BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1901-10-03
SAN JUAN, OCTOBER 3
Editorial Comment.

.. Tidings that the eyes of world are being
opened to the commercial and agricultural
Importance of this little island are coming
thick and fast. The great sale of Porto Rican
straw goods in the states during the past
summer, the vast quantity of cigars shipred
on eyery boat, the agricultural experiments
being made here by both the government
and private capital, the cotton nursery, the
readily manifested Willingness OF American
bankers TO negotiate Our municipal loans,
and finally the encouraging news OF yester
days awards by the Pan American EIposi-
tion gives encouraging evidence OF this
fact. And in conjunction with this matter
it is fit and proper to now take up the sub
iect of the further introduction of our pro-
duets in the States, and it may be said that
every fort is being made here and by our
representatives in the United States to make
the people acquainted with our possbil.
tiles and to attract attention to us Two
projects are now under way which give every
indication OF developing into actual real
izations, one is the sending of Porto Rican
merchants to the Uniied States as guests of
the various Chambers of Commerce, and
the other is the Transferring or our Buffalo
exibit to Charleston in December next. In
regard to the first, the Importance of such a
scneme can not be overestImated. The idea
iginattd with Major Fishback at Buffalo,
and in letter to the Governor sometime
ago, long before the receipt 'of cable On
the subject by an esteemed contemporary
he suggested the idea OF sending represent
ative allegation OF merchants from this
Island to New York, and other points. The
expenses to be paid by the various American
chambers of commerce.
The people OF Porto Rico have good cause
to be proud of their representative men and
it can be said.without fear of contradiction
that they compare favoraOly with those
any part of the world. An interchange of
thought with the American merchant would
very quickly round out and put finish to
the excellent business ideas and principles
now used in business circles here. The
credit of our merchants need not be spoken 1t,
as the large number of American statesmen
sent here yearly is a monumental evidence
OF the reputation of the Porto Rican Business
man.
AS to the idea of sending the Buffalo ex.
hibit to Charleston it is only necessary to
refer to the Buffalo exhibits. What those
awards made to us portend it is not within
the power of human mind to pre- conceive
They mean absolutely everything in the way
of commercial attainment. Our products at
Buffalo competed with the best output OF
every South American government and Of
mauy states of the Union. The opportunity
to continue this comparison which ended SO
g'orousy fer MS is near at hand and i'm
mediate advantage should he taken of it
Not alone should zee send our Buffalo Ex
hibitit to Charleston but We should grta ally
augment that exhibit and send to Buffalo
such products as most people in the states
never knew we could produce.
We should also make it our business TO
take every opportunity to place our goods
with the American merchant. at as low
price as we possibly can afford to give The
important thing to day is not the selling Of
goods to the states at large profits but the
attraction of American attention to our capa
bilities. What we need m0ie than profits is
the pr0.er introduction of our commodities,
and nothipg is more in line with this
object that tho proposed visit Of delegation
Of merchants to the United States, and the
transfer Of the Buffalo exhibit to Charleston.
tis the merchants duty to himself, his island,
and his people, to make every conscientious
effort that these two projects be not los!
sieht OF. and 10 push them with yigor and
persis ence until the delegation OF merchants
a on the steamer bound lCr New York, ard
our erhibit, which was such credit to us
is en- view TO the thousands at Charleston.