BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1902-01-03
SAN JUAN, JANUARY 3
Editorial Comment.

There was no mipcing of words in the
Governors message read in tle Theatre yes
terdsy morning. 1t is to be noted thai
there can be no misconception or miscon
struclion of the Governors words or any
tangible doubts as to what the Governor
deems necessary legislation for the good OF
this island and the people thereof. This
direct way of stating unvarnisaed truths
q: d ills aad asking for measures to remedy
them is the only thing to be noticed in the
IN sssage (omitted in this morning seditorial)
which does not approve Of the mastery
ideas of Tetuan Street. The Governor
calls green green and white white.
Attention is called to the question OF
municipalities and the necessity Ct reducing
their number, thereby assuring better sd
ministrati0n of municipal affairs and at
the same time greatly reducing the cost Of
maintaining them. Two possible way OF
bettering municipal conditiors are suggest.
I'd, one by classifying the present larger
cities as cities with charters and the smaller
ones as towus Or villages; and the other by
consolidating many of the smaller nunIc'
palities. These suggestiOrs are not veleC
ID the language of dismal obsculity. Their
language is very PLAN, and these schemes foI
the relief OF the present municipal Situation
should NEED no very elaborate argument
in tie House.
Ii is the duty Of The Legislature to discuss
the matter only in 60 far as it is necessar,
to ascertain which OF the two means sug-
gested is the better one. When this has
been dtbe, the bill should be psssed wiihoul
delay and its language and import should
be as plain and as positive as the sugges
tioR made by the Governor
This matter Of municipal government has
Gong been question of considerable perplex,
< y 10 the Ilsal@r anth0rities. Into Ile Of
Ices Cf The I6suIaT officials there daily pours
thousands Of communicsticGs from aii over
the island and niney niue per cent Of them
relate to the administration, or rather NAL
administration, Of some one or other Of the
municipalities. In toacn taat comprises
about SIX wooden houses, a large sized
barn, and feW miserable shacks, there is 3
municipal council, and besides the cou Gil
i2ere is q police judge and municipal
Judge, each one With his Secretary and all
receiving some sort Of compensation, be j;
great or small, from the Insulsr treasury
The most fatgung duties which these
councils anu oficIals have to perform is the
pa, ,ment of their Caon salaries, and the
distribution Of whatever political patronage
may .ance to come their acay. And the
fights amongst the local politicians often
become very grave, aud assume in the
minds OF the contestants the importance OF
national contest.
Letters are written, possibly relating t.
the removal Of street light from one side
of the street. to the other, in which appeals
are made to the sense OF honor and justice
Of the officials, the knoWn repute of the
Ameriosn psople Tor liberty giving and
justice SEEKING Is incidentally made reference
to, aud the writer's finally ends up with ir-
Q sting that their lil lerty, the liberty Of their
dear beloved people and the liberty and honor
OF the nation have been taken away, and L
tne sulLonties to move tAe lanpOst back 10
In front OF the b, use.
There are many other Of these epistles,
which written simply in the drsire 10 iurthsr
personal interest and personal preiermtni,
make our administration OF IosulAr afiAlts
tske on the aspect ofa GIlberIiAn opera, or
even worse, Casino burissqae. 5oinstms
ago one oi the many AIealces on the island
wrote letter TO ihs autnontiss stating that
be hardly bad enough money vsih which TO
pay The members 81 his tfiicisl family, and
tsst be would therefore nqasst that = esr-
tsin general order cempelhng the municipa-
lily % do certain thlpxs to kssp The tosn in
. sanitary condlsion, BE- rsseindsi; that tho
iown vas pretty clean any wsy, and that %
FAR % he krev he eoald bot zee Of shat use
The szanHlipn vosld hs H1s eow. Of eenrss
this Esstlsmsn rscssysd lsitsr fSsm The
sa,aosiilss inlsEning him iha, Tie tsi
thing ks sAeu.d d b 70 spend all the measy
hs so1it g.shsf en- sansinsioD. sod tAst As
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