The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1899-12-07

ganization should not be provided Fol-
owing the precedent estaonsnea ar IN r, ent
| was provided for the recently acquired
| territory, then known under the name OF
| Louisiana, il seems to me that IL would
| be advantageous TO confer greater execu-
| tive power upon the governor and to estab-
| iish, was done in the case of the terri.
| tory of Louisiana. legislative councii
| having power TO adopt ordinances which
shall extend to all the rightfui subjects
of local legislation, such ordinances not
! to take effect until reported - and APP
| proved by the congress If in session, and
if that body is not in session then by the
| president. In this manner a system of laws
| providing for the incorporation and gov
| eminent of towns and cities having GER
| tain population, giving. theu. the power
to establish and maintain hystem OF ed
| ucation to be locally supported, and ordi-
| nances providing for police. sanitary and
other such purposes, could be speedily
| l believe a provision of this kind would
| be satisfactory to the people OF the terri
| tory. 1t is probable that the area is too
vast and the population too scattered and
| transitory to make it wise at the present
| time to provide for an elective legislative
! body, but the conditions calling for local
| government will undoubtedly very
| soon exist and will be facilitated by the
measures which have recommended
| Porto Rico.
| For Porto Rico he advises legislation that
Will give them a temporary form of gov
eminent, recounts the work done by the
| military government now in control and
makes the following recommendations:
| 1t must be borne in mind that since the
| cession Porto Rico has been denied the
| principal markets she had long enjoyed
and our tariffs have been continued against
| her products as when she was under Span
! ish sovereignty. The markets of Spain are
| closed to her products except upon terms
subjected. The island of Cuba, which used
TO buy her cattle and tobacco without Gus
toms duties, now imposes the same duties
| upon these products as from any other
| country entering her ports. She has there
| fore lost her free intercourse with Spain
and Cuba without any compromising bene-
| known and not in use by our people, and
therefore there was no demand here for
kets of the United States should be opened
up to her products. Our plain duty is to
abolish all customs tariffs between the
| United States and Porto Rico and give her
| products free access to our markets.
AS result of the hurricane which swept
over Porto Rico on the Sth of August 1899,
| over 100000 people were reduced to abso-
| lutte restitution, without homes, and de-
privedl Of the necessaries of life To the
the United States made prompt and gener-
| Gus response. In addition to the private
charity of our people the war department
has expended for the relief of the dis
tressed 1892, 34263 which does not include
| the cost of transportation.
1t is desirable that the. government Of the
| island under the law Of belligerent right,
now maintained through the executive de-
| partment, should be superseded by an adj
ministration entirely civil in its nature;
For present purposes recommend that
| congress PASS law for the organization OF
! a temporary government, which shall pro-
vide for the appointment by, the president,
| subject to confirmation by the senate, of a
| governor and such other officers as the
general administration of the island may
| require, and that for legislative purposes
| on subjects of local nature not partaking
of a federal character a legislative coun-
G rarity e Of GTs9 staes
| he nominated and appointed by the presl-
dent, subject to confirmation by the sen,
ate, their acts to be subject to the approval
| of the congress or the president prior to
| going into effect. In the municipalities and
other local subdivisions recommend that
| applied at once, so as to enable the intelli-
gent citizens Of the island to participate in
their own government ard and to Gut learn by
| requirements of self-contained and
sslf,gqyerngg people pie =, MI t have ert not
government of the island to officers select
| ed by the people because doubt whether
| in habits, training and experience they are
large a degree of self-government. but it
| is my judgment and expectation that they
will soon arrive at an Alignment or expe l,i,
ence and wisdom and self-control that viii
! Justify comforting upon them much
larger participation in the choice OF their
| insular officers.
| Education Is Needed.
The fundamental requirement for these
people, as for all people, is education The
| free schooinouse is the best preceptor for
citizenship. In the Introduction of mod
| must be exercised that changes be not
| made too abruptly and that the history and
racial peculiarities Of the inhabitants shall
| be given due weight Systems of educa-
| ton in these new possessions founded upon
| common-sense methods. adapted to ex-
listing conditions and looking to the future
| movement and industrial advancement or
| the people. will commend to them In q
peculiarly effective manner the blessings e1
free government.
The Civil Service.
| Changes in the working of the civil service
provisions are explained, and of the
Some of the inclusions were found wholly
illogical and unsuited to the work of the
| several departments The application Of
| the rules to many of the places so Included
was found to result in frie TIC and EN-
| full consideration it became evident to the
| heads of the departments responsible for
these difficulties and promote an efficient
| and harmonious administration certain
amendments were necessary, These amend
| ments were promulgated by me in execu-
| tive order dated May 49, 1899.
| The principal purpose of the order was to
| except from competitive examination GER
| tain places involving fiduciary responsible
| tiles or duties of a strictly confidential,
| scientific or executive character, which 1t
was thought might better be filled either
| discretion of the appointing officer, than
| by open competition. These places were
| comparatively few in number. The order
| provides for the filling of much larger
/ number of places, mainly in the outside
service of the war department, by what is
known as the registration system, under
regulations to be approved by the pres
| ident, similar to those which have pro-
| duced such admirable results in the navy
yard service.
| Objects of Amendments
| All of the amendments had for their
main object a more efficient and satisfac-
| tory administration of the system of APP
| pointments established by the civil service
| law. The results attained show that under
! their operation the public service has inn
| proved and that the civil service system
| is relieved of many Objectionable features
which heretofore subjected it to just crit
| icism and the administrative officers to the
| charge of unbusinessike methods in the
| conduct of public affairs. 1t is believed
| that the merit system has been greatly
| strengthened and its permanence assured.
| 1t will be my constant aim in the edmn-
| istration of government in our new possess
| sions 20 make fitness, character and merit
| essential to appointment to office, and to
| give to the capable and deserving inhab-
| itants preference in appointments
IL,