The times., 1899-10-06
NEEDS OF PORTO RICANS
Not Understood by the People Here,
General Davis Says.
He Writes That for Some Time He
VIII Require 1000 Tons weekly
of Beans, Rice, Goldfish, and Bacon
and That the Islanders Are Not
Familiar With other FoOdstuffs.

NEW YORK, Oct. 5.-The Central Porto
Rican Relief Committee, which is cooper
ating with Brig. Gen. George W. Davis, who
is in command of the island, in relieving
the suffering down there, is daily recelv-
ing from all over the United States offers
of lumber, flour, potatoes, onions, apples,
and other products. In previous communi-
cations General Davis has asked that the
food supplies be limited to rice, beans, and
dried or smoked fish, and that such sup
plies of clothing as should be given be
made up of cheap garments of the very
| lightest texture William r. Corwlne,
Secretary of the Central Porto Rican Re
lief Committee, has just received letter
from General Davis on the general condi-
tions as they exist in the island In TINS
letter General Davis says;
Referring to the conditions obtaining In
Porto Rico, / have no reason to modify the
opinion expressed in my letter to you OF
the 29th ult-, either as to the number OF
people requiring food or to the length OF
time in which it must be brought into the
country. AS matters differentiate them
selves, it is observed that at the coast the
| number demanding food is not quite so
great as in the uplands, which is accounted
considerable demand, by sugar planters
and others, for labor, used in repairing the
| rayages of the storm. But in the uplands,
crops, houses, even the farms themselves,
were destroyed, the planters ruined, and
there is left little or nothing to sustain
! life in a large proportion of the people, ex-
cept that which is being sent here from
home.
up to within short time the poems
have lived on the fallen fruit and the little
store that some of them, more proyident
| than most, had put aside for contingency,
but now that that is gone there remains
practically nothing of the accustomed
food, and, were it not for importation,
there would be little food Of any kind for
them. 1t is an interesting fact that not
a native bean can be obtained in this city
(San juan, even for seeding purposes.
BASED upon the estimated income of
the island, it was my purpose to expend
three-quarters of million dollars on pub
lie works during this fiscal year. This is
now impossible, as the ruin wrought by
| the hurricane has paralyzed business and
already made marked decrease IN GUS
toms receipts, SO that income from this
source is not likely to exceed one-half OF
the amount estimated for the remainder OF
the fiscal year. In consequence of this,
even though the greatest economy is being
practiced in all departments of this gov
ernment, the allotment for public works
will probably have to be reduced so per
cent thus by so much cutting off the en-
,oloyment of labor and increasing the de-
mands of the INDECENT.
II can only add that we require 1000
tons Of food each week to feed the starving
in Porto Rico. that rice, beans, and Goldfish,
or bacon, are the cheapest and most ac-
ceptable food materials, and that these
people do not know how TO manage other
materials. Hundreds of tons of -four have
been sent down of the baking of which the
people generally know nothing, and tc
utilize which has been found most diff
cult
People at home should be made to un-
derstand that the destitute here, whom
they are trying to save from starving, are
a primitive race. They live in huts of barl
and thatch and eat the simplest food
chiefly vegetable, the mildness Of the eli
mate permitting the lightest clothing, OF
none at all for that matter.
Because of failure to appreciate these
facts, not a little of the material sent us
by the charitable at home cannot be util-
lied or even disposed of In any way intend
ed by the kind hearted donors. Pleas,
make it known in the United States tina
ours is a question of food more than any
thing else, and the simplest kind Of foot
at that. We need thousand tons of it
week, and if it comes in the shape o
beans, preferably red beans, rice and cod
fish or bacon it will be most acceptable t
these poor people.
"Of course the Porto Ricans will b
greatly obliged for any contributions tha
: our people may make. but / sincerely hop
: that they, and your committee, will bea
} in mind that food is the first requisite, an
Il that people can live in Porto Rico withou
anything else, but that without food the
| rniict die -