The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-01-07
~ t55sf ~ .s't3st5 s>5l 4 81
MI[0N|EY.MISSING
From the Instilar Treasury OF
Porto Rico. Z,
HOW DISCOVERY WAS MADE.

u ~ ~, --- ---.--- 800 ans
4 HOW DISCOVERY WAS MADE,
Brougt Abhout by the Resignation Of
4 Minister sosa md The appointment
4 or Dr. Coll, Whose Investigations
Showed TINT Several Hundred
Thousand Dollars had Been Done
Away with--i,cstitutionw will be De-
mandcd-Tnx Rcforms-Thc Porto
ticnn is Hard TO Fool-aiisbclnylor
rAmcrican Troops. 49,, n
Correspondence OF tho Associated Press.
SAN JUAN, PORTO RICO. Dec. 10
When the United states occupied San
Juan Porto R!co's capital, Mr.. Julian
Blhnco sosa was secretary OF the In
sular treasury. Mr.. Blanco was re-
tanned in his post By General Brooke.
About the middle OF November there
occurred the locally famous incident OF
the effort on the part OF the city coun-
1 ell OF Ponce to obtai,: the full privileges
OF autonomy and this incident. brought
1 from Mr.. Blanco an indiscrcet letter to
4 friend, the subsequent publication Of
4 which letter made necessary Mr.. B!an-
Il co.'s resignation from the cabinet. Cen
4 eral Brooke regretted the resignation OF
d this minister, for the general consid-
cred him a good and efficient public SER
i want. Mr.. Blanco was succeeded as
] secretary Of the treasury by DR.. Coll y
4 Toste. and with the purpose Of learning
4 what had been accomplished toward
the cutting down OF the very high rate
Of taxation under which the people Of
Porto Rico have staggered for years
! past, DIR. Coll was seen ut his office In
the building OF La Dlsputacion Provls-
ional.
q DR.. Coll was Installed as secretary OF
the treasury on November 1G. Upon
4 that date the insuinr treasury held T6
cents In copper, $3.50 in Venezuelan
gold and about 5000 In American bank
bills.
!. 1t seems that 1t has been the custom
In Porto Rico to maintain what is called
q guarantee fund. This Is Il system of
deposits to guarantee the faithful per-
formance Of both police and private
contracts. Amounts to be thus depos
tied nre regulated by certaiN, laws and
i receipts are issued to depositors by the
insular treasury for the monies thus re-
ceIved. Sums Of monies in litigation
can also be attached and deposited In
this same fund until such time as the
q itffcr1auf u iy,Fy
their rlshtful ownership. When this
has been done the court issues an order
i upon the treasury to pay back the
! money according to the decision It has
q reached. Az s3t 2
Il DR.. Coll was greatly surprised to find
4 the Insular treasury in such a depleted
9 condition. He knew there should be at
u least several hundred thousand dollars
Y deposited on account with this general
Il guarantee fund, and he at once started
i an investigation TO determine what
q amount OF money was missing. From
1 the various receipts issued by the treas
4 ury already seen by DR.. Coll, he has
Y learned that over three hundred thou
4 sand pesos about two hundred thou
sand dollars. are missing from this
4 fund, and 1t Is probable that the full
: amount which has been done away with
4 amounts 10 nearly five hundred thou
sand pesos. His Investigations are not
4 us yet completed, but he has no doubt
q that he will discover documentary evil
Z deace of deposits up TO this latter
y amount. .a
Y h This money was taken to Spain; of
4 this no one has any doubt. 1t Is gen-
Il. orally known that the late Captain Gen.
n eral Maeias OF Porto Rico delivered 10
- the government at Madrid $1,000 pesos,
n and that the Brigadier de Marina VAL
n larino delivered to his government
"A $4,000 pesos which rightfully belong to
Az Porto Rico and which were drawn from
IL this guarantee fund. The fund also
"a contained $4,000 pesos which was the
a capital and total reserve of school
a teachers pension fund. This money
Il was contributed by the teachers of
4 Porto Rico and it Is evident 1t should
n have been left In their hands thae they
In their old age and when entitled there
4 10. might enjoy the benefits and adva J.
q tages which are thei: due. Macias took
4 this 1900 pesos to Spail and 1t is un-
d dcrstoOd that his excuse in this matter
was that as the headquarters and main
office OF the Protective Society of Span
ish Teachers was ut Madrid, and as the
Porto ltcan branch was subjected to
the rulings OF this main office the
money should he returned there. No
one believes the teachers will ever ben
eft by their own pension fund unless
some definite and decisive action is
taken in their behalf. Dr. Coll Is COL
lecting all the evidence he can concern
Ing the, matters above net down ana
when hh has fully completed this labor
he Will subEllt q report thereon to Ma
.1or General Henry, recommending that
claim be made upon the Madrid govern
mcnt for the restitution OF these
amounts.
During Spain's possession OF Porto
Rico the Spanish bank Of Porto Rico.
under contract to and protected by the
insular government. collected from the
people and paid over TO the government
all taxes and direct contributions. This
contract with the Spanish bank termin
ate. upon October IS Inst. but 1t would
seem upon investigation that they are
i,:uch In arrears with certain payments:
that there Is strong evidence TO show
they have collected taxes and cOntribu-
lions from the people which they never
turned over 10 Spain. During the lat
Ter part Of November. DR.. Coll forced
this bunk to pay into the treasury 10
600 pesos collected by them on account
of the taxes and revenues from govern
ment lands rented by individuals, and
1t Is his intention to force them to meet
all their obligations. This bank Is to-
day In the position Of the steward who
gives IN his keys Of Office but who Will
not give an accounting Of the goods
which have passed through his hands.
DR.. Coll has expended some 81, 600 pc
SOS since he assumed control OF the
treasury, all OF which hnS been cul-