The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-01-07

of the total valuation. The trade with
the United States during this period
was second to that of Spain. our share
amounted to s6,S45,252 annually, or 20
per cent. of the total. During these
same years Spain sent to Porto Rico a
yearly average of S5,765SE worth of
goods, equal to 80 per cent. of the ISL
and's imports, and against this the
United States furnished "a per cent. of
all that the islanders bought in foreign
markets. For the United States to en-
joy the best advantages from this new
market commerce with our country
must be free and there must be pro-
hibitive duties on the productions of
other countries.
1t is interesting to consider what this
new possession offers to the American
who wants to invest from five to fif-
teen or twenty thousand dollars here.
Agriculture is the basis of wealth; the
prosperity of the year is measured by
the success of the various crops. There
follows the amounts of agricultural eX
ports during the year 1897 set down in
pesos. The peso is the silver dollar or
the island, its intrinsic or bullion value
is about 3S cents gold and the rate OF
exchange is to-day at 165. That is, you
are paid $165 in pesos for an American
dollar This is a commercial valuation
which differs largely from the bullion
value and from the arbitrary rate of
exchange of two for one established by
the American military authorities in
Porto Rico. The records of the Span
ish Bank of Porto Rico for the last ten
years show that the average rate of
exchange during this period has been
at 140 per cent.
Porto Rico exported in 1897 coffee to
the value of 12,222, 500 pesos, tobacco to
the value of 1194,31S pesos, sugar to
the value of about 100000 pesos; black
| molasses valued at 403, 519 pesos; cocoa
nuts worth 27,S3S pesos, sugarcane
rum valued at 81 900 pesos and corn to
the value of 91,202. There can be added
to this list 71,s52 pesos worth of hides
and 2206S0 worth of cattle, all of which
latter was shipped to other West In
| dian islands. There were of course var
| ious other products exported, but the
| total value of no single one amounts to
| $4,000 pesos for the year.
| When estimates are made to-day as
| to what Porto Rican crops will prove
| profitable in the future, it is at once
| seen that much depends upon the de-
| velopment of the island, such as trans
| portation, and the growth of
| the demand for the islands pro-
| ducts in the American mar
ket. In this latter respect it must be
| remembered that Cuba will be Porto
Ricos most active rival. 1t can gen.
orally be stated that Cuba will produce
| everything that does Porto Rico, and
the former island, If eventually accord
ed equal privileges with the latter on
| the American markets, holds a geo.
graphically more advantageous posi-
ton than does Porto Rico, and is cap
able of a much larger and consequent
| ly cheaper production
| Land is expensive in Porto Rico, this
| because the population is dense. To-
day, in the face of the expected influx
| of Americans eager to buy, prices on lands
are advancing unduly. The measure of
| land surfaces here is cuerda equal to
| So yards square. Lands are divided in
| to four classes. First class lands are
those suitable for sugar: they are found
| in the belt of low fat land running
around the island between the foothills
| of the mountains and the sea.
In good prosperous times in the past,
first-class sugar lands have brought as
high as $500 cuerda; to-day they can
be had for about $3.50 a Cuerda. at which
price they should be drained and
ditched and ready for planting. Such
lands also produce good cattle fodder.
| These are the most extensive lands in
| Porto Rico to-day, and the cultivation
of sugar because of the expensive ma
chinery required to treat the cane, calls
for more capital than any other in
dustry on the island. second-class
lands are those in the valleys and on
the hillsides in the interior. They are
largely suitable to the production of
coffee and their prices vary. If they
are already planted with good bearing
trees they are considered to be worth
$3.50 a cuerda. Young coffee trees need
shade and lands already wooded are
sometimes preferable for their plant
ing. Land suitable for coffee planting,
though not already Wanted could be
bought to-day for from 10 to 25 pesos a
cuerda. I know of good farm offered
for sale at 5000 pesos. 1t contains in
all 500 cuerdas, 40 of which are already
set out with promising coffee trees and
100 more cuerdas are suitable for the
immediate planting of others. The bal
ance of 800 cuerdas are woodland and
pasture, part of which would grow
fruits and vegetables. Work this out
and we get 40 suerdas at $50 pesos each,
equal to 5000 pesos; a hundred cuerdas
as 10 pesos makes I 900 pesos and the
balance of $50 cuerdas for 1000 pesos.
This is a very fair criterion of the
values that such lands attain to-
day.
The black sandy loan lying adjacent
to the sugar lands is called third class.
Their values vary, some are well
adanted for tobacco culture and are
expensive, others can be bought for
from 10 to 20 pesos a cuerda. The value
of these lands for the cultivation OF
fruits and vegetables for local con-
sumption is increased if they are
located near seaports or large towns
The fourth class comprises the sandy
beach lands. This is where cocoanut.
are planted. Certain fruits grow vel
on them and their prices will vary, &C
cording to location and adaptability
: from five to twenty-five pesos
: cuerda.
, There is said to be profitable futur,
r in the proportion of minor fruits anc
, vegetables in Porto Rico. The orange
: of the island are of fine flavor ant
juicy. and the pineapples and banana
are excellent. The exports of orange
, amounted in 1897 to 2,510 pesos and tina
: of pineapples TO $40 pesos. Here is
, field that needs development and tn
: advantages of free trade with tn
, United States. II in a few years enough
of such fruit is produced to warrant
line of fruit steamers from here to tn
United States. thus insuring quick an
cheap transit, the industry might Civ
, good returns. Here, as in other cases
= Cuba will be Porto Rico's rival. TIL
t ! Of 70 oEr