The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-01-22
PROGRESS IN PORTO RICO.
Public ImprOV ements and Industrial
Possibilities in the Island.

From the report of the Commissioner of
the Interior of Porto Rico. Just published
by the Interior Department. some inter
esting facts may be CLEANED as to indus
trial possibilities and public improve
ments on the island The Insular Office
includes the bureaus of Public Works,
Charities. Health, and Agriculture. There
are nearly one hundred thousand acres OF
public lands. more than One-dfth OF II
woodland. Some of the latter, especially
large tract Of virgin timber in the L1u-
QrIllo Mountains. is probably of consider
able value This estimate does not include
a large swamp, covering the northern part
Of AreCibo municipaa ity. which, it is said,
can be-easiIy drained and made exceed
ingly valuable sugar iaad.7
Excluding the military and naval reser-
yatiOns. retained by the National Govern
n.ent the IEsular Government owns forjS-
SIX lots. aSgIe eating over half a million
square feet, in the city Of San Juan In
his capacity as Land officer. the ComInlS-
sioner reports great difficulty in untans-
ling the mass of cross titles and dupIi-
Gated and tapping grants, as well as IN
authorized occupations, that have come
over from the old regime3
The Bureau OF Public Works has per
haps the most serious task before II IN
completing the defective road system OF
the island. Speaking OF this subject, Com
missioner Elliott says that the ordinary
revenues of the island viii permit no more
than the maintenance OF the roads already
built and that all new construction VIII
have to be done by means Of loan. The
Spanish Government built 15S miles OF
macadamized highway, the only kind that
will resist the tropical rains, at an ap-
DroXimate cost Of S3.4S462I. or over 81
coo q mile Since the American occupation
! how hoo
brought nearly to completion. This work
mas been done by contract, and the cost
has varied from $4,000 mile in the low
lands along the coast to Sl7.451 for a tn
fe over 1.6C0 feet Of highway. in the Adj
jul.tas Mountains. where there was much
rock excavation and retaining walls had to
be built
In addition TO the roads and bridges. this
/ bureau has charge Of the fifty buildings
belonging TO the civil government. and a
/ certain share in harbOr improvements
However, the respective rights and duties
OF the Insular and National Government
in the latter sphere b e been so imper-
fectly defined in the existing law that a
practical stop has been Pit 10 all improve
ments- and the report. urgently calls for
immediate Federal legislation defining the
! responsibility OF eaea Government for
coast and harbor 1rks-
The Bureau OF : sFieuIture reports So
034 acres of sugar land under cultivation,
1S0, 2S9 of coffee, 1921 OF tobacco. 104.059
in other crops. 12G6593 in pasture and
342 000 timbered and brush land. There
are forty mineral land grants, returning
trife over 1900 year rental Three
Of these, whose aggregate rental is near
" one-half this sum, are OF salt, silver,
and Iickel and copper carbonate and sui
phate), respectively Claims for gold,
iron, galena, and phosphate of lime are
also held. Some of these date back for
twenty years. and TIA holders are practi-
Cally all Spaniar s or Porto Ricans. The
chief of this bureau. speaking of the min
eraI resources of the island. says that no
systematic search has ever been made for
gold bearing quartz lodes, though over
600 pounds OF gold we're taken from
the river sands in the first quarter cen
fury of Spanish occupation, and in one
valley four hundred families are support
ed from this source at the present time.
Iron ore drift is found in<1sbundance in
some of the eastern distEFcts. and two
partially developed claims in the vicinity
of HumacaO are said to show over 1900,
600 tons IN sight