The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-06-28
JUNGLE SAM HAS 1000 ISLANDS
POSSESSIONS.

enjoy the same measure of tariff pro-
lection as producers in the United
States.
1t is a curious fact that in the case
of all three of the principal insular
possessions of the United States-that
is. Hawaii. Porto Rico and the Phil
lppln"s-the chief factor in the pros
pcrity that has come t % them under
the American flag has been the same,
the sugar industry. With the single
execution of their British cousins,
Americans are the greatest sugar con
sumefs i'm the world. and with the
broad market of the continental Unit
ed States thrown open to them since
their inclusion Within he operation OF
the tariff laws. the production of usar
has hecom not only the leading in
dnstry of these islands. hut also the
mainstay of all other development.
This was strikinsly illustrated re-
Gently by a statement made by Don
Carlos Mccormick, of Porto Rico. be
fore a congressional committee here.
II" has shown that since the United
States came into ontro of these ISL
ands the sugar imported from them
had grown from 627:000.O 900 pounds in
1898 to nearly two billion pounds in
1911. Imports from the Philippines
had increased nine times. those from
Hawaii had more than doubled, and
those from Porto Rico had multiplied
seven times. y
The sugar industry supplies more
than half the of the insular
government said Senior Mccormick,
IN describing the progress of Porto
RICO under American rule. 1t gives
employment directly to 100000 adult
workers. on whom 100000 persons. or
much more than half the entire popu
la1lon. are dependent. In 1898 work.
ers IN this industry received II to 80
cents a daY. At present their wages
are I'VE times this amount, and the
living conditions have improved cor
respondingly. TheT have comfortable
houses built of umher bought of the
unlt"d States. instead of shacks and
novels. Their wives are employed in
house"ork, instead of in the fields,
and their children are in schools
which did not exist before the coming
OF III Americans. You cannot climb
a mountain in Porto Rico TO-DAY with
out seeing a little school house with
the American flag flying over it. Our
people are intensely proud of their
schools and anxious to take ADVANTAGE
of them. and it is the fact that the
destruction of the sugar industry
through The adoption of such a meas
ure as the free sugar bill centl
introduced into congress would cause
the destruction OF the school system.
would stop the other works of deyel-
o.pment now under way and would
throw the lahorer back into a condi-
non as bad as hat under which he
llved in Spanish time. that has caused
the Porto Rican Legislature and the
representatives of the commercial or
CARNATIONS ia protest so vehemently
against its adoption"
Similar statements are made by
representatives of Hawaii and the
Philippines. 1t is pointed out that
susar constitutes over seventy per cent
OF all h exports of Porto Rico to the
continental United States. ninety DER
cent of the Hawaii exports and forty
per cent Of the Philippine exports. 1t
IS a remarkable coincidence that Uncle
SANS most important islands. so
widely separated and presenting such
diversity Of conditions. should all de-
pend upon the American sweet tooth
Tor their continued DEVELOPMENT and
prosperity.