The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-11-24
FEVER ON A TRANSPORT
THE MISSISSIPPI Ar SAN JUAN WITH
A CASE OF YELLOW JACK.
Efforts OF the Military Authorities in
Porto Rico to Collect Back Taxes
Not Popular with Natives.

SAN JUAN DE PORTO RICO. Nov. 20.
The United States transport Michigan left
here yesterday to collect troops from inland
ports. The artillery homeward bound con-
sists of Lemley's and Thorps batteries.
The Michigan is due in New York in about
ten days. The steamer Relief. of the hos
pital service, sailed to-day for home with
$50 sick and convalescent soldiers. The
transport Mississippi arrived here this morn
ing, and was quarantined for three days be-
cause a passenger on board is suspected of
having yellow fever. The passenger who
came from Santiago de Cuba, has been re-
moved to the laZaretto.
moved to the lazaretto. There seems no
doubt that the malady is yellow fever. and
the patient has been secluded with the doc
tor. The Mississippi will be fumigated and
will be held in strictest quarantine for
week longer than the three days originally
ordered. An armed guard prevents all per-
sons from approaching the vessel Army OFF,
GERS and citizens consider it very deplorable
that San Juan, now free from all contagious
disease, should be subjected to the grave
dangers of yellow fever by a government
vessel calling first at Santiago. If the dis
ease should break out among the crew of
the Mississippi there are no facilities here
for properly handling it, and if it should get
ashore it would cause the greatest incon-
venience and commercial loss. Porto Rico
has now been for fourteen days without
mail from the United States The feeling is
that the island should have a transport
service quite Independent of Cuba.
The military authorities are forcing the
insular courts 10 do their full duty and to
proceed with prosecutions and civil litiga-
IL &c
easiness among men of high and low de-
ggee.
The efforts of the military authorities to
collect arrears of taxes, dating back to the
Spanish regime, are unpopular and will
prove difficult.
There are many live claims in Porto Rico
to-day, ante-dating the American occupa-
ton, namely, the claims of the Roman
Catholic Church; claims under the pension
fund OF widows of civil employees, which
have not been paid by Spain for many
months. and other claims of a similar ma
ture. The money collected from the old,
unpaid taxes may be applied to liquidate
those claims.
1t is a fact that considerable sums of in
sular money, such as individual deposits in
the colonial treasury, the teachers pension
fund of 10, 600 pesos. etc, were absorbed dur
ing the last days of the Spanish occupation
and were conveyed to the peninsula. At
temps are now being made to recover these
amounts, out ln6 SUCCESS VI the SlLOIlS 10
considered doubtful.
The settlement of the question of the
Porto Rican currency is of the first i'm
portance to the islands business and there
is no intimation of an arrangement being
arrived at in the near future. Commerce
is timid and conservative, and in conse-
quence, exchange is at l65 Americans have
been asking many concessions from the
military authorities, but none has been
granted. The authorities will not bind the
United States in a way which may involve
future obligations.
The Porto Rican officials continue taking
the oath of allegiance to the United States.
The Fifth Cavalry is being distributed
over the portions of the country where the
troopers can take active measures to sup
press disorders Cavalry is vastly more eff
Gent than infantry In this kind of work
and good results are expected. There IS
motion before the San Juan Council for the
reorganization of the police. Such action is
much needed as the present police force
is unable to cope with the disorders, espe-
cially those arising between the American
soldiers and sailors, who enjoy themselves
ashore.
Many cases of typhoid fever are reported
at Ponce and redoubled efforts are being
made to complete the sanitation OF San