BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1905-04-17
EDITORIAL.

A@fttAfUtN& Ni4 AtitsNtAfn aAGt . i
iAt Nallc.4of e Na fas4s sn3 .as coaf
50 whlSh b. b. s.g.4ss.ling - .sc Il ghs !
pssatsn iaAi = gFNat atSl oi ist blame
Soc whAt ocemfA an shr Custom House /,
AID ~hiOh = disturbing me oommer
cisi life II ;hr island i ice 20 ihr
acts 1T al t0tihclvnl sub glinzic ia
the department referred 10 hui over
the signature and with he knowledge
of the Collector
The employee 10 whom wc .srfer.
calls himself lamcS : Rsll and those
from wkom We have Obtained our III
formation assure as thsi he las never
been employed in any Custom Hous,
on the con iueni oE anywhere else. but
that he be has passed his life IN cos
Sccrsiing his abilities. which are IN no
sense envIAble. 10 very modest class
of work in which hc demonstrated
more efficiency than in the occupation
10 which be is al present engaged.
This does not relieve the Collector
OF possibility, in fact il. convicts
him of double fault. thu, of his own
incompetency and that Of the subordi
nate whom he has see Fl; 10 select and
for whom he shows such manifest pre-.
ference as must lead to serious mis-
takes and inevitable blunders
The chief of a department. should
be in position TO instruct the subor-
dinates whom he may desire to pro-
tect. teaching them their duties,
pointing out their obligations, not
leaving them to decide for themselves
what they NAY be- which is likely TO
result in an unwarranted assumption
of authority whicn will prove costly.
Such spectacles, which re fleet unfa-
vorably on heads of departments, are
becoming entirely too frequent and are
causing deep concern.
There is in the Custom House a re-
petition of conditions existing in the
department of the In erior.
The chief, according to the least
prejudicial reports, decides nothing
for himself but he is nonetheess res
ponsible for the ca prices of his subor-
dinates:
With such a personnel it is impo
ssible to have properly conducted, or
even pasSably gool, ADMINISTRATION
We are among those who dmit
that blind obedience to some chiefs Of
the cortin nt is necessary, because far
from being an excuse for them it is
fault which mas IL possible remedy
and for the correction Of which it is
useless to nope for.
Were there not, for example. form
erly in the Custom House in Porto
Rico employees who were intell
igent and capable Of serving, not only
the interests of the government, but
also those If the island without provok-
ing the conflicts which have forced
us into an attitude # protest.
Therefore if the Collector wishes to
avail himself Cf the advice offered
by a subordinate official, he ought
at least 10 surround himself, in order
not to appear ridiculous and do dam
age blindIy, with people Of intellig-
ence, who are competent. who have
capacity, who have had experience
in their duties and not With mprOv
ised debutants without qualifications, |
who, instead Of aiding their chief
lead him by heir own ignorance into
ridiculous situations.
Our desires III the present sltuSt |
ion, which is more serious than |
appears al first sight, cannot be more
plain or more decIIve.
If sc have aked for the removal
of incompetent heads of departments,
it is clear that We cannot be satisfied |
with less when those who are useless
are their subordiuates.
The Collector has at hand the means
of making amends, in measure to
the offended merchants, by getting rid
of the obnexiou subordinate heretofore
mentioned and all the bad and useless
ones with whom ne is surrounded
and since our merchants accuse Mr..
Ball of initiating the irregularities
and abuses now current in the
Custom House, this subordinate. who
in the Office where he works creates
such general antipathy, ought to be
made the object of rigid examina
tion by some impartial and competent
person; it is possible that the Custom
House would then be purged of one
weighty cause of the deep disgust and
suspicion now entertained on the part
of many who have in complying with
necessary formallties, to come into
contact with that department.
II is strange and remarkable that a