The Washington weekly post., 1899-12-26

Inc war Department made public yes
teFudy statement showing the progress
mace IN reiief work in the island of Porto
RICO between September % and November
90 1879. The population of the island IS
estimated at 9lSe25. The average daily in
digent was 22l.0S1 persons: average weekly
SICK. lI,SI2, and the average weekly deaths
h52 persons. The annual death rate was
% per 1000 inhabitants. while the normal
rate of deaths was 25 per / 900 fnha bitants
The increased mortality was confined 10
the mountain districts where I'm some
localities the death rate increased 500 per
cent.
The amount OF cash received for the re-
iiet of the suffering people OF the island
UP 10 November 30 was sIS.22i The
amount Of money disbursed up 10 the date
mentioned was N,iE. Up to November
81 the total amount OF food received to re-
Heve the sufferers was IZ1627SS pounds.
OF this amount. 16,34S.5lO pounds had been
issued up TO November 30. The amount
Of unissued food on hand at San Juan
November 80 was 6l4.e72 pounds.
II was some weeks after the hurricane
before the mental and physical energies
OF the stricken people began to rally from
the shock OF the disaster They were
without ready money, and were brought
face TO face with starvation.
Some No Longer Need Relief
While the damage inflicted upon the
people along the coast Of the island was
very great IL was In part offset by tho
improvement in the sugar-cane crop-
which improvement was produced by rho
overflow Of water on the cane lands. The
prospect of a good crop enabled the plant
erS 10 borrow money with which TO en-
ploy the necessary labor TO care for and
harvest the crop. The cities along the
coast were also able to come to the res
cue by the employment of labor to repair
the damage inflicted by the storm. In con-
sequence of these facts. supplies have
gradually been suspended In the lowlands
except in limited quantities to the chronic
poor.
The coffee plantations are located in the
up!ands. Here the high winds swept ey-
erythinB in their course leaving little or
nothing for the thousands of hungry.
homeless. clothess human beings but
their lives, and what could be given them
to prevent starvation. The prompt action
or the American people and Of the peo-
pie of the island was all that prevented a
terrible catastrophe. The poor were fed
and their lives were preserved. Although
ceiving relief. the number of indigents To-
quiiing assistance remains the same.
lt IS believed that until February next
the demand for assistance Is likely to in
crease in the mountain districts. as tho
plantdins and baTanas will not be ripe for
two months to come. The greatest dis
treSs prevails in a locality where the
greatest difficulty is found in getting to
the starving.
Difficulties Of Transportation.
The worst area contains population
of about 25OCo0 and not wagon road IS
to be found i'm any direction over which
food can be transported. All food is car
ried on the backs Of horses. OF ;his poDu-
latiOn 10000 people must be fed. or they
will starve. If not fed at home they will
migrate to the cities. leaving the weak to
die. Their work will be left undOne and
their future will be hopeless.
Pestilence. which frequently follows
flood and famine, has appeared among the
inhabitants in the mountain
and a number Of people have
perished. 1t is feared that the epidemic
wfl spread to the coast should there be
Il general movement of the mountain peo-
pie in that direction. A movement Of this
kind has already been anticipated, and IS
being successfully controlled. But the re-
lief must be continued freely in the noun
tain districts for all of December and dur
ing the greater part Of January.
1t is estimated that not less than 300
additional tons Of food will be required.
Four-seyenths Of this amount should be
Of rice, tWO-sey- should be Of beans.
and the remainder of the amount required
should be Of goldfish or bacon. With the
food already issued and now on hand
and with the 200 tons required In addi-
ticn % that already issued, the total issue
will be 2O.l62. 7SS pounds.
Another Method Of Relief.
In dealing Nth the indlgents able bodied
men have been required 10 work for the
food they received, and a great deal Of
public work has been done In the way
Of clearing towns, repairing roads, &c.
A plan has been devised between the
board Of charities and the needy planters
and their servants by which The board
food 10 the planters for the
number IF servants in their families. In
return for this aid the planters sign an
agreement 20 furnish a small parcel of
land and n nut to each family. which
land they are 70 see prepared and seeded
with food plants The planters ere also
10 see that the labOrers and their fami-
lies are supplied with the food issued.
and that the I8bCrers perform a full days
work in return. The planters further
agree 70 fUTaish transportation OF tho
food.