The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-06-01
Puerto Rico Faces
 Poverty Problems
Need for Planning Stressed Farmers and LabOrers
 Pin Hopes on the Good Roosevelt

What will happen in Puerto Rico after Emergency Relief ceases It's operationY The reply to this query is rather disturbing. Already thero arc signs of the immediate crisis that awaits tho Puerto Rican people lt and when the govern
 ment stops its help.
 Up to March Si the Relief Ad- ministrOtion had been expending at the rate of Si,20O,0OO per month
 both in direct relief and civil works. Approximately a hundred and ten thousand families, repro. senting Q coveruge of about one- third of the total population of tho island had been taken care of through direct relief. Many other thousands had been aided by pro- vlding thom with employment In the Jivil works organization. On March 31st the Civil Works Ad. ministration was discontinued and direct reliof was cut down sub- stancialiy. Tho monthly appropri- ation authorized by the Federal Relief Administration for Puerto Rico was reduced to $500,000. Dur. Ing the month ot April 1884 expen- ditures for work relief and direct relief were about oven: $lSe,0SO and si79,900 respectively. This represents In each case S7.7S DOT cent and S5.7S DOT cent of tho total amount appropriated,
 During the month of May, work relief was further increased to about $300,O00 and direct relief TO- duced to about $i0O,000. Tho not result of these reductions arc more unemployment and distress, Dis. tress can be best measured by stat. Ing the fact that from . hundred and ton thousand families carried In tho relief payrolls tho number came down to about 2b,000 fam ilies, Only knowledge Of the ex- eeedingly bad conditions prevailing In the island can lead to correct appraisal of the situation.
 Overpopulatlon 0 and Unemployment
 Puerto Rieos problem has been stated to Do ono of acute unom- ployment, but it is also a problem of acute poverty, Only God knows how people can 1.-Two In q country whore economic organization is so chaotic that most of the people do not cat most of tho time. To ag- gravate conditions, tho population of Puerto Rico grows Ut an unpre. codented pace, While tho birth rato increases the death rate goes down because of tho undoubtcd ity along tho lines of health, Tho pathetic side of the story Is that the moro Puertorieans manage to prolong their lives and the better they try to avoid dying tho worse their standard of living becomes, for tho pressure of population keeps their bread and butter fur thero away.
 lxport commentators on thiS subject have carefully analtzed tho economic difficulties of tho island. Tho suturation point In the growth Of tho population does not Scem to arrive, while the means of making . livelihood through gNinful occu. pations' have apparently reached their maximum level. Figures of tho last census show l,64S,043 poo. ple concentrated In . small island Of S,AS6 square miles, or about 460 people to the square milo. Since only one.fourth Of tho total area is cultivatable, every square mile of land in cultivation must support 1900 people. If tho problem is further studied from the point Of view of land devoted to the cultiva. ton of foods and items consumed by the inhabitants, wo find that every square mile of such crops must feed, olothe, and house 5000 people.
 This Is the main reason why Puerto Rico imports most every thing from tho States, Tho aver. ago price of leading foodstuffs used by rural families Ia anywhere from 20 to 70 DOT cont higher than In Now York, for these little brothers pay on their fodo such luxurles as on our expensive coastwlse ship. ping laws, handling In continental ports, etc,
 The increase in unem mployment also oomes from the shift of small farmers to the labor class whom they lose their properties, Control of agriculture ts practically in tha hands of . flow landowners, and there Is limited class of small farmers which Is quickly disap. bearing and tholr properties being transferred to tho control of the wealthy few or of the corporations, Tho climax to the whole drama of Portoriean desperation soems to have been that small farmers arc being transformed into paupers and on their way to become unrc- deemed members of the peon class, tho largest group in tho rural com munities. Farmers and peons alike had been told for years that they would enjoy prosperity and an economy of abundance. They were being told about the American sys- tenn and In the meanwhile they had been forced to mortgage their farms, their homes, and their very Is to say, the few farms and homes that were loft in good condition after the last two hurri. canes.
 Washington Planning Program
 When the Emergency Relief Ad- started It's work in August 1888 1t was felt that Puer. torlcans were in for a New Deal, that they would not be told any more pretty sthings about the theo- retical advantages of living under tho American flag. Like American farmers, Puertorican farmers had