The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-04-25
PROSPERITY IN PORTO RICO.
Great Advance in All Branches of
the Islands Industries.

Governor Allen. of Porto Rico yesterday
received telegram from ]. F. Harlan.
Attorney General, and J. II. Hollander.
Treasurer, Of the insular government.
telling of widespread improvement in the
condition of the. island. Those two Off
Gals have just returned from a trip of
observation through Porto Rico, appar-
emily taken to ascertain whether there
was any truth IN the statements of the
Ponce Chamber of Commerce that the
island was not prosperous.
On his arrival in Washington Governor
Allen said, in n newspaper interview, that
Porto Rico was prospecting. and it was
to contradict this that the Ponce Cham
Der of Commerce issued its statement
The despatch from Attorney General Har-
Ian and Treasurer Hollander, which APP
parently controverts these criticisms, is
as follows:
I'VE have Just returned from n ride
over the new road from Arecibo to Ponce.
returning to the capital over the old mill
tary road. Favorably and strongly i'm
pressed with existing conditions. At Ad-
tuntas, formerly the centre of poverty
and distress, were evidences everywhere
of decided Improvement in the condition
of the people. Saw no indications of ac-
tual want.
In the sugar country claims are made
by all that the crop will be the largest
in the history of the island Many plant
ers predict ii will exceed 10000 tons. At
Ponce there Is widespread confidence in
the immediate outlook and strong en-
thusiasm for American institutions. Ship
ping people inform us that this activity
Usual and will probably continue later
While the opponents and critics of Gov
ernor Allen lay unfair stress on the in
dustrial depression, ii is possible that the
American officials conscious of the good
government which is given the inhabi-
tants of the Island and of the immense
improvement over Spanish rule unduly
emphasize this efficient administration to
the exclusion of economic conditions. The
truth about Porto Rico is that the trou-
Die is due to economic causes. and the
most efficient and honest administration
at the hands of energetic American Off
Gals cannot reach the root at once.
Inc real factor in the improvement of
the Inhabitants is the Department of Ag-
riculture. BY means of experimental sta
tons and other measures the department
can show the people of the island how to |
develop their agricultural resources so as
to secure a larger degree of suStenance. |
but like all Spanish peoples it will find |
them slow In responding to these lessons |
much slower thar American farmers Its |
work must be gradual and the recogni- !
ton OF what Ii is doing is likely to be a |
grudging one. But patience and perse- |
verance will accomplish results even in |
this unfruitful soil. After time general |
and tobacco in Porto Rico will be con- |
Quoted on systematic principles, and when |
that is done the great mass of the popu- |
lation, which is an agricultural one. will |
be enabled to live in greater comfort
Everyone who has visited Porto Rico /
notes the marked absence OF anything |
like garden cultivation Not one hut |
in a hundred of those occupied by the |
poems is surrounded by garden. The big |
planters have raised these products in |
areas specially given over to that pur-.
pose, or have bought the necessaries of |
life, of which rice is the chief one. and |
resold them to the agricultural laborers.
Their claim is that this is a measure of |
economy. Possibly that is so from the |
planters standpoint, but it works to the
harm of the peon In leaving him so abso-
lutely dependent on artificial sources of
supply.
The relief from emigration is a tenn
porary one. yet its value is unquestion-
able. The present population is too dense
for the capacity of the people to sustain
though the resources of the island itself |
might support million inhabitants in a |
fair degree of comfort as comfort is un-
derstood in the tropics. In a highly de-
veloped civilization probably the island
would get along without serious incon-
venience. but the industrial civilization of
Porto Rico has not been highly developed.
In five years probably the Agricultural |
Department will have made visible prog
ress in teaching the people how to utilize |
more fully their. natural resources, and !
after that a steady Improvement may be
looked for BtTt this improvement can
hardly more than keep pace with the
growth of the population. and on that ac-
count emigration movements should not
be discouraged.
\ little relief has been given by the
within the last year to Hawaii
and Cuba. In spite of the local opposi-
ton. the best thing for Porto Rico would
be to have this emigration take on large
Hawaii. it is stated can
provide on its sugar plantations for 10000
Or 1000 Porto Rican laborers. Cuba can
absorb larger number though
not much encouragement is given there
for the Porto Rican laborer prefer ence |
being shown to the natives of Spain. The
mine owners in Santiago during the last
TWO years have offered extra Inducements
10 Porto Rican laborers. and have per-
suaded many of them to go from San |
Juan and Ponce to Santiago but the diff
iculty is to keep them employed in the |
mines. When the cane-planting season |
comes they go to the plantations. This
lelps the Cuban planters but discourages |
he mine owners. However it is prob :
tble that from season to season there will
De a movement Of Porto Eican natives to
Cuba large enough to afford relief to |
some of the districts in which the popu-
alton Is SO badly congested