Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-01-25
AFFAIRS IN
PORTO RICO
General Henry's Order Regard
ing Complaints.
GRANTING OF FRANCHISES
The Territorial Tax Law as Well as
Other Burdens Have Been
Revoked BY Him,
GRANTING OF FRANCHISES

i Correspondence of the Associated Press
San Juan de Porto Rico, Jan. ga let
ter was sent by General Henry to the
newspaper men here with the request that
| it should be given publicity, as follows:
| 'Headquarters of Department of Porto
Rico. Dec. 20, 1S9S.-Editors: 1t will save
great deal of my time and accomplish
the purpose better if you will state in your
paper that persons, Americans or others,
who wish to make complaints should put
/ them in writing for my reference to the
t proper officers for correction. Verbal
statements upon which definite action
. cannot be taken, are a loss of time to all.
1t is my intention to see all obnoxious
Spanish laws existing here are repealed.
! Taxation on property, notary fees, the
prevention of Americans getting into Of
flee as lawyers or otherwise under proper
laws viii also be regula ted when properly
represented in writing. Any action upon
the part of the officials in office to the pre-
JUDGE of Americans or American methods
of progress will be reported to me. l will
not continue in Office any such unprogres-
sive or prejudiced persons. Complaint in
regard to the customs on tariff regula-
tions will have to be made to Capt. Bu-
chanan who is in charge of the custom
houses of the island Appeals from his de-
cisiOn will have to be made to the secre-
tary Of war.
! Il also want it distinctly understood
that Porto Ricans will be preferred for Of
fee. Those Porto Ricans who have gone
/ to the United States and received an edu-
cation and are capable of filling places in
this island will be selected first; Ameri-
cans next in order. 1t is not my intention
to put IN office Spanlards or Spanish SYM
pathlZers. This is an island Of Porto Ri
cans and will be so considered. Ameri-
cans must understand that this island is
mt one of conquest but was surrendered
to the United States by the Porto Riica ms
who had been loyal to the government Of
tho United States and propose to consid-
er them for office as such in the future
After the country is organized and put in
form under proper laws if the Porto Ric-
ans desire to elect Americans to office
that will be their business and the Ameri-
cans good fortune. This camoring for
office on the island by Americans to the
prejudice of educated Porto Ricans must
stop. Their claims will not be considered
when Porto Ricans who are equally capa-
bic of filing the office are available I
en- sure that all good, true Americans will
agree with me that all Porto Ricans who
1 were loyal to the American government
and the flag when they were under Span
ish rule and who are capable should be
rewarded for their loyalty through pre-
ference in. appointment to positions of re-
sponslblllty as far as possible.
GUY V. HENRY,
Maj. Gen. Volunteers, commanding"
| There are several American LAWYERS
here and they regarded the letter upon it's
! first reading as blow at them. Upon
visiting the general. however, he explain
ed that they had misunderstood tn.
meaning of the letter and that it was his
I intention to remove the obstacles that
now prevented them from practcing
their profession here or of holding office
! 1t is q question whether the American
lawyers should be admitted to practice in
the Porto Rican courts since none of them
know anything about the laws of the is
! land.
! But this letter was insignihcan& in i'm
Iportance compared to the order of the war
/ department recently made here concern
ing the granting of franchises for public
improvements. This order prohibits the
granting of any franchises or concessions
for public works by any municipality
without the approval of the major COM
EmandinG who shall before approving Rny
! such grant or concession be authorized by
/ the secretary of war. This order will af-
! feet all enterprises for the building of
tramways railroads, telegraph and tele-
phone lines, water WORKS, gas works and
/ electric light works. OF course, the eff
fleet was to put a stop to all work on such
Enterprises and it seemed to many that
the holders of old Spanish concessions
would have a monopoly to the great de-
| triment of American investors. Gen
| Henry evidently took the same view for
! when this order came from Washington
| he Immediately added to it before publica-
tion an extraordinary provision revolxina
all Spanish grants and concessions now
Iexisting. Between the signing of this lat
| ter order and its printing there was such
| a cloud of legal questions raised that the
| general deemed it best to abandon his po-
sitiOn and the first order was published
| lust as it came from the war department.
al Washington. AS matters now stand
| the hands of Gen. Henry are tied.
Gen. Henry is doing away with all the
I burdens that hindered trade and taxed the
| lsuffering people. The tax called "territor-
J. ial taxes" upon public buildings is also
/ revoked. Tax upon land was most un-
! certain thing. There was no rule or la
| of uniformty-only the caprice or preju-
! dice of the authorities determined the
! amount of it. Complaint has fire.
tuuently been made to Gen. Henry b.,
planters that their political enemies
| threatene to raise their taxes and salts
tfy old grudges or new demands. To rec
itify this condition of affairs he has ar
ranged a scheme of regular and uniform
| taxation 1t is estimated that there are
| auproximately fifty million acres of tax
! q bic land in Porto Rico. 1t is the inten-