BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1901-11-20
SAN JUAN NOVEMBER 20
Editorial Comment.

To days cable advices give account OF
the strong opposition on the part Of Amer,
ican fruit grow ers, to the ratification by
Congress Of tie reciprocity treaties. Nc
labor it is stated, will be spared to prevent.
if possible, the passage OF the treaties
Money, political influence and combined
effort will do all that can be done to stop
that free trade with other countries, which
our late President Mckinley advised almost
in his last words, would be coed for the
Union, good for the people, and good fol
the honest discharge of TIE new respon'
sibilities, which our national government
had taken upon itself.
It is stated that the fruit man of the
Union will be thrown into competition with
European fruit growers and with the fruit
growers of the colonies. That the vast
interests of California and Florida would be
injured by the competition, and that prices
would lower and profits fall SO much that
the people who are dependent upon the fruit
growing and selling tor living, would be
thrown out of work and many of them
possibly unable to seek or obtain other means
of support.
Thus it is that every different and varied
interest in the Union has some special in.
terest for opposing the reciprocity treaties.
The fruit men fear it, the steel men don't
want it, the coal mtn have raised their
hands with howl of dismay and the
manufacturer is in despair. The benefit in
general to the country, to the nation
and to the struggling colonies, which
need these treaties to help them in their
work is never for moment considered,
I'D I'D hot uhov, fho
and debate on the reciprocity treaties occur
in the Senate and the House, not one single
reference to, or thought Of, the colonies will
occur. To the vast fruit interests of this
island and OF Cuba no reference will be
made, and the industries of the Philippines
will surely be forgotten in the general
scramble to protect the home manufacturer,
tradesman and agriculturalist, who far from
needing protection, should be ready and
anxious to give it to others.
Centuries Of association with Europe,
the subjects of European government, Porto
Rico, Cuba and the Philippines, will for
many years to come be necessarily depend
ant upon Europe for the bulk of its
trade. When tie United States took pos
session of Porto Rico this island enjoyed
large and prosperous trade relations acItb
Spain. She used our tobacco, coffee, and
other products, end in exchange the Porto
Rican merchant largely used her fabrics
and manufactured goods. This trade rels
ton cannot change in day, and our relat. |
ions with Spain and other European coun-
tries must exist until our merchants and
planters have had opportunity to introduce
into the United States the goods which we
have been selling for SO many years to Eur.
ope. In the meantime the Porto Rican
merchant must live, and in order to give
,im every facility for the introduction OF
lis goods in the United States, reciprocal
rade relations with the nations Of Europe
hould be established We have fruits,
,offee, tobacco straw goods, and any
lumUer Of agricultural products, which il
hey cannot be sold in the States, should be
,iven every facility ard encouragement for
ale in Europe. AS American territory we
hould have the same right to join as the
|tates in the bid for European trade, and
hould be permitted to consider ourselves as
n American interest selling goods abroad
Our best interests call for freer trade rela-
ons with Europe and Congress in consid
ring the question should take due notice Of
lr existence. III,