The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-11-24
AMERICAN CONTROL
IN PORTO RICO SUCCEEDS
First 20 Years of Administration Have
Been Productive of Changes Which
Have Been Remarkable.

San Juan, Porto Rico, Nov "a (By
the Associated Press. Progress has
marked the first 20 years of American
administration in Porto Rico. in the
opinion of Governor Arthur Wager. The
changes have been so remarkable, he
adds, as TO be without parallel.
These 20 years of American admin.
istration ended in April last. In a
statement reviewing them, Governor
wager says:
These two decades of progress made
by Porto Rico under the American flag
taken all together constitute record
which | believe cannot be equaIled by
any people anywhere in the world in
the same length of time. 1t is a record
creditable alike to the Porto Ricans
themselves and to the great free repub-
lie to which they owe allegiance. Much
of it is due to the liberality and gen.
erous aid of the great American gov
eminent and people, but most of the
credit is due to the splendid co-opera-
ton of the Porto Ricans themselves
Without their Incorporation little of
this progress could have been made,
but the people of the island have eager
" ayailed themselves Of every oppor.
tunity offered them for Improvement
With patriotic devotion to their island
and with real aspiration for progress,
they have made quick response to all
the changes that were necessary for
development, In politics and govern
ment, in education, in commerce and
ind frxr IN gaafaI
ment, they have offered their co-opera-
ton and aid to the forces that have
made for betterment.
"This is the simple truth as to the
past, and this is the best augllry for
the future. II seems easy to predict
that, barring untoward and unexpected
events, the next two decades will see
even more wonderful progress and de-
yelopment.'
just 20 years ago-April, 1890 by
the ratification of the treaty of Paris
between the United States and Spain,
Porto Rico became definitely American
territory and the responsibility for
the government and progress Of the
island became definitely ours" the gov
ernor points out
In the 20 years that have elapsed
the changes that have been made are
so many and so important and the
progress in every line of human i'm
provement and achievement has been
so remarkable, that it may be worth
while to make brief survey in retro
speet of what has been accomplished. "
Almost every sphere of human life
! and work, the governor says, has been
completely metamorphosed and prob.
| ably the most striking evidence Of
these changes are shown in the public
improvements of the island and the de-
velopment of the system of public edu-
cation.
I'm the 20 years under American
administration a public debt has been
created which at the present time is a
little more than $l0,000,O00," saws the
governor, "On the other hand perma-
nent public improvements have been
built which age Of lasting benefit to all
Of the people both for the present and
for the future"
Against the public debt of Sl0,056 900
there have been expenditures for per
manent public improvements amount
| ing to $l5,626 ,3S6-or more than 81. 80
in permanent improvements for each 81
of debt This includes expenditures of
| $6,490,9S2 for roads and bridges S4..
2l8,404 for public buildings and S4,9l7,-
| 900 for an irrigation system. The cost
of many minor Improvements, includ,
ing municipal water works, sewers and
| lighting systems, the lnsular Telegraph
and other items, aggregating many mil
| lions of dollars, are not included in
these figures, although much of the
municipal indebtedness is included in
the public debt.
In the face of a statement like this, .
says the governor, there is no room
for charges of graft or waste or extrav-
agance,' and he points out that there
are many larger countries to-day hav.
| ing four times the public debt and not
half so much to show for the money.
Educational conditions to-day when
compared with 90 years ago are char.
acterized as gratifying although, when
| compared with what is to be desired, as
still depressing There has been Great
ed in Porto Rico a modern, democratic
school system offering free education to
the children of the island As a result
of this system of instruction the per,
,centage of adult illiteraey has been re-
duced from 70.G in 1899 to less than 60
per cent in 1919.
In 1899 there were 2l,S73 children