The herald., 1898-12-10
AFFAIRS AT PORTO RICO
ARE STEADILY GROWING MORE
SATISFACTORY
DISTURBANCE is DECREASING
The Civil Administration Measurably
Restored and the Troops Are
Disposing of the Bandits
Associated Press Special Wire

Associated Press Special Wire
WASHINGTON, Dec. 9.-Assistant Sec
retary Vanderlip, who is expected to arrive
in the United States from Porto klco next
Monday, has made a preliminary ana IN
formal report to Secretary Gage OF his OBJ
servations in that island. Under date oil
the 25th ult he reports that the military
authorities are getting along fairly well
with customs collections. Everything re-
ceived has been deposited with DE Ford q
Co.. financial agents Of the government, and
the amount now on deposit aggregates more
than 100000. Spanish customs officials
have been put to work at the various ports,
and this system works satisfactorily. ne
men. he writes, are honest, and it is thought
by prominent military officials that the
government is getting everything 1t should
Military officers at San Juan contend that
the reports that have reached the United
States concerning the outbreaks and DIS
turbances of the peace on the island are
without substantial foundation.
During the evacuation there were more
or less disturbances of a rather periodical
and private character, but the situation
now, Mr.. Nanderlip writes, is as peaceable
as it is in the United States. With few
days special reports have been received
from the mayors Of each municipality and
they all united in the statement that the
conditions are entirely peaceable and the
people law-abiding. There have been some
troubles on the west end of the island by
political agitators, mainly among emigrants
from Hayti, who are said to have special
faculty for fomenting discord. But at the
present time there is nothing serious even
in that district.
The military authorities have been espe-
cially active in capturing some organized
bands of bandits, and it is regarded as an
especially good omen that the natives are
rendering aid in ferreting out these people.
A number of bandits are confined in prison,
and will receive civil trial. Possibly some
of these cases may result in the execution
oil the offenders, and, in fact, our military
authorities are inclined to believe that II
this sort of punishment is ordered at the
opening trials, little more Of this kind OF dis
turbance will occur in the island.
The american troops have, on the whole,
been well behaved, and have, according to
the testimony of the commanding officers,
given practically no trouble at all.
1t has ben a tremendous task getting the
civil administration of affairs into opera
tion again. Practically all civil administra
ton was at a standstill after the fall of the
island An endeavor has been made to put
the Spanish officials, or as near as could be
done, bacl, into their places, and have the
civil administration of affairs go on as near
ly as possible in the usual routine. At Ponce,
where there are, says Mr.. Nanderlir. some
specially sharp politicians, they revived an
obsolete autonomst scheme of municipal
government and were all ready to put it into
force. General Brooke however, found it
Of most rigorous and paternal character.
end declined to permit its adoption, where
upon seventeen of the thirty membArs of
the council resigned. The commanding gen.
eral has just completed the selection of their
successors and municipal affairs there will
soon be adjusted.
The American commanding officers have
been withdrawing guards from the sugar
plantations, and they think this is going to
have a good effect. The condition of affairs,
it is said, is worse than slavery at some OF
these plantations. The work was done by
poems who receive siXty-five pesetas day
on an average, and were then subjected to
the very worst type of company store"
These stores give short weight in every
thing sold. Among several hundred alleged
pound packages of rice weighed by Ameri-
can officials there was not one which
weighed over three-quarters of a pound.
Our officers made the owners of the planta-
tions show some sort of fair treatment to
the poems, refused the request for guards,
and have heard nothing further about riots
dt is thought that the withdrawal OF the
guards from the plantations will work a
great improvement, and that has practically
been accomplished throughout the island,