The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-10
PORTO RICO COFFEE IN oUBA.
Secretary Root Orders That It BE Admitted
at the Minimum Spanish Rate.

Secretary Root Orders That II Be Admitted
at the Minimum Spanish Rate.
WARRINGTON. Sept a-Secretary Root II
working relieve the deplorable situation In Port
Rico He today ordered that coffee from Portc
Rico be admitted into Cuba upon payment OF
So 40 por 100 kilogramA This was the minimum
rate charged coffee from Porto Rico under Spouiah
regime In Cuba Under the conditions oxisting
in both Cuba and Porto Rioo. he considered II I'D
vantageous TO both Countries 70 remove tho hsrriez
erected by tho adoption Of tho minimum Spani.h
rate on coffee, and place Porto Rioo In tho snms
trade relations with Cuba las To coffee, existod
boforo the war.
Upon investigation, the Secretary found that
in 1897 the exports from Purto Rico amounted
In value 70 S1S5TA.67a> of which ooTce pruducod
s12 az coo Tho average oofoc crop Of the
Island for the pas flvo years has boon about "a =
600. 900 Kilograms annually. and has boon lorSu,y
marketed in Spain and Cuba-o little more than
third going 10 Cuba since tho var. Spain
has placed an import duty On Porto Rico coffee
Of 1o2 posotas or sa2 40 pr 100 kflograma Thte
Ia prohibitivc
When tho United States took change of afYafrs
In Cuba Spain Was imposing tuo duties On ooffeo
II Tho coffee was tho product d Spain or any Of
its dependencies tho rate was $40 pesos. whilo IL
uhe coffee was tho product Of foreign country.
The rate was L. pesos por 100 Hlogrema Al
uhe Sponinrds collected duties In Cuba on a gold
basis thesc rates urro tho same IN dollars In
posoa Tho provisional Government established
by tho Unitde States at frsa adopted tho lower
rate Of the Spanish schedule Of s. 20 per 100 kle
grama Whom the Cuban tarif schedule ucro
undergoing revision and bsing adapted to tho
permanent needs Of the Island ii was recalled
That generation ago Cuba exported 1oo. 600
IL. 4 II
this important article But for many yoos Cuba
has no, produced sufficient coffee for is own
sumption even in time Of poaoo. Tho oofeo
plantations of Cuba wore in the mountains in tho
eaHtern portion OF the Island Many af them
were magnificent estates. with fine stone houses
fen COS and other structures. which Were easily
converted into forts These buildings were used
for military purposes and tho estates piIlsged
by 10th sides during the years Of tho insurrecton.
As u consequence the plantations arc destroyed
and the buildings burned II will be remembered
that Maooo, the Cuban General. with his own
hands set fire to his ancestral homo, lost il should
become a Spanish military stronghold To
reha 'bltate this industry II was deemed avisabie
to adopt the maximum Spanish rate Of S1215
per 100 Kilograms But a ooffoe troo docs not
bear until Il is i've years old Until tho troos
now being planted are old enough TO boar. Cuba
must secure its coffee in other countries
II L. apparent that both Cuba and Porto Rico
Will be benefited by plan which gives ono q
market and the other a supply, For this reason
Root has ordered that coffee grown In
Porto Kioo and imported theTefrom to Cuba should
DO admitted upon payment of $40 per 100 kilo
grams which was the minimum tariff h1ed by
the Spanish schedula Long before the planta-
tons now being developed oan become product
I've. the permanent Government Of Cuba win havo
the regulation Of tho commerce Of tho island in
Its own hands, to deal with as seems advisable