The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-09-05
ISLAND HAS A GREAT FUTURE
TRADE sHACKLED By SPANIARDS
HAS BEEN LIBERATED.
Americans Have Cleaned the Cities,
Built Roads, Established Schools
and Instilled Energy.


Elliott has been a resident of Porto Rico
since February. 1899. going there as di-
rector general Of posts. He was appointed
to this position by the late President Nc
Kinley. June 6, 1900, he received the APP
pointment of commissioner of the interior.
Captain Elliotts family has been with him
IN Porto Rico and they find the social
conditions there very agreeable. They live
in San Juan, where there is a large Amer
lean colony.
My comparatively long residence in the
island,' said Captain Elliott last night,
has enabled me to become acquainted with
the conditions of the country and the peo-
pie to such an extent that feel warranted
in expressing opinion concerning the
future OF Porto Rico. l regard the pros
poets as exceedingly bright for the island.
In the first place the change of govern
ment from the old Spanish regime TO the
American military government was salts
factory to the people. The change from
military government to civil government.
with full liberty of thought and action,
has been most pleasing to them. The civil
government now in vogue was established
by the so-called Foraker act adopted by
May i, 1900 Under this law there is pro-
of eleven members. Five of these are ma
tives and six are Americans, who are also
heads of the several departments. These
eleven members are all appointed by the
President. The six heads of departments
constitute the Governors Cabinet. The
Council is empowered to grant all fran
chises. and in the Legislature sits as the
Senate or upper house. A lower house
of the General Assembly, composed of
thirty-five members, Is elected biennially
by the people. During the two annual
sessions of the Legislature that have been
held nearly all of the old Spanish legisla-
ton has been wiped off the statute books
and American laws enacted instead. The
island Is now governed practically by
American law. The people are enjoying
the same privileges and liberties as the
people of the United States. This is a
boon that they fully appreciate. The laws
are being administered without friction
under the new government. and the affairs
of Porto Rico are moving along as smooth
ly as those Of any State in the Union.
"At the time of the American occupation
of Porto Rico, in 1898, the industries of
the island were at low ebb. The people.
especially in the interior, were without
employment, and there was a great deal of
suffering and starvation, which was in
tensified by the hurricane of Aug. s, 1892
The military government relieved the sit
uation by issuing rations to the poor and
1t continued this assistance for a year.
When the civil authorities took control
they were without means to extend ma
terial aid and insisted that the people
should work. They were offered employ
ment on the interior roads ard thus the
situation was gradually relieved until the
planters were enabled to offer employment
on the plantations.
PRODUCTS OF ISLANDS.
ION account of the climate the needs of
laboring men in Porto Rico are few. A
very little work enables them to get along
comfortably. Within a year after the in
stitution of civil government there was to
be observed a marked change tor the bet
ter in all lines of industry. The rapid i'm
provement has continued. The sugar in
terests of Porto Rico are large. The pro-
duction of sugar the past year was almost
equal to the largest crop ever raised on
the island. The cane now planted will. if
the crop is successful, exceed the record
of any previous year. Under Spanish
control the people were not allowed to
manufacture cigars for export; the to-
bacco raised had TO be sent to Cuba, where
Ii was made into Havana cigars. Now,
all tobacco raised in Porto Rico is manu-
featured into cigars for the United States
market. The coffee planta lions of Porto
Rico were seriously injGred by the nurri-
cane of 1899 and the planters, being in a
bad financial condition, were unable to
Immediately restore them. But during the
past year they have succeeded in getting
most of the .old territory back into good
bearing condition. 1t is estimated that
the coffee crop this year will equal fully
trouble, however, with Porto Rlcan coffee,
is that 1t has never had a market in the
United States. In Europe It is considered
equal to Java coffee and the whole crop
Is marketed in Europe. On account OF the
high duties and cost of transportation the
returns to the coffee growers are ccm-
paratively small, rendering coffee cult
walton Improbable under present condi-
tions. If the coffee drinkers OF the United
States could be induced TO appreciate the
value of Porto Rican coffee, and class IL
where it belongs, they could we'll afford to
pay price for 1t that would induce the
owners of coffee lands to restore this in
dustry to the leading position it once held
on the island.
II regard the growing If fruits as the
coming industry of Porto Rico. The eli
mate and the soil we'll adapted 10
fruit culture. frost has never been
known to fall on the island and the uIlan-
tity OF fruit grown there is of the finest
In the past no effort had been made TO Gull
tivate fruit because its expectation was
not permitted AS a result, the only
oranges found on the island Grow wild
in great profusion and of superior quail
ity. Now, however. many Americans are
purchasing small tracts of land, planting
them In oranges. grape fruit pineapples
bananas and other tropical fruit to an ex-
tent that, within a few years, the fruit ex-
ports OF Porto Rico will assume large bro
portions.
GOOD ROADS AND SCHOOLS.
1.-THE first efforts of the evil government.
were directed iowa: - providing the people
with what they most needed and most
earnestly desred-good roads and schools
During the past four years we have con
structed on the island nearly as many mile.
OF good roads as the Spaniards constructed
in four houndred years. and where there
was not one public school building on tho
island when the Americans took possession
there are now nearly one hundred. Over
5000 children attended public school last
year and the number will be largely in.
creased this year. About s. 0O0,O 900 have beer
expended In the construction OF roads and
schoolhouses and the good work is beinl
continued with increased vigor. We have es
tablished a system OF American taxation
which requires the rich. instead OF tn,
poor. TO pay the taxes. The real-estate val
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