Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-06
BUSINESS EXPERIMENT
PORTO RICO TO INACCURATE A
GREAT COMMERCIAL SCHEME.
To Benefit Coffee Growers of That
Country-Government Venture VIII
Interest Economists.
special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.

Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.
SAN JUAN, p. r., February %. 1905.
The government of Porto Rico Is about 20
inaugurate, probably in New York city,
business experiment which is likely to
arouse great interest among economists,
and which, the promoters of the scheme
fondly hope, will greatly benefit the coffee
growers of Porto Rico. The legislative as
sembly has passed bill which will go 10
Gov. Winthrop this week, and which he
will sign. providing for the establishing of
a commercial agency in the United States
for the exhibition and sale of Porto Rican
coffee which is identified by government
brands and seal.
An agent to be appointed by Gov Win
throp will draw s., 500 year and will have
a Spansh-sp eaking assistant at $500.
Other expenses will be allowed up to a
total of $4,000 a year. Coffee growers of
the island can sell their goods through this
agency al no cost to them, except shipping
and sealing charges. and the subsidized
agent will be legally prohibited from tax
ing any fees or graft" The assumption
by the defenders of the scheme is that the
enormous increase In the sales OF Porto
Rican coffee will SO boom the industry that
soon golden Stream will return to the In
sular treasury from taxes on coffee planta-
tons.
Porto RicO COAfee Is GOOD cOHee, ana
should have market in the United States,
where little of 1t is now sold. Cuba, Spain.
France. Italy and Germany, in the order
named, are the principal buyers. Last
years crop was IS, oO0,po pounds. for which
the growers received an average of about
~ cents a pound. Before the cyclone
which devastated the coffee districts of the
island August 8, 1899, the production
was more than JO.o0O.0oO pounds a year.
That year the exports fell to 12,O0,000
pounds, but they have since been steadily
growing. This years reports show 20 per
cent of the trees of the island to be in good
condition, and If healthy blossoms an
indication of the crop next fall ii will be a
big one.
Fight for Government Aid.
Ever since American occupation the cof-
fee men here have been fighting for govern
ment aid and last year the legislative as
sembly passd a memorial to Congress ask
ing for reciprocal trade agreements with
the foreign countries that have bought
Porto Rican coffee for many years Pres
ident Roosevelt has frequently declared his
deep personal interest in the question. and
has further asserted that no other coffee
except the Porto Rican bean would be
used in the White House during his incum-
bency. For five years various hopes of
brighter financial future have been held be-
fore the tnsular coffee growers, many of
whom have borne the weight of heavy
mortgages at eXorbitant rates of interest.
These the men who seek relief
through new channel and who have sue
ceeded in convincing the legislature that a
commercial coffee agency will be a good
thing.
Men not in the coffee business are not so
enthusiastic about the scheme The prin-
ciple involved and the possible outcome OF
the government coffee-shop venture, rather
than the expenditure of a paltry $4,000 a
year, is criticised by some conservative
taxpayers. The blanket nature of the bill
and the of the words land other prod
ucts" makes il possible and very probable
that the agency will be called upon to sell
enough different lines of goods to raise 1t
to the dignity and novel position of o
tropical department store.
Large Commercial Staff.
Should this result a large commercial
staff will be necessary to handle everything
from bread fruit in the basement to cocoa
nuts on the top floor, middle aisle, rear
Sugar men, orange men, cotton men, pine
apple men, tobacco men, cattle men-eyen,
indeed, canned goat men-may share the
privileges. In brief, cynical citizens here
fear that the government has bitten on
more than it can chew, much less digest,
unless the number of commodities In the
states bazaar be limited
1t is only the mutual interests of Ameri-
cans and natives in Porto Rico that lead to
a cheerful public acceptance of any plan
likely to interest consumers in the meri-
torious products of the island. The sugar
men need no help, for they are making big
money this year. and the tobacco men can
not get enough high-grade leaf to meet de-
mands.
These leading producers, therefore, may
not avail themselves of the opportunities TO
be offered in the Borfnquen sample rooms
To help out the smaller agricultur1sts the
house of delegates Is calling for $4OooOo0
loan. If this sum is raised and distributed
widely, and is not used to pay of old Span
ish mortgages with heavy interest addl-
lions finances in Porto Rico VIII soon grow
less frenzied, and even the metropolitan
store to be established under house bill Is
may be discontinued.
Incidentally it should be said that Gov.
Winthrop Is deluged with applications from
men who want to run the new shop.
A c. II.