The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-01-19

are advancing unduly. The measure OF
land surface here is a cuerda, equal to
sixty-nine yards square, Lands are di-
vided into four classes. First class lands
are those suitable for sugar; they are
found I'm the belt of low fiat land run
ming around the island between the toot-
hills of the mountains and the sea. In
good prosperous times in the past, hrst
class sugar lands have brought as high as
500 cuerda: today they can be had LOT
| about $3.50 cuerdc, at which price they
should be drained and ditched and ready
for planting. Such lands also produce
good cattle fodder. These arc the most
expensive lands in Porto Rico today ana
cultivation of sugar because OF the eN-
pensive machinery required to treat the
cane, calls for moro capital than any
| other industry on the island. Second
class lands are those in the valleys ana
on the hillsides in the interior. They are
largely suitable to the production or coz
fee and their prices vary. III they are
already planted with good bearing trees
they are considered to be worth $50
ouerda- Young coffee trees need shade,
| and lands already wooded arc sometimes
preferable for their planting Land
suitable for coffee planting, though not
| already planted, could be brought today
for from 10 to 25 pesos a cuerda. know
of a good farm offered for sale at 5000
pesos. II contains in all 500 cuerdas, 20
of which are already set out with promis-
ing coffee trees and 100 more cuerdas are
suitable for the immediate planting or
others. The balance of 800 cuerdas are
woodland and pasture, part OF which
would grow fruits and vegetables. Work
| this out and we get forty cuerdas at 100
pesos each, equal to 5000 pesos; hun
| dred cuerdas at 10 pesos makes 1900 pesos
and the balance of $50 cuerdas for 1000
pesos. This is a very fair criterion of
the values that for such lands pertain
| today.
| The black sandy loan lying adjacent to
| the sugar lands is called third class.
| Their values vary. Some are we'll
| adapted for tobacco culture and are eX-
| penslve, others can be bought from 10 to
25 pesos a cuerda. The value of these
| lands for the cultivation of fruits and
vegetables for local consumption is in
creased If they are located near seaports
| or large towns. The fourth class com
prises the sandy beach lands. This is
where cocoanuts are planted. Certain
| fruits grow well on them and their
prices will vary. according TO location
and adaptability, from to 25 pesos a
| cuerda.
There is said to be a profitable future
| in the production of minor fruits and veg
etables In Porto Rico The oranges of
| the island are of fine flavor and Juicy,
and the pineapples ard bananas are eX-
cellent. The exports Of oranges amount
| ed in 1897 to 2,6l0 pesos and that of pine
| apples to $40 pesos. Here is a field that
needs development and the advantages
| of free trade with the United States. IL
| in few years enough of such fruit is
produced to warrant a line of fruit
steamers from here to the United States,
thus insuring quick and cheap transit,
ICfF iCylNf civ az,
| Here, as in other cases, Cuba will be
Porto Rico's rival The growing of veg
etables for the off seasons of the Ameri-
can market could also be developed. This
Will likewise require rapid transportation
and there must be a considerable amount
| to be thus transported before freight
rates that admit of profit can be OBJ
| tained. We have no data as to how this
climate and soil will produce certain
northern vegetables that today do not
grow here. We are told that the soil is
wonderfully rich and will produce "any
thing" Experiment only will show in
how far this asserted ability has COM
mercial value and the profitable future
of such industries is largely question
of development and study.
%
The profits in sugar raising depend
largely on duties; upon whether sugar
can be placed upon the market without
gar in the West Indies has for long
been a question for statesmen to ponder;
England has for sCme years been at
tempting to bring this industry in the
colonies back to the profits of former
time. In the profitable production of
sugar the Cuban crop will be this island
greatest danger.
Porto Rican tobacco is said by many
to be of excellent quality. 1t seems TO
be badly harvested and cured, however,
and If Improvements were made in this
direction its value would be increased.
Much has of late years been sent 10
Cuoa' where it has fetched good prices.
o
Before Porto Rico can enter upon that
steady march of development, education
and Improvement, which constitute her
future prosperity, several conditions
which at this hour hang heavily over
the island will have to be removed. Porto
Rico's status will have to be determined.
she must be legally admitted as a terri
tory or a colony of the United States
and she will have to enjoy free trade
with our country. The question of her
present deprecated currency will have to
be Strengthened out and the business un-
certainty and confusion resulting from
Whatever measures are taken to this end
must have subsiGed. The islanders them
selves must bury past political discords
and enter upon new era of good fellow
ship and unity of purpose. The exceed
ingly high state of taxation on property
In force today must be cut down to n
reasonable assessment. The American
military authorities are now collecting
the taxes assessed by Spain during the
first months of this year, which taxes
are intended to provide for all insular
expenses including the maintenance of
the Spanish army Of occupation, the
Spanish navy and the Church of Rome
three features of insular politics that
are non-eXistant sirco Oct Is last. This
taxation on farming lands in the ma>
Jority OF cases amounts to 50 per cent
OF the lands net earnings per year
o.
The United States received from Snain
the title TO various government lands in
Porto Rico. Where these lands were
available for farming purposes they
have been to q great extent already taken
up, and while many of them may not
now be under actual cultivation, their
titles are apt to have been compromised
under Spain and they are today subject
to various claims resulting from the cor
rupt system of Spanish land registra-
tion. Only when these existing cond-
tions are rlghted will Porto Rico be ready
and able to take upon herself the labors
which should lead her to that degree OF
prosperity, peace and pleasure which
rightly is her due and which her past
politica! relations have thus far pre-
vented her from enjoying