Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-04-27
AN AMERICAN VIEW
What Constitutes Prosperity in Porto
Rico.
EMIGRATION A GOOD THING
Agricultural Conditions on the
Island.
w o r K B f n G. D 0 n e
w o r K B IN G. D o n E


Written for The Evening Star.
What constitutes prosperity in Porto
Rico threatens to become q burning ques-
ton. AT least the movement in the island
to protest against official reports of pros
perity and the activity of the Porto Rican
commission in the United States in keeping
UP the agitation would indicate as much.
Ordinarily it would seem that a people
ought to know whether they are getting
along fairly we'll or not, yet it has hap
pened sometimes in this country during
political campaigns that the existence Of
prosperity was denied by those who were
themselves enjoying it in the fullest meas
ure. The condition is not exactly the same
In Porto Rico, yet there Is similarity.
The million inhabitants of the island are
not as we'll off as the mass Of the popula-
ton in the United States, and there is po
litical campaign coming on which Is direct
ed against certain legislation. The campaign
Is legitimate enough in its way. but in
strengthening 1t undue stress may be laid
upon widespread poverty which Is an in
heritance from the Spanish rule and which
the United States cannot cure in two
three years. What the American officials
claim is that conditions have improved and
are improving.
Due to Economics.
While the opponents and critics Of Gov.
Allen lay unfair stress on the industrial
depression. 1t Is possible that the Ameri-
can officials conscious of the good govern
ment which Is given the inhabitants of the
island and of the immense Improvement
over Spanish rule unduly emphasize this
efficient administration to the exclusion of
economic conditions. The truth about Por-
to Rico Is that the trouble Is due to eco
nomic causes. and the most efficient and
honest administration at the hands of
energetic American officials cannot reach
the root at once.
the Inhabitants is the Department of Agri-
culture. By means of experimental sta
items and other measures the department
can show the people of the island how to
develop their agricultural resources so as
to secure a larger degree of sustenance,
but like all Spanish peoples 1t will find
them slow in responding to these lessons
much slower than American farmers. Its
work must be gradual and the recognition
of what 1t is doing Is likely to be grudg-
ing one. But patience and perseverance
will accomplish results even In this I'M
fruitful soil. After time general farming
and the raising of sugar, coffee and tobac
co In Porto Rico will be conducted on sys-
tematic principles. and when that Is done
the great mass of the population. which Is
an agricultural one, will be enabled to live
in greater comfort.
year ago while travelling over the Is
land In company with an American who
Hdu the resources CdTeluily TIC lat
of the over-popuiation was painfully I'M
pressed on me. This man said that perma-
nent relief would only come from two
sources. One was emigration and the other
was in establishing something akin to poor
farms. He did not mean poor farms as
they would be understood In the United
States but rather agricultural stations at
which the poems could be taught to raise
vegetables and grains for their own sub
siStence.
Every one who has visited Porto Rico
notes the marked absence Of anything like
garden cultivation. Not one hut in a hun
dred of those occupied by the poems is
surrounded by garden. The big planters
have raised these products in areas special
~ given over to that purpose, or have
bought the necessaries Of life. Of which rice
Is the chief one, and resold them to the
agricultural laborers. Their claim is that
this is a measure of economy. Possibly
that Is so from the planters standpoint
but 1t works to the harm Of the peon in
leaving him so absolutely dependent on ar
tihcial sources Of supply. When the poems
are taught to raise the articles which they
consume and which their soil Is capable Of
producing they will have taken the first
step in improving their own condition.
Relief a Temporary One.
The relief from emigration Is a temporary
one yet Its value Is unquestionable. The
present population is too dense for the ca
pacity Of the people to sustain. though the
resources of the island itself might support
million inhabitants In fair degree Of
comfort as comfort is understood in the
tropics In q highly developed civilization
probably the island would get along with
out serious tnconv enicnce but the indus
trial civilization Of Porto Rico has not
been highly developed In five years Droh-
ably the Agricultural Department will have
made visible progress in teaching the peo-
pie how to utilize more fully their natural
resources, and after that a steady improve
ment may be looked for But this i'm
provement can hardly more than keep pace
with the growth of the population and on
that account emigration movements should
not be discouraged. Whoever has seen the
sWarming inhabitants in any of the inte-
rior villages can hardly fail to be impressed
that there are too many of them for the
land which Is to be cultivated. They swarm
not like ants or bees. but more like flies.
A little relief has been given by the emf
grafton within the last year to Hawaii
and Cuba In spite of the local opposition
the best thing for Porto Rico would be TO
have this emigration take on large propor-
tiors. Hawaii. 1t Is stated, can provide on
us sugar plantations for 10000 or 1900
Porto Rican laborers. Cuba can gradually
absorb a larger number, though not much
encouragement is given there for the Porto
Rlcan iaborer. preference being shown to
the natives of Spain. The mine owners in
Santiago during the last two years have
offered extra Inducements to Porto Rico
laborers and have persuaded many Of them
to go from San Juan and Ponce to Santa
go. but the difficulty is to keep them EN-
ployed In the mines. When the cane plant
Ing season comes they so to the planta-
tions. This helps the Cuban planters. but
discourages the mine owners However.
1t is probable that from season to season
there will be a movement Of Porto Rican
natives to Cuba large enough to afford
relief to some OF the districts in which
the population is so badly congested
Ideas of the Planters.
The sugar, coffee or tobacco planter in
Porto Rico is like the employer of labor
everywhere. He would rather have too
much of it than too little of it. Hence
from this source all emigration move
ments are likely to be discouraged, and