New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-03-18

masses. who are entirely without civic education
Under the present conditions the cost of ex-
tending public instruction to the chlidren seems
impossible and to give rudmentary civic euu-
cation to the adults. which this leader makes 10
appear necessary. Will require a complete change
of conditions
General Davis. the Military Governor is re-
ported as stating:
have authorized the expenditure of S33ooOo
already for schools. This is 80 per cent more
than under Spanish rule at any time. Thirty
thousand children are receiving instruc-
ton. but this is only one in ten or the nuiD so
that should be taught. 1t would take St,Ooo,ooU
to give fair education to all the children OF
school age In the island. and this amount repre-
sents double ell the revenues of Puerto RICO
DIR. Guillermo Curbelo. a physician, said:
AS regards instruction in the country: that Is
problem for which find no solution. They i've
so separately, one from another, that 90 not
see any way to get them 10 school.
SCHOOL. ATTENDANCE DIFFICULT
1t has been shown that 81 per cent of the
country people live sngy. not in villages. widely
scattered. and the means of communication in
the interior Is usually nothing more than mule
trail and that Is frequently impossible. The
little children cannot be sent to school under
present conditions.
Senior D. J. Colon struck the keynote when he
stated:
Our countrymen who peasants should be
grouped in villages. that the effort for their
education shall not be without results.
DR.. vazquez said
The impossibillty of spreading education
cannot attend classes owing to the distance at
which they live from schools, which are there
renedv for tbis stata Of S aars fbe appcaton
of which would be felt very soon. a former
Governor-General of the island had thought of
IT. and published a circular, which was not
needed. He wished to concentrate the people
into villages. / especially wish TO call your at
tention to this point. 1t appears to that il
villages were established in each rural district
it would be easy to diffuse education TO the chill
dren of both sexes, and even among adults.
Professor Castro in a recent letter states:
About twelve or fourteen years ago Spanish
General, Don Daban. conceived the idea of
grouping the country people of this island and
for this purpose he established a large farm,
Daban. in one of the level tracts of land between
AreCibO and Barceloneta.
1t is further stated that the location good
for the purpose. but that through poor manage
ment the effort failed. Another man stated:
If the planters could be prevailed upon to al
low the poems to live upon the estates, and not
employ those who have 10 walk three or four
miles to work. the owners would lose nothing
and the poems would become seciable and form
villages in which schools could be gradually
established.
VILLAGE COMMUNITIES NEEDED.
Statements of this sort could be multiplied,
but enough have been given to bring out the
fact that it will be necessary to gather the
peasant class into villages in order to raise them
TO a consistent level of citizenship sufficient TO
make us feel that have done duty to
them
The expense Of caring for them now Is too
great; with proper management these expectant
people be made self-supporting. be
made thrifty. and then they will support their
own schools. They will require TO be concentrated
into villages and they will require to be pro-
vlded with gainful labor; they must not be
gathered the scattered people OF Cuba were
by General Weyler. who drove them into towns
for military purposes, and. failing to provide
for their subsistence. left them to perish.
II will be necessary TO prevent the suffering
that prevails in Puerto Rico, to provide a
school system that win extend instruction to all
the children without the expense that is
being incurred. and TO do these things without
making burden to taxpayers. Plans for such
disappearing system have been devised. but
cannot be disclosed.
CHARLES E. BUELL., Secretary
L. s Special Commission to Puerto Rico,
Piainfeld, n. j., March II, 1900.