The Savannah morning news., 1902-08-02
A QUEER STATE OF AFFAIRS.
AMERICANS Is PORTO RICO CON-
SyAE EUROPEAN GOODS.

Soap From Spain-POrto Ricans
Would Like to DO business With
Us, But They Are Accustomed TO
the Slower Methods and Long Time
Credits of European Houses.
Washington, Aug. las an Ameri-
can citizen, living in Porto Rico, 1
hate to admit that we have to buy our
plain cotton goods from England, our
rice from Japan. our cutlery from
Germany and our soap from Spain"
These indirect reflections upon
American business enterprise and a
lack of interest in the Porto Rican
trade, were made regretfully by Prof.
o. M. Wood superintendent. of schools,
at Porto Rico, who came up from the
island few days ago with Gov. Hunt.
Prof Wood has been in Porto Rico
nearly two years, and he is very much
| attached to the work laid out for him
! among the Porto Rcons. He says
! they are as loyal citizens of the Unit
| ed States as can be found anywhere.
| They love the Stars and Stripes, and
| they make more display of the Fourth
of July than many of the great states
! in the Union.
Prof. Wood passed through Wash
| ington on his way to his former home
! in Missouri After referring to his ed
ucational work in our new possession,
| and commencing the able and effective
work of the "Yank school teachers"
he INDUCED in most interesting talk
about the commercial interests in Por-
to Rico.
He says the Porto Ricans would pre-
| fer to have business relations with the
United States, but unfortunately The
American business men seem to be
Indifferent about the trade of Porto
! Rico. He says nearly all the products
used there come from European mer-
chants. Fresh meats, canned goods
and beans, are about the only Ameri-
can products sold there in large guam
! titles.
Are Our Manufacturers AsIeeps
II cannot understand" continued
Prof Wood, showing a deep interest
in the subject, "why South Carolina,
Georgia and Alabama cotton manu-
facturers do not reach out and get the
| Porto Rican trade. We require the
very class of goods they are making,
yet we have to content ourselves with
English cotton goods, simply because
we cannot buy American goods on the
| island.
Just the day before I sailed from
Paunce," continued Prof. Wood, "a
cargo of soap arrived there from Spain.
| Just to think that we have to get
| our T""D from Spain when we are so
much learer to American made soap.
There is another article of food which
we use in great abundance and that
is rice. Instead of getting our rice
direct from the rice growers of South
! Carolina and Georgia, we buy our rice
| from Japan. So it is with almost
everything we use there. Why, when L
sit at my table l am compelled to use
| German cutlery because there is no
American manufactured cutlery on
| sale in our stores"
How do you account for this ex-
| clusion or absence of American prod
ucts from your markets?"
Prefer the old Methods.
II am glad you asked me that ques-
| ton, for l have investigated that sub
ject and l expect to make some sug-
gestions to my friends in Washington
| with the hope of overcoming some of
the conditions which now exist to the
| disadvantage of American products
| Before Porto Rico became q part of
the United States, the natives were in
the habit of doing business with Eu-
ropean powers. Spain, England,
France, Germany, and other European
powers made a careful study of the
| habits and business methods of the
Porto Ricans. In other words the
| Porto Ricans have been i'll the habit
of transacting business on what might
| be termed long time credit. Repre-
sentatives of England. France, Ger
many and Spain sell to Porto Rican
merchants on easy terms, and Guilt
waite and encourage their trade ac-
cordingly. The United States mer-
chants are not inclined to conform to
the ancient and slow going system
which has prevailed there for so
many years. The American insist on
| short credit or no sale.
THE English, German, French and
| Spanish merchants keep their represen-
! tatves IN constant touch with the
| Porto Ricans, and do not attempt to
| introduce any new methods of doing
! business as long as they can control
| their trade. 1t is not any easy mat
ter to teach these people new business
| methods at once. The revolution in
| business must be gradual but con-
| sistent. 1t must be remembered that,
| although Porto Ricans are anxious to
learn to speak English and adopt
American customs, they cannot be
| taught our progressive system of do
| ing business in a day. a month or a
and our merchants must show the
same interest and patience that Eu-
ropean countries display.
Gcrmany's Methods.
1.-THE German government is par
| ticularly industrious in cultivating
| trade relations with Porto Rico, and
she is doing the same thing all through
! South American territory. 1 hate to
| believe that the United States feels
| that the trade of Porto Rico is not
worth having, but as a matter of fact
we see but little indications of a de-
sire to supply us with products which
ought to come to us quicker and cheap
er than from European ports. Why,
sometimes we buy machinery from
England or Germany, and when it is
| delivered, we find that parts of it is
| manufactured in the United States,
sent to Europe and then sent back to
us. Now, why can't we buy our ma
chinery first hand, from the United
States? The Porto Ricans would rath-
er deal with the United States than
buy from Europe. if the business in
ducements are equal. These are ques-
tions which the American merchant
should decide promptly, before the
| trade passes beyond them and becomes
located in Europe"
Atlanta Plumbers Not to srike.