The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-11-09
INCREASED EXPORT TRADE
WITH PUERTO RICO.
Manufacturing and Farming later
ests Seem To lie About Equally
Benefited.

Special Dispatch TO the Post fnteiligencer.
WASHINGTON, Nov. S.--The manufac-
turing and farming interests seem to be
about equally benefited by the increased
export trade with Puerto Rico. which has
followed the Puerto Rican tariff act. That
act went into effect May /. 1900, and tho
treasury bureau of statistics has just
completed the figures covering the five
months of our commerce since that act
became operative. These figures show
that the exports to the island from May
/, 1900 TO October l. 1900. We're 81, 154,s 05,
against s7tS,so2 in the same months Of
1897, the last year In which Puertos Rico
under the Spanish flag, or nearly
four times as much in the I'VE months Of
1900 as In the corresponding five months
of 1897
All the great classes Of manufactures
show marked increase In 1900 as COM
pared with 1897, and SO do all the great
classes of agricultural products, Agri-
cultural implements increased from si,2iy
in the Ave months OF 1871 20 x3s5s IN the
same months Of 1863, sewing machines In
creased from SOS to ss,iae. cars and car
ware from si,3S5 10 s22oss furniture from
ss.s92 TO ses.23o lumber from $Gil7 % $685.
5ts. petroleum from sl2sSp 70 SO $50; and
cotton cloth from SLAB 20 siodlsi Aeri-
cultural products show An equally stfik-
ing increase. Corn increased from 1857 in
the five months OF 1897 to s6.Tl2 in the
same months Of 1890: butter from S. lol to
$40; cheese from Sl.o62 TO szd,ssa; bacon
from s5.aia 70 $&.45l pork from ss5.s2S g
ssi5s,; lard from ssl,N2 70 saai ,ioi. and
-four from szsi.z9s 10 Si02, ai2 There are
many other items both in manufactures
and In agricultural products which show
an increase. while the products OF the
mine also show marked growth erps,,
eiaiiy in the case ~ coal which Increased
from si4 6s0 10 s26.5s5.
This remarka bic growth In our exports
to Puerto Rico Is especially Interesting and
somewhat surprising in view 81 the state
menfs made during the discussions Of the
Puerto Rican act. which indicated that
owing 20 the destruction u crops aud prop
erty IN Puerto Rico ~ the hurricane %
August, issa. the people OF that island
would have little TO sell and practically
nothing with which 20 buy. Yet the Inn
island have more than doubled In the five
months since the act went into effect.
as COMPARED with the same months Of
1897. and the exports 90 the island, az
already shown have nearly quadrupled
Imports Much Smaller.
The list 81 imports IL very much smaller
than that Of exports. The chief itcms be-
ing sugar, hides. tobacco and coffee The
list nf exports includes a very large NUM-
Der OF articles. among them heing agri-
cultural Implements. books, mars and en-
cravings. corn. meal. four. candles.
chemicals OF various kinds, coal cotton
goods - all classes. and especially cloths
dried 9sh, guup1w der, bulleefs hardware
electrical machinery. cutlery pumps and
pumping machinery. steel rails. nails.
pipes AMI tttings, and numerous other
shoes harness and saddles. paper ~ xarf-
Gus grades. rice. vegetables. manufactures
~ ws0d and many other articles
4 comparison OF the growth ~ Puerto
Rico In the Eve months operations ~ the
rev isw with the growth IA the general
exports during the same compa ratiVe
periods Is especially interesting The
total exports from the United States dur
Ing the iye months frnm Mas 70 October
Il t%n show an increase % 70 per cent
over the same months - fsTs. while the
exports 60 Puerto Rlco In the i've months
from May 1 to October I. 1850. show an
increase 81 - per cent over the cor
responding months az 1885.