Arizona republican., 1900-11-09
PORTO RICAN TRADE
What Has Been Accomplished
 Within Two Years
Our Exports Have Increased 253 Per Cent, Our Imports B Per Cent Benefits Divided Between Manu- facturers and Farmers.

Washington, Nov. S.-Thc manufac-
 be about equally benefited by the in
 creased export trade with Porto Rico
 which has followed the Porto Itican
 tariff act The act went into effect May
 1, 1900, and the treasury bureau of sta tistics has just completed the figures
 covering the five months of cur com mcrcc since that act became operative.
 These figures show that the exports to
 the island from May 1, 1900, tO october 1, 1900, were $2.754.2o5, against $'6S,SO2
 in the same months of 1897. the last year in which Porto Rico was under
 the spanish flag, or nearly four times
 as much in the five months of 1900 as in
 tn, corresponding five months of 197.
 All tine great classes of manufactures
 show a marked increase in 1900 as com pared with 1897. and SO do all the great
 classes of agricultural products. Agrj- cultural implements increased from
 $l.2t7 in the five months of 1897 tu S%,- S5G in the same months of 1900; sewing
 machines increased from $1.5OS to $;i,132; cars and carriages, from S3.3i4 to $l2,-
 .00; builders hardware. from $i,335 to $22, ,0S6; furniture, from $3,3s2 to $23,220;
 lumber. from $S5,417 tp $G5,5i7; petro-
 leum. from $12,930 to $G5.956; and cot
 ton cloth from $1, i23 to $4OG, 1Ji AGri- cultural products show an equally striking increase. Corn increased from s357 in the five months of 1897 to $6,7l2 in the same months of 1900; butter.
 from $3,151 to S5.420; cheese. from $i,GG2 to $26, ,463; bacon, from $G949 to $2S,4@l; pork. from $15.S29 10 $9l,56 lard. from $S1 S92 to $2Ol 41l. and flour from $294.- 27S 10 $402 9l2. There are many other items both in manufactures ard in agricultural products which show an increase, while the products cf the mine also show a marked growth, es- pe1ialIy in the case of coal. which in- creased from $1i,GS0 to $26,565.
 This remarkable growth in our eN- ports to Porto Rico is especially inter- esting and -pmcvthst surprising in view of the statements made during the discussions of the Porto Hican act, which indicated that owing to the de- structioh of crops and property in Por- to Rico by the hurricane of August, 1Ss9. the neople of thIt island would have little tn sell and practically 10th ing with which tp bay. Yet the inn ports into the Cui,sd States from the island have more than doubled in the five months since the act went into cf- feet. as compared with the same months of 1897, and the exports to the island. as already shown, have nearly quadrupled. ,T
 The List of imports is very much smaller than that of exports, the chief items being sugar. hides. tobacco and coffee. The list of exports includes a very large number of articles, among them being agricultural implements. books, maps, and engravings: corn, meal four candles. chemicals of vari- ous kinds. coal. cotton goods of all classes. and especially cloths. dried fish, gunpOwder. builders hardware, electrical machinery. cutlery, pumps and pumping machinery. steel rails. nails pipes and fittings. and numerous other manufactures of iron and steel: boots and shoes, harness and saddles. paper of various grades. rice, Ncge- tables, manufactures uf wood and many other articles.
 A comparison of the growth of eX- ports to Porto Rico in tine five months operations of the new law with the growth in the. general exports during the same comparative pjeriods is es- pecially interesting. The total exports from the United States during the five months from May l, to October i, 1. 1900. show an increase of 33 per cent oyer the same months If 1897, while the exports to Porto Rico in the five months from May 1 to October 1, 1900 show an increase of 25S per cent over the corresponding months of 1897.