BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1902-06-30
SAN JUAN, JUNE 80 :
In One Year.

Tomorrow July 1st begins the new
fiscal wear. With the one which dies
today many good things have come to
pass in Porto Rico. In every Drancn
Of our political existence conservative,
but steady progress has moved side by
side with the passing days Much good
has been accomplished only as the
result of unrelenting persistent effort in
the face of opposition, which has as
rule been unreasonable and unsound.
But like the infant forced to take heal
ing medicines against its will, the IS
land has accomplished more during the
last year than during any previous year
in its history.
The system of taxation introduced by
DR.. Hol1ander, and founded on the best
principles known to scientific economy
has been in practical use for Just exact
" one year. The finances OF the island
are today in better condition and po-
position than they have ever been
Weighty evidence of this fact comes IN
the share of a criticism by Spanish
daily which published en- the Peninsula
stated that the system had accomplish
ed more in one year than the Spanish
taxation plan had in four hundred.
The great burden OF taxation has
been taken off the shoulders OF the poor
people, of the consumer, and has been
equitab1y placed Ii pon the backs Of those
who garner the larger incomes from
the products and improvement in the
islanJ. Properties which never before
contributed one cent to the public trea-
sury have been forced to pay their
lie net f t5if tbf eSo e2SoS8ffr7nlmGental VI HI investment
untoled and cone to the people free
from stamps and neckcloths.
Many times have we dwelt upon the
important significance Of the loans nego-
tiated in the states by our insular cities.
The spectacle of American bankers
falling over one another to obtain the
San Juan city loan has been made
much of. But it cannot be made too
much of nor dwelt upon too often. 1t
means that our system of taxation and
finance has net with the approval OF
men who have proven themselves to be
tae best bankers in the world. It
means that San Juan and other insular
cites have been placed On a Par with
some, and even better than great
many, cities in the United States, in SO
far as financial standing is concerned.
To all this there has been and stlll
is great opposition, 1t has been argued
By the property owner time and again,
that it was all very Fell to tax large
pro peril IS, and for the masses to advo
cate 1t just 50 long as the planter had
to pay it. But it can be said with as
great an amount of reason and truth
that the property owner is afforded
greater amount Of protection, Which the
poor man gets not and needs not. Gov
ernment is not established tos protect
the man who has not, except so far as
his person n. .ay be concerned, but to
ensure the rights of private property,
and to guard against the possibility of
rich men, encroaching upon tie rights
of each o,her. To prevent the equalizing
of money with might and thereby max
ing it right.
In education vast strides have been
made The No NAL School has been
created, and the island is to-day the
possess of as fine an institution Of its
kind as can be boasted of by any state
in the Union.
Agricultural schools and rural schools
have been opened in every district, and
already the good effects of the Ame-
rican system of instruction is telling
upon the minds of the children From
the infant in the kindergarten to the
High School pupil one sees progress in
every move of the child In their
home habits and in their street habits
they are more intelligent, more respect
ful, and more self-respecting. Their
Spanish is being perfected. and they
learn English with rapidity which IS
astounding.
In the judicial and legislative bran
ches of our polity, the changes, the i'm
provements and the benefits have been
many. Many decisions of vast import
ance to the people OF this island have
been handed down. Many laws have
been passed which would honor the
record of more experienced legislators
The laws have been administered with
intelligence and with every desire to do
right. Where mistakes have been made
they have been mistakes in Judgment,
but not in conscience.
The supreme court during the past
year has laid down some most import
ant fundamental principles which go
right to the very existence of the commu-
nifty It the IgIesias case it was settled
once and forever that it is not unlawful
for 'workmen to combine IN lawful so
ciety for the protection Of their rights,
md thes afe-guard oltheir interests. This
-;ghts comes collaierally with the tigh
petition, and the right Of giving voice