Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1906-12-11

special message from pTesiden
Roosevelt on Porto Rico vas sent d
the senate and house Of representa-
tives this noon On the opening O
congress. The message In full In a
follows:
To the Senate and House Ut Repre-
sentatives:
On November at | visited the In
land Of Porto Rico. landing at Ponce
crossing by the old Spanish road b,
cayey to San Juan. and returning
next morning over the new American
Froad from AaecibO To Ponce; she
scenery was wonderfully beautiful.
especially among the mountains ol
the interior. which constitute a VERT
able tropic Switzerland. | could MOI
embark at San Juan because the AaT
Dor has not been dredged out ant
can not receive an American battle
ship. do not think this fact credit
able to us as a nation. and ! earnest
ly hope that immediate provision viii
be made for dredging san Juan har
Dor.
doubt whether our people as q
whole realize the beauty aud fertility
Of Porto Rico. and the progress that
has been made under its admirable
government. We have just cause for
pride In the character OF our repre-
sentatives who have administered the
tropic islands which came usder ouT
flag as a result Of the var with
Spain; and of no one OF them is this
more true than Of Poto Rico. II
would be impossible tossish q more
faithful. a more efficient and more
disinterested public service than that
now being rendered In the island of
Porto Rico by those In control Of the
insnlar government.
I stopt at a dozen towns all told,
and one of the notable features In
every town was the gathering Of the
school children. The work that has
been done In Porto Rico for education
has been noteworthy. The main en-
phasis, as Is eminently wise and prop
er, has been put upon primary edu'
cation: but In addition to this there
Is a normal school. an agricultural
school. three industrial and three
high schools. Every effort IL being
made 10 secure not only the benefits
Of elementary education TO all tue
Porto Ricans of the next generation,
but also as far az means will permit
to train them so that the industrial
agricultural and commercial oppor'
tuujtles OF the island can be utilized
to the best possible advantage. "
was evident at a glance that the
teachers, both Americans and native
Porto Ricans. were devoted TO their
work. took the greatest pride In II,
and we're endeavortng TO train their
pupils. not only In mind. hut In what
counts far more than mind In citizen
ship. that Is. in character.
was very much struck by the ex'
cellent character both Of the insular
police and of the Porto Rican regi
ment They are both Of them bodies
that reflect credit upon the American
administration of the island. The in
sular police are under the local Por'
to Rican government. The Porto
Rican regiment of troops must be ap
propriated for by the congress.
earnestly hope that this body will b"
kept permanent There should Ger
tainIy be troops In the island. and II
Is wise that these troops should be
themselves native Porto Ricans. v
would be from every standpoint a
mistake not to perpetuate this regt
ment,
In traversing the island even the
most cursory survey leaves the be
holder struck with the evident rapid
growth In the culture both OF the
sugar cane and tobacco, The fruit
industry is also growing. Last year
was the most prosperous year that
the island has ever known before OF
since the American occupation. The
total Of exports and imports Of the
island was firty-five millions OF dol
lars as against eighteen millions In
1901. This Is the largest In the Is
lands history. Prior TO the Ameri
can occupation the greatest trade for
any one year was that Of 1896. when
It reached nearly twenty-three mil
lions of dollars. Last year, therefore
there was double the trade that there
was In the most prosperous year un
der the Spanish regime. There were
2f0.273 tons of ssugar exported last
year. of the value of si3.fs6.3f9: -.
555,1e3 OF tobacco. and 2s.2so. .32s
pounds Of coffee of the value OF So.