AGKICtTLTUBAL BESOUECES, ETC., OF POETO EICO. 27 



(10) Too narrow a range of agricultural production. The agricul- 

 tural products imported amounted to about five-elevenths of the total 

 imports. In 1895 the agricultural products imported amounted to 

 $7,171,352 (gold), and the total nonagricultural to $9,644,101, or 42.60 

 per cent of the former to 57.40 per cent of the latter. The total 

 exports of native products in 1895 were $15,190,856, of whicli amount 

 $14,573,366 were agricultural. Tersely stated, they imported 50 cents' 

 worth of rice, flour, fish, etc., for subsistence to enable them to pro- 

 duce one dollar's worth of sugar, coffee, and tobacco for export. If 

 there was any failure in the dollar crop, money must be borrowed to 

 pay the 50 cents. 



(11) No agricultural schools nor journals to disseminate knowledge 

 upon agricultural subjects, without which no nation has taken front 

 rank in agriculture. 



Effects of such CJonditions. 



The consumption tax was a tax levied by towns and cities upon the 

 necessities of life, such as maize, rice, lard, sugar, flour, silk, char- 

 coal (used for cooking), petroleum, etc. It was not placed on dry 

 goods, jewelry, and similar articles. This tax was very heavy, as the 

 following will illustrate: 



(consumption 

 tax (silver). 



Muscovado sugar _ per cwt.. $3.00 



Flour_ ._ do... 1.25 



Rice do... 2.25 



This tax was far-reaching in its effect. It not only nearlj- doubled 

 the cost of living, but it prevented the establishment of small farms 

 in the vicinity of cities, because the farmer must provide for the con- 

 sumption tax before he could sell. This was practically prohibitory. 



The effect of landlordism is to obtain the largest present revenue 

 from the land possible, regardless of the future. To this may be 

 charged the complete destruction of all the timber within merchant- 

 able distance of any good road or any market. Present fertility of 

 soil is taxed to the utmost at the expense of future production. 

 Improvements are cheap and rude. 



Under such conditions it was only a question of time when general 

 bankruptcy must be forced on the producers. It was certain to fol- 

 low any general failure of crops, any great decline in prices or radical 

 change in the character of the markets, or any monetary crisis which 

 should destroy credit. Unfortunately for Porto Rico, all these things 

 occurred at once. Change of flag necessitated new markets for a 

 majority of her staples, the hurricane destroyed most of the crop In 

 1899, and credit to planters was totally withdrawn. The hurricane 

 was a crowning calamity. It swept away not only crops, but the 

 improvements, and devastated the island in all portions to an amount 

 scarcely to be estimated. While it visited the coffee plantations with 

 special violence, it left its wreckage marks on every sugar plantation 

 in the island. 



How Can Depression in Agriculture be Relieved? 



I have stated the condition of agricultui'e and the cause of its decline 

 somewhat fully in order to point out clearly the relief. It is evident 

 that the only immediate relief that can be afforded the agricultural 

 interests in Porto Rico must be provided through the established lines 



