BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1904-09-12
CRITICISMS

Dragging or th9t same prOdlgallty
with other peoples possessions to
which the members of the Executive
Council have already accustomed us:
thew have now granted franchise for
fifav wears to an American gentleman,
who promises to erect hotel IN Puer-
ia de TERRA on ground belonging to
The People of Porto Rico
Here is where we protest. Every
BODY who has had an opportunity to
become acquainted with the facts asks
'Why?"
In protesting one consumes more
energy and less equilibrium. But we
protest today, we will protest tomor
row, and will protest forever; and
why7 Because nobody admonishes, no
one leads the way to avoid inevitable
ruin. If it was not for the hope that
he who has the power may veto this
last wrongful act of the Councillors
that we may avoid catastrophe, an
inevitable misfortune which has no
remedy-that last actof generosity on
the part of the Executive Council
which is ever ready to grant facilities
to those soliciting franchises, provided
they are citizens of the great metro
polls, we would despair.
The native members of the Execut-
i've Council were not opposed to this
danger to the people of Porto Rico;
they made no resistance; placed no
restriction on the gift; nor protested
against this excess Of authority.
For works of public interest it is
well and good that public lands be ce
ded or donated, but it is not right that
a similar gift be made to particular,
prosperous industries of private ma
tire merely because the applicants
are from the same country as the
majority of the Councillors.
It has been but few days since
the chief exponent of the party IRE
publican) leaders let fall, in that Graf
ty monotone that characterlzeS it, an
announcement of the crime the Exc
cutive Council has now perpetrated.
That sheet Iamented the absence of
tourists in San Juan and said, with
rare audacity, that it had discovered
why American capitalists had retired
from Porto Rico; that it was on account
of the hotels and their fare; that they
are accustomed to a great variety of
food stutfs which they enjoyed else
where, and that they could not put up
with the native cooking and hotels;
that they required more sumptuous
apartments and elegant surroundings
The day that Porto Rico foOlishly
adopts the idea of these government
lick spittles. the day that there is q
hotel here run on American lines pleas
antIy situated real pllgrimages of tour
lists, fervent devotees of refinement,
dazzling beauty. will come to feel in
their cold frames the warmth of our
sunny cline, TO close their eyes bin
ded by the brilliance of our bright
sun, and contemplate eternal spring
and the endless peace of Our Aadalu-
sian nights.
Our serious cotemporary did not
take into account the fact that tourists
no not go to a fereign country to so
journ in the cities, except IN such as
Paris, Seville, London, Venice, Berlin
or Granada. Those who have been
here before will return again to view
the scenery of our fields, our blue
mountain peaks, the picturesque Wis
ions of the country and quiet sea
shores; but these do not attract visit
,ors or the curious.
There is a little worth seeing in
American cities, but there are no at
fractions for tourists here even though
we had an American hotel, enjoying
all the benefits of its franchise by
virtue of. the assistance Of government
officials, Gf we consiCer the example
of a fortunate man wlo obtained a
franchise he solicited from our gra-
cious Councilors-b the ye I or month
"a synonym for conscientious officials
from the United States, re, ling in
Porto Rico.)
That hotel is not an institution for
the public benefit, nor is it to be run
under conditions to effect such. II 1t
was hospital, an asylum, or even a
reform prison, school of correctl( n,
a library, or theatre, it would be
proper to lend such an institution all
possible facilities; but hotel, ye gods.
For hotel that is to compete with
+boca already IN he CitV. that will trV |