BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1901-10-10
SAN JUAN. OCTOBER 10
: Editorial Comment.

There has bean much discussion In the
United States during the past two or three
years on the suhjsct Of expansion. TAe
question OF expansion or snti-sxpansion ha'
been debated with more or less heat By indi
viduals, ON the stump, IN the press, and
even from the pulpit.
Il was made, or attempted to be made On
issue In the last Presidential campaign, and
In 90 far % il WAS an Issue the country
decided positively and In no uncertain voics
Ii favor Of srpanslon.
This 10 b subject which vitality interests N
10 San Juan. Whad National expansion ID
to the United States local expansion 10 70 ~.
TIE crying need Of the hour in San Juan ID
the opportunity Tor the city to expand,
OF eSurse this can bs but in one direction.
Rsmmsd In on oil sides but one BY water,
with every available foot OF ground within
is distinctively- city limits built upon, IL
must necessarily, fit grow at oil, fnd an
ousiss toward Puerta dc Tierrs and Ssntur-
ce. Ard yet, when every facility should be
given the intending land purchaser and
home builder, We find, on the contrary,
every concervable difficulty and obstacle
placed in bis way.
WHAT is the great reas IN for the nor.
hulaing up Of the large trac Of unoccupied
land Immediately outside che city Un.
qusstionAhly the impossibiliy OF securing
perfect tlt'e to the property. There have
bsen and there are numbers Of Americans
a. we'll ~ residents, Who wish to purchsse
lots near the city on whiok to build homes,
have small gardens, etc.; but at the very
outset Of the negotiations for this purpose
they are met scith the difficulty Of ascertain
ing sho osns the property, and the conse-
aasnt difficulty Of obtaining . clear little.
No one cares to invcst money in purchasing
lsud, improving il, building . house upon
u, etc., only to find afterwards that h:s little
% worthless and that bis time and money
have both been lost.
Nov, specifically, - TO these vacant tracts,
just outsids the city, which are ct present
but an syesore, and shich could be put to
such good use-who owns thems Where ID
The little to this propertyi
The Church claims It Or IN interest IN 1t ;
the Municipality OF San Juan claims owner.
ship; the Insular Government lays claim
to it, the United States Government also
lays claim to il, and even its claim is con-
tasted between its War and ito Navy Depart
msnts. OF course, with oil thsls conflicting
claims 70 the owasrship Of thess tracts, the
intending purchaser gives up In despair,
sssing the futility Of attempting to secure
t.ie from any Of these claimants which
ssuld necessarily be goOd against The others.
What 10 tie RESULT The immediate Sub
arbs OF San Juan, which are most delight.
faIly situated Tor residence purposes, are
practically . barren wxs,e. Where there
1heuld be bsantifal gsrdens and handsome
residences We 6ud IN occasional squatter's
skssk, some sand and tew cocoA nut trees.
Thia shsnld not be-this mast not be-
Whichever Of the numerous clsimsnts 90.
tsally o~n this land -and il matters little
which -lss tss fact be established in some
Wsy, and let il 10 established In auch = way
ITO stand for all time, and let the true
tNnefship bs 90 established that an sbsolut.
w perfect aud clear title can be given
Sehsn the. properly 10 sold for building lols
thts needs this property for any ne Of it,
6wn.
In fact, the only profitable use tha. tbs
property can be pat to Is the laying 1t on in
building lots, thus sffsrding . much needed
relief to the present cengestsd condition Of
the city. RfoPer.
But aR;s preliminary, the actual and true
ownership Of this property must BE- positive
II, dsAnitsly and finally fixed. How thisis.
tos6s dsne may prove . difficult problem,
sus 1s esn and must be solved. The present
uusesiaezotWy, not IN Say disgraoeful CON
aitiQN Il 14 cannot continue.
4fTEH 81 <<&4 II vilI reunire Conversational