Evening star., 1900-09-24
TRADE WITH PORTO RICO.
Operations Of the Tariff Law for tn.
Past EOur Monthk.


Past Four Months.
Four months operations of, the Porto
Rican tariff law show an increase of more
than 100 per cent in our exports to that is
land as compared with the corresponding
| months of 1899, and more than 800 per cent
! as compared with the corresponding months
of 1897 1896 II i II
The act went into effect May l. 1900. SO
| that the figures for August. which have
just been completed by the treasury bureau
of statistics, complete the record of the
fourth month of commerce between the
| island and the United States under the new
| law, and render practicable Comparison
! of the four month is' tternf1with correspond
| ing periods In preceding years.
The corresponding four months in 1899
| cover a period in which the island was un-
i der the American flag, but subject to the
customs laws of the United States which
relate to foreign countries. The correspond
| ing four months of 1888 were the war period
| and do not therefore furnish fair bass for
| comparison. The corresponding four months
! OF 1887 and 1896 present normal conditions
| in the commerce between the island and the
United States when it was Spanish terri
| tory. II
| 1t is therefore now practicable to contrast
/ the commerce between the United States
| and Porto Rico during four months opera
| tons of the new law with corresponding
period prior to the enactment of this law
when the island under the American
! when the island was Spanish territory,
and to determine whether the enactment
| of the new law was followed by an increase
in our commerce with the island 1t will be
| remembered that the discussions in Con-
| gress a few months ago and the statements
| made by delegations from and officials in
the island Indicated that the island had, as
| result OF the storm Of August. 1899, prac-
| ticaliy nothing to sell and nothing with
| which to buy, and it was supposed that the
! first few months under the new act would
ri -,
and purchasing power of the island as COM
/ pared with the corresponding period in
| former years. 1t is the more surprising
therefore, to find that the island has during
| the four months since the enactment of the
/ law sent to the United States So 25O,GOO
worth or her exports, as against $1,0Si, 900
worth in the corresponding months of --39,
| 81, l,1s3,OOO in the corresponding months of
| 1897, and 81, 100000 in the same months of
| 1896; and that it's people have been able to
! purchase from the United States during
that period - 52aoo0 worth of our exports,
against S1132.U00 worth in the correspond
ing months of 1889, S629,OoO worth in 1897
and S5sI QUO worth in the corresponding
months of 1896.
ports from, and exports to, the island in
! its commerce with the United States dur
| ing May, June, July and August of 1896,
| 1897, 1899 and 1900. respectively, and the
! total Tor each period, and thus enables a
| comparison by months and by the entire
period both with 1899, when the island was
under the American flag, but subject to the
| general custom laws of the United States,
and with 1896 and 1897, when 1t was Span
| ish territory. 1t will be seen that every
| month since the enactment of the new law
shows marked increase over 1899, and a
still greater increase as compared with
| 1897 and 1886; while the total imports from
the island in the four months of 1900 show
an increase OF 63 per cent over 1899 and
| ia per cent over 1897, and the exports show
| an increase of 123 per cent over 1899 and
3O1 per cent over 1897