Evening star., 1898-06-04

been constrained to admit this verdict as
final
orotava is about thirty miles distant
from Santa Cruz, with which it is con
Lected by fine macadamized road. Similar
excellent roads connect the principal town!
of Tenerife and Grand Canary, but al
these are of late falling into disrepair. Or
account Of the extremely mountainous char
acter of the country the building of roads
is very difficult. The roadbed has fre
quently and for long distances to be BLASTED
out of the solid rock, and winds along the
perpendicular sides of deep ravines. AL
bridges are of masonry and are very sub
stantially built, but the size and span
of such structures is limited the road is
sometimes miles longer tnan would have
been necessary had iron bridges or tres ties
been resorted to. An extremely easy grade
Is maintained, which also increases the
length of the road, sometimes quite I'M
necessarily. 1t is said in explanation that
the contracts We're let by the mile, and that
as many miles as possible We're made.
Few Good Roads.
On these few good roads all kinds of
vehicles are, of course, used, tourists being
served by carriages which can be hired at
very reasonable rates, while the local pub
lie patronizes numerous coaches running
On daily schedule and Offering very cheap
rates OF fare, journey of twenty-five miles
costing about 40 cents. If one wishes to
leave the highway he must rely on his own
legs or those Of the sure-footed little
donkeys, which form the general means of
transportation throughout the islands, the
macadamized roads or 'carreteras" reach
Ing only very small part OF the agricul-
tural population. All othe~ roads" are,
however, mere paths of the toughest char
acter, usually filled with loose stones and
In the winter season forming the beds of
small torrents. Not the slightest attempt
at Improvement is made and so difficult is
transportation that even on these most
valuable lslands, with superlative tenn
perate climate and fertile soil, there are
Still large tracts Of land sparsely inhab I'd
for lack of means of access For CEN
tUries the inhabitants of many agricul-
tUral parts of these islands have been paw
ing a large fraction of their slender in
comes IN taxes without having the adyan-
tage of a single public Improvement, not
even a paSsable road.
The same amount of taxation paid over
to an honest and efficient government and
expended for local purposes instead CT be.
ing sent away to Spain would have made
one OF the garden-spots of the world. Gil.
mate, soil and geographic position are mos1
favorable. With good roads and proper ia
cllltes for storing and distributing water
session.
A greater blessing could not come to the
good people of these islands than to fal
into the hands of England OF the Unite
states. The assurance of goo1 government
would stimulate the investmen of capita
in numerous paying improvements. The
amount Of cultivated land could be widely
increased and would support in plenty g
much larger population than at present
ard the employment of laborers in these
Improvements would be an immediate re.
lief to the very hard times into which the
gradual impoverishment of Spain through
the Cuban war has plunged the people
During the last few years wages and prices
OF local products have steadily deClin I'd
while imported articles have advanced
through the depreciation of Spanish cur.
rency.
Should the eXigencies of war throw these
against tropical colonies will not applv.