Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-05-08
THE PORTO RICANS
Two Self-Constituted Commissions
Have Grievances.
FHAT JUDGE CURTIS SAYS
Nothing Can Be Done Until
Congress Takes Action.
M q ST B p A 7 / E n Il

Notwithstanding the fact that the insular
commission is hard at work upon a civil
and judicial system of administration for
Porto Rico and the further fact that moth
ing can be done until the commission re-
ports or Congress meets, the Porto Ricans,
or some of them, are displaying impatience,
They want immediate transformation from
their former deplorable state to the desira-
BILE conditions which the United States is
to give them, and do not seem to compre-
hend the difficulties in the way of speedier
release from their hardships.
A couple of seIf-constituted Porto Rican
Commissions have been agttating the
subject of their grievances recently. j..
Julio Henna and Manuel Zeno Gambia are
at the head of one and Minos Rivera rep
resents the other. Senor Rivera was in
Washington last Saturday interviewing Of
ficals and Serors Henna and Gambia have
heretofore been before the insular commits
sion.
Senors Henna and Gambia have also ad-
dressed petition to the President, in which
they ask the establishment of civil rule
instead of military in the island; free trade
with the United States; the enlistment Of
Porto Ricans in the army and the right
tariff feature of the Porto Ricans grievance
is probably the most acute, but there can
be little remedy for this until Congress
meets
Duties on Imports.
Duties on imports into the United States
from Porto Rico" said Judge Curtis of the
insular commission to Star reporter to-
day "ara the same as the duties upon i'm
ports from other countries, but they are
not as high as the duties which Spain Is
now leveling against Porto Rican products
The Porto Ricans complain that under the
new condition of affairs they are deprived
of their former market in Spain ana nave
not found a market in the United States.
The position Of the United States for the
present Is that Porto Rico is still foreign
country SO far as customs duties are con-
cerned. We ara governed In this position
by decision Of the Supreme Court, winch
held that TampiCo, Mexico, although oc-
cupied by the United States, was not col
lection district until Congress had 50 deslg-
mated and officials had been appointed. The
same rule was held in the case of Florida
after the cession to the United States and
until Congress had acted.
THE duties on goods imported into Porto
Rico from the United States are under mill
tary control. In effect some of them are
lower than the old Spanish duties, while
some are higher. The insular commission
will treat of this phase of the situation in
its report, and the President will use his
discretion in making changes. For the
resent the President Is doing everything
that he can DO. The situation Is being
handled by the commission, and for the
rest the people Of Porto Rico will have to
wait until Congress meets and acts.
AS to the other branches of complaint, it
is not time to give the Porto Ricans com
plete self-government Not 10 per cent Of the
of he
cipies of local autonomy. That Will have to
come gradually, as the people grow up to
the capability of managing all their govern
mental affairs.
The reduction of military control by
United States troops has already com
menced and Is progressing. Our soldiers
are being withdrawn and Porto Ricans en-
listed in the regular army. The natives Of
the island will be allowed to form large
part of the military establishment, but will
be taken on gradually. l do not believe
there is any disposition by this government
to prevent them from becoming a part of
the military strength"
Commissions Not Representative.
There is grave doubt in the minds of some
of the officials here as TO whether the So
called commissions from Porto Rico rep
resent the prevailing sentiment of the peo-
pie Of the island. The military officials
representing the United States in the island
that view to the government at Washing
ton. There also seems to be some uncer-
tainty as to the source of appointment of
the commissions and at any rate it is
claimed, the commissions were not formed
with the consent of a large body of the
people.
All the members of the insular commits
sion in Washington entertain hopeful views
of the future of Porto Rico and her citi-
Zens. They speak in glowing terms of
resources of o ND
portunities for commercial development.
The people are anxious to work, it is said,
and as they obtain money they do not
hoard 1t, but spend freely to better their
material surroundings They will buy
clothing will improve their houses will
supplant the old wooden plough with
modern agricultural implements and make
Porto Rico a good market for United
States products.
Lack of Regular Communications.
One trouble now Is a lack of regular COM
mUEication between the island and this
country. The natives cannot have regular
days for shipping their fruits, but have to
depend upon chance calls from steamers.
This inconvenience results in losses fire.
quentiy consignments of bananas and
oranges being left to decay on the wharves.
All this Will be remedied as soon as the
incOngruous status of trade conditions Is
settled and Porto Rico Is given a place on
the statute books.
The tusular commission IS confident that
II the Porto Ricans will content themselves
in patience, all the difficulties will he WORT
ed out satisfactorily. Roads are being built
in the island, nine ten thousand men
already at work and receiving regular
wages. BY the time the trade regulations
are established by act of Congress and
Porto Rico given her legal status, the in
terror OF the island will be placed in COM
munication with the seaports and the ave
nues of trade opened.