The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1902-07-22
FROM PORTO R|C0|
]. A. Crews Writes of Educa-
ticn in the Island.
One thousand Schools in 1902, Still The Vast
Army Of Children Is in Need
Of Education.

itddef5 mlgnt De glad 10 Know some
thing atout how our. l had a. well say.
friends and fellow citiZers down in the
pretty and faraway little island Of Porto
Rico are getting on in this respect.
While On my tour Of the West Indies
IN the early part OF this Year ii was my
good fortune to get TO Porto Rico, and
while there | had the pleasure OF calling
on both Governor William H. Hunt and
the new Commissioner OF Education,
Mr.. Samuel NJ. Lindsay, Of Pennsylva-
MIA. Governor Hunt kindly furnished
me the first annual register % Porto
Rico, issued under his direction, while
MIR. Lindsay furnished me with both the
report of the Commissioner OF Education
and the report OF the census Of Porto
Rico, the latter being taken under the
direction of the Wan Department. From
these reports | gained much highly
valued information in regard to the pro
greSs education was making on this
beautiful southern island, which is now
and is likely to continue to be far into
the distant future a part of the United
States. TO give as much information in
as little space as possible ! do not know
what better l can do than to copy the
old commissioners letter OF transmittal
vi He II " IL SoNtIi iIlt Il I w GSII-
ington, which is as follows:
Department of Education of Porto Rico,
Office OF the Commissioner,
San Juan. =. r.. Oct. Is. 1901.
Sir-I have the honor to transmit here
with my report on education in Porto
Rico during the first year of civil gov
ernmcnt. This report is prepared in
harmony with section % of the act OF
Congress-. approved April y, 1900, and
III response to the request of the Hon.
f. A. Hitchcock, Secretary Of the Inte-
rior, in his letter Of June %, 1901.
1t may not be amiss to recite that on
October Is, 1900, I submitted a proVis-
ional report on education to the honor
able Secretary OF the Interior, which re-
port was published at Washington. 1t
covers the period OF civil government
prior to my taking charge Of the duties
OF my office and the first month of the
school year under my administration. 1t
was necessarily brief and fragmentary.
Its statements were, however, correct.
Again, at the close of the first year of
civil government the Hon. Charles H.
Allen, governor of Porto Rico, requested
|, a report covering the work of this de-
partment of the iGsular government This
report was written and appears as an
: appendix to the annual report of Gov
ernor Allen, published at Washington
in 1901. 1t presents somewhat III detail
certain. phases OF the work done by this
department during the year. 1t gives
only partial statistical data and confines
its. discussion to concrete problems in
the administration of a great work.
In submitting this report l beg to i'm
press the vaStness of the work that has
beee done and remains yet to be done in
order that an approximately adequate
system of schools may be provided for
the children Of his island. The military
government had 612 schools in operation
in 1S99-190O. We increased the number
to 1872 for 1900-1901, and have completed
all arrangements to have 600 schools in
1912. But 1000 schools. good as they
may be, cannot successfully cope With
the tremendous illiteracy and the vast
army Of children in need OF education in
Porto Rico. The present year found
about "a, 900 children in school. We will
enroll next year 1900.
To provide education for these chill
dren we will need 1000 teachers. The
schools last year suffered because we
lacked teachers. The Summer Normal
School, held in San Juan July s to Sep
TEMPER ~, Was dllCUucu " ONtl oOO Du-
pills. From this number we Will secure
teachers for the schools. But the
growth Of the system Will cause an in
creased demand for professionally train
ed teachers. To provide these we are
now instructing a large school at Rio
Piedras, which will be opened to stu
dents about November q, 1901.
With the public elementary schools
| thOrOnphlv orpaniZp1. with the new
school law prepared by this department,
and enacted by the last Legislature, IN
full force and in successful operation;
with efficient supervision provided; with
t~hirty-nine new public school buildings
| completed and in daily use: With a re-
organized corps of teachers; with a syS-
TEN of agricultural schools giving prac-
teal education to 900 chosen youths;
with the normal school fully organized
and ready to begin its work; With the
summer normal happily concluded; with
a high school in successful operation in
San Juan; with the annual budget for
education increased from 100000 to
$500, 900; with every school amply
equipped with all necessary books and
supplies; with a school year Of nine
months throughout the island, and with
a rapidly growing sentiment IN favor OF
free public schools, it is eminently reas-
enable to claim that the cause of educa-
ton has made gratifying progress II
Porto Rico during the past year.
/ wish, in conclusion, to record my
sense Of gratitude to the officers assist
ing me in these arduous labors. They
nave always promptly responded &c
every request made Of them and lave
cheerfully and faithfully sustained tho
purposes Of the department. Nor can
withhold the deep gratitude | feel TO my
associates in the administration, and &c
your excellency for intelligent co-oDera-
ton and unselfish devotion to the ideals
this department has steadily labored &c
make real for the people of Porto Rico.
I have the honor to be, dear sir. with
great respect, yours very respectfully
NJ. G.. BRUMBACGH,
Commissioner Of Education.
HON. WILLIAM H. HUNT,
Governor Of Porto Rico.
I may later on give you some Of the
- ,onxy +onnInrc yt}<