The Washington herald., 1913-12-07
INSULAR AFFAIRS
REPORT IS ISSUED
Sanitation, Exports and I'm
ports in Philippines and
Porto Rico Discussed.
M'INTYRE GIVES TABLES
Trade Returns for Year Show Gen.
orally Favorable Conditon-Short-
age in Rice Production.
M'INTYRE GIVES TABLES

While the sanitary system in Porto
Rico is still in a very crude state. judged
from American standards, commendable
progress has been made toward cleaning
up the island, according to the annual
report of Brig. Gen. Frank Mcintyre,
Chief of the Bureau of Insular Affairs,
yesterday delivered TO the Secretary of
War. Gen. Mcintyre points out that
the exports and imports of both Porto
Rico and the Philippines have increased
greatly during the past fiscal year.
Among the difficulties to be overcome
In making Porto Rico sanitary. Gen. Nc
Intyre says, are a lack of good water
supply. an almost total lack of 4 good
sewerage and garbage disposal system,
lack OF sanitary markets, lack of hos
pital facilities. overcrowding and insani-
tary condition of municipal jails. some
of which are used for the detention ot
violently insane persons; congestion in
the home of the laboring classes, and
contamination of milk supply. Gen. Nc
Intyre asCribes the failure OF the Amer
lean authorities TO make the island sani-
tary TO the density OF population and
dense ignorance OF the people Of even
the elements of hygiene at the time of
American occupation.
BubonIc Plague Cases.
Gen. Mcintyre describes a bubonic
plague epidemic, the total number of
deaths from which reached thirty-six.
The people as a whole, he asserts, did
not take kindly TO the sanitary meas
ures, due probably to the fact that there
were few deaths prevented by sanitary
means) and the fact that a business
panic prevailed at the time. Influences
personal, political. fraternal. and reli-
gious-were brought to bear to have the
sanitary regulations modified, but with
out avail.
Regarding the commerce OF the Philip
pines, the report says:
Trade returns for the year show a
generally favorable condition. Imports
amounted to SS,527&S3, an increase of
H.77,6O3 over those Of 1912, but the Sc
rious shortage in local rice production,
which made rice imports an exceptionally
large factor in the import trade of both
years, was relieved in the latter part of
1913 by abundant crops, and the elimina-
ton OF this emergency shows that
whereas the net increase of 1912 over the
previous year was $7OS929. the increase in
the general import trade in 1913, exclu-
sive Of rice, was S,4OS,6So.
The value of American goods imported
shows an increase of A'S2S5o' ana
amounted to ,0S5. or 10 per cent OF
the total, against IS per cent In lslZ-
Exports to the United States amount
ed to Sl9,s4s,SS5 and were 81 per cent OF
the total as compared with 4S per cent
in 1912. Sugar shipments, which were the
leading factor in this decline, show fall
ing of approximating S,OCO.Ooo in value.
With regard to the commerce OF Porto
Rico, Gen. Mcintyre has the following TO
say:
The foreign trade of the island for the
fiscal year ended June 80 1918, aggregated
$50, ,OO3, ,627, divided as follows: Imports,
$50, 900, ,O62; exports, si9,aO3,5S5. This repre-
sents a decrease in value of imports OF
Sc O26, al, and of exports s6Ol,SS."