New-York tribune., 1900-01-08
PUERTO RICO's DEVELOpBExr
GROWTH OF ISLAND INDUSTRIES BELIEvv,
TO BE A BENEFIT TO THE
UNITED STATES.

Washington. Jan. Z CSpeciaD.-Whethsr tn
veIopment OF Puerto Rico and the stimulates =
agriculture there tend to benefit or hurt the A.
lean farmer is a question which Is probabIv -
pylng the minds Of many people Just now ~
Congress is being called upon TO interest itss,f
that island in one way another
The Department OF Agriculture has ssnt =
agent, o. +. Cook TO Puerto Rico 70 make a -
tical investigation OF the agricultural coudr,e..
and possibilities Of that island. He has tug+ =
turned and perhaps throws some light UPON -.
question. He says
In the first place. do not see how the dsv.i,.
ment Of Puerto Rico agriculturally and othsrvapS
can be anything but benefit rather than a hs--
only to farmers. but 20 all other inhabitanfs -
and cannot do enough under any circumstsnces -
anect US materially one way or the other but -
/ observed the crops and conditions Of the island
there win be little room for competition betWss.
hand the people OF tne Island import very lsrgsl~
of their necessities. and naturally we viii vsf ~
beans -four potatoes. 6eets, goldfish, cabbage str
In travelling over the island at least nine-tenths a.
the eatables offered for sale are imported Abov-
the only crop that / can see IN which thaV 80
compete with the American farmer is sugar bI.
about SiOoOo0OO while we now import from = ,1r 3
eign countries nine or ten times this amount of
sugar Puerto Rican tobacco will. OF course a5.s-
into American smoking. but IL is OF a ciaSs -
compete with the American grown product
crude state. With improved methods I believe ~
agricultural capacity OF me Island can be doubled
might be raised under better methods than no1-
obtain yet I do not think they viii De- as rsaIIv
tropical products, which cannot be raised IN ~
United States will be more profitable I cannot 80
that when the agriculture OF the island become
svstematized so that the planters are raising fhs
crops which pay them best there viii be any cor
fjct between them and the farmers OF this cou1-
try Each country viii raise for che markets -
the other The islanders viii plant mostly frlits
in which there Will be a good profit and for vhirb
the United States viii furnish a rich and accept
able market.
AS the people Of the island prosper they viii use
much more largely Of American products. At pres
ent as result Of the Spanish rule OF centuries the
majority of the population have little or nO.hing
In spite OF the actual distress incident the
recent hurricane, which did much damage. there fs
a Iudfcrous situation presented 10 one Samilfar
with the Spanish-American character. As a mat
fer of fact all the troubles OF the island most Oe
which were there year ago, are now attributed 70
the hurricane As an illustration. the northwest
mart Of the island was hardly affected at all bv he
hurrfcane vet the people are destitute a result
~ thfs disaster and asking 20 be supplied with
ratiOns by the United States authorities As soon
as the rations begin &c be supplied work ceases.
In hundreds Of cases where planters desired to re-
pair damages done by the storm, as soon as ths
issuance OF free rations began 1t impOssbls To
secure any labOrers.