Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1919-11-30

 portunity offered them for improve ment. With patriotic devotion 70 their island and with real aspiration for progress, they have made quick response to all the changes that were necessary for development. To poll ties and government, in education, m commerce and industry, in social and moral improvement, Nhey have offer ed their cooperation and aid to the forces that have made for better ment.
 "Ths is the simple truth as to the past, and this is the best augury for the future. It seems easy to predict that, barring untoward and uneXpect- ed events, the next two decades will see even more wonderful progress and development"
 Whole Life Changed
 Just twenty years ago-ADril 1899 by the ratification of the Treaty of Paris between the United States and Spain, Porto Rico became definitely American territory and the "respon- sibility for the government and prog ress of the island became definitely ours," the governor points out.
 "In the twenty years that have elapsed the changes that have been made are so many and so important and the progress in every line of hu- man improvement and achievement has been so remarkable, that it may be worth while to make brief sur vey in retrospect of what has been accomplished.
 Almost every sphere of human life and work, the governor says, has been completely metamorphosed and probably the most striking evidence of these changes are shown in the public Improvements of the ~islard and the development of the system of public education.
 t "In the twenty years under Amer ican administration a public debt has been created, which at the present time is a little over more than $10,- 000,000" says the governor. "On the other hand permanent public i'm provements have been built which are of lasting benefit to all of the people, both for the present and for the future"
 Against the public debt of $10,056,- 900 others have been expenditures for permanent public Improvements amounting to $15,626, ,386-or more than $1.50 in permanent improve ments for each $l of debt. This in- cludes expenditures of $6,490,982 for roads and bridges, $4.21S,404 for pub lie buildings and $4,917,000 for an irrigation system. The cost of many minor improvements including muni- cipal water works, sewers and light ing systems, the Insular Telegraph and other items, aggregating many millions of dollars, are not included in these figures, although much of the municipal indebtedness is includ- ed in the public debt.
 ''In the face of statement like this," says the governor, "there is no room for charges of graft or waste or extravaganza" and he points out that there are many larger countries today having four times the public debt and not half so much to show for the money.
 Roads are Many. .N.
 Educational conditions today when compared with twenty years ago are characteristic as gratifying although when compared with what is to be desired, as still depressing. There has been created in Porto Rico a modern, democratic school system of fering free education to the children of the island As result of this system of instruction the percentage of adult illiteracy has been reduced from 799 in 1899 to less than 60 per cent in 1919.
 In 1899 there were 1873 children attending schools as compared with 160,794 children in 1919-20. The num- Der of teachers has increased from 525 to 2,9S4 There were no public school buildings twenty. years ago Now there are 529. The expenditure for schools twenty years ago was $2SS,09S and for 191S-19 the school appropriation was $2,467,703.
 "Above all the variety and char acter of the education, the spirit and quality of the work done in the schools has been broadened, modern ized and liberalzed in accordance with the standards and ideals of the twentieth century" asserts Cover nor Wager.
 | In 1899 there were 160 miles of completed insular roads, now the is- land has TIP miles of roads. 1 Laws and procedure of the courts have been so completely changed the governor asserts, as to leave few of | the old Spanish practices unalrered 1 The courts are now administering practically an American system of justice.
 The public health service has been built up and health conditions tire mendously improved" A modern system of taxation has been develop ed. Wages are declared to have been