BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1902-09-10

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that should be given it as a matter oi g g
public policy and general good, IS Justl- Y
fed on the ground that the government
establishment is a source of great as,
sistance to the, government. The reason 4
which is most usually given, however, \
las being the one that justihes the exist q
Ience Of the government establishment, !
lis the claim that there is great saving D
to the island, and to the various BRAN
ches Of the insl1lar authority. Y
\ A perusal Of the appropriations for
1.-THE ensuing year, shows however, that
There are several things must be ex- 4
lp1ained before the claim can be malnt-
lained The great mistake that has
Ibeen mace throughout this claim OF
linsular economy is the fact that rum
ling current expenses have never been
Iltaken into account by those charged
!. with the work of conducting this print
ling establishment.
& That the government could print a
thousand envelopes cheaper than any
body else has been the beginning and
1.-THE end of all calculation A hundred
Ereams of paper at fifty cents cheaper than
lit could be purchased in town, has been
! a considered most salient proof Ito those
! aallsatisfed with it, that the government
printing Office is great saving to
1.-the insular government. BUT ALL
ssITHESE ECONOMISTS HAVE LOST
: ISIGHT OF THE FACT THAT
!. THERE EXISTS SONTHE STATUTE
: BOOKS OF PORTO RICO AN
) Ia nnD f.nD + TNrNTnN on d. /. 6rc FOR +1,e
support and maintenance Of this print
ling estab1ishmentfor one year. Then
. lon top of this comes the purchase
lof new printing press at price
which fnl1st be at least $500.
The purchase of this press by
la private enterprise would mean the
employment of Porto Ricans, and an
assessment by the insular government
n bringing in tax to the island and the
|, municipalities.
Y. Regarding this $4,000 it is safe to say
that any printing establishment on the
island will print all the forms and letter
heads that the government may need
for lust exactly one half of that sum
l'rhere can be no doubt of the truth oi
aylthis statement, and proposal made fol
lse bids would no doubt bring forth many
an Estimates at lower price than this
is The BoLETIN will do it for two years
) for the one years appropriation.
vas There is ample proof of this assertion
on, The revised statutes of Porto Rico nov
ces being printed by the BoLETIN, a volum
oc-i Of over 700 pages, bound in sheep, AM
Y alwith about one thousand or more copie
ousI lis costing the insular government
the something over three thousand dollar:
The Official Gazette, volume of severe
atlhundred pages, cost less and the law
for printed last year even less than hal
avelfhat sum- In all, the Official Gazette
EN- the Revised Statutes, the Laws of 100
the the special volumes of the laws of 100
cial 1.-THE Penal Code and the Code of Grin
up- inal Procedure, and we may include th
,ine reports of the Code Commissioners, di
is mot cost anywhere near the $I46o
yer which is being obtained by the goverl
his tnent printing establishment for tE
llar printing Of forms, letter heads envelop'
lous That this so called economy is faI.
ling economy there is absolutely no dout
and In actual money, dollars and cents Il
tax printing establishment maintained |
nlrd THE government costs twice as much
ton it would cost the government to have tt
little same amount of work which it doe
performed by private enterprises. Tai
phlc in addition to this the sum which Il
ded office does not pay in taxes, and whic
OF would be paid if private enterpri,
and was engaged in such business ar
E Of lin doing such work. Fol it is on
ated flair the figure this. In taking accoul
San the sum paid by the Spanish go
ernment to the Catholic church stati
any ticians take account first of the $500
ever 10000 paid by the government to IL
This church and then of the sum which tt
'een government loses in taxes, from II
zen payment of which the church is exemr
the led, This brings the sum to $2oooo,ot
has Annually. Then in addition to this tl
7oid Interest on the government irvestme1
in the printing shop. Where are we a
this 1t is fair to take into considerable
also when accounting for governmental eS
and lpenses the loss to the people since th
as people are the government and con
or ltitute it.
ice. Added to all these most substantis
xes reasons Of failure comes the one whic
ted should have been the first considerable
rect with the lnsular government, and that
tel the encouragement of private enterpris
Of In a small community like this on
ssa- every aid should be gwen to the peop1
om-1 1ln their attempts to found large bus
ON nesses houses and make successful ests
blishments where many people hav
dis Ibeen employed and can lie ernployel
it. That the printers in the island mus
OF depend more or less on the governmen
is there is no questioning, and it shoul
ers have been the duty of the governmen
to to see to it that all aid be given to th
est taxpayer and the men who emploI
ivi- labor and maintain the community.