The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-23
Work Undertaken by the United States
should BE Performed by Disin-
terested Agents.
ONLY 600 SCHOOLS ALL TOLD
IN MANY PLACES LESS THAN HALF
THE PEOPLE CAN READ.
New Customs Tariff to Be Enforced
Will Greatly Relieve the ISL
.Li and's Tax Burden.

WASHINGTON, Jan. Eff Porto Rico
IS to become a credit to the United States, "
says Captain Augustus p. Gardner, assist
ant adjutant general of volunteers, in an
interesting report to Assistant Secretary of
War Meikeljohn on the educational ard
other affairs of the island of Porto Rico,
''and not be a continual thorn in her side,
it is as certain as the rising of the sun
that the work of reconstruction must be
done by men of disinterested motives"
In considering, says Captain Gardner,
the various elements which so to make up
the social system of Porto Rico, the most
worthy of detailed examination is the
method of education. 1t lis on this branch
that the fruits which it is hoped may be
gathered in the future must all ripen. What
purports to be census of the island is
taken every ten years But the only one
ever published, apparently, was that of 1887.
In this the population was given at SO6 70S,
of whom 1880, or 16 per cent, could neither
read nor write. A comparison of these fig
ures with those of a so-called rectifca ton
of the census of 1888 reveals gross blunder
somewhere, as, according to the returns for
that year, 23S 294, or twice as many people as
four years later, could neither read nor
write. For the city of Ponce there is an
excellent census for the year 1897, well COM
piled and to all appearances accurate. Ac-
cording to that the city jurisdiction covers
a population of $4,000. The percentage who
could read and write was 29.37. Captain
Gardner believes this percentage is very
much too high.
-
age the number of schools in the island at
coo at the outside, of which less than forty
are private or religious schools The COM
mon schools are divided into superior ele-
mentery, auxiliary and rural, with one
teacher to each school, whose salary ranges
from 1900 pesos. or $780, per year in a su-
perior school of the first class to 300 pesos
per year in a rural school. The superior
schools exist only in the seven departmental
cities, in each of which there are supposed
to be two superior schools, one for each sex.
In the larger townships there is one
school to about every LOCO inhabitants But
education is laid on great deal thinner in
many parts OF the island, large country
districts being without schools entirely, not
withstanding' compulsory school attend
ance law. AS each township pays for it's
own schools it is impossible to estimate the
amount spent on education annually in the
island. But the states contribution amounts
TO about $4,000 pesos a year, out of which
is supported certain institutions. Summar-
1zing the situation as a whole, there exists
on the island fairly good skeleton on
which to construct a school system. The
difficulty arises from the scarcity of compe-
tent and reliable teachers. In the nature
of things, for the present but little progress
can be made by American teachers sent to
the island. Their sphere of usefulness will
not include Porto Rico until such time as a
knowledge of the English language has be-
gun to permeate all classes.
With regard to the religious question. Can
tain Gardner says it does not appear that
the inhabitants of the island have ever taken
their religion with any degree Of seriousness.
probably owing to the fact that the church
is regarded as one of the means by which
Spain undertook to maintain her sovereignty
on the island and to provide for the main
tenance Of such of her clergy as could not
be supported at home. Altogether the cleri-
cal establishment maintains about 240 priests
and assistants, the sum total of whose sal
aries amounts to about 10000 pesos an
nually
Since the invasion of the American troops
heretofore been paid by the State, have
been cut off, state of affairs which seems
to be viewed with perfect equanimity bv all
except the priesthood itself. Roman Catholi-
cism mas better chance in the island in
view Of the condition of the native mind
than any other form of religion. That the
population of Porto Rico, as a whole. has
serious grounds of complaint on account of
excessive taxation is not proved, but that
this taxation was so distributed and admin.
istered as to seriously interfere with the
small, and especially with the native mer-
chants or planters, cannot be doubted.
The total amount raised by national taxa.
ton has been of late years rather more
than 100000 pesos, a sum equal to little
over AZ pesos per inhabitant. To Amer.
leans who are accustomed to a national tax.
alton Of some 81 per capita, the Porto Ricar
figures seem exceedingly small. Contrary "a
the belief which has been strenuously en-.
gendered, the fact is that out of this 4. 500 00C
pesos but $4,000 go directly to Spain in the
form of pensions. AS in all governments
the expenses are largely for salaries. and
the Indignation of the Porto Ricans is vast
that these salaries are for the most part
paid TO citizens OF Spanish birth. Conciud-
ing, the report says:
The reorganization of all these various
elements in the Porto Rican social system
is an undertaking of enormous difficulty.
the extent of which cannot be appreciated
by any one who has not seen the difficult
ties attendant on establishing even a tenn
porary modus vivendl The task Of simply
making laws which will conform to Amer
lean methods is simple. This can be done
at Washington. The task of making laws
which viii conform TO those of the United
States and viii yet work in practice Is an
undertaking for the greatest minds, the