The Springfield herald., 1912-05-10

A scene of the operations of the
4 United Frnit company, and
that which is not. The first is
becoming Americanized; in the sec
ond. European nations now have the
advantage in trade.
In the banana country the fruit com
pany is everywhere and as common
carrier 1t has a powerful influence in
the coffee country. 1t has developed
the Atlantic coast of Costa Rica and
probably has done more than any 9TH
er single agent for the prosperity and
commercial development Of this small
republic. Costa Rica is by far the
most prosperous of all the Central
American republics, and has not had
successful revolution in more than
80 years, the correspondent of the
New York Sun. writing from San Jose,
says. Americans living here and Cos
ia Ricans are convinced that the abb
sence of revolutions and the prosper
ity of the country are in the nature of
cause and effect
The bananas and coffee sent out of
Costa Rica represent practically the
entire export trade of this country.
The value of the banana expectations
average about Si.000,000 n year, and
the coffee a little more than half as
much. The fruit company either grows
or buys and transports and sells all
the bananas and carries all the coffee
produced in Costa Rica. In doing
these things 1t has developed a great
number of side lines of activity, which
make 1t the great power It Is in Costa
Rica. These other activities include
railroads. stores. telegraph and teie-
phone systems. light and power plants,
hospital, schools and various forms of
agriculture and stock raising. In ad-
dition it has its feet of ships. car
rying both passengers and freight
Bananas Cost 30 Cents Bunch.
The company owns over 100000
acres of banana lands on the Atlantic
seaboard of Costa Rica. On these
lands 1t produces about ~ per cent. of
all the bananas grown in the repub-
lie. 1t buys all the bananas that ma
tive growers can produce. The an
nual shipment is about 100000
punches, bought by the fruit company
at a fixed price of 80 cents a bunch.
For handling the bananas the company
allows 10 cents bunch. and the de-
clared export value of a bunch of ba-
nanas is fixed at 40 cents.
The outlet for both the coffee and
the bananas is Port Limon. on the
Caribbean. When Secretary Knox
and his party arrived there recently
there were three steamers in port
g{ fFtr nf hg
To tap the banana districts the main
line of the railroad. leased and oper-
ated by the United Fruit company un-
der the name of the Costa Rican
Northern railroad. extends from Port
Limon to San Jose, the capital. 1O3
miles distant and 5000 feet above the
sea. From the main line extend a num-
ber of branches and from these
branches other spurs and tramways,
the whole forming a system of veins
and arteries for the transportation of
bananas Every effort is maze to get
the banana from the tree to the ship
as soon as possible and with the min
imum of handling
The main line is a common carrier
of both passengers and freight Dis
elimination by the fruit company is
impossible under the terms of its
lease. At Port Linen the company
has built a number of steel piers from
which the ships are loaded with ba-
nanas and coffee by special machin-
cry. The company has large Offices at
Port Limon. and has in addition a
wireless station, a hospital. quarters
for It's employees. light and power
plants and wholesale and retail stores.
The Costa Rican government has CO.
operated with the fruit company,
has put in many public improvements
and keeps the city clean. The govern.
ment receives a direct, as we'll as an
indirect, revenue from the fruit com.
pany through an export tax of l cent
gold upon each bunch of bananas sent
out of Costa Rica.
The big banana growing districts
practically end in the foothills of the
mountain range which divides Costa
Rica, and where bananas stop coffee
begins. The hills and mountains for
more than 80 miles along the railroad
from Port Limon to San Jose are GOV
cred with coffee plantations. many oil
them thousands Of acres in extent
These are practically all owned by the
Costa Ricans, many Of them wealthy
Costa Rican coffee is considered BY
many to be the finest in the world
England takes the entire product eact
year and pays a higher price for il
than the United States pays for Bra
lillian coffee. Costa Rican coffee Is
strong and black as served here in Sar
Jose, and to the writer It seems fai
superior to the average coffee provid
ed in American homes and hotels. L
IS better without milk
It cannot be doubted that II Amer
leans were more familiar with the at
fractions of Costa Rica more woulC
visit the country. The climate of Sar
Jose is considered ideal The city Is
5000 feet above the sea and the COO
air of this altitude is a relief aftel
the heat and sultriness of the Carib