BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1902-03-29
From inc New York suol
Automobiles in Porto Rico
and The Philippines

The indications of the utility of automo.
bilss in regions where travel is very diflcuis
or utterly impossible by other means OF
transportation continue to multiply Not
long ago it was announced that the French
Government had arranged to have the motor
vehicles extensively in the Desert OF Sahsrs;
th At new lines Of communication aoere soon
TO be opened connecting the principal oases
of the desert, and that the slow-moVing
car4eIs, which hitherto have Afforded the
only means of travel there, were likely to be
superseded by "autes", to a very large
extent.
Recent reports show that the Inhabitants
of Porto Rico are taking kindly to the ma
chine. which until lately was practically
unknown there. An agent of an automo-
bile company in the United States who
i has lust returned from that island states
that he was able to sell outright to the
Porto Rcans over $4,000 worth of motor
vehicles, and also to arrange for the sale oi
seven other machines at 81, 500 each. An
automobile transportation company has been
Incorporated on the island, with capital Of
$25, 600, and beginning on April 10 II
expects to open regular line OF transporta
tion between Ponce and San Juan.
The current number of the ''Automobilt
Magazine contains an interesting account
Of tie automobiles introduction IN the Phil
ippines, where it promises to play an exceed
I,nely prominent part in the development
and cultivation OF those islands. Finding
tast the service rendered BY the native run
ners, or couriers, who were first employed tt
carry the mail ia those islands, was un
satisfactory, the United States Govern
meut has determined to try the automobile
ior this purpose. TIE experiment is to b.
made upon the theory that, although tn
roads aud paths on the islands, are poor
and in some places are almost impossible
their condition is not so bad as to lRterfer
seriously with the use of the automobile
which while it Will be compelled to procee'
slowly for the most part will insure create
! safety and expedition Of the mail thal
any method of postal transportation EN-
ployed in the past.
During the last few months between tw
and three dozen motor vehicles have beel
shipped to the island and are in daily US
there by the residents, and among the lnor
PROSPEROUS of the natives the machines ar
decidedly popular. SIT is not at all unusual,
saws the authority referred to, ''to see
native riding through the country district
in newly imported American automobile.
And the fact that the inhabitants OF tn
island are ready to avail themselves Of tn
opportunity to purchase these machine
made in the United States is regarded a
proof positive that rapid progress is beini
made in the settlement and development Q
the islands.
1 Automobiles have been found as valu
, , able in the Philippines for heavy truckini
as for light transportation, and quite q larg
,, number of motor trucks are used to transpor
goods in the interior and along the coast
Around Manila, particularly, the superio
advantages of automobiles of high hors
!, power for carrying merchandise have beel
strikingly illustrated.