The times., 1901-05-27

est confidence in them. Not that we
are disposed to criticise a man like
Governor Allen too severely. . He was
sent to Porto Rico in a palatial steam
yacht to chase an Administration rain
bow and find pots of gold at its ex-
tremities; and Governor Allen is a
Jealous and loyal man. But facts speak
more loudly than perfunctory asser-
tions. Mr.. Pooey's reference to the
Foraker act in the above quotation
means that when the fun Dingley rates
were reduced. the planters saw COM
paratively improved chance to get into
the American market and increased
their efforts accordingly. Concerning
the condition of the coffee interest
which was q fourishing one under
Spanish rule Mr.. Pooey says:
Sugars, however. only hold second place in
the productions of Porto Rico. Coffee is the
great crop. The hurricane almost wiped out
the coffee industry. Today nearly two years
after, not one-half Of the estates are producing
much they did. Five years ago. when Porto
Rican coffee obtained good prices in Spain, Italy,
etc, and in Cuba. coffee lands sold as high
FIVE hundred dollars Nearly all the
estates mortgaged at from fifty to seventy
FIVE per cent OF their value. This could be done
TO advantage. even at usurious interest, because
coffee growing paying business. When the
hurricane ruined their properties owners and
mortgages had no money with which to pay the
expenses OF repairing damages, and not cent
could be borrowed on second mortgages, because
the mortgage law Of General Henry scared of
the money lenders"
The following, relating to peculiar
conditions and necessities of local COM
merce, industry, and taxation, is well
worth reading:
Under Spanish rule merchants buying their
goods in Europe obtained long credits. This per
mitted them in turn to carry country customers
from crop to crop. This system was the means
of developing many sugar and coffee estates
Since we own the island European credits and
markets have vanished. The merchant must buy
and sell from and to the United States on
cash basis short credit The value OF the
coffee and sugar crops together was greatly in
excess OF the value of imports Now The bal
ance of trade Is against the island, and 1t is
getting poorer.
Governor Allen laughs at the emigration, yet
never before have laborers been forced to leave
because there was no work When has prosperity
forced emigration? These people are leaving
because starvation stares them in the face. In
former times coffee employed six times more labor
than did sugar. and paid wages nearly all the
year round Today coffee labor is idle, while
sugar labor finds employment only six months IN
the year. Sending free rice, beans and rations
will not cure the evil. II is the employer that
must be helped-the coffee planter, whose es-
tate is non-productve. No one viii lend him
q dollar Cor the reasons | have given.
The Hollander tax bill IS unsuitable TO the
conditions OF Porto Rico. In New York State 1t
would be hailed with Joy by the taxpayer. But
in Porto Rico-Allen and Holander figured the
value OF real estate at hundred million dol
lars. One per cent would yield a million dol
lars. and another million from rum, sugar. etc,
would cover the budget. 1t turns out that the
one hundred million dollars exists only in Gov
ernor Aliens mind. Halt the sugar estates have
dismantled their stills; the cigarmakers un-
able TO comply with the law, have closed their
factories Where viii the other million come
from?
Il am informed that assessors have been order
cd to double. treble and quadruple assessments.
1t viii make no difference, as ten times nothing
gives the same result as two times nothing. The
tax sheet must be an exact balance sheet Of ones
own books II must be TO with the state
ment that there is intent to cheat the as
SCISSOR, and then the has the right 10 de-
mand your books and raise your figures to what
he pleases and there is appeal. II you do
not pay you are sold out in six months.
while here the statements and oaths OF tax
payers private in Porto Rico the sheet IS
given to the local assessor, aud ne can show II
10 whom he pleases The tax Of sixty cents
gallon on rum seems los. II would be here on
the principle OF taxing a luxury, but rum Is a
necessity to the laborer, who uses 1t to mix
with the water he drinks while at Work SICK
ness Is sure to follow neglect Of this precaution
You see no drunkenness in Porto Rico Taxing
the Iahorer's rum is as if his bread were taxed
Before the American occupation Porto Rico
had a special silver currency, Of which there
was in circulation six million dollars The United
States Government wisely fixed the value Of this
money at sixty cents per peso and un"isely de-
creed its extinction in = period Of three months,
thereby reducing the circulating medium by
forty per cent. The disastrous effects OF tins
measure have been worse than those Of the hur-
ricane Of ls99."
In view of the public impression that
the Supreme Court today will hand
down its decision in the constitutional
cases. the views of this observer come
tfmeously. We cannot know in ad-
vance what the court may declare. We
seem to have ample evidence that Porto
Rico under carpetbagism and outside
OF the Constitution is vastly worse off
than it was under the Spanish tyranny.