The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1918-04-29
FOOD CONSERVATION
STRICT in PORTO RICO
Poverty Stricken Natives Greatly In
terested in Conserving Food to
Help America.

Food conservation is being carried
on so intensively in Porto Rico that
even the humblest shack has a Hoo
yer pledge card proudly displayed on
the front door, according to DR.. F.
H. Sheets, who has just returned
from trip to Porto Rico in the in
terest of the preparation of the Cen
tenary World Program of the Metho-
dist Episcopal Church.
Although about three-quarters of
the inhabitants of Porto Rico live al
most next door to poverty, yet they
have all become greatly interested in
the conservation of food, as they be-
lieve that they can help win the war
by making every possible saving. No
sacrifice which means American-Al-
lied victory seems to be too great for
them. They are using a Spanish slo-
gan which translated reads, With
the munitions of the mouth we will
win the war;" and this has become a
very effective watchword Il saw
more evidence of a vigorous food
conservation campaign in Porto Rico
than in the United States, due prob
ably to the continuous pushing of it
~ wv w. 0eAu Ii
DR.. Sheets also said, That since
the passage of the Jones bill March
2, 1917, which made the Porto Ric-
ans American citizens, every man,
man and child in Porto Rico has
Seemingly put forth every effort to
show their loyalty to the United
States. There are many Red Cross
centers where women daily roll
bandages and prepare comfort kits
for shipmentsto France and even the
little girls are organized into Junior
Red Cross Auxiliaries.
Service flags can be seen ont
countless houses throughout Portok
r Rice lee and erscass fly frofs
cry fiag-pole, Dr. Sheets declared
At the present time preparations are
being made to accommodate forty
thousand men in camps and canton
ments over the Island and many
Porto Rican youths are now fighting
in he trenches in France.
1ookworm has practically been
stamped out in Porto Rico," asserted
DR.. Sheets, who said that aenemia
had also been greatly reduced.
Through the efforts of the mission
aries, who went to Porto Rico short
ly after the Spanish-American War,
an excellent hospital system has
grown up. Due largely to under
feeding and wretched sanitary condi-
tionS, hookworm was prevalent
there. Large sanitariums were built
and people were treated by the thou
sands until at the present time hook
worm has practically been stamped
out. Infant mortality, which fre-
quently rose to seventy-fve percent.
has been reduced more than half.
''The great problem in Porto Rico
today is a land problem, as there is
practically no manufacturing there"
said DR.. Sheets "All the raw ma
terials, such as sugar, and hides, are
shipped to the United States for
manufacture and then reshipped to
Porto Rico. A few factories would
do much to uplift the condition Of
the poor, 1 believe. And there's a
peculiar thing about the island popu
lation-there is no middle class. xPeo-
pie are either very rich or very poor |
the latter being overwhelmingly in |
the majority. About seventy to eigh- !
ty percent. of the people live on the
verge of actual need in tiny shacks !
housing from eight to fourteen per-
sons, without furniture or comforts !
of any kind" declared DR.. Sheets. |
Many persons may not realize it, !
but Porto Rico--which is about 100 !
miles long by 80 miles wide-has
population of 100000, making it |
one of the most densely peopled |
areas in the United States.
'At present the people are feeling
the high cost of living acutely, as
wages remain at a low figure. Ac-
cording to the 1916 Labor Report,
wages range from fifty to sixty-seven
cents a day.
They have built up a wonderful
school system from the public school
through the university and even in
the rural districts, you will find good
schools, Many of the educational
are far more beautiful ar
chitecturally than any here in the
United States. AS rapidly as is pos
sible the government is trying to in
troduce the study of the English Ian
guage, but this is not compulsory.
However, most of the high school and
students speak English"