Evening star., 1938-05-29
By NEWBOLD MOVES.

New Deal expenditures, the appro-
priation of $4,000, 900 requested for
continuation of the Puerto Rican
Reconstruction Administration, Federal re-
lief and reconstruction agency in that
island nevertheless merits more searching
study than it normally would receive.
The Interior Department already has
spent more than $40,000,000 trying to re-
construct Puerto Rico under typical New
money has brought the real objectives any
nearer to fulfillment. Economic and social
conditions in this small United States ter
ritory remain unsatisfactory because Of
overpopulation, shortage of employment
and limited resources The island still
needs continued financial assistance to help
it achieve sound economic position. but
no adequate plan for solving the funda-
mental difficulties has yet been advanced
by the P. R. r. A.. either through its ad-
ministrator. Harold L. Ickes, or by the
regional administrator Miles H. Tairbank,
although the insular government has
started tourist program which appears
quite promising and worthy of P. r. R. A.
support.
Succeeding various Federal relief agencies,
such as the F. E. R. A. and later the P. r.
E. R. A., the P. r. R. A. was set up three
years ago by executive order Of the Presi-
dent for the purpose of reconstructing the
island economically, following the two
disastrous hurricanes in 1928 and 1882,
which were estimated to have caused prop
erty and crop losses totaling $150,000, ,000
Surplus Population Problem.
Presumably reconstruction meant, first,
restoring what had been lost and second
putting the island onto a sound economic
basis. The latter involved, principally
creating some means Of employment or
livelihood for the surplus population in this
the most densely populated agricultural
area und,r the American flag, in which
today more than one-fifth of the potential
wage earners are out of work and from
10000 to IS 900 new people are being added
to the population each year by the high
birth rate.
Puerto 3icans grant that the p R. r. A..
originally under the leadership of Ernest j.
tories and Island Possessions in the Interior
Department., tried to achieve that goal
Running the whole gamut of New Deal
devices-rural electriication. rural resettle-
ment, subsistence homesteads, reforestation,
formation OF co-operatives, farm credit
loans. ami so on-a fairly laudable job of
providing work relief was accomplished. At
one time, in November, 1886. the p r. r. A.
was employing more than 10000 people,
although the number now is down to about
10000. owing to restricted funds.
Some badly needed public works were
constructed. unemployed were fed and
housed, expensive rural school buildings
were erected additional school teachers
temporarily were provided, and few CO.
operatives were formed One of the islands
larger sugar mills was purchased. to be
operated by group Of co-operatives under
close P. r. R. A. supervision and with
many P. r. r. A. facilities made available
without charge to insure profit. In addi-
ton, the lands of many impoverished coffee
and grapefruit growers were rehabilitated,
although failing markets for those COM
modities make the investment of doubtful
significance.
A cement mill, large enough to produce
all cement used on the island, was con-
structed with P. r. r. A. funds, although it
now is announced that efforts will be made
to place the mill under private ownership,
There have been a few other substantial
accomplishments to date, but a survey of
the P. r. r. A. results discloses the dis
couraging news that not more than hand
full of new jobs has been created, not more
than few thousand at the most. And all
the while, all during the more than two
years of P. R. R. A. operation, the popula-
ton has been growing at the rate of about
$4,000 year. Thus the program, and all
the millions of New Deal dollars, have not
even begun to keep up with the growth in
number of new wage earners.
Little Hope in New Program.
The new program, proposed by Regional
Administrator Fairbank and now being
considered by Administrator Ickes, who
took the whole burden onto his own shoul-
ders after DR.. Gruening's resignation, holds
no more promise than the old It proposes
the establishment of new industries, such
as making paper from sugar cane, manu.
featuring glass bottles, and establishing CO.
operatives to can orange juice and other
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