BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1902-01-08

sentence would be: The introduction and
extension of modern civilization aad enlight.
enment. To answer it in detail would be |
to siow what the great colonizing countries
of the world have done for the Advancement
of their colonies during the nineteenth |
ceptury-,he introduction of roads, railways |
irrigation works, river and harbor improve
ments, and through them the Development
of production and thus of material prosper
ity; the encouragement Of commerce aud the !
adoption OF improved conditions of life the
+st ablishment of reliable and permanent
forms of currency, with proper banking
facilities for the encouragement Of thrift
among the natives; the establishment of
postal and telegraph service for the encour
O cement of intercommunication among the
people of the colony and betweeK them and
tie outside world; the establishment of
8 esmship lines to connect the colony with
the home country and the civilized world
the encouragement Of education througn
schools, colleges, newspapers, libraries and
churches the establishment and proper
administration of laws and regulations by
which public safety and order are assured.
When it Is considered that in India
British government assumed control, there
are now 10000 miles of road, of which over
10000 are s'metalled"; that the railways in
tae British colonies now aggregate 63 $40
miles, against 33 900 in 1885, growth in
fifteen years exceeding the entire distance
around the earth; that the irrigation canals
and other works of Iadia are $4,000 miles
in extent, and the area irrigated by all met
hods exceeds 3OO00,O00 acres and that,
although they have cost about 0,000, 900
rupees, the value of single years crop. in
the irrigated district above that which it
could produce in years Of drought is more
than the entire cost of the canals, the import
aucs Of tsese public works for che develop
ment of agriculture and commerce will be
apparent.
When it is further considered that the
commerce OF the British colonies alone has
gr,wn from over $500, 600, 900 in 1850 to
81 400 000, 900 in 1900, their development
uuder the fostering care Sof an Intelligent
method Of government apd the consequent
-. q 4 = ~ = =, IN
to import S1,15O, 100000 woHh d To-
ciothing end the comforts OF civilized life
from other parts of the world in 1893,
against $l4O,OOO,O worth in 1850, the
French colonies Sl60,0O0,000 worth in
1899, against S91. 900 900 worth in 1887 =
an increase Of 72.5 per cent in twelve
ysars-still further emphasizes the increased
earaing capacity of those colonies and
Affords some measure of their improved
material condition.
When it is further realized that the
amount standing to the credit of depos-
it rs in savings banks in the British COL
onies alone, which amounted to $133,-
600 600 in 1856, had increased to $685.
0OO, 900 in 1879, an additional evidence of
the growth of prosperity and thrift among
the people Of the colonies will be appar-
ent. When it is seen from official reports
that in India alone the number OF post !
Offices has grown from 753 in 1856 to 29,-
l22 in 1899, and that the NUMBER OF pieces
rec aved by the postoffices increased from
IS, DOC, 900 in 1860 to 4S9, ,OOO,O in 1899,
Ise devel0pment of intercommunicatlen
and Of mental as we'll as business ACTIVITY
amoag the people may be TO some extent
measured. Still another evidence OF the
same is seen IN the fact that the telegraph
lues in the British colonies have gro En
from 115 900 miles iu 1889 to over loo, 900
miles 10 1879, thus increasing their length
Ia single decade by more than ths dis-
sance around the earth and that the tsle-
phone lines in those colonies now aggre.
gate more than 10000 miles In length.
When it Ia farther considered that the
total number Of pupils in the schools Of
India alone " now nearly 5rO, 900,
against about ), ,5c0, ,0JO in 1883, aud that
the expendulurs ior puolIc Instruction was,
IN 1873, 36.zi5.uO0 rupees, agslass 39f,
aud edncatlon.l facilities will BE- 70 s0me
extent rsaiizsd, whiIs adiilioaal esidsncs
81 The gssersl iaielligsacs will bs foa1d N
ne fact that TIE namssr q vsraaualsr nsss
pspsfs publishsd N india ia 1897 sss as.
and ths numher of books and msERziass
uHsIIahsH In ISl3 At A wnsrn 4 sEI1