BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1905-03-29
EDITORIAL.

6o >@.t
Nfts 49,,
w-'bass >.f>ia tals s@ar2 'fitt
ffe "a n .ama aH 80
sh+ oars,t,n 81 estcc prNeegsse~ Atta|
,nlrsea - row nfre,r.t.a as ih. fete.s
: 81 gxfffst.tl : - %tA af
coonuznsN@s ,rtftlan q NAtt.
S.aseN EN~n ncft - haNc b,cn ucm
80 .lc.a a. Ct,eess .he - 90 'nf ca
sn.na uft.h hss occu ohsssnarlY de-
-ied b. cCrasn pcfsons s=Tshls qu.li-
nca hv u.hee whiv some considered
na Failure tuuwlnf Keveg-e eclcse nc
fust .cc oi a.
The Nv loIk sun saos du'y on.
coffee. VcfV 3n>' France receives
l.. large revenue b, imposin. cuiy q
tfteen cents u h pound while LAZY
adopts similar course. Germany :
AK on coffee Is iweniy cents; Eng ans,
Austria and oiher countries arc great
lv benefited bv such a tax.
The question has changed rs aspect.
and il is very possible hat Ike lack OF
atruc foundation III the so-callsd tariff
NAV be reme6led because there Is
deficit in the budget OF the American
administration.
It's premature to become enthu-
Sisstic over lac probability Of securing
protection for our coffee, for the
national government might learn that
Treasurer Willougbby, the eminent so
ciolooist, is ming about loose IN this
island, and VIC would still be exposed
to lose this fresh b pc which is offered
n IL, lf.s,o
Willoughby being capa5le o! suggest
ing ucw and wild alternatives, which
would make a reform in the tariff
unnecessary.
We are glad that there is another in
dication # alarm in the United States,
which is pointed out by the Sun
and which is due 10 the increase OF the
production of sugar and tobacco in the
colonial possessions. by virtue OF the
protection enjoyed by these products.
Owe should stimulate, the American
economists now say the production Of
coffee which is a commodity that Is
never toFbeT grown in the United
State
And to accomplish this the great
sou: ce of advertising the clnematog-
eraph, lis resorted ts.
Secretary Taft accompanied by
mem btrs OF Congress Mr. Payne, the
chairman Of the Ways and Means
Commettee@ and Speaker Cannon,
expect to Cd to the Philippines to study
the means Of developing the coffee IN
dustry in those ISLANDS rely ing upon the
fact that the government would hnd
in this. grand source OF revenue u.and
that the Philippine and Porto Rlcan
coffee plantations can supply the
entire Am demand.
These conditions are canSollnS; but
it is to be regretted that we must
bless a deficit for awdkereng our
administrators TO these conditions,
otherwise We wohld remain eteraally
with our hands extended, ilnploring
justice
As it 5 sible to doubt Of the
existence Of the deficit, we agaln
cherish hope, that at the session Of |
,he Congress in the Fall, revised
tariff. which we have asked, will be
approved.
The fact regarding the coffee trade
with Brazil is early shown.
1t has already been sgured up how
much the United States loses by |
allowing Brazilian coffee TO enter
free in the United States, and how
little Brazil gives in return, as we
have already noted.
The figures are discouragng as can
be seen from the following paragraph;
"In 1874 Congress repealed the law
imposing jax on coffee in reponse TO
a general pubic demand. Brazil i'm
mediately placed tax on exported cot
fee producing revenue Of $4,000 900
for tha country. ard which should have
entered the United States Treasury,
without the price of coffee undergoing
any change 1t is c0ntended that the
United States has lost in consequence |
of these circumstance 1914 9o9,S52 |
while the bal nee of commerce IN favor
Of Brazil reaches 81 ,318, l67 go.
These figures are no comparison wltn
what could be reached if the Amcrl-
cen tariff included duty on coffee
similar to the lowest one imposed by
European countries.
For thir time. must we feel great
ful for the deficit for 1t puts us on the
road to obtain just reparatlon. We
shall continue to believe that IL would