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OOVERNME ,~T
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milea, or less than oue-tlft.h the ize W!la i41,104, or over 1 per ct~pi The CY,Cione of l 02 brought un havoc 1u1d di. tresa to the sugar industry in Iau!'tins, whieb . tfi sole reliance for the inhabitant.<~. 1fhe Uov rnine1it of tain ·came to the rescue, and guaranteed th itt r st at cent on an nsular lo1m of IO,~,UOO - rupees (or nearly local cqrr ncy), and this money u ' •pplied to th r palr of -the loan to t!•e proprietors; but •the aCtoW,)o frOm the hurri •nne exports Of tbe island Will< Jess than 00 J)er cent. a factl proven by trade statistic~'~, ' hich show no greater ratio than that pf fulling the sugar produc .ion, while the 108 in Po rto Rico· from a i was 05 per cent, as abov . This tlnauci I to Jt.u, ... ,.l, ... ,l.,,set all the wheels of industry in sugar ,crop, which in 1892 fell to motion, repair d the aboqt 00,000 tons, normal of 100,000 tons the. next year, and in the yMr I its maximum of 180,000 tons. I think I am ju tifi~ by the le to all who seek 1em and by the teachings of hi11tor , i,tt that the same splendid result would follow a similar to Puerto mco, but that the ~~~~d~to th:~~cu appli~d. immediately. EJvery I' do n«?t recomu~ud by the United States of a oau for th island. It for nearly 4,000 square mH s rich soil, inl1abi who have lHtd an exterior trade averaging over a guarantee. The pledge :or the island alone be d J am 1\!1 ured by iiuanciers that inve tors wQtild ift!m.edi for tbis loan at low in.tere t the moment it wa simply< by the U\tited States. I will not d scrib . tile mncbi applying the credit thn.t would then beavaiJa,ble. Theteare ghlyrespec~ble banking houses here whose facilities - ~6Jd be of, or comml. siOJlers appointed . under Oo-1,1gressioua! n 1t tbe matter in charge, and dictated by la.w and prudence · they wop.ld ee. tliat t e were fully obeerv d; l>nt if can be done before a new govern· ment is autliorized and e tal1lis I fear that the diseases already very grave will become chrome. the remedial mea~ur¥ will be much le effective Inter U~ the 11th iu tant I cati.on to the Det1a.rtwent, 19 Of the )argest coffee which bad bCiln eemed to me, justified growers. Its impor~indu its peedy pr entation to although I do not fully sub ribe: to all the tatemeu e0 ltnd his associates. jl . hav to ask that in auy be accorded to this letter . my former couimunicatious of and :30 be referred to al relevaut. ·· 1
re wrts tb market hefore
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OOVF.RNM!tNT FOR THE T LAND OF l'UJ.:RTO RICO .
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mttn\: cign.r:; nmd inl:'u ' rto Uico hut I do not rJdmit·o them, a;1d fo und .no o'nc,who did. Th y do not begin to compar~ with ubnn. nlt·hougb the tobncco wn.· cnt to 'ubtt ttiiCl tuixi'Cl 1 ith H~thnll tt ~tm1 · :did a: 1 1 I · 'ulmn. The CHAIIDIAN. The tohucco wn<s. nt to tho nit d \ .'tate.· aud u:;Nl [L,~ II· filled Hem' rnl DAVIS. If t! nt, it would he i<o ww\1. Th CHAinMAN. :b'or iw;tmll'c, tht1,\' w;r 'onn ticut tolracco for ,l'l'ap· pcr nnd thi:; fo-r filll'l'; tbo_y do not eomp •t . Ge nernl Dt\VJ.'. 0 sir ; r do not hc·ll('I'O thcll'p WOI.\1<'\ be any('( ITI\) tition. J be lil'l' ~ the 'onnc ·ticut wmpprr;o; woLtl1l go to l:'u >rto ltteo and there be u.-ed with udmntltj!C ~o both intef'\':<ti<. The CJ1AIIIMAK. You lmvo made lUI e,.;tilimto tq tho df ct tha . tlH tot!Ll •xport would mnonnt to !thout •ight million dolhtrs for uti prodt~~ . l:-: . Gencml DAvi'. Yes, ;o;ir. Mr. ~ET.TIOHEW. That h;', tL II that ha:-~ hccn •xpurtcd I " G 11 •ml DAvrs. 1o, :;ir; about $ll,OOIJ,Ouq<dr li\12,000,000 \YIL:o the nornml ox rt. 'L'h1• 'IIA tMAK. How much of thnt do ·_,·ou c:;timt~te will Unit<.•tl ~tat s I , nde r pr ·e t (11-nrral DAVI • lt dcp 11ds on ' th tmdo eol'tditi6ns. <'Onditions nearly ali th :;twnr, none of tho ·otl'~e, ami no toba · •o. If tmdo restrictions b • remo1· ·d thr ·-fourth.· of n I cxporL ·, if not nl.ore, . would go to the l nitcd ~tl\t .-. ~Jr. GA),LINGF:n. Is it not po. :<ible-indced hicrhlv probn.blr- that under Am rican nJaTHwem nt, with !t mttrket. $ produqtion .of to hac ·o in l:'u •rto Rico will be enoi·mou ·ly ' incr •ased, bven beyond any ·ea.r unci ,. Sptinish rult>~ < • G n mfDAVJ '. I th'iflk not. Tho Ill' n thltt hn.- h e n found tp be ' ndnptcd i Pnerto Ri co fo r ~obne ·o is v ry limit1,1tl. There aro bnly two or th · e littl di.-tril'k wh •r an-y tohacco i g rown R.t all. f am .·om wha fam.liar with th tobacco di -tl'i<·t-s in Pinrtr del Rio in 'ubathr ,., Vuf ltn .Abnjo. ' 1 was stationc{l there somo months. The tohncto I nels in Cuha are extr m ly limited·-thc Juons ndapt U to 'ul t\11 to )lltco-thm·e i:< not one- tiftee ~ttl~ pu1't of , ub11. · on . wh_ich tobatco ~b~tld oo grown. In Puerto R1co th Plntlt Is one/ chstrJCt, nrou11d Cdguns'~:; another, nnd in th re~ion ttr und Jajuya i:; 1tnot11er.· I do not believe nnv ,. n · (' Xten. iv (•u lt•vn.tion willl)c undertaken. Th CRAJR)IAN. ·' ffe' - and sugnt•? Geneva] DA '? . Cofl'e ' ·ould hr extended. 1 The CHAUDJAN. How about. ugf\r. · : G n ra·l DAVJ . Th r nrc great limitations on ~ •gar. Tho lnnd ba bl.'cn ltu·geh• W<jlrkcd out. They would htwo ~ 1\dopt new systems, and ferti lize, arid bnv now nntl iinp•·oy;d ~1nchm ery. iTbe.y"can uttlize the abandoned 'fi.eld. ;;om " ihnt, J ~uppose. ''he.1· might 'r n 'h the Dlt\ximum, th ir former maximum, po. ·ihly •x ·cocL it. 11.fter s v rnl rear:,~ . . Mr. PETTIGREW. Two c nt.~ a pound hounty ~ou{d certainly stimu· ta'tc it imrnon ly. Geuel'l~l DA IS. It cpuld not stimulatQ bey01 d the nnturn.l cnpnpity of the i ·land. · . · )Ir. F ALRBA.i;KS. Can you grow another crop when the land i exhausted for one of these ·rop ~ I
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