The times., 1899-06-21
THE NSULAR BOARDS WORK.
Features of the Conmission's Re
port. Now Printing.

hdnuS OF the printer and viii be made
public by the War Department in a few
days. An abstract OF the recommendations
of the Commission was given out by the
department some time ago. but the report
itself contains some interesting features.
Referring to the subject of taxation. the
Commissioners say that there should be
a complete change in the system of tax
alton and expenditures. One particularly
Objectionable features of the collections
and expenditures is that taxes are levied,
assessed, and collected for special pur-
poses, but the funds all go into one COM
mon treasury and are there paid out for
such purposes as the municipal officers
may determine. The salaries of all ''ofii-
cials" are first paid and such other ex-
penses as may seem to them most i'm
portant. The three funds which suffer
most are generally those for public
schools, the public roads, and the poor,
and in many instances, says the report,
the schools are abandoned. The system
of taxation which has prevailed in Porto
Rico was, briefly. to collect all that was
possible from the people and to spend all
that could be collected. The great num-
ber of officials, the necessary amount of
expenditure required to keep up the gen.
eral and municipal governments. and the
! expense of collections made burden al
most overwhelming in its magnitude.
The Commission disapproved of General
Henry's system of taxation, saying:
General Henry, as Governor General
of the island through his secretary of
! finance. some time since declared a new
| system of taxation, assessing lands in the
valleys at 81 per acre, the midlands at so
! cents, and the highlands at % cents. This
/ uyas iralr- with rafar thatr
| value and to their improvements. and
/ doubling the tax upon all non-residents.
/ Such system of taxation is not approved
I by any except those who will by means
OF it be relieved in a great measure of
their just share of the burdens Of taxa
tion. We believe that the system which
now prevails in the different States of the
I Union should be provided for Porto Rico"
| Speaking of concessions and franchises.
! the Commission says: I'VE believe that
| the building and operating of railroads
! in the island of Porto Rico would be one
| CT the most important factors in devel-
! oping its resources. The individual or
corporation that invests money in Porto
! Rico in the way of railroads shows much
/ courage and great faith in the possibilities
l of the future. Such enterprise should be
| encouraged and as few restrictions should
| be imposed as may be consistent with the
| proper safeguards for the public good.
In our opinion it will be several years be-
fore any adequate returns can be realized
| upon investments OF this kind. Porto
! Rico has no lands to donate, no bountles
| to offer, but a charter most favorable in
| its character should be given as an in
| ducement to capital to make the invest
ment."
| The Commission discusses very fully the
judicial system Of Porto Rico. giving
brief description of the courts and their
methods CT procedure. The first officer
| having any legal or recognized authority is
a justice. who receives only fees. The
next official is the judge of the first in
i stance. who. in some measure, fills the
position Of a notary ana an examining
court. and takes the place of a grand jury.
He examines witnesses and reduces their
testimony to writing and certiies the
same to the court of next higher author
ity, called the audencia. He has, says the
report, no authority to put the punish
ment into operation. Thus the most triv-
ial crimes are of a necessity referred to
the higher courts. If the judge CT the
first instance should find that a chicken
! had been stolen, and from the evidence
carefully written down. determines that
the prisoner is guilty of the theft he could
not dispose of the case and put the pun
ishment TO be given into effect
OF the audiencia the Commission re-
most important as well as all cases of the
most trivial character, and these cases are
tried with as much pomp and ceremony as
generally accompanies the French system
OF procedure. We are not desirous of re-
hecting upon the judges who preside in
these courts, for they have been so long
schooled and educated in this system OF
procedure and no doubt regard it as the
best that could be devised but we must
pat ar To fhn IL,
and accumulation of business which neces-
sarily piles up mountain high in a cou t
that tries all petty cases that are the result
and outgrowth of the smallest c. lines
which usually infest such neighto hoo is
and peoples. Think of the Supreme Co 1T
OF any of our States dressed in gowns ard
surrounded by large number of high
salaried officials proceeding with unusual
pomp and ceremony to devote a large part
of the day to the trial of case which
should have been disposed of by a police
justice within a few minutes, and yet this
is exactly what the Supreme Court of or
TO Rico is now doing"
Referring to the schools of TIE island, tn
Commission says: The schools of Porto
Rico, when inspected by an American, pre-
sent state of affairs which readily explain
the cause of the unfortunate condition OF
fully nine-tenths OF the people of the island
tensions TO education, and in the United
States would not be regarded as being
worthy of the name. The miserable hove 5
into which these schools are crowded the
unwholesome and unhealthy conditions
surrounding them, the lack of the smallest
, conveniences and the entire absence OF a
! good system of school books is everywhere
noticeable. No attempt has been made at
classification. and young and Old are gath
cred together into one common oonglom-
GRAFTON of Nth and dirt. We desire to call
especial attention to another educationa
institution maintained at public expense
called the Institute and Normal Schco
OF San Juan There are in connection with
this pretentious and high-sounding institu-
E tion some seventeen professors, all dig
, nified by titles and professorshiIs, and Ie-
! ceiving salaries commensurate with theil
h dignties and pretensions. They draw
G from the public treasury annually SOM
I | $45. 900. We visited the schools CT this in.
4 stitute and found within them principal.l
o children of public school age, all of who !
. | should have been attending the publ
schools. and we failed TO ind at any of oul
visits single one of the high salariei ant
distinguished professors. In our judg
. ment these schools should no longer b.
supported at public expense, and the fund.
given to its professors should be delicat Il
and devoted to public school purposes. W.
believe that the public school system whicl
now prevails in the United States shouli
be provided for Porto Rico, and that th
r same system of education and the sam
. character of books now regarded mos
= fayorably i'll this country should b. givel
e to them. The teachers in these school
= should in a great part be Americans. VIII,
| are familiar with the methods systems