Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-05-25
MAJOR +. |. Hills WORK.

The San Juan News of May 7th has |
this to say OF the building and repair
ing Of roads in Porto Rico, which is |
under charge of Major +. L. Hills OF |
this city:
April Goth. 1899. Honorable Secre-
tary of the Interior-Sir: respect
fully beg to report, for the information
of the governor general. that work OF
repairs of country roads has been kept
on steadily this week. the number Of
men employed is now nearly l2,0O0 and
will be increased next week, when
works directed on several new roads
are organized.
Lack of tools and the difficulty OF
providing timely payment for such
large number of men working all over
the island in different localities and
also the scarcity of capable men for
temporary oyerseers, delays somewhat
the progress of increasing the works.
Very respectfully,
Francis L. Hills,
Director Public Works.
The astounding information that
1900 men were now employed in the
work of building and repairing public
roads in this island, conveyed in the
above report of Major Francis l.. Hills,
Director of Public Works, to the Sec
rotary of the Interior, and that more
men were to be employed as soon as
capable overseers could be found, had
the effect of hombshell in the camp
of those persons who have been making
it to appear that the demon starvation
was rampant in the beautiful and
fertile island of Porto Rico.
A News representative visited the
Department of Public Works yesterday
afternoon and through the courtesy of
the director, Major Francis L. Hills,
was shown the records of the depart
ment pertaining to the work accom-
plished during the present administra-
tion of its affairs.
Major Hills, who is graduate OF the
United States Military Academy, an
ex-ofiicer of the Third Artillery and a
member of the American Society OF
Civil Engineers, arrived here several
months ago and took charge of the de-
partment. The organization of the de-
partment at that time was not accus-
toned to executive work and he began
on the great task before him practi-
cally without assistance
Formerly the municipalities were re.
sponsible for the condition of the coun
try roads. No repairs had been made
for years and the roads were full o.
rocks and boulders, ruts and bitches
in fact, absolutely impossible. The
officials of the municipalities claimet
that they had had no money to expept
for such purposes.
The first thing that the new directo
did was to systematize his work as fol
lows:
/. Select roads to be built and re
paired.
9. Organization of the laborini
classes.
g. Instruction CT the laboring classes
A. Disbursement of funds so that tn
money should be paid directly into tn
hands of the laborer.
The men employed were divided int
gangs of % with foreman, an over
seer being in charge of the gangs o
each road. Overseers were classifie
and placed under superintendent. TIL
whole island was divided into two dis
tricts-northern and southern-with a
engineer in charge of each distric
This organization has SO far prove
very satisfactory.
At the end of the last week, accort
ing to the statistics gathered, 62 roat
were being rebuilt or repaired an
$1,000 men were on the payrolls of Il
~ department. Laborers are paid 80 Gel
tavos day and eight hours constitu
days work. Payments are max
regularly twice month.
In reply to d direct question Maj
Hills said:
1.-THE Department of Public Worl
will give work to any deserving man
Porto Rico who desires it, in fac
several times i have had trouble
securing the necessary number Of NJ
for the work in hand. For repairing
road near Guayama / advertised
men all over the surrounding count
and then failed to get them. .
The construction of these roads is
tended to be of permanent natul
They are first graded and ditched a
then covered with stone, very much I
same as is done in the United Stat
Rains will not materially damage the
Only few days ago the engineer W
on one road recently built, 1T had rair
INCREASINGLY for IS hours and no dam,
had resulted.
In selecting roads for repairs Ma
Hills has been careful to first OF
main arteries of communication i
the interior to facilitate the transpoI
tion of crops to the seacoast. He
also opened up the rich fruit sect
extending from Gurabo to Naguabo
the coffee districts extending fl
Guanica to Yauco and Maricoa
from Manages to Arecibo. During
latter part of March Major Hills m
IA day horseback trip over the isl
and personally superintendent the
gsnization and employment of mel
well as giving practical lessons in r
construction.
During the past month 1875, 900 p
from the customs receipts have /
spent in building and repairing re
In the island and every cent of
sum has been we'll spent. Major I
has certainly accomplished a &
work that will be appreciated by flu
las we'll as the present generation.
Henry has congratulated Major /
on his splendid showing and has ca
a resume of the report to Washing
Work of the W. u. t. U.