The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-11-14
PORTO RICO ] A|BOR
Man IS NO Y ANKEE
SANTIAGO IGLEsIAs WISHES HIs
ISLAND WE'RE FREE AS CUBA.
Light May Be Thrown on Police Action
Against Island Unionists, by the Del
egate to the Convention Gompers
Presides Over What Gompers Said.

Light is thrown on the interference
Of the Porto Rican police in the meet
ings and demonstrations incident to
the general strike Of agricultural la
borers, complained Of in the annual
report of President d Gompers to the
American Federation Of Labor, by the
statements Of Santiago Iglesia Of Juan
general organizer for the island, who
is attending the Federation convention
here. Senior Iglesias is opposed to
American rule in Porto Rico and
doesn t care who knows it.
Cuba is much better off than Porto
Rico, !" said Senior Iglesias in badly
broken English yesterday afternoon.
There the union men are not SO much
interfered with. We would do better
il we had government .of our own
to do as we pleased with. =
Organized Everybody.
. Porto Rico is being organized fast.
i organize all trades, the farmers, the
printers, the longshoremen, the car
union men there now. But the Cubans
are better off than we for they have
a government Of their own. -
Gompers Resented Police Action.
With the chief organizer for the
American Federation of Labor in the
island as openly opposed to American
rule as these statements would indi-
cate, the question arises whether his
sentiments may not have given the in.
sular police their cue for interfering
with a strike meeting, a course to
which President Gompers objects. The
rcview of the Porto Rican affair in
Gompers' report contains no reference
to any revolutionary. propaganda which
and his lieutenants in connection with
the agricultural strike. The president 8
report is as follows:
The organization Of the working
people Of Porto Rico has been largely
extended. EARLY in the year an adj
vance IN wages was secured for a large
number Of workmen both in the indus
tries and in agriculture. Later a gen
eral strike occurred among the agricul-
tural laborers. 81:
It was reported to us that, owing
to brutal attacks Of the police, who
broke up meetings Of .peaceable work
men who were on strike; to the per
sonal attacks and assaults on our men,
it was impossible for the strikers to
counsel with each other and hold meet
lngs, and that they were, therefore,
compelled to declare the strike off.
Formal complaint was lodged here, re.
citing in detail the action of the police
and the authorities at Porto Rico. These
were forwarded by me to the presi.
dent, who sent copy of them to the
Porto Rican authorities, and the prin.
cipal officer in charge of those alleged
to have been guilty Of tyrannical and
brutal conduct. They made answer de-
nyinp the charges in toto. These were
transmitted by the president to me. ]
forwarded copies tosour representatives
in Porto Rico,s who answered, contro
yerting each point and reasserting in
detail every charge and allegation made
in the first instance all Of which was
formally sworn to, = These in turn
transmitted to, the president, who has
them under consideration !, All the doc
uments in the case will be turned ove1
to the proper committee, to whom this
matter will be referred.
1.-THE people Of Porto Rico, and par
ticularly the working people of that
island, should continue to receive oul
earnest solicitude, sympathy and sup
port in their efforts for the ameliora
ton Of their condition, and for the at
tainment Of their rights under our re
public" s. NJ ,..,.s