BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1901-06-20
SANlTUAN.FTUNF 20 Io0I
Editorial Comment.


The latest advices seem to indicate thai
permanent order has been practically eS-
tablisbed in the Philippines, the war bav
ing now become little more :'han series
of desutory engagements betgseen the Anne
rican troops and scattered bands OF gler
illas who keep far from the coasts aud have
only the semblance of an army remaining.
Almost daily small parties OF insnrgent.
here and there surrender thRr arms ard
return to their homes. The people as a
whole have accepted the american rllr
aud civil government has bern nauEnrateh
In all the important islands, many former
insurgent cheItS having accepted oihce undei
the new dspensatlon.
The cost of the acquiSitiCQ OF the Phlllp.
pines aside from the expenses of the Span
i,h war, has been very great to the gov
ernment of the Tn ted States and it Wlil
e very long according 70 the showing
made by statisticlans, before tne returns can
be expected to equal the expenditures.
Whether the sO-called lmParsllSilc policy
and tue ownership of colonls wnl prove
profitable remains 20 be Sh9Tn cry few
mother countries have ever derived great
benefit from distant colonial possess, rs.
The TeaTIy losses sustained by England
France. Denmark and Haland i'll tt,it
West Indian colonies are present case u
point. Large deficits in the lnsnlar bud
gets have to be made up annually a. ho
me.
Parties who come occasionally to San
Juan from the neighhOrings island; bring
common reports of the depressed conditions
which appear TO exist aim: :st universally
throughout tue entire West Indian archlp
elago. This seems, too, to be irrespective
of national ownership, the Imes are equal
ly bad in all the colonies Whether they b.
English, French, Dutch, DANISH or what
not.
AS the chief cause for this ihe decline
of the sugar industry Is generally CIV
bat there is another reason for IT,, accord
ing to continental writers who baye stud ed
the question impartislly and the statements
Of ogservtnt travellers who may be 0cca-
sonally met with here.
This lies in the enormously expensive
civil list which is everwheIe maintained.
From time immenoral Il has beer the
clsrOm In par int cdBntrles 10 rs colonial
appointments as a beSt0Wal' Of favor uPan
those families 10 whom fhei government Is
IN some way obligated. pll teal debts have
TO be paid and these places otter a con
Tenient means to that end.
Upon every one OF tbe little dots of scat
tered lands Of the S0ulh Atlantic and the
Caribbean a court is ma ntsuad as pret-
entl0uS almost as that of some OF the lm
port4nt capitals of tEe world, governors.
judges, commissioners, secretaries. revenue
collectors, all with suites Of attaches and
dependents, draw large salaries aud live liz
S ogy luxury. The governor u 5 N s.
topher, one OF tn snal est of til Brit SD
iSlaGds, receives moe salary tIu the Cd
ecntye head of aoy American state.
Unler the s1cay Of political p-diency
these Tiny colonies are squeezed. neglected.
ald forgotten. And then the tax rayerS
at home annually pur their hands in lheIr
pockets and pay the bills
There should be no lack o. prosperity in
the West Iudies If the economic conditions
Were right No more fertile or sunny ,nds +
e beneath the skies. Upon every noun
tain slope and valley nature SIN les in thr
rich effu>ion Of an imperial Soil No sider
gamut of production is known 70 the world
Why sh I'D there e a decline in ever
b-aneh OF agriculture and seady ,Iolus f
of the people from the West Indies'
Tue answer lies mostly IN misgovemmeut
and ne cct,
Porte r co could scarcely be better adap-
ted by Lature than at present TO become the
future market gardtn for the great north
Atlantic coast cities lcare it situated but
few miles distant from New York and its
s)iI the result Of an accumulation OF the vas
seacsge waste which for century has been
slowly diSsolying il the chonnated waters
of the sea of Long Islam shores.
No more fertile lands exist in The western
hemisphere than abound throughout Ihis isl
and and the climatic conditions are most
favorable. Here there are none of the hIgh
va uatiOns which make large capital a neces-
sity before the market and fruit garden bus.
iness can be engaged in Lear to the big cen
Iers; California is largely cut n from G m
petit on for the eastern tr d. by exorbtaut
r Ill ad freights, ard Florida is sulIerr
year b. year more aud more seriously by IN
eDcroacbing frost line.
There is almost nothing in table vegetabls
and .ruiiS IN daily demand In tie nAttern
markets that Porto Rico cannot ea3ls and
chesl IL produce and fast steamers Gao read
" reduce the carrying time to three days
Tomatoes, sweet corn, string beans, green
peas, iet uce, adshes, celery, asparagus
eucumbers, as well as the great variety #
delicious fruits grown here can be pertnsly
produced anu sh ppei N al seas MS Tie
high priced winter ma kets can be tiHs b.
taken advantage Of. Naturally grown fiuts
are far letter than those of the hot houses
There is no d ubE ilat lie great econeml
of production and numerous superior fcili
ties offered here will on tract practical
rro,t arg 10 parfn Rieo and nav aol,rea ofl