The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-08-31
GOOD ROADS IN PORTO RICO.
Notes Prepared for North Carolina by Prof
Holmes, Of Chapel Hill

Good Roads Circular No has just
been issued from Chapel Hill. These
notes are prepared by Prof. ]. A. Holmes,
Secretary of the North Carolina Good
Roads Association, and distributed by
the United States Office of Public Road
Inquiries.
The circular says:
The following interesting facts re-
garding the progress of Good Roads in
Porto Rico will appeal to the sound
judgment of the citizens of North Caro-
lina
by the end of this year the Ameri-
cals Will have built as many miles of good
roads in Porto Rico as the Spaniards
constructed the four centuries of their
occupancy. This statement is made by
William II. Elliott, Commissioner of the
Interior in Porto Rico, who is now in
this country and it shows what Ameri-
can rule has done for that island, to pro-
mote its interests and add to it's pros
perity.
when the Americans gained posses
sion of Porto Rico there was almost no
good means of transportation with the
exception OF the military road from San
Juan dCIOSS 10 EOnce, CdlleQ the -CGnITdl
road" and few stretches of good road
running out from some of the towns.
The total length of the good road was
not much in excess of 100 miles, and
the only means of interior transportation
was by horseback and pack animals.
with ST. 500, 600 of the $4,000, 900 from
refunded duties which Congress appro-
priated to the improvement of Porto
Rico, the Americans entered upon road
building campaign, and today 100 miles
of first class macadam road is either
completed or under construction connect
ing the most important towns. Porto
Rico has an abundance of good stone for
Dad building purposes and the new roads
are of the same class as are being con-
structed in the States.
'In addition to the roads built by the
nsular government, law was passed at
he last session of the Assembly setting
aside 25 per cent. of the tax levy of mu-
inequalities to be used under the direc-
ton of a supervisor, who, in turn, is re-
sponsible to the interior department in
constructing roads from towns to the
main trunk roads. 1t is hoped that later
poll tax levy may be made for the
same purpose. The people enter heartily
into this plan They take kindly to the
road building idea and see in their great
ly increased prosperity tangible results
therefrom. Wages are increased, freight
charges are reduced, transportation and
communication are generally facilitated
and a revolution has taken place in the
styles of vehicles used. Under the
Spaniards the price of labor was Is cents
a day, gold; now the government pays
so cents a day, gold and private con-
Germs are paying as high as 81 a day. 1t
used to cost so cents per 100 to transport
coffee by bull cart from Utrado to the
coast, and now the charge is 10 cents a
hundred weight. From Arecibo to a ship
ping point the charge for carrying sugar
was Is cents a hundred, and now il
ranges from to cents for the same
weight. The old bull cart, high
wheeled, slow-going affair, is rapidly
disappearing, and its place is being taker
by wagons and mules, and automobiles
are being introduced.
This is one result of the American
occupation of Porto Rico, and it is re-
suit which works almost as much fol
higher civilization as schools and col
leges. Similar results will in time ot
seen in Cuba and the Philippines. Roat
building is emblematic of AmeIqcar
spirit and enterprise