BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1904-12-15
EDITORIAL


all foreign coffee sum could be rails
sed annually sufficient to pay to the
Porto ,Rican planters neat little
bounty on each and every cuerda OF
coffee cultivated.
We cannot agree with the "Herald
in this matter. We have no doubt
whatever that it's intentions are of the
very best, but they are just little in
consistent and we do not think at all
suited to the relief which is necessary.
The Herald" takes into considera-
tion the present production of coffee
in Porto Rico, and therefore this
scheme is not accepted. If our coffee
industry we're to remain at standstlll
we could agree fully with our esteem
ed contemporary, but since we can
easily produce tea times as much cef-
fee as we are placing on the market
today we feil to see the advisability of
such a method. While it might be
easy enough to pay US four millions in
this manner today it is just possible
that some difficulty would be found in
deriving forty millions from this same
source IN few years hence.
We honestly believe that it would
be much better to impose a duty on
foreign coffee heavy eneugh to give
our product slight advantage in the
market, and in this manner it would
not be necessary to practically otter US
aims. tWe are not begging. There
is no necessity for that. Give us the
market ard we will take care OF our
selves. One cent per pound on Bra
lillian coffee would not give Porto
Rico an advantage. 1t could still be
bought in the market for less than
half of what our lowest grades OF
coffee are worth, Such a scheme is
impracticable. Let the Herald ad-
vocate the imposition of such a duty
heavy enough to give us the prefer
ence in the market and provide tor a
slight bounty for a few years. until
our coffee growers could put their
plantations in shape, and then we Will
have no difficulty whatever. In three
or four wears we will be in condition to
make our product felt in the market
and whine we have begun to grow as
much coffee as we did formerly, with
market for all of it, we have no
doubt that, duty or no datry, the Anne
rican people would recognize the su-
periority of our product and give 1t
the preference.
There is no reason why Our country
people should pay the slightest atten
ton to the advice which is so gratult-
oursly given 10 leave Porto Rico. Let
them settle down and wait just little
longer, as brighter days are surely
coming for them when the new era OF
Justice is introduced among them.
They have been possessed of suf-
fcient valor to withstand the torture
upto the present time, and now that
light is beginning to break where all
has heretofore been darkness there is
no need whatever for an exodus Let
them remember that in America the
press is practically the sovereign, and
that this same pres is now working IN
their behalf from which efforts much
good must eventually come.
WWith satisfaction supreme we can
now truthfully state that the entire
American press has taken up the
consideration of the necessity for
protection of some SOFT for Porto
Rican coffee The topic now under
discussion is the best manner in
which this protection can be extended,
compatible with the principles long
established for the government of such
cases as the present, and the chief
occupation of those who are now writ
ing on this subject is that of endea-
voring to bring to light the most sat-
isfactory method of applying the rule
when it is once agreed upon.
The New York Sun" was the first
of the American newspapers to discuss
the legitimacy of a duty on foreign
coffee, and now the question is being
given serious consideration by The
Evening Post" and the Boston He
rald.' and we feel assured that
little patience is all that is necessary on
the part of our coffee growers, when
we will have found the market for Our
coffee which is destined to once more
lead US to an era of that prosperity
which has been proclaimed for SO long
and which has SO persistently insisted
in xisting in official reports only.
To state that we feel gratiied at the
fact that the American press has at
last taken up the fight in our behalf