The Washington herald., 1909-11-07

Of bananas were taken out TO sea and
/ thrown overheard. The growers, too, are
I exposed 20 many risks. A West Indian
/ hurricane destroyed millions Of dollars
worth of property along the Atlantic.
which is the only region where bananas
/ are successfully cultivated. In few
minutes the plantations were uproOted
and the capital accommodations Of long
time were swept away. The best banana
| lands are in localities where the ground
/ IS damp and the climate IS not always
/ healthful. Plantations owned by large in
/ terests. therefore. are usually worked by
! jamaica negroes.
Plants Bear Quickly.
ION the other hand" Mr.. Calvo went
on TO say, bananas grow easily and
without any cost for fertilization A plant
bears IN six months. Meanwhile many
other plants spring from its roots; so
many, in fact, that most Of them havo
to be dug UP. So when the plant bears
it's fruit and is cut down other plants
/ take its place. An Englishman, 1 am IN
/ formed sent a quantity of banana fiber
to London and had it made into an ex-
celleut quality OF paper. If the report Is
I accurate. there is no reason why Costa
Rica should not develop a profitable man
ufacturing industry"
! What is the price OF good banana
Iand?"
4 cannot give YOU exact figures" Mr..
! Calvo replied, amy more than one could
| say what wheat land is worth in the
! United States Location has everything
TO do with farm values. Back from tho
sea coast, unimproved banana land can
be bought for so an acre. Improved land
is worth as much as $500 an acre"
| ASIDE from the men composing the
| United Fruit Company, are any Ameri-
cans growing bananas in your country
| ooh, yes. 1 know a man who left Vir-
GINA and went 20 Costa Rica, where his
first employment was to carry the mail
between two towns that had been cut
of by a washOut on the railway. When
he got a little money ahead he began
to raise vegetables for the home market,
Now he has a large plantation and IS In
comfortable instances. In Costa Rica,
as elsewhere. It all depends on the man
his courage. application, and habits.
What do the growers get for their
orops?'
Minimum Price Fixed.
Approximately. a bunch Of bananas
IS worth 80 cents IN American gold. I'm
der a law OF last year the United Fruit
Company must pay our planters 81 cents
in gold for each bunch of bananas that
has nine or more well developed small
punches on the stem, and 15lz cents for
each bunch that has less than nine and
more than six small punches on the stem.
Nine years ago our export duty on
bananas was abolished, but In October,
1905, we made a bargain with the United
Fruit Company and for twelve years to
| come Il will pay l cent In gold for each
l bunch Of bananas that it ships out Of the
country, in lieu OF all other taxes. We
! shall collect more than 100000 a year
from the company in that way.
I'VE have a system of export taxation
by which we get revenue and also pro-
tect our own domestic interests" Mr.
Calvo continued. In the United States
only things brought into the country
from foreign lands are taxed. We lay a
duty, however, on some things sent out
OF the country Fine cattle, because we
want to keep them at home, are taxed
at the rate Of $l163 a head when shipped
from any port in Costa Rica to a foreign
market Formerly we paid q bounty on
cows and heifers purchased abroad and
brought into the republic. Even now
the government refunds the water and
land freights on fine bulls and COWS i'm
ported from the United States or Eu-
rope. Fat cattle which are to be killed
and sold are taxed at the rate Of $S3l
head as a measure Of protection to ouI
farmers and to promote the building W
Of the cattle industry. Certain kinds OF
grains with which to feed cattle, and