BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1904-05-24

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The Legislative Assembly Of Porto
Rico is already in session; there they
are, convened to di,cliss the loan for
agriculture and TO attend TO several
other matters which need prompt SO b.
luton: all representatives have the
same opinion about the investment of
the insular loan.
The loan for agriculture, so II is
called by the delegates, so the COVER
nor ought to call it; so call it the peo
pie, whose will must be taken into
account, especially when they are de-
manding something so just and neces-
sary as help to our ruined agriculture.
The loan. followed by some other
important measures to be adopted, and
some reforms demanded by public
opinion, will be the beginning OF the
restoration of our wealth.
The representatives OF the country
as well as the governor are convinced
of the necessity of giving assistance
to recover our public wealth, and our
insistence on that point is useless, be-
cause all are of the same opinion.
Help our planters in order that they
may restore their ruined farms, and be
able to pay the high taxes, and then,
right after, give us the assurance that
our principal product will not be left
longer in abandonment to foreign
any competition by the Dingley tariff,
which protects all american products,
as if the coffee was not a product of
Porto Rico, and consequently of the
United States and therefore entitled
to full protection.
The question of the loan is already
decided and our farmers can now en-
Joy the privileges of having in the Of
fcialS some one to hear their claims
and attend to their urgent needs oppos-
ing the help of loan to the progress
of the crisis, and now that the first
step is taken, let us find all neceS-
sary resources in order that this re-
medy may not be temporal one.
The loan will remedy the situation
for the time being, but if our coffee
has no markets, and Cur property re
mains without value, Sc on, very soon,
before our farmers have had time to
enjoy the benefits of the loan, misery
will again enter the doors; and in
order that it may not occur it is 1eces-
sary to take now all the necessary
steps that prudence dictates.
The last resolution of the LegiSla-
tive Assembly in the last ordinary
session was to demand from Congress
of the United States protection to our
coffee, either protecting it by impos-
ing tariff on foreign coffees or esta-
blishing the system of premium or in
any other ways that Congress may
deem practicable.
This was an evidence that both the
Governor and Representatives thought
before all to demand protection to our
coffee, to which the island is entitled.
But, as we have said, we are not
convinced that the insular loan affords
the final solution
Of course, it has Importance, and
the Legislative Assembly must ap
prove it to satisfy public opinion, but
we do not think that it is the last
word in our economical problems,
though we have been the most eneT-
getic defenders of the loan and we
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nomical questions that confront us.
And now that the first step is taken,
instead of celebrating what has been
gained, we go on demanding what we
are entitled to and what will complete
our wealth.
We must not be to enthusiastic at
the beginning.
The people are depending on the
Delegates who are now in convention,
the governors message having Great
ed an atmosphere of hope and expec-
fancy.
To justify that extraordinary session
something beneficial to the country
must be done.
We shall see what the result it.