BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1901-10-04
OUR PAGPDR PROBLEM.
Present Conditions
and Future Necessities.
Facts and Figures.


Ii our editorial CT the 30th alt, the necess-
ty for prompt solution of this problem was
dwelt upon, and the Legislature was urged
to action. In discussing the sulisct many
Of our readers desired to known what
promise the future gave. In acoo daace with +
meuy such suggestions a call was made oD
tie Director Of Charities, and with his perl
mission the Insane IS lum, and the Boys
and Girls Clarity Schools were visited, am
complete and accurate notes taken in regard
to Il cir conditions
The cost Of tha maintenance of our pre-.
sens charitable institutions was obtained in
the aggregate and per capita, and compared
with that of other cities. The probable ex
psnditare that would he necessary for |
the care of those now dependent upon the /,
pubic penny was also approximated. incl
figures giyeE are those OF the Alcaldes all |
oyer the island and the Director of Charl- |
lies.
The magnitude of the present system 0
charities and tue necessities for tie future
IS almost beyond the conception OF one not
versed with the details of cur charitable ins
ilutious, and it will be our effort in this
article to make plain to the public, by com
parisions ard percentages, the ilmensty
o. his question
In our editorial on this subject we called
upon the legislature for an immediate ap-
| proriation to set this matter at rest once
aid forever, but an acquaintance with the
status of affairs in actual facts and figures,
compels us to state at the very beginning OF
| this article that the complete care of cur
needy at this tms is as impossible OF ac-
accomplishments as the removal OF p0VeTtg
Ifom the entire world This matter can only
be taken up by degrees, and If proper sol
u5ion pns eeen made within the next five
-vniS we may feel satiSftud t1v~t of one day
has been lost in idle talk or effort. In Cor
roborasiou Of this statement itmay be said that
It is appToximated that the cost of caring
for all those at present needing care wOul
be S S0J,000 year, This sum has been
Icslcuiated on reports of the number needing
care made by the AlcaldeS of every town
aud figured out at the basis of 30 cents q
head tile present cost per capita FOR those in
the three insti,u ious supported be the In
sular GoVernmsnt' The solution of this all
import4nt problem can only be solved in one
way and that is tie taking up Of The matter
Oy lhe L gisiature by degrees, the proper
establishments o one Insulation at time,
0ul finances will permit for the purp 3se.
When we Wis ted the Director of Chart
rs and requested tue figures il regard to
present eXpsditures and fu.ufe needs he
plsced before US such mess of matter that
We were competed TO call for copc'se
Iclnorete statement and the figures that we
give are those submitted by the Director.
At tae present. time there are four iustitu-
tons uader the supervision OF the Drec
ror OF Charities, the Boys Charity School.
tie Girls CHARITY School, the Insane Asy-
lun AID the Lsper Colony AID appropriated
for the maiRienace Of the inmates of these
Institutions is the sum Of $IO6, $500
TIE boys school nov cantalus aeous ttso
hundrea aud fifty children ranging IN aye
from Tonr year. up to thiTtee3 Taere is
waiting list of as many again TIE saa 9
statemen can lie msde with references TO tbs
girls school. FOO much cannot be said IN
praise Of The condition tRat these TWO build.
ling are kept 10. A visitor to the Girls
Charity School is every where met By eyid-
ences of the good order and cleaoline of the
institution. The class rooms are large and
we'll ventilated the dormiores are as clean
as it IS possible for soap and water to make
them, the sanitary regulations are OF the
hest and all in accordance with modern
ideas.
The clothing of The children is of the best
quality that can be used for that purpose.
La fact il eau readil, be SAID that the gen
eral sspeei OF the building the children and
tae teachers. makes one teel himself in the
presence OF a large happy family, more than
among the inmates OF a charitable institu
ton. The moral and physical welfare OF
tie inmates IS looked after by a Mother
Superior, who has been in charge of this
nus ssItuLon or rasnsr the ons that it succeed
ed, for more lhan thirty years. A good
woman who has grown old IN the service 10
wnich she has devoted herself Her assist,
ants are women Ct the highest merit and
integrity and no labor is spared in looking
AFTER the welfare of the islands wards. Itl
is The realization of possibilities such as
this iHsstnton is, that compels US to call
all lhe iouder and longer for iurther build
Jugs of a Ike nature where the poor unf0rt |
unstes who are new compelled to crawl the
streets may be cared tor. And ia c0nuec- |
ion with buildings il can be said at tnis
time that one OF the greatest obstacles that |
mas stood IN the way of a ready solution OF
the pauper problem has been lhs lack Of |
proper buildings in which to house the men
AMI women needing care
The first effort must 0e made to procure /
sucn buildings as will furnish ready accom-
odaslon 10 those needing it. Ifit becomes
TO erect ues buildings for this pur
posee, the work must be delay ed, the poor,
tbe blind and the lame must for as least
another year be dependant upon aims
And there IS no reason why the Insular
Should be compelled TO erect
such buildings There are on this island
10 day many buildings which could be used
for tie purpose to good advantage, and those
buildings must be turned over to the Insu
ar Government. Tais problem is already II
100 difficult one to solve without unneceS-
lary obstacles being placed in the way. The
lolne government viii lend every aid in lis
power to help US help cur selves, and tue
many government buildings which to day
IL idle and empty could be turned into
ZONES that would furnish the first coverings
hat many men and women on this island,
ama. L..