BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1902-01-04

Insignificant and 10 far belew that paid by /,
other nations to occupants Of similar Offices
in colonies. All of these men, excepting,
Of course, the cabinet members from Porto
Rico, who draw their salary for the honor OF
the thing, have, besides their cabinet duties,
charge Of large departments, requiring nm
ceseant and the closest attention to intrlc-
.ate and multitudinous Details Theirs is
ne snecure in this climate, and they are
deserving of the c0mmiseratlon OF oil fair
minded men. But as their appointment 10
made by the President and their salary is
fixed in Washington by their friends. it is to
them they have to appeal if they find the
burden Of governing too onerous. These
gentlemen have the consolation, however, .
sort Of soothing syrup during their term Of
work, that their services are sure to be, ap.
preciated later on and may be rewarded by
an appointment to higher and probably
more honorable position nearer home
Happy men!-who are sure the exile will
come to an end;-who can contently look
forward to spend the rest of their honored
days among friends and sympathetic envi.
r0nment.
But no such good luck awaits the subor-
dinate employe whose salary is fixed by
we'll meaning but somewhat hesitating legis.
lator, and whose tenure Of Office depends
largely besides his good behavior upon bis
talent for telling good story, or his abil-
ity to play base ball. Admitting that few
men work for glory:-it can be said, never
sheless, that man must be very narrow.
minded or selfish indeed, who does Lot at
certain times feel proud of the opportunity
he has Of taking part in moulding the destiny
Of people, and am certain that all enroll.
ed in the service of this island have this
feeling. At home, the Government employe
considers it his duty to be model citizen.
Here, this duty is augmented by the con-
sciousness of doing missionary work in
teaching others to become useful citizens
and, eventually, better men. The routine
worb done by the subordinates may have
an ordinary, prosaic, appearance; it may
seem to outsiders as if these positions could
be easily filed, either with men drifting
around the streets, or with smarter ones
that can be sent for. Nobody, however,
knows better than the heads Of the different
departments how va liable the services
of men are who have had experience for
some time in the turmoil of this transition
period, who with their cool, sensible heads
have gradually brought order out OF chaos,
and who fearlessly tackled and finally over
COME the enormous difficulties presented to
them by the antiquated and totally different
methods OF doing public business.
Incidentally, but as matter OF course
and necessity, comes the battle with and the
aquirement Of strange language. 1t would
be interesting to publish list Of the en-
ployes whe have learned to speak Spanish.
1t may not be the pure Castillan tongue,
but the janitor understands it, and many
can write and nearly all can read it.
After the lapse Of some time, when most
of the remaining difficulties have been re.
moved, and the whels Of the government run
smoother; when civil service rules will have
deadened all original and clever characters
tics in the government employe, making a
m; chine of him, as it soere; when the bright
young Portoricans have become Americans
in speech and mind, and will eagerly, prob
ably too eagerly, soait for an opportunity
10 epter Uncle Sans service,-it will then
be comparatively pleasure tssbe govern.
msnt employe on this island. Il will then
be shpieasant and easy, that there will be q
perfect scramble tor Office down here. There
will then be very few, if any, who will
rememS0 For think of the missionaries who
prepared this paradise. The descendants OF
the latter may be the emily ones who on
special occasions will proudly point to the
fact that grandpa, or grandma for all that,
was in Porto Rico with the first Americans
and helped to make the red and orange flag
disappear from the house tops on Sunday.
To revert to my holiday subject. IL is
somewhat threadbare axiom that republics
are ungrateful. II this was the case in old
Rome, it need no. be true in modern times;
ct least recent history shows little OF 1t. /
visa, therefore, to impress upon those In
power, as said at the beginning that the
employees Of the Government on this island
deserve more than ordinary consideration
and should receive pay commensurate with
their extraordinary mission and labor and
with the results they achieve. Excepting .
few giddy heads, am convinced that ell
expect SONS day to return to the land Of
their childhood. Taey are not likely to
striks 10 rich hsre, 90 the confinement to
their duties prevents thsm from LOOKING up
. gold mine or to 60 10 cane planting. To
say 10 those who do not like it here that
they are at liberty to depart, will not i'm
/ prove matters, 20 their successors wou!d
have to contend with the same diiiiealties
| say, therefore, that 10 10 the dut, Of the
Government % msks it comfortable for the
Ismployss here. Nobody can deny that The
living here 10 twice a. sxpsnsivs ~ in the
States; that Only tho vsFy rich OF sxtrsvA-
CANT can obtain comfort of esrfisn hind
which oe slioaAlly nsssis 10 bs supplement-
ed however, by . trip 10 karsps % Ne
SszfsA TIE poor literally and silssorisaIly
sp~s<lax 6egsrnment smplo5s mast soasia.
- q ps1splrs, sunmsr - wsll - winter,
10 masG i've h disxaslinE qu.t,srs n ths
|sIiy z - - baeAslor 90 sioae, o. q hs
80 q AmllF IN . frzm.Aen . 81 ~ poo<saE
|kina. whish msF ell tkrsaxh tss sir spsa
~ somlsx q ~ nrsE syslsas. 10 masE
30 eair&xssas prices fef sssrfshIaE ~ s1sYs|
cd 80 toes net 90 ukz1 - ssalA taI
|his Asass, m tas k&llxxs. n IN slrsss.
ns xnmalRs ex~F . mNaH ef Hz&ed enthlFNR.
|n14 4ex4 sippiss ss1 l,z1Iem aa1oElHa<ls|
psspIs easss sszx<s& sePs4Fznss go hi
~ 11&.e &sF exlEz Qls,srss 80 - ~
xA~uss 81 Namgs e. Nem xmA xaxm|
.ssseazsasEs <rs e. slsxzAia4
t. sss suzsz pss .~s.s.ezs = ~ 80
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