BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1904-10-22
EDITORIAL

protection is asked Tor the agricultural
products of Puerto Rico, and especial
" for her coffee. This is great step
in the right direction, and is an et-
fectual answer to those wiseacres who
are forever popping up with absurd
and unreasonable schemes Tor the
alienation of our financial distress,
such as their modest request tor an
agricultural loan and other thing which
are not even of SO much necessity.
The loan itself would be Of small
use alone. 1t would be merely weak
make shift, with the ensuing fatal
consequences of having to use up the
last remaining bit of the resources of
the country when the lime comes for
repaying it, when the country most
probably would be in still greater
financial straits.
Our financial problem is too serious
and too vital to our continued COM
mercial life to be decided and passed
by on the moment, as many whose
motto seems to be Live for today
and take no thought of the morrow ,
are trying to have us do, and the day
of reckoning when our obligations will
heve to be paid with interest, when
the load We have saddled ourselves
with becomes unbearable, seems to
have no terrors for them.
1t is essential that the results of
thoughtless undertakings which later
on will undermine credit and possibly
bring ibout almost total financial ruin
should be borne in mind.
And it seems thst the gentlemen
who appended their names to the
report of tina Federal Grand Jury had
taken these things into consideration
for they not on urge the necessity of
protection for our coffee, but present
the claims of all the Puerto Rican
products for CO 'sidelation. as we'll as
the laudable project for the relief of
the Island from it's present ills Of the
undertaking Of extensive public works
and the erection of much needed Fed
eral buildings which will give en-
plOyment to hunGieds of idle W0rkmen
and stop the pitiful spectacle of th0us-
ands of Puerto Ricans emigrating
from their native shores.
The Grand Jury asked even more:
the construction Of the Naval Station
in San Juan Puerto Rico.
1t is work of incalculable impor~
tance and cannot fail to hrllg a great
number of solid advantages to the
Island With a Nav Sta ton, our
harbor which now presents such a
pitiful desolation the :, Election Of the
financial condition of tbv whole coun
try, would be abuzz with life.
Our agricultural interests are Writh-
ing in the throea If crisis which
would be sufficient 10 naralvze the life
OF any producing country, and with
these two mainst;.ys Of our economical!
and political welfare in such wretched
condition it is but natural that our
harbor should become lake Of blue,
undisturbed waters, unfatled by the
beat of powerful propcllers IS in
former times. and retlectlng always
on their placid bosom the staguant
condition of our commercial life. Girl
.culation is indispensable 10 life has
been repeated SO ol,en that il has
become tiresome; but if it BE- true We
can scarcely be farther from life.
The Grand Jury asks for too much
at once, II may De urSVQ. DI( every
thing asked for is necessary, is lndis-
pensable. in order for us to recover
quickly from the damages and mis-
fortunes we have suffered.
The Naval Station a strong and
vigorous protection for our coffee, the
loan, the undertaking of public works,
and the erection Of pubic buildings
for the accommodation Of the various
federal Offices; all these Things are
crying needs in the Islard If one Of
the greatest crimes Ct The century is to
be averted, and the Island lnha0ltats
are to be rescued from the awful abyss
of misery and want into which they
are so surely and steadily beng
pu he'd.
Let tue people of the United States
read the statt ncnts which Mr.. Gom-
pers has made coecerning the. terrible
conditions obtaining on the Island.
The impressions made 'pon the Clear
sighted vision ot this ci.izen Of The
We althy, progressive aud prosperous
republic, are lruc ard uneXag9 Grated
and for this reason all the more
startling.