Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
Excerpt from The Far East and the New America, Vol. 6: A Picturesque and Historic Account of These Lands and Peoples, With the Following Special Articles China
The material development of Porto Rico is closely interwoven with its public and political evolution. If the natives find there is no prospect of their finding a market for their labour and products of the soil, they would naturally be discontented under any form of government. It is not sufficient that the island should be a rich and fertile one. There should be capital and brains to convert the possibilities of the soil into salable products, and then find markets for them. This is a serious matter, that both leading merchants and public men must consider in the broadest sense. The development of Porto Rican industries will give to the people new contentment and faith in our government and institutions.
Many of these natural industries are in a most deplorable condition, and they are in great need of energetic men to develop them. In some instances the native owners of land are waiting for our government to do something, and they refuse either to sell or cultivate their estates. Some of the Porto Ricans have shown great energy and busi ness capacity in cultivating their lands, and their crops are large and profitable. They have lacked the necessary capital to make sugar raising a paying industry, but great changes are being made in this direction. Capital is coming into the island, and new sugar plants will be erected in the near future. The new tariff arrangements will greatly stimulate sugar raising, and the industry is bound to prove one of the most profitable on the island. The sugar planters of Porto Rico will receive per ton in gold more than those of the West Indies for similar products, and this discrimina tion in favour of the former will tend to build up an industry on the island that will give employment to thousands. Those who have not the necessary capital to go into sugar raising will find profit in growing fruits and tobacco. The climate and soii are eminently adapted to the production of fine tropical fruits and high grades of tobacco. One can raise either on a small farm, and with little capital to start with. For this reason tobacco and tropical fruits will be more popular than sugar with the average Porto Rican with a few acres of land and a little money.
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