PORTO RICO — rOPULATION AND COMMERCE ccxxxvii
by the Senate Feb. 0, 1899, and by the Queen Regent of Spain Mar. 17), according to a recent report of the British consul (Foreign Office, Annual Series, No. 1917, 1897), has an extent of about 3668 s<iuare miles— 35 miles broad and 95 miles long. The Statesman's Year Book, 1898, gives the population (1887) at 8i3,937, of which over 300,000 are negroes. There are 470 miles of telegraph and 137 miles of railway, besides 170 miles under construction. According to a report by United States Consul Stewart of San Juan (printed in " Highways of Commerce"), there are about 150 miles of good road on the island. Elsewhere transportation is effected on horseback. The British report above referred to says that the telephone systems of San Juan, Ponce, and Mayaguez have recently been contracted for by local syndicates. In Ponce a United States company obtained the contract for the material. There are 100 stations already connected, and it is expected that 200 more will be in operation shortly. Commerce The Estadistica General del Comercio Exterior, Porto Rico, 1897, gives the following figures (the latest published) in regard to the trade of the island in 1895 : IMPORTS OF PRINCIPAL ARTICLES
Articles Value 1 Articles Value 1 Coal .... Iron .... Soap .... Meat and lard . Jerked beef Fish .... Rice .... $119,403 224,206 238,525 1,223,104 133,616 1,591,418 2,180,004 Flour Vegetables Olive oil . Wine Cheese Other provisions Tobacco (man'f'd) . $982,222 192,918 327,801 305,656 324,137 171,322 603,464
1 United States currency. EXPORTS OF PRINCIPAL ARTICLES
Articles Value 1 Articles Value! Coffee Tobacco . $8,789,788 646,556 Sugar Honey $3,747,891 517,746
1 United States currency. The value of the total imports was $16,155,056, against $18,316,971 for the preceding year. The exports were valued at $14,629,494, against 316,015,665 in 1894. The principal increases in imports, as compared with the preceding year, were in meat, fish, olive oil, and tobacco. Decreases were noted in flour, vegetables, and wine. The exportation of coffee diminished, and that of sugar and honey increased. The commerce of Spain with Porto Rico from 1893 to 1896 was :
Description 1S93, lSi)4 ls05 1896 Imports from Porto Rico Kxports to Porto Rico . DollavH 4,r>.'>:-!.o-_>:^ DoUa rtt 4.1 (',4,9(54 Dolhtt'H r).824,r)94 s,r)T2..'U9 Doll a rx 5.4'23,7fi(t 7,32S,S^0
