The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1900-03-15
Tariff Recommendation for Puerto Rico
PHILIP c. HANNA, FORMER UNITED
STATES CONSUL AT SAN JUAN.


am thoroughly convinced that
the tariff question is the all-import-
ant question in Puerto Rico. 1t
can never become prosperous until
she can buy bread for her people
without paying enormous revenue
duties for the privilege of bringing
that bread into the island, it seems
reasonable to me, as an American,
that the newly-adopted country
should be allowed to purchase the
products of the United States and
land them OH their own shores with
out paying tribute to any govern
ment whatever. l believe the island
should have absolute free trade
with all parts of the United States.
l believe in making Puerto Rico as
thoroughly American as possible
from the very start, and we cannot
make it so unless we treat Puerto
Ricans as we do other Americans.
They should be allowed to buy
Minnesota -four and Dakota wheat
and every product which the farmer
of the great northwest has to sell,
and lay it down in their own coun-
try on the same terms that the man
in New York receives the same
products.
The people in the island are
strongly in sympathy with the peo-
pie of the United States. They are
enthusiastic over the fact OF their
becoming Americans. They long
for the introduction Of our institu-
tions, of Our school system, of our
factory system and our agricultural
system. There is evidently a great
longing among the laboring class Of
the island for an opportunity to rise
to the rank Of an American laborer
They realize that toll and honest
work i'll the United States are hon
orable that the man who tolls in
any part of the United States is
looked u oon with respect that the
laborer OF the United States has an
ambition to become better situated,
to be the owner of his own home,
to educate his children, and to
properly provide tor old age. They
are aware that many people Of the
United States who were once labor
ers have become wealthy, and al
ready the ambition of the laboring
class Of the island is being stimulat-
! ed they are becoming encouraged
by the prospects of tie future they
! believe that the dawn of a new day
for ttem is at hand, and our govern
ment has it within its power to con.
tinue to inspire this people with the
laudable ambition to make some
thing Of themselves, and l believe
that the whole question concerning
the laboring man of Puerto Rico
very largely depends upon free
trade between the island and the
Uuited States,
have received several thousand
letters from all classes OF business
men in all parts ofthe United States
concerning this island, very many
of them asking me when the proper
time will arrive for them to invest
capital in Puerto Rico, Several of
them have said: 1--WE propose to
establish factories in this densely
populated island, and teach the peo-
pie there, who have been accustom-
ed to labor at very low wages, to
labor in the factories that we shall
establish. We hope to be in posi-
ton" most of them say, to pay
them better wages than they ever
received in the past. We under
stand that they are not class of
people acquainted with strikes, and
by giving them better wages than
they have had heretofore, and max
ing labor respectable among them,
we believe our factories can be sue.
cessfully conducted in Puerto Rico. "
Such is the tenor OF hundreds ofthe
letters I have received, but with
the present high rates Of duty upon
all building material, machinery
and all kinds of goods coming from
the United States to Puerto Rico it
would be impossible for these men
to establish their factories here for
the benefit Of the Puerto Rican
laborer.
There are nearly million people
in this group of islands. 1t is said
to be the most densely populated
portion of the globe. The greater
part of the people are poor, but I
believe they are more inclined to
work and earn an honest living than
the people Of any Latin American
country that | was ever in. When
the duties are entirely taken off of
American products, so that Ameri-
can manufacturers can have branch
factories in Puerto Rico, thousands
of these people will be educated in
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