The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1936-01-09
BY WILLIAM c. UTLEY

- Off appearing governmental
deficits is the report of Gov.
Blanton Winship of Puerto
Rico, on the island territory's activi-
ties for the fiscal year 1934-35.
For Puerto. Rico, tiny West Indian
paradise where some 100000 or more
American citizens live under a Stars
and Stripes which ripples in the balmy
trade winds, closed the fiscal year with
a surplus of S6O6,0OO as against a
deficit of S279,OOO for the preceding
fiscal year.
Political strife and the cry for indie
pendence, which for some time had
been gathering momentum and even
tually resulted in the resignation of
Gov. Robert III. Gore, who had served
since July, 1888, have abated under the
two years of the Winship administra-
ton until today Puerto Ricans have
allowed the greater share of their po-
litical ardOr to crystaliZe into calm,
determined, orderly fight for statehood.
Hearings on the case Tor ruerIo
Rican statehood will be resumed dur
ing the next congress The congress
sional committee on territories began
public hearings in Washington last
June On bill which would allow the
island legislature at San Juan TO frame
constitution and become the forty
ninth state. This is the desire of the
coalition party now in power in the
island government, which is completely
autonomous except for the appointment
Of a governor by the President of the
United States. There is still some agi-
tation in the islands, fostered by the
liberal party, for complete independ-
ence. and there has also been talk Of
a compromise of the two parties which
would seek for Puerto Rico complete
autonomy without territorial independ-
ence. This latter arrangement would
make the island unique politically,
would place it somewhere between a
territory and a state, and is believed
by many authoritative observers to be
the likely outcome.
Revenue Collections Are Up.
Despite the lingering depression
which has not shown signs of lifting
so quickly in Puerto Rico as in other
parts of the United States, revenue
collections for the fiscal year just
closed were more than S12,642,OOO, an
increase of s1,371, 900 over the 1882 "a
collections, and S1,442,OO0 more than
Manuel " Domenech, the treasurer,
had expected. Municipal finances did
not fare so well, and none of the cities
of which there are many on this thick
ly populated island, built up any sur
plus.
The chief cause for worry lay in
trade and commerce. which revealed a
decrease Of per cent in exports and
9k per cent increase in imports, eff
fecting the lowest favorable balance of
trade in eight years. Yet Puerto Rico
sends "a Der cent Of its exports to the
United States, which imported far more
foodstuffs-the principal Puerto Rican
products-than in many years pre-
ceding.
Especially worthy Of note was the
falling off In the export coffee BUSH
ness, despite concerted prOmOtiOnal
drives to popnlarize Puerto Rican cof-
fee In the United States. Where in
1894 the island exported 2,970.0W
pounds Of coffee, 1t shipped away only
100000 pounds in 1885. Imports OF
coffee for the fiscal year just closed
were 1142,000 pounds, compared with
only 16,449 pounds the year before.
Governor Winship attributes this start
ling reversal of form to the small size
of the 1884 crop.
There was. however, a general feel
ing of improvement In the governors
report. Not a little of the credit for
improvement is given to the Puerto
Rican Relief administration. the efforts
of which are just beginning to be felt
since its work has not vet reached the
height of the campaign to restore to the
island more balanced agriculture.
Small Farmer Suffers.
With a population which has doubled
since the island was coded to the Unit
ed States at the close of the Spanish