Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1900-09-14
PORTO RICO OUTLOOK
AlI0R SlliRPt T,lkS
~ lL5lSLillll PHASES
a
C1iu q Island Bang Replaced by Am
aitan go Anu-Adminis,reuon
Party Successful a, the Polls
Illegal System,

NEW YORK. sept s--The transport
Mcclellan. which arrived last night
from Porto Rico. brought 10000 pesus
In Porto Rican silver The coin was
In charge Of Captain william wiegs!
Eleventh United States infantry. and a
detail of six men. II Was turned over
60 an express company 90 take 10 the
Philadelphia mint, where II viii be- r..
coined.
a conservative estimate places the
amount Of unredeemed Porto Ricnn
silver still In circulation on the island
NJ about sj0O.0OO This coin Il steadily
coming In through the various bank
agencies and II Is safe 60 say that In
about six weeks. or two months az
most. but little Of the circulating me-
dunn will remain on the island
In the larger coast towns, such ~
San Juan. Ponce and Mayaguez, where
the government has established direct
exchange. the provincial coin is eN-
ceedingly scarce. being replaced by
American gold. bills and silver. but In
the small. isolated interior towns the
new medium Is almost unknown. The
Spanish bank at San Juan up to date
has put out about 100000 In papo.,
which. although more or less wild
cat" is readily accepted and fast get
ting into circulation.
When the first time limit expired on
August LIST Il was found that but little
over half of the Porto Rican coin had
been redeemed. The smaller merchants
refused to accept the debased currency.
and prices doubled and business re-
NAMED at a standstill for several
weeks. Competition and the law Of
supply and demand has steadily
brought about reimbursement and
| prices have now, IL Is said, reached III?
normal condition.
/ Besides a full list OF passengers from
| Porto Rico and Cuba. the Mcclellan
/ brought Company /. First infantry
Captain Darlington. which is en- route
| TO Fort Leavenworth. Kansas.
| George VI. Davis and the Misses Da-
/ Wis. family OF the commanding general
OF the department OF Porto Rico. were
also among the passengers.
Major Sharpe, who has been Judge
advocate OF the department of Porto
Rico since the occupation OF the island.
also came on the transport. He Is on
four months leave. II is probable
that Major Sharpe will be sent to Ha-
wall when his leave expires. In con-
versation with an Associated Press
representative he spoke in the highest
terms Of Porto Rico and predicted a
brilliant future for the island.
81 have been In nearly every pori
and city In the United States" said he
but ! had much rather live In Porto
Rico than any other place have had
the pleasure to visit. The climate Is
all that one could wish for"
Major Sharpe says the reorganization
of the judicial system will bring about
a startling change. There is a good
deal of work to be done there along
that line and the commission to revise
the laws will have no time to spare "a
turn in their report by April lst," said
he. THE civil code now in force Is
admirably adapted for existing con-
ditions and should, in my opinion, be
allowed to stand to a considerable ex-
tent, but the system OF procedure is en-.
tirely impracticable and should be aDol.
ished as soon as legislation can do IL
The whole system is crude and genera.
tons behind the times"
When aslpd ppnaarpinu tho fntnr.
government Of the island under tho
Foraker law, the major said he could
make no predictions in that direction
That Is question that can only he
answered as It works itself out" he
said. 81 will say, though. that do MOI
believe the upper and lower house sys.
TEN will be a success. The lower house
which will be composed Of thirty-fvs
members elected directly by the people
will probably prove a failure That
depends, though, on which political
party carries the elections. There ar,
about 10000 eligible voters on the Is,
land. At the elections last spring the
federals carried the island by ma,
jority of about 5000. II that party con.
trolls the lower house and occupies the
speakers chair. II will be in a position
to dictate to the upper house and to the
governor himself
"The other party, the republicans
are pro-administratlon in every way
or at least purport to be, and are N
favor OF the introduction OF American
institutions. The federals are anti.
American In their sentiments to sur
prisinig extent, and seem opposed tc
things American on general principles
They want to see all the Offices ant
clerkships filled by men from thell
party, and 1t is a CALLING sight to then
to see so many lucrative positions hel,
by the continentals, or Americans
am very anxious to see how TIL
legislature works out. ! will not h,
surprised II 1t deadlocks at its frs
session and accomplishes nothing
II such should be the case Con
gress would have to pass a new bill
and II is probable that the lower hous,
would be abolished. A government
by governor and his cabinet of 81,
heads of departments would be an nd
mirable institution.