The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-11-15
oUR WoRk lN PoRro RIco.

OUR WORK IN PORTO RICO.
It is hardly to be wondered that the
steTy OF Porto Rico Development under
American rlle 5 fascinating The island
r 1855 vas almost without roads; today
| new ones are building everywhere. IN ac-
| ccroance With scientific plan laid OUT
| BY the engineering authorities at san
| Juan The aim IS TO connect al the i'm
peTtant centers with shipping points on
tie coast. and 70 airect these internal
arteries o. traffic fl relation 70 the eco
noTnio needs OF the island The cost CT
| getting its CHIEF products 10 the seaport.
and so 10 the Enite1 States and the rest
| o. the world, has been greatly reduced
/ wherever American uacsdam roads have
/ been built. Spain left practically one road.
/ the military highway from san Juan 10
| Ponce, with q sazell branch. over this
main line, ninety miles in length. an au-
/ tOn1obile service has been started by
J American capital The distance is now
! covered in seven hours. The new line
1 net only has the mail contract. but af-
/ fords a trip OF remarkable interest for
/ tourists The scenery is ptcturesaue in
| the extreme. ana the steep entertainments,
| in many places on both sides CT the
read, give a touch OF adventure 70 the
| ride which adds 10 its pleasure Already
! one or TWO slight accidents have been re
| ported.
The Improvement in the school system
| has been still greater. Good roads and
| good schools seem 10 be cur hobbies in
ali our insular possessions. English is
taught il eve~y school in the island al
though the regular exercises are conduct
ed IN Spanish L Is said that the children
arc eager 20 lesra English because x IS
something new, and their parents are
eager that they should do so because OF
| the increased industrial opportunity q
! brings. A knowledge OF both languages
is necessary Tor places in the govern
mentme1t service. and for these Latin
Americans have al especially strong at
traction In commercial life. especially
ir the towns. d knowledge OF the new
tongue is becoming every Day more ueccs-
sary. Il is probable thst Porto Rico VIII
repeat linguistieally the experience OF
New Mexico
The island is rapidly netting With tele-
graph lines and stations. IL is predicted
that this service, already self-supporting.
viii eventually. be revenue producer.
The largest cities have telephone lines
controlled by American capital. Rail-
reads are extending II was planned
years ago to build { railroad around the
island, connecting the coast towns. The
Y crk was undertaken by a company q
RANGED largely by French capital When
two sections only OF this railroad were in
operation, with a good-sized gap between.
Work has been resumed under American
auspices, and additional funds securedi
end considerable part Of the island will
before long. be encircled. II is hardly
likely that the work Will De finished for
many years however. since the engineer
ing difficulties on certain parts OF the
coast ine are very great and the wafer
transportation well answers most needs.
But the greatest advantage to the island
GENES from the industrial opportunity
u hich the American sugar market offerS
accompanied ny the decreased cost Of pro-
dUcticn due TO the establishment BY
American capital OF sugar 'centrais "
The coffee industry. which ought TO be
first Ia Porto Rico. has been affected adj /
verseiy BY the change OF sovereignty. IL 7
lost its European markets. and has no /
advantage in the American, because all (
our coffee comes in free. The Porto .
Ricans would naturally like 10 have a
stout duty put on this article. and ia 1
time they may get It, That would be a I
consistent extension Of our protective sys- +
ten 10 meet the new colonial conditions.
even though the island viii probably. 4
never raise more than small part OF our /
coffee supply. and all Of US viii be taxed /
to pay its bonus. But in sugar Porto
Rico possesses \ magnificent advantage.
and sugar lands are rising rapidly in 4
price. the cultivation Of this crop exclud-
ing from the SOL other things 10 which II
is adapted
The scheme Of government I'm Porto
REQ reveals. a present-day tendency 10
weld legislative and executive branches
more closely, somewhat after the En-
glish parliamentary system, The upper
house OF the Porto Rican legislature con
sists Of eleven members SIX Of whom are
heads Of the executive departments the
other five being native Porto Ricans. No
bin can become lav which does not re-
ceive the support Of q majority % the
actual membership OF each house This
leaves the six Americans in the upper
chamber practically masters. The COVER.
nor of course. has the veto power, too. on L
the other hand. whatever the Ameri-
cans desire 70 set through they must
secure q majority IL the lower house.
and that is where their difficulty usually
CT mes
In the scheme OF municipal government
TIE Improvement which has accompa MED
the transition to American rule IL most
notable In the Spanish DAYS. the chief
object OF the municipal government seems
TO have been 10 provide offices. Most II
The money raised In taxation was spent
,4 paving salaries. instead n IMPROVING
highways or building school houses. Tam
many Hail has many unconscious devo-
tees Of its theories throughout Latin
America. Under the American regime =
certain percentage OF the revenue 81 each
must so TO highways ard 70
schools. An auditing system has been
established also. destined To chill the
hearts % some good patriots
Altogether. the organic law u our Porto
IAcan colony = ths most liberal charter
ever granted u a subject people in the
Sorld g history Porto Rico should not
'ant American statehood ct the price u
,0vering into tho federal trezsury the ,
moneys which It nov has To spend locally
Though the aspiration for self-Eovera-
Ilent j. 90 strong as doubtless o. out
Eeish this economic consideration.
While Porto Rico thus YIELDS practical .
= nothing 70 the Washington treasure.
he choicest activities % TIRE Wash'n-ton (
government are exerfed 81 It's AID Al
most eVery division Of tho agricultural De-
lartment has been set 1t work for ife dn-
eiopment- Analyses have beer made %
= coils for the beneft - its formers. its
crests have been studied with p rie. %
he establishment ~ forest reserves The
Veathsr bureau hes extended \ henero-
snt srm over the island. while the coast
nd geodetic survey hs- mapped OH ifs
'srhors ard inists. Bst greatest II an
'1rto Rico ENJOYS protection from e7ta4-
81 fof- by our arms and navy. unich !
ct 20 The United States u~t flr frrr-
80 10o.oc0 2 year Eear.v evprvthfrr frr { !
nitsd States government dces for Noes
.chusetts or triz-na. % docs for Porto
zico not II return for taxafion. But -
l- sct n keneroierce -he postal srtah-
'shneut- IN giving rhe zane postal rafrs
p THE isiari- tiaskz- Hawaii ard the
rl1rrireE. rs - Ste local re---t~- -r- !