The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1906-12-21


American Citizenship Upon the
Porto Rieans-W Mould Have Al In.
sular Governments Placed In One
Bureau.
Washington. President Rooscyeirs
message, describing conditions In Por.
70 Rico, aud making recommendations
'or legislation be- believes necessary,
vas read 70 the congress. Il "a as FOL.
ows.
10 the Senate and House Of Ropresen.
tatlycs:
On November - visited the island
" Porto Rico. landing at Ponce. cross
ne by the old Spanish road By Cayoy
% San Juan, and returning next morn.
ng over the new American road from
ATecibo 20 Ponce. the scenery was
wonderfully beautiful especially
mong the mountains of tho Interior
which constitute % ycrItablc tropic
Switzerland could not embark at
san Juan because the harbor has not
been drcdgrd out and can not receive
IN American b3glcshlp. do not
Alnk this fact ctodIublc 90 MS as
uilon and I earnestly hope that I'm.
mediate provision win bo made for
ifedglng san Juan hurbor
J doubt whether our people as a
shoIe realize the beauty and fertility
u Porto Rico. and the progress that
hu been made under lts admirable
t'Jernment We have Just cause for
paie In the character OF our reprosen.
lrlves who have administered the
I triple Islands which came under our
% as q result OF the war with spain.
! lNd OF no one Of them Is this more
hic than Of Porto Rico. Il would be-
lhpossible 10 wish more faithful. a
more efficient and more dlsintcr.
tsted public service than that now be-.
Ing rendered In the island OF Porto
Rico by those In control OF tho insular
government
! stopped at dozen towns an told.
and one OF the notable features In
syery 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-.
/ phasls as Is cminently wise and prop.
or has been put upon primary oduca.
uon' but In addition 10 this there Is a
normal school and agricultural school
hreo industrial and three high
schools. Every effort Is being made Ia
secure not only the benefits Of Gle
meuiary education 10 an the Porto
Rcans OF the next generation. but
also as far as means viii permit Ia
train them 80 that the Industrial, agrl
cultural and commercial opportunities
Of the island can be utilized TO the
bes' possible advantage II was eyi
dent at glance that the teachers
both Americans and native Porte
Rlcans, were devoted 10 their work
took the greatest pride In H. and wer,
endeayorlng to train their pupils, moi
only In mind, but In what counts fol
far more than mind Va citizenship tina
ls 10 character.
! was very much struck by the OK
eellent character both Of the nsula
police and OF the Porto Rlcan rcgl
ment They are both Of them bodlo
that reflect credit upon the American
administration OF the island The In
sular police are under the local Port,
Rlcan government The Porto Rlcal
regiment OF troops must be appro
prlaled for by the congress earn
estly hope that this body viii be- Rcl
permanent There Should certainly bl
troops In the island. and II Is wis
that these troops should be thopselye
native Porto Ricans. u world h
from every standpoint a mistake no
70 perpetuate this regiment
In rayerslng :he island even M
most cnrsory survey leaves the be
holder struck with the evident rapl
growth In the culture both OF the 81
gar cane and tobacco. The fruit IN
dustry Is also growing. Last year wa
the most prosperous year that IN
island has ever kro yn before or sine
the American occupation. The tota
OF exports and Imports Of the ISLAM
was Si5OOO,OO0, as against $4,000 90
IN 1901 This Is the larges' I'm th
islands history Prior to the Amer
can occupation the greatest trade ia
any one year was that OF 1896. when
reached nearly t23 .OOOO 900. Last yea
therefore there was double the trad
that there was In the most prospe
Gus year under the Spanish regInt,
There were 2lO273 tons Of sugar e.,
ported last year, Of the value OF yli
, isG.3ig i3,555,i63 Of tobacco. an
2s g90. 322 pounds Of coffee Of the yau
Of s34SllO2 Unfortunately. whg
used to be Porto. Rico's prime crop
coffcc-has not shared this prospe
ity. u has never recovered from M
disaster OF the hurricane. and. NOR
over the benefit Of throwing ope
our market 20 % has not compen safe
for the loss inflicted by me closing