Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-11-06
TRADE WITH PORTO RICO.
The Manufacturing and Farming In
terests About Equally Renefted.

terests About Equally Benefited.
The manufacturing and farming interests
seem to be about equally benefited by the
increased export trade with Porto Rico
which has followed the Porto Rfcan tariff
act That act went into effect May l. 1900
and the treasury bureau Of statistics has
just completed the figures covering the five
months Of our commerce since that act be-
came operative. These figures show that
the exports to the island from May l. 1900,
to October 1. 1900. were 50. 754, 2O5, against
$16S,s02 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 the
corresponding five months Of 1897. All the
great classes of manufactures show a
marked increase In 1900 as compared with
1897, and so do all the great classes Of
agricultural products.
Agricultural implements increased from
$l,217 In the five months Of 1897 to So. S56 In
the same months Of 1900; sewing machines
increased from S1.5OS to S3122: cars and
carriages from 1914 to $1,000. builders
hardware from 81 a35 to $22oS6, furniture
from 1882 to S23. 220, lumber from S35 All
to S65,547. petroleum from S12 $50 to $685.
$50. and cotton cloth from 81 423 to $4O6,-
1874. Agricultural products show an equally
striking increase. Corn increased from 1857
In the five months Of 1897 to 49, TIP in the
same months of 1900 butter from S3151 to
So. 420. cheese from s1.0G2 to s25, 1853, bacon
| from $8,949 to s2s. 431. pork from SIS s29 to
sa4.567; lard from $s1 500 to $2O1, 4O4 and
flour from $29427S to $402,912. There are
many other items both is manufacture
and in Agricultural products which show
an tncreass. while the products of the mine
| also show a marked growth, especially IN
the case of coal, which increased from s14.-
| $50 to S265G5
! Ihls remarkable growth in our exports
to Porto Rico is especially interesting and
somewhat surprising In view Of the state
| ments made during the discussions of the
| Porto Rican act, which indicated that
| owing to the destruction Of crops and prom
| erty in Porto Rico by the hurricane of Au-
gust, 1899. the people of that island would
| have little to sell and practically nothing
with which to buy. Yet the imports into
| the United States from the 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
| to the Island. as already shown, have near
| ly quadrupled.
| The list of imports Is 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 engrayines
corn, meal Hour, candles, chemicals of vari-
| Gus kinds. coal, cotton goods of all classes
and especially cloths. dried fish. gunpow-
| der, builders hardware, electrical machi.
| merry cutlery. pumps and pumping machi-
merry steel rails, nails, pipes and fittings
| and numerous other manufactures of iron
| and steel. boots and Shoes harness and sad.
dies, paper Of various grades, rice. yeee.
| tables, manufactures of wood and many
! other articles.
A comparison Of the growth Of exports tc
| Porto Rico in the five months Operations
| OF the new law with the growth in the
general exports during the same compa ra.
i've periods Is especially interesting. The
totai exports from the United States dur.
| ing the nVe months from MAY to Octobe,
L, l9oO. show an increase Of 33 DER ceni
over the same months of 1897, while the
exports to Porto Rico in the five months
from May 1 to October 1. 1900. show ar
| increase or 2oS per cent over the cora.
| spending months of 1897
! Inc Following table shows the value OF
the principal exports from tho United
states to Porto Rico in the FIVE month.
| from May l to October 1, 1900 comma red
with the corresponding months Of 1881:
| Articles evnortad 49,