New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-02-15
SPAIN AND PUERTO RICO.
FREE TRADE DID NOT PREVAIL. BE.
TWEEN THEM.
MANY HEAVY BURDENS IMPOSED ON THE
ISLAND BY THE MOTHER COUNTRY.


prevailed between Puerto Rico and spain prior
TO the cession OF the former 10 the United
States; that the coffee sugar. tobacco and other
products Of the island found a free and unfst-
tered market in the spanish peninsula. and that
provisi1rs. breadstuffs and manufactures from
the latter were admitted into Puerto Rico free
Of all duties and charges In address deltv-
cred in New-York on Monday. February II.
Dr. Henry K. Carroll late United States Special
Commissioner to Puerto Rico. asserted thar
the nation drove out OF Puerto Rico FOR
her baroarity gave it open markets 70 buy and
sell in" The same assertion in various forms
has been made by many other persons. and has
formed the basis OF a great many ringing
editorials in American newspapers. denouncing
the pending Puerto Rican Tariff bill In view of
the fact that the consideration OF that measure
VIII be begun in -he House OF Representatives
next Monday. ii Is important that the truth
should be made known What are the facts?
DIR. CARROLLs FORMER STATEMENT.
When the United States took possession OF
the island the Spanish tariff was in force. The
business men Of Puerto Rico who had been Hv-
ing under it certainly knew something about the
operation OF the tariff well about the
colonial policy OF Spain in regard the islands.
In report dated December 3. 1893. 70 the Sec
retary OF the Treasury. Commissioner Carroll
embodied that Of the Industrial Commission OF
Ponce" which in turn embodied the repoT-s OF
seven Commissions, ordered by Spain in 1897
with the object OF making necessary alterations
in the tariff and 70 be used guide TO make
commercial treaties with the United States and
Canada These Commissions represented the
agricultural industrial and commercial inter
ests Of the island. The reports were not sent 20
Spain because OF the breaking out OF the war
about the time they were completed DR. Car
roll also embodied In his report statements OF
many persons representing the agricultural and
other Industries OF the island. as well as the
views OF merchants. bankers and others on the
tariff. In that report he remarked that the
Spanish tariff. like all other Spanish methods
of raising money, was designed 10 secure the
revenue needed with the least possible disadvan-
tage to SPAIN; and again:
The Puerto Rieaa tariff was 50 levied as to sup
press. at least repress. Puerto Rcan industries
insular interests II Spanish producers were not
anected the trainers OF the Larin showed little con-
As between Spanish and Puerto Rican producers
we're the needs OF Puerto Rican Consumers how
sGgI. uIssnt lhsy nalshs a2psa ron snS ansl-ar
sideration. IndisPensabis articles o. food had .
merchants in spain or pay enormous duties
Or. Carroll then cites the somewhat familiar
example OF the duties on four and wheat. with
this comment:
There were mills IN Spain. and BY i@pO[tin<
Puerto Rico suffered
The duties on -four in Puerto Rico, when i'm
ported from the United States amounted TO
cents pound and the consumption" duties
for municipal purposes 10 1-3 cents a pound
more. while the duty on wheat was Is
pound, and the -four made from it was subject
also 20 the consumption duty. Small wonder
that IL paid the Spanish millers to import wheat
from across the Atlantic and market their Hour
in Puerto Rico The impoFtatons OF -four into
the island in 1897 amounted 10 1853. 900. being
fourth in value in the list OF food imports.
DR.. CarrOTs views about the former trade re-
latiOns between Spain and Puerto Rico appear
10 have undergone change in the last fourteen
months One OF the statements embodied in his
report is that A Hartmann & Co. merchants OF
Arroyo, who said that "one OF the greatest com
plants OF the Puerto Ricans was that they were
denied free trade with Spain. and treated almost
as if Puerto Rico was a foreign country This
statement was corroborated BY many others.
BURDENS on TRADE.
The trade between Spain and Puerto Rico was
burdened by certain imports and taxes under
the Spanish tarif Of 1892 as modified BY sub
sequent royal DEGREES and under the Puerto
Rican tariff established BY Spain in the same
year Under the operation OF these tarifs the
chief products OF Puerto Rico-confee. sugar,
tobacco wood and lUmber-when exported TO
Spain We're subjected 70 duties az both ends.
The export duties on coffee amounted TO 81 a
hundred kuos. and cargo dues TO 10 cents max
ing total OF 5-10 OF cent pound In Spain
the consumption" duties on the same coffee
amounted 20 go pesetas tS11 5S) a hundred
kilos. or . 2-10 cents a pound. In other words.
the producers OF coffee which was sent to spain
We're compelled 90 pay duties and cargo dues
amounting TO 40 cents a pound Coffee ia
admitted free Of duty into the United States.
Naturally such tribute as the Puerto Rico
coffee producers We're compelled TO pay 10 get
their staple into the Spanish market diverted a
large proportion OF the export coffee trade to
other countries. so that in 1894 the exports 10
Spain amounted 10 less than one-thhd OF the
exports to the other countries OF Europe. which
proportions We're maintained in 1897 These
figures do not indicate free trade between
Puerto Rico and spain
sugar was the product OF Puerto Rico second
in quantity and value. When exported to spain
OF any other country ii was subjected TO cargo
dues amounting 10 ~ cents per 100 kilos IN
Puerto Rico and in spain TO consumption or
provisional dues amounting for each 100 kiios 20
33la pesetas (S6.465l. or 294 cents pound
one-fourth of the United states duty would
amount 20 about Jhree-eighths OF cent pound
on raw sugar and forty-nine hundredths OF
cent pound on refined sugar The fuu United
states duties on sugar are lower than the duties
imposed in Spain Puerto Rican sugar BY
about I 4-l0 cents a pound on raw sugar and
about I cent pOunc refined The natural
result has been that the exports TO spain have
fallen on until in 1897 they were only hair a.
large a. those 10 the United States. amounting
% l212.Ooo pesos TO spain and > 4IS.00O pesos TO
. the United States