BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1901-11-04
SAN JUAN, NOVEMBER A
Editorial Comment.

From the Lynn, Mass, "Item" we have
the following comment on the visit Of the
P~rto Rican delegation:
"Our Porto R;can guests have had fine
day for their visit to Lynn, trifle less bal
my than the airs of their own island, but
crisp, clear atmosphere, ideal October
70 athef. Nothing has been spared to make
their coming agreeable and their visit one
10 be remembered. There is no reason why
the footwear of the ladies Of San Juan,
Ponce and the other towns and cities OF
Porto Rico may not be manufactured in
Lynn. No doubt business acquaintances
have been formed to-day that will be of ben.
eft to Lynn ard to the localities represented
by our visitors. The delegation created a
favorable impression, and we hope they will
carry away pleasant memories of what they
saw and experienced while visiting our city,.
And there is absolutely no reason why
the sugar, cigars, tobacco, straw goods and
coffee Of Porto Rico should not be sold in
Lynn, Mass, or in any other cities of the
United States that our delegation visite.
When the people of the Union have learned
W at we can do, and become fully familiar
with the output and the necessities Of Porto
Rico, the proposed reciprocity treaties will be
unnecessary. Our produce will be its own qua
rsntee Of reciprocity. With such comments
as the above made wherever our merchants
stop, there is no reason for doubling that
the trip will have commercial value Of great
importance to the people of this island.
Let our merchants and planters be prepared
to take advantage of it in the proper spirit.
T. e 81.
United States, it has been assumed that the
chief need for it is a larger market abroad
for the output of our factories and mills.
Whether freer admission of food products,
and the new agricultural produce of the
colonies, into the markets of Europe and
South America can be obtained has never
been specially emphasized, nor much less
has it ever entered into the calculations
which our manufacturers and farmers at
home has seen fit to make in regard to the
a. vantages to be gained from the treaties.
The market which the goods OF Porto
Rico had in Spain and Europe has been
taken away, and the years of labor OF the
Porto Rican planter aud producer have
gone for nought
There is good reason to believe that before
our occupation of Porto Rico, the cigars,
sugar and coffee of this island we're ali
consumed in Cuba or Spain and in many of
the South American countries. By one
fell swoop the markets SO open to the Porto
Rican planter was closed and even to this
day he is staggering from the blow.
The cyclone coming close upon the oc
cnpation has helped greatly to impoverish
our agricultnralist, SO that to day achen we
are just beginning to recover from the
saddenning effects of our misfortunes, the
reciprocity treaties which would be of such
great aid to ns, are blocked BY the old policy
Of protection, which even its staunchest
supporter the late President Mckinley,
stated had ssoutlived its necessity After
more than five years Of absolute protection,
with high duties and tariff schedules uhich
made competition with American manufact-
uries in the United States absolutely i'm
possible, our industries in the States have
reached condition where they can compete
with any in the world, and are absolutely
self sustaining and independent. Then why
Lot, now give the struggling colonist little
opportunity for the same protection, which
IN no way will hut the home market or
product and viii help US to get over the
lethargy tchlch has been forced upon US by
hnfor. circumstances. Itlooks as III
the great American merchant and manufac-
turtr was acting very sel6shly and singled
purposed in this matter. 7 e colonies need
reciprocity more then anything else that the
home country could give.