The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-11-14
THE PORTO RIcAN COMMISSION.
PA esented Only Facts and VIII Let
the Government Decide.

the Government Decide.
Gen. W. w. Gordon, a member of the
Porto Rican evacuation commission. has
just returned from Washington. where he
went after his short visit to Savannah to
report to the war department He win
not be mustered out right away, as the
department.! has expressed desire to have
him remain In the service for the pres
ent, and he was sent to Savannah TO
await orders.
The report of the commission, in charge
of Admiral Schley, reached Washington
after Gen. Gordon had left. The reports
which come from Washington with re-
gard TO it say that 1t is a report of about
6O,00O words. If that is the case, Gen.
Gordon says, several inventories of prop
erty and other matters must have been
attached to it and included in that es-
innate, as the report itself is compare
lively a brief document.
When asked about the report, Gen. Cor
don said IL dealt simply with facts as the
commission found them in Porto Rico. The
commission was sent there to arrange the
evacuation of the island, and to make
report upon affairs in Porto Rico 1t fin
ished the work of getting the Spanish soi-
diers out of the island, and in addition
made a report of conditions there, includ-
ing laws, finances, education, the tariff,
and many other features which will be of
interest, and of great Importance when
Congress comes to determine what it will
do with regard to the government Of the
island.
The tariff question, Gen Gordon says,
Will be the most difficult to handle. The
commission, in its work, simply went into
facts as stated, and did not make any sug-
gestlons whatever with regard to what
should or should not be done That viii be
left for the government at Washington TO
determine when 1t has sufficiently review
ed the facts placed before it. When Ponce
was taken possession of by the United
States, two Spanish tariffs were found in
force, high and a low tariff. The Ameri-
can officers in command did away with
the high tariff and kept in force altogether
the low Spanish tariff. That is the tariff
that Is now used there. OF course, it is
quite different from the American Tariff,
and constitutes question in itself which
will have to be carefully dealt with
The financial question will also be an in
teresting one when it as taken up. There
are between 5000, 000 and $6,00O,OOO of Porto
Rican silver money in circulation in the
island, worth in the actual value of the
silver in the coin, about 80 cents on the
dollar, or peso as it is called there. Some
arrangement will have to be made with
| regard to this, but Gen. Gordon said that
the commission had made no recommend
alton with regard to it. In addition to this
there is what is known as the Bank of
Porto Rico at San Juan which had out at
one time about So, 80, 900 paper money. Much
of this has been called in but there is still
in circulation about S1,250,OOO of it, or per-
haps a little less 1t is understood that the
bank viii retire this money as rapidly as
it can do SO. The proprietors of the insu-
tuition appreciate the situation, and will
of course be careful of their own inter-
| ests
Gen. Gordon says the commission was
in session almost every day from the time
| ii arrived at San Juan, from about 8
| O'Clock in the morning until 4 O'Clock in
| the afternoon. Almost every day there was
| joint session with the Spanish commits
| sioners up to noon, and then the American
| commissioners held a session of their own
| to look after important matters Gen.
| Brooke, who is In command of the depart
| ment of Porto Rico, came up when the
| commission met from Aibonito 10 Rio Pie
| dras, a point about seven miles distant
| from San Juan. He went in by rail every
| day and out again in the afternoon.
The people of the island have known lit
| tie or nothing of government, except as IL
| comes directly from officials or government
representatives. They look to government
| officials for everything. 1t was natural,
| therefore that a great many of the rorto
| Rlcans should want to confer with the
| American commissioners, and Gen. Gordon
| said there was scarcely an hour in the day
| when someone was not around seeking an
| interview. The commission spent a very
pleasant time in the island, and altogether
| enjoyed it very much.