ruling VIII e more aoun-
dant even than they are now. Their Is one niue
steamer of $50 tons capacity to attend to all the
ports Her owners promptly placed Ter under the
American nag-she was iormerly Spanish ship
as soon as the Americans took possession. and they
nave thus been able to handle Amencan frclShts
She IS earning money. and will cont nue. 10 do 50
until competitors appear. ~.
TRANSPORT alton of American goods tet"een Porto
Rran ports will increase rapidly as soon as IN"
affairs Of the island are settled, and II some
American line OF steamers. the Red - or the W irh
for instance shall not have established by thft
time an interport service by American vessels there
viii he general dissatisfaction among the shippers
owing 10 the necessity Of getting American bottoms
THE NEWS IN HAVANA.
RrMOR or THE DEATH OF GoMEz-PARTlNG CALL