The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1912-04-23
PORTO RICO'S PROSPERITY
DEPENDS ON SUGAR INDUSTRY


for the betterment Of the island.
The value of the sugar lands was
from $25 an acre in the district Of
Commerio to $173 in that of Ponce,
and averaged S92.7j, as against the
average of $47O1 for coffee planta-
tions and $6S54 for tobacco lands
On April ~, 1900, Congress passed
the organic act establishing a TEN.
Pcrary government in Porto Rico and
providing temporary revenue for It's
maintenance. On July 25 1901, the
third anniversary of the landing of
the United States troops, the Presi-
dent of the United States made a pro.
clamation announcing the existence
of a civil government in Porto Rico,
and in accordance with the organic
act free trade with the United States
followed and American merchandise
entered the island and the products of
the island entered the United States
free of customs duties. It is to main
tain the benefits secured by this pro-
clamation that the islanders request
that the tax on foreign sugars that
enter the United States shall remain
undisturbed
H. H. b. Meyer superintendent Of
documents of the Government printing
office, compiled in 1910 for the lib
rary of Congress a 240 page book on
sugar, giving in detail the history Of
the sugar industry in the United
States since its beginnings. Mr. Mey-
er starts his first chapter by say
ing:
The business of importing, pro-
ducing and refining sugar is one of
the most important branches of the
commerce, agriculture and manufac-
turing interests of the United States
From duties levied and collected the
United States derives one-sixth of its
annual income-more than from any
other special sources with the excep-
ton of distilled spirits and tobacco"
Another equally well informed auth
GRITTY supplements this with the
statement that the sugar question is
the economic question of the day -
nc other presents so many interesting
phases
Americans are a sugar eating race.
Thpvr IF
the worlds entire output. The per
capita consumption in the United
States is larger than that of any 9TH
er nation on the globe In 1850 it was
81 pounds a year, in 1887 it had
mounted to SO pounrs and in 1908 TO
s. pounds. Great Britain claims a
larger per capita consumption, but in
her reckoning are included quantities
of preserves and other sweets that
and disposed of elsewhere With
these additions she is ranked ahead
OF the United States with SO pounds
to her credit. France is quoted ut
&c pounds, Germany at 40, Spain at
II and Italy at and fraction. All
Europe averages but 81 pounds to
Americas SO,
The last decade in the fifteen cen.
fury was one never to be forgotten
in the history of the sugar industry.
For hundreds of years the cane had
been slowly creeping around the wo Id
from Bengal to Cairo, from Cairo to
Venice, from Venice to London. Chi
na had had it early in her history
and the Greeks and Romans spoke
of it as an Indian product" Dur
ing the fifth century it was carried
into the Tigris Valley and in the
| tenth it ceased to be regarded as a
medicine and was used as a food,
Sugar plants were brought from
Arabia into Egypt and were introduc,
60 into Europe by the Moors, but
the European sugar territory was re-
! stricted to Spain until 400, when cut.
tings were surreptitiously taken to
| Sicily and Cyprus, and later were
sent by the King of Portugal to the
Canares and Madeira Islands. In
1882 London was paying at the rate
OF $2.75 a pound for sugar, and that
by the hundredweight. Venice tried
10 keep her hold on the sugar trade
trade that had made her wealthy
but London succeeded in taking it
from her,
Every nation was striving to find
a shorter route to India and Cathay
in order to do away with the middle
man and obtain the monopoly of the
worlds greatest product" Spain in
her attempt to sail to the old world
stumbled upon the new and brought
back with her the bean of the cocoa
tree and made a drink that she sweet
ened with sugar. Whether she found
cane in the West Indies or only q
| fertile ground in which to plant the
! slips she carried with her will al
| NVDVc rpnain a disnutad uuaction II