BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1904-10-05
Mr.. Wenar's Interview
in the Picayune

entire editorial page to an account Of
n interview given to the New Orleans
Plcayune by Mr.. Wenar while in the
United States, and great importance
is attached to what he said on this
occasion by our morning sheet.
When it appears, if the interview
really had the importance that seems
to be attached to it, that the author of
the statement contained therein was
not as fully Informed on the subject
as one would have reason to expect,
considering the length of time he has
lived here and has his residence fixed
here, the enthusiasm of our colleague
is somewhat surprising. Mr.. Wenar's
remarks concerning our coffee and the
lack of markets which we are suffer-
ing are quoted at length, without any
further editorial comment on the part
of the newspaper, which thus tacitly
accepts everything which the Picayune
published, and which our unfortun-
ately i'll informed fellow-townsman
was led into the error of saying
Mr. Wenar appreciated the high
quality Of our coffee and is sufficient
ly enthusiastic over its high favor and
aroma, which he compares with that
of Mocha and Java, as being of
higher grade. Puerto Rican ceffee
sold at forty cents pound, which is
the current market quotations on the
two grades just mentioned, is still
great bargain for the American peo-
pie. Up to this point Mr.. Wenar is
right; his statements are true, but
not he falls into an error. To solve
the question which is running our
coffee trade, Mr.. Wenar sees but one
answer. For every body to ask for
"Puerto Rican' when buying coffee,
in the assurance that they will get a
high quality article.
But the worst enemy, the most
dreaded competitor of our berry. is
not the Java or Mocha, which are high
grade coffees; but the Brazilian,
which is 4 heap and inferior article,
and on account of its cheapnesS has
won the American market away from
our planters on the Island. And for
those who use Brazilian coffee, Mr..
Wenars recommendation is in vain;
for they buy it on account of its cheap
ness. possibly because they like it, but
the fact tremainS tha, it is cheaper
and this lower price has created the
taste and the tendency SO fatal to us
for this inferior article.
We have for long time maintain
ed that our coffee is the best in the
world and we defy anyone to prove
the contrary. But all our efforts in
the way of publicity and advertise
ment of our coffee. all our blows at a
ruinous tariff VIII ch throws our home
article into competition with the dtegs
of the world, seamingly have been in
vain. If the author of the interview
in the Picayune does not know of any
better way to create a market tor our
coffee, we can indicate two to him
rather should we say that we can
again repeat them-because We have
proclaimed many times and shall CON
tinue to do SO as long as the true way
of benefting our coffee is not followed
out. In order to have the People of
the United States buy our coffee, it is
imperative that is should protected by
the customs tariff; it is vitality i'm
portart that it should be considered as
and included among other United
States products. If this is not done,
if the protection Of our markets is
considered as secondary in importance
to the advantages to be gained from a
rninous reciprocal arrangement of
duties with Brazil, which has no iota
of the right and logic to support it
that Our argument advances, than
there remains 10 US the second part of
our proposition; the astronomical ad-
ministration of our customs and com
mercial affairs leaving free us to enter
into agreements with other nations
who knew and appreciate the exquisite
flavor and aroma of our product, the
right to enter into reciprocity with
those countries which use our coffee,
and the privilege of granting them
those concessions on their goods en-
tering Puerto Rico necessary to prov
ide for the free entry of Puerto
Rican coffee into their countries. In |
one or the other of these two propo-
sitjons lies the solution of our coffee |
question. We have no need to seek |
further.
With the mere statement to the |