The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1901-04-18
GOV. ALLEN SCORED
Porto Rican Commissioner Refrtes
Statements Given Out.
~ISLANDERS NOT PROSPEROUS"
Rule of Chief Executive of Island
Is Attacked and His Reports
Branded as False.

Anew York dispatch says: Reply,
ing to the public utterances of Cover
nor Allen, of Porto Rico, since his sr.
rival in Washington, Wenceslao Borda,
Porto Rican commissioner Thursday
made the following statement:
"The question at issue between
Governor Allen and the commission
ers are merely two:
First, whether his administration
in Porto Rico has been conducive to
the prosperity and welfare of the
island; second, whether the HolIander
revenue law was such measure as
should have been passed, and, with
out a hearing, approved by the chief
executive of Porto Rico. Governor
Allen has gone out of his way to attack
personally the commissioners when he
says that the members of the so-called
commission are foreigners; one .
Spaniard, one South American and
one an Englishman. We fail com.
pletely to see how this assertion, even
were it true. could affect the merits OF
our case, but we do think that it shows
his arguments must be poor when he.
has to vail himself of one OF this
nature.
"Governor Allen states that Porto
Rico has never before, in it's history,
been so prosperous; that more persons
are employed today than before; that
the sugar crop will yield 100, 600 tons.
he shows, however, no facts or figures
to substantiate these assertions. They
are, therefore, mere statements of an
interested official. There is no more
truth in them than there is to the
statement that we are tax dodgers and
that the rest of the Porto Ricans are
we'll satisfied with the situation. Now
comes a Porto Rican labor leader,
Santiago Iglesias, with a petition
signed by 5000 workmen which de-
clared that the condition of the Porto
Ricans could not be worse. These
people certainly are not tax dodgers.
"Goverror Allen is apt to believe
that everybody who criticises his adj
ministration is bad, but he cannot call
his new critics tax dodgers, whatever
else hs may call them, since they have
nothing that can he taxed.
"Porto Rico is not as prosperous as
he would like the people of the Unit
ed Ststes to believe, as is eloquently
and conclusively shown by the GUS
toms statistics.
1T is misleading to compare the
exports and imports of this year, that
is to say, the production and consump-
ton of the island, with that of the
years of the war and hurricane. The
test contrast should be made, to be
fair, with the fiscal year just previous
to our occupation of Porto Rico and
with the present fiscal year, which, ac-
cording to Governor Allen, is also Q
normal one. The exports during the
former year amounted to about $19,-
100000 pesos, or $ll, 100000. The
imports to about $1s, 900, 900 pesos, or
about $40, 800. 900, balance of trade
in favor of the island of 1000, 900
pesos, or 100000.
The exports from May |, 1900, to
February %. 1901, were s., ,s14, ,083,
and the imports So, 100000, balance
of trade against the island of 81, $780,
917, which is wholly unsupportable
and spells ruin when it is recalled
that our circulation is less than
S2,00O,O00 and that Porto Rico has
lost her credit in the commercial
world.
"Governor Allen states that never
has the.e-been the number of laSorers
employed as at arP-esept He fails to
offer the grounds for this belief. The
production of the island does not show,
it. The alarming emigration OF labor
ers to Ecuador, Cuba, Hawaii and
Santo Domingo, which he admits is
taking place, emphatically belle the
governors assertion in this respect.
"Why does not the governor mem
tion the other industries of the island
besides sugar? We answer, because
misgovernment has nearly wiped them
out"