The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-05-29
Resident Commissioner Of Porto Rico
Talks of the Business Conditions
Two Thousand Plantations
IN the West Indian Is
land and Their Product
...Money to Be Made in
Sugar..Something About
Oranges and Pineapples

"@T WAS in his home on P street
1871 near Dupont circle that / chat
1 ted last night with Federico
v383SI Degetau, resident commissioner
- from Porto Rico, on the present
conditions in our West Indian island Mr..
Degetau is the first Porto Rican who has
ever held seat in the United States Con-
gress. He has the title of resident COM
missioner and the powers of territorial
delegate, representing more people tnan
any delegate of the past. He stands Tor
about 100000 of our West Indian cousins
and also for some of the biggest questions
now before the American people.
1 think Mr. Degetau is we'll fitted for his
position. He comes of one Of the old Span
tsh families resident in Porto Rico and ne
Is type of the best people Of that island.
Tall. straight and well formed. he has a
high intellectual forehead, fair, rosy COM
plexion. beautiful brown eyes and luxu-
RANT silky brown beard sprinkled with
gray. He is the handsomest man in Con-
gress and one of the most cultured and
best educated. Born at Ponce. he was sent
TO Spain TO school and graduated there as a
bachelor of arts at the College Of BARGE
Iona, and in the law at the University or
Madrid. He has been one of the profess
sors of moral and political science in the
Madrid Academy of AnthrOpological Sci
ence, and as a novelist he is noted in all
the Spanish-speaking countries.
Mr.. Degetau had made reputation as
a statesman long before our war with
Spain. Some years ago Porto Rico de-
manded self-government, and representa-
ton in the Spanish Congress at Madrid.
Mr. Degetau was one of the commissioners
sent to Spain for this purpose, and later on
he represented the island in the Spanish
Cortez. After the war was over he Joined
with the Americans in reorganization of
affairs there. and he is at the front.
pushing everything that will benefit Porto
Rico.
PORTO RICO IN 1904
asked Mr.. Degetau some questions as
to the business situation in our West In
dies. He replied:
THE conditions vary in different branches
of industry. In some our people are better
off than ever and in others they worse
off than they were before the war;
How about your sugar plantations?" 1
asked.
They are doing very we'll Porto Rico
has some of the best sugar soil of the
world. We can grow more to the acre than
Java and the Sandwich islands. We can
grow more cheaoly than they can, and as
a result the business is profitable"
Where are your best sugar lands?
ION the coastal plains which border the
island and on the rich river bottoms. The
most of the island is high and mountainous.
and the sugar lands must be limited. As
Ii is, we have now about 5000 acres in cul-
tivafion. and we produce more than 2l0.-
100000 pounds of sugar per year. In other
words, we raise enough sugar 10 give every
nd oh in ho mi
pounds every year. In addition to these
sugar lands there are some devoted to
pasturage which might be used for sugar.
Altogether we have about 1900 planta-
tions."
What are sugar lands worth. Mr.. De-
getau?"
Porto Rican commissioner, land the best
are seldom offered for sale. We have plan
tations that are worth $500 per acre and up
ward
How about the coffee Industry"
II am sorry to say that the coffee plant
ers are not doing we'll" replied Mr.. De-
getau. This is serious thing for us, for
coffee has always been our chief industry.
Before the war our principal markets were
Spain and Cuba. In those countries our
coffee was considered the best, as IL is in
Spain took the bulk of the crop at high
prices and Cuba bought largely. After the
war Spain put such tariff on Porto Rican
coffee that we lost that market, and the
Cuban tariff kept us out of that country.
At the same time a corresponding increase
did not come from the United States. The
most of your coffee comes from Brazil and
the Brazilian coffee does not compare in
quality with that of Porto Rico. 1t is a
cheap coffee, while ours is comparatively
dear. l feel sure that the Americans will
gradually learn the excellence of our Porto
f<ican product and that IL will have the
position that the best of the Java coffee ha
now.
III think II will eventually bring the high
est prices of any coffee in the American
markets When that time comes our coffee
area will be increased and We will be one
of the richest States of the American
Union
How much coffee does Porto Rico pro-
duce?" | asked.
I'VE annually raise about 40. 900 900 pounds
We have 10000 acres under cultivation, and
there are large areas which might be plant
ed. The coffee lands are back from the
sea on the slopes of the mountains. They
are to be found In nearly all parts of the
island. although some districts produce finer
coffee than others. AS for me, / drink only
Porto Rican coffee, except where the social
demands are such that 1 have to do other