The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-11-19
THEY LIKE TARIFF BILL
MERCHANTS OF PORTO RICO Salts
FLED WITH IT'S WORKINGS.
Il. NJ. Cooke, Deputy Collector OF Gus
toms for the Island. Talks
of Conditions.

Tom NJ. Cooke. deputy collector of GUS
toms for the island of Porto Rico, was at
the Denison Hotel last night. and will be
in the city the greater part Of to-day. Mr.
Cooke has been at his former home in
Lincoln, Neb., on leave of absence and is
on his way back to his post. He is ac-
companied by his sister, Miss Harriet NJ
Cooke, who is going to Porto Rico with
him to spend the winter Mr.. Cookies
headquarters are at San Juan, where w. X.
Lands is postmaster, and where Lee Nixon
is connected with the government service.
Mr.. Lands was expected here last night.
Mr. Cooke, in discussing the commercial
conditions of Porto Rico, says that when
he first went to San Juan, just after the
war, statement of the trade relations of
the island with other countries showed
that for five years prior to the war the
United States enjoyed only 80 per cent. of
the trade which Porto Rico carried on with
the world. During the first year after the
this amount was increased to so per
cent, and since the 1st of last May, about
the time the tariff bill went into effect, the
trade Of the United States with Porto Rico
has increased to about 81 per cent. Mr..
Cooke says the people are much pleased
with the change of government on the
island, and he declares they look upon the
tariff bill, which caused so much comment
in the United States, good thing for
them.
within the last three or four months"
he says, "a great many of the importers
OF the island have said to me that they
are only sorry the tariff is not rs per cent.
instead of Is. The reason for this declara-
ton is simple enough. For four hundred
years the revenues OF the little island were
carried away to Spain. When this tariff
was imposed the people could not and did
not believe that the government was going
To expend the revenues for public i'm
proVementS on the island, such as building
roads and harbor works and schoolhouses.
They disbelieved this so strongly that sew
eral times prominent business men have
called on me and asked the direct ques-
ton whether 1t was a fact that we really
turned over the collections for the benefit
of the island"
ROADS NEEDED
Mr.. Cooke says they need roads badly on
the island. There is but one good thor
oughfare-the famous military road. The
other roads he declares or no better than
what might be termed ''bull-trails."
He says he inquired what it costs to
transfer sugar from one plantation to a
certain port, nine or ten miles distant, and
found that the cost IL quarter of cent
a pound. The people, he says, are well
pleased with President McKinley's ap-
pointment Of state officers for the island
especially with the commissioner of educa-
ton, who is doing excellent work. The
children. of the island are rapidly learn
ing the American language. Mr.. Cooke
talks entertaiHingly Of the social condi-
lions of Porto Rico. "a Porto Rican girl -
he says lis the prettiest thing in the
world until she reaches twenty-five and
then she gets too stout"
Most of the Americans of San Juan are
members OF a yacht club an exclusive
| organization which includes many Span
iards OF the higher class Occasionally
| they give dances which are attended by
| the aristocratic Spanish girls who are also
attended by chaperons. An American or
| Spaniard or any other man cannot pre-
| sumo TO call on Spanish girl without
some of her family being present as long
as the call is prolonged. Another Ameri-
can and mysels arranged to take a couple
of Spanish girls TO Italian opera. said
Mr.. Cooke. They were sisters and when