BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1902-03-08
SAN JUAN, MARCH 8
What Is Briug Done To
AarnoDiiZe The Elements.

Harmonic The Elements.
Following our discussion of Wednesday
in On article entitled "Hsrnonise The Elt-
ments", an inquiry into the present status oi
the educational question in Perto REQ, has
1 sclosed the fact that two very important
measures were passed by the legislature
during its last session, which give witness
OF uncessing activity In this branch OF The
governmental service to the people.
Ia his message to the Assembly Governor
Hunt said sIs 10 not too much to say that
the people are enthusiastic over education,
and that great progress has been made. A
year ago at this time there we're 6S2 schoo
open. Nec there are S75. Then there
were enrolled $4,000 pupils now there are
$4,000 Last year there we're 72l teachers,
this year there are 934. Thirty-two school
houses have been constructed at cost oil
@l32 243 43, ard nermsl school is near
ing completion to cost $1,000 more BY
provision of the laws of last winter forty
Eve young people are also being educated
in the United States at an annual cost Of
415, 900. There arc forty five children from
Porto REQ in the Carlisle Industrial school,
while 129 more have been received by ge-
nerous institutions OF learning, making a
totsl of 2l9 students studying in the United
States under tfe direction OF the Depart
ment of Education. Where people seek
education 90 assiduous by the Government
must and will leave nothing uudone to afford
school facilities. More night schools are
advised AS rule the Ayuntamienlos
have done their shares in education, but the
MINIMUM OF TEN PER GENT OF
BUDGETARY INCOMES SHOULD
BE INCREASED TO FIFTEEN FOR
MAINTENANCE OF SCHOOLS, and
legislation should require that a prompt
transfer Of money be made to the school
boards by the city treasurers."
The legislature has in en- admirable man.
Aer followed out the suggestions made by
the Governor. Not alone has the min.
imum been increased as suggested above,
bat provision has heen made to compel
lcoal Ayuntamientos to pay over to the
school boards, money belonging to them, at
least every two months. Failure to do this
imposes fine Of tW enty FIVE dollars on the
aJ JuntamieDte.
House Bill No. %, introduced by Mr.
SancheS Morales, and which has since
beesme Q law increases the minimum for
school purposes from ten per cent. to fiji
teen per cent. and makes the msx'mum sum
twenty five per cent. The bill then goes
further and says in Section 2; 'If aDy
A,untamiento shall allow two const cutiye
months to pass without distributing among
the school boards of the municipality, such
Echool Funds ss prescribed hy lawl 'such
school boards may make complaint thereof
to the Governor, through the Commissioner
OF Education, and the Governor, after
sllewing the Ayuntsmiento against which
complaint is made, sufic'ent time in which
to aliege the reasons for such delay in the
delivery Of said iu.ds, may, after bearing
the opinion of the Eye cntive Council, il he
does not consider such causes suffic ent,
impose fine upon such A,untsmtn o.
such NE net TO be l. ss than Twenty five
dollars 10 25 OCi wh'ch SUN shall be placed
70 the credit Of said muBic pAlity."
ln times psst one uf ibe SOURCES Of great
est woFE, to ibe lnkuiar auth critics has beer
the inability Of l. cal school boards TO meet
with the demands made upon them by tes-
chtTs end instructors, by reason of the delay
spd in many casts tai u'e Of the local sy un-
tamisnto TO psy over to the school board
TIE funds ne cessary to maintain the portion
Of the educational service directly pDder
ikeir supervisor. Letters by the uadreds
are on file, sent by teachers and owners Of
buildiDgs where school soork is carried on,
s5mplainiDg OF the failure 10 pay them fer
services or rent for the use of premises. The
usual answer tho these communications would
he . statement by the school board that
there we're not on hand sufficient funds to-
carry on the work by reason of the failure Of
the ayuntsmiento 10 pay over to the School
Board the sum due il for school purposes.
Il can be seen 1t once that this Law will
have . sterling effect, first il increasing the
Inm which must be set aside for school
purposes, and sgain in plainly stating that
his money IL for school purposes, and that
he Ayuntsmisnte simply holds it as gusr
lian Of the iuad for the purposes of tran
uniting IL to the school board A proper
Of The law means that this
Eoney should Be turned owe. at once, bat
hat If this b. impossible Two months time
. sst - the limit IN which it positively
must bsturned to school nsss.
Continuing on this line Of effort Mr.
3snckes Morales further introduced another
'chooi measure known as House Bill Nc.
10, whisa aulborises "Ayuntsmentss may
svy properly fsx TO be known cs . school
~ and rot TO exceed 20 Of l pee cent oil
be assessed value Of all real and personal
'repeKt3 Of ths respective muolcipanty, In
'ccerdanoe win the assessment made By |
b Treasurer Of Pefto Rico to levy and
oIIeot the In6ulsr Properly tax
usl.slsisd On the bssIs Of the prescott