The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-20
THE NEEDS OF PORTO RICO.
THE HURRICANE oNLY ONE IN a
sFRJEy or MIsFORTUNES.

,hs Abolition of Spanish Rule-New Mar
L.t Needed Now More Than Charity.
According TO Mr.. W. g. Post. civil engineer
Tho has been at work in Porto Rica for several
rnontbs and who returned from Porto Rico on
the philadelphia last Wednesday. the destitu-
tion brought upon the island hy the great hur-
ricane ia only one OF n succession OF hardships
incurred by the island since the American
occupation.
"The people OF Porto Rico" said Mr. Post.
shave always sold oil their products and have
,lvnys i'm ported everything they use Their
pripcipal exports were coffee. sugar and to-
barco These went to Spain or Spanish col
opies and were there distributed to the con-
sumers As soon as we took possession OF the
ts,and Spain put tariff on Porto Rican pro-
ducts which was practically prohibitive. The
people could send no m ore goods to Spain and
tho United States market did not take the
place Of that which was closed. The United
states tariff is Just as high against Porto Ri
can products as it was before the island came
into our possession. The Porto Ricans have
not even the advantages OF reciprocity which
are enjoyed by some OF the English and French
islands,
unable to sell anything. tho people cannot
OF course buy. Commercially the island has
recently been at a standstill. The employer has
no work for his men and the islanders are
plunged into the most terrible poverty. They
are proud people. They don't want charity.
They welcome our coming with the greatest
rejoicing. But when We were once fairly set
tied among them. so they say now. we tied
their hand. so that they could not.help them
solves and then made them objects Of charity.
Their appreciation OF the charity we offer Ia
dulled by the knowledge that IL We had given
them fair chance to feed themselves they
would have no need to accept It,
Porto Rico coffee always sold readily IA
Spain and France. II has a rich and sseS flavor
which is far better than that OF brazilian cof-
fee. Its normal market lssqce is between that
OF Mocha and Java tmos1 OF which comes from
Central Am erica) and thbt OF Brazilian coffee.
The entire crop went to Spain every year. II
you go into any grocery store here and ask for
Porto Rican coffee you will be told that there 10
no demand for IT,"
Cen Roy Stone. who was present at THE
SUN reporters intervi sS with Mr. Post said he
thought that the most practical relief measure
for Porto Rico that could be undertaken at once
was the general adoption OF the use Of Porto
Rican coffee in the United States There are
about 1000 pounds OF it in New York now. and
hundreds OF thousands OF pounds In store-
houses in Porto Rico.
1.-THE charitable women ofthe United States
would unite in giving Porto Rico Relief Festi
served. a great number Of good ends would be
served" said Gen. Stone. First. by money
D paid to the wholesalers for the coffee. 10 per-
fectly fair and moderate price for a very excel
lent coffee will go straight to Porto Rico. Sec-
ond. by charging at Is or % cents q cup for the
coffee at the festivals large sums can be raised
to be sent to the Porto Rico Relief Committee
here in New York. Third the coffee will be
introduced to American women and they will
be encouraged to ask their grooers for it and
to insist upon having it. Fourth. once de-
mand for Porto Rlcan coffee is created the
credit Of the coffee planters In the island will
be rc-estnblehed and they will be able to bor-
row money with which to carry on their BUSH
ness. Until Porto Rican coffee can find a new
market a coffee plantation down there is worth
little more than so much waste land. The old
market is closed by the Spanish duty OF seven
cents pound on coffee.
Then" said Mr.. Post. taking up his arRu-
ment again. consider the tobacco crop. Porto
Rican tobacco formerly went to Cuba almost
altogether. Since the American occupation OF
Cuba. duty OF So pound has been put on all
tobacco imports. That has put Porto Rican
tobacco out of Cuba most e(rectually The
warehouses; are full Of unsold tobacco. The
planters were SO discouraged by the prospect
at tho last harvesting season that they did not
harvest the tobacco that they had already
grown. The hiring Of men to care for the crop.
they said. was sim ply sending good money after
bad. and so they let their tobacco go to seed.
As for sugar. our present sugar duty 10
practically prohibtive. The foreign markets
have been cut or as In the case OF coffee. be-
cause they opened through Spain. The hurri-
cane has injured the mills 40 much that they
must be rebuilt before they can grind
again Before that can be done. there must be
some assurance that tho sugar ground cen
be sold.
In general way I would suggest these
remedies for tho situation. Revision OF the
exporttariffs and ofthe Gu ban tobacco tariff tho
adoption OF the use Of Porto Rican coffee In this
country. and legislation giving Porto Rico
sugar q chance We must remember that We
are dealing with o population OF a million poo
pie occupying an area about as large as the
State OF Connecticut They are a thoroue My
Intelligent. well educated people. Their
state OF mind toward us is a matter Of the
greatest material interest to u.s. They well
coined our occupation. Without understand
Ing our system OF government they have siren.
uously tried to learn all they can about 1t.
They want to be citizens OF the United States.
They don't like to be thought OF and treated as
outsiders Their most warmly cherished de-
sire Ia to DO under a territorial form OF
government and be put on the way to
Statehood. The population Is every bit az
ut for territorial government as is the popula-
tion OF New Mexico. and it is much denser
The conditions OF distress. which are so plain
10 everybody who has been down there. have q
tendency to make tho Porto Ricans feel that
not only are they unfairly treated. but that
there 10 very little disposition In this country
70 pay any attention to their situation. Such q
state OF mind may easily be made serious by
IN agtAtor OF tho wrong sort.
TO my mind nothing would do moro toward
making friends OF the Porto Rlcans and con-
Vincng them that they are not being neglected
o. treated with contempt by the United States
than would an extra session of Congress.
know that the calling OF an extra session in
wolves great deal Of politics and great dea
Of trouble and expense. But the loyalty Of the
Porto Ricans is worth such price. Their dit'
t5ess demands 1t. Their disposition toward u:
deserves It,"
Great as the disaster caused by the hurr
cane was. 1t is wrong to think for an instan