The Mankato free press., 1915-10-22
Condition Of The People in Porto
Rico Is Graphically
Described
..lti z sHt.g g0sS1 49,, ! sS,ssr
Wages aidAre Barely Sufficient
To Maintain Their 49,.
Existence
What Should Be Done To Give
Help to American
Indians
Limited Press pisnaich.l

Mohonk Lake. N. Y, October 90
The poverty, the sorrow. the misery
that is Porto Rico's; and what Amer
lea. and Americans can do to save
the little country from itself, were
outlined by Governor Arthur Yager
at the thirty third three-day Lake
Mohonk conference which began this
morning. H.. g.. y, =
Representative citizens and officials
OF governments by hundreds are here
to discuss Indian. Porto Rican, Phil
ippinc and other dependent peo-
pies" affairs. Governor wager said In
part: .-
There Is much wretchedness and
poverty among tho masses Of Porto
Rico. Their dwellings are made
crowded beyond bciicf. Their food
consists Of rice. Goldfish and beans.
supplemented by tho native wild
fruits. 10. .f'' g.: 'ys'
Their waeea are h1rcly sufficient
., maintain their existence under
these miserable -nd:tions. THESE
conditions have prcvaiied In Porto
Rice for many y"ars. While much
has been done to improve the island
rince the American occupation. II has
not been possible TO make marked
Improvement. The fundamental cause
Is the enormous population. 200. 900
people.
Population on the Island.
'"rhe present nopnlai ION is about
?50 10 tho sa'iarn mile There arc
only two or th:"r small states that
have moro r~op'e pc Ynunre mile,
Nasea"Iusct.:. Rhrdc Island and New
Tnr"ov
Tho arra uf ~ lard is about
four ffths mc"ntaino-s. much Or II
s1 .;tecp that n cam hardly be cul-
tirated Al an. Yetfthis population IA
SO ieremiy' distributed 'ovsriits. iwhuIh
s,irface chat The center iot population
IA otiis about fte miles distant nj h
straight line froin the sedkfaphfcil
center OF the island. -.
'n.'fhe bopGiatioh N steaafIy intrcas-
refgri7l2 ~ aI9h II jssT u9tb'tnS
THE production and cSpott hiW
Spanish times sfhe @enfbut 1I6f vthe
sugar .indussry has beea multiplied
ijy six. The export OF tobacco, eiears.
etc. :. has Betn increased iAose than
nine times. .'1asZ2 I.s... ~ OTU5a Bltg
aI. I% r4Peopie Are kindly. ssgSs 81
The people OF Porto Rico arc a
kindly. charitable, lovable people The
devotion Of parents to their children.
Is equal to that shown among the peo-
pie Of any land But. owing 10 their in
hcritcd improvidcncc, their racial
characteristics, and perhaps to- the
tropical climate, those checks upon
population which in colder climates
seem adequate to keep the increase OF
the people weIi with In ,tlre limits Of
Subsistence - seem iackingN among
them.
The, rnly- effective remedy is the
transfer OF large numbers OF Porto
Ricans TO some other .rceioR -
There is one country Gully hope.
fully open to a movement Of Porto
fiicans. and that Is Santo Domingo.
Il believe IL To he the duty OF the
United States to make the arrange
ments necessary to make II possible
that these two neighboring islands
over which II has assumed certain
control should supplement each
others needs In respect TO popuis-
tion" sv-..r Z r.t f-.i -its. E..s.
: 50, Caring For the Indians. g..
< A regular bulletin service. conduct
ed by the government along news
paper lines like the consular trade
reports. to keep the Indians and In.
dian guardians informed Of what Is
being done IN their interest. was adj
voeated today by John n. Oskison Of
New York In an address before the
conference on The Indian and Other
Dependent Peoples" '~s..-''t 's.''
He said Zone item of the, plat
form of the Society, for American In
dams is embedded in this section:
= THE present confusion Of feser-
vation Indians as tn their losal rights
is due very largely to their lack OF
essential Information. They have no
easy means Of knowing what their
tribal claims are or the letter ofs the
laws and rulings governing them.
"'This Information should be COM
monty available. as also should be''a
report OF the income and .disburse-
inents Of the tribe through rents,
ieasines or trust funds. ~ u.
= To bring the Indians TO the po-
sition OF enlightened citizenship. the
Indians must know the details that
effect their progress, TO this point"
= y -