New-York tribune., 1900-03-26
PUERTO RICO'S DISTRESS.
SPECTATORS WITHHOLD PRODUCTS
HARMONY COMMITTEES MEETING.
IBr TELEGRAPH TO The rRlprxz.I


conference tomorrow afternoon. Strong hopes
are entertained by the committee that it Will be
able to submit programme which VIII receive Tue
support Of nearly all the members OF the maJoiIig
IN the Senate. II has not yet been fully decided
whether strict adherence TO the provisions ol tne
Rouse bin or a proposition to amend ii by ADDING
fcoesiuffs 10 the free list will be recominehueu
Everybody appears be willing If not eager TO
have the subject disposed of soon as practcaole
end consistent with fair consideration
The stories that come from Puerto Rico about
business stagnation and the acute distress ~hich
prevails among that large proportion OF the people
who depend upon their daily labor for the means
n subsistence producing a deep impression III
Congress and emphasizing the wisdom and neces-
si,y OF speedy settlement Of the tariff question
Of course paralysis of business and INDUSTRY
is due in a great measure to the agitation anu
uncertainty which prevail on that account great
Eeai OF Il is also due the greed OF speculative
holders Of the products Of the soil ana OF the
recessarfes life The holders OF sugar 1roiasses
and tobacco most OF whom afford to wait. and
sho have been the loudest and most tnsistent IN
their demand for free trade, have been refusing
10 ship the products the plea that the markets.
Of the United States shut against them by tie
righ tariff. and their representatives are authority
Eor the statement that many millions of pounds OF
sugar and tobacco ready for shipment are stored
in the warehouses Of Puerto Rico awaiting the
reduction entire removal OF the tariff duties
SPECTATORS HOLDING PRODUCTS.
One fact is demonstrated by official returns, which
b impOgtatlOrS
Puerto Rico ceased about the time the tree lIaoe
agitation in Congress in behalf o. Puerto Rico be-
gan. In the months ended January 81, lSN
the amount OF sugar and molasses imported into
the United States from Puerto Rico was; Sugar
n24 pounds. valued at s4S6.5i4; moasses, E1ZZl
zalons valued at 49, 40i But a single pound
u sugar a gallon OF moasses figured In the
January importations, and only an insignificant
quantity the December importatons. Tobacco
aas continued to arrive in small quantities the
,oral ir1Do rfafiO In ne
1900 pounds valued at 400. The tariff duties
higher in December or January than they
we're in July, 1922 when the exports of sugar from
Puerto Rico to the United States amounted TO
1893 900 pounds valued s225.OpO and the exports
,t molasses to 157,411 gallons valued at sS0,5Sl.
of course the rich of the largest stocks
Of sugar, molasses and tobacco stored in
Puerto Rican warehouses afford to hold them
back for some time longer with prospect Of a
remission of 100 per cent instead of S. cent of
the duties. but as long they do so the distressed
Puerto Rican wage will have to forego any
relief from that source, If the advices from the
Island are trustworthy, and in event will they
derive any direct benefit either from the 100 per
cent S. per cent Of the duties remtted- The
rich sugar and tobacco planters and spectators
will reap all the benefit, and the wage earners viii
receive of it.
PRICE OF NECESSITIES HIGHER.
Accounts received from the island to the
.nect that speculative holders of food stufs have
advanced prices rice. codfsh, -four. etc. from
30 100 per Rice. Goldfish pork. bacon and
iour admitted into Puerto Rico free of duty.
and have been admitted since October d 1889.
period Of more than five months, so that tarin
auties have had 10 effect prices thus far; and
duties of Is per cent of the existing rates should
be imposed and the consumers should be com
PEELED to pay the whole of them. which would be
contrary all experience in the United States.
The amount would inconsiderabie hardly
to be worth mentioning. On the kind of rice com
monty consumed by the laboring people of Puerto
Rico the duty would amount to only 3S4 cents on
the hundred pounds Goldfish 1T would be the
same on corn meal about the same and wheat
it would be less than 613 cents On a hundred
pounds II prices of these commodities have
actually been advanced from 80 to 100 per cent on
the mere assumption that average tariff
amounting less than per cent on the principal
articles of food consumption will be imposed the
greed Of Puerto Eican spectators and shopkeep-
ers, and not the policy Of the majority In Con-
gress must and Will be held responsible In 1856
the importations OF food stufs consisting of -four,
meat, rice. fish. vegetables cheese and butter and
canned goods, into Puerto Rico amounted TO about
IS head estimating the population at 100000, and
in 1889 it amounted about So 90 head. With an !
average duty amounting to per cent ad valorem.
which is more than the proposed rate the whole
amount Of duty in 1895 would have been IS cents a
head and In 1899 only 10 cents cents and 5-l2
cents a month. respectively.
THE ISLANDS TRADE WITH SPAIN.
good many Senators and Representatives. even
among those who favor the Puerto Rican Tariff bill
which passed the House of Representatives still
cling to the idea that Spain furnished market for
all the coffee and most Of the other products of
Puerto Rico before the island passed into the pos
session OF the United States and that, having been
deprived of that market a great extent, it be
comes necessary for Puerto Rico to find market
elsewhere for all her coffee and most of her other
products. The first assumption is wholly errone-
one, the official records show. Spain has
least since 1883 furnished a market for
much 90 per cent of Puerto Rico's exports,
and balance of trade between the countries
in that period has regularly been in favor of the
former. will be By the following statement
Of the trade OF the island with the mother country:
lsss ss4aoooo s. 1855 .s5e7i 900 S. $50 600
In 1854 Spain furnished market for 25 per OF
Puerto Rico's total exports. the United States for
"A per cent, France for II per cent. Germany for
II per and Itaiy, Austria and the United King
dom for Il per cent.
In 1896 Spain furnished market for rs per cent.
the United States for Is per cent. France for 13
per cent, Germany for 10 cent and Italy, Austria
and the United Kingdom for 10 per cent.
In 1899 Spain furnished market for 10 per cent,
the United States for 81 per cent, France for 81
per cent, Germany for per and Italy, Austria
and the United Kingdom for about 8 per cent. The
exports from Puerto Rico France, Germany. Italy
and Austria consisted almost wholly of coffee and
those the United Kingdom in large part of the
same commodity.
PERCENTAGES OF SUPPLIES
IN the period mentioned Puerto Rico has never
bought from Spain IN any year much as
one-third of all the goods she imported. In 1885
Spain supplied 81 per or the total. United
States z per cent the United Kingdom II per cent
the British possessiol.s 10 per cent Germany per
cent and the British East Indies per cent. In
1896 Spain supplied y per cent the United States
q per cent. the United Kingdom L per cent, the