The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-06-21
Special to The Globe.

Special to The Globe.
SAN JUAN, Porto Rico, June 90
Climatic as well as other comparisons
Ebetween the Philippines and Porto Rico
[are apt to result in favor Of the latter.
But as in any tropical country climate
Fcounts for so much, and is so important
a consideration to those who may con-
template visiting or settling there, 1
fgive the question of climate the pre-
Ecedence which is it's due.
The worst feature of the Porto Rican
climate is it's tendency to dampness.
Nine-tenths Of the area of Porto Rico
IS mountainous, and more rain falls
There than on the coast line; the east
iern end has an annual rainfall of 12O
k1nches, the showers occur every day,
land with brief intermission, while the
atmosphere is almost always weighted
with moisture, on many days it never
lstops rainig at all, and curious fact
is that the rain falls from a sky that
appears to be almost free from clouds.
sThey call the south side of the island
Ahe dry side," but this is a relative
Kern, as rain there is constant enough
TO impress anyone not a native with
Ifhe idea that the island is abnormally
damp. For at least eight months of the
year, in this dry" district, the roads
Eare in a perpetual condition of mud,
many portions of them resembling
morass. This is the dark side of the
picture, the brighter side is the refresh
Eng air and the absence of sultrfness,
although in October and November
months which are seldom as pleasant,
as the rest of the year, the heat is ant
TO degenerate into sultriness.
Americanizing Is Slow.
As regards political conditions, it is
Sertain that Porto Rico, viewed in the
light of an adopted child Of Uncle
SANS, is much more promising than
the Philippines. Still, assimilation must
necessarily be somewhat slow in the
case of an island which has been sub
sect to Spanish and negro influences
FLOR four centuries. A great deal has,
however, been already accomplished.
Since our bloodless conquest Of this
beautiful island in July, 1898, and the
EFaising Of the United States flag, as
ftoken Of formal possession, on Oct. Is
Eof that year, a territorial form of gov
Eernment has been established. Under
this, the governor and the attorney
general are appointed by the president
lOf the United States, and the council,
(which corresponds to our senate, is
also an appointed body. But the voters
tof the island elect their house of rep
tTesentatives, and, for the most part,
Legislation is not referred to the United
Estates government for approval. Ger
tain laws, however like railroad fran
Echises, have to be referred to the presi-
fdent Of the United States for sanction.
IOf the revenue, one-half is equally d.
bvided between education and road i'm
fprovement. The object is to make
communication between the various
Eparts Of the island as easy as possible.
M I'll
1.-THE island government is clear of debt
land can show a treasury surplus of
more than a half million dollars. In
addition to the tariff, there is now
tsystem Of internal revenue taxes, of
local origin; the federal system of in
Eternal revenue taxation has not been
kextended to the island, which means
THAT the entire tax receipts on the man
tufacturers of cigars, cigarettes, rum,
Spirits and other products, and which
ELSEWHERE within the borders Of the
UNITED States would have to pay per-
centage to the federal treasury, are
Eretained by the local treasury for the
exclusive use of the island. Road i'm
lprovement is being vigorously carried
ION, various kinds Of beneficial public
works are being maintained, and the
educational system has under its turis-
diction 1.200 schools.
Future Is Assured
j. Porto Rico is not only prosperous, but
l'her future seems well assured, as the in
crease in prosperity is steady. Almost
all the produce of the island finds its
market in the United States.
: The original conquest of Porto Rico by
Spain caused the complete determination
of the aborigines. The population today
is mainly natives. The whites are about
twice as numerous as the blacks. Males
and females are about equal in number,
land the increase of the white population
Is greater that that Of the black. About
~ per cent of the masses are illit-
ierate The people who possess posi-
ltion and wealth are of Spanish descent,
their ancestors having been the original
tcolonists-of which fact the modern Porto
Rican aristocrat Is pardonably proud
This class includes planters of the larger
sort, the mercantile part of the com
munity, and those engaged in the pro-
lfessions. This refined class can be found
F-within the West Indies-onIy in two
islands, Cuba and Porto Rico The peas
lantry of Porto Rico are white, though oc-
OCCASIONAL traces of Indian or negro blood
may be found, and those who show either
of these characteristics are known as
Mestizos. They live in very primitive
tmanner. in huts made of plain bark or
bamboo. and usually without doors or
windows. Sometimes they keep a little
live stock, in the shape of horse, a COW,