Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-11-26
PORTO RICAN COTTON
GROWERS ARE IN NEED OF Elk.
PERIENCED PICKERS.
Coffee Men Are Looking Happier
Hoping for Reciprocal
Treaties.

Special Correspondence OF The Evening star.
SAN JUAN, P. r., November 10, 1903.
Wondering groups of natives now stand
hours daily watching the operation of
eight modern cotton gins which are being,
operated in a gin house on the Marina, in
San Juan. and from which thousands of
bales of high-grade sea island cotton Will
lie shipped this year.
All the gins are working at full capacity
and the long dormant cotton industry or
Porto Rico seems to have been actually re-
vived, with prospects of rapid growth.
Cotton seems to be doing well in all
parts of the island and seed is being Jeal-
ously guarded for next years crop. Sew
eral growers. however have been disap-
pointed at the low price offered them by
the few concerns now purchasing cotton
here. and the first years results to the
growers will not be great financially.
Will Gain Experience and Profit.
On the other hand they will gain much
experience and profit thereby in the future.
Tie insular government officials and the
Department of Agriculture at Washington
are cooperating TO insure the dlStlbu-
ton of much free seed next year, and ev-
cry phase of the cotton question in Porto
Rico is being carefully studied by hundreds
of Interested people.
The president of the company now opef-
ating in San Juan. and which IS sad 10 De
closely allied to the American Cotton COM
pany. says of the conditions that confront
his concern:
Exerienced Labor Needed.
"The greatest drawback to our operations
is the obtaining of competent labor at a rea-
sonable price. There are plenty OF people
in Porto Rico who need work, but they are
inexperienced cotton pckers. 1t requires
some skill and practice to pick cotton deX-
terousy.
Il find labor dearer here than anywhere
else. We pay more for picking cotton IN
Porto Rico than they pay in the United
States Then the people are not satisfied
Many of them do not want work Ihey
had rather starve than work. Unless we
can get labor cheaper here than in the
United States there is no advantage in
coming here. That is the only thing which
can attract industries here
Would Put in Other Industries.
1--WE are prepared to put in other indus
tries if we can succeed in making the labor
profitable. We would erect a mill and
make cotton goods both for consumption
here on the island and for shipment abroad,
but it all depends on the labor.
Il am provoked at the indispositon of
the people to work at a reasonable wage.
OF course. they have not learned the knack
of picking cotton yet and cannot do so
we'll at it or make much money Gas they
are paid rate per hundred pounds) as they
will after more practice.
Coffee Growers Encouraged.
Coffee men are looking happier. In many
of the coffee districts of the island the crop
will be double that of last year and the
quality is superior.
The promise of President Roosevelt to
favor reciprocal treaties with countries
which have been closed by tariff laws to
Porto Rican coffee since the Spanish-Amer-
lean war has greatly encouraged coffee
growers here. A market in the United
States is also still fondly hoped for.
Orange shipping has begun and large
crop will be sent north. The sugar cane
acreage is being immensely increased, and
the temporary business depression seems to
be lifting and floating away as cloud.