The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-04-10
MISERY in PORTO RICO
WOEFUL PICTURE ny A FEDERATION
OF LABOR DELEGATE.
Many workers Said he Starving to
Death, While Others Are Commit
ting Suicide-TreasuryE Empty.

NEW YORK. April 9.-Senor Santiago
Iglesias delegate of the Federation of
Labor of Porto Rico. who arrived on the
steamer Ponce from San Juan, is the
bearer of a petition from the >workmen Of
Porto Rico to President Mckinley. In this
petition. which bears 5000 signatures. the
Porto Ricans say: Misery. with all its
horrible consequences. is spreading in our
homes with wonderful rapidly. Ii has al
ready reached sucn an extreme that many
workers are starving TO death, while
others that have not the courage TO see
their mothers. wives. sisters and children
perish by hunger, commit suicide by drown
ing themselves in the rivers or hanging
themselves from branches of trees.
An Associated Press correspondent at
San Juan, under date OF April 8. says:
1T is a fact worthy of the study or
specialists that nearly every town in
Porto Rico has empty treasury. A few
weeks ago i'm Ponce when that city was
threatened with an epidemic of smallpox,
the chief medical officer of the Superior
Board OF Health. an insular body, sug-
gested to the mayor that the first step 10
be taken should be TO erect temporary
hospital in which the cases could be
properly quarantined. The building sug-
gested was TO cost only $500. yet the city
was without funds sufficient TO construct
IL. Eventually, after weeks OF delay, the
hospital was built by a subscription raised
among the business men. Practically Ponce
is as poor as the average peon. Her streets
are filthy because she cannot employ a
gang of street cleaners and the city is not
properly policed for the same reason
with few exceptions every municipality
and township in the island is in the same
condition. San Juan, the capital city,
could pay it's police but $50 month and
that irregu,arly. y capable policeman can
rot be secured for that sum. Consequently
the force was from the same class of peo-
pie as form the periodical mobs. When
mobs formed as during the school
riots of a month ago, the police refused
to act because they were OF the same class
as the rioters. After three serious riots
the City Council was finally forced to
acknowledge that the police were incom-
petent. The government was called on TO
police the city and the insular police are
duty here.
..'The situation is a serious one and ii
NAV be necessary for the government to
come to the relief of the municipalities. 1t
does not seem to be generally understood
that of the fund held by the United States
treasury TO the credit of Porto Rico more
than 81, 900 has already been appro-
priated The first appropriation amounted
TO something like $4,000. which was eX-
pended in road construction. Recently Mr..
Brumbach, commissioner of education. re-
ceived 100000 which he is using to erect
schoolhouses in nearly every district of
the island. The construction of these build
ings will provide labor for a large num-
Der of persons. and, when completed, the
schools will be of great benefit to the
island A few days ago MIR. Elliott. COM
missioner of the interior, received an ap-
preparation of 10000 which he will apply
To the Improvement of roads.
Commenting on these proposals and pro-
jects the San Juan News says President
McKinley's object in approving these ap-
preparations is, it would seem, to relieve
the distress of the island i'm a practical
way. There will be no more promiScuouS
charity. To those who care TO work good
wages and every announcement will be
given.