The evening times., 1900-03-06

Ramon Latimer Fernandez, Delegate
Of the Porto Rico Republican party TO the
United States. conferred last night with
George T. Finlay. also member Of the
Porto Rican Commission, at the Arlington
Hotel in regard to a measure for introduc-
ing school gardens into the island, and
modifying the present system Of English
education.
The Porto Rican Tariff bill lately passed
by the House provides that the 2.500. 600
already collected in customs shall be ex-
pended for schools and public works in the
island. This sum is at present in the
hands Of Gen, George W. Davis. Military
Governor OF Porto Rico, awaiting disposal
for the purposes specified by the bill, II It
becomes law.
4 letter from General Davis in answer
to a proposal, for modifying and improving
the present school system and for intro
ducing school gardens was read last night.
Portions of this letter are as follows:
Your proposal to teach the people OF this
island something of the dignity Of labor
is a much more practicable suggestion
than that put forth by Mr. Buell. Up
till 1898 the efforts OF the sovereign power
seemed to have been centred in the direc-
lion OF educating a few to compose the
governing class. In the past. not over 22,
coo youths were taught anything where
as there are in Porto Rico Of school age
almost 3O0. 900 children.
THE Spanish educational system seems
to have Justified the theory that when
persons mental endowments were cult
Ntag no v-br bsa ehD Ia
work. Education then meant immunity
from manual toll and the well taught lad
taken to some other arena than the field
| for his career. and failing TO find remuner-
! ative ease was unhappy and restless. He
| was willing to become a clerk or 70 accept
/ any sedentary employment that would per-
+ NIT him to live in some comfort with idle
/ ness and geutility-anything indeed. that
/ would spare him from the drudgery OF
/ manual labor.
That a cultivation OF this instinct or in
/ cliHation viii take o long time 10 eradicate
! is patent Men and women are not easily
/ unmade The reform will be slow; and
/ unless Americans succeed better than they
4 have in New Mexico and among the ne
| groes Of the Southern States il will be
very long time before We shall see decid-
/ ed Improvement here.
] The Anglo-Saxon and the Teutonic
! races are unlike these Porto RiCans who
/ are proud or their ancestry. The mixture
I OF the blood Of the Gauls. the Basques. the
/ Romans. and the MOOrs. with a tinge OF
/ the African. has produced race which. af-
/ ter thousand years OF arbitrary govern
! menJ. does not live and move and have its
being in the same way that the Teutons
do nor is this strange. The influence of
our association with them will be slowly
| felt and the road OF the educator viii be
long and difficult.
Il IN afraid to make a prediction as to
the success you would attain in establish
| ing school gardens in Porto Rico. II you
| wrought only 10 the end that the pupils
/ would graduate with sedentary positions.
| permitting much leisure and little work.
| | am sure you would find thronEs Of pupils.
/ IL, however the ultimate result involved
| the following Of the plOW or other heavy
| work, I fear the success would be less -vi-
| dent.
The industrial future OF Porto Rice de-
/ peuGs on agriculture. and the labOrers mus;
consist Of those who will endure tire most
| severe toll They cannot hope to receive
more than 90 cents a day for cane and
I coffee culture. II is not easy to see how a
! father can now support and educate a iam-
| lily on 30 cents a day. but trop cal sugar
I and coffee are nowhere grown under con-
I ditiOn permitting a better wage.
Il hope to establish model farms and
/ experiment stations. so as to improve agri-
/ cultural methods I have 20 begin at the
| bottom. however. for there is no fc lnda-
| tion to build upon"
Mr.. Fernandez said today that the Eng
! lish schools now being established in Porto
/ Rico are complete failures. While the
| system and textbooks" said he. ''arc far
! superior to those We had under Spanish
| rule. the latter are written and eXpounded
! in English without the proper and neces-
| sary explanation in Spanish and with alb
! solutely no benefit 10 the students. We are
i panied and shocked a. the inconsiderate
/ and inadequate methods In vogue in tns
/ schools which are as unjust TO the teach
/ ers as to the students.
Young lady teachers from the United
! States are sent into the interior OF the
! country with everything foreign and
| strange about them. and then left to theI
! own devices without help or assistance OF
any kind.
The school garden is admirably adapted
/ TO the interests OF the people of Porto
! Rico. and, upon my return I will submit
/ the very compete reports issued by tins
| Bureau Of Education upon the results os
| school gardens in Europe to the proper
/ authorities. I shall do all in my power
/ to further this most beautiful and useful
| system Of education among the people OF
/ Porto Rico"