The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-02-12
R IN PORTO RICO.
EIGHE.CENT IOATEs NOW SELL FOR
SIX CENTS.

confidence In their new mother country, Out
also established a more settled and stable adj
ministration by the introduction. so far as pos-
slble. of his promised reforms In the island
government. During his two months rule he
has abolished the tax on two common food
stuffs. appointed special Commissioner RS to clear
the court dockets. organized island and NUM-
cipal Boards Of Health. introduced American
policemen. placed the lighthouses In charge Of
the navy, repealed many obnoxious Spanish
laws in whole or In part. and even extended
solt-government to many interior towns.
Gen. Henry owes much of his success to his
vigorous business methods. When he first
took control he defined his present policy pre-
cisely in the remark. 4" shall use good West
ern horse sense In administering the affairs OF
the island and seek to give the people here a
daily lesson in self-Eovernment." He shows.
too, Yankee shrewdness, a trait acquired. per-
hHps. at school In a little Connecticut village
near New Haven. And for n overnor-Genera
he Ia democratic. At the palace he greets all
callers cordially, makes them feel at
ease, listens patiently to all complaints.
recommendation and requests. and every day
grants and refuses everything from a pass
on a transport to q valuable railway franchise,
But visitors must come in the morning. In his
afternoons, with his stenoRrapher and inter
prefer. he tackles his big pile OF personal let
teTb, washington correspondence anu OHlClul
reports. He also spends a few hours each day
Investigating and remodelling and repeating
Spanish avs and customs. Yet another mat
ter OF i'm Importance in which he finds an urgent
need OF reform is the employment OF %contrac-
tors In municipal or Government improve
ments. Concerning this subject, in an inter-
view. Gen. Henry said:
Il find difficulty In getting contractors TO
bid on work because they are afraid OF the oor-
ruption which existed 30 much under Spanish
rule. For the present, therefore. I am COM
PEELED to employ laborers by the day. without
any satisfactory system"
As an experiment Gen. Henry has withdrawn
troops from many interior towns In order to
give the people. as he promised. a practical
lesson In self-government. His action was
hurried partly by a lack Of harmony. in a few
cases. between the military officers and the
municipal officials. For example. In one vii
lage a volunteer officer. bringing a native
prisoner into court. demanded an immediate
trial without even tho necessary signed com
plant. Such u proceeding the Judge Of course
refused to authorize. So In order to pre-
vent more complaints OF the same nature
the Governor-Genera has sent letters
to soldiers. officers and municipal Off
cials notifying them that councils are
held responsible for their duties and
military officers for the law and order OF tho
community" or his self-government expert
ment Gen. Henry says: Il shall hold the
Alcalde and his council strictly responsible
forthe governmental this community. II they
fail to preserve law and order. or show an in
difference and neglect OF duty. the towns In
which such ~ncglects occur will be put under a
military officer and necessary troops. and the
functions OF the Alcalde, council and courts be
suspended. and the town governed by military
H.
Indifferent to progress and honesty Of action.
or do not represent the people. they will. upon
representation TO me by the business men OF
the municipality. be relieved and others put In
their places. But IL Is hoped that It will not he
necessary to make an example of any NUM-
c!pality by thus showing that they are incapa-
BILE OF governing themselves. and thus impair
the island and stop its progress or legislation"
But the common people. the class OF natives
whose attention Is fixed not so much on forms
OF government. but more toward the needs OF
everyday life. see the blessings OF their new
government more plainly in the tax reforms
make by the American Governor-General. In
Spanish times. when the S5O,0OO or 200. 900
islanders annually raised 1000. 900 pesos for
the Government. taxes were laid on everything
from valuable plantations down to the sale OF
bread and meat. On n loaf OF bread, then. the
moor as well as the rich paid a tax OF two cents.
But since Gen. Henry has removed this OBJ
noxious tax. even the little street urrhins can
tell you that the eight cent loaves now sell for
six cents. AS for meat. before the sale OF this
article became free from duty the little city OF
San Juan collected from the public market a
daily tax OF $50 pesos. which, of course. the peo-
ple themselves really paid. Now. in order to
make up the reductions in municipal receipts.
caused by the foregoing exemptions. Gen.
Harry has autlprizad all tnupa and yiII.0ns 20
issue special licenses for the sale of liquors
and tobacco. which heretofore have been sold
under a general merchandise permit. For the
new schedule he recommends a fee OF 80 pesos
for every LIQUOR or tobacco store or stand In
towns OF from 5000 to 10000 population, and
a fee OF 20 pesos for towns Of more than 10000
population. Gen. Henry further strikes a blow
for temperance by a paragraph which reads:
1T Is hoped that this taxing OF the sales OF
liquors may have the effect Of closing a num-
Der Of saloons and OF taking temptation to
drink away from the inhabitants. q vice Of the
island which tends to demoralize its people,
causes misery and suffering TO the innocent.
and interferes materially with moral progress.
upon Which depends the success OF any nation"
Gen. Henry. furthermore. has come to the
relief Of not only the small farmers. but also
the well-to-do plantation owners whose homes
were in danger Of foreclosure proceedings.
Most Of the mortgages. amounting to more
than GO.OOO.OOO pesos. are held by wealthy
Spaniards and pay a yearly interest varying
from 10 to 30 per cent. Since the war, as many
OF these mortgage holders wanted to close up
their business affairs and return to Spain. they
made demands, as permitted by Spanish law.
for a final settlement within thirty days. Such
legal proceedings. indeed. became so wide
spread that the agricultural industry OF the
island was threatened with ruin. For owing
10 the war and the lack Of money seeking
investment, the plantation owners were unable
to meet their debts. Therefore. in order
TO save their homes and valuable property.
these Porto Ricans. who are the truest Ameri-
can sympathizers, appealed by petition and in
person TO their new American Governor-Gen-
eral. He accordingly has declared a suspen-
sion OF the foreclosure laws and all legal or
judicial proceedings hereunder for one year.
provided. however, the interest on such debts
is paid when due at a rate not exceeding II per
cent. a year.
Another obnoxious Spanish law. making an
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