The Washington times., 1901-11-05
A PROTECTIVE DUTY ASKED.
Conference with Mr.. Roosevelt Con
ccrning Porto Rican Coffee.

cerning Porto Rican Coffee.
President Roosevelt will east his ballot
| At Oyster Bay today. He left Washing
| ton for New York yesterday morning at
Il o'clock. over the Pennsylvania Rail
road, in the private car Lucania. Mrs
| Roosevelt Secretary Cortelyou. Assistant
| Secretary Loeb. and two servants ac-
comPanied the President Casper whitney.
| editor of Outing" Joined the party at
| he Pennsylvania Railroad station, before
the train left. and accompanied IL as far
rs New York. The President and Mrs
Roosevelt We're the guests In New York
| of the Presidents aunt
Early this morning the President. ae-
companied by Secretary CorteIyou and
MIR. Loeb. viii go to Oyster Bay. Mr..
corteiyou votes at Hampstead. L. l.. only
few miles from Oyster Bay. while Mr..
Loeb veteS at the same place as the
President does. as will Henry Pinckney.
the steward OF the White House.
This will make three straight Repub-
lican ballots from the White House. and
they are badly needed at Oyster Bay.
where the fight FOR supremacy between
the Republicans and Democrats for the
control Of the county Offices is close. The
county is normally Republican. but the
The President will return to Washington
late tonight. Mrs. Roosevelt will return
with him
Before his departure the President re-
| ceived a delegation from the Chamber of
Commerce of San Juan. Porto Rico. which
presented to his attention the urgent need
for tariff legislation which viii afford pro-
lection to Porto Rican coffee Data on
the subject were submitted 10 the Presl-
dent, and while no rate OF duty was nam
ed. the members of the delegation think
that duty of cents per pound will be
| necessary to enable the berry raised on
the island to compete in United States
| markets with the Brazilian coffee at
present imported without restriction.
The President took great interest in the
question raised by his visitors and told
them that the interests of Porto Rico
would receive the same attention and be
studied thoroughly as would those of
any State of the Union. The members of
the delegation were highly pleased with
their reception.
The situation was explained by Thomas
Blasini. of Ponce, one of the largest cor
fee planters on the island. "The Porto
Rican coffee is the best In the world. he
said. This can be proved by the prices
we received for 1t in Europe before the
war. Porto Rican coffee is comparatively
unknown in this country. There is no
protection for it Brazilian coffee, for in
stance, can be imported into the United
States and sold for half the price de-
manded by Porto Rican coffee. Further
than this, deakrs who import the Bra
lillian coffee into the United States can
ship it to Porto Rico and then ship it
less than can we the superior Porto Rican
coffee. Before the war nearly the whole
Porto Rican coffee crop went to Euro
| pean markets. 1t was most valuable
| The year prior to the great hurricane the
| crop realized s13.e09.0o0 In that terrible
storm many plantations were ruined and
their machinery destroyed. This year the
crop is nearly half as large as the normal
production. Next year it may be three
quarters as large.
Since the acquisition OF Porto Rico by
the United States the Europea markets
are practically closed to us through the
provisions of the Dingiey tariff act We
are now dependent on the United States
for consumption of cur coffee. In Porto
Rico the people will not use Brazilian cof-
| fee. II a tariff rate of cents per pound
| is established the Brazi dan coffee will still
! quote for less than will that from Porto
| Rico. but We think that the Porto Rican
4
I once introduced. will. despite the differ
ence in price, soon become more popular
on account Of its general superior quail
ity.''
The delegation consisted of Henry w.
DcOIey OF San Francisco; Jose Gomez
Brioso. Thomas Blasini. of Ponce; Rafael
Fabian. T. g. Weymouth, Antonio BaIas-
guide, Manuel Fernandez Juncos, Secre-
tary OF the Chamber of Commerce; Dr.
]. Carbosa member of the Executive
Council of Porto Rico. and Luis Sanchez
Morales. of the Porto Rican legislature
1t was accompanied to the White House
by Federico De getau. Resident Commits
sioner of Porto Rico in Washington.
The delegation left Porto Rico on Octo-
Der Is, and has been travelling in this
country since landing In New York The
| Porto Ricans visited New York. Boston,
| Buffalo. Chicago, st. Louis. Cincinnati.
and a number of other cities. and will
| leave Washington tomorrow for BaIti-
more They will go thence to Philadel-
| phia and then to New York. after which
| they viii return to Porto Rico. They have
/ investigated commercial conditions every
! where and express themselves as much
pleased with their reception wherever
| they have been in this country
Several members of the delegation call
| ed on Secretary Wilson at the Department
! of Agriculture yesterday. There is al
ready a small experiment station in Porto
Rico. bgt the planters think there Is
pressing necessity for more , and better
| ceived a visit from several of the mem
| bers of the delegation
| Senator Cunom called at the White
| House few minutes before the Presi-
| dent departed He was accompanied by
| the Rev DIR. Gill. of Springfield. III. DR..
| Gin desires an appointment as chaplain IN
! the army and 1t is understood that the
| President has decided to appoint him
| The appointment of John r. Bonneh to
| be Collector OF Internal Revenue Tor the
| Seventh district of Indiana was an
! nouuced Mr.. BonnelI is from Crawfords-
| vile, Ind.