Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-05-25

Work of Building and Repairing
ROada In Porto Rica.

Work of Building and Repairing
Roads I'm Porto Rico.
The following is taken from the San Juan
/, News of May I:
April ~. 1899.
Honorable Secretary of the Interior:
Sir-I respectfully beg to report. for the
information of the governor general, that
works of repairs of country roads have
been kept on steadily this week. The num-
Der of men employed is now nearly 1000,
and will be increased next week. when
works directed on seve-a. new roads Will
be oisanIzed.
Lack of tools and the difficulty of pro-
vid!ng timely payment Tor such large num-
Der Oh men working ali over the island IN
different locai.t.es. and also the scarcity
OF capable men Tor temporary overseers,
delays somewhat the prog ress of increaS.n Is
The Torhs. NeIy respectfully,
FRANCIS l.. HILLS,
Director Public Works.
The astounding information that 1000
men were now employeu III the work OF
bui. ding ana repairing public roads in this
is.anG, conveyed Iii the above report OF
Major II IanclS L. Hills, director of public
wo4 ks, to the Secretary of the Interior, and
that more men Were TO he employed as soon
as capable overseers could De found, had
the effect of a bombshen in the camp of
those persons who have been making 1t
TO appear that the demon starvation was
rampant in the beautiful and fertile Island
OF Porto Rico.
A News representative visited the de-
partment OF pubic works yesterday after
noon, and through the courtesy OF the di-
rector, Major Francis l.. Hills, was shown
the records OF the department pertaining
to the work accomplished during the pres
ent administration OF its affairs.
Major Hills, who is q graduate of the
United States Military Academy. an ex-
oincer OF the I'd Artillery and a member of
the American Society of Civil Engineers
arrived here several mont ms ago and took
charge of the department. The organiza-
ton of the department at that time was
not accustomed to executive work, and he
began on the great task before him prac-
tca ~ without aSSist ance.
Formerly the municipalities were respon-
slbie for the condition of the country roads
No repairs had been made for wears. and
the roads Were full of rocks and boulders
ruts and d.tches--in fact absolute V i'm
passaDie The officials OF the municinaI-
tiles claimed that they had had no money
TO eXpend for such purposes
The first thing that the new director did
was TO systematic his work as follows:
select roads to be butt and repaired
Reorganization OF the laboring classes
3-lnstrucLon of The laborng classes
disbursement of funds so that the
money should be paid directly into the
hands of the labOrer
The men employed were divided into
gangs of twenty-five with A foreman an
oVerseer being in charge Of the gangs on
each road OGerSCers were classified and
placed under superintendent. The whole
island was divided into two districts-north-
ern and southern-with an engineer in
cEarse OF each district. This organization
has so far proven very satisfactory
At the end of the last week according
to the statistics gathered, sixty-two roads
were being rebuilt or repaired and 1900
men We're on the pay rolls of The depart
ment. Laborers are paid fifty centavos a
int Io,- C
work. Payments are made regularly twice
a month.
In reply TO a direct question Major Hills
said:
The department of public works will
give work To any deserving man in Porto
Rico who desires it, in fact, several times
l nave had trouble in securing the neces-
sary number of men Tor the work in hand.
For repairing road near Guayama l adj
vertised for men all over the surrounding
country ana then failed to get Them
The construction of these roads is in
tended to be of It permanent nature. They
are first graded and ditched and then cover
cd with stone. very much the same as is
done in the United States. Rains Will not
materially damage them. Only few days
ago the engineer with headquarters at
Ponce reported thai on one road recently
built it had rained INCREASINGLY for eigh-
teen hours ana no damage had resulted.
In selecting roads for repairs Major Hills
has been careful TO first open main arteries
Of communication into the interior 10 facili-
tate the transportation Of crops to the sea-
coast. lie has also opened up the rich
fruit section extending fronn Gurabo TO
Naguaho and the coffee districts extending
from Guanica To Iauco ana Maricoa and
from Manages to AreCibo.
During the latter part of March Major
Hills made Il fourteen day horseback trip
over she island and personally superintend
ed the organization and employment of
men as vel as giving practical lessons in
road construction.
During the past month 195.Gj9 pesos from
the customs receipts have been spent in
building and repairing roads in the island,
and every cent OF that sum has been well
spent. Major Hills has certainly accom-
piished d great work that VII be appre-
cia;ed by future as well as the present
generation. General Henry has congratu-
lated Major Hills on his splendid showing,
and has c&bied u resume of the report TO
Washington.