Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-12-07
NATIVES ARE GUESSING
Uncertainty as to Form Of Government IN
Porto Rico
Ceasus Being Pushed to Completion
Recent Elections in Towns
Educational Matters.
Special Correspondents cf The Evening Star.

Although the uncertainty as to what form
of government they are going to have
keeps the Porto Ricans guessing as to
where they are at they will soon have
the satisfaction of knowing how many
they be- when Mr. Dingnan the newly
appointed chief of the Porto Rican census.
shall have obtained the returns from his
aids. who are peering and prying into every
Porto Ricaa home and causing no end OF
wonder in the minds of the natives az to
why Uncle Sam Is so anxious to know SO
much about their "age. sex and previous
condition of servitude." How wide of the
mark some of their conjectures have gone
was shown in the recent reply of the San
Juan News to an anxious inquirer as to
whether the collection OF all of this infor-
nation was merely preliminary to the i'm
position of taxes The reassuring nature OF
the reply, by the way. must have been
largely annulled by the recent appearance
of the order providing for the internal
revenues.
Nine hundred and forty census enumera-
tiers are hurrying over moor and mountain
in the endeavor to get In all the returns
within the prescribed time. that is. by De-
cemher 20. 1t is probable. though, that
several days of grace will be allowed them.
as the difficulties of locomotion in this
island have presented unusual problems. I
was informed by one of the office EN-
ployes in San Juan that the only instance
of a refusal to answer the questions of the
enurnerators was presented by an Ameri-
canized German. whose tongue had to be
loosed by force of law. Sometimes the
question of age has to be decided rather
approximately when the time of birth Is
put down as the great storm" of about
such and such year.
The Tax Question.
In regard to the imposition of taxes. all
male adults. owners of property. agricultur-
al, city, commercial industrial, and all
members of the liberal profession. trades
and arts pay 81 to the insular school fund.
Taxes are also levied on certificates of gov
crnment bureaus. or OF internal revenue Of
fees: also on manufacturers of matches
and alcoholic beverages: on playing cards
and billiard tables. This. 1.-THE white mans
burden fall also en- his beasts of burden
on horses. asses and mules. Coaches, pri-
waite and public. are vehicles of taxation.
Falling on the just as well as the unjust. it
attaches to street posters and to public
balls (which latter are allowed only at the
discretion of the alcalde). 1t Is added to
the load of the peddler's back and increases
the debts Of the pawnbroker. 1t takes from
the profits of the money changers and skill
fully extracts half dimes from the nickel
In the slot machine" The sons of Mars
and Neptune enjoy certain exemptions.
The recent elections held in towns of the
island have been attended by considerable
amount of disorder at some points, notably
at Ponce and Penuelas. Most of 1t seems
the part of the police. The republicans had
the first inning In Mayaguez and had 323
to their credit at the end of it. Their root
ers were whoopng things up when the fed
erals came 20 the bat, and piled up a score
of 500 for their side.
Both parties acknowledge that the differ
ences between them are more of persons
thar of principles. Recent conversations
with representatives of both parties have
convinced me that neither side wants
home rule-not yet. at least-candidly ac-
knowledgins their unfitness for 1t.
The man who has probably enjoyed more
than any other the diversion afforded by
the late unpleasantness connected with the
elections is the director of ports in Porto
Rico who until recently was drawing the
fire of both parties a result of order
emanating from his office by which several
towns in the island were enjoying daily
mails will be reduced to a tri-weekly ser
vice while others will be deprived of their
Sunday mail.
+ Storm of Protests.
The order. stirred up a perfect storm of
protests. which, however. disappeared be-
fore the political tempest which has been
raging recently The chamber of commerce
at San Juan has just added its voice of pro-
test against the proposed order, and also
demands the re-establishment of several
telegraph offices recently closed, and longer
hours in those now in operation.
II the roads of Porto Rico do not become
ways VI ptedSantneSS IL VIII not De through
neglect. as the department of public works,
it is said. will spend sGU0G0 in mending
our ways in the next year. The United
states government has recently appro-
priated from the emergency fund 100000,
to be used in the repairing of the roads on
this island and will cut off storm ra-
tions' from those towns where such money
Is spent.
The orphan asylum, heretofore under the
same roof with the insane asylum, and I'M
der the Spanish regime supported by the
lottery. Will soon be moved to our suburban
town OF Santurse. where the boys and girls
VIII occupy the buildings formerly used as
school houses by the Escolapian fathers
and sisters of the Sacred Heart respec-
IFely. rms change will no doubt result in
the removal to more suitable quarters of
many or the insane now confined in the
various jails of the island.
Educational Matters.
Matters educational still continue to ab-
sorb the efforts of many and the interest of
all. The model school," whose growth
has been much retarded by lack of lumber.
Is now under roof, and 1t is hoped will be
ready Tor occupancy January 1. 1t will be
formally presented to the public about that
time The town of Tagardo has taken the
maj steps necessary to secure the location
OF the normal and training school there
oy the deposit of bonds and other collateral
as Its part of the contract with the insular
government. The high school at Ponce re-
Gently opened with enrolment of forty.
which will no doubt grow rapidly
The private schools also seem to be thriy-
ing. The Congregationalists the pioneers
IN the establishment of ProtestanD church
schools Will soon throw another banner to
the breeze from the heights of Lares one
OF the prettfest of our mountain towns
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