And there they died.  Nothing was done to remedy the growing evil, and the writer of the pamphlet, not daring openly to accuse the Government as the only cause of the island’s desperate situation, counsels patience, and timidly expresses the hope that the exorbitant taxes and contributions will be lowered; that economy in the Government expenditures will be practised; that monopolies will be abolished, and odious, oppressive practises of all kinds be discontinued.

Such was the condition of Puerto Rico in 1880.  The Government’s oppressive practises, and they only, were the causes of the ruin of this and all the other rich and beautiful colonies that destiny laid at the feet of Ferdinand and Isabel four centuries ago.

The following statement of the proportion of sugar to each acre of land under cane cultivation in the Antilles, compared with Puerto Rico, may be of interest.

The computation of the average sugar produce per acre, according to the best and most correct information from intelligent planters, who had no motives for deception, was, in 1830:[73]

For Jamaica    10 centals per acre. 
Dominica       10  "           "
Granada        15  "           "
St. Vincent    25  "           "
Tobago         20  "           "
Antigua         7-12  "       "
Saint Kitts    20  "           "
Puerto Rico    30  "           "

FOOTNOTES: 

[Footnote 69:  Leyes de Indias, Ley IV, Libro IV, Titulo XVIII.]

[Footnote 70:  The actual cuerda is a square of 75 varas each side, about one-tenth less than an acre.  Abbad understood by a cuerda a rectangle of 75 varas front by 1,500 varas depth, that is, 20 cuerdas superficies of those actually in use.—­Acosta.]

[Footnote 71:  The bocoy in Puerto Rico, equal from 12 to 20 centals of sugar, according the quality.]

[Footnote 72:  British India produced about that time over 1,500,000 tons of cane-sugar per annum.]

[Footnote 73:  Colonel Flinter, An Account of the Island of Puerto Rico.  London, 1834]

CHAPTER XXXIV

COMMERCE AND FINANCES

Until the year 1813 the captains-general of Puerto Rico had the superintendence of the revenues.  The capital was the only authorized port open to commerce.  No regular books were kept by the authorities.  A day-book of duties paid and expended was all that was considered necessary.  Merchandise was smuggled in at every part of the coast,[74] the treasury chest was empty, and the Government officers and troops were reduced to a very small portion of their pay.

The total revenues of the island, including the old-established taxes and contributions, produced 70,000 pesos, and half of that sum was never recovered on account of the abuses and dishonesty that had been introduced in the system of collection.