Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1899-01-26
WHAT PORTO RICO NEEDS.
Interesting Report to Assistant Sec
rotary of War Meikeljohn on
Conditions in the Island.
The SCHOOL SYSTEM BUT A SKELETON.
Imperfect Census Returns-Competent
and Reliable Teachers Needed - The
Religious Question: Priesthood Dl-
vested of Salaries.

and Reliable Teachers Needed - The
Religious Question: Priesthood Dl-
vested of Salaries.
Washington, Jan. 23.-"f Porto
Rico is to become a credit to the Unit
ed States" says Capt. August p. Gard
ner, assistant adjutant general of vol
| unteers, in an interesting report to As
sistant Secretary Meikeljohn upon the
| educational and other affairs of the ISL
| and of Porto Rico, land not contin-
ual thorn in her side, it is as certain
as the rising sun that the work of
reconstruction must be done by men
of disinterested motives"
Education the First Need.
In considering" says Capt. Gard
ner, s'the various elements which go
to make up the social system 81 Porto
Rico, the most worthy of detailed
examination is the method of educa-
ton. Tt is on this branch that the
fruits which it is hoped may be gath
cred in the future must all ripen.
Disclosures of the Census.
" udl puI " NC d CCuSuS VI OI1C
island is taken every ten years. But
the only one ever published, apparent
~, was that of 1887. In this the popu-
lation was given at SOC, 7Os, of whom
III, $3.50, or 16 per cent. could neither
read nor write. "A comparison of these
figures with those also called rectifi-
cation of the census for 1883 reveals
gross blunder somewhere, as, accord
ing to the returns for that year, 1885,
294, or over twice as many people as
four years later, could neither read nor
write.
Initeracy in the City of Ponce.
For the city of Ponce, there is an ex-
cellent census for the year 1897, well
compiled, and to all appearances &C
curate. According to that the city
jurisdiction covers a population of 49,,
900. The percentage who could read
and write was 29.37-10O.
Capt. Gardner believes this percent
age is very much too high.
The Schools of the Island.
Capt. Gardner says it is safe to aver
age the number of schools in the ISL
and at 600 at the outside, of which less
than forty are private or religious
schools. The common schools are di-
vided into superior, elementary. aux
Hilary and rural, with one teacher to
each school, whose salary ranges from
1900 pesos, or say 5000 per year, in
superior 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 one of
which there are supposed to be two SUI
perior schools, one for each sex.
In the larger townships there Is
about one school to every 1000 inhabi-
tants. Education is laid on a great
deal thinner in many parts of the ISL
and, large country districts being with
out schools entirely, notwithstanding
a compulsory school attendance law.
As each township pays for its own
schools, it is impossible to estimate the
amount spent on education annually
in the island. But the states contribu-
ton annually amounts to about 10000
pesetas per year, out OF which is sup
ported certain institutions.
A Fairly Good Skeleton.
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 a knowl
edge CT the English language has be.
gun to permeate all classes.
Religion Not Serious ConsId Grafton.
With regard to religious questions,
Capt. Gardner says it does not appear
that the inhabitants of the island have
ever taken their religion with any de.
gree 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
maintenance of such of her clergy as
could not be supported at home. Al
together the clerical establishment
maintains about 240 priests and as
sistants, the. sum total of whose sal.
aries amounts to about 10000 pesos
annually.
A Priesthood without Salaries.
Since the invasion of American
troops the salaries of all 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 a better
chance in the island in view of the
condition of the native mind than any
other form of religion.
No Ground for Complaints of Excessive
Taxation.
That the population of Porto Rico
as a whole, has serious grounds for
on account of excessive tax
alton is not proved. But that this tax
alton was so distributed and admins
tered as to seriously interfere with the
small, and especially with the native
or planters, can not be
doubted. The total amount raised by
national taxation has been of late years
a little over Az pesos per inhibitant.
To Americans, who are accustomed |
to a national taxation of some 81 per
capita, the Porto Rican figures seem
exceedingly small.
Contrary to the belief which has been
engendered. the fact is
that out of this 4,5O0, 900 pesos, but |
$4,000 go directly to Spain in the
form of pensions.
Reorganization an Undertaking OF Enor-
nous DifdcuIty.
Concluding, the report says:
The reorganization of all these |