Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1900-04-26
m PORTO RlCANS
IMPOVERISHED BY EU-
aopEAN ALIENS,

hOF
Foreign Land Owners Have
..d Crops Expecting Free
Into the United states-Idaho's
p;ots-Foreign Trade Gains.
.+.nt point in the Porto Rican
vii seems misunderstood by a
.sbsr of people. Three-quarters
1DsJ in Porto Rico is owned by
'I r-andees and other European
~ who live in Europe, where all
i i. s a. from the products of
s5s are sent. This is a system
'li inDoyerished the islanders, and
b ,s TO their present unfortunate
n and social condition. From 10
r-,s day is the average pay of
' in Porto Rico, and three-quar-
4 the population-if not more-are
who cultivate the lands and har-
I crops for their European owners.
,,d 1 half years ago, when our
!, with Spain were becoming acute,
S,a1ish and European owners OF
j, in Porto Rico foresaW a prob
~ the early withdrawal of Span
Itoriry and eventual free trade be-
1a Tuited States and Porto Rico.
51srefore have been warehousing
,,nIp crops of sugar and tobacco,
now vast quantities are in store
3spmplating, ready for shipment I'M
rade with the United States. 10
gtsnr American sugar and tobacco
hyq financial interest in, or COM
rDership of, these crops.
h, there can be no doubt; the
Erln working people have nothing
4 r the imposition of the duty upon
[lrcts of their island entering the
States. Their work has been
nj paid for at the prevailing rates
L, for labor-from Is to 70 cents
The protests against the tariff
Fnp from Porto Ricans were from
Mo represented the owners of the
nd the warehoused crops. The
hare not coming from the laborlng
d the islands who will be the
aries of the act.
aposition of this tariff creates a
several million dollars which is
4 imost entirely from aliens or
|ll trusts. This money goes back
- Rico for the employment of
Ecans by our Government in the
Int Improvement of the island.
yes our Government will pay will
rg than those paid by the land
and will tend to permanently
L rates of wages all over Porto
This would be impossible under
lite free trade; so, it must be plain,
lie would only benefit those whose
a1 of Porto Rican labor would
lldSturbed, and who could thus
better compete with the products
fnan labor in the same articles.
lte free trade could only benefit
md trusts. The temporary tariff
all Americans and only Injuries
I'd trusts.
4P Of years of this, and the Por-
III will be in receipt of wages APP
l11g to those paid to the laborers
sugar and tobacco plantations in
lied States, from rs cents to a
day, and at the end of the two
1e tariff is to remain in force the
mission of Porto Rican products
United States will not have a
ny effect upon those products of
Inland with which they will COM
nWssibIe, in view of these facts,
liz confirmed by official reports
NJ officers of the United States
hin Porto Rico, for any sincere
Ned person to point out where the
ION Of the tariff upon the products
Nco for two years will injure
Eo'to Rican or Americans. On
-SFy, 1t is a distinct benefit to all
W United States desires to bene-
" more this subject is studied
this will become apparent. This
Where expediency is synonymous
10 our fellow countrymen in
MO and at home. That is our
v and the ta,''t performs it.