The evening times., 1899-03-23
MILLIONS THAT MAY
Be Saved TO AMERICA
Money Formerly Expended in
Our New Possessions.
Immense Cost to America for Trop-
ical Productions.
Facts Set Forth in a Report of the
Statistical Bureau-VaIues of
Imported Articles.

How 10 eXpend among our own people
more than $200. 900, 900 a year which the
people Of the United States have been in
the past sending abroad is discussed in the
annual report of the chief of the Bureau
OF Statistics, which has just been made
public. The suggestion grows out of the
nearer relations between the United States
and Cnba, Porto Rico, Hawaii, and the
Philippines. which have developed during
the year. The. report shows that the peo-
pie of the United States have been send
ing abroad more than $3.50 000, 600 a year
in the purchase of the class of articles
produced in these islands, which may,
with the introduction of American capital
and energy, enormously increase their pro-
duction and supply practically all of those
articles of tropical growth for which we
have in the past been compelled to send
money abroad. While it is hoped and ex-
pected that the farmers of the United
States will steadily and rapidly increase
their sugar producing abilities through the
growth of the beet and the establishment
of beet sugar factories, there still remains,
aside from sugar, nearly 5000, ,000, 900 worth
of tropical productions annually imported.
and up TO the present time the total of
tropical productions imported, including
sugar, has been over $3.50. .000. 900 annually
Discussing this question, the report says:
The interest felt in the prospective effect
upon our commerce of the events of the
past year has been apparent in the inuui-
rles which have reached this bureau from
every part of the country. The production
and consumption of the islands coming into
closer relationship with us and their abil-
ity TO supply our own wants and TO open
market for our surplus products have been
the subject of eager inquiry.
This question naturally divides itself
into three distinct propositions: First,
How much they can supply of the class of
articles for which we have in the past
been compelled TO send money abroad; Sec
ond, how large a market they can them
selves offer for our products; third. the
introduction to other markets which their
control may offer to our own producers and
manufacturers
Our annual importations of the classes
of articles produced in the islands of Cuba
Porto Rico, Hawaii, and the Philippines
have for years averaged fully 250 million
dollars annually OF coffee our annual
importations amount TO nearly 500. 900. 00G
per year; OF sugar nearly another S100 0O0-
Geo. and of tropical fruits tobacco, hemp
and other articles of this character. fully
Nr'SryN'fNVN
duced readily in these islands, and in most
cases their production can be greatly in
creased. With the introduction of Ameri-
can capital. energy. and ingenuity. it
seems not unreasonable to assume that
they may supply practically all of the $3.50
OOO.oOO worth of these productions which
we have been compelled to buy abroad and
instead of spending that money annually
among the people of other nations, we shall
be enabled 10 distribute it among those
having interests identical with our own
and representing American capital and
American enterprise. 1t is worthy of note
that large share of the coffee which we
annually import now pays an export tax of
II per cent before leaving the country of
production. thus giving a marked advan-
tage to those entering upon its production
in localities where export duties are not
collected
The following table shows the value of
coffee. sugar. and other tropical produc.
tions imported into the United States in
The year ending June 80, 1896, that year be-
ing selected as more nearly normal than
those OF later date in which changes in
tariff rates affected the years record: