Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-10-07
FUTURE is BRIGHT
Porto Rico Only Needs Firm HAND
on the Rein.
AMERICANS SHOULD HAVE CONTROL
There is Room for Improvement
Along Many Lines.
POINTS FOR TRAVELLERS
AMERICANS SHOULD HAVE CONTROL
POINTS FOR TRAVELLERS


With this article close my series on Porto
Rico. have found Uncle Sans new island
one of the most interesting parts of his pos
sessions. ana l believe III the end 1t will, in
proportion to its size. DC one of the most
profitable. During my travels l have inter-
viewed the leading Americans who have
visited Porto Rico to whether the island
will pay or not as a part of our territory.
So far I have not found one answer in the
negative. General Fred Grant, with whom
1 talked Just before he left San Juan for
the Philippines, was enthusiastic over Porto
Rico, and he knew as much about the coun-
try and its inhabitants any man who
has ever visited it. During bis stay he
rode over every part Of the island on horse
back, going from town to town and village
to village. He visited every Plantation of
any size and made the personal acquaint-
ance of almost every prominent Porto
Rican. Some Of his rides were extraor-
binary. At one time he made eighty-two
miles in one night on horseback, his only
companion being his son, a boy of seven
teen. He had travelled LIS miles by rail
and horse the day before, b':t pushed right
on in order to get through gu ckly. Cen
eral Grant told me he thought the island
would be the garden patch Of the United
States, and that it would eventually be d.
vided up into small plantations, owned by
Individuals and syndicates and by rich peo-
pie who desire a delightful winter resi-
CenCe. lie was enthusiastic over the cll-
mate and the fertility of the soil. He liked
the people, and told me he thought they
would make good American citizens. He
believes, I think. in a civil rather than
military government, but does not think
the Porto Ricans are as yet fit to govern
themselves.
General Robert P. Kennedy, the head of
the insular commission, has.the same opir-
ion although / do not know that ne
presses it in his report. He together with
many others. thinks the island should have
rI,of I'll, ,I,x
District of Columbia. the chief officials 20
be Americans, appointed by the President.
Assistant Postmaster General Heath. VINO
has visited all parts of the island. express
ed a similar opinion In conversation with
me- as have also many other pro intent
men
Americans Should Handle the Money.
There is thing very evident, and that
is that Americans should handle all public
funds and hold the chief offices of trust for
some years to come. The Porto Ricans
have been educated according to Spanish
ideas of honor and financial responsibility
They have been taught that every public
official can be bribed and can be moved by
brides. With them in the past justice has
always been bought and sold. Judges and
justices are still considered open to pur-
chase. and the courts cannot be respected
as long natives at the head of them.
1t is so with the other native officials.
Nearly every one of them expects to charge
for doing his duty when the doing 1t bene-
fits any one out of whom he can squeeze
money. The notaries public. for instance,
so managed their offices in times past that
many of them made as much as sI0,0o0
year. General Kennedy tells of who
made more than $50 600 per annum. and
says he heard of some who made more.
According to law, the notaries have to
draw up all real estate papers. They charge
not only for their services. but also per-
centage on the amount Of the sales Hav
ing made deed, they will not deliver the
original to the purchaser. but make him
pay for certified copy. They then hand
the original deed over to the recorder. who
charges for entering it, but who will not
let any look at the entry. but will
charge for telling whether 1t is there and
just what 1t is. Fees of this kind COM
mon in all such transactions. A recent
transfer of real estate cost the purchaser
over 2,0OO for notarial and recorder fees.
Another transfer. the amount of which was
only 5000. cost In fees alone over $500.
The recorders charge proportionate fees for
all kinds of work. one recently demanding
more than 5000 for recording a will In
fact, until Uncle Sam took possession of
the government it is doubtful whether
there was official in Porto Rico who was
not making more or less money outside Of
his regular salary.
Petty StealInEs.
The stealings extended to all branches
and the people were worked in every pos
sible way. In some of the towns I found
the policemen going about the markets
and laying assessments, of their own or
the mayors, l suppose. on the amount of
vegetables and fruit which the poems had
brought in for sale The iailers in many
of the towns have been found to have
charged - cents apiece for the rations they
have given the prisoners, whereas it is
known that the rations thus temized have
cost each * cents or less. School teachers
have been allowed to charge certain classes
OF pupils and they have. usual thing
lot hai living n he
ment for school rooms. making. In some
cases. as much out Of their rent as their
salaries. The normal school at San Juan,
which has chiefly small children, and which
fs not normal school in our sense of the
word. has seventeen professors, who have
been drawing $4,000 a year from the gov
eminent, and the host of government Off
Gals at the capital have. until lately, been
doing little more than fleece the people
and draw their salaries. The depart
ment of public works has been costing
Porto Rico In salaries alone SsS,OOO in
Porto Rican currency. the courts and de-
partment Of justice have been receiving
Si6oo0O, and other things in proportion.
The priests up to the beginning of the
American occupation were paid out of the
government treasury, annually receiving
$4,000 from that source, and this notwith-
standing they charged such high fees for
marriages that many people were unable
10 afford the ceremony.
Must BE Americanixed
am surprised at the hazy ideas which
many hold as to our possession of Porto
Rico. Some do not realize that it is now
and for all time part of the United States
1t is as much part of the Union as Mas
sachusetts or California. and the time may
come when it will be one of the most i'm
portaat parts Of the country. We should
consider the island as an outlying defense
or fertilization. 1t will 0e of our chief
military and naval stations. and will be
one of the bases Of operations in the de-
Tense of the Gulf of Mexico and of any
canal across the Isthmus of Panama We
have already a naval station upon 1t, and
have set aside a large territory on the Bay