The evening times., 1899-05-01
THE INsuLAR BOARD.
Porto Rie4n; &oAnissiOners In Beei
Gsnurf nHn

Porto Rie&ni &ennissio.ers In Beef
Court Quarters.
The Insubr Commission held its first
meeting at Maihington this morning at
the Lemon Building In the chamber va
Gated on Saturday by the Beef Court Of
Enquiry. ,.r
The members: OF this Commission are
Gen. RobertP. Kennedy. President: Major
Charles W. Watkins and Major Henry G.
Curtis. They were designated by the Sec
retary Of War to report on all civil mat
ters referred to them pertaining to Cuba
and Porto Rico.
The Commission spent one month in
visiting towns and cities. public and pri-
vate institutions throughout Porto Rico
and in hearing suggestions from the ma
tives. Major Watkins returned to the
United States on the transport Mcpherson
about one month ago. General Kennedy
and Major Curtis came up on the same
steamer on her next voyage, leaving San
Juan ON April II. reaching New York on
April 26. and arriving in Washington two
days later.
The Commission has already begun work
cn the report which it will transmit to the
President through the Secretary OF War
the report will require about one week.
One CT the matters which viii engage
the Commission is a statement OF the
present and proposed school system in
Porto Rico. 1t is said that there are about
$50 schools in the island which are sup
ported at an annual expense of $500, 900,
which sum is raised by municipal taxa
ton. About 5000 children attend thsse
schools, which is about one child in seven
of cob In, eIa .
Is estimated that about 10 per cent of the
natives can read and write.
The Commission finds that under the
administration Of Gen. John Eaton and DR..
Victor S. Clark. director and subdire ctor.
respectively, of public instruction In Po 10
Rico, there is an educational awakening
among the natives. 0ne-fifth CT the native
teachers have some knowledge OF the En-
glish language. and, under the proposed
system. reading and arithmetic will be
taught in English and geography and
no system of higher education in the J.
and. There is a secondary institute at
San Juan where lectures are gwen 10 ma
circulated students after the French sys-
TEN and where degrees are conferred.
There is also normal school for girls
where grammar school subjects arr taught
The rule in Porto Rico is that the schools
snail De kept open during all the months O!
the year, though only a morning session
Is held during the summer. There are
very few country schools for girls. and
there is no co-education of the sexes
The Irsular Commission landed al San
Juan ard Travelled over the island. Esing
the railroads where practicable and army
wagons where there were no ether me ans OF
conveyance. II is said that there is a great
field for railroad development in the ISL
and. The line between San Juan and Bio
Pedros runs about one train daily. and its
freight and passenger receipts are below
SO day. The French railroad p: oject
OF building line around the island was
never carried out, sections OF the system
having been built near San Juan. Aqua
dilla, and Mayaguez. Poor wagon roads
connect the broken links of railroad
II has been ascertained that the best
harbor in Porto Rico and one of the safest
in the world is on the south coast at a
place now called Port de Jobos. but which
will be hereafter designated en- the maps
as Port America.
II is understood that on the report of
the Commission depends the character OF
the government to be provided for the ISL
and.