Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1899-01-26
About PORTO RICO.
Capt Gardner Makes a Report Con-
corning the Island.
AZ ORDER RESENTED BY CUBAyS.
The Mandate Of Gen. Brooke About the
Customs Receipts and Sanitary
Work Received with Poor
Grace at Santiago

grace AT santiago
Washington Jan. 80. III Porto Rico
10 to become a credit TO the United
States says Capt. Augustus ?. Gard
ner. assistant adjutant general OF vol.
unteers, in an interesting report to
Assistant Secretary Of War Meikeljohn
upon the educational and other affairs
Of the island Of Porto Rico, land not
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 Capt. Gardner,
the various elements which 90 TO
make up the social system Of Porto
Rico, the most worthy Of detailed
examination is the method OF educa-
ton. 1t Is on this branch that the
fruits which it is hoped may be gather
ed In the future must all ripen.
Capt Gardner says IT Is safe to aver
age the number Of schools in the island
At 900 at the outside, Of which less
than 40 are private or religious schools.
The common schools are divided into
superior, elementary, auxiliary and
rural, with one teacher to each school,
whose salary ranges from ZOO pesos,
or say $500 per year, In superior
school OF the first class to 300 pesos per
year in rural school. The superior
schools exist only in the seven depart.
mental cities, In each OF which there
are supposed to be two superior
schools, one for each sex.
Summarizing the situation as
whole, there exists on the island a
fairly good skeleton on which to con-
struct school system. The difficulty
arises from the scarcity OF competent
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 knowl
edge Of the English language has be.
gun to permeate all classes.
With regard to the religious ques-
ton, Capt. Gardner says it does not
appear that the inhabitants OF the is.
lands have ever taken their religion
with any degree Of seriousness, prob
ably 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 ind to
provide for the maintenance Of such
Of her clergy as could not be
supported at home Altogether,
the clerical establishment main.
tains about $40 priests and assistants,
the sum total OF whose salaries
amounts to about 100000 pesos annu. !
ally. Since the invasion Of the Ameri-
can troops, the salaries Of oil these
priests, which have heretofore been
paid by the state, have been cut off, a
state OF affairs which seems to be
viewed with perfect equanimity by all
except the priesthood itself Roman
Catholicism has 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,
Is a whole, has serious grounds of
complaint on account of excessive tax
alton is not proved, But that this
taxation was so distributed and adj
ministered as to seriously interfere
with the small, and especially with
native. merchants or planters cannot
be doubted The total amount raised
by national taxation has been of late
years more than $500, 600 pesos, a sum
equal to n little over ~ pesos per in.
habitant To Americans, who are &C.
customed to a national taxation of
some W per capita, the Porto Rican
figures seem exceedingly small. Con.
the report says:
The reorganization Of oil these various ele-
ments In the Porto Rican social system Is an
undertaking Of enormous diilculty, the extent
Of which cannot be appreciated by any one who
has not seen the difficulties attendant on estab-
fishing even temporary modus vivendi The
task Of simply making laws which will con-
form to American methods is simple That
can be done in Washington, The task OF maxi
Ing laws which will conform to those Of the
United States, and yet work In practice, is an
undertaking for the greatest minds, the knowl-
edge requisite for which can only be gained on
The spot Taking 1t all In oil, II the best men
Are not put to this undertaking, but the island
Is allotted to become political playthlng, the
Porto Rican will be worse OF than he was I'M
der Spain.
AN ORDER RESENTED BY CUBANs
Santiago, Jan. 20. The order from
the United States military authorities
In Havana directing the authorities OF
the Santiago military department not
to- expend a cent Of the customs re-
ceipts without the permission OF the
governor general and the order direct
ing that hereafter the bulk Of the san.
ltary work shall be done without
money pay and for rations merely,
we're given to the local press for pub
lication Saturday.
As showing how far the province has
1rifted backward since the first an
nouncement that the customs were not
70 be freely expended for provincial
improvements, the Santiago Heraldo
reports thata band of men are commit
ing wholesale depredations in the
Mayari district, where several people
1ava been murdered, and that another
'and in the Guantanamo district have
burned all the cane prepared for
pressing on the Isabel plantation
These outbreaks" says the 1eraldo
are the first fruits of the money cen.
,ralization svstem