BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1902-06-04
Porto Rico Al he West
|ndIQD Congress.
Major Fishback Discourses On
the Island, Its Possibilities For
Investors and the Character
of Its Business Men.

IllC IOlCitlNl, I'D OOOlOIilllCS IOI
Investors and the Character
of Its Business Men.
The convention of the West Indian
Congress was held at Charleston S C.
on May 18th. Major Fishback spoke
on Porto Rico, and his remarks were
published in all the Charleston papers.
Several very strong editorials were also
written regarding the island and its
great future.
We publish the most impressive por-
tions of Major Fishback's address:
1t will astonish you to know that the
potential buying capacity of Porto Rico
is $4,000 600, divided among the three
crops of sugar, coffee and tobacco This
buying power is at your command if
you see fit to take the proper steps to
control it. Questions of sentiment, such
as transfers of flags, with the accom-
panying transfer of loyalty, have form
ed the theme of patriotic speeches by
distinguished men of the mainland and
of the island, and this sentiment is
given its full value in the minds of
Porto Ricans. But after giving it full
consideration there comes to the minds
of those intelligent men the question
whether the United States and the best
commercial elements of the United
States are going to give some practical
evidences of their good will to this
people, which has so recently entered
in as a member of the family. They
laSk themselves quietly whether there
will be any responsive movement on
the part of American commerce, both
in the direction of buying their products
and investing capital to develop the
plentiful resources of the island. By
the fortunes of war the island has been
deprived of its favored European mark
cts, and it naturally asks whether the
/ United States are ready to offer equiv
talents for that which has been with
ldrawn. The coffee of Porto Rico is
considered by those who know as the
best coffee in the world, with the pos
sible exception of the small supply of
Moca and Java still to be found in
America. Prior to the war with Spain
the total crop of Porto Rican coffee
went to Europe under favorable condi-
tions, and was absorbed Immediately at
prices that have always been cent Or
two higher than those paid for other
coffees. The Porto Ricans are natur
, ally desjrous of securing market in
the United States for this their most
valuable product, and is it unreason
able to ask that the American consumer
shall make soma offer of market at
reasonable prices? Coffee plantations
cover 7 per cent of the whole area oi
the island and there are $1,000 planta
tons, which yielded in 1897 total croI
, of 10000 tons The money result o.
the sale of this quantity of valuabl,
merchandise is ready to be expended
: +. A aaaerican naarlts for goods that are
lIOr imam s--s-~~< tha
island.
The tobacco industry is developing
every month more and more and tht
value of this, which runs into the mil
lions, is also available to American
merchants when they are ready to taks
the proper steps to secure the trade
There are ample steamship facilitie.
with Porto Rico at present. A steame1
;; sails from New York at II o'clocl
every Saturday and makes the trip II
four days and ten hours. After touch
ing at the port of San Juan it makes {
complete circuit of the island, unload
ing the food stuffs, cotton cloths anc
: manufactured articles which are sem
from the United States, and taking on
as return cargo, the sugar and coffee
and tobacco and fruit of all kinds thai
are to be sold in American markets.
; The distance of San Juan, Porte
Rico, from New York is 1882 nautica.
miles, 1900 miles from Charleston ano
200 from Panama. The strategic i'm
portance of Porto Rico will probably
result in the establishment there of a
United States naval station, which will
involve the expenditure of millions oi
dollars, and as a result increase the
value of the island as market for all
kinds of commodities and especially fol-
those which are produced in your sec
tionS of the United States.
l wish to emphasize to you in an espe.
cia1 manner the attitude of Porto Rican
commercial men. They stand ready to
meet the commerce of the United
States more than half way, and if you
will give some evidence of your desire
to cultivate their acquaintance and to
do business with them you will have
the control of their markets.
The word of Porto Rican business
man is as good as his bond. The Gre
dts may be longer than those that you
are accustomed to in the United States
but conditions are different, and customs
are different, and if you wish to do bus
mess with man you must conform,
in some measure, to his ideas and adapt
yourselves to his methods.
1t will, of course, be of interest for
you to know that, out of a total of
100000 for the current fiscal year in
Porto Ric5, one-quarter of that amount,
100000, was devoted to education, and
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