The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-04-17
ASSISTANCE FOR THE NEEDY.
FOOD WILL he FURNISHED TO PEO-
So PIE IN PORTO RICO.

issuance of RatiOns Has Been Stop
ped. But Commanding Officers
Have Been Instructed TO Purchase
Necessary Articles of Food in Or
der to Prevent Suffering-Prices of
Necessaries of Life Must De Re-
duced.
correspondence of the Associated Press.
San Juan, Porto Rico, April 6-The fol-
lowing general orders from the headquar-
tiers of the department of Porto Rico were
issued to-day:
The war department having forbidden
the issue of rations to Porto Ricans, CON-
handing officers of posts are authorized,
in order to prevent suffering among the
people in their respective localities, TO
purchase necessary articles of food at a
rate not TO exceed ten centavos day for
each needy person, and to send bill for
same to this office for payment from the
moneys of the island, as directed by the
authorities at Washington. Great discre-
lion must oe used in carrying out these
instructions, and aid should be extended
only to those who are unable to obtain
work.
The recent visit of the department COM
mander to Caguas, Cayey, Aibonito, Goa
mo- Coamo Springs, Santa Isabel, Quay
anna and Arroyo showed q satisfactory
condition of affairs, and that the people
are strongly in sympathy with the Ameri-
can methods and progress. At some of
the towns complaint was made as to the
cost of bread, s centavos loaf, the same
as last summer, although the Price of flour
is much less now. The price should not be
over centavos a pound. In the city Of
San Juan the price of bread is down to
centavos
Reduce Price of Necessaries.
IT is the duty of the alcaldes to reduce
as far as possible the price of all neces-
saries of life and to increase the tax on
ali other articles
The prison at Guyana was not clean.
The prison at Caguas was clean, but was
an old building.
The quarters of the insular police and
the appearance of the men at Santa Isa-
bel Guayama and Caguas, are very good,
and particularly so at the latter place.
While the meals were good and the beds
clean at the hotels visited, the location
and dirty condition of the water closets,
placed in or near the kitchens, as is prob
ably the case also in many private
dwellings on the island, were most disrep-
utable. Until this unsanitary condition is
remedied great discredit will be brought
upon the island as Americans view such
conditions with disgust and their recol-
lection of otherwise agreeable surround
ings will be marred by this unnatural and
disgusting practice.
The habit of delegations coming to San
Juan at the expense of the people of NUM-
cipalites must be discontinued.
Work for the Island.
The work of building roads and taking
charge of schools and jails so as to re-
duce the taxes of the people, will be taken
up as rapidly as possible. In the mean
time all budgets will be reduced to the
lowest possible limit, honest economy
practced in all directions and patience ex-
ercised during this period of transition.
Referring to the idle talk, the threats OF
violence In certain neighborhoods, the re-
ported assemblages for revolutionary pur-
poses, and the numerous newspaper ar
ticles appearing in the press of the United
States, showing a restless state of affairs
here, all these conditions intimidating the
work of capitalists desiring to invest here,
are now bearing their fruit to the injury
of the well being and progress of the ISL
and.
People of education, and all having the
good of the island at heart, should instruct
the ignorant, whose characters are I'M
known in the United States, concerning
the harm they are doing by their childish
threats and utterances, exhortng them to
silence of speech and suppression of such
correspondence.
1t is not believed that any thought of
determined opposition to law and order
exists In Porto Rico, but should such be
the truth it would be crushed at once and
would prove to be the suicide of the island.
By command of Maj. Gen. Henry.
w p Hail Adiutant General