BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1904-10-21
EDITORIAL

Federal Grand Jury, recommending
number of matters to the attention OF
the United States Congress, which
have been of pressing importance for
so long time. 1t is a very praise
worthv course which the Federal Court
has entered into since the arrival OF
the new Judge, and one which connot
fail to merit the sincere appreciation
of the country. We feels that the
subject is of such importance that we
give it. as isour custom with matters
ef interest to the Island, the most
prominent space in to-day's paper.
To-day we wish to record the appear
ance of this factor for the development
and advancement of the Island, and in
treating it in detail we wish to applaud
its decision in matter of such great
importance to one OF our principal
products, which so nearly comedies
wi h the course we have been advocat-
ing for some time past. The question
can be none other than that of our
coffee.
In the report quoted protection is
asked from Congress for our coffee.
This is lust what we have been ham
mering at for ever SO long, and the
service of great benefit We feel that
we have rendered the country. AS
one of the few things from Porto Rico
thatIis we'll known, the BOLETIN has
made many friends, and we receive
innumerable letters on every mail
from people in the States asking us
for information regarding the markets
for produce. the establishment of can
ming factories on the Island, etc. We
have not always been able to answer
each letter personally; we are asked
for so much oetalled information which
often we are not able to furnish, but
we are always glad to serve AS inter
mediaries between the producers and
the American merchants and capital
lists who have appealed to us, not only
because it makes us friends and cir
culation in the metropolis toward
which Porto Rico must look, but beside
it does an appreCiable service tor the
advancement of the Island S progress.
In todays mail we received letter
from the reputable house of V. r.
Vidal & Co. of Habana, asking tor
information regarding the firms selling
Puerto Rican coffee of the better and
choicer grades, and another from The
Plantation Coffee Co. of New York,
advising us of plan they have ontoot
for placing considerable quantities OF
Puerto Rican coffee in the New
York market.
We are very proud of our achieve
ments and the result OF our sturdy
campaign which has started this
movement so favorable to the interests
of our island, not only IN the great
CITY of New York, but also in the
capital of Our sister Antllle.
Our correspondence with the New
York Sun, which has number of
times taken up for approval or crltl-
cism the views advanced in this paper
in support of a market for Our coffee,
has been of great benefit, as IS being
clearly shown, to the public interests
of the Island.
It may be urged that these benefits
are coming very slowly and that we
have right to a speedy relief; for
this reason we rannot support the idea
of advertising alone, by the growers
or even by the Island government, as
was urged by the New York Sun.
The Sun" suggests that sum of one
hundred thousand dollars be allotted
annually for advertising and active
introduction of Puerto Rlcsn coffee tol
the American consumer.
In the first place we cannot afford
this amount sof money, and further
more, it should not be incumbent on
lis to spend it even if we had it. 1t
should be the part of the dealers in
the great commercial centres, those
who would buy the coffee from our
producers to sell it later at advanced
prices to the American consumers, to
organize and bear the expence OF an
active advertising campaign tor the
introduction of our coffee.
But in order to open up market
for any product mere advertising
alone is not sufficient, if the tariff
regulations are unfriendly to the
importation and protection of the
commodity. This has always been
our contention and We have gone over
it again and again in detail.
1t is a principle of commercial
economy which should not be over