The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1912-04-23

American exports 10 the planters and
their assistants.
Proportionate to It's size Porto Rico
is an important grower Of cane. II
has all told only about 1868 square
miles Sugar and coffee are It's lead.
ing crons, coffee holding first place in
area and second in value; sugar, sec.
ond in area, but FIRST in value; its SUI.
gar export being more than double
that Of coffee. It's sugar cultivation
ds limited to its coastal regions, where
the soil g deep, fertile and sandy.
While there has been marked
progress in every industrial develop.
ment of the island ever since the
American possession, the steady de-
mand for sugar, coupled with it's free
entry into the American ports, has
stimulated it's cultivation beyond that
of any other crop on the island, and
not only has there been a general ex.
tension of the sugar industry but a
general reorganization through con-
so'idation of small plantations into
large holdings, most of which are
controlled in New York.
At present Cuba is exporting in the
neighborhood of 100000 tons of SUI.
gar a year, sending nineteen-twen-
tieths of it to the United States. A
comparison of the exports and i'm
ports between Cuba and the United
States during the past twelve years
shows a yearly average of over S37,-
100000 in Cuba's favor.
The cost of raising sugar in Cuba
is less than in Porto Rico Land in
Cuba costs from $3.50 to $4OO per Ca
balleria" which covers thirty-three
."cuerdfs' Ga cuerda is about nine
.tenths of an acre.. The same ca
balleria in Porto Rico will bring from
$1,000 to $4,000. The erection of build
ings, machinery, materials and trans
portation in Porto Rico cost at least
thirty-five per cent. more than in
Cuba, for Cuba purchases her machin-
cry from the United States at the ex-
port price and imports it with TWEEN
ty per cent. reduction on the Cuban
tariff rate, which is eight per cent. ad
valorem. Porto Rico purchases her
machinery also from the United
States, but at the domestic market
price, carrying with it all the burdens
of the Dingley tariff. Cuban soil is
more fertile than that of Porto Rico
and her sugar fields yield from seven
to ten years without replanting. Porto
Rico is obliged to replant every three
years.
Now, in view of these differences,
and realizing that Cuba has miles of
undeveloped cane land, the sugar re-
finers in Porto Rico have bought from
Cuba vast tracts of land near the
coast adjacent to their own ports and
are growing cane there, which they
ship in broad-bottomed boats across to
their own mills for refining. If this
process can be continued for a rea-
sonable period, Porto Rico may be en-
abled to furnish the United States
with greater and greater quantity of
sugar, gradually absorbing, as the
years go on, the shipments now made
by Cuba.
The argument the Porto Ricans
make against free sugar is something
like this: with every dollar worked
for and earned, Porto Rico has thrown
back into the American treasury far
more than she has taken out. With
the proceeds from the sugar she is
sending the United States she is pay
ing more than one-half of the bugbear
sugar tax. Let her advance one more
step and pay the total sum. Aye, let
her go further still, and not only fur
nish the United States with the
wherewithal to pay the tax, but in
conjunction with the production OF
sugar from cane and beets in the
United States do away with the neces.
sity of any tax, by providing enough
free sugar to sweeten Uncle Sam
huge morning coffee cup, and, in, adj
dition, furnish the candy makers
enough material for all the confec
tons for all the children of this, the
greatest of all sugar-esting coun
tries
PHILIPPINE SCHOOL