BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1901-08-22
SAN JUAN, AUGUST y, 1901,
Editorial Comment.

Some time ago there was rifle Of local
interest excited by the report that agents
of the forth coming SO called Cotton Ex
position at Charleston, South Carolina,
were in the island with the purpose of Sc
curing public action towards seIding an
exhibit to that city and the press here zoe
believe generally united in advising that
immediate steps be taken with that end in
view. Nothing farther has been heard Of
the matter and so far as we can learn moth
ing definite has been done.
The distinct benefits that eould accrue
to us through such a fortunate chance of
making ourselves and our resources and
trade and industrial opportunities known
before a section of the United States with
which We might establish the most advan
tage0us relations, seem so obvious that it
ought not to be necessary to urge that
early action should be taken to place
creditable exiblt at this important fair.
Arrangements should be made to trans
fer the Buffalo collection, which can be
done at small expense, and this should be
increased SO far as possible by both public
aud private display.
The region of which Charleston is the
center is great cotton growing section,
n which has in recent years been built up
a large textile industry. Porto Rico con.
sumes enormous supplies of cotton cloth.
South Carolina ON the other hand should
become an extensive consumer OF many of
our products. our sugar and fruits and our
coffee in particular. No better future market
Iss2r our coffee opens before us at this time.
Tae interest of this great section of the
Uninn and Porto Rico are so mutual an6-
interchangeable that movement to esta-
blisa close relations can not be too early
set on foot.
The exhibit at Charleston is first step,
let US lose no time in taking it.
The strike situation in the United States
seems to be steadily growing more serious,
upwards OF 100000 men now being out 10
the various industries affected. The con
ferences so far held betUeen the leaders on
both sides of the controversy have been
barren of results and an agreement appears
to Oe impossible. Many believe that a
death struggle betsceen the opposing forces
Of capital and labor is approaching bus
there are reasons for thinking otherwise.
Too many men remain out of the unions
Tor effective action to be taken at the present
time in settling permanently the questions
at issue, there are not sufficient funds in the
hands OF the a0orkingnen to enable them to
withsta I'D too long battle and on the ether
hand the legions of capital were never SO
we'll organized, scith their interests placed
in more masterfnl hands. Ga the one band
there are great losses no doubt and rum too
for many small stockholders in some not we'll
entrencbed enterprises, but on the other is
the too swift coming If tbs day when there
is no bread and this must mean the surren-
der of the none too strong unlons
If such should prove to be the end there
will lie but one course left open for the filtu.
re and that is for the labor unions to more
compactly unite. ga house div ded against
iself cannot stand.
As to the merits of the present controver.
sy it is difficult to give an opinion when
such journals as the Netc York Post express
ses its inability to fully grasp the matter at
issue we who are SO far away cannot expect
to do so. 1t seems probable however that
the unions have been unwise in taking their
present action.
The steel strike which promises to STOP
uobion ouQ lUtdI NVth WI bdbtl0 SHIPS
may prove an unexpected moral force in /
ayerting some just now threatened wars
There seems to be some fine casuistry in
the Interpretation of the word sdsobedIencev
by the naval department at Washington
One school Of critics denies that Shakes
peare was the author of tue plays written
under his name and now sombody is trying
TO prove that Rembrandt passed another
rnan's pictures eff for bis oUn.
II We Ike long enough we may expect to
hear that Geo. Washington was the real
inventor of the s'nickle- in the slotv machine
and that Tom Paine wrote Watts hymns.
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