The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-04
PORTO RICo's PRODUCTS.
The Truth About the Necessities aud
Resources of the Island.
(FrOm the New York son)

/ Gen. George W. Davis, Governor OF Porto
! Rico That part Of the report which deals
/ with the agricultural products OF the island
/ enables us 10 appreciate the necessity o.
giving them free. or at all events. easy. &C
( cess TO the markets Of the United States
/ The superfcies of Porto Rico is con-
puted at 1865 square miles, which Is the
! equivalent OF 2,347,520 acres. The area
under some kind OF culture was, at the
! date when we took possession OF the island
! about 100000 acres; upward OF 81 900 be-
| lag devoted to cane culture. 122. 000 TO cOf-
Zee and some 1900 to tobacco: the rest
was allotted to maize, beans, rice, and na-
| i've fruits. Three-fourths of all the land
/ Is either used for pasture or wholly unim-
/ proved. General Davis reports that much
/ OF the iand now in pasture has been turned
! TO account in the past for the culture OF
cane ana still larger area might be now
employed for the same purpose ii the price
oil sugar were three and one half cents a
/ pound Not quarter Of the land ad1pted
| 10 Gomez IS now devoted to that berry The
| area which might be applicable to tobar
/ co. also is very much larger than that noo,
utilized for this product; the quality of the
| Porto Rico tobacco, moreover, could ha
very much improved.
The soil and climate of the island favor
| the cultivation of many tropical products
| which are not now grown for export. Other
| West India islands now supply 80. 900 900
punches of bananas annually vet their soil
Is no better adapted to the growing Of this
fruit than is that Of Porto Rico Oranges
lines, and pineapples, all Of excellent quail
ity. might be produced for export, though
at present they are grown only for home
consumption. Porto Rico is as well adapt
ed to The production of sisal hemp as are
Yucatan and the Bahamas. and cacao.
rlvaling that Of Venezuela Is grown
though at present only in sufficient quanti-
ties to supply local needs. From these ag-
ricultural conditions II follows that the
only export crops upon which the island
can rely for some time to come are sugar
tobacco, and coffee, and for reasons to be
given, it is the two former upon which
principally dependence must be placed.
The maximum volume of the islands
sugar exports was reached in 1879. when It
amounted to 10000 tons. The output of
sugar for 1899 will, it is computed. approx
innate so 900 tons, grown on as many acres.
The area Of land in Porto Rico adapted
to cane culture is estimated by General
Davis at fourth Of the whole OF about
100000 acres. No considerable increase
OF the present crop could be looked for,
unless the price obtainable by the cane
grower for his sugar should be increased.
In 1898, sugar, polarizing SO degrees, gave
the producer almost exactly Is cents
net per pound in American money In
1893. the net returns were slightly better.
but sugar imported from Porto Rico into
the United States was burdened with a
duty of .6S5 cents the pound on the pol
ariscope test of 90 degrees. Were this tax
abated altogether, the producer would
now receive nearly 4 IL cents per pound !
II, on the other hand, u per cent of the I
existing duty should be levied the pro- /
Queer would get about - cents, a price /
which would cause an extension of
the area devoted to cane. The only re- /
striction upon the extension of the sugar 1
area up to 800, 600 acres would be mark I
ed rise in agricultural wages, which at /
present. range from twenty to thirty cents 1
a day. No marked immediate rise is prob
able, owing to the large proportion of the
agricultural population which is uHemploy-
ed at present.
We pass to the tobacco STAPLE. from
which. next to sugar, the inhabitants of
Porto Rico have most to gain through free
or easy access to our markets. In the
year 1897, the last for which statistics
have been published, the island exported
3,255.953 pounds of tobacco. valued at 10
cents per pound. Since 1892. the value per
pound has ranged from 10 to p cents. The
Porto Rico tobacco, of course, is of several
qualities or grades: the cheapest, known
locally as "baliche," is marketed only in
Europe, ans is worth from to 4 1-2 cents
per pound. The portion thus graded is not
more than one-fourth or one-third of the
total crop. The more valuable grades are
known to the trade as filler" and wrap
per- their aggregate in a normal crop
would reach 100000 pounds. In 1897 all
tobacco Of this kind went to Cuba, and
brought, on an average, from 10 to 20 cents
per pound, but the prohibitive duty of S.
per pound on tobacco imported into Cuba.
a duty which went into effect on January /
/, 1899. sealed the door to the exports Of
the leaf from Porto Rico. As there is no
market for the better grades of Porto [
Rico tobacco in Europe and as the duties
levied on it in the United States have hfth-
ertO ranged from 80 cents to S1S5. it fol-
lows that there is at present no market
for them at all. Should, however only Is
per cent Of the existing duties be levied,
the tobacco culture of the island will be
encouraged though not, OF
course, so powerfully stimulated as IL
would be by free trade. A letter from
General Davis to the War Department
lated San Juan, February IA. informs us
hat the island has, available for export. a
surplus Of about 1,500 900 pounds from the
tobacco crops of 1898 and 1899 and that
which will not be required for local con-
sumption, is computed at about 1000 900
pounds. 1t will be noticed that the volume
" this years crop is far smaller than was
hat of 1897, and, if there were no hope of
'elief from the present Congress, il is
probable that the island would next year,
'aise only sufficient tobacco for domestic
We turn. finally. to coffee, which under
he Spanish rule, was the most important /
taple Of Porto Rico. being valued at more
han twice as much the tobacco and
he cane products combined. In 1897 the q
xport of coffee from the island was
/ .710,997 pounds in volume. which was
alued at 12.222.599 pesos. the peso being
FORTH about 10 cents in gold More than
alf Of all the coffee sent out Of the island
rent to Cuba and Spain; the rest to vari- C.
us European countries. The Spanish 5,
market is now closed by prOhibltive duties Z,
nd Cuba was also barred until the re- ! +,
ent change Of the duty at So cents in ~
old per pound levied in that island on =,
'orto Rican coffee. Until a reduction was
lade. Cuban needs were met by imp0rta-
ions from Brazil by way of the United <
tates involving a voyage Of more than i
900 miles and two rehandlings. Although / "
he Porto Rican berry is much more highly "
steemed by many coffee users than is the J
roduct of Brazil, it is unknown in the
'nited States and cannot now be sold
ere at a price which would yield the
roducer more than or cents net per
ound. Unless, therefore, arrangements | "a
an be made by which the Spanish mar Il
ct can be reOpened to this staple it is %
rOnounced improbable that the output e,
f coffee will ever be largely increased. IN
n the basis OF the present price of the
rE,s. col Of fr4f fsru z