New-York tribune., 1906-12-24
PORTO RlCAN PROGRESS
What -1meyican Sovereignty Is Do
iag for the Island.
rFrom The Trbuze Bureau.

,Nsss,l=toa. Dec 2-The Presidents message
~ Porto Rico. sent TO Congress December II. en-
enthusiastically telling az the impressions gained N
,-aversing the island by different roads November
= and 20 ard citing the amazing DEVELOPMENT IN
ne eight wears % American sovereignty. IS now
t7rroIorated by official figures showing tEe re-
r-srszble growth Of commerce between the island
s-d this country. Tho bureau OF statistics OF the
Department of Commerce ana Labor finds that the
trade between tho United States and Porto Rico
IL .ho calendar year 1876 will exceed $s0o0oeo
sEairst less than ssso eOe IN 1897 the year before
snneNstion-
THE value &C merchandise ser. from Porto Rico
% the United states IL the ten months ending with
0ctot- 1915, Is ss 157 and Of merchandise sent
f-'n tha United States Porto Rico in ths same
period NG.sSs46. making total for the ten months
70 SF s3o0S3. and thus apparently justifying the
ssrs.c7 that for the fun twelve monhs ended
wirf December the total viii exceed 100000 IN
TIE cslendav year 1897. the wear Immediately pre-
cediuS annexation. the total imports into tho
United states from Porto Rico were 81 a4s Isl. and
Ire total exports that island. g oas.7Jl making
q totsI % S.s6-"2. or less than one-tonth Of the
to.ai promised tor me year which ENDS with the
Irrsenl month
No- only has the '~zde OF Porto Rico wiki the
nited States increased enormously but the gen
'I mace 81 the island shows also large increase
curing tne period iI question The total value oS
r-er-2sndise passing in and out os the island ia
~" "as practically twice as Ereat as thar Of any
gear pr-or 10 aUneNat.on- This remarkable growth
iH th- general commerce o. tho island q result ~
toe growth of production of srapte articles enter
~ ''f'lefce and tn consequent growth in The
20 s..ls power of'the people. Is shown hy figures
computed hT the bureau OF statistics vuicn for
49,. -7 a,-7r. 49, ne NaineS m Eoo or me i'm
-..E term ~ years. aud mus enable an accurate
lsias -1dst Spanlsl control Tre figures thus
.oAIl.le1 snow l1at mo exports ot th" sand IN
'.- - r7L l"S Wara SlzSH"''- against So. 75"."sl
-e rr-s yvere III 5.s 10 ,-,- lrEs S .,.. na
- Of an 81 5slf der
..rse proportion or me. trade Of Porto Rieo is
me i<lana :. per cent goes % re tnited
.s.H3 'f'a Ier cent Is from TIE United states.
81 months ended pIra Ctfaher 500 he fa1.sr
ssf.ta-e n-ure~ ~ tho bureau % statistics OF -hs
,as-s prfor r. alsnexarier. me shave 80 ire ex-
po-ts SEM 10 rIle Uritea STATS vas = per cent
el. nc SHARE "f t0= imports aiken from tie
t-,tSd states = per cent
he p9g,Pe o, rT a-5ses ST. foTmias sais llrFe AID
.o9-' .e egnef, fruits. ID he .lirIn5uts from The
ION goods. Iaauufaotu-es Of iron and steel and
to-Y -ae Ir.to. ,s-1-s 80 F,--n RIO In He taH
months euded with October. nc latest period for
-5r7 Porto Ffco H. -a Irstes safes was as fol-
faero, S7r6-5 olaszeS. s4cl oranges. 81. 462;
fa lures Sl-~ci7. hides and skins Sa2 26l7. pre-
served fruits. S.sfS iron and sIseI manufactures,
- s- S2osgeo = ms and t-imniinss SosSf 80 r. -,s W
'ntl - 5le ~ tlI!~rF f1 el'-et i : = -
1rLcle ullCl TIE CHIEF growth has oC-
CURED IS sugar. ~ which the value of the ship
-eHts from nc slang 70 yht tinted states Tas Ms n
against N20SS 0S4 in the corresponding moutlrs 81
-0- E.1121- the same months Cf 1904. and $3.50.
- iu tire corTeSnoudinZ months Of 1903
IN -rf shipments Of merchandise from the Eited
s'stes Porto Rico the number of articles IS much
'arSr than IN the shiuments from the island u
me Tinted States The articles Porto
Rco include. I'M lie order of iTuporranCa and value
Tgec S-SH4l5 cotton manufactures. s2.3SI.245.
fr-- fractures iron and steel. S-ss I45 and
dairy products sLfe6 so. hreadstuTs. S1.l55. $50
wood and manufacture thereof. $50 OIL, while
re- thesa general groups are included such arti-
-four s995SS5. lumber. boards. etc, SS+6S1l
-o-k salted or picked. Ss-0.0s7 boots and shoes
SO go leaf tobacco $3.50 s4: Goldfish. $500 461; hams
se-Ges- l-rE S25s o5I fertilizers. S2265as lard
rounds sel 4-. steel rails sls5752. street railway
rs-s, se+Ws blesched cotton cloths Sls2Ss2 col
-eF cotton cloths ss- Unheached cotton cloths
froS55- bread and biscuit. S4S5s6 iron sheets and
rlates s542G2. bituI--uoUs coal, St6,.2o, and ilu