The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-01-01
OUR NEW POSSESSIONS.


merCe, conditions. and Producing and Con-
Stunning Power" Is the subject OF a mono
graph just issued by the Treasury Bureau
OF Statistics in response TO the renewed de-
hand for Information regarding those ISL
anus In this volume. two previous edI-
.ions OF which have been entirely exhaust
Gu an euort has been made 70 picture
present physical conditiors as well as the
presentation OF statistics of commerce and
the prospective producing and consuming
power OF the Islands. Ihsir present con-
suming power is estimated in round terms
at Slto.oOo.000. about equally divided be
tween the products of agriculture and man
ufactures.
The imports into Cuba in 1892 when
normal conditions OF prosperity prevailed.
were S52.lO1.6S2. those OF Porto Rico In
1896. s3,656 0Is, those CT the Hawaiian ISL
ands in 1888. 1850. $50; Of the Philippine
Islands in 1896, s2s.sl5.075 while those OF
the Simoan Islands in 1895 We're SuS S4o
the ciief commercial value OF those Islands
oeing as harboT and port Of repair. ref
uge. and supplies.
Inc exports OF the islands have in wears
OF prosperity exceeded considerably thslr
impor $. In 1882 CUbds exports we e $50
clS,22>. against So. l01.s So OF imports.
those Ct the Hawaiian Islands in 1s9s s17
18Th, against Sill. $50. $50 OF imports and
those OF the Philippines in 1895. Sg3 ISL
4S4, against S2S. ,dT5 of imports. Porto
Rieos exports usually about equal her i'm
ports. the density Of population in taat
Island requiring large importations OF man
ufastures and the agricultural piO ucts Of
the temperate zcne TIE exportstians OF
these Islands consist chiefly OF sugar. to-
bacco, coffee. tropical fruits, and In the
case OF the philippines. hemp From Cuba
the sugar exports under normal conditions
formed fully four-ffths OF the total value Of
articles exported. From the Hawaiian
Islands sugar forms probably nine tentns
OF the total expectations. FIom the Phil
ippines exports OF sugar and hemp are
about equal in value. together forming
about four-fifths Of the normal sxporta-
tions. while from Porto Rice ease Is the
largest item of export its expectation hav-
ing been In 1896 more than tn e. times s
great in value as sugar. and forming con
siderably more than one-half the total ex-
ports of the island.
That the producing capacity OF certain
OF these islands. especially Cuba and the
Philippines, may be greatly increased by
the creation OF improved methods of inter-
nal communication cannot b. doubted. OF
the 35,000,000 acres composing the island
OF Cuba, not more than 2.G00. 600 have ever
been under cultivation. There are 1900.
acres Of fertile pains which have only
served up TO this time as pastures. and as
most OF this land is extremely fertile. its
producing capabilities. when reached by
roads and railways are almosl beyond
present conjecture.
Similar conditions exist in the Philip
pine Islands. In the Hawaiian Islands the
sugar-producing area is being greatly in
creased bv the introduction of irrigation.
The exports Of sugar from the Hawaiian
Islands in 1856 1897. and 1898 are nearly
double those of 1856, 1887. and 1883. In
Porto Rico the coffee producing area may
be very materially increased by the intro
duction of roads and facilities for reaching
the interior of the island and transport
ing its products to the coast. large areas
in the mountainous portions OF the island
being capable of producing coffee of high
quality so soon as they can be brought IN
der cultivation and their products trans
ported TO the ssaboard. In Cuba coffee was
at one time the principal source OF wealth,
the value of its product having reached
during the early part of the century about
800. 600 600 liz a single year. The industry
was established by the French refugees
from Santc Domingo. After their expul-
sion the plantations passed into the hands
of Spauiards and Americans. and IL Is es-
timated that there were at one time SIX
coffee estates to one of sugar. coffee PLAN
tations containing from 500 900 TO f,OOOOOO
trees being in existence in the island prior
20 1880. when the decline in the price o.
coffee led to the introduction Of sugar
growing. The t0bacco-prOdueing area in
all of the islands may also be materially
increased while the hemp production OF
the Philippines may be doubled with
proper facilities for transportation.
The great increase in areas devoted to
the production of coffee. especially in Brazil
and Central America, has materially in
creased the worlds product and lowered
prices which is illustrated by the fact that
in the United States the average import
price of coffee has declined from Il cents
per pound in 1894 TO 81 cents in 1882 In
sugar production similar conditions pre-
vail The rapid development OF the beet
sugar industry has resulted in marked
increase Of beet sugar production, and at
low prices, until about two-thirds OF the
worlds supply is now from beets, thus
greatly reducing the price OF sugar. TINS
reduction is shown by the fact that IN the
United States the average import price OF
sugar has fallen from 800 cents in 1878 to
2.O1 cents in 1897. Somewhat similar con-
ditious exist with reference to hemp, which
has recently encountered strong COMPETE
ton from sisal and from iute. whose pro-
ductiOn and use in certain lines OF MANI
facture have been greatly increased. mus,
while the producing area Of these Islands
may be greatly enlarged. 1t can scarcely
be expected that the prices obtained in
earlier years for their principal products
will again be realized.
An OF the principal products Of these
islands are largely imported into the
United States and seem likely TO continue
indefinitely among our largest items OF
Importation OF our total importations OF
the fiscal year 1899. sugar amounted to
sg4 064. 100: coffee. $50. 2754 10; tibres. $40
500 .O93; fruits and nuts. S1S,314.206; crude
rubber and tropical products. s31,S75,20T;
raw silk. with which successful expert
ments have been made in Cuba and the
Philippines. S32.47962T, while numerous
other products OF the island, including tea,
cabinet woods, gums, indigo. and spices,
amount to many millions OF dollars. The
average annual importation OF tropicai
nroducts into the United States exceeds
$3.50 GOO COO. and all or nearly all OF them
NAV be produced in the islands in question.
Al present the total imports OF these isl
ands amount to about 500. 0e0 0Oo, that OF
Cuba in 1902 being $50 l0i. $50; the Philip
mines in 1886. s2s S15. 075; the Hawaiian
islands in 1895 Slt $50 $40. and Porto Rico
in 1896 So 56.51S. Their importatiOns are
already being stimulated by recent develop
ments as is shown by the fact that the eN-
ports from the United States to the lIa-
waiian Islands in the fiscal year 1899
amounted TO SO. 205 40. against S5,907. 155
in 1895. and Si,690,05j in 1897; to Cuba,
slS.6l6.357 in 1899, against $9,56l.656 in
1895. and IS. 259 716 in 1891, and to Porto
Rico S2.6s5.S4S in 1899 against sl,505.9i6
in lS9S. and 81 .9SS. SsS in 1891 With in
creased producing areas and producing
power from the introduction OF modern
methods Of cultivation and preparation Of
nrnlucts for the market the consuming