Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-07-10
OUTLOOK OF PROMISE
Governor Allen Discusses Conditions
in Porto Rico.
INCREASED TOBACCO CULTIVATION
Growing Of Fruits is Attracting
More Attention.
CONFIDENCE OF THE PEOPLE

| Governor Charles H. Allen of Porto Rico
| is in the city, and, after a short conference
| with officials here he will make a visit to
| his home in Massachusetts and then return
| to his post of duty in Porto Rico Mr..
Allen is opt:mst in his views of Porto
| Rico and the future of that island. He
| talked to a Star reporter today regarding
| the present conditions of the island and Its
prospects.
| Il should prefer to give no personal opn-
| ion on the subject of the Porto Rican
| tariff, said Mr.. Allen when questioned on
that subject Amy one who wants to satisfy
| himself on that question should watch the
| island during the next six months, and L
| am sure the result will be more satisfactory
| than the opinion of any one. In my judg
| ment the most sanguine expectations of
| those who favor the tariff are likely to be
| realized. OF course, the island is largely
| agricultural. Under the tariff sugar re-
ceives the benefit of IL cents a pound,
which is equivalent to from $50 to $40
| ton in gold. This in itself is an enormous
profit, and is bound to result in increasing
the output of the island in the next year to
| at least five times what has been regarded
as the normal output of the island. OF
course, the sugar crop is the rich mans
crop and will take care of itself.
The Tobacco Crop.
The civil government is endeavoring to
encourage the growth of crops which come
more directly to the men of small means.
Tobacco Is profitable crop, and it requires
only the labor for its proper cultivation.
! Any man cultivate crop Of tobacco,
which will make him a handsome return.
The cultivation of tobacco and its manu-
| facture into cigars and cigarettes is in
creaSing very fast on the island, and prom
ises to be one of its leading industries. The
growing of fruits is also attracting atten-
ton, and many hundreds of acres have
since May l been taken up by northern peo-
pie for orange culture. 1t is the opinion of
those who are acquainted with the orange
industry in Florida that large results Will
| be secured in orange growing in Porto
Rico"
Mr.. Allen described some of the advan-
tages of Porto Rico for enterprises of many
kinds. and said that the climate is not such
as to be unSuitab for Americans. The
island is small and the trade winds keep
| the temperature moderate at all times.
They had no fear of any more eptdemics
of smallpox. as they had vaccinated I00, 600
of the people and We're ready to vaccnate
the 100000 remaining.
Anxious for Self-GOvernmcnt.
1.-The people, said Mr.. Allen, ''are very
anxious for the establishment of a form of
government which will allow them to par
| ticipate in its management. When l Wen;
| there in April to look around l found it
would be great disappointment to the
people to postpone the inauguration untll
after the 1st of May. The people were IN
tereSted in the experiment and they have
manifested their interest in having every
| thing go along iii good shape. They have
| the feeling that the eyes of the people OF
| the United States and the world or
| them, and they are anxious to show that
| they are capable of Self-government and
| that they can assmilate institutions
and methods. The officers who have been
| appointed to various positions doing
| their duty well and all have arrived. ex-
| cept the attorney general and the commits
sioner of education, who had not reached
Porto Rico when left the island. These
officials are exceptional men. They were
selected by the President for their fitness
for the places, and none of them can be
regarded as a seeker for the office he fills.
! l do not think man was appointed there
who was after the job They are dong
good work and am sure most of them are
making a personal sacrifice in filling the po
sitions.
Hope and Confidence.
THE executive council was organized
| June 2S. 1t Is composed of five Porto
Ricans and six Americans. 1t was organ
| lied harmoniously, and has transacted the
business that has come before it. They
have provided for the budget for the fiscal
year ending June 30 1901.
There was, of course. an effort the
| part of certain political writers to spread
dissatisfaction among the people and this
undoubtedly had some effect. If it had, that
feeling has very largely been dissipated,
and there seems to be a feeling of conf
dence and trust in the way things work
ing, and there is every reason to think this
| is because they have been able to see the
tremendous business strides the island has
taken since the war; as well the prosper
Gus outlook for the future. The customs
receipts Of the island during the first week
of the civil government amounted to
| $500 Last week they amounted to So, 200
| The whole spirit Of the people is one of
| hopefulness in a future of progress and
prosperity
Conference With Secretary Gage.
| Gov. Allen had conference this after
noon with Secretary Gage regarding the
exchange Of Porto Rican for American
money. The exchange of money has been
going on for several months, but has caused
some dissatisfaction in the island. because
! there has not been a sufficient number of
places of exchange.
The points OF exchange are San Juan
Ponce and Mayaguez 1t is claimed that
| the poor people of the island have not the
means to travel long distances to these
places to exchange their money, and that
| 1t is not fair to them to require them to
pay the cost of such journeys,
| 1t is held that If there We're a number of
| points of exchange the work could go on
| much more rapidly.
Governor Allen himself said 1t would be
i an advantage to increase the number of
| exchange points, and has recommended
Secretary Gage has the recommendation
| under advisement.
There are only twenty more DAYS in
| which the exchange can be made under the
| will cease to be legal tender and will be a
| loss in the hands of those who still hold it.
| So far less than half of the total money
of the island has been exchanged.