New-York tribune., 1901-05-01
CONDITIONS IN PORTO RICO
COFFEE. PLANTERS THE ISLAND
WOULD NOW BE ON THE HIGH
ROAD TO PROSPERITY.


Although this little island les far away from the
AiIeFlcan centre OF trade and population. Vet
people are persuaded nat among the many mill
IONS on the continent at least feel an interest
III thelr welfare Various reports have zone out
through the cables and the mails concerning the
social Industrial and financial condition of the
Torto tdcans.. Some of these are misleading and
many are inaccurate In sundry particulars and
perhaps all are more less colored by political
prejudice which seems to have perreated every
enamel of information leading from San Juan TO
-'e"- York To give absolutely truthful and
impartial statement of the condition of affairs in
Porto Rico is the purpose of the writer in this
communication
The principal industrT of this island as all The
world knows. is agriculture. The leading crops
ana the only ones furnishing any products for
e@Portauon' are coffee. sugar and tobacco. rank
ing IN relative Importance in the order named
During the period of the American military gov
eminent, covering about eighteen months ending
on April 30 last. the exports Of these crops were as
follows:
sose S0GsT 2sss5 aS ss6 400 400 kiIos valued sss2
Tobacco 3SS2 600 kos valued at.-........ 7si $40
BY the terrible hurricane of San Ciriaco all the
crops were greatly damaged but Of course from
the nature of the plants. the heaviest loss fell
upon coffee, and for the same reason IT will be
the last TO recuperate. may easily be seen that
the exports during the present year may be
slderably reduced. II is also true that many OF
the coffee planters were already embarrassed and
II would therefore seem inevitable that Hquida-
ton such as is often witnessed where there has
been poor management is bound in Porto
Rico. II is usual 70 lay this unfortunate condi-
ton to the hurricane. but II would all proba-
bility have been the same though perhaps in a
slightly less degree. had the hurricane swept over
some other island spent its force in the Carb-
bean Sea
The sugar planters In a much better stua-
ton, and any changes in the ownership of sugar
lands will be attributable the tendency
prevailing Of introducing improved machinery and
erecting large centrals, 10 grind the cane raised
on all the lands miles around them. The day
of the Jamaica train and the small sugar farm has
passed in Porto Rico we'll everywhere else.
GOOD TOBACCO CROPS
All losses on the part of the producers Of to-
bacco have been recouped. and the crops will be
equal If not greater than those formerly pro-
duced. Cayey cigars will yet win their proper sta
ton in the world. There in this small island
OF 5ssS square miles 2ss s25 cuerdas OF land under
cultivation. A cuerda "a equal TO about 1o3 acres.
OF these lands the coffee plantations cover 122 S5s
cuerdas; the plantations. 61656: the tobacco
fields, 427 rice. and 90 sos: other crops
i7.l76: so II requires argument show the pre-
ponderance Of the coffee planting industry here.
And. by the way. the coffee IS the best raised IN
this hemisphere, being equal to Mocha Java, for
which II Is often sold. There altogether 4545
coffee plantations in this island showing the aver
size TO be about twentysix acres; there 4S3
sugar Plantations OF an average size or 1iZ acres,
there sixty-six tobacco fields OF average
size Of sixty-four acres. There are many sugar
fields that have been turned into pasture lands
for want OF capital to adopt the and improved
| methods OF manufacture. Coffee and tobacco re-
| quIre little capital and be easily produced
without the aid Of modern agricultural Implements
the hoe the spade and the machete being all that
| are required
The reliable statistics give the total wealth
OF the island at about 500 900 co0- The assessed
aY ~ fba IN hOrh Pf+y and fInr-
is estimated at about Sc coo cco and this is mort
gagged the extent OF more than s1s0oo,oc0 or to
| the enormous figure OF 60 per cent The rate Of
| interest charged mortgage loans Is generally
| from TO = per cent. There no usury laws In
Porto Rico. This the condition of affairs which
| the Americans found on their arrival At the
| earnest solicitation Of the debtor class the mill
| tary governors issued orders staying the fore
closure OF mortgages from time to time until the
| arrival OF the Civil Governor May l. 1900. On
his installation Governor Allen found that the stay
orders would not expire until January 10 OF the
present year. He at called on by debtors
creditors one class seeking further extension
| of the stay orders and the other they had al
ways done protesting against any further delay in
the enforcement Of their contracts The Governor
believing that sufficient time had already been
granted to these unfortunate people TO arrange
their Indebtedness II they could do II. be-
neving that the rights OF the creditors also should
be respected and being advised that he had no
power TO grant further extension let II be known
without delay that further time would be grant
ed expiration OF the military orders which
had already been issued. Thus. eight months no.
tice given all parties that they would be
free to appeal to the courts for the enforcement
of their contracts and the collection OF their mort
gage debts after January 10. 1901.
WOULD MAKE THE GOVERNMENT A PACK
HORSE.
Then agitation at once begun for what was
called an agricultural loan. But the principal
movers in the affair appeared to be. not the farm
ers, whose lands encumbered. but the bankers
and other holders Of securities and the merchants
who furnished the farmers with supplies Evident
ly the money lenders when they found themselves
free 70 coNect their money by legal means did not
! wish Sls.00O0Oo worth of cofree plantations be
thrown on their hands but earnestly find
some whom to unload these securities What
nsuIar government. especially with the United
it should grow too heavy for the island? Many
schemes brought forward, and on the as
eral bills introduced looking the securing
of loan for the benefit Of the farmers" Finally
to the Executive Council 1t referred to the
| Finance Committee. of which DR.. Hollander the
time to consider it, and on the last day of the
friends Of the measure called for report. and the
| bill reported adversely. with a strong argu-
objectons Was II that It contained provision that
| part Of the money to be raised by the bonds TO
gases, It seems that this CLAUSE had ESCAPED the
! notice Of such members OF the House Of Delegates
/ as interested in that subject However; there
was tine then FOR an a%e9dmept and tn the bill
| of five to ave: every Porto Rican in the Council
| voting in favor of the bill Thus for brief time a
! But no sooner had the legislature adjourned than
| the agitation was renewed with more ciamor
snywbere fr5 81 GOO o 10 So 900 100 and lending the
! money to the farmers-tne cofee planters-to re-
lieVe their embarrassment and to enable q them to
which appears 70 be the sum finally settled upon.