Evening star., 1909-05-10

priations for all the expenses other than
for salaries fixed by Congress. and 1t is
too late to reverse that construction.
Ever since the institution of the pres
ent assembly the house OF delegates has
uniformly held up the appropriation bill
until the last minute of the regular ses-
sion. and has sought to use the power
to do so as means of compelling the
concurrence Of the executive council In
legislation which the house desired.
In the last regular legislative assem-
bly, the house of delegates passed a bill
dividing the island into several counties
and providing county governments, Dill
TO establish manual training schools.
bill for the establishment of an agri-
cultural bank. a bill providing that va
cancies in the Offices of mayors and
councilmen be filed by a vote of the
municipal councils instead of by the
governor. and bill putting in the
control of the largest taxpayers in each
municipal district the selection in great
part of the assessors of property.
The executive council declined to con-
cur in these bills: 1t objected to the agri-
cultural bank bill on the ground that
the revenues of the island we're not suf-
ficient to carry out the plan proposed,
and to the manual training school bill
because in plain violation of the Foraker
act 1t objected to the change in the
law concerning the appraisement of prop
erty on the ground that the law was
intended to put too much power IN re-
for taxation in the hands OF those nav.
ing the most property to tax. The chief
issue was a bill making all the judges
in municipalities elective. Under previ"
Gus legislation there are tWenty-sfx mu-
nicipal judges who are elected to once
BY this bill 1t was proposed to increase
the elective judges from twenty-six to
sixty-six In number, and at the same
time to abolish the justices Of the peace.
The change was objected to on the ground
that the election of municipal judges had
already interfered with the eficient and
impartial administration OF justice. had
made the judges all Of one political faith
and mere political instrument In the
hands Of the central committee Of the
unionist or dominant party. The atti-
tude Of the executive council In refus-
ing to pass these bills led the house Of
delegates to refuse to pass the necessary
appropriation bills.
Too Much Power Vested.
THE facts recited demonstrate the will
lingness of the representatives Of the peo-
Pile in the house of delegates to subvert
the government in order to secure the pas
sage Of certain legislation. The question
whether the proposed legislation should
be enacted into law was left by the funda-
mental act to the joint action OF the
executive council and the house of dele
gates as the legislative assembly. The
house of delegates proposes itself to Sc
cure this legislation without respect to the
opposition of the executive council or
else to pull down the whole government.
This spirit which has been growing from
year to year in Porto Rico. shows that
too great power has been vested in the
house of delegates and that Its members
are not sufficiently alive to their oath
taken responsibility for the maintenance
of the government to justify Congress
in further reposing in them absolute
70 x.,ifh hold riof
sary for the governments life.
For these reasons l recommend an
amendment to the Foraker act providing
that whenever the legislative assembly
shall adjourn without making the apprO-
priations necessary to carry on the gov
ernment, sums equal to the appropriation
made in the previous year for the respec-
tive purposes shall be available from the
current revenues and shall be drawn by
the warrant of the auditor on the treas
urer and countersigned by the governor.
Such a provision applies to the legisla-
lures of the Philippines and Hawaii, and
II has prevented in those two countries
any misuse of the power of appropria-
ton
The house Of delegates sent a COM
mittee of three to Washington, while
the executive council was represented by
the secretary and committee consist
ing of the attorney general and the au-
ditor. / referred both committees to the
secretary of the interior. whose report.
with letter from Gov. Post. and the
written statements of both committees
accompany this message.
II have had one personal interview
with the committee representing the
house of delegates and suggested to them
that IL the house of delegates would
pass the appropriation bill without in
sisting upon the passage of the other
bills by the executive council I would
send a representative Of the government
fn IN
and report In respect to the proposed
legislation.
Not Disposed to Compromise.
Their answer. which shows them not
to be in a compromising mood, was as
follows:
III the legislative assembly of Porto
Rico would be called to an extraordinary
session exclusively to pass an appro-
priation bill, taking into consideration
the state of affairs down the island and
the high dissatisfaction produced by the
intolerant attitude of the executive coun-
ell, and also taking into consideration
the absolute resistance OF the house to
do any act against Its own dignity and
the dignity of the country, 1t is the
opinion Of these commissioners that no
agreement would be attained. unless the
council feel disposed to accept the
amendments Of the house Of delegates.
However. If in the proclamation
calling for an extraordinary session the
judicial and municipal reforms would be
mentioned. and il the executive council
would accept that the present justices
of the peace be abolished and municipal
judges created in every municipality. and
that vacancies occurring In mayorships
and judgeships be filled by the municipal
councils, as provided in the so-called
municipal bills passed by the house in its
last session, then the commissioners
believe that the appropriation bills will
be passed in the house as introduced In
the council without delay
Americas "Most Favored Daughter"
Porto Rico has been the favored
daughter OF the United States. The
sovereignty OF the island in 1899 passed
to the United States with the full con-
sent of the people of the island.
ternal revenue taxes are turned into the
treasury Of Porto Rico for the main
tenance OF the island government, while
the United States pays out OF its own
treasury the cost of the local army, l. e.,
a full Porto Rican regiment. the revenue
vessels. the lighthouse service. the coast
surveys. the harbor improvements. the
marine hospital support, the post Office
deficit. the weather bureau and the up
keep of the agricultural experiment sta
tons.
VERY soon after the change of
sovereignty a cyclone destroyed a large
part Of Porto Rican coffee culture; $780,
30 was expended from the United States
Treasury to buy rations for those left in
distress. The island is policed by 700