Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-01-19
AS to the Conditions in
Porto Rico.
AREA AND POPULATION
The People Are Kindly and Hospitable
But Education is a Necessity
Commissioner Carroll Tells of His
Visit to That Country.

Washington, Jan 19.-Henry K. Car
roll, special commissioner for the United
States to Porto Rico, under appointment
by the president to investigate the civil,
Industrial, financial and social cOndi-
tions of the island, has made his report.
The report states that Porto Rico has
an. area of from $3.50 to $3.50 square
miles. The climate is tropical, but not
torrid. The thermometer rarely rises to
100 degrees, the highest monthly average
on record in nine years in a Juan
being Sc degrees. The mountains are
generally covered with verdure, and even
the peaks are gardens of the husband
mon. The death rate is moderate.
The population in 1897 numbered $780,
$50, exclusive of Spanish military then
occupying the island and the penal pop
ulation. A comparison Of the census OF
1887 and 1897 shows that the colored race
Is decreasing, the whites now numbering
81 per cent of the whole. The Catholic
was the state religion, n at the time
Of American occupation there were only
two churches of any other faith in the
island. The public charities are few and
poorly supported. Crime Is not excess
sive. The statistics Of birth in 1897
show that about 4S per cent are lle-
ultimate. AT most Of the hearings held
BY the commissioners h citizens per-
sisted that the fees by the priests We're
too heavy for poor people. who preferred
living together unwedded than to meet
all the conditions Of ecclesiastical mar
riages. These persons, it was said, are
rarely untrue to each other.
The Porto Ricans, the report says, are
kindly. hospitable, polite people. very
sociable, and always ready to do Anlefi-
cans a friendly service. One Of the
greatest needs of the island is said to be
good roads. The common estimate of
Porto Ricans is that only one-tenth Of
the cultivatable lands are in cultivation
at any one time. The soil Of the plains
and valleys are generally very rich and
have borne crops for generations WITH
out the use Of fertilizers. The crops
most generally raised are, in the order
Of areas occupied in 1896: Coffee, 121,116
acres: cane, 60, $50 acres; tobacco, 4,223
acres. Coffee cannot be raised without
shade, as in Brazil. The coffee bushes
need five years for full development
under the shade of banana or other trees
and continue bearing rs or even SO years.
Bananas give both shade and fruit the
first year. Coffee farms are exempt from
taxes 1Or the uISl i've years.
The grades of coffee are among the
finest. The fruits of the island are such
as are common to tropical countries.
The raising of cattle is an important and
lucrative industry. The daily wages of
the common field labOrers range from IS
to 50 cents, native money. Women are
rarely seen in the fields. The people are
Industrious.
Commissioner Carroll recommends that
the laws Of the Tinted States be extend-
ed to Porto Rico and that a territorial
form of government similar to that es-
tablished in Oklahoma be provided, that
the legislative power shall extend to all
rightful subjects Of legislation, including
regulations for the exercise of the cleo
tive franchise, that the legal voters Of
the island should be permitted to elect
q delegate to congress-, that a commission
consisting of three men who shall be
natives of the islands and two Of the
United States, be appointed by the
president to revise the codes: that the
jury system be adopted; that the bank
ing and patent laws of the United States
be extended to the island; that a court
of claims be established to adjudicate
all claims to property, secular and eccle-
siastic, arising under the treaty of Paris;
that the rule adopted by the military
government as to civil marriages be con-
inued in force; that the Spanish silver
coins be retired and the coins of the
United States be substituted; that the
lottery be prohibited, and that the gov
ernor general and the Legislature be re-
quired to provide for universal, and OBJ
llgatory education in q system of free
schools, where English shall be taught,
and that an agricultural experiment STA
ton be established for the island.
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