The age-herald., 1900-01-09
GEN. DAVIS TALKS
 OF PUERTO RICO Gives Interesting Information to
 lnSular Committee. THE NEED OF THE ISLAND With Establishment of Trade Privileges Industrial Regeneration Win Com
 mence-Will Borrow Money
 UntilTaxes Are Adequate
THE NEED OF THE ISLAND

house today and made a general statement regarding the situation of affairs in that island.
 When he assumed charge there was a cabinet of secretaries in charge of several departments. The people of Puerto Rico, he said. were accustomed to arbitrary con- u'ol control of the king through minister's
 He had believed when he came to the ad- ministration of the affairs of the island that things could be bettered by eliminat- ing these intermediates and getting closer to the people, Mixed boards had every- where been substituted for these secreta- ries and the result, General Davis said, had been very satisfactory from his point of view.
 The civil administration was nominally in the hands of boards of health, charities, education, public works, etc, in all of which the natives had representation. The customs were collected by army officers assisted by natives. Natives were every where the principal employer.
 The industrial situation. General Davis said, was not satisfactory. He sketched the Encouragement which had resulted from the trade and tariff determinations against the products of the islands, both in the United States and Cuba before the great hurricane devastated the island last August In that awful desolation coffee plantations had been ruined and every ba- mana plant on the island had been destroy ed. For forty-four years preceding 1899 the average exports had reached about 16 900. 900 pesos.
 Dppnln .5f rrlz ed the Anglo-Saxon energy to face a gloomy outlook General Davis justified the arbitrary action of General Henry in extending for one year from January 19. 1S9e the time in which mortgages could be foreclosed, but said that they would expire shortly and thousands of properties would change hands. This added another discour- aging feature to the situation. He Davis, thought something should be done. but did not believe he had authority to further ex- tend the time under the treaty with Spafn but that such property rights of individuals and corporations must remain in the statu quo which obtained when the treaty was ratified.
 Regarding the political situation, General Davis described the fury with which the
 
 iards after the war closed. All that, how ever, had been stopped by the military and civil disorders had ceased. The elections in the towns shortly after the United States assumed military control, he said, were farces.
 Murders Are Stopped
 Regarding the future civil government of the island, General Davis said he had given the subject much thought without being able to formulate satisfactory schemes. It would be a difficult undertaking, but he considered it essential that the people of Puerto Rico should be given an opportuni- ty to demonstrate their capacity to enlarge their responsibilities. He thought they might be given representation in a legisla- tive body, but that body, he said, should have in it majority of persons appointed by the president in order to be sure that control should not pass into hands which would use it improperly. General Davis said the island was without debt, but loan must be raised or the present industrial paralysis must continue.
 The revenues of the island were made quate to meet its wants. For instance, 3O0,- 900 pesos had been allowed in the budget for education. That sum provided very limited education for 30,0O0 children. There was he said, 250, 900 other children who had not the slightest chance of receiving an education. In his opinion 100000 pesos a year should be expended on the roads for twenty years.
 General Davis said he thought that less than one per cent. of the inhabitants un- derstood the responsibilities of self-govern- ments In answer-to a direct question from Representative Henry of Texas, General Davis stated that he did not think terri torial form of government, such as was proposed for Hawaii, would be for the best interests of the island. But he distinctly thought the people of Puerto Rico were as much entitled to trade privileges as the people of Hawaii.
 Want Trade Privileges @-
 If trade privileges were granted he thought they would go far toward indus trial regeneration, but sn addition some re- sponsible body in Puerto Rico, in his opin- icn, must nave the power of borrowing money until the taxes become adequate. He thought five million pesos should be raised by taxation for municipal, insular and school purposes.
 MT. Cannon asked him if, with free trade, the people of Puerto Rico, considering the climate and resources of lthe Island, would be able to work out their salvation.
 Quite able to support themselves re- piled General Davis. "and, besides, contriib- ute much wealth ito the United States whenever the island is put upon a sound basis."
 The local currency, consisting of about 5,00o,OO0 pesos, he drought, should Joe re- tired and recoined, our money to take it's place.
 American sovereignty" said General Davis, in answer to a question from MT. Maddox, "has been disaster to the aver age Puerto Rican.
 . ''That is," suggested MT. Cannon. "the old order has disappeared and the new has not come in?"
 Ar--