The evening times., 1899-10-10

sus to be taken in Cuba and Porto RICO,
said today that the census work VIII
start at Havana on October l6 and at
San Juan on the 2sth of this month. Su-
perintendent Dingman, who left here dur
ing the middle of last week, is now due in
Porto Rico.
General Sanger has been instructed by
the President and the Secretary OF War
to particularly make a careful and eNhaus-
tive examination into the present munich
pal governments OF Porto Rico. Fearful
extrayagance and the same methods that
have been so long a part and parcel OF
spanish rule are said to prevail in the is
land today. So numerous are the off1ce-
holders and municipal officials that large
amounts of the receipts from taxes are
consumed it is said, in COLLECTIONS ana eA-
travagant fees. The people have long ana
patiently suffered these expressions, mani
tanned under military force, and are now
chafng for relief. The same assessments
except for the payment OF priests ana lot
military purposes, prevail now as uhaer
Snanish control The official statements
last made by the city of San Juan, lhe
capital Of Porto Rico, with populauoh Oh
25 600. and the city of Gaguas, 1900 popu-
lation. are fair illustrations OF the onerous
tax system throughout the island
The following statistics are given re-
earding The municipality of San Juan:
Salaries of officials for the fiscal year end
ing June 80, 1899, $l9,Ss6; materials for use
of officers, $3.50; subscriptions, Sll4; CITY
Hall. $3.50; elections, Sl5O; police salaries
SIG. .S62; material for police, $56s; urban
nolice salaries. 81 500; salaries fire depart
and
men. 81. .4SO; lighting city, $l6,72S.S5; clean
ing streets s4 ggS; slaughter-houses and
inspection Of meats, etc, $6,6S5; cemeter-
les. 81 l.gg2; theatre, S43S; parks and gar
dens $3.50: chemical laboratory, SIl5oi
nuhlic instruction higher and normal
schools, s60S0: common schools, sl2,Oso;
material and expenses OF city schools si'-
640; public library, $3.50; rewards and SUD
yentions, $3.50; public charities, salaries
four doctors for the four districts, S4,oOV'
four assistants to doctors and one health
officer 50, 100 ambulance service tslck are
carried on beds, as there are no Wheelea
ambulances), one captain, $3o0; three oea
carriers S72O-s7. $40; house and house
charities. 81. .730; auxiliary charities, $500;
asylums. s30.052; public works, S5.b50;
public correction. 81, 600; prisons $Ss,-
247. .76; miscellaneous expenses, S2l4-2o;
pensions. s22l6: debts and interest. SI0,-
O5O: various obligations, SS44; legal eX-
penses 81 107S: amount taxes TO be pald
general government. S1S,5o6.2o; per cent
Of taxes paid Spanish Bank for collecting
same. $3.50: old debts S101,04S.29; public
works under construction. S7,1lS-2I;
aqueduet 500. 0.lg90S; unprovided or con-
ringent expenses. s.. .2Sl- -GI; total, $685.
44l55.
The expenses of the municipality of Ga
10
1888 were as follows: Salaries, municipal
ity. IS COS; material and service, Sl,bs5 go;
municipal police $4,9G3; police expenses,
$40: rural police. s1,6S0; material and eX-
penses. 81 100: public instruction, material
and expenses. $5.S54; pubic charity, Si,-
SIC: public works. S2,1j0; Plbllc correc-
ton S6C0; obligations, $l2,S6o. 40; works
under construct on, g. 25fO3.i2; total, $o5,-
96047.
1t is reported officially that these taxes
have been too buriensome for the results
attained, and The expenditures too loose
and extravasant. One particularly ohJec-
tianable feature Of these collections and
expenditures is that taxes are levied, as
sessed and collected for special purposes,
but the funds all go into one common
treasury and are there paid out for such
purposes as the municipal officers may de-
termine The salaries of all officials" are
first paid, and then such other expenses
as may seen TO them most important,
which necessarily leaves some of the more
unimportant branches without support
The three funds which suffer most are
generally the public schools, the public
roads. and the poor. In many instances
the schools are abandoned. No labor has
been performed on public roads for years,
and the poor have been left begging in
the streets.
The prevailing system of taxation iu
Porto Rico has been TO collect all that was
possible from the people and TO expend all
that could be collected. The taXgatherer is
she ever-prasent evil, and his shadow is al
ways present over the poorest and humbles;
home The great number of OFFICIALS the
necessary amount of expenditure required TO
keep up the general and municipal govern
ments, and the expenses of collections
make a burden almost overwhelming in its
magnitude.
Ii is said that the taxgatherer has been
induced by a consideration to favor the
richer classes Ii is a matter OF common re-
port to the American military authorities
that assessments upon property and collec-
tions are made subservient TO the friend
ship and favoritism of the taxcollector.
Taxes are assessed upon the incomes of the
property, and are based upon the profits
derived therefrom. Where the property
produced nothing it paid no taxes. This
system is complained OF as a premium upon
fdleness and a reward for Incidence. II Is
also an inducement for the more favored
classes TO hide away and belittle their in
comes, and TO use the means within their
command to obtain the purchased favor OF
the collector while the poorer are left to
the lender mercy of the taXgatherer.