The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1900-01-23

Another delegation OF Porto Ricans ar
rived here Thursday TO urge upon the au-
thorities the extreme necessity OF legisia-
ton which will remedy the present bust
ness stagnation OF the island This dele
cation is composed of bankers and mer-
[ chants having considerable capital invest
ed in the island, and includes J. II ID.
Luce. representing the banking firm of De
Ford & Co, United States fiscal agents in
Porto Rico: Carlos Armstrong. of Arm
strong & Sons, OF Ponce: George Finlay,
retired merchant, of san Juan; Ferdi-
nand Juncos. secretary OF the chamber of
commerce: Arturo Bravo. of the house of
Bravo & Co, of Mayaguez. Accompanied
by Gen Davis. military governor Of Porto
Rico, these gentlemen called upon the
Secretary Of War and besought his as
sistance in securing the enactment of leg
is!ation which will open the markets of
Porto Rico and fix its commercial status
with the United States and the world gen.
orally. Secretary Root expressed SYM
pathy with the objects of the delegation.
For the Presidents Guidance.
Henry X. Carroll, special commissioner
for the United States to Porto Rico. I'M
der appointment by the President to in
vestigate the civil. industrial, financial,
ard social conditions of the island, has
made his report.
The report states that Porto Rico has
an area estimated at from $3.50 TO 1850
square miles. The climate is tropical but
not torrid. The thermometer rarely rises
TO 100 degrees, the highest monthly aver
age on record in nine years in San Juan
being So degrees. The mountains are gen.
orally covered with verdure and even the
peaks are gardens of the husbandman.
The death rate is moderate. Yellow fever
Is not indigenous, but smallpox sometimes
becomes epidemic. The health bill of
Porto Rico. however. will compare favora-
Diy With that of countries in the temper
ate zone. The population in 1897 number
ed SS,S2J, exclusive of the Spanish mill
tary then occupying the island, and the
penal population.
A comparison of the census of 1sS; and
1914 SHOWS mat the cOlored race IS &c
creaslng. The whites number 81 Der cent
Oh the whole. The Catholic was the state
religion, and at the time of the American
occupation there were only two churches
OF any other faith in the island. There
O''N ACbNSNdhl i-plStDpdt CnuICn IN
Ponce and another at Isabel III, in the
island of Vilques The public charities
are few, poorly supported, and as a rule
poorly organized. The prevailing crimes
are homicide, theft, and robbery. although
these are not excessive Burglary is AL
most unknown. The statistics of births
in 1897 show that about 50 per cent were
legitimate and IS per cent. were illegiti
mate. At most of the hearings held by
the commissioner persons insisted that
the fees exacted by the priests were too
heavy for poor people, who preferred liy-
ing together unwedded than to meet all
the conditions of ecclesiastical marriage
These persons. il is said, are rarely I'M
true to each other.
Traits of the Islanders.
The Porto Ricans, the report saws. are
a kindly, hospitabe. polite people, very
sociable, and always ready to do Ameri-
cans friendly service. One Of the great
est needs of the island, 1t is said. is good
roads. This is of the highest Importance
and affects all human interests-social, ed
ucational. industrial, commercial, and DO
litical The common estimate of Porto
Ricans is that only One-tenth OF the Gull
tivatablo lands are in actual cultivation al
any one time. The soils of the plains and
NdAiEgS dIt generally very IlC0, anu nave
borne crops for generations without the
use of fertilizers. The crops most gen
orally raised are in the order of areas
occupied in 1896 Coffee. ~, JIG acres; cane.
60,sSi acres; tobacco, i.222 acres. Coffee
cannot be raised without shade. as in
Brazil The coffee bushes need five wears
for full development, under the shade of
banana and other trees and continue
bearing twenty-five and even to 1fty
years. Bananas give both shade and
fruit the first year. Coffee farms are ex-
empt from taxes for the first five years
The grades Of coffee are among the finest
The fruits of the island are such as are
common TO tropical countries The rails
Ing OF cattle is an important and Iucra-
i've INDUSTRY. Inc daily wages of the
common field labOrer range from 81 10 30
cents native money Women are rarely
seen in the fields. The people are indus
triOus.
Territorial Form Of Government.
Commissioner Carroll recommends that
the Constitution and laws of the United
States be extended TO Porto Rico. and
that territorial form Of government
similar to that established for Oklahoma
be provided; that the legislative mower
shall extend 10 all rightfuI subjects Of
legislation, including regulations for the
exercise of the elective franchise: that
the legal voters of the island be permit
ted to elect delegate TO Congress: that
a commission consisting OF three persons
who shall be natives OF the island. and
two OF the United States be appointed by
The President 10 revise the codes. that
the jury system be adOped; that the
banking and patent laws of the United
States be extended to the island; that a
court of claims be established to adjudi-
cate all claims to property, secular and
ecclesiastical, arising under the treaty Of
Paris; that the rule adopted by the mill
tary government as to civil marriages be
continued 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-
guired TO provide for universal and obi
gatOry education In a system Of free
schools where English shall be taught,
and that an agricultural experiment sta
ton be established for the island.