BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1901-06-11
SAN JUAN, JUNE 1I,ssl90I.
Editorial Comment.

New Zealand has adopted in bcr new
land laws system which, Is entirely re-
volutionaTy and the operation OF which will
be aCatched with interest throughout the
ciYilized world. The lands have all heen
appropriated and laid for by the govern
ment at valuation Of 70 per cent over
the amount at W ich t5eyaave been enter
ed for taxation and sold in small holdings
to the people at the same rate. Thus II
is intended to break up the large monopO-
lies in realities and to enable the laboring
masses to obtain homes apd become inde-
pendent. Provisions are contained in the
new laws which strike at absenteesm and
compel ali to pay just share of taxation.
Advances are to be made by the govern
ment to small holders, fer; building houses
and fencing lands ard tie srms Of payment
have been made so easy fat one may pay
either for the whole or haze il on lease at
low rate OF interest for 1929 years, the
rent not being raised 40 lllater how much
improvement is added.
The New ZeaIandefs dQ net believe in
large holdings and they aye doing all they
can TO have their country .divlGed up into
small farns. They call tie land holder a
social pest, they tax him in ever Io sb'e
lcay and if he is an absentee they pile On
taxes SO that he has to sell.
Everything is done to encourage smaI.
farm, rs. The MAJ Wu Se income is Jess
than $1,000 year goes! scott free. lie
whose farm is worth olIg s. so is e2-
empf.
Some such plan would wsrL sell iu Por
TO Rico. With 10 acres Of land here q
man could from our fertile SOL extract 4
handsome income and in tme accumulate
wealth. \ racs of small ftiIu owners WcuiO
maSe cf FoT1o r 90 2 sarops, prsper1Gs
aul progressive state. / is no. perm ps
t) be hoped that Simla reforms 10 thos-
now pn' on trial iH M Iea.aud WiH ut
soon under sken III its new colonies, it Is
more probable that tbe trusts ,jii first own
the most of them, but the Jeud-,cy for
change IN the land !aEs is Ia, tae air through
out rhe world, and sweeping reforms are
sure to come 10 tHe L - ana her dtpcu.
dencies before many years.
Meantime everything possible should he
done here % encourage the people to be"onr
self Importing an independent no. much
can lie e1pe t # race OF homeless aud
Ienniless laborers
1t is now about tao years since the beg
inng of the South African Har
At the outset the W f4 genera ly shared
the view Of EnEIa~d tdat tre burLHer army
would he qu ckly put TO rou. aul the coau
( Y seized aud pacliied. l. appeared then
to be reasonable c0uciusicn ph-u tlc vast
disparity in numbers aud res urcps tetdreu
the opposing sides was uSi esei.
On one side stood the m 9ut anl Doir,r
Of England, with al her great oea'th. and
nor only her insular popular q n lrag fl ia
10 make her army Il -33.0oG Ill b hnr tsat
OF her numerous colonies hes,des. ou ih-
other side lcas an usdiScpliued and un
military horde OF farmers, mum 1eri1g sc r.
cely $4,000 eff ctives whose war material
cou not be Otherwise ~ luaatqustr and
era ie, 10 the ht of tae high S.aud rds Of
III dern equipment. Ie. to day tie struggle
goes ou and the price already paid hy Great
Britain for Tie maTeH O. Pretoria aud the
! Ia ted occupancy shs b Ids hrs reached
total loss OF 10000. some - 900 actual
dead, and a War expenditure Of billion dol
lars.
There has been no such remarkable war
IN history, ihe conquest q, Northern Itsly
by Isnu BAL tle overthrow Of tGe Spanish
power ~ Holland under tie s.eut prince
and the Il umph Of TIE colonial arms under
Washington, do not surpass it il the mar
velous tactics Siown bY 'he wea .er side nor
in the splendor of their heroism
The bright and cheery aspect OF the eitg
a7j itspeop lin the these f. stal days does not
indicate very wide feeling Of despair in
conStq quence of the hard times of which the /
ppSSimists have been telling us so much I
both here and abroad. The fact is the out. I
look is bright Tor Porto Rico ard there is
much for her people to be thank nj for
There is so lar as report goes promise Of
full and abundant harvest in sugar coffee
and tabacco, public works involving large
expenditures and the employment~of much
labor are going forward the general health .
Of the people is good aud business has taken
on a stability net heret fore kno,cn. All
hail to the fiesta!
No other moral force las been more y; dely /
et in Porto Pico than lhat .of the Yoi0g /
Mems Christian Associations, siace hat or
gani2ation passed uuser the lnanaeem nj of
hf. OHIstshcY It's present Gua teOu9 a6H e.
icient Seeretary.
Neac and far bsrdsemer a?sra4neus have
recent. been secured on st. Tue ST., np
Stairs VIII r. Il. hr oaeain agd nnoIaus
balconies givf Vistefs he meaes for erioH
ny GU es and cnnier hle ;pensal Ut he
aey spspefs and magazines: vel selected
lies Ot whlcu ale pE
One Of the chaB.eis is n s. rved for gam
and the5e have heceine very lepalaY.
Mr.. Du'sine glfes insifut On 10 Tie up
per branches Of English study including the
ligl er mafhemaficie and he has q large and