The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-03-15
LIVE TOPICS ABOUT TOWN.

NsnCeSlao Borda. member of the Porto
Fican Commission now in Washington to
protest against the enforcement Of the
Holiender law. passed during the last few
minutes of the session Of the Porto Ri
can Legislature, Is of the opinion that the
United States has spoiled Porto Rico, by
what he terms iil-advised charity.
--Labo: conditions il Porto Rico he
said today at the Arlington. are in a de-
pIorahly bad plight You need no more
evidence OF the fact that Porto Rico is
not a good nor profitable place to live in
than the fact that Iaborers are emf
grating from it. Before the war. and be
fore the United States HAD taken possess
ion of the island it was extremely diff
cult to set sufficient laborers to take care
If the coffee crop Much of the crop
went to waste because it could not he
harvested. Instead Of having labor at a
premium now, it is at discount. There
IS nothing for the Iaborers TO do. They
are starving and are going where they
can get both money and food.
The trouble arose over the distribution
OF provisions by the United States Coy
erument- The natives are not thrifty
but they VIII work when they are obliged
to When they found that they were be
lnS led and could get provisions by sim
ply asking for them they ceased TO look
out Tor the future. and did no work. The
small plots of ground remained untitled
the usual yearly .sop of vans was not
put III ana everything went 20 pieces.
Now nearly every man is an idler. The
planters were not able to get labOFerS as
long as the United States would feed the
natives Consequently the plantations
are not growing crops. and the island is
rapidly getting into "A very bad condition.
feople are starving, and are blaming the
nlted States.
Now comes the HoTender law which
says that # a man cannot pay his taxes
after they have been due for six months
he shall lose his land. That really means.
under present conditions, that all the
small land Owners viii have TO lose their
holdings on account of taxes and that
IRENE. For this reason the people 81 Por-
10 Rico are INDUCING in riots
Whatever may be the cost. the Post
office Department accepts nothing which
is not the best First--isss is the motto
IN all equipments, and now the latest
thing IS a steel letter box It was not so
long ago that cities and towns were glad
enough to have a wooden letter box
Then the department put up cast iron
boxes at the corners, and later supple
mented them At important points by large
sheet iron newspaper receptacIes- The
cast iron boxes were covered with admo-
nit1ons not TO deface or break. on pen
atty Of heavy fines. and so. the officials
Of the department say, very few were
ever damaged
II seems now, however, that the cast
iron boxes are too clumsy. and not sniff
GENTLY strong. Recently bids for boxes
were advertised for and received Be
tween the time Of the advertising and the
opening of the bids. which took place a
few days ago. the department learned OF
the excellence of steel boxes. On award
ing the contracts. all bids on cast iron
boxes were thrown aside and now new
bids on steel ones viii be advertised for
The old cast iron box is out Of date, -
said Superintendent Machen, OF the Rural
Free Delivery Department, TODAY we
decided that II was too heavy and too
bulky and thought that in view of the
greater strength, the greater lightness.
and the greater beauty of the steel box
we might Just as well make the innOva-
ton with these new contracts The specf-
ncatiODs OF the new box are not vet Dc
clded upon It Will. however. be much
hghter, and though perhaps no less tx
pensIFe VIII AFFORD a saving through the
smaller amount Of freight we viii have
10 pay on II when shipments are made
Thomas Herran. Secretary Of the Co
| loIRbian Legation, and formerly consul at
Nedellin in the State of Antiocquia, has
| a wide acquaintance in this city. formed
partly when he was here as a student in
Georgetown University, from which insti-
tuition he graduated in 1863 He has re-
Gently been i'll, and has been cared for
by his old friends in the University Hos
pitaI- Though not completely recovered
from his Illness he has taken I'D his
quarters at the ST James Hotel. whore
h. I'll Z
subject Of Colombia, and the conditions
existing there
The revolution in Colombia, at the
head of which was General Tribe" said
he IS now practically broken. Tribes
adherents are dispersed and have been
driven 10 the hills where they exist only
as brigands- Because Of the recent reyo-
luton, which was the most extensive that
colombia has ever suffered the coTJrrt,y &c
IN q state OF collapse The lighting cost
me nFes " at least 10 go men. and kent
i it- - tIie entire population of the coun-
- from DONG any work AS a result
there IS an utter StaguatiOn in all Unas
OF business All steam boats. all rail-
ROADS, ana IN TACT everything possible
was pressed into military service The
country viii have TO begin anew
Among scientific men Mr. Herran is
known chiefy because of his gifts TO the
smithsonian Institution He has q 49,
ing toward anthropologv and b9s in,.sI.
ugated the remains Of the Indian Villages
OF his country. This resulted in his max
ing a nne collection of trinkets. of gold
specimens Of pottery, implements and 9th
er relics, which he sent TO Professor
Bard Professor Baird recommended
that Mr. Herran be allowed funds from
the Institution with which 10 further
prosecute his work. Most Of the relics -
Mr. Herran said. are recovered from the
graves OF chiefs. The native Indians dig
IN the old burying grounds and bring to
Medellin the results of their finds which
are sometimes Of extreme value TO an
anthrOpologist- It Is hard to save the
gold ornaments from the melting pot for
the Indians know only Of the value Of the
metal.
Mr. Herran's first visit to the United
states was during the time his father
Pedro Alcantara Herrau, was Minister TO
the United States from the Colombian
Republic Pedro Alcantara HerraD VS.
a great figure In Colombian history. hay-
ing been President of the country from
$50 TO 1874. in addition to being a great
general whose service in The behalf of
the independence Of his country was most
brilliant.
We May, But It's Doubtful.
(From the New York Journal1
The next four years VIII be time Of wonder