BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1905-01-21
EDITORIAL.


shc LEGISLATIVE A. emlas desxrnaines
fhe aA',eaiion - ~hth ~ shsris II
sleT ssfsnteis Cess fh s.srltxs - tvndes
90 IA; hsft 81 sas,s ara vrfGea 49,.
oouni ul &c expenditure o3 lhe uaoniea
provided In she hnaac. hui lSw fsab
vding f0f {hc pafshsNr ~: mascii ials
hv lsias fs siso nrctssafg'<
il is - @il. Siages essential T. q ruoa
homes and ecnmnsczl a3mi''s. aiion
IL see pullic Interests that ,osnia.uct
~ saken - ihc obsc gVaston whilk ~.
make op2ssuncly So 81 on : mo>s g,ro.
pi;ious ocC~Sioa when he legislature
Is IN session.
A law regarding public bids SO ,ha,
IN accordance wiih ihsi law al the nla
teTisls needed bv IL department could
be obtained. would pu; al end The
singular iircgulari;y hat " have OBJ
served in the manner watch our pro
viSSionsl commissioners supply their
respective departments with articles.
necessary OF super huous.
Autonomy may or may no; be gran
led. but they, the Commissioned. ha-
We complete and abusive autonomy.
10 employ in purchases. The utility OF
which is unknown 10 any one. because
these chiefs of departments have also
power which does not require ihom
to give account of their acts 10 The
people nor TO any legal representative
O: public opinion.
We referred yesterday to what is
going on in the Department Of Edu-
cation and to what happened in the
Department OF Interior. In the other
dep9 rtamenis tne same occurs.
The Auditor brings material tor the
public Offices without even having the
delicacy TO inform himself if any one
in Porto Rico has the goods which he
brings US from the United States.
We already discussed, some months
ago, question of the meat that was
bsing fed to the children in the chari
ty and penal institutions wich was
repugnantly old, and this went on be
cause a contract had been entered into
with an American firm, instead Of get
ting fresh meat here where cattle is
excellent and abundant
The Secretary of Porto Rico is also
empowered to do as Ae think SIT and
this we have seen in the manner which
he allowed the disseminating of the
publication Of the Official Gazette, and
how he disposes at his pleasure and
mercy, as 70 where the laws passed
by the Legislature shall be printed.
And sosin ali things; do the neads
of departments throw away and waste
the money of the people, by not con-
forming with those practices which
are followed by all governments that
pride themselves on being good admi-
nistrators.
The organic law situates the ment-
Toned authorities in sublime in
dependence to do their free.Will.
The negkect in which this state of
affairs has been allowed al the hands
of the legislator is truly criminal.
Relative to this important matter, q
the one which now preoccupies US, no
thing more than what We will fur
ther on quote aas been legislatiVely
enacted. Let us copy il for the amzem
ent of the countries where the most
brutal economical anarchy: IS dissent
nated let us copy it for the Abyssinl
ans and Moroccan as an apology OF all
indifferent and reckless governments
| is section d of the law regarding
budgets. approved March 10, 1904, and
reads as follows:
.'All the materials which may be
purchased under the appropriations
provided in this Act, the value of
which exceeds one thousand dollars,
shall be purchased on public bids whe-
re such purchases are made in Porto
Rico, and where such purchases are
made in the Unidcd States. they
shall be made On competitive bids soil
cited by circulars sent to wellknown
dealers
Where such purchases are made in
Porto Rico!
Where is it possible that thay can
be made2
Is il possible that the public serv-
ants can employ public money, not
even their own, in any other part that
is not Porto Rico?
The improbable and submissive
condescence Of the legislator has left
the road opon to the Commissioners
to the trade of buyers Of materials for
the people of Porto Rico. And the
legislator has done worse. He has
establihed preferences for purchases
made in the United States in which !
,idc cao he disnenSed with with the |