Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-03-21
PORTO RiCO'S NEEDS
A Clear Statement of the Case by Delegate
Larrinaga. .-.--
The Island Needs Civil Government
and Must Have Tariff Relief
or 1t Will Starve.

A clear and concise statement of the atti-
tude of the people of Porto Rico with re-
gard to the pending adjustment of their
affairs was given today to a Star reporter
by Mr.. Tuio Larrinaga of San Juan. one of
the federal delegates to Washington to at
tend to the insular interests at this juno
ture Mr.. Larrinaga, who is staying at the
Hotel Cochran, Is civil engineer, and
through his professional work has become
thoroughly acquainted with every phase of
the islands affairs. He speaks excellent
English and expresses himself plainly and
without agitation, yet with deep feeling
He said:
Let the American people and Congress
understand us thoroughly. We want. of
course. free trade with the mainland That
is chief desire as regards the tariff
situation. But we need the civil govern
ment features of the pending bill even more
keenly. We would be grateful for a reduc-
ton of the tariff rates from 100 per cent, of
course Anything less than the full Ding
ley rates would help u.s. by adding to our
chances for finding market. Our hope for
free trade is based, however, upon the de-
sire to see a principle established. not nee
eSsarily that the Constitution applies to us
of its own force, but to permit us to feel
that we have become in tangible manner
attached 10 the American Union. We want
to feel that We belong to you and are of
you, not that We are mere dependency. to
may dictate
An Agricultural People.
Perhaps it is not fully understood that
we are almost exclusively an agricultural
people. At least so per cent of inhabi-
tants depend directly upon the plantations
for their living. The other 20 per cent thrive
upon industries and professions and other
callings which themselves sustained by
the plantations and the trade of the planta-
ton workers So that the plantation is the
unit of our prosperity and anything that
affects 1t unfavoraby affects the whole
population as certainly any cause will
produce its assured effect.
Therefore industrially our great need is
for a market. We have no market today.
There is the very slightest profit possible
upon any of our commodities. and upon
those only which are produced by improved
methods. Most of the plantations are not
equipped with labor-savng machinery and
their owners cannot today sell save at
loss. The warehouses are filled with har-
vested crops. while the fields lie practically
idle and the thousands of laborers who
would otherwise be employed and prosper
Gus are starving and dying.
Civil Government Necessary.
''But It must not be thought that the
lessening Of the tariff rate will meet our
needs. That would be only a temporary
relief. 1t would permit to market the
stored crops and perhaps to start the plan
tations again upon reduced scale. But it
would not encourage capital to establish
itself in the island. nor would 1t draw work
ers to US with labor and means. We need
guarantees of stable government civil gov
eminent. The military government has
been comparatively mild and just, but it is
wrong in principle and is Objectionable to
the spirit of the people who have been led
to expect the other kind. Whatever the
form-we do not haggle over forms-any
kind of civil government to replace the
military administration would settle affairs
upon permanent basis and capital would
seek Investment. thus slim ulating the in
dustries of the island.
so We hope that the Senate will not d.
vide the pending bill or table the civil gov
eminent proposition. We need a free trade
measure with civil government features
but we are willing in our great distress to
accept a tariff measure with the civil gov
eminent features. We must have the lat
ter or We perish. If we were not a Chris
tian people, and imbued with regard for
the sanctity of human life. we would will
ingly say to your Congress: If you will not
give us this relief send army among us
and kill us We were better dead. all of
us, than smitten by these conditions you
have imposed upon us
There should be no hesitation about
adopting the free trade proposition. for
there would be trouble whatever for
Porto Rico to raise all necessary revenue
by internal taxation. We raise 81 800
600 year on rum alone.
We would need only about S2cO0.o0O
year to run the insular government and
give plenty of chance to progress. Porto
Rico has always been well to do. 1t was
always able to respond to Spains calls for
money. 1t has always been money lender.
And yet we have paid the army. the clergy,
the pensions and the heavy drafts from the
Madrid ministries without strain. And
when General Miles marched through the
island there was a surplus of 81 $50 900 in
the treasury We have none of those heavy
charges upon US now, and our task of self
support VIII be much easier than ever If
only We have the chance.
No Eject Upon the Worlds Markets.
1T has been urged that our crops would
unsettle the trade balances and injuriously
affect the prices of sugar and coffee and
tobacco. The absurdty of this statement is
to be appreciated by mere glance at the
map, showing the small size of the land
and the insgnifcance of this little planta-
ton compared with all the sugar coffee
and tobacco growing territory in the world.
I'VE hope to see our coffee marketed in
the United States soon. We think it far
better than Rio and as good Mocha and
Java. In Europe ii is preferred to Mocha
and Java. In the French cities restaurants
will serve you almost invariably with Porto
Rico coffee. 1t may not be called such, but
it will be ours. We cannot find that market
now. because the Spanish gate is closed to
us: but we hope to teach the Americans to
appreciate our coffee. 1t can be placed in
your markets under favorable conditions at
lower rate than any other coffee, and yet
It will challenge all others for flavor. And
this fact is to be borne in mind lest some
| high-tarif advocate should be frightened at
the prospect of a market flooded with our
coffee: The city of New York alone, IL IT
We're so disposed. could more than consume
every pound of coffee the whole Island OF
| Porto Rico could possibly grow"
| ~