The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1919-05-16
Islanders
Are After
Self Rule
Prohibition, Labor Troubles
and Race Differences
Cause Unrest
GOV. YAGER is OISLIKEO
BY MILTON BRO><ER
Especial Dispatch.j

tNpcfiai lbtsphfthl
WASHINGTON, May I6.--
Porto Rico Is not particularly
happy under our rule. and wilrn
the next congress meets. Is 60
ing 10 ask for complete inder
pendence, such as we granted
Cuba
At the present time the island
legislature has as it's guests the
membership OF our house COMMITTEES
on insular affairs. The Porto Ricans
very wisely concluded that the best
way 20 impress congress was to get
this congressional committee down
there and let them see things for
themselves.
The causes Of unrest In the
island are as follows:
New taxation laws rendered
necessary by adoption Of . pro-
hibition amendment, which cut
off n fertile source of revenue.
Labor troubles. due 10 excess
OF labor and dearth Of jobs.
Difference in race and ln8
guage from US.
Dissatisfaction with Goyernur
General Arthur Wager.
The odd part OF the whole thing r.
that this yearning for separation
followed so quickly upon the grant
ing OF more home government 70 the
people. Under an organic act, which
fhnrsn Al
OF the house. as heretofore. but aIn0
OF The senate of their legislature. the
first elections were held a July.
1917.
Friction Develops K
And the very first session develnn
ed friction between the LEGISLATOR
and wager. The legislature refused
TO adjourn sine die. Instead, IL Ct.
tempted TO take recess OF come
months. the plan being practically 20
keep itself in continuous session
turnout the two years for which Il
was chosen. The governor generaf
finally had his way. but bad blood
was engendered.
The present legislature is controII-
ed by the unionist party. which ~ !
separaust party. II not long arc
adopted a resolution asking our con-
gress for legislation that would r.
Ter the question of the islands f,,-
ture TO plebiscite.
The Porto Tdcans have heard -
much about consent Of the governed
AT the Paris peace conference. thar
they want to try little of it. They
were so convinced OF the rixhteour-
ness of their cause that they ammo
priated $4,000 for the purpose Of en-.
tertaining our congressman. who
went over there.
On the face of things, Porto Rico
ought to be prosperous under Ameri.
can government. 1t is true itx az.
ports dropped from ISL, 900 900. in
1917 to little over $4,000. 900 last
year, but this was due to the diff
Guilty in getting ships for sugar
transportation. there being an excess
OF 100000 tons over the normal Law.
over.
The trouble is that the working
people got only a small share Of
this Ordinarily the island Is over
stocked with labor. An island or
1886 square miles. il has over .25O.-
GOO population. or 35s per SQUARE
mile. Competition for jobs is keen
and many laborers went to the main.
land and to the other islands in the
Caribbean. seeking for work. but
without much success.
For a time things were better
when over 10000 young men were
modified for training in the Ameri-
can army. However. the armistice
and subsequent rehabilitation threw
All these men back on the labor
market.
Agitators Are Busy
Labor agitators have been busv.
and some of the employers have
shown themselves utterly callous to
the needs of the men. There Is
much bad housing. and on top Of
this rentals have often been IN.
creased from 25 to so per cent. The
workers, on the sugar and tobacco
plantations have succeeded in get
ting some raises in pay. but not SO
the men on the coffee plantations.
Whatever form of government the
island is allowed. il probably will al.
ways have TO look to us as its best
customer. Last year all the rest OF
the world bought from Porto Rico.
sS,779.oSS. while we took s65.514,aS9.
on the other hand. the rest of the
world sold Porto Rico $4,44s.5ss.
while we sold her s5S.945,75s worth
of goods. We take from the island
her grapefruit. oranges. cocoanuts.
pineapples and the bulk of her
sugar, molasses, cigars and tobacco.
Porto Rico raises s5,50o.o00 worth
of coffee. but almost all of it goes
to Spain and Cuba. We supply
Porto Rico with most of her wheat
flour. rice, beans. peas, cotton cloths.
bags, iron and steel articles. leather,
meat. oil and paper.
1t is not felt here that congress
will seriously consider granting Ing
There have at times.
been tentative plans for statehood.
but even this will not be granted
ut hill. tho {llff.raexr ~, tha tel. A.