The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1909-05-24
. rHE RANANA STRIKE.
Another Account Of the queer Row In
MaaraEuA.

~ T<vH
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Another Account 81 the queer Row In
Nicaragua.
To rHR EDITOR OF THx suN-Sr: In the
latter part Of March the Biusfelds Steam
ship Company limited that provided MI.
Goodell, manages OF the company. could
obtain s6tisfsotory assurances from the
N~iosraguan Government a. to the future
policy 1t would pursue with regard to i'm
port dutlss on this coast, the company would
grant . substantial ipcrease 10 the prices
paid for fruit purchased from the planters
In business on the rivers n~aviEated BY the
company's boats. This important infor-
nation was given to the public In q quiet
manner. aud those who had been deplor!ng
the commercial s%tagRation whloh has been
prevalent since the last hurricane felt that
ut last there Wa . rift In the clouds. and
that Blueields, ence = town OF considera-
Bile Importance In Latin America. would
again assume her old position.
simultaneously with the publishing OF
this good news the planters, through their
representatives Messrs. Mena and Mccoy.
Issued "dodssrs" printed both In English
and Spanish saying that unIess the Blue
deids Steamship Company met their de-
mands for higher prices they would refuse
to deliver any more fruit to the company.
As these prices demanded by the planters
were In the %company's opinion excessive.
the company continued sending Its ships
out with small cargoss. obtained for the
greater part from lie own plantations and
from those planters who had . contract
with the company.
The determination with which the plant
ers conducted their early fsht 10 manifested
by the fact that several owners OF small
farms who decided to continue shipping
fruit through the company and got their
fruit ready for delivery were cautioned
that the company was boyootted. A. q
warning the fruit was chopped TO pieces
and thus made unfit for sale. A hint OF
this kind was sufficient. and no other at
tempts were made by those 80 warned to
deliver their fruit to the bsfges and tugs
Of the steamship company.
This condition continued for about two
weeks, " steamers calling during the
time and leaving With very small csrGoes.
II would seem that the action Of the steam.
ship company in sending q steamer to Santa
Marta. Colombia, rather than load here under
such u%nfavorabie conditions. incensed the
planterst to such or extent that they revenged
themselves upon the company and those
planters whom they consids Tered to be favor
ably Inclined toward IL by ~chopping down a
considerable area In their plantations.
The apathy Of the Government ofnoisis
In restoring order and seeking punishment
for these offenders lent them announcement
and the ~depredstions increased alarminGly.
The Bluenelds Steamship Company. against
which the most resentment was naturally
felt. was the est sufferer. Hardly . day
passed without news from Rama the point
where the steamers are loaded. distant from
Bluefelds some sixty miles) OF some new
destruction. A. an evidence Of the Govern
mentls apparent unwlilingness or incapa-
bllity TO control the situation ! cite an
instance which in another country would
be hard to believe, Thomas Hooker, an
experienced planter OF excellent reputation.
suffered . loss through unknown parties
Of about 100 acres OF young bananas. He
reported this TO the nearest authority. the
Governor Of Rama, who sent. At Hooker's
requ cot. . section OF troops to preserve
order at his farm. While the soldiers were
on duty there q rand OF strikers again Wis
tied the premises and In plain view OF all
and under the very noses Of the troops
chopped $50 punches of bananas to pieces.
When asked Tor an explanation neither the
commanding oficer nor the troops them-
selves could throw any light on the subject.
and although the troops we're recruited
from the district in which the strikers re-
sided they failed 10 recognize or apprehend
even one OF them.
From May to May - the Bluehelds
Steamship Company lost in four plantations.
through fire and machete. banana talks
and fruit covering an area OF at least go
acres. The total loss % far will doubtless
exceed 500 o at . conservative figure.
do not hesitate to say that the con-
dition here is very grave. and Il 10 not exaR-
G~eration to say that the total destruction
OF the banana industry along the Esoondido
River 10 threat ened. American capital rep
resented In these plantations may safely
be placed at 90 per cent, The Government
has made no really serious effort 10 ouell
the disturbance nor TO sfYord the protection
which the company and the planters are
entitled to. or late many arrests have
been made. and on May IL the Government
steamer Ometepe came from Rama with
about ZOO prisoners picked up indiscrimi-
nately In Rama and from the river banks.
Among them were several Americans who
have maintained an attitude Of impair
TALLY throughout and could not have been
10 any way associated with the anarchism
and ri fianism which has for so long pre-
vailed without Interference from the au-
thortties.
These prisoners, and doubtless there are
a. many innocent as guilty. were treated
with indifference and received less atten-
tlon than that accorded the cattle which
this warship OF many vacations has At dif-
ferent times transported. Leaving Rama
Thursday At II A. NJ, they arrived at
Bluehelds In . famiahsd condition at
o'clock Friday morning. aat having been
provided with food or water while en-
route. They were taken In charge here
by o platoon OF troops and conducted to the
Quartet. and later released on parole and in
structed TO report at the Quartet At 4 O'Clock
4. NJ. and 4 o'clock P. NJ. daily until finally
released, Many OF the prisoners lave no
means at hand. md the Government 10 not
providing for their maintenance. In the
meantime the plantations Of the innocent
and those not supposed to be In sympathy
with the boycott lie al the mercy Of the
marauders and ruf,ans who infest the bush
and steal forth at night under cover OF the
darkness TO carry on their work OF de-
struction.
Tho town OF Bluehelds was placed under
martial law by orders from tho President
at Msnssus on Wednesday. May -. and tho
arrests before mentioned were Immediately
made at Rama. The steamship company
has appealed to Vioe-Consll Clancy for
protection, and while II was not generally
known. ! I'm assured through q reliable
source that the United States Government
has been requested to send Z warshIp to
protect American interests.
Many protests have been hled with the
American and British consular officers, and
ths otltcomA Of the farming ststs ~ 4. 10.