{"1": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3610", "width": "2258", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0001.jp2"}, "2": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3480", "width": "2068", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0002.jp2"}, "3": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3480", "width": "2068", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0003.jp2"}, "4": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3490", "width": "2014", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0004.jp2"}, "5": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3490", "width": "2014", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0005.jp2"}, "6": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3490", "width": "2014", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0006.jp2"}, "7": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3490", "width": "2014", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0007.jp2"}, "8": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3490", "width": "2014", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0008.jp2"}, "9": {"fulltext": "REPORT\\nON\\nTHE ISLAND OF PORTO RICO;\\nITS\\nPOPULATION, CIVIL GOVERNMENT, COMMERCE,\\nINDUSTRIES, PRODUCTIONS, ROADS,\\nTARIFF, AND CURRENCY,\\nWITH RECOMMENDATIONS\\nBY\\nHEZNTtY K. CARROLL,\\nSpecial CoxrLmissioner for the United. States to 3?orto Rico.\\nRESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED TO\\nhon. William Mckinley,\\nPresident of the United States.\\nOctober 6, 1899.\\nWASHINGTON:\\nGOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE.\\n1899.", "height": "3490", "width": "2014", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0009.jp2"}, "10": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3490", "width": "2014", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0010.jp2"}, "11": {"fulltext": "REPORT\\nON\\nTHE ISLAND OF PORTO RICO;\\nITS\\nPOPULATION, CIVIL GOVERNMENT, COMMERCE,\\nINDUSTRIES, PRODUCTIONS, ROADS,\\nTARIFF, AND CURRENCY,\\nWITH RECOMMENDATIONS\\nBY\\nHENRY K. CAKROLL,\\nSpecial Commissioner for the United. States to Porto Rico.\\nRESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED TO\\nHON. WILLIAM: McKINLEY,\\nPresident of the United States.\\nOctober 6, 1899.\\nWASHINGTON:\\nGOVERNMENT PRINTING OT* 1\\n1899.\\nICE,", "height": "3490", "width": "2014", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0011.jp2"}, "12": {"fulltext": "55807\\nTreasury Department,\\nDocument No. 2118.\\nOffice of the Secretary.\\nFlflW\\nU.", "height": "3490", "width": "2014", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0012.jp2"}, "13": {"fulltext": "co:nte.jts of eepoet.\\nPage.\\nExplanation of words and terms used in this report j 5\\nWork of the commissioner 7\\nCharacter of the island 8\\nThe climate 9\\nPrevalent diseases 9\\nThe population _ 10\\nHistory of the island 11\\nThe civil government 15\\nGovernment finances 16\\nMunicipal government. 17\u00e2\u0080\u0094\\nSystem of taxation 20\\nThe codes and courts _ _ 23\\nThe notarial and registration systems 26\\nThe church and church property ._ 27\\nThe cemeteries 31\\nThe public schools _\u00e2\u0096\u00a0 32\\nPublic charities and prisons 33\\nSocial conditions _ 35-\\nCharacter of the people.. 36\\nPolitical parties 37^\\nRoads, railroads, and communication 38\\nCommerce and industry 41\\nAgriculture 44\\nCondition of the laboring classes 48\\nThe tariff 52\\nThe currency and banking 52\\nChanges under the military government 53- ~~l\\nWhat Porto Rico expects from the United States \u00e2\u0080\u00a2_ 55\u00e2\u0080\u0094 J\\nCapacity for self-government 56-\\nAs to change of language and customs 58\\nFree commerce between Porto Rico and the United States 59\\nThe right of suffrage 61\\nDepartments and salaries 62\\nRecommendations 63\\n3", "height": "3490", "width": "2014", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0013.jp2"}, "14": {"fulltext": "CONTENTS OF APPENDIX.\\nPage.\\nAgriculture\u00e2\u0080\u0094 soils, crops, methods, resources 67\\nIndustries 121\\nCommerce, foreign and domestic 143\\nMeans of transportation _ 156\\nCensus of the population 179\\nGeographical 200\\nClimate. 202\\nPublic health and sanitation 206\\nFlora and fauna.. _- 222\\nInsular government 231\\nInsular revenues and expenditures _ 253\\nCodes and courts 264\\nMortgage, notarial, and registration systems 319\\nCivil divisions 339\\nPolitical parties 340\\nSuffrage and the system of autonomy. 352\\nSystem of taxation 366\\nPorto Rican tariff _. 385\\nMoney question 449\\nBanks and hanking 498\\nPostal, telegraph, and telephone service 509\\nPublic lands and mines 512\\nMunicipal government. 517\\nPrisons and charities 588\\nSystem of public schools 615\\nChurch and church property 651\\nLaw and customs of marriage.. 690\\nCondition of the laboring classes 712\\nDemand for free commerce with the United States 766\\nOpinions of the people on various questions of reform 786\\n4", "height": "3490", "width": "2014", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0014.jp2"}, "15": {"fulltext": "EXPLANATION OF WORDS AND TERMS USED IN THIS REPORT.\\nAbogado. Counselor.\\nAguacate. Alligator pear.\\nAlcaide. Warden of prison.\\nAlcalde. Mayor.\\nAlguacil. Constable.\\nArea. 119.6 square yards.\\nAudiencia Criminal. Criminal court.\\nAudiencia Territorial. Supreme court.\\nAyuntamiento. Municipality.\\nBarrio. Division of municipality, ward.\\nBeneficencia. Charity.\\nBlanco. White.\\nBocoy. Hogshead, holding 1 ,400 to 1 ,800\\npounds.\\nBagazo. Stalks of pressed cane.\\nBoriquen. Carib name of the island.\\nCabotage. Coastwise trade.\\nCacao. Chocolate beans.\\nCalle. Street.\\nCamino vecinal. District road.\\nCandelaria. Feast of Candlemas.\\nCar eel. Prison, jail.\\nCarretera. State road, cart road.\\nCasa consistorial. City hall.\\nCedula .personal. Passport.\\nCentarea. 1,550 square inches.\\nCentavo. A copper coin; the hundredth\\npart of a peso.\\nCentral. Sugar mill grinding for a dis-\\ntrict.\\nChina. A sweet orange.\\nCiudad. City.\\nCoche. Coach.\\nComercio. Commerce.\\nComisario. Head of a barrio or ward.\\nComunica ciones. Comm unications,\\npostal and telegraphic.\\nConcejales. Aldermen or councilmen.\\nConsumo. A special tax on articles of\\nfood, drink, and fuel.\\nContribuyentes. Taxpayers.\\nCuerda. .99 of an acre.\\nDelito. Crime.\\nDerechos reales. Royal dues.\\nDiputacion provincial. Insular admin-\\nistrative body.\\nDoble peseta. Silver 40-centavo piece.\\nEl Componte. Name given persecution\\nby G-uardia Civil.\\nEscribano. Court clerk.\\nExpediente. The documents of a case.\\nFalta. Minor offense.\\nFerrocarril. Railroad.\\nFinca. Farm, estate.\\nFiscal. Prosecuting attorney.\\nFomento. Improvement; department\\nof the interior.\\nFresa. A kind of strawberry.\\nFrutos Menores. Small crops; bananas\\nand vegetables.\\nGastos. Expenses.\\nGratificacion. Bonus in excess of sal-\\nary.\\nGremio. Trade union cl ass of taxpayers\\nGuardia Civil. A special police force.\\nGuineo. A small banana.\\nGu ira. A small gourd used as instru-\\nment of music.\\nHectdrea. 2.47 acres.\\nHuesera. Receptacle for bones of dis-\\ninterred bodies.\\nIngresos. Income.\\nJamaica Tren. A primitive process of\\nsugar making.\\nJibaro. A mountain peasant, or ignor-\\nant countryman.\\nJuez del a Instancia e Instruccion. Dis-\\ntrict judge.\\nJuez, municipal. Municipal judge.\\nJunta. Board of council.\\nLey. Law.\\nMorenos (brown). Blacks or negroes.\\nNaranja. A bitter orange.\\nNotario. Notary.\\n5", "height": "3490", "width": "2014", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0015.jp2"}, "16": {"fulltext": "6\\nPalillos. Instrument of tortnre in the\\nform of pegs.\\nPardos (gray). Mulattoes.\\nPatente. Tax on opening shops for busi-\\nness.\\nPecuaria. Pertaining to cattle.\\nPeones. Peasants or field laborers.\\nPeseta. Silver piece of 20 centavos.\\nPeso. Unit of currency, one hundred\\ncentavos three-fifths of American dol-\\nlar.\\nPie. One-third of a vara, or 10.945\\ninches.\\nPldtano. Plantain.\\nPlaza. Public square.\\nPoblacibn de derecho. Legal popula-\\ntion.\\nPoblacion de hecho. Actual popula-\\ntion.\\nPresidio. Penitentiary.\\nPresupuesto. Estimate: applied to bud-\\ngets.\\nProcurador. Attorney.\\nPueblo. Town, city.\\nQuintal. One hundred weight.\\nReal. A fictitious coin of 12-J centavos.\\nRegistrador. Registrar of property.\\nSindico. Counsel for municipalities\\nand supervisor of accounts.\\nSueldo. Salary.\\nSumario. Summary, or court brief.\\nTeniente alcalde. Vice-mayor.\\nTranseuntes. Temporary residents.\\nVales. Tickets given laborers instead\\nof money.\\nVara. Unit of cloth measure, 32.835\\ninches.\\nVecino. Neighbor, citizen.", "height": "3490", "width": "2014", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0016.jp2"}, "17": {"fulltext": "REPORT ON PORTO RICO.\\nTreasury Department,\\nOffice Special Commissioner for the\\nUnited States to Porto Rico,\\nOctober 6, 1899.\\nTo the President.\\nSir Under appointment by you to investigate the civil, industrial,\\nfinancial, and social conditions of Porto Rico and make report, with\\nrecommendations, I have twice visited the island, under instructions\\nfrom the Treasury Department, to which I was assigned for immediate\\nsupervision.\\nWORK OF THE COMMISSIONER.\\nThe commissioner sailed in the U. S. transport Manitoba October\\n10, and landed at Ponce October 15. Two days later he crossed the\\nisland, by coach, over the famous military road to San Juan, the capi-\\ntal, where several weeks were spent in an inquiry into the customs\\nand currency questions and the system of civil government. Return-\\ning to the United States November 15, the commissioner made pre-\\nliminary reports on these subjects, and sailed for Porto Rico a second\\ntime on the 31st of December. Meantime the offices of the commis-\\nsion in San Juan were kept open, and much information, statistical,\\nindustrial, and social, was gathered by the secretary, Mr. Charles E.\\nBuell, and the interpreter, Mr. Alfred Solomon. Early in January a\\ntour of the municipal districts of the island was begun and the testi-\\nmony of representatives of all classes of the population was taken.\\nAs the commissioner had been instructed to make his inquiry broad\\nenough to embrace all subjects concerning the present condition and\\nfuture welfare of the people, all interested persons were invited to\\nattend the hearings, all who offered information were heard, and\\nnumerous statements of individuals and firms, in the nature of memo-\\nrials, complaints, and recommendations, were received. The tour\\nembraced the chief cities and districts of the island Bayamon, Vega\\nBaja, Arecibo, Camuy, Quebradillas, and Isabela, in the north;\\nAguadilla, Mayaguez, San German, and Cabo Rojo, in the west;\\nYauco, Ponce, Guayama, and Arroyo, in the south, and Maunabo,\\nYabucoa, Humacao, and Fajardo, in the east. The interior towns of\\nUtuado, Coamo, Aibonito, Cayey, and Caguas, and Isabela II, on the\\nisland of Vieques, were visited, and representatives received from\\nother places.\\nThe commissioner had a cordial welcome everywhere. Insular and\\nmunicipal officials, judges, lawyers, doctors, bankers, merchants,\\nplanters, manufacturers, artisans, field laborers, inhabitants of the", "height": "3490", "width": "2014", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0017.jp2"}, "18": {"fulltext": "8\\npoor quarters in cities persons of all classes and colors, leaders of\\nthe political parties, natives, Spaniards, Germans, and other foreign\\nresidents willingly gave testimony, or secured documents, or obtained\\ninformation, often at no little pains, and endeavored by every means\\nto make the investigation a successful one. Statements embodying\\nneeded facts, making suggestions, or asking immediate relief from\\noppressive conditions were prepared in various parts of the island\\nand submitted to the commissioner by deputation or by mail.\\nCHARACTER OF THE ISLAND.\\nThe United States is to be congratulated on the acquisition of\\nPorto Rico. It is a beautiful island, well worthy the admiration of\\nits new possessors, accustomed to the most varied and picturesque\\nscenery in their own wide domain. All its shores are approachable,\\nand whether seen from the Caribbean Sea, on the south, or from the\\nAtlantic Ocean, on the east, west, and north, it presents an attractive\\nappearance. Its mountains, which refuse to arrange themselves in\\nnatural chains or ranges, rise with charming irregularity, covering\\nnearly the whole interior of the island, and are visible for long dis-\\ntances at sea. Mount Yunque, in the northeast, is the highest peak,\\nreaching a height, according to the General Official Guide of Porto\\nRico, of nearly 5,000 feet. The mountains are generally well covered\\nwith verdure, natural or cultivated; even the very peaks are gardens\\nof the husbandmen, or beautiful wooded areas, or rich pasture lands.\\nThese mountains serve to condense into clouds the vapor which rises\\nfrom the sea, and these give frequent and refreshing showers. Scores\\nof rivers and hundreds of smaller streams carry the accumulations of\\nthese rains by winding ways through the valleys to the sea, furnish-\\ning abundance of clear, cool water for the various uses of mankind,\\nincluding power for mills, dynamos, and other machinery. Along\\nthe shores, forming a belt of varying width around the island, are\\nrich alluvial plains. The soil has not been exhausted by centuries of\\ncultivation, and this luxuriant sea border is ornamented with cocoa\\nand royal palms and other tropical vegetation. The countless valleys\\nand extended slopes are also devoted to cane, .coffee, tobacco, and\\nvarious other crops of vegetables and fruits. The cultivable area is\\nlarge, including practically all the island except the arid sides of\\nsome of the mountains facing the southern coast. The portion under\\nactual cultivation is but a small fraction of the whole.\\nThe superficial area of Porto Rico has not been scientifically ascer-\\ntained. The estimates are various, ranging from 3,150 to 3,860 square\\nmiles, the last being the figures given by the Official Guide. These\\nestimates include, of course, Vieques, Mona, and Culebra, and nearly\\na score of smaller islands, as well as Porto Rico itself. The greatest\\nlength of the island is about 115 miles; the greatest width, about 36,\\naccording to the best maps. There are no charts of the coast, the\\nscientific survey begun some years ago, under Spanish auspices, never\\nhaving been completed, or if completed the results were not made\\nknown. There are numerous roadsteads and harbors, the best har-\\nbors being those of San Juan, Jobos, and Guanica, which are land-\\nlocked. The chief rivers are the Loiza, the Arecibo, the Plata, the\\nManati, and the Bayamon, emptying on the north, the Culebrinas,\\nthe Anasco, and the Guanajibo, emptying on the west coast. There\\nare many other rivers and streams that reach the sea at short dis-\\ntances apart around the entire island.", "height": "3490", "width": "2014", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0018.jp2"}, "19": {"fulltext": "THE CLIMATE.\\nThe climate is tropical, but not torrid. Though the heat is con-\\ntinuous, it is not extreme. The thermometer rarely rises to 100\u00c2\u00b0.\\nThe highest monthly average on record in nine years in San Juan was\\n86\u00c2\u00b0 (in June, 1878). The hottest day in that period gave a tempera-\\nture of 100.8\u00c2\u00b0, but there was only one such day. The temperature is\\nequable, and rises or falls through a very limited range. The highest\\npoint reached by the thermometer in San Juan in the period from\\nNovember, 1898, to July, 1899, inclusive, was 91\u00c2\u00b0, in the month of\\nJune. This was for one day onty, and on no other day of that month\\ndid the temperature exceed 86\u00c2\u00b0. The lowest range in the same period\\nwas 66\u00c2\u00b0. The winter season extends from October or November to\\nMarch, inclusive. No really oppressive weather was seen in the capi-\\ntal during those months in 1898-99. Showers came frequently, but\\nwere of short duration and were mostly at night. Every day the\\nunfailing trade winds blow from the east or southeast, making the air\\ndelightfully fresh. The nights are cool and comfortable. The sum-\\nmer season is marked by a slight increase in the average temperature,\\nmuch more rain, and a great deal of humidity. The continuity of the\\nheat and the unfavorable conditions for evaporation of perspiration\\nmake the climate somewhat enervating. San Juan has an elevation\\nof only about 100 feet. In the mountains the higher elevations dimin-\\nish the amount of heat, and Aibonito, Cayey, and Utuado are con-\\nsidered as remarkably cool cities.\\nOccasionally the island is visited by a disastrous hurricane. The\\nfirst record of one of these tropical terrors was in July, 1515. They\\ncome at irregular intervals and Avith varying degrees of force. The\\nmost violent storm the island ever knew, according to history, was in\\nAugust, 1772, when houses were demolished, trees uprooted, planta-\\ntions flooded, and many people killed. In September, 1806, there\\nwas another visitation of less destructiveness, and still another in\\nSeptember, 1819. The latter was followed by a famine. The hurri-\\ncane of October, 1867, was very severe. In August, 1886, the south\\ncoast was ravaged and the coffee plantations in the southwest suffered\\nseverely. The last furious storm occurred August 8, 1899, and was\\nterribly destructive, particularly on the eastern and southern coasts\\nand in the interior. Humacao was well-nigh destroyed Yabucoa, in\\nthe beautiful valley of the same name south of Humacao, was a heap\\nof ruins, and but little was left of the old town and port of Arroyo.\\nThe damages at Ponce and at the port of Ponce, on the south, were\\nextremety heavy. The streets were swept by a flood and many nouses\\nwere torn from their foundations. The crops of coffee and cane were\\nquite generally destroyed in the east, in the south, and in the interior,\\nand orange and other fruit trees were uprooted or stripped by the vio-\\nlence of the wind. Arecibo, on the north coast, directly across the island\\nfrom Ponce, also suffered great injuries. Between 2,000 and 3,000\\npersons lost their lives, and the destruction of live stock was very\\ngreat. The fall of rain was enormous, amounting to 11.20 inches at\\nJuana Diaz, north of Ponce, in twenty-four hours.\\nPREVALENT DISEASES.\\nThough enervating, the climate is salubrious. The death rate is\\nmoderate. Yellow fever is not indigenous. Smallpox becomes epi-\\ndemic sometimes, but under General Henry s administration an extra-", "height": "3490", "width": "2014", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0019.jp2"}, "20": {"fulltext": "10\\nordinary plan was conceived and executed for the vaccination of the\\nentire population of the island with vaccine produced from native\\ncattle. The prevailing diseases are consumption and malarial fevers.\\nWith improved sanitation in the cities, already begun under United\\nStates military auspices, the health bill of Porto Rico will compare\\nfavorably with that of countries in the temperate zone. The general\\ndisregard, hitherto, of the primary principles of sanitation makes it\\na matter of wonder that the scourges of Porto Rico have been so few.\\nThere was an outbreak of cholera in 1855, chiefly among the colored\\npopulation, and it was estimated that 30,000 or more died of it.\\nA reference to the table of the causes of death in San Juan in the\\nyear 1898 shows, that of 1,151 deaths, 143 were from some form of\\nconsumption, 25 from pneumonia, 44 from congestion of the lungs,\\nand 49 from bronchitis a total of 361, or about 31 per cent from\\nthese causes. Of 76 deaths from fever 28 were attributed to malarial,\\n11 to pernicious, 20 to typhoid, 11 to typhus, 2 to yellow, and 4 to\\nother fevers. Consumption attacks with great severity the mixed\\nand black races. Only one-fourth, or 36, of those who died from this\\ndisease were whites; 62 were of the mixed and 45 of the black class.\\nAs the whites constitute about 64 per cent of the population, the\\nmortality among the 36 per cent of colored people appears remarkably\\nhigh. Bowel troubles, such as dysentery and diarrhoea, are quite gen-\\neral. There were 83 deaths from these causes, of which 55 were of\\nwhite, 13 of mixed, and 15 of black persons, showing that the whites\\nare specially subject to these diseases. The statistics are not suffi-\\nciently comprehensive to show the full effect of lack of proper food;\\nbut it appears that in 50 or more cases anaemia was a chief or collat-\\neral cause of death. Dr. A. Stahl, in a pamphlet giving comparative\\nstatistics of the death rate in seven rural municipalities, covering\\ntwo years, shows that the months having fewest deaths are February,\\nMarch, April, May, and June. Of 1,348 who died in those places in\\none year 543 were below the age of 20, and 146 were 60 and upward,\\n28 having passed the age of 80 and 6 that of 90. There is little which\\nbears on the question of longevity, except the census of 1860, which\\nshows, in a population of 583,308, that 2,442 were over 80 years of\\nage and that of these 73 had passed, the century mark.\\nTHE POPULATION.\\nThe population, according to the census of December 31, 1897, for a\\nfull copy of which I am indebted to the late secretary of state, the\\nHon. Luis Munoz Rivera, numbers 890,820, or, including the Spanish\\nmilitary and naval forces then quartered on the island and the penal\\npopulation, 899,203. In 1887 the figures were 802,439, including sol-\\ndiers, sailors, and prisoners, showing an increase in the ten years of\\n96,704, or a little more than 12 per cent. In the previous decade\\n1877-1887 the increase was 70,784, or between 9 and 10 per cent. The\\ngrowth of the population in the last ten years can not, it would seem,\\nbe regarded as unsatisfactory. As to sexes, males are slightly in\\nexcess of females 448,619 to 442,201. This excess would be consid-\\nerably increased by the addition of the Spanish militaiy and naval\\nforces and of the penal population. The excess would not be specially\\nremarkable in a colony were it not that in 1887 the sexes were not only\\nmore equal in number, but there was a slight excess 523 in favor\\nof the females. This is explainable on racial grounds. The white\\nmales exceeded the white females in 1887 by nearly 6,000, but females", "height": "3490", "width": "2014", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0020.jp2"}, "21": {"fulltext": "11\\nof the mixed and colored classes exceeded the males of the same\\nclasses sufficiently to make up the difference.\\nA more remarkable fact appears concerning the races from a com-\\nparison of the two censuses, namely, that the colored classes are\\ndecreasing. The census distinguishes blancos (whites), pardos (gray),\\nand morenos (brown). In 1887 there were 323,632 pardos and.more-\\nnos; in 1897, only 317,724, showing a decrease of 5,908. Every pre-\\nceding census of which details can be had shows an increase. Between\\n1775 and 1834 there was an increase of 89,458 free colored persons and\\n35,246 slaves; from 1834 to 1846 the increase was 49,392 free colored\\nand 9,398 slaves; from 1846 to 1860, 65,224 free colored, with a de-\\ncrease of 9,480 slaves; from 1860 to 1877 (slaves were freed in 1873),\\nan increase of 82,617 free colored persons. This large increase for\\nseventeen years is now followed by a decrease. For the cause of the\\ndecline no explanation is at hand. It is worthy of note that the\\ndecrease appears in all departments of the island excepting San Juan\\nand Arecibo. The colored population seems to be fairly prosperous\\nand contented. The occupations generally are open to them, and in\\nSan Juan they are the artisans, carpenters, masons, painters, etc. Of\\nwhites there are, exclusive of Spanish soldiers and sailors and the\\npenal population, 573,096, or upward of 64 per cent; of mixed, 241,895,\\nor more than 27 per cent; and of blacks, 75,829, or less than 9 per cent.\\nThere are two distinct census tables, those of the hecho, or actual,\\nand those of the derecho, or legal, population. The former (890,820)\\nis made up of residents present and transeuntes, or transient visitors.\\nThe latter consists of resident and ausentes, or absent, citizens of\\nPorto Rico and Spain, excluding the transeuntes. Included in the\\nderecho population were 7,932 Spaniards and 127 foreigners, who were\\nabsent when the census was taken. It is somewhat surprising to find\\nthat 886,442 of the the actual population are classed as Spaniards,\\nand only 4,324 as foreigners. This is a small number to include all\\nthe citizens of the United States and other countries of America and\\nthe rest of the world living in Porto Rico at the close of 1897.\\nThe most populous of the eight departments of the island are those\\nof San Juan and Arecibo, on the north, 295,724; Ponce and Guayama,\\non the south, come next with 290,961; Aguadilla and Mayaguez, on\\nthe west; third, with 221,557, and Humacaoand Vieques, on the east,\\nfourth, with 83,578. Drawing a line through the center of the island,\\nas near as may be from east to west, it is found that 475,856 are north\\nand 414,964 south of the line. West of a line drawn north and south,\\nthrough the center, there is a considerable preponderance, the number\\nbeing west 521,055 to 369,765 east. The gains in the last ten years\\nhave been chiefly in the west. Of the 84,109 increase for the whole\\nisland, 64,562 was in the west and 19,547 in the east.\\nHISTORY OF THE ISLAND.\\nThe island of Porto Rico, which forms part of the Archipelago of\\nthe Antilles, situated betweeu 18\u00c2\u00b0 30 and 17\u00c2\u00b0 55 north latitude and,\\nincluding the smaller islands, 68\u00c2\u00b0 and 65\u00c2\u00b0 10 west from Greenwich,\\nwas discovered by Columbus on his second voyage. The expedition\\nwhich left the port of Cadiz on the 25th of September, 1493, called at\\nthe island of Santo Domingo the 3d of November, and on the 16th, in\\nthe afternoon, sighted Cape Malapascua, in southeastern Porto Rico.\\nOn the 17th his fleet coasted around the south of the island; on the\\n18th they doubled the Morillos of Cabo Rojo and ascended the west", "height": "3490", "width": "2014", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0021.jp2"}, "22": {"fulltext": "12\\ncoast; and on the 19th cast anchor off Agnacla, the northernmost bay\\non that coast. The admiral landed and planted the symbol of the\\nChristian religion on the shore, and, raising anchors, left on the 22d\\nfor Santo Domingo. The supposed place of landing, south of Agua-\\ndilla, is marked by a monument of granite, erected by the people in\\n1893, in commemoration of the fourth centenary of the event. The\\nmonument is in the form of a cross and bears the inscription, 1493,\\n19 de Noviembre, 1893.\\nThis colonizing expedition had on board Don Juan Ponce de Leon,\\nwho, later, was the captain who subjugated the island. He was a son\\nof Santervas de Campos, and first saw service in Santo Domingo, in\\nthe district of Higuey, under the orders of Capt. Diego de Valasquez,\\nthe conquerer of Cuba.\\nCommander Ovando, who was governor of Santo Domingo in 1508,\\ngave permission to Ponce de Leon to make a journey of discovery to\\nthe neighboring island of San Juan. He embarked from the port of\\nSalvaleon, in Santo Domingo, in a caravel, with a handful of followers\\nand a few Indian guides, about the end of 1508. On the way he\\ncalled at the island of Mona, then thickly populated by Indians,\\ntraversed the south of the island, making friends with the chiefs\\n(caciques), and brought his ship to anchor finally in Sardinera road-\\nstead, about 24 miles west from the capital. From this point Ponce\\nde Leon and his followers moved on to the bay of San Juan, where he\\nembarked for Santo Domingo to report his discoveries.\\nThe natives called the island Boriquen. (Some say Borinquen,\\nsome Borinquen, the last being the accepted popular term among the\\nislanders. Scholars incline, however, to Boriquen as the true Indian\\nname.) Columbus christened it San Juan de Bautista (St. John the\\nBaptist). Capt. Ponce de Leon initiated the conquest with some 300\\nfollowers, laying the foundations of the first town on the spot known\\nas Pueblo Viejo (.Old Town), on the shores of the bay fronting the\\ncapital. This town was called Caparra, the name given to it by\\nCommander Ovando. It was afterwards named the city of Porto\\nRico and was transferred to the present site in 1521 by royal order,\\non the recommendation of the St. Geronimo order of monks. In the\\ncourse of time the island has taken the name of the city, Porto Rico,\\nand the city that of the island, San Juan. Ponce de Leon took up\\nhis residence in Caparra and sent one of his lieutenants, Cristobal de\\nSotomayor, to the south, where the latter founded a village in the\\nport of Guanica, which, owing to the unhealthiness of the site and\\nthe plague of mosquitoes, did not prosper, and was transferred to the\\nport of Aguada, contiguous to the village of the cacique Aymamon.\\nThey began to work the mines. The natives, whose number was\\nabout 100,000 in the whole island although there are historians who\\ncompute their number much higher soon began to show open oppo-\\nsition to the conquerors, who forced them to wash the auriferous sands,\\nto burn lime, and other laborious work. The cacique TJrayoan or-\\ndered the young Spaniard Salcedo to be drowned in the river Anasco\\nin order to prove to his people that the Spaniards were not immortal.\\nThe cacique Guarionex set fire to the village which Sotomayor had\\nfounded in Aguada. Lieut. Don Cristobal de Sotomayor himself was\\nkilled by the cacique Guayabana, and the struggle extended in all\\ndirections, forcing the Spaniards to leave the west of the island and\\nretire to Caparra under the command of Captain Salazar.\\nPonce de Leon sent notice of the rebellion of the natives to Santo\\nDomingo, then called La Espanola, and prepared himself for the de-\\nfense. He soon, however, took the offensive, beating the Indians in", "height": "3490", "width": "2014", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0022.jp2"}, "23": {"fulltext": "13\\nevery battle and terminating the rebellion with the death of the prin-\\ncipal cacique, Guayabana, who was killed by the arquebus of a sol-\\ndier. The Indians then submitted humbly to their conquerors, who\\nenslaved some 5,500 of them, and thus terminated the period of\\nconquest, initiating the period of colonization.\\nThe colonization was turbulent. The Emperor, Charles V, conceded\\nthe right of governing the island to Don Diego Columbus, and Ponce\\ncle Leon had to turn the command over to Juan Ceron and Miguel\\nDiaz, two of Viceroy Columbus s lieutenants. They arrived from\\nSanto Domingo with some of their adherents, founded the original town\\nof San German at the estuary of the River Anasco, and started a\\nreign of intrigue and quarreling among the colonists.\\nThe natives, who were obliged to work on the lands of the Span-\\niards, among whom they had been divided into gangs called enco-\\nmiendas, in order to teach them the doctrines of the Catholic religion,\\nlittle by little began to decrease. The conquerors began by appro-\\npriating their handsomest women as spoils of war, and t^hen sub-\\njected them to a hard and cruel slavery. Many of them emigrated\\nto the neighboring islands, not a few committed suicide, while small-\\npox wrought devastation among their reduced numbers.\\nOn the 20th of April, 1543, after consulting the Council of the In-\\ndies, the king ordered the Indians of Porto Rico to be freed. The\\nbishop of San Juan, on the 20th of March, 1544, informed the king-\\nthat Indians, young and old, natives of the island, who had been\\ngranted such signal mercy, numbered 60, and according to Bar-\\ntolome de las Casas, when the Spaniards first arrived at Boriquen,\\nit was as full of people as a hive, and as beautiful and fertile as a\\ngarden.\\nThe working of the alluvial gold mines, calculating from the\\n$669,160 paid to the Spanish crown as a tithe of one-fifth, must have\\nproduced about 13,000,000, although owing to the concealment of the\\nfindings from the fiscal agents the quantity may easily have been\\ngreater. The colonization of the island received a setback by the\\nemigration to Mexico and Peru. In 1595 the English, under Drake\\nand John of Aquines, assaulted the capital with a fleet of twenty-four\\nships. The Spanish fleet was stationed in the bay and the English\\nwere prevented from taking the city, the general, John de Aquines,,\\nlosing his life in the action. In 1597 the Earl of Cumberland cap-\\ntured it, but had to abandon it owing to an epidemic of dysentery\\nwhich decimated his troops. In 1625 the city was attacked by the\\nDutch with seventeen war ships. They captured- the port and the\\nwhole city, but could not take the Morro, and had to reembark with\\nthe loss of their general, Boudoino Henrico. In 1702 the English\\nattacked Arecibo; in 1703, Loiza; in 1743, the coast of Ponce; and in\\n1797 the capital, but in each instance were repulsed.\\nThese frequent attacks made the fortification of the capital neces-\\nsary. The first fortress built was Santa Catalina, begun in 1533 and\\nfinished in 1538. Casa Blanca, the oldest building in the city, was\\nbegun in 1525; the Morro in 1584; San Geronimo and Canuelo in 1608;\\nthe city walls in 1631, and San Cristobal in 1766.\\nThe, population of the island increased little by little. The natives\\nwere replaced by African blacks. In 1765 the island had 29,846 inhab-\\nitants, besides 5,037 slaves. The end of last century showed 138,758.\\nAccording to the last census (1897), there were 899,203 inhabitants.\\nThe first sugar mill was built by Santaolaya, in 1848, near the capi-\\ntal, and was called Santa Ana. In 1897 there were 25,090 hectares\\nunder cane, and the island exported 63,413 tons of su^ar. The gen-", "height": "3490", "width": "2014", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0023.jp2"}, "24": {"fulltext": "14\\neral aspect of Porto Rican civilization at the beginning of the present,\\ncentury was that of a Catholic colony following a patriarchal life.\\nThere was but little commerce, owing to the fact that exporting was\\nonly permitted to certain ports of the Peninsula, notably Malaga.\\nOwing to smuggling the treasury could not pay its way, and Mexico\\nhad to send annually about $100,000 to cover the deficit of the island.\\nThere were no public schools.\\nIn 1815 a royal order, styled act of grace, allowed foreigners\\nto establish themselves in the island, and many came in from the\\nFrench and English Antilles, bringing their capital and their slaves.\\nThe Venezuelan and Dominican emigrants, flying- from the wars in\\ntheir countries, came in search of peace to Porto Rico and helped to\\nswell the population. This marked the overthrow of the prohibitive\\nsystem, which had prevailed since the discovery of the island. In\\n1778 a concession allowed Catholic workingmen to come in, but the\\nroyal decree of 1815 opened the doors, though certain restrictions\\nadopted jn 1816 somewhat modified the liberality of the decree. One\\nof these restrictions required foreigners who had not acquired domicile,\\nunder the rules, to quit the island in three months or suffer the penal-\\nties prescribed for disobedience. The golden age of Porto Rico\\nbegan with the date of the order, and the population not only increased,\\nbut agriculture and commerce were greatly developed. The slavery\\nof blacks, which had begun before the disappearance of the slavery\\nof the Indians, was abolished on the 22d of March, 1873, by order of\\nthe republican Government of Spain, giving freedom to 34,000 persons.\\nThe history of the island since the beginning of this century is\\nnotable only by reason of the formation of a distinct type of Porto\\nRican Spaniard, as opposed to the Peninsula Spaniard, in which the\\nlatter has received all the favors at the hands of the home government,\\nwhile the former has been almost entirely excluded from- participation\\nin the administration of the island. A long list of governor-generals\\ncontains but few names which are mentioned by Porto Ricans with\\naffection.\\nThe attitude of Porto Rico toward Spain has been one of obedience\\nand endurance, if not of love and devotion. There have been no\\nimportant uprisings since the aboriginal inhabitants made their final\\nstand early in the sixteenth century and were defeated and enslaved.\\nSome Colombians in 1825, inspired by the desire to free Porto Rico\\nas they had freed their own country under the leadership of Simon\\nBolivar, landed at Aguadilla and captured some of the defenses, but\\nwere beaten off by the Spaniards and gave up their enterprise. Then\\nwas Porto Rico s opportunity, but she did not welcome it, perhaps did\\nnot see it until it was too late.\\nIn September, 1868, when the revolution broke out in Cuba, an\\nattempt not very well planned and but weakly supported was made\\nto throw off the Spanish yoke in Porto Rico. There was an outbreak\\nat Lares, where a force of 700 or 800 insurgents took the field and\\nwon a few unimportant victories, being finally routed, it is said, by\\nless than a dozen militiamen. Many escaped and some were taken\\nand ordered to be shot, but before the order could be executed the\\nQueen at Madrid had been deposed and political prisoners were\\nreleased. An insignificant insurrection was begun in Yauco in 1897\\nwhich was soon put down; the prisoners taken were made conspicuous\\nobjects of the Crown s clemency.\\nThere was more or less of persecution by the Spanish authorities\\nfor the last ten or twelve years of the Spanish domination. The civil", "height": "3490", "width": "2014", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0024.jp2"}, "25": {"fulltext": "15\\nguard arrested many persons on suspicion of being members of an\\nalleged secret society, believed to have disloyal ends in view. In the\\nfirst years of that period, when Romualdo Palacio was Governor-\\nGeneral, the persecution was particularly severe, being known as el\\ncomponte, a word borrowed from the negroes of Cuba. Persons were\\narrested, generally at midnight, and tortured. The instrument most\\nused was called the palillos (sticks or pegs). The smaller ends of\\nthree of these pegs, 6 or 7 inches long, were tied close together. The\\npegs were inserted, close to the string, between the fingers of the victim,\\nand the loose ends were pressed together, giving the most exquisite\\npain, and crushing the bones. Some were killed by other instruments\\nof torture. These methods of promoting loyalty were continued until\\nj 896, when a more liberal and humane policy was adopted for effect,\\nil is said, on public opinion in the United States.\\nTHE CIVIL GOVERNMENT.\\nThe civil government of the island was the Govern or- General, and\\nthe Governor-General was the civil government. All power was lodged\\nin his hands and he was accountable only to Madrid. He was at once\\nthe executive, the legislative, and the judicial head. As Captain-\\nGeneral, he had chief command of the military forces, and made such\\ndisposition of them as he chose; as Governor-General, he conducted\\ncivil affairs, whether insular or municipal, according to his own\\npleasure.\\nTo quote from Senor Munoz Rivera, late secretary of the govern-\\nment, whose statement is given elsewhere, the Governor- General\\nwas absolute master of the destines of the country. He was sur-\\nrounded by a number of influential persons to whom he granted\\nfavors and on whom he depended to keep up the appearance of a sys-\\ntem of representation which was at bottom completely false. The\\nbudget of the country was voted by the Spanish Chambers. Munic-\\nipalities had no power to control their own affairs. They had\\nto submit all their acts to the Governor- General for approval, and\\nhe appointed all municipal employees, naming arbitrarily every\\nemployee down to porters and janitors. He directed finances through\\na manager who was his subordinate, who had under his order the chiefs\\nof all the other departments. If, as occasionally happened, he was\\na wise and good man, seeking the welfare of the people rather than\\nhis own personal enrichment or the advancement of his political\\nfriends, there was less cause for complaint from the people, who were\\ncompletely ignored. As the position was one of great power and of\\nlarge opportunities for pecuniary profit, it not infrequently went to\\nthose who were prepared to exploit it in their own interests.\\nThe establishment of the diputacion provincial was the first step in\\ndecentralization. This is a feature borrowed from the provinces of\\nSpain. In Porto Rico it consisted of twelve persons elected by the\\npeople, one each from the twelve judicial districts. It met twice a\\nyear, a permanent committee of five transacting its current business.\\nThe members were unsalaried. It had oversight of the department\\nof fomento, including public works, roads, the lottery, schools, prisons,\\netc. also of municipal budgets. Its income was derived from terri-\\ntorial taxes and taxes on commerce and industry, of which it received\\n50 per cent; from special duties collected at the custom-houses and\\nfrom earnings of raffles and lotteries. It controlled the expenditure\\nof upward of 1,200,000 pesos per year. It was abolished by the\\nUnited States military government.", "height": "3490", "width": "2014", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0025.jp2"}, "26": {"fulltext": "16\\nThe system of autonomy, which was proclaimed November 25, 1897,.\\nwas never fully installed. The war intervened, and the provincial\\nlegislature, which was its most important feature, was dissolved when\\nSampson s fleet appeared, and the Governor-General conducted the\\ngovernment practically on the old plan, except that the ministry, as\\nprovided by the autonomistic law, was retained, as follows: Secretary\\nof government or of state, secretary of the treasury, secretary of the\\nfomento or interior, including public works, public instruction, pub-\\nlic lands, mines, etc., agriculture and commerce, and secretary of jus-\\ntice and worship. The last three secretaries were subordinate to the\\nsecretary of government, through whom all orders from the Governor-\\nGeneral and all communications to or from him must pass. The\\nautonomist law allowed the secretaries or ministers to be members of\\none or the other of the two legislative chambers. The Governor-Gen-\\neral with his council constituted the executive power. No act of his\\nwas valid unless approved by one of the secretaries, and the secre-\\ntaries could issue no order which he had not countersigned. He had\\nthe power to convoke or dissolve the chambers, to refer objectionable\\nbills to Madrid for approval or disapproval, and to appoint or remove\\nthe secretaries. All matters of a diplomatic character were in his\\nhands exclusively and, constituted by the Pope patronato real, he was\\nthe head of the church in the island and practical director of ecclesi-\\nastical affairs. The legislature consisted of two chambers, the coun-\\ncil and the house of representatives. The council was composed of\\nfourteen members, eight of whom were elected, and six appointed by\\nthe Crown the house of representatives of one representative for each\\n25,000 inhabitants, elected by the people. The liberality of this law\\nis further indicated by the fact that it gave the right of suffrage to all\\nmales of 25 years of age and over. The two chambers were em-\\npowered to legislate on all insular questions, such as the estimates,\\nwhich must be adopted by the Cortes at Madrid public instruction,\\npublic works, sanitation, charities, etc. It will be seen that the\\nreforms granted by this autonomistic decree were large in the letter,\\ntaking powers which the Governor- General had exercised unques-\\ntioned and giving them to the people, who had never been allowed to\\nparticipate in the government of their own country. Whether it\\nwould have proved liberal in practical operation is not so certain.\\nThe Government invariably discriminated against Porto Ricans in\\nfavor of Spaniards, and it is also to be remembered that Spanish laws\\nas written and Spanish laws as administered are not always identical.\\nGOVERNMENT FINANCES.\\nThe finances of the Government, managed by the hacienda or treas-\\nury department, were so conducted that no provincial debt was created.\\nSufficient amounts for the various purposes were included in the esti-\\nmates, which were sent to Madrid for approval, and those amounts were\\ncollected and disbursed. The finances of the cities were conducted on\\na similar plan, the provincial deputation exercising so careful a vigi-\\nlance that such debts as appeared were due to failure to pay the prov-\\nince s quota of revenue. In only a few instances were towns or cities\\nallowed to raise money by large bonded loans. Sometimes a consid-\\nerable surplus was accumulated in the provincial treasury, from which\\nthe Government at Madrid borrowed on several occasions. The pre-\\nsupuestos or estimates consisted of two parts, gastos or expenses and\\ningresos or income. There were two distinct budgets; one by the", "height": "3490", "width": "2014", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0026.jp2"}, "27": {"fulltext": "17\\nprovincial deputation, the other by the treasury department, with two\\nindependent treasuries, whose operations are combined in the figures\\nwhich follow.\\nThe sources of revenue were classified under five heads, namely: (1)\\ntaxes and imposts; (2) custom-houses; (3) monopolies; (4) state prop-\\nerty; (5) incidentals. Under the first head were territorial taxes, levied\\non urban and rural estates; taxes on industry and commerce, levied on\\nmanufactures and on the income of merchants, doctors, lawyers, etc.\\nroyal dues and dues on transfers of property; mining imposts, cedulas\\npersonalesor passports; a 10 per cent tax on the business of railroads,\\nand the consumo tax on petroleum. Under the second head were\\ncustoms duties, fines, and confiscations, warehouse dues, 10 per cent\\ntransitory tax, and special duties on loading and unloading of freight\\nand the embarkation and disembarkation of passengers. Under the\\nthird head were the monopoly revenues, such as ecclesiastical bulls,\\nstamped papers for instruments of indebtedness and other legal pur-\\nposes, postage stamps, forms for payments to the State, for receipts\\nand accounts, drafts, insurance policies, bank and company shares,\\ndrafts for the use of the press and custom-house stamps and documents.\\nIn the fourth division, which was insignificant, were included rents\\nand sales of public lands, tax on quarries, mines, etc. The fifth\\ndivision, incidentals, embraced various small items. The estimates for\\nthe financial. year (July 1, 1897-June 30, 1898), including those of the\\nprovincial deputation, amounted to 5,157,200 pesos. Of this total\\n\u00c2\u00a73.377,900 was expected from the custom-houses; $1,051,200 from terri-\\ntorial taxes; $312,200 from stamped paper, postage stamps, etc. $9,300\\nfrom state property; $309,700 from the lottery, and $96,900 from all\\nother sources.\\nThe estimates of revenues, compared with those of expenditures,\\nindicated a surplus of over 400,000 pesos. The expenditures were\\ndivided as follows: General obligations, $498,502, all of which went to\\nMadrid, for expenses of the colonial ministry, losses on exchange,\\nauditing of accounts, etc., for payments to returned soldiers and\\nmarines, and for pensions, civil and military, pensions, etc., amounting\\nto $362,700; worship and justice, $423,819, of which $197,945 was for the\\nsupport of the clergy; war, $1,252,378; navy, $222,668; treasury,\\n$260,800; fomento or interior, $2,095,876. In the last sum were\\nincluded all the expenditures in connection with the postal and tele-\\ngraph business, the lottery, light-houses, schools and asylums, public\\nworks, the civil guard, which cost $351,633, and the corps of vigilance\\nand security, which cost $92,293. According to the budgets for\\n1897-98, it would appear that the cost of the postal and telegraph\\nservice was $295,452 and the income only $128,000; at least, this is the\\nonly amount which is credited to the service in the estimates of income.\\nThe cost of the lottery, of which there were eighteen drawings\\nannually of 30,000 tickets each, was $23,180. It yielded $309,700,\\nleaving a net income to the State of $276,520, according to the budgets,\\nwhich indicate no other expenses.\\nMUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT.\\nThe island is divided into districts, taking the name of the chief town\\nor city in which is the. seat of the government for the whole district.\\nThere are at present about seventy of these districts, some of which\\nare as large as counties in the United States. Utuado, in the interior\\nof the island, is 19 miles long by 10^ broad in its greatest dimensions,\\n1125 2", "height": "3490", "width": "2014", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0027.jp2"}, "28": {"fulltext": "having an area, perhaps, of 145 square miles. Arecibo, the second\\nlargest district, lying on the coast, directly north of Utuado, has an\\narea of somewhat less than 120 square miles, extending 12 miles along\\nthe coast, east and west, and about 10 miles north and south. Some\\ndistricts are very small, notably that of San Juan, in which the capi-\\ntal is situated, which is less than 7 miles long and 2\u00c2\u00a3 miles wide in its\\ngreatest extent. Besides the city or principal town, these districts\\nembrace other towns or villages, but for the most part the population\\nin the rural portions is widely scattered. The tendency to concentrate\\nin villages, manifested in countries like the United States, seems to\\nhave been discouraged in Porto Rico. In many sections the houses\\nare few and far between. Even on large plantations there are few\\nfamilies living, ordinarily. The peons or field laborers often walk\\nlong distances to and from their daily labor. Many families live in\\ncomparative isolation, and the majority of the population would\\nprobably, strange as it may seem, be found outside the seats of\\nmunicipal government.\\nIn the large district of Bayamon, lying next to that of San Juan on\\nthe west, reporting in 1887 a population of 15,169, only 2,200 were in\\nthe town of Bayamon. The rest were in the rural barrios, of which\\nthere were 18 besides Catano. In the district of Aibonito, on the line\\nof the military road, only 1,430 out of a population of over 7,000 reside\\nin the pueblo, or town; the rest are in the 8 rural barrios, 2 of which\\nreturn over 1,000 each. Humacao, on the east coast, has two-thirds\\nof its population outside the city proper, in its 12 rural barrios. In\\nthe same section, the district of Fajardo, which now includes the\\nformer district of Ceiba and part of that of Luquillo, embraces a pop-\\nulation of 17,616, of which Fajardo itself has 3,865. The most popu-\\nlous municipal district in the island is Ponce, which has a popula-\\ntion of 48,198. Fully two-thirds of this is in the rural barrios. The\\ndistance of these 23 barrios from the city varies from 1 to 13 kilo-\\nmeters. (Five kilometers make 3 miles.) TJtuado, lying in the cen-\\nter of the western half of the island, is a typical rural district. It is\\nsecond to Ponce in the number of its inhabitants, 41,056. This pop-\\nulation is so widely distributed that, according to the General Official\\nGuide of Porto Rico, the city itself, in 1887, had less than 2,500 inhab-\\nitants, 3 of the most distant barrios having each a larger number.\\nThe ratio of the population of the citj^, in that year, to the total of\\nthe district, was as 1 to 13. Some of the barrios were more than 10\\nmiles distant from the seat of the municipal government. Mayaguez,\\non the west coast, with which Hormigueros has been united, is the\\nthird municipal district in the island in point of population, having\\na total of 37,662, of which probably two-thirds will be found in the\\nnumerous rural barrios.\\nAll the barrios of a municipal district are under the jurisdiction of\\nthe mayor and council of the chief city or town. Municipal regula-\\ntions and supervision are coextensive with the boundaries of the dis-\\ntrict. Where the districts are small and the settlements near, admin-\\nistration is not difficult, perhaps; but in the larger districts, with\\nconsiderable villages and towns outside the seat of municipal govern-\\nment, and a large scattered population, the exercise of municipal\\nfunctions can not be easy. Each barrio has an alcalde de barrio, or\\ncomisario, who represents the alcalde, or mayor, with the powers of\\na police justice.\\nThe mayor and council, constituting the ayuntamiento, are subject\\nto the ley municipal, or municipal law, which prescribes their duties.", "height": "3490", "width": "2014", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0028.jp2"}, "29": {"fulltext": "19\\nThese are more particularly described in the Manual del Secretario de\\nAyuntamiento, a volume of nearly 900 pages. Under the old system\\nthe mayor or alcalde was nominated by the Governor-General. The\\ncouncilors, whose number is determined by the population, are elected\\nby vote of the people. Towns of 801 to 1,000 inhabitants are entitled\\nto one alcalde, one teniente, or vice-alcalde, six regidores, or council-\\nmen, making a body of seven, besides the alcalde who presides, with\\nincrease for every thousand of inhabitants; towns of 9,001 to 10,000\\nto one alcalde, three tenientes, and thirteen councilmen, or sixteen in\\nin all; towns of 18,001 to 20,000, one alcalde, five tenientes, and sixteen\\ncouncilmen, or twenty-one in all. One of the tenientes takes the\\nalcalde s place in his absence. The councilmen are not elected by\\nbarrios. Practically the administration is in the hands of those\\nelected by the city or town proper. There may be representatives\\nfrom other parts of the district, but often there are not. Thus the\\nthirty members of the Ponce council are elected by the city, although,\\nas already shown, less than half of the population is within the city\\nlimits. Thus the majoritj^ of the people have no direct representa-\\ntion in the government of the district. The inayor of Ponce, in\\nanswer to questions by the commissioner, said: All members of the\\ncouncil are from the city. If they lived in the country they would\\nnever come to the meetings. The distances and the condition of the\\nroads would make it impracticable for country members to come to\\nthe weekly sessions. If there were representatives for each barrio,\\nthe member for Guaraguao would have to come 13 kilometers, or about\\n8 miles; the member for Tibes 12 kilometers, the one for Anon 11, for\\nMaragiies 9-g-, for Real 9, and so on. On being reminded that many\\nof the ordinances and appropriations of the council had no reference\\nto rural needs, and farmers were being taxed for electric lights, street\\nimprovements, fire department, etc., from which they get no benefit,\\nhe said: You are quite right in that. We make the countrymen\\npay for what they don t enjoy. That is one of the things we could\\narrange on an equitable basis if we had municipal autonomy. He\\nstated that in addition to the ayuntamiento Ponce has, in common\\nwith other cities, a municipal junta, or board of thirty members, from\\nall parts of the district. This board unites with the council in an\\nassembly to consider matters concerning the whole district. One of\\nits duties is to pass upon the budget. It has power to increase or\\ndecrease any item, but not to remove items or insert new ones.\\nThe powers of the mayor and council were quite limited. Under\\nthe regime in existence at the time of the American occupation, the\\npower of the Governor-General was paramount. He appointed all the\\nmunicipal employees, according to Senor Luis Munoz Rivera, and\\nnamed the alcaldes, although the municipal law of Spain provides\\nthat they may be elected by the council, if the Governor- General does\\nnot wish to appoint. The mayor and council formed the annual budget\\nand supplementary budget, setting forth the necessary expenditures\\nand the expected revenues. Both had to be sent to the insular gov-\\nernment for approval, and for every undertaking necessary to the\\nhealth or order of the municipality the consent of the Governor-Gen-\\neral or secretario de gobernacion was a prerequisite. The police force\\ncould not be enlarged, temporarily even, without such authority. The\\nmayor and council, in addition to ordinary municipal duties, were\\nexpected to keep the parish churches and the cemeteries, hospitals,\\nand jails in proper condition, to unite with other ayuntamientos in", "height": "3490", "width": "2014", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0029.jp2"}, "30": {"fulltext": "20\\nthe support of the departmental prisons, and to exercise control over\\nthe public schools, under supervision from the capital.\\nThe income of municipalities was derived from the consumo tax on\\narticles de comer, beber y arder (food, drink, and fuel), coming\\ninto the city; from the tax on territorial, industrial, and commercial\\nwealth (being 7% per cent of the valuation by the State), and from\\nfines, leases, licenses, rents, etc. The income of San Juan for 1897-98\\nwas estimated at 1598,484. Of this sum, 1127,119 was expected from\\nthe city s 7^ per cent of on incomes, $167,786 from the consumo\\ntax, $252,000 from a loan, and the rest from fines, rents, licenses,\\nspecial taxes on business, appropriations from the State and from\\nother municipalities for the support of the provincial and depart-\\nmental prisons. The income from licenses was for construction of\\nbuildings, scaffolds, sidewalks, for street vending, for billiard tables,\\ncock fighting, prostitution, and even street begging. Special charges\\nwere made for graves and niches for interment in the cemetery. Its\\nexpenses were as follows: For municipal administration, $24,417;\\npolice, $91,145; public instruction, $27,660; beneficencia, $28,972;\\npublic works, $6,550; public correction, $26,351; payments on debt\\nand for various purposes, $120,635; new public works, $249,163.\\nThe income of the municipality of Ponce was estimated at $287,759\\nfor the same period, 1897-98. Of this, $89,564 was to come from the\\nusual percentage of direct taxes on income, $28,399 from licenses and\\nspecial taxes, $21,871 from rents, and the rest from various sources.\\nOf the expenditures, $33,200 was to be devoted to the administration,\\n$52,383 to police, $34,033 to public instruction, $33,748 to beneficencia,\\n$29,410 to public works, $39,064 to public correction, $51,921 to\\nvarious obligations, such as payment of debt, subventions, and the\\nlike, new public works, $13,000. This budget showed an increase\\nover that of the previous year. The fire department cost the modest\\nsum of $3,799, including, of course, no salaries.\\nThe provincial and municipal systems embraced all there was of\\ncivil administration in the island. It was a highly centralized form\\nof government. All the officers, provincial and municipal, received\\ntheir positions, with few exceptions, from the Governor-General, and\\nwere removable by him. There were elections for councilmen, for\\nmembers of the provincial deputation, and for senators and deputies\\nto the Cortes in Madrid. The legal voters elected half the senators,\\nthe other half being nominated by the Crown. That was all the\\nparticipation the people had in their own government. Moreover,\\nmost of the important offices under the insular government were\\nfilled by Spaniards. The large list of civil pensioners in Spain tends\\nto bear out the statement, often repeated by natives, that favorites\\nwere sent from Madrid to Porto Rico for a short service that they\\nmight be put on this list, and live comfortably the rest of their days\\nin Spain.\\nSYSTEM OF TAXATION.\\nCustoms duties were levied both on imports and exports. There\\nwas also a special tax on the loading and unloading of freight, the\\nembarkation and disembarkation of passengers, and transitory dues\\nof 10 per cent on duties on imports. The revenues from these sources,\\nas has already appeared, constituted by far the largest item of the\\nreceipts of the insular treasury.\\nThere was a system of direct taxation, resting on the basis of income,\\nand not on valuation. The territorial tax, yielding $410,000 to the", "height": "3490", "width": "2014", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0030.jp2"}, "31": {"fulltext": "21\\ninsular treasury, affected urban and surburban property; the indus-\\ntrial and commercial, yielding $240,000 to the insular treasury, included\\nall kinds of manufactures and industries, all branches of the mercan-\\ntile and banking- business, and all occupations.\\nThe industrial and commercial tax was divided according to the\\npopulation of cities and towns, classified according to character of\\nbusiness, and graded according to amount of business. There were\\nsix divisions on the basis of population. San Juan, Ponce, and Maya-\\nguez constituted the first division; towns with custom-houses of the\\nfirst class the second; towns with more than 12,000 inhabitants the\\nthird; the other three divisions being graded down from 12,000 to\\n4,000 and less. Then there were five classes of tariff. The first, with\\neight grades, included merchants, wholesale and retail; the second,\\nimporters and exporters, money lenders, transportation, salaries of\\nofficials of banks, railroads, and other companies; the third, the manu-\\nfacture of sugar, rum, machinery, chemicals, chocolate, ice, etc. the\\nfourth, the professions and occupations, and the fifth, patents or new\\nshops, factories, etc., which had to pay a special installation tax.\\nMerchants in the first class of the first tariff would pay 130 pesos in\\nSan Juan, Ponce, or Mayaguez 104 in Aguadilla, Humacao, etc. 72\\nin Adjuntas, Bayamon, etc.; 52 in Coamo, Camuy, etc.; 39 in Aibo-\\nnito, Barranquitas, etc. and 31 in Dorado, Santa Isabela, etc. Mer-\\nchants, wholesale or wholesale and retail dealers in various lines of\\nwares, on commission or on their own account, paid according to the\\nfirst grade; retail shops, hotels, and restaurants, according to the\\nsecond; pharmacies, shoe, provision, and other retail stores were in\\nthe third stationery shops in the fourth, wholesale and retail tobacco\\nshops in the fifth, cafes for the sale of soda waters, etc. in the sixth,\\nboarding houses in the seventh, and shops for the sale of native\\nflowers and plants in the eighth.\\nThe second tariff embraced salaries, wages, commissions, and the\\nlike. Governors or directors of banks, railroad companies, etc. paid\\nper cent of their wages or salaries, contractors 6 per cent of the\\namount of their contracts, banks 10 per cent of their profits import-\\ners and exporters, receiving and remitting, buying and selling, ship-\\nping and conducting banking operations, paid $700 in cities of the\\nfirst division. Provincial and municipal officers were not required to\\npay tax on their salaries. But no kind of business seems to have\\nescaped the sharp eye of the State experts. Public baths, balls and\\nconcerts, periodicals, including daily papers, laundries, funeral agen-\\ncies, gymnasiums, livery stables, all kinds of industries, even the\\nmanufacture of artificial feet were taxed. Blacksmiths paid, accord-\\ning to the town in which their business was conducted, from 12 to 3\\npesos; architects from 36 to 6; dentists and pharmacists the same;\\nphysicians and surgeons, 48 to 12; nurses and midwives, 18 to 5; vet-\\nerinarians, 15 to 5; barbers, 8 to 2; lawyers, registers of property, and\\nnotaries, 48 to 16; while carpenters, cabinetmakers, bookbinders,\\nflorists, tailors, milliners or dressmakers, professors of music, lan-\\nguages, painters, etc. paid according to their class and grade. Among\\nthe exceptions may be noted washerwomen, barbers without shops,\\nclerks in commercial houses, and similar classes. Day laborers were\\nassessed on the basis of one-third the value of half a year s wages.\\nAccording to the law, some classes of business and occupations are\\nagremiable and some are not. A particular class is called a gremio.\\nThe lawyers, for example, would form one, the doctors another, the\\nmerchants another, and so on. The custom was for the State to", "height": "3490", "width": "2014", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0031.jp2"}, "32": {"fulltext": "22\\nannounce the amount it needed, and those composing the various\\ngremios would meet, each gremio by itself, and apportion the amount\\namong its members on the basis of the tariff.\\nThe territorial tax was levied on the income of real estate, both\\nurban and rural. It yielded nearly twice as much as the tax on com-\\nmerce and industry. The valuation was made in each municipal\\ndistrict by a commission of three, with three subcommissioners for\\neach class of wealth, the three subcommissioners representing, respec-\\ntively, the largest, the medium, and the smallest class of taxpayers.\\nThese commissioners were appointed at a joint meeting of the coun-\\ncilinen, with three times as many taxpayers, elected in equal parts by\\nthe three classes of taxpayers. In valuing the income of a farm the\\ncommissioners would fix a certain price for the respective products.\\nSugar, for example, was estimated at 13 a quintal, and 75 per cent was\\ndeducted for expenses; coffee, at 112, and $8 was allowed for expenses.\\nOn urban property 25 per cent discount was allowed; on pasture lands\\n10 per cent.\\nAll taxes were payable quarterly. The amount assessed for the\\nbenefit of the State was 5 per cent, both on urban and suburban prop-\\nerty. The rate for the municipality varied according to its needs,\\nbut was generally 7 or 1\\\\ per cent. The complaint was quite general\\nthat those who had much property, and ought to have paid large sums,\\nescaped with small payments. Methods of evasion not unknown in\\nother countries seem to have been practiced in Porto Rico, including\\nbribery of officials. A German resident of an interior district told\\nthe commissioner how he got his annual tax reduced by bribery,\\nlearning the trick from older residents. It is charged that Span-\\niards were favored by the State at the expense of the natives. Mr.\\nAndres Crosas, a merchant of many years standing in San Juan,\\nbut an American citizen, informed the commissioner that a Spaniard\\nwho rented a farm, had agreed to pay the tax on it, which, while he\\nhad it, was only $80 a year. The farm afterwards came into Crosas s\\npossession, and the tax was raised from $80 to $100. As to the tax on\\ncommerce, he said that formerly he paid $700 a year to the State as an\\nimporter of the first class, and $1,050 to the municipality, making\\n$1,750 a year. He then had himself placed in the second class and\\npaid $421 to the State, refusing the municipality s demand for its 1\\\\\\nper cent.\\nFrom this brief review of the sytems of taxation it will be seen that\\nif the laws had been faithfully administered no person and no article\\nor form of property could have escaped his or its share of the public\\nburden. The direct taxes would seem to have been extremely oner-\\nous. The earnings of merchants, manufacturers, and other producers\\nwere subject to a tax of 12^- per cent or more, according to the\\nfinancial exigencies of the treasuries, provincial and municipal.\\nFor example, if a merchant s income were valued at $10,000 a year,\\nhe would pay in direct taxes $1,250. He would also pay for his\\ncedula or personal passport, the amount of which was graduated,\\naccording to personal means, from 12 cents up to $25 or more. He\\nwould pay direct taxes on his residence and furniture and on his\\nhorses and other live stock, if not used for labor. If he were just\\nstarting in business, he would pay a patente or tax for the privilege.\\nAnd yet the general testimony, as will appear elsewhere in this report,\\nwas to the effect that taxation was not really oppressive, or would not\\nhave been, if it had been impartially assessed and collected. But the\\nfact that it was so heavy doubtless had an influence in inducing peo-", "height": "3490", "width": "2014", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0032.jp2"}, "33": {"fulltext": "23\\npie to conceal their property as much as possible and undervalue their\\nannual income. Articles of common use, such as rice, flour, corn,\\ncharcoal, wines, etc., not only paid heavy import duties, but were\\nsubject, together with fresh beef, milk, and sugar produced in the\\nisland, to a consumo tax at the gates of the municipalities. For ex-\\nample, flour, which had paid a duty of $4 at the custom-house per 100\\nkilos, paid at the city gates $2.50 consumo tax, or a total of $6.50,\\nwhich was at the rate of about $3 a hundredweight; rice, the com-\\nmon article of diet, paid $2.70 import duty and $1 consumo tax;\\nfresh beef paid a consumo tax of $5 a hundred kilos, or 220 pounds.\\nThis was in addition to the head tax paid the city by the slaughterer.\\nTHE CODES AND COURTS.\\nThere are three Spanish codes, the penal, in three books, with\\ntwenty-five titles and eighty- four chapters; the civil, in four books,\\nwith forty-two titles and one hundred and twenty-six chapters and\\nnine appendixes, and the commercial, in four books, with twenty-\\nseven titles. The graver crimes of murder and homicide are set forth\\nin the penal code with very great brevity. The chapters on parri-\\ncide, murder, and homicide are extremely brief. Parricide is consid-\\nered the gravest crime and is punishable by sentences ranging from\\ncadena perpetua (a term usually of thirty years) to death. Mur-\\nder, when committed under any of the following circumstances, (1)\\nby treachery, (2) for money or promise of reward, (3) by means of\\ndrowning, fire, or poison, (4) with premeditation aforethought, (5) in\\na passion, with deliberation and inhumanity, involves penalties rang-\\ning from cadena temporal (twelve to twenty years) to death.\\nSlaves or freedmen committing this crime incurred the penalty for\\nparricide. It will be observed that treachery is placed first in the list\\nof aggravating circumstances. The Spanish law is especially severe\\nin punishing abuse of confidence or betrayal on the part of slaves or\\ndomestic servants. For example, a servant who steals $25 from his\\nemployer could be sentenced, according to Senor Casalduc, a judge of\\nfirst instance, in Utuado, to six years imprisonment. The crime is\\nconsidered aggravated by the element of treachery. Homicide is\\npunishable by terms of imprisonment; infanticide with the penalties\\nof parricide. Distinctions are made between delitos, or crimes,\\nand faltas, or faults. The difference was thus illustrated by Senor\\nFulladosa, judge of first instance, in Humacao. If a peon, passing\\nthrough a field of sugar cane, cuts a stalk of cane and sucks it, that\\nis a falta. If, after having eaten one stalk, he cuts others and takes\\nthem away, he would be guilty, not of a falta, but of the delito of lar-\\nceny. The former would be punished by thirty days imprisonment;\\nthe latter by a heavier penalty. The reason given for the distinction\\nwas this: In the first case the man takes a single cane on the spur of\\nthe moment and from a sense of immediate need; in the second the\\nelement of immediate need is absent, and he appropriates the prop-\\nerty of another for his future use. The penal is the briefest of the\\ncodes.\\nThe civil code is characterized by great attention to minute details,\\nas is also the commercial code. Marriage, ownership and disposition\\nof property, laws of inheritance, nature of contracts, etc., are treated\\nin the civil code, and everything pertaining to mercantile life in the\\ncommercial code, which gives in the fullest detail, the law of mercan-\\ntile firms or companies, mercantile contracts and the like. There is", "height": "3490", "width": "2014", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0033.jp2"}, "34": {"fulltext": "24\\na system of legal registration, under the courts, for all kinds of mer-\\ncantile documents, and the code prescribes the manner in which a\\nmerchant s books must be kept in order that they may have the force\\nof testimony in law suits.\\nBesides these three codes are the Ley Hipotecaria, or mortgage law\\nthe Ley y Reglamento del Notariado, or notarial law and regulations a\\ncompilation of legislation affecting education Legislacion de Primera\\nEnsanza de Puerto Rico a book of a thousand pages; the Ley de En-\\njuiciamiento Civil, and the Ley de Enjuiciamiento Penal relating to\\nlegal procedure; Leyes Organicas del Poder Judicial defining the\\npowers of judges, making a considerable body of official legal litera-\\nture, which is supplemented by manuals for the various classes of\\nofficials.\\nThe codes and laws are regarded by the lawyers and judges of\\nPorto Rico as, on the whole, equitable, suitable, and effective. They\\nconcede that reforms of a minor character are needed under certain\\nheads, but insist that the systems are admirably drawn and are among\\nthe best in use among the Latin peoples. It is in the organization of\\nthe courts and in the methods of judicial procedure that occasion is\\nmost generally found for considerable amendments and changes.\\nThe judicial system of Porto Rico was a very simple one. There\\nwere three criminal courts of the same grade, the audiencia territorial\\n(criminal chamber) at San Juan, the audiencia criminal of Ponce,\\nand the audiencia criminal of Mayaguez. These three courts dis-\\nposed of all the graver criminal cases. Appeals were taken direct to\\nthe supreme court at Madrid. The audiencia criminal consisted of a\\npresident, two justices, with a justice suplente, or supplementary, a\\nfiscal and an assistant fiscal, a secretary, and the usual court officers.\\nFor the trial of high officials a special court was provided, consisting\\nof the president, two justices of the audiencia territorial, and two\\nmembers, doctors of the law, of the provincial deputation.\\nThe audiencia territorial was constituted as follows: A president,\\na president of the hall of justice, five justices, a fiscal and assistant\\nfiscals, a secretary, fifteen secretaries of the hall of justice, etc.\\nAppeals in civil cases were taken from the courts of the various\\njudicial districts to the audiencia territorial, and thence to the\\nsupreme court of Spain.\\nThe island was divided into eleven judicial districts. In each of\\nthese was a judge of first instance and instruction, that of San Juan\\nhaving two. He had power to hear and determine civil suits, there\\nbeing an appeal from his decisions to the audiencia territorial. His\\nfunction in criminal cases was restricted to investigation. He sum-\\nmoned and examined witnesses privately, and made a brief for the\\naudiencia criminal. He had to prepare a summary of all the testi-\\nmony, and indicate for what crime the offender should be tried or\\nwhy he should be acquitted. If the audiencia considered the case\\nincomplete, or as requiring emendations, it was returned for comple-\\ntion or correction.\\nIn every municipal district there was a municipal judge, who had\\njurisdiction in civil cases involving $200, or less, and in cases of viola-\\ntions of municipal ordinances. He could impose fines up to $45, and\\nimprisonment up to thirty days. Appeals from his decisions were to\\nthe judge of first instance. When a crime was committed, it was his\\nduty to prepare the case and submit it to the judge of first instance\\nwithin three days.", "height": "3490", "width": "2014", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0034.jp2"}, "35": {"fulltext": "25\\nMunicipal judges had no salary. Judges of first instance received\\nfrom $2,000 to $3,000 a year; judges of the audiencias, $3,000; and\\nthe two presidents in San Juan, $5,000 and $5,500, respectively.\\nThe attitude of the Spanish law toward accused persons differs from\\nthat which characterizes Anglo-Saxon jurisprudence. Under our law\\nthey are regarded as innocent until proved guilty under the Spanish\\nlaw, according to Judge Fuliadosa, they are regarded as guilty until\\nproved innocent. The denuncia on which arrest is usually based\\nmay be made by a private person or by the fiscal. The order of arrest\\ndoes not state the charge. After arrest the accused is questioned pri-\\nvately by the judge, and is held incomunicado in the first stage of the\\ninquisitorial proceedings, no one being allowed to see him or talk\\nwith him for two or three days. He is not permitted to be present\\nwhile the judge examines the witnesses, also in privacy, only one wit-\\nness being present at a time. Asked by the commissioner why the\\naccused is not informed of the charge against him when he is arrested,\\nthe judge of first instance at Humacao replied: Because he might\\nprepare himself for a defense beforehand; he might put himself in\\ncommunication with persons for that purpose they are very clever\\nhere. After he learns what he is accused of he may name a lawyer,\\nbut the lawyer has no control over the secret proceedings. No wit-\\nness is allowed to disclose and no newspaper to print any of the testi-\\nmony. The case when completed is passed on to the audiencia for\\ntrial. The summary is examined by the court, which certifies that it\\nhas been properly drawn; the fiscal then examines it and passes it to\\nthe counsel for the defense. On the trial the presiding judge asks\\neach witness the usual questions as to his age, birthplace, etc. and\\nthen allows the prosecution and the defense to examine.\\nThe witnesses for the prosecution are first called, then those for the\\ndefense. The testimony before the court may be the very opposite\\nof that given in the preliminary proceedings; but this contradiction\\ndoes not involve per j ury That only is regarded as conclusive evi-\\ndence which is given on the trial. This is a comparatively recent\\nprovision of law, the reason for which is said to be, that people were\\nso much in terror of the civil guard that they would give false testi-\\nmony before the judge of first instance to conciliate the guard, which\\nseems to have haled men to prison on the barest suspicion. The com-\\nmissioner attended one session of the audiencia criminal at Mayaguez,\\nwhen five men were on trial for burning a*h estate in Rincon and\\nshooting the wife of the proprietor. Two lawyers sat with the three\\njudges, all wearing black gowns, with white lace at the wrists. Little\\nlatitude seemed to be allowed to the counsel for the defense, the presi-\\ndent calling them to order frequently, by ringing a small bell, and\\nruling out their questions, though no objection was raised by the fiscal.\\nThe testimony of the wife of the proprietor was contradictory of that\\nof her husband on minor points. He said there was no light in the\\nhouse when the attack was made she said there was he said the\\naccused were in front of a group of trees when they shot; she said\\nthey were behind the trees. The president himself got brief explana-\\ntions from the two witnesses, and refused to allow the counsel for the\\ndefense to go into the matter at all. The court exercised larger\\npowers than is customary in the United States, asking many ques-\\ntions itself and limiting the functions both of the prosecution and the\\ndefense. The case was concluded with the written arguments of the\\nlawyers on both sides.", "height": "3490", "width": "2014", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0035.jp2"}, "36": {"fulltext": "26\\nThere is a strong demand for reforms in the courts. Senor Aguayo,\\nan able and upright judge of first instance, in a statement to the com-\\nmissioner, urged that all secrecy in the preliminary investigation be\\nremoved. He points out as the greatest evil of the system that the\\nsecrecy produces in the public conscience a sort of terror, and, as\\na rule, witnesses have to be made to testify by force. He insists\\nthat publicity would insure general cooperation; those having knowl-\\nedge of the case would come forward to testify; that it Would be a\\nguaranty against the venality of judges, and that the defendant\\ncould produce all the proof on his side. He would have the jury\\nsystem which is in use in Spain introduced immediately. The time\\noccupied in making the sumario, ordinarily a month or more, was\\nwell-nigh wasted, since it was not conclusive, even in cases where the\\nsummary showed that conviction was improbable. It must, in any\\nevent, go up to the audiencia to be tried or dismissed. Abuses, the\\ncommissioner was told, were numerous. The delays are long and\\nvexatious. After the sumario, consisting of from 500 to 1,000 sheets,\\nis in the hands of the court, it may be six months or more before the\\ntrial begins. Sometimes the prisoner is set at liberty before his case\\ncomes on, his- innocence having been demonstrated to the satisfaction\\nof the judge of first instance; nevertheless, the court may proceed\\nwith the case. Men with malicious intent have, it was said, abundant\\nopportunity to secure the imprisonment of innocent persons for a\\nmonth or more, and yet escape prosecution for making false charges.\\nThe prosecution of minor offenses was made difficult by the dis-\\ntances the complainant often had to go, the horrible condition of the\\nroads, and the time and expenses involved. A case in illustration\\nwas given the commissioner by a German farmer living at Gobo,\\nhaving his farm partly in the municipal district of Utuado and partly\\nin that of Arecibo. A man with whom he had had trouble stole his\\nhorse. He pursued, him and got the horse. He immediately made\\ncomplaint before the comisario of the district, and next day went\\nbefore the judge of first instance in Arecibo. He proved his owner-\\nship of the horse and received him in deposito. Then it was dis-\\ncovered that the crime was really committed in the district of Utuado,\\nand he had to go to that place, almost as far as to Arecibo. There he\\nwas told that the trial would take place at Mayaguez six or seven\\nmonths later. He would have to go to Mayaguez with his witnesses,\\nconsuming two days each way, besides the time occupied in the trial.\\nThe law provides for the expenses of witnesses, but it is claimed that\\nit is so difficult to collect them that the claims are often sold at a con-\\nsiderable discount. The horse was valued at $25. The German had\\nalready lost two days, expected to lose a week more at the trial, and\\nto pay $50 in expenses. Under such circumstances crimes would, in\\nmany instances, go unreported and unpunished.\\nTHE NOTARIAL AND REGISTRATION SYSTEMS.\\nThe drawing of deeds, wills, and all kinds of legal contracts and\\ndocuments was in the hands of notaries, whose number was limited,\\nso that new members could not be admitted to the college until vacan-\\ncies occurred. There were twenty-five for the island, two each in the\\nthree larger cities, and one each in cities of less importance. They\\nwere admitted, on competitive examination, by the Crown, and paid,\\nit is said, large fees for their exclusive privileges. They not only drew\\ndeeds and wills, but were the depositaries for such documents, giving\\na bond of security for damages from the loss of important papers. The", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0036.jp2"}, "37": {"fulltext": "27\\ndean of the college, Mr. Guerra, informed the commissioner that he\\nhad paid $17,000 for the privilege, which is transferable.\\nRegistries of property are established, as a rule, in those places\\nentitled to notaries, the work of the one being complementary to that\\nof the other. The system of registration comprises deeds, mortgages,\\nwills, and all forms of ownership and transfer of property. The law\\nrequires a registrar to inquire as to the validity of titles which he\\ninscribes, and holds him responsible for their legality. The registrar\\ncharges fees according to an elaborate scale fixed by law. He was\\nallowed to charge for inscription, which included only certain parts of\\ndocuments, for passing on the validity of the title, and for search-\\ning the records. Formerly registrars might charge for correcting\\ndefects in documents offered for inscription, and abuses grew out of\\nthe practice. The system appears to be a good one, although the\\ncharges are complained of as excessive. An increase in the number\\nof registrars, so as to have one in every municipal district, is very\\ndesirable. Much property remains unregistered, owing partly to the\\nheavy expenses involved and partly to the feeling of security in pos-\\nsession. Litigation over titles, deeds, wills, etc., is, it is stated, not\\nvery extensive. The expenses of transfers were very great. In the\\nfirst place, they were subject to the royal dues; second, to the notarial\\ncharges, which were very heavy; third, to the fees of registration,\\namounting sometimes to $12 for property worth $300; and, fourth, to\\nthe cost of the stamped paper, on which all the documents had to be\\nwritten. According to the mayor of Guayama, the tax on transfers\\nwas so onerous that the island is full of deeds which have been held\\nin hopes of better times, and have not yet paid this tax, thus making\\nthe titles inoperative. The stamped paper cost from 15 cents up to\\n$25, according to the value of the contract or obligation. Its use was\\nobligatory in all documents of a legal character, even by judges in the\\npreparation of a sumario.\\nMortgages, which may be referred to in this connection, were gov-\\nerned by the hypothecary law, which sought the security of the lender\\nrather than the convenience of the borrower. There are two methods\\nof foreclosure, one called the executive; the other is a special pro-\\ncedure. Most of the actions are taken under the latter, and are of a\\nsummary nature. The debtor has no power to intervene, and his\\nestate may be sold at auction thirty days after proceedings are begun\\nin the court. Many cases of hardship under the law were reported\\nto the commissioner, in which owners of plantations were about to\\nlose their property for a fraction of its estimated value. In accord-\\nance with his earnest representations, Governor-General Henry issued\\nan order, prepared by him, suspending the law of foreclosure as respects\\nfarm property and machinery for one year from January 19, 1899.\\nThe law needs to be reformed in the interest of debtors against con-\\nscienceless creditors, so as to give sufficient opportunity to the former\\nto save their property from sacrifice. The mortgages recorded in the\\nvarious districts amount to a total of nearly $28,000,000, indicating\\nthat borrowing is extensive. The largest mortgage indebtedness\\nexists in the registration districts of San Juan, Ponce, Mayaguez, and\\nSan German.\\nTHE CHURCH AND CHURCH PROPERTY.\\nThe Catholic was the state religion, and at the time of the Ameri-\\ncan occupation there were but two churches of any other faith in\\nPorto Rico. There was a Protestant church in Ponce and another at\\nIsabel II, in the island of Vieques, both under the auspices of the", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0037.jp2"}, "38": {"fulltext": "28\\nChurch of England. The latter had been established nineteen years.\\nThe Governor-General, under appointment by the Pope, was patron-\\nato real, or civil head of the church. The bishop, with his staff, and\\nall the clergy were borne on the provincial pay roll, and received\\ntheir salaries through the custom-houses of the various districts.\\nFor salaries alone $167,340 was appropriated in the budget of 1897-98,\\nincluding $42,400 for the cathedral in San Juan, out of which the\\nbishop and his staff were paid. For expenses, apart from salaries,\\nthe sum of $26,270 was provided. For other purposes, including sal-\\naries of ecclesiastical judges and military chaplains, subventions to\\nreligious sqhools, and Sisters of Charity in the hospitals and asylums,\\nabout $41,000 was set apart, making in all about $235,000 for the\\nchurch and various religious purposes. The bishop formerly received\\na salary of $18,000 or $20,000 a year, but this amount was gradually\\nreduced to $9,000. The dean of the chapter was paid $3,000; canons,\\n$2,000; parochial priests, according to their class, from $1,500 down\\nto $600 a year. Formerly the church was supported by tithes and\\nfirst fruits, and monthly sums from the ayuntamientos. The royal\\ndecree of 1858 abolished tithes and first fruits, forbade fees for the\\nsacraments, and provided for the church in the budget. The capitu-\\nlar vicar informed the commissioner that there had probably been\\nsome abuses in the charging of fees by the clergy for baptisms, mar-\\nriages, and burials, but he did not believe they were extensive. A\\npriest, who announced that he was about to leave the church, stated\\nthat the fees collected averaged about as follows: Marriage, simple\\nservice, $10; more elaborate service, $16; burial, simple service, $14;\\nmore elaborate service, $22; masses, $1. Several persons told, the\\ncommissioner that they had paid $16 for their marriage service.\\nAfter American occupation, the priests having no support whatever,\\ncharged, in some instances, whatever they could get. One American\\npaid a fee of $65. The clergy were almost entirely Spaniards. Very\\nfew natives were in the priesthood. Reared and educated in Spain,\\nthey did not, for the most part, command the sympathy of the munic-\\nipal officers, who were chiefly Porto Ricans, and as there was more or\\nless friction between Porto Ricans and Spaniards, and the priests\\nwere paid by the Government and were understood to be in entire\\nsympathy with it, they did not really come into close touch with many\\nof the natives in their parishes. At the close of the war a number of\\nthe priests, including the bishop, went back to Spain.\\nThere are no monasteries in Porto Rico. Formerly the Dominicans\\nand Franciscans were established there, but the Government confis-\\ncated their property in 1837-38, using part of it for public purposes,\\nselling a part and renting a part. The chapels attached were, however,\\nnot disturbed. Such orders as are now represented are engaged in\\neducational, hospital, and charitable work.\\nThe churches, which are invariably situated on the chief plazas of\\nthe cities and towns, vary in value and size, according to the popula-\\ntion surrounding them. They are usually among the best buildings,\\nthough some are old and need repairs. None of them would be called\\nmagnificent. Evidently no great amount of private wealth has been\\nbestowed for their adornment and furnishing. The assumption that\\nthe church in Porto Rico is rolling in wealth has nothing to support\\nit. The secretary of the bishopric, Senor Caneja, lectoral canon,\\ninformed the commissioner that the church has no other property\\nexcept the churches and parish houses; that by will or gift it is in the", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0038.jp2"}, "39": {"fulltext": "29\\nreceipt of censos or annual payments for specific purposes, such as\\nmasses, sermons, or other memorial celebrations. These censos are\\nfixed charges, which must be paid by the holder of the property upon\\nwhich they are a claim. When state support was suddenly withdrawn\\nthe church had ho resources. The capitular vicar stated that its con-\\ndition was lamentable. The people had not been accustomed to the\\nAmerican system of voluntary contributions; most of them were too\\npoor to take upon themselves additional burdens, and the priests had\\nto depend upon the fees they could get and upon their own resources,\\nwhich in some instances were ample.\\nThe moment that Spanish domination ended the question of the\\nownership of the churches was raised. None of these properties\\nwere registered. The church, under the law, could not register them,\\nand few or no papers or records of gift or conveyance appear to be in\\nexistence. The capitular vicar said to the commissioner: The\\nchurch has no title in the sense of documents; but it has always\\nbeen an understood thing that these properties belong to the church.\\nIn so far as lands or other gifts were made, the donors, he added,\\ndid not bother about giving written titles. The municipality, or\\nthe state, generally, gave the ground and in most cases the municipal-\\nity built the church. The commissioner inquired thoroughly into\\nthis matter in all the municipalities he visited. In some cases the\\nsurplus in the treasury was used for this purpose; in other cases spe-\\ncial provision was made in the municipal budget, and in a number of\\ninstances a kind of apportionment was made among the ratepayers\\nby the ayuntamiento. Almost without exception the alcaldes and\\ncouncilmen, questioned by the commissioner, asserted municipal\\nownership of the church property. In Arroyo the church, according\\nto the vice alcalde, was built by popular subscription and turned over,\\nto the state; in Yabucoa the title is not vested in the municipality,\\nsays the alcalde, but in the state; in Aibonito the town gave $15,00,0,\\nthe state $12,000, and the balance (17,000) was raised by subscription;\\nin Humacao the church cost $45,000; it was built by the people and\\ntaken over by the state; in Ponce the church property is claimed by\\nthe alcalde as belonging exclusively to the municipality, which caused\\nit to be registered after American occupation. The fine, large church\\nin Guayama was built in 1873, from the annual surplus of the muni-\\ncipal budget and from returns for old taxes; in San German, which\\nhas, it is said, the oldest church in the island, it was conceded that\\nthe property belongs to the church in Cayey the church was built by\\npublic funds and the parish house was bought by municipal money;\\nin Coamo the land was given by the town and the church built by\\ntaxation; in Caguas the church was built by municipal funds.\\nThis brief summary of important testimony, given before the com-\\nmissioner, indicates how the churches were generally built. Some of\\nthe ayuntamientos seemed quite firm in the purpose to hold the\\nchurches as municipal property, but were willing to sell or to rent. In\\nother cases the proposal to transfer the title to the church was appar-\\nently welcomed. There is little question that public funds built in\\nwhole or in part nearly all the churches. The considerations which\\nseem to me to control the question are these (1) The churches were\\nbuilt for Catholic worship, and for no other, by Catholic communities;\\n(2) they were consecrated by the rites of the Catholic Church; (3)\\nthey have been regularly used for Catholic services, and for no other\\npurpose, since consecration; (4) their use for this purpose received", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0039.jp2"}, "40": {"fulltext": "30\\nthe acquiescence of state, municipality, and people; (5) according to\\nthe law, edifices for public worship, no matter by whom built, passed\\nunder control of the church when consecrated; (6) the law did not\\nallow such property to be registered by the church; (7) no records\\nor deeds of gift were usually made of donations or transfers of prop-\\nerty for church uses; (8) under the law of registration, twenty years\\nundisputed and continued possession gives valid title.\\nOn the other hand, municipalities claim the ownership of most of\\nthe churches, on the ground that they were built in whole or in part\\nby municipal funds raised by taxation that the payment of such\\ntaxes was obligatory, and that it was not permitted to loyal citizens\\nto protest against them. Church and state were one, the bishop occu-\\npying, in the council of administration and similar provincial organi-\\nzations, the place next to the governor-general. In one instance,\\nalready referred to, church property was registered without protest as\\nmunicipal property, but this was since American occupation. It was\\nnot the custom to register municipal property, though there was no\\nlaw prohibiting it. Perhaps this was due to the heavy registration\\nfees. The fees for registering six pieces of property in Ponce were as\\nfollows Catholic cemetery in the playa, $379 the Catholic church,\\n$598; the Tricoche hospital, $156; the civil hospital, $81; and the\\nProtestant cemetery, $13. On appeal to General Henry he relieved\\nthe municipality of the charges and the property was registered free.\\nThe churches have been kept in repair by the municipalities. It is\\nadmitted that consecration gave the church use or control of the edi-\\nfices, but it is denied that it gave also ownership. The churches in\\nYabucoa and Arroyo, according to the alcaldes of those districts,\\nbelong not to the municipality but to the state. If this be so the\\nquestion might be raised whether these churches and any others in\\nthe same category do not, under the Treaty of Paris, belong to the\\npublic domain and as such to the Crown of Spain, and have there-\\nfore been ceded by the treaty to the United States. But this cession\\nwas made subject to the rights of provinces, municipalities, public\\nand private establishments, ecclesiastical or civic bodies, etc. The\\nchurches spoken of as belonging to the state were perhaps property\\nof the province and not of the Crown. In so far as titles may be\\nlegally established by ecclesiastical bodies, or on the part of the Prov-\\nince of Porto Rico, or by the several municipalities, the United States\\nis evidently bound by the treaty to grant possession. Neither the\\nmunicipalities nor the province could be coerced to a surrender of\\nsuch churches as may legally be held by them. But if the will of the\\nPorto Ricans were permitted to have effect with their official repre-\\nsentatives, the churches, as a matter of simple justice, would be passed\\nover to the control, possession, and use of the Roman Catholic Church.\\nThe commissioner found that everywhere the majority thought that\\nthe churches ought to be for Catholic worship, but ought to be held\\nby the people and not by the priests. Some alcaldes and councilmen\\nand others, including men who were said not to be good Catholics,\\ninsisted that the municipalities should have some return for what they\\nhad expended, either by sale or by annual rental. If the right of\\nmunicipalities to control them is established, it is conceivable that\\nin some cases they might be sold or rented to representatives of other\\nfaiths for public worship of a different order and thus give cause of\\noffense to Catholics.\\nThe ends of justice could probably be most surely and promptly\\nreached by creating a special court or commission to investigate the", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0040.jp2"}, "41": {"fulltext": "31\\nwhole matter, with power to determine each case brought before it,\\nand give legal title, possession, and use to the rightful owners.\\nThe people seem to be entirely in accord with the American prin-\\nciple of separation of church and state, and complete religious liberty.\\nThe capitular vicar urged that gratuities from the state treasury to\\nthe clergy be granted, as a temporary measure, until the church could\\norganize a system of self-support, but the commissioner found no\\nsecond in the island to this proposal. In every municipality he visited\\nhe was told that appropriations for the repairs of the churches had\\nbeen discontinued. Other forms of worship have been introduced in\\nSan Juan, Ponce, Arecibo, Rio Piedras, and other places without\\ndemonstrations of hostility. This is no small tribute to the liberality\\nof a people who have in all the past been accustomed to one form of\\nreligion to the exclusion of others.\\nTHE CEMETERIES.\\nIn this connection the question of control of the cemeteries has been\\nraised. It is not disputed that these cemeteries were bought and built\\nby municipal funds. But they were consecrated by the priests as\\nburial grounds for Catholics, and while the secular owners have rented\\nand sold graves and niches, issued through municipal judges permits\\nfor burial, and kept the grounds in condition, the priest was allowed\\nto exercise the right to indicate who were entitled to ecclesiastical\\nburial. Those not Catholics were buried in unconsecrated ground,\\ngenerally a small plot outside the walls. After American occupation\\none or two ayuntamientos took action in favor of the secularization\\nof the cemeteries, but the military government has not conceded that\\nright. On the contrary, General Henry issued an order confirming to\\nthe priests the right of prohibiting the interment of non-Catholics in\\nconsecrated ground, and at the same time requiring the municipal\\nauthorities, from the proceeds of rentals and fees which they collect,\\nto pay for the maintenance of the cemeteries.\\nEcclesiastical control is claimed, not on the ground of ownership,\\nbut on that of immemorial usage. Priests have always been allowed\\nto consecrate the ground and to say who should be buried in it, and\\nthe church insists that it gained a right by consecration and continued\\ncontrol which can not properly be taken from it. The question raised\\nis a delicate one. It is not the same exactly as that concerning church\\nproperty. The church existed for all who chose to attend its services\\nand accept its offices; but persons could refuse to worship in it or to\\npatronize it. Not so the cemetery. Those who die must be buried,\\nand the right to sepulture in a cemetery owned by all the people can\\nnot be denied, it is argued, without substantial injustice. The issue\\nmight be met by having plots for non-Catholics. Where such plots\\nalready exist they are generally outside the walls and are not kept in\\nproper condition. As new cemeteries are established they will prob-\\nably be on a secular basis, with a provision allowing the graves of\\nCatholics or Catholic portions to be consecrated. Municipalities\\nshould be required to provide ground for non-Catholic burials, suf-\\nficient, eligible, and in no way inferior. The custom of disinterment\\nof bodies entitled only to temporary sepulture, if not dangerous to\\ngeneral health, is shocking to those not familiar with European usage,\\nand should be discontinued. The order of General Henry to that\\neffect is not fully carried out for want of room in the cemeteries.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0041.jp2"}, "42": {"fulltext": "32\\nTHE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.\\nThe system of public schools was antiquated, and few improvements\\nseem to have been made. In practice it was decidedly inferior and\\ninsufficient. Most attention was given, naturally, to urban schools,\\nand these were inadequate in almost every respect. Less attention\\nwas given to schools in the rural districts, where the difficulties were\\ngreatest. Something was done for the boys, but little for the girls.\\nIndeed, the first rural school for girls is said to have been established\\nno longer ago than 1880. The general administration of public schools\\nwas under the direction of the provincial deputation. At the close of\\nthe Spanish domination it constituted a bureau of the department of\\nfomento or interior. The expenses of this administration were in-\\ncluded in the provincial budget. The pay of the teachers, the rent\\nof buildings, and the expense of supplies devolved on the municipali-\\nties. In every municipality there was a school board, of which the\\nmayor was chairman, charged with immediate supervision. It was\\nordinarily composed of the most intelligent men available, but is said\\nto have been negligent usually in the discharge of its duties. The\\nfinances of the cities were so often made difficult bv the heavy prior\\nclaims of the state on taxpayers that the appropriations to the schools\\nfrequently suffered. The schools were domiciled in rented rooms,\\ngenerally unfitted for the purpose. Only half a dozen occupied public\\nbuildings. Space, light, ventilation, furniture, appliances, and sup-\\nplies were never adequate, the surroundings were unsuitable, and the\\nconditions unsanitary. The school age was from 5 to 18. Children of\\nwell-to-do parents usually entered at 5; those of the poorer classes\\nnot until 8. The scholars were generally clothed, but there were\\nsome exceptions among the smaller ones. Very poor parents, seen by\\nthe commissioner, excused their neglect to school their children by\\nsaying they could not give them decent clothes. The school popula-\\ntion of the island, as reported by Secretary Carbonell, on the 1st of\\nNovember, 1898, was 125,695. Of these 27,938 had attended school\\nand 93,757 had not. Returns in March, 1899, showed that the total\\nof registered scholars was 26,588, including private schools, and the\\naverage attendance 18,979. According to this, a little more than one-\\nfifth of the school population were registed and the average attend-\\nance was upward of one-seventh. Of the registered scholars 17,521\\nwere boys and 9,007 were girls, the boys outnumbering the girls nearly\\ntwo to one. The masters or teachers were required to show the\\nteacher s title in order to obtain employment. Some were prepared\\nin the two normal schools or in the secondary institute in San Juan;\\nmany came from Spain. As a rule, they were a faithful, poorly paid\\nclass of public servants. Women taught the girls schools in all cases,\\nthe sexes being rigidly kept apart. Teachers were allowed to collect\\nfees from parents able to pay. This, it is said, led to more or less\\npartiality for the pay scholars. Supplies were furnished to those who\\ncould not buy them. Schools were held every day but Sunday the year\\nround, excepting feast days and holidays, with morning and afternoon\\nsessions of about three hours each. Iu summer the afternoon session\\nwas shortened or omitted.\\nThe schools were supposed to be divided into elementary of first and\\nsecond grades, and superior. Of the latter there were only seven.\\nThe system of instruction was generally superficial and not solid, and\\ntheoretical rather than practical. The commissioner visited and", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0042.jp2"}, "43": {"fulltext": "33\\nexamined many schools, as described elsewhere in this report. He\\nfound the children wonderfully bright and quick. They answered\\nthe questions of the teachers promptly and confidently, but hesitated\\nand stumbled when asked the simplest questions in geography, arith-\\nmetic, and other studies, indicating that more attention had been\\ngiven to the making of brilliant than competent scholars. There were\\nfew general institutions. A conciliar seminary was established for\\nthe priesthood the Provincial Institute, recently suppressed, carried\\nscholars to the ordinary freshman or sophomore year; the College of\\nthe Esculapian Fathers, the College of the Mothers of the Heart of\\nJesus, the College of San Ildefonso, the School of Arts and Industries,\\nand a private academy of drawing constituted, with the normal schools,\\nall the general educational institutions.\\nThe first great need of this system of education is suitable, sanitary\\npublic buildings; second, a more efficient corps of teachers; third,\\nmore schools, particularly in the rural districts; fourth, larger pro-\\nvincial appropriations, until the municipalities are in a condition to\\nsupport their own schools; fifth, reorganization of the studies and\\nbetter text-books sixth, effective provincial supervision, such as the\\nmilitary government has provided, under which great improvements\\nhave been made; seventh, better normal schools.\\nThe last census does not give returns for literacy and illiteracy\\nexcept in certain districts. There are no later figures than those of\\nthe census of 1860, when the population was 583,181. Of this num-\\nber 51,250 were literate and 531,931 illiterate. Over 90 per cent were\\nunable to read. The estimates of present conditions vary; some say\\nthat 15, others 18 or 20 per cent, of the population are literates. Of\\nthe population of Ponce, numbering, according to the census of 1897,\\nbetween 48,000 and 49,000, 14,394 can read or read and write. This\\nis over 29 per cent, showing a gain since 1887, when the percentage\\nwas 24. The population of that district was as follows Poncenos,\\n37,203; from other districts of the island and Cuba, 8,493; from the\\nPeninsula, 2,283; from other foreign countries, 1,021. The floating\\npopulation was remarkably small, being only 342. The greatest\\namount of illiteracy is, of course, in the rural districts, where the\\npopulation is hard to reach with school facilities.\\nPUBLIC CHARITIES AND PRISONS.\\nThe public charities of Porto Rico are few, poorly supported, and\\npoorly organized, as a rule. The municipalities make appropriations\\nfor beneficencia, including town doctors, hospitals, aid for the sick\\npoor who can not get to the hospital, and occasionally for a house for\\ninfirm poor. Every district has a hospital, generally insufficiently\\nequipped and not well kept, but there are few orphanages and scarcely\\nany provision for the insane, outside of San Juan, where an insane\\nasylum is maintained by provincial funds. There is an excellent\\nasylum for children in San Juan under the care of the Sisters of\\nCharity, and one or two small orphanages.\\nThere is need of more generous provisions for orphans. Mothers\\nof illegitimate children very rarely abandon them, but when these\\nunfortunate women die, the children are often cast on the street, and\\nlive like animals. The people are very kind and helpful to those in\\ndistress. It is the custom when a child is left without natural pro-\\ntectors for the relatives or neighbors to provide for it. One will give\\n1125 3", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0043.jp2"}, "44": {"fulltext": "34\\nshelter, another food, another clothing, another education, thus divid-\\ning the burden. Among the poorest of the poor the commissioner\\nfound a system of mutual helpfulness. When a poor woman falls\\nsick and her income stops, neighboring women care for her out of their\\nown slender resources. The poor commonly have a strong prejudice\\nagainst the hospitals, and will not go to them unless helpless. They\\nsay those who go in sick come out dead. They differ in their state-\\nments about the town doctors. Many said they would not visit the\\nsick poor without pay; others that they would. Dr. Stahl, of Baya-\\nmon, says that scarcely one in a hundred of the poor who die has the\\nattendance of a physician. The Tricoche Hospital in Ponce, estab-\\nlished by a private benefaction, is one of the best in the island. It\\nis kept clean and in good order by the Sisters of Charity.\\nThe prisons, of which there is one in each judicial district, with a\\npenitentiary, so called, for the whole island, in San Juan, besides\\nordinary jails, are almost without exception worthy of condemnation.\\nThey are generally crowded, damp, pervaded by foul smells, danger-\\nous to health, according to native physicians. With the exception of\\nseparation of sexes, no division whatever is attempted. Young and\\nold, the first offender and the old criminal are herded together, the\\nman accused and awaiting trial with those serving long sentences.\\nThe care of the penitentiary at San Juan was undertaken by the\\ninsular government. The cost of maintaining the district prisons is\\nborne by the municipalities within the district. Many of the prison-\\ners in the penitentiary were kept in chains. General Henry abolished\\nthis form of punishment, and put the district prisons under the care\\nof the province. Much has been done under the military govern-\\nment to remedy abuses and improve the sanitary conditions, but\\nthe whole system needs to be reorganized according to modern peno-\\nlogical methods.\\nCrime, particularly of the graver kinds, is not excessive. The dis-\\norders which followed the overthrow of Spanish dominion were of a\\nserious character; but they did not spring oufc of a spirit of lawless-\\nness so much as out of a spirit of revenge. The native who had been\\noppressed by Spanish employers used the opportunity to pay off a\\nIons: score of personal injuries and insults. The attacks by those\\nbands were not indiscriminate, and usually the motive was to destroy,\\nnot to appropriate property, to wound oii kill the master himself or\\nhis agent, and not the family. They were soon ended, and not a few\\nof the guilty ones are serving sentences. Those familiar with the\\nconditions before American occupation say that the wonder is that\\nthe outrages were not far worse. The prevailing crimes are those of\\nhomicide, and appropriation of property in the various forms of theft,\\nlarceny, and robbery. Burglary is almost entirely unknown. The\\nsummary for the provincial penitentiary shows that there were 4 serv-\\ning sentence for murder, 113 for homicide, 168 for theft or robbery,\\n2 for forgery, 5 for swindling, 6 for arson, 6 for violation, and 1\\nfor abduction. Ten were under 20 years of age. Of 69 in the de-\\npartmental prison at Ponce, 20 were under sentence for theft or rob-\\nbery, 27 for wounding, 5 for swindling, and 5 for homicide. Of the\\nprisoners 30 were white and 39 colored. Of the 308 prisoners in the\\npenitentiary 131 were white and 177 colored, showing that the colored\\nclasses, forming about 36 per cent of the population, are responsible\\nfor considerably more than their share of crimes. The entire penal\\npopulation, according to the census of 1897, was 1,101, or 1 in 817 of\\nthe entire population. The proportion in the United States is consid-", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0044.jp2"}, "45": {"fulltext": "35\\nerably greater, being 1 in 766. In 1862, when Porto Rico had 600,000\\npopulation and Cuba 1,200,000, the latter had 1 homicide to every\\n7,100 inhabitants, the former 1 to every 75,000; Cuba 1 assault to\\nevery 1,799 inhabitants, Porto Rico 1 to every 5,120;. Cuba 1 robbery\\nto every 7,453 inhabitants, Porto Rico 1 to every 15,789; Cuba 1 theft\\nto every 753 inhabitants, Porto Rico 1 to every 2,112.\\nSOCIAL CONDITIONS.\\nThe statistics of births in 1897, elsewhere given, show that about 52\\nper cent were of legitimate and 48 per cent of illegitimate children.\\nThe births are by no means, owing to a defective law, fully reported\\nbut complete returns would not probably make the showing better.\\nHalf or more of the children born are illegitimate, and it follows\\nthat a large proportion of parents are living in conjugal relations with-\\nout marriage. This does not mean that the people are immoral or that\\nthe sexes are promiscuous in their relations. The social evil is said to\\nbe quite extensive; but marriage is not shunned, with rare exceptions,\\nfor immoral purposes. Various reasons are given for neglecting the\\nsacrament or ceremony. By some it is ascribed to a want of edu-\\ncation, by others to the desire to be free from the obligations which\\nmarriage imposes, but by most informants to obstacles which the poor\\ncould not surmount. Two forms of marriage were j rovided by law, the\\ncivil and the ecclesiastical. The code declared the latter to be the\\nonly form for Catholics, and the former for non- Catholics. Certain\\nconditions were prescribed for both, such as consent of parents and\\nadvice of grandparents, certificates of age, proclamation of the bans,\\netc. The priest required, in addition, confession and communion.\\nIf marriage took place at the church in the morning, it was without\\ncost, according to the testimony of priests. If it took place in the\\nevening, as was the custom of the well-to-do classes, a fee was ex-\\npected. At most of the hearings held by the commissioner, persons\\ninsisted that these fees were too heavy for poor people, who preferred\\nto live together unweclded than to meet all the conditions of ecclesi-\\nastical marriage. It was the general testimony that these persons live\\ntogether as faithfully as those under marriage vows, and are rarely\\nuntrue to each other. Many who were questioned by the commissioner\\nin the poor quarters of Arecibo,Yauco, and other cities, said they would\\nlike to marry for the sake of legitimatizing their children, but could\\nnot pay the expenses. Under the prevailing interpretation of the\\nlaw, they could not go to the municipal judge for civil marriage with-\\nout abjuring the Catholic faith. Moreover, the expenses of this form\\nwere considerable.\\nThere was another difficulty. In the smaller communities nearly\\nevery family was related to every other family, and often persons\\ndesiring to marry were related to each other within the degrees pro-\\nhibited by both church and state. Ecclesiastical dispensations were\\ndifficult to get. The commissioner, at the request of General Henry,\\nin consultation with the secretary of state and the secretary of justice,\\ndrew an order which opened the way to civil marriage for all, remov-\\ning delays and obstacles and making it free. The immediate effect\\nwas an increase in judicial marriages. It is desirable that this chap-\\nter of the code should be entirely recast in accordance with American\\nprinciples, and the onerous provision requiring the mother to present\\nherself and her child for registry, within forty days after its birth,\\nunder penalty, though she may live in a distant part of the district", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0045.jp2"}, "46": {"fulltext": "36\\nand be unable to travel, should be substituted by a more reasonable\\nand effective system. The deaths were considerably in excess of the\\nbirths, according to the municipal returns for 1897. Births are con-\\ncealed or unreported for reasons already indicated. There are no\\nrecent statistics of longevity. According to the census of 1860, of\\n583,308 inhabitants, 18,273 were above GO years of age, and 73 above\\na hundred.\\nCHARACTER OF THE PEOPLE.\\nThe Porto Ricans are a kindly, hospitable, polite people, very\\nsociable, and always ready to do Americans a friendly service. If a\\nstranger in their streets asks the way to any particular point the\\nobliging native will often go with him instead of simply directing him,\\nand refuse any reward. Courteous to everybody, they seem glad to\\nbe able to grant a favor. They are cheerful in disposition,. uniformly\\nkind to one another, and manifest as parents great love for their\\nchildren. Cases of brutal treatment of the little ones are rare.\\nStreet brawls and disorders occur occasionally, but respect for. law\\nand order is very strong, and the people are lovers of peace. Although\\nthey have always been accustomed to the presence of soldiers, they\\nappear to be grieved that they are kept under a military government.\\nTo the commissioner thej^ said again and again, We want a civil\\ngovernment as soon as possible. Let the military regime be shortened.\\nWhat have we done that we should be placed under military law?\\nWe have done nothing worthy of punishment. They spoke favor-\\nably of the character of the military government, its honesty, effi-\\nciency, and devotion to insular interests, but were impatient to have\\ntheir civil status fixed. According to Senor Manuel Fernandez\\nJuncos, one of the leaders of the autonomist party, the chief fault of\\nthe Porto Rican is lack of will force, and he urges that education\\nshould be so directed as to counteract this weakness.\\nNaturally inclined to social intercourse, the conditions tend to\\nrestriction in the indulgence of their inclination. In cities there are\\nsocial calls, balls and receptions, and occasional performances, musi-\\ncal or theatrical, in the public theater, but outside of the cities few\\namusements are possible. Visiting is difficult, owing to bad roads,\\nand family reunions, even, are not common, particularly among the\\npoorer classes. They are fond of music, especially of string instru-\\nments, but are not a reading people. Books and periodicals are sel-\\ndom seen on their tables. Games and outdoor diversions are not\\ngeneral, among either young or old, men or women. Balls and dances\\nare perhaps the most popular and universal diversion. In the winter\\nseason the feast known as candelaria is celebrated, and much is made\\nof the carnival just before Lent. During the former, which was\\nobserved in January, when the commissioner was in Mayaguez, many\\npeople came into the city from the rural districts and participated in\\nthe processions, balls, etc. It was a time also for games of chance.\\nThe market place and drinking houses were occupied with tables for\\nall kinds of gambling, which is a passion with the people. Boys and\\ngirls, men and women, who had saved up their centavos and small\\nsilver coins for this purpose, crowded around the tables afternoon and\\nevening and took their chances. Although this was contrary to law,\\nthe municipal authorities said the custom was dear to the people, and\\nthey thought the play was usually not serious, but a harmless pastime.\\nIn the carnival the good will and good nature of the people are mani-\\nfested. They open on Sunday with the papelita, small paper disks,", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0046.jp2"}, "47": {"fulltext": "37\\nwhich are showered upon the passers-by in the streets, balconies being-\\ndecorated with paper ribbons of bright colors. Then the maskers, of\\nboth sexes, appear in public and there are several days of fun and\\nfrolic, those thus disguised parading the streets with horns and other\\nmusical instruments in couples and in crowds.\\nA large class of the men are devoted to cockfights. Every consid-\\nerable town has its cockpit, to which an entrance fee is charged. A\\nspecial breed of cocks is reared for fighting. The exhibition is usu-\\nally given Sunday afternoon, and betting is one of the most prominent\\nfeatures of it. In one town visited by the commissioner the munici-\\npal judge was the proprietor of the pit. No moral objection seems\\nto have suggested itself to anybody, in proof of which it was said\\nthat priests sometimes attended the exhibition. The admission fees\\nto cockfights are often much larger than those to theatrical perform-\\nances. Bullfights have never been popular in Porto Rico. Gambling\\nis said to be the prevailing vice of the people. The field laborer often\\nloses a large part of his weekly wages, the commissioner was told, in\\ngames of chance, and a few instances were related of loss of valuable\\nestates in high play.\\nThe marriage customs are similar to those of Spain, though some-\\nwhat relaxed. Men only join funeral processions. Among the poor,\\nthe coffin is carried through the streets on the shoulders of friends,\\nfollowed by male relatives. At the grave the body is usually taken\\nout of the coffin, which is only hired for the occasion.\\nThe newspapers are not numerous. There are several large and in-\\nfluential Spanish dailies published in San Juan and Ponce. They\\ngive insular news, letters from abroad, and occasionally brief cable\\ndispatches. They generally represent one or the other of the politi-\\ncal parties. The oldest newspaper was established sixty years ago.\\nIt was very conservative under the Spanish regime, opposing auton-\\nomy, and stating that it preferred cholera and yellow fever to the\\nproposed reforms. The editor of the oldest daily journal told the\\ncommissioner that there was no liberty of the press till after Ameri-\\ncan occupation that the life of a newspaper man was one of con-\\nstant martyrdom. He was frequently arrested, and had whole\\neditions of his paper confiscated, and during the war many columns\\nof matter were ruled out. When he undertook to publish extracts\\nfrom Christian Doctrine, in place of the deleted matter, the mili-\\ntary censor forbade it, because people might infer that important\\nnews had been suppressed. In November last there were twenty-\\nseven or twenty-eight newspapers published in the island, in the\\ntowns of San Juan, Ponce, Mayaguez, Humacao, Arecibo, San Ger-\\nman, and Utuado. In the majority of cases they are said to be\\nshort-lived. There was a limited demand for foreign magazines and\\nperiodicals. Small libraries exist in San Juan, Ponce, and a few\\nother cities. Among these is the Municipal Library, established in\\nSan Juan in 1880, and the library of the Athenseum, founded the same\\nyear. The former has 7,000, the latter 5,000 volumes.\\nPOLITICAL PARTIES.\\nThe political organizations of Porto Rico corresponded, naturally,\\nto those of Spain. The General Official Guide of 1896 has a list of\\nfour political parties, as follows: The Unconditional Spanish, the\\nLiberal, the Autonomist, and the Progressive Left of the Uncondi-\\ntional Spanish. After the war but two remained, the Liberal and", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0047.jp2"}, "48": {"fulltext": "38\\nthose Autonomists who would not acquiesce in the Sagasta plan for\\nPorto Rico, generally called Radicals. In March last the Radicals\\nreorganized as the Republican party of Porto Rico, with a declaration\\nof principles, calling for the retirement of the provincial currencj r\\nprotection of the island s industries, and free trade with the United\\nStates. The platform of the Liberal party which was organized Octo-\\nber 1, 1899, as the Federal party, declares in favor of a firm and\\nresolute tendency towards absolute identity with the United States,\\nthe early establishment of a territorial form of government, the exten-\\nsion of suffrage to all resident citizens, free commerce between Porto\\nRico and the rest of the Union, greater freedom for banking institu-\\ntions, municipal autonomy and American methods in popular educa-\\ntion. Its leader, Senor Luis Muhoz Rivera, was secretary of govern-\\nment or state under the autonomistic regime and had a very large\\nfollowing. Party feeling was strong, though for mouths after Ameri-\\ncan occupation no principle, apparently, was at issue. The differ-\\nences grew partly out of the history of the struggle for autonomy,\\nincluding the first election under it, and partly out of the fact that\\none party was in and the other out of office.\\nROADS, RAILROADS, AND COMMUNICATION.\\nThere can be no civilization without means of communication and\\ntransportation. Porto Rico had a cheap and fairly effective telegraph\\nand postal system, both under Government direction, but its roads,\\nwith few exceptions, were bad, and its railroads incomplete and not\\naltogether satisfactory. There exists on paper a plan for a railroad\\nsystem all the way around the island, but the gaps are much longer\\nthan the lines. From San Juan, the French line, so far as completed,\\nextends along the northern shore westward to Camuy, a distance of\\n62 miles; then there is a, break from Camuy to Aguadilla of 25 miles;\\nthe line begins again at Aguadilla and goes on to Hormigueros, 34\\nmiles; from Hormigueros to Yauco is another break of 21 miles; the\\nthird part runs from Yauco to Ponce, 22 miles, making a total for\\nthe French company of 118 miles, with breaks of 16 miles, in the\\nroute from San Juan to Ponce 164 miles.\\n\u00e2\u0080\u00a2From Ponce eastward around to San Juan, about 140 miles, the rail-\\nroad is yet unbuilt, excepting about 14 miles, by the French company,\\nfrom San Juan to Carolina. There are three other short lines of rail-\\nroad, one extending from Catano, opposite San Juan, to Bayamon,\\n4.35 miles; another from San Juan to Rio Piedras, 7 miles, and\\nanother from Anasco, on the west coast, to Alto Sano, 11 miles, with\\nan extension in view to Lares. The total for all lines is 154 miles.\\nThe railroads are all narrow gauge. The French lines and the line to\\nBayamon are 39.37 inches, the line to Rio Piedras 30 inches, and the\\nAnasco line only 23f inches. The speed of passenger trains on the\\nFrench road is about 15 miles an hour on the San Juan-Camuy branch\\nand less on the Aguadilla-Mayaguez branch,, or ordinary trolley time\\nin this country. On the Aguadilla-Mayaguez branch it is about 12\\nmiles. There are three classes of passenger fares. For first-class\\ntickets from San Juan to Camuy the rate is $4.95; second-class, $3.85;\\nthird-class, $2.75, being about 8 centavos a mile for the first, 6 for the\\nsecond, and 4-J- for the third. The cost of first-class passage from San\\nJuan to Yauco, including coach hire, is about $30, using mail coaches;\\nwhen the roads are bad, or by private coaches, it may be $40 or $50.\\nBy coach over the military road between San Juan and Ponce, 78", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0048.jp2"}, "49": {"fulltext": "39\\nmiles, the rate is $30, for one or two passengers. The freight charges\\nare based on distances, amounts, and speed of trains. The rate\\nbetween San Juan and Camuy (62 miles) on a hundredweight is $3,\\nfast time. By slower trains the prices are arranged in four classes,\\nranging from $7 per ton up to $15 between Camuy and San Juan.\\nThere are also special tariffs, in which the following are included:\\nSugar, muscovado or refined, from Camuy to San Juan, $4.95 for each\\n1,000 kilograms, or ton, the minimum price being for 6,000 kilograms;\\nthat is, on any amount less than 6,000 kilograms the price would be\\nsix times $4.95, or $29.70. Coffee pays at the same rate. The freight\\non flour, oats, rice, or corn between the same points is at the rate of\\n$7 a ton, the minimum price being $35. Oranges, lemons, cocoanuts,\\nplantains, potatoes, etc., pay at the rate of $2.56 per 1,000 kilograms\\nfrom Barceloneta to San Juan, 40 miles. According to statements\\nmade to the commissioner at Yaueo, freight rates seem to be about\\nequal to those by cart when the roads are in ordinary condition. Both\\nfreight and passenger charges are too high in comparison with prices in\\ngeneral, and both a quicker and cheaper railroad service is desirable.\\nIf the resources of the island are to be developed, improved railroad\\nfacilities are indispensable. The insular government agreed to insure\\na net income of 8 per cent to the French company. On behalf of the\\nlatter it is claimed that lower rates would, increase the annual deficit\\nto be made up by the province, which was about $150,000 in 1898;\\nbut lower rates and more rapid service would doubtless secure more\\nbusiness and therefore a larger income.\\nThe importance of having a line of railroad around the island can\\nhardly be overestimated. Nothing has been done recently to com-\\nplete the project undertaken by the French company, except that the\\nroadbed has been extended some little distance beyond Hormigueros\\ntoward Yauco. If the belt line were completed it would be possible\\nto market much of the agricultural produce which can not now be\\nshipped, or shipped promptly, by reason of bad roads and high cart-\\nage rates. Quick and cheap rail communication between the various\\npoints and ports on the entire coast of Porto Rico must be provided\\nat an early day if the resources of the island are to be properly\\ndeveloped.\\nWhether short lines to the interior are necessary, there may be two\\nopinions; they are quite practicable, for there are many rivers which\\nopen the way through the mountains. Electric roads could be built,\\nequipped, and operated more cheaply, and would, doubtless, be suffi-\\ncient, except where heavy grades are necessary.\\nThe roads of the island are, in part, maintained by the insular and\\nin part by the municipal governments. The carreteras, or highways,\\nare under the control of the bureau of public works, department of\\nthe interior. Those which connect the towns of two or more municipal\\ndistricts are in this class. The military road, so called, between San\\nJuan and Ponce, crossing eight municipal districts, 133 kilometers in\\nlength, is the finest in the island. It is a smooth, macadamized road,\\ndivided into sections, with a house in each for the roadmaster. It\\ncost, on the average, $15,000 per mile to construct, and requires\\n$15,000 or more annually to keep it in condition. There are good,\\nsubstantial bridges, except in the Ponce district. A branch road\\nfrom Cayey to Guayama is of the same excellent character. In the\\nsame category are a few other short roads, notably the one from\\nAguadilla through Moca to San Sebastian, and that from the Playa\\nof Ponce to Adjuntas. The rest of the carreteras, or highways, may", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0049.jp2"}, "50": {"fulltext": "40\\nbe classified according to degrees of badness. The very important\\none connecting the terminus of the \u00c2\u00bbrailroad at Camuy with that at\\nAguadilla is extremely rough most of the distance, with alternate\\nsoft places. It is a wonder that the coaches, usually of the phaeton\\nclass, are able to endure the strain. The horses, small but willing,\\nare driven with no mercy. Some of the carreteras are nothing more\\nthan trails; for example, that between Yabucoa and Maunabo. An\\nAmerican ambulance was got over it once, and the feat is spoken of\\nas miraculous. When rain falls abundantly the roads of the plains\\nand valleys, and, in fact, all which have not a rock foundation or are\\nnot macadamized, are extremely bad. They become so soft that teams\\nare sometimes actually drowned in mud. Where this danger is not\\nimminent the roads are rough beyond the power of description. At\\nUtuado the commissioner was warned not to undertake to go to Lares\\nwithout first making his will. Mud holes and hillocks occur in each\\ntrack in such confused succession that while the fore wheel on one\\nside is ascending, that on the other is descending, with the conditions\\nreversed for the hind wheels.\\nThe caminos vecinales, or vicinage roads, are supposed to be kept\\nin order by the various municipalities. Few are even in fair condi-\\ntion. The larger cities give this matter more attention. Ponce spent\\nin 1897 $13,000 on its streets and $7,200 on its roads; for 1899 the\\nappropriations for roads and bridges was $3,230; in the district of\\nHumacao the amount is $2,000, not sufficient, the mayor said, to keep\\nthe three roads in repairs; in Aibonito, nothing. In the important\\ndistrict of Yauco the vicinage roads are so bad in some places that\\ncoffee is brought down on the backs of mules over mere trails.\\nThe demand for good roads was more general than any other pre-\\nsented to the commissioner. A memorial from Arroyo stated that\\nwithout roads the riches of the island can not be developed.\\nAnother, from the municipal council of Utuado, said: Real roads do\\nnot exist from the interior to the coast; only tracks, dangerous even\\nto travelers, are available, preventing the development of the country\\nand sapping its life every day; a delegation from Ponce represented\\nthat means of transportation to and from the interior of the island\\nare to-day in about the same primitive state as when Porto Rico was\\ndiscovered, and that its immense natural resources can not be\\ndeveloped unless attention be given to this matter. In response .to\\nthe universal request for better roads, the military government has\\nexpended large sums of money, under its own direction, in road build-\\ning, but it will require years of ordinary effort to secure a proper sys-\\ntem for the island.\\nThis subject is of the greatest importance. It is fundamental to\\nthe well-being and progress of Porto Rico. It affects all human\\ninterests social, educational, industrial, commercial, political. Good\\nroads increase travel and social visitation; make school facilities\\navailable; lessen the cost of marketing industrial and agricultural\\nproducts cheapen the price of the necessaries of life make commer-\\ncial transactions easier; facilitate the functions of government, and\\nrender possible a quick and effective postal system. Bad roads are\\nthe enemies ,of civilization. They destroy carriages and wagons and\\nruin horses and oxen they make the cost of transportation so great\\nthat products are wasted, production is curtailed, and profits eaten up.\\nAt Humacao the commissioner was informed that the shipments\\nfrom that port might easily be 20,000 or 25,000 tons a year, instead of\\n9,000, indicating an annual loss of 11,000 to 16,000 tons. The cost of", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0050.jp2"}, "51": {"fulltext": "41\\ntransporting a hogshead of sugar, 1,600 to 1,800 pounds, from San\\nLorenzo to San Juan is $6. If the road to Humacao were passable it\\ncould be taken to that port for $2, a loss evidently of $4 a hogshead.\\nThe cost of transportation from Juncos to Humacao is so great that\\nthe margin of profit is very small. Planters in Utuado declare that\\nit costs as much to get coffee from that district to the shipping port\\nas from the port to Liverpool. In the wet season it costs an extra 25\\ncents a quintal to send coffee from Utuado to Ponce. At Gobo, on the\\nborder of the districts of Arecibo and Utuado, the commissioner s\\nparty overtook an ox team loaded with merchandise that had been\\nalready two days and a night on the way to Utuado. The planters\\nand merchants in Humacao, when questioned as to why they did not\\nraise more rice, pineapples, oranges, and cocoanuts, stated that it was\\nbecause of lack of facilities of transportation.\\nAt most of the ports the arrangements for shipping and unloading\\ngoods are of a primitive character. There is no wharf even for small\\nboats. Passengers must wade or be carried on the shoulders of the\\nboatmen. The loading of a hogshead of sugar is a serious matter. A\\nlarge flatboat, used as a lighter, is brought as near shore as possible\\nand turned upon its side. The hogshead is then rolled in and the boat\\nis righted. Port improvements are almost as necessary as good roads.\\nMore coastwise vessels are needed for the island commerce, and some\\nof the port charges need to be reduced. At Humacao the pilot fee for\\neach vessel was said to be $28, which is very burdensome, particularly\\nwhen only a few goods are landed.\\nCOMMERCE AND INDUSTRY.\\nThe policy which has governed in Porto Rico hitherto seems to have\\nbeen to put all its energy into the production of sugar, coffee, tobacco,\\nand cattle, and import most of its food supply. Its crops, under a\\nsystem of cultivation not the most advantageous, have been so large\\nthat it could pay its heavy bills for foreign goods, meet enormous\\ninterest charges on its working capital, and have generally a profit\\nleft. The movement of commerce at the custom-houses was indicated\\nby detailed statistics, published under official auspices. For the cal-\\nendar year 1897 the importations amounted in value to $17,858,063,\\nnative money, of which $7,152,016, or a little more than 40 per cent,\\ncame from Spain; $3,749,815, or upward of 20 per cent, from the\\nUnited States; $1,755,755, a little less than 10 per cent, from England;\\n$1,445,600 from English possessions; $1,314,603 from Germany; and\\nthe rest from many other countries, including $913,069 from India\\nand $692,780 from Cuba. The importations from English possessions\\nconsisted chiefly of fish from Canada. From Cuba came manufac-\\ntured tobacco and chocolate; from Spain, hats and shoes, rice, wines,\\nolive oil, soap, furniture, and cotton goods; from the United States,\\ncoal, kerosene oil, boards, pork and lard, and flour; from Germany,\\nrice, beer, cheese, and building materials; from England, coal, corru-\\ngated iron for roofs, cotton goods, machinery, and cheese; from India,\\nBelgium, and Denmark, rice; and from South America, jerked beef.\\nBacalao (codfish) and rice are the chief articles of common diet. The\\nimportation of rice was enormous 35,451,874 kilos, or 77,994,122\\npounds far exceeding in weight any other single article, not even\\nexcepting coal. In value it exceeded by a million pesos any other\\nimported article. Of codfish, 11,244,245 kilos, valued at $1,461,752,\\nwas imported; of flour, 13,852,030 kilos, valued at $969,642; of pork", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0051.jp2"}, "52": {"fulltext": "42\\nand lard, 4,649,784 kilos, valued at $1,309,935. Including rice, flour,\\nfish, pork and lard, vegetables and canned produce, cheese, olive oil,\\nand common wines, the food importations reached a value of nearly\\n$8,000,000, or well-nigh 45 per cent of the entire list of foreign\\narticles.\\nThe exports $18,574.678 were in 1897 heavier than the imports,\\nthe balance in favor of the island being $716,615, or, deducting the\\narticles reexported, $494,478. Coffee leads the list of exports in value.\\nThe quantity exported was 23,504,999 kilos, valued at $12,222,599,\\nwhich was less by 3 157,195 kilos and $1,641,741 than in 1896. Next\\nto coffee, constituting nearly two-thirds of the volume of exports,\\ncame sugar\u00e2\u0080\u0094 57,648,851 kilos, or 126,827,472 pounds (63,413 tons),\\nvalued at $4,007,9,99, an increase both in quantity and value over the\\ncrop of 1896. The value of the tobacco exported was $1,194,318; of\\nmolasses, $403,520, and of hides, $71,852.\\nThe coffee found market chiefly in Spain, France, Cuba, Germany,\\nand Italy, very small amounts going to other European countries and\\nthe United States. The bulk of the tobacco crop went to Cuba to be\\nmanufactured. The United States, Spain, and Denmark took nearly\\nall the centrifugal sugar; the United States and Spain most of the\\nmuscovado sugar, and the United States three-fourths of the molasses.\\nHides went chiefly to Spain, France, and Germany rum to Spain and\\nAfrica; cocoanuts to the United States and Cuba; oranges to the\\nUnited States; the chocolate bean to Spain; cattle, of which the\\nexport value was $221,720, to Cuba and other West India islands;\\nsalt to the Dutch islands. Small quantities of vegetables, minor\\nfruits, chickens, eggs, etc., are also exported.\\nThe imports were carried in 1,135 vessels 809 steam and 326 sail-\\ning. Of the total number 210 were from Spain, 168 from the United\\nStates, 179 from the English possessions, 144 from Cuba, and 137\\nfrom England.\\nThe commerce of Porto Rico was controlled almost entirety by\\nSpanish and European houses. Comparatively few Porto Ricans\\nwere engaged in either the banking or the mercantile branch. The\\nleading retail merchants were also Spaniards and had Spanish clerks.\\nThe majority of the planters or farmers were Porto Ricans, and the\\nindustries were mostly in their hands. Of the industries, apart from\\nthose belonging to the culture of the soil, which will be described\\nunder Agriculture, there is little to be said. They are few in num-\\nber and small in extent. Salt is produced, notably at Cabo Rojo, by\\nevaporation; hats, both common and fine, are made in the same sec-\\ntion, chiefly by women there are a few factories of chocolate, soap,\\ncarriages, shoes, sdup paste, matches, ice, tinware, and trunks for\\ndomestic consumption. The manufacture of tobacco has assumed\\nimportant proportions since the tariff was established on the raw\\nmaterial in Cuba and on the finished article in Porto Rico. All the\\ncigarettes and most of the cigars used in the island are now made\\nthere. Rum is made in considerable quantities from the residuum of\\nthe sugar mills, and some of it is turned into bay rum, artificial bran-\\ndies, and other liquors. There are sugar mills on many of the estates,\\nvery few of the most approved pattern, and centrifugal and musco-\\nvado sugars and molasses are produced. The central system needs\\nto be introduced for the sake of economy. Many mills are in ruins\\nand vast sums of money have been wasted in niultiptying poor plants.\\nIn the beautiful valley of San German, from almost any point, one\\ncan see twelve or thirteen chimneys, the mills of most of which were long", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0052.jp2"}, "53": {"fulltext": "43\\nsince past grinding. The triple-effect system is found only in a very\\nfew mills, and these are owned almost entirely by Englishmen and other\\nforeigners. The old method of pressing out the juice between wooden\\ncylinders turned by oxen, with open boiling pans, in which the boiling\\nliquor is skimmed by immense paddles and dipped by hand from one\\nvat to another, is still used in many places. The waste from this\\nprocess, known as the Jamaica train system, is very large, and it is\\ndifficult to see how any margin of profit is left to the producer. Coffee\\nis prepared in primitive mortars and also by large modern mills,\\nwhich strip off the inner husk, polish the berry, and color it for the\\nEuropean markets. The sorting and much of the cleaning also are\\ndone by hand, women and girls being employed at prices extremely\\nlow. There is excellent clay in the island from which bricks are\\nmade and also rude earthen jugs and roof tiles. The sea is well\\nstocked with numerous varieties of fish, but comparatively few per-\\nsons are engaged in catching and selling them, perhaps because of the\\ndifficulty of transporting them in a fresh state. They spoil utterly in\\na few hours. Oil was refined at Catano in a small refinery which the\\nlate hurricane destroyed.\\nMany industries are possible which have not yet been undertaken,\\nor undertaken in a small and ineffective way. The materials for the\\nmanufacture of soap and candles are abundant, and these articles\\ncommand good prices. The cattle industry being large, and good tan\\nbark from the mangle tree right at hand, tanneries might be estab-\\nlished to cure hides which are now exported. There are numerous\\nvegetable fibers, from which sacking, used in large quantities for\\nsugar and coffee bags, could be made; also cordage, baskets, ham-\\nmocks, sleeping mats, door mats, now made in small quantities, and\\na variety of useful articles. The yucca, from which a small quantity\\nof starch is made, is easily raised, and the mayor of Fajardo says it\\nyields a profit of $20 an acre.\\npf? The commissioner questioned the people of Humacao, Yauco, and\\nother cities as to the materials for possible industries, and they gave\\nlong lists of them. The lack of capital was given as the reason why\\nthey have not been established. Perhaps initiative and technical\\nknowledge are also wanting. It is of the utmost importance to the\\nfuture of Porto Rico that its industries should be increased. When-\\never coffee, sugar, and tobacco crops are destroyed by hurricanes,\\nwhich visit the island three or four times a century, or bring small\\nreturns on account of low prices, the masses are in danger of starva-\\ntion; not quick, direct starvation, which is hardly possible in a land\\nwhere natural fruits are so abundant, but starvation of the slow kind,\\nwhich gradually saps the strength, weakens the will power, and pre-\\npares the way for disease. The cry of labor is for more work, par-\\nticularly in the cities. The starting of new industries is an economical\\nnecessity, and it should be the policy of the United States to encour-\\nage it. The prosperity of the island must be built on this basis.\\nWhen labor is respected and well employed, the masses become larger\\nconsumers, and all classes of business are benefited. Spain never\\nencouraged the Porto Paeans to establish any industry in the island\\nwhich would unfavorably affect those of the Peninsula. For this\\nreason its resources have never been developed, have never really\\nenjoyed a golden age, and the mother country had. a restricted where\\nit might have had an extensive market; for if the masses had been\\nable to secure constant employment they would have bought Spain s\\nfabrics to clothe themselves, and consumed quantities of articles that", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0053.jp2"}, "54": {"fulltext": "44\\nthey have been compelled to do without. In the United States a poor\\nman carries an umbrella when it rains; in Porto Rico he protects him-\\nself with a banana leaf. Give the latter the means and he will buy\\nother things than codfish, rice, and a few garments of cheap cotton\\ngoods.\\nAGRICULTURE.\\nThis is the chief, almost the only, source of industrial wealth in\\nPorto Rico. Most of the lands even the mountains are susceptible\\nto cultivation or use for pasturage. One may see on the military road\\nnear Cayey a tobacco field covering the whole side of a mountain from\\nthe base to the summit. The proportion of land under actual cultiva-\\ntion is difficult to determine. It is not known certainly how much\\nthere is, as the area of the island has not been definitely ascertained,\\nnor the surface occupied by water and by sites of cities and towns.\\nThe returns of the provincial board of taxation made in 1896 for rural\\nestates may, however, be taken as a basis for an estimate. Those\\nreturns indicated that 294,973 acres were devoted to cane, coffee,\\ntobacco, and other crops. Taking 3,860 square miles, equal to 2,460,400\\nacres, as representing the area of Porto Rico, it would follow that a\\nlittle less than one-eighth of the entire surface was under cultivation\\nin 1896. Of pasture lands there were 1,116,262 acres and of forests\\nand other similar areas 657,631, making a total for rural property of\\n2,068,866 acres. This would only leave 391,534 acres for city and town\\nsites, streams and lakes, roads, etc. The common estimate of Porto\\nRicans is that only one-tenth of the cultivable lands are in actual cul-\\ntivation at any one time. Partial returns of the bureau of agriculture\\nat San Juan for 1899 show that in forty-five municipal districts eighty-\\none of two hundred and eighty-nine sugar-cane plantations are not in\\ncultivation. The acreage devoted to the several crops, particularly\\nto sugar cane and tobacco, varies from year to year. The tax returns\\nindicate 60,953 rural estates and 50,753 owners.\\nThe lands are usually classified under four heads Vegas de primera\\nclase are alluvial lands, particularly valuable for sugar cane and cat-\\ntle raising sobre vegas, higher lands, also alluvial, but not so rich as\\nthose of the first class; mountain lands, often requiring fertilizers,\\ngood for coffee, cattle, and small fruits; and, lastly, mountain tops,\\nusually covered with forests. Along the coasts are sandy soils, good\\nfor little except cocoa palms, and tracts subject to the action of the\\ntides, which could be redeemed by banks or dikes. The soils of the\\nplains and valleys are generally very rich. They have borne crops\\nfor generations without the application of fertilizers, and seem to be\\nwell-nigh inexhaustible. There is a variety of soils humiferous,\\nconsisting of organic matter argillaceous, or clayey siliceous, or\\nsandy, and calcareous, or containing limestone. As classified for\\npurposes of taxation, the alluvial soils of plains and valle3 7 s are con-\\nsidered most valuable those of highlands, containing loam, with sand,\\nclay, or lime, fall into the second classs lands producing inferior\\npasture, into the third, and rocky areas, which grow nothing but\\nbushes, into the fourth.\\nThe crops most generally raised are, in the order of areas occupied,\\naccording to the agricultural census of 1896, coffee, 121,176 acres;\\ncane, 60,884; tobacco, 4,222. Besides these are frutos menores, or\\nminor products, including vegetables and bananas, to the raising of\\nwhich 92,576 acres were devoted, and other crops, including oranges,", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0054.jp2"}, "55": {"fulltext": "45\\ncocoanuts, and fruits in general, covering 16,115 acres. The lower\\nalluvial lands of the coast plains and the valleys of the interior are\\nwell suited to cane; the elevated plains and the mountain valleys to\\ncoffee. Tobacco grows well in strong soils of the valleys and mountain\\nsides. Cane, coffee, and tobacco are grown in every municipal district\\nsave Vieques, which produces no coffee.\\nCoffee can not be raised without shade, as in Brazil. The coffee\\nbushes need five years for full development, under the shade of banana\\nor guava, or other trees. Bananas give both shade and fruit the first\\nyear; guavas and other trees in about five years. The coffee plant\\nbegins to bear full crops at the end of seven years, and continues in\\nbearing condition to 25 and even 50 years of age. Coffee farms are\\nexempted from taxes for the first five years. The amount produced\\nvaries from 1 or 1-J to 3 or more quintals per cuerda, a cuerda being\\na little less than an acre. The cost of production, including planting,\\npicking, hulling, drying, sacking, and carrying to market, is estimated\\nat about $10 per quintal. As the price was only $13 to $15 this year,\\nthere was little margin of profit; but this price was unusually low.\\n.The average size of the coffee plantations in the neighborhood of\\nAibonito was said to be from 80 to 100 cuerdas. The grades of coffee\\nproduced are among the finest, and Porto Rican coffee brings excellent\\nprices in European markets, for which it has to be polished and\\nslightly colored.\\n/The cane fields are found on the plains lying next to the coast line\\nof the island and in some of the interior valleys. There are two\\nsystems of culture, one called the petty, by which planting is done in\\nFebruary or March and the crop is cut a year later; in the other,\\ncalled the larger method, the planting is done in October and the\\nentire cutting follows fifteen months later. Many of the lands are\\nsaid to need fertilizing, much having been taken from them and little\\nor nothing given back. The smaller farmers, having but little land,\\nplant it so continuously that it fails to produce satisfactory results.\\nOn the larger plantations the process of alternation of crops can be\\ncarried out to some extent. Sugar plantations range in size from a\\nfew acres up to 700, 800, and even 1^000. The tendency in recent\\nyears has been to increase the size and diminish the number of plan-\\ntationsj The planters go back to the days of slavery, which was\\nabolished in 1873, as the golden days of the sugar industry. Then\\nthey got $5 and $6, where they scarcely get $3 now, and the expenses\\nof production were then much smaller. Formerly they had sufficient\\ncapital to work their estates and did not need to borrow much; now\\nthey depend largely on borrowed capital, for which they pay from\\n9 to 16 or even 18 percent per annum, x The fall in prices in the\\nworld s markets has, of course, been due to increased production in\\nother lands, in which the beet has become the rival of the cane.\\nWhile cane producers elsewhere have improved their methods of cul-\\nture and manufacture, those of Porto Rico have changed but little.\\nAccording to native experts, the production is only from 2 to 4 hogs-\\nheads of 1,400 to 1,800 pounds each, when it might be 5 or 6 hogs-\\nheads. They use seed from the same stock year after year. A dis-\\nease, affecting almost the whole of the stock, attacks it, and the pro-\\npriety of changing the seed frequently had not even occurred to some\\nof the growers. The changa (grillo-talpa), a cricket, commits great\\nravages among the young plants, and Spanish experts have failed to\\nfind a remedy. To almost all questions relating to improved methods", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0055.jp2"}, "56": {"fulltext": "46\\nthe planters gave the uniform answer that capital was required, and\\nthey had no capital. For example, the examination of the planters\\nof one of the rich valleys proceeded substantially as follows\\nQ. What is the present state of the sugar industry? A. Deplorable.\\nQ. Due to what cause A. Poverty of owners and of soil.\\nQ. Why not use fertilizers?-\u00e2\u0080\u0094 A. We have no capital.\\nQ. Why do you not use phosphates from your mountains A. Because we lack\\nthe means to mine them.\\nQ. Why are you so poor? A. Because, not having sufficient capital, we have to\\nborrow at exorbitant rates of interest.\\nQ. Why do not the planters unite for mutual improvement and defense and the\\nstudy of methods A. Because we have no money.\\nQ. You have many poor mills and few good ones. Why do you not introduce\\nthe central system as an economical measure A. Because we have no capital.\\nQ. If your cane suffers from disease, why not try new seed? A. We would, but\\nwe have no money.\\nCertainly the condition of the sugar industry is deplorable, and the\\nlack of capital is evident and affects all branches of agriculture.\\nThere is a combination of causes. First, decrease in prices, with no\\ncorresponding decrease in expenses of production and transportation;\\nsecond, waste in method of manufacture; third, heavy interest rates;\\nfourth, onerous direct taxes, amounting to 12^ per cent, or more, of\\nnet profits; fifth, high customs duties on machinery and heavy tax on\\nthe right of importation; sixth, withdrawal of capital by Spaniards\\nreturning to the Peninsula with the Spanish troops. -This last cause\\nalone, considering the small amount of currency in circulation, would\\nhave serious results. While in other countries falling prices have\\nbeen met by increased economy in production and manufacture, in\\nPorto Rico planters seemed to be caught in a web of difficulties from\\nwhich extrication was not possible. It is evident that, apart from the\\nquestion of increased capital, at reasonable interest, to work their\\nplantations, which they unite in urging as the first great need, and\\nfree access to the markets of the United States as the second, they\\nmust give more attention to methods of cultivating and manufactur-\\ning their crops, and agricultural experiment stations will be of great\\nvalue.\\nThe third crop in value is tobacco. This was formerly a paying\\nindustry. The chief difficulty in growing it seems to be due to the\\nchanga. To protect the young plant from this insect, it is wrapped\\nin the mamey leaf. This, it is said, affects its growth and its flavor.\\nFormerly, most of the tobacco was shipped to Cuba, where it was\\nmanufactured. The tariff has shut it out of that market, and much\\nof it is being manufactured at home. But there is no market except\\nthe home market ready for the manufactured article. The processes\\nof cultivating and drying need, evidently, to be improved. Experts\\nclaim that the Porto Riean cigars have a green taste.\\nThe other vegetable crops are usually called f rutos menores. They\\nconsist of rice, corn which is very highly esteemed as food, particu-\\nlarly by the colored people potatoes, yams, bananas, squashes, toma-\\ntoes, and other garden produce. As seen in the markets, most of\\nthese articles are greatly inferior in size. Potatoes and tomatoes are\\nscarcely larger than marbles; eggplants, cabbages, and pumpkins\\nthan goose eggs. The explanation generally given is that attention is\\nabsorbed by the chief crops, and the lesser ones are expected to pro-\\nduce themselves, with little or no cultivation. The prices are gener-\\nally good. In the market at Ponce, in March, 1899, small native\\ncabbages were selling at 10 and 12 centavos, while large imported\\ncabbages brought 60 centavos a head. The appearance of the vegeta-", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0056.jp2"}, "57": {"fulltext": "47\\nble stands suggests that long use of seed of the same stock and lack\\nof suitable culture have resulted in degeneration. It would seem that\\npotatoes and onions equal to those of Bermuda might be produced\\nand sent to markets in the United States in the winter or early spring,\\nwhen the demand for those articles makes the prices remunerative.\\nThe commissioner was told that rice of fair quality is grown without\\ngreat labor. As this is preeminently the food of the poor, the natural\\nsuggestion is that more of it should be raised for home consumption.\\nAnnotto, which yields a coloring material, is cultivated quite gener-\\nally; and yucca, out of which starch is manufactured, is, it is claimed,\\na profitable crop. The soil and climate seem to be well suited to the\\ncacao, from the beans of which chocolate is made, and the production\\ncould be easily increased if there were better facilities for getting it\\nto market.\\nThe fruits are such as are common to tropical countries. The\\norange, the culture of which is almost entirely neglected, is the finest\\nfruit the island produces. It is large, juicy, very sweet, and has an\\nexquisite flavor. The tree is seen almost everywhere, but yields the\\nbest results in the mountainous districts. It is very prolific, and in\\nJanuary, February, and March it is at its best, and the prices are\\nremarkably cheap. They could be purchased in some districts at 10\\ncentavos (about 6 cents) a hundred, and an American is said to have\\npurchased a shipload at $2 a thousand. Few have been shipped to\\nthe United States, owing, it is said, partly to lack of certainty of\\ntransportation and partly to the cost of freightage. Cocoanuts are\\nproduced abundantly, particularly on the sandy shores, where little\\nelse will grow. Bananas grow everywhere in great variety and quan-\\ntity, and form an important article of food for the poor. They require\\nlittle attention and are very prolific. The small and delicious guineo\\nis also grown. Unfortunately, it is too delicate to ship to other coun-\\ntries. Among other fruits which are valued by all classes are lirnes,\\na .large and sweet kind of lemon, aguacates, or alligator pears, used\\nfor salad and spread on bread instead of butter; nispolas, very sweet\\nand juicy; corazones, sweet and mushy; fresas, a small wild berry\\nresembling the strawberry, with the flavor of the raspberry; pine-\\napples of a delicious quality; guayaba, of which excellent jelly is\\nmade; grosella, fruit of a tree, used for a dulce, or preserve; man-\\ngoes, tamarinds, and breadfruit. Grapes are also grown. At Fajardo\\nthe commissioner was informed that an excellent quality of Malaga\\ngrapes was raised there, and that three crops a year were gathered.\\nThe most obvious suggestion to those who study the soils and crops\\nand agricultural methods of the island is the necessity of. improved\\nculture of all products, and increased attention to vegetables and\\nfruits. Porto Rico can and ought to raise more rice, potatoes, and\\nsimilar articles for its own consumption, if not for export. Its oranges\\nand pineapples, already very fine, can doubtless be developed by cul-\\nture to such a state of excellence as to compel recognition in the\\nworld s markets. But any material increase in native products for\\nexportation can hardly be expected until better and cheaper facilities\\nof inland transportation are secured. How the question of roads\\naffects production is illustrated by the following questions and\\nanswers. Mr. Roig is a merchant, and owner of a sugar mill at\\nHumacao\\nThe Commissioner. What crops are raised here in addition to sugar?\\nMr. Roig. Corn, beans, yucca, a very few potatoes, some cabbage and other\\nvegetables. We have a few oranges, also a few lemons, but only enough for our\\nown use. Oranges are produced here easily.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0057.jp2"}, "58": {"fulltext": "48\\nThe Commissioner. Why don t you raise larger quantities of oranges?\\nMr. Roig. Because no one has thought of doing so. I think there is more money\\nin planting cane.\\nThe Commissioner. Do you raise rice?\\nMr. Roig. Very little. It flourishes, but it comes cheaper from outside?\\nThe Commissioner. Is it any trouble to raise it?\\nMr. Roig. No.\\nThe Commissioner. Why, then, do you import it?\\nMr. Roig. All the rice here is raised by the poor people.\\nThe Commissioner. Do you raise many bananas?\\nMr. Roig. Only for home consumption.\\nThe Commissioner. Why don t you raise them for export?\\nMr. Roig. I am unable to say.\\nThe Commissioner. I think I can tell you why. Your roads are so bad you can\\nnot get them to market. What other crops are raised?\\nMr. Roig. Cocoanuts.\\nThe Commissioner. Do you raise many for export?\\nMr. Roig. Yes.\\nThe Commissioner. You have plenty of land on which you could grow more for\\nexport, have you not?\\nMr. Roig. Yes; we come to what we said before.\\nThe Commissioner. Do you raise pineapples?\\nMr. Roig. Yes.\\nThe Commissioner. Do they require much labor?\\nMr. Roig. No.\\nThe Commissioner. You don t export any?\\nMr. Roig. No; or at least very few.\\nPerishable products need quick as well as cheap transportation, and\\nit is obvious that opportunities for sale may be lost by delay, and that\\nregular service by carriers is a matter of importance.\\nThe raising of cattle is an important and lucrative industry. The\\npasture is generally abundant and of good quality, and the expense\\naccount is small. The breed is of African stock crossed with Euro-\\npean, and the cattle are large and heavy and Avell suited for the meat\\nmarket and for working purposes. The cows are generally poor milk-\\ners, the maximum quantity being 8 or 10 quarts a day for each cow.\\nDoubtless the fact that they are only milked once a day accounts in\\npart for the small quantity. The quality of the milk is poor. The\\noxen are extensively used for plowing and carting, the race of horses\\nhaving so degenerated, although originally of the famous Andalusian\\nstrain, that they are chiefly of use for the carriage and the saddle.\\nA pair of oxen ready for work will bring $100, being worth more than\\na pair of ordinary ponies. Besides supplying the. domestic meat mar-\\nket, many cattle are shipped to other West Indian islands, chiefly Cuba.\\nThe number of head in the island in 1896 was upward of 300,000.\\nThe chief cattle districts are on the north side. The retail prices of\\nbeef vary from 28 to 40 or 42 centavos a kilo, or 2.2 pounds.\\nCONDITION OF THE LABORING CLASSES.\\nThose who depend upon daily wages for support constitute the great\\nmajority of the people. The sources of employment are not numerous.\\nThe raising, harvesting, and grinding of cane require many more\\nhands than the care and cure of coffee or tobacco; but even on sugar\\nestates the work is not continuous. Some are kept the year round;\\nothers only during the busiest season. The daily wages of the com-\\nmon field laborer range generally from 35 to 50 cents, native money.\\nA few of the more skilled get from 60 to 75 cents a day in the mills.\\nYoung boys and the few women employed receive about 25 or 30 cents\\na day. Women are rarely seen at work in the fields. Sometimes they", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0058.jp2"}, "59": {"fulltext": "49\\nassist at, the mill in putting cane in the carrier which takes it to\\nthe cylinders. Men are paid by the day to work in the tobacco fields;\\nbut coffee pickers and sorters are hired, not by the day, but at so much\\nby measure. Women and girls are found in coffee houses doing the\\nsorting, and also in tobacco factories. In the poor quarters at Arecibo\\nthe women who worked at coffee sorting stated that they made from\\n12 to 18 cents a day, never more than 24 cents. They received 6 cents\\na kettle. Ten kettles make a quintal, or a hundred pounds, and they\\ncould not do half a quintal a day. Laborers in the cane field usually\\ngo to work early in the morning, at 7 o clock or before, and work\\nsteadily until 3 in the afternoon, when they quit for the day. On one\\nestate visited by the commissioner they were served once during the\\nforenoon with bread, presumably by the planter. In the mills the day\\nis from sunrise to sunset.\\nThe house of the laborer is very small and very poor. In the rural\\ndistricts it is built usually of thatch of the palm, leaves of the sugar\\ncane, or other vegetable fibers. It is placed on four posts, standing\\nfrom 1 to 3 feet from the ground. The floor is very uneven and far\\nfrom tight. It has generally three rooms, sometimes only two. These\\nrooms are usually about 6 by 7 or 8 by 10 feet in size. Fortunately,\\nno sash is needed for the windows in that mild climate. Almost no\\nfurniture is visible. A kettle serves as a sort of portable range. In\\nthis, with a little charcoal or splinters of wood, whatever cooking is\\nnecessary is done. Sometimes a scissors bedstead, without mattresses\\nor pillows, and with little covering, is seen sometimes a sack or two\\nsuspended from the roof does duty as a hammock. These houses are\\noften occupied by families of five or more, who dispose themselves for\\nsleep in the different corners of the room, often on palm branches.\\nFor chairs, a box or two must do as substitutes; and as for tables, it\\nis not every man that can afford one.\\nIn the poor quarters of the cities the houses are often made of\\npieces of old boxes or short boards which have served some other\\npurpose. In Arecibo houses of this class are ranged in rows or groups\\non very narrow streets or alleys. Several of these houses the com-\\nmissioner was allowed to examine. In one the husband and wife\\nwere seated on the floor eating their noon meal from a dish and a\\nlittle naked child was in the back room crying. There was no chair\\nor table, only a little wooden stool. Nothing else was visible, except\\nthe small charcoal stove already described. This house, the roof of\\nwhich was full of holes, brought $2 a month rental to its owner. The\\nwoman was white, the man black. Other houses in this settlement\\nwere of the same description; some a little larger; some better kept\\nand with more furniture; others a little l^es comfortable, perhaps.\\nAt one of the larger houses, preparations were being made for the\\nusual Sunday night dance. Two men were practicing the music on a\\nhome made guitar, accompanied by a guira, a native instrument\\nmade of a gourd, over whose regularly lined surface a short, slender\\niron rod was scraped back and forth. Extreme poverty and squalor\\nwere in evidence, but there was no sign of vice and unhappiness.\\nLiving in this neighborhood of kind-hearted, polite, and sociable people\\nwere a woman, said to be over a hundred years old, evidently having\\nCarib blood, and a helpless woman who had been a beggar. Both\\nwere eared for by those who esteemed themselves better off. The\\nsick, in these small, crowded, dirty quarters, are not allowed to suffer\\nfor a bit of bread, or fish, or a little soup. The poor quarters of\\n1125 4 4y", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0059.jp2"}, "60": {"fulltext": "50\\nYauco are on the hillside. The houses were a little better, perhaps,\\nthan those in Arecibo. There were no sanitary arrangements of any\\nkind, and the water used had to be brought from the river, distant a\\nmile or more. Now and then a case of thrift will appear where, under\\nsimilar conditions as those of the majority a family will have better\\nfood and better furniture and cleaner clothes than their neighbors,\\nand sometimes own the house they live in. All are industrious, as a\\nrule, and the only complaint they make is that they can not get work\\nenough.\\nThe food of the poor varies in quantity and quality, according to\\ntheir means. In the house of an intelligent laborer at Yauco the\\ntable was standing when the commissioner visited it. On it were\\nsmall plates of rice and codfish. It was then 5 o clock in the after-\\nnoon, and the family of five were taking their first meal that day, and\\nsaid they were thankful for even the small portion they had. A\\nwoman who had been deserted by her husband was supporting four\\nchildren. She paid $1.25 a month rent, and earned about 25 cents a\\nday picking coffee. Few of the laboring: classes are robust. Tbey\\nare small and thin and are decidedly anaemic. More nourishing food\\nmay be said to be the universal need, and a less destructive drink\\nthan the native rum. Porto Ricans are not as a rule intern perate.\\nThose who can afford it drink wine or beer with their meals in mod-\\neration; but the tariff and consumo tax on common wines put them\\nbeyond the reach of the poor. The fiery rum does them no little\\nphysical injury. A good supply of pure water is almost everywhere\\nwanting. It would be a boon alike to the well-to-do and the poor.\\nThe old stone filter s in use are quite inadequate purifiers.\\nThe ordinary household utensils, not numerous, consist of a square\\ntin case in which oil was imported, with a bar of wood across the top\\nnailed to the sides to serve as a handle; a fire kettle, like a plumber s;\\ncucharas and cucharitas, large and small spoons, and cups and ladles\\nmade of the gourd washtubs fashioned from the sheath of the royal\\npalm, the ends being drawn together; mills for coffee and corn, circu-\\nlar flat stones, and mortars hollowed out of trunks of trees, with the\\nmachete to serve as ax, hatchet, and knife, and fingers as a substitute\\nfor forks.\\nThe rule of the planters appears to have been to pay their laborers\\nin money once a week. To this rule, however, there were exceptions.\\nSometimes they paid in vales or tickets, redeemable at the store of\\nthe proprietors. There were many complaints from workingmen that\\nwhat they got at these stores was poor in quality and high in price.\\nThe law required that the wages be paid in money, but the employee\\nhad no means of enforcing it. Workingmen showed these vales to\\nthe commissioner and besought his intervention. On inquiry it\\nappeared that some of those who paid in this way could not command\\nthe cash at all seasons of the year, and gave their employees the choice\\n,of quitting work or taking them.\\nThe field laborer is usually illiterate and is bringing up his children\\nas he himself was raised, entirety without schooling. This is due in\\npart to the lack of school accommodations in rural districts, partly to\\nthe want of suitable clothing, and in some measure to the failure of\\nparents to appreciate the importance of education. The clothing of\\nthe poor is of the cheapest description and is very meager. The young\\nchildren go entirely naked. Those who have two changes of clothing,\\nusually thin cotton goods, consider themselves fortunate. As to shoes,", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0060.jp2"}, "61": {"fulltext": "51\\nfew wear them at all. A committee of iTusiness men in Ponce made\\na careful calculation of the number of shoes required annually for the\\npeople of the island. Their estimate was as follows Fifty thousand\\nwear four pairs a year; 50,000 wear three pairs a year; 50,000 wear\\ntwo pairs a j^ear; 50,000 wear one pair a year. According to this,\\n150,000 of the 900,000 inhabitants wear shoes regularly, and 50,000\\nirregularly, leaving 700,000 as belonging to the barefoot class.\\nThe artisans are better educated, have better food, and wear better\\nclothes. As their work is chiefly in the cities, it is a necessity for them\\nto be suitably dressed. At the invitation of the commissioner, the\\nartisans of San Juan, who are organized into a dozen or more gremios\\nor unions, came to his headquarters one evening and were examined.\\nThere were eleven of them, representing painters, tinsmiths, silver-\\nsmiths, bookbinders, cigar makers, printers, masons, carpenters,\\nbakers, shoemakers, and boatmen. Nine of the eleven were colored\\nmen, who seem to monopolize the trades, at least in the capital. All\\nexcept one wrote his name and occupation in the stenographer s note-\\nbook. They were neatly dressed, well-appearing, intelligent men.\\nEach spoke of his own trade. It appeared that their freedom of meet-\\ning had been restricted, and that they had not been allowed to concert\\nstrikes. The substance of their complaints was that their yearly in-\\ncome is too small to allow them to live comfortably and educate their\\nchildren. In most cases their earnings were from $1 to $1.25 or $1.50\\na day of ten or eleven hours. They complained of lack of work;\\nthat boys of 15 years or less are allowed to undertake toil too hard for\\nthem, breaking down their physical constitution, and that their trades\\nwere generally overcrowded. Skilled workmen in other cities were\\nworse off. Coopers, tailors, and others on the average get employment\\nfor only four to six months a year. In Arecibo the commissioner was\\ninformed that many of the artisans were kept away from the hearing\\nbecause they had no hats or shoes to wear. The carpenters and\\nmasons suffer because there is little building even in the cities the\\nbakers, because there are so many of them; the tailors and shoemakers,\\nbecause so many cheap clothes and shoes are imported; the printers,\\nbecause there is so little demand for newspapers. The masons of\\nArecibo, numbering thiiiy-six, prepared a circular in January, 1899,\\nasking those able to do so to build houses on the numerous vacant\\nlots in that city in order to give masons and carpenters work, but natu-\\nrally their appeal was without effect. Some of the masons make less\\nthan 75 cents a day. One of them in response to an inquiry said the\\nconditions had been bad ever since he could remember.\\nIt is evident that the condition of the laboring classes can not be\\ngreatly improved unless agriculture becomes prosperous and minor\\nindustries are developed. This means practically a revolution in the\\nmethods of raising, and marketing crops, and it can not be accom-\\nplished without the influx of new capital. How this shall be attracted\\nis one of the problems for those interested in the regeneration of\\nPorto Rico. It is manifest that the great object to be gained is the\\nraising of the working classes to a higher level of intelligence, of effi-\\nciency as laborers, of power and influence as citizens, and of comfort\\nand enjoyment as social creatures. Give them remunerative work,\\nand all the rest is possible. They will then, as has already been said\\nunder another heading, want better houses, better furniture, better\\nfood and clothing, and this in turn will give increased employment to\\nmasons and carpenters and to producers of foodstuffs and the vari-", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0061.jp2"}, "62": {"fulltext": "52\\nous fabrics. The great wheel would turn all the lesser wheels.\\nLaborers are good consumers when their labor is sufficiently paid,\\nand there can be no real prosperity in which they do not share.\\nTHE TARIFF.\\nThe commissioner had the honor of making, in December last, a\\npreliminary report on this subject, which will be found in another\\npart of this report. Upon the basis of it, the Hon. Robert P. Porter,\\nspecial commissioner for the United States to Cuba and Porto Rico,\\nrevised the schedules with the aim of levying, on the average, a rate\\nof about 15 per cent ad valorem. The change in the value of the\\nnative money in United States currency, which took effect at about\\nthe same time, was taken into consideration. Previously the rate of\\n$2 Porto Rican to II American had prevailed at the custom-houses;\\nthe new order made $1.66f Porto Rican receivable for $1 American in\\ncustoms dues. As Mr. Porter points out, this alone made a reduc-\\ntion of 16f per cent in the amount of revenue paid in pesos. The\\neffect of the new tariff was to give considerable relief to the people,\\nparticularly in the price of foodstuffs and the cheaper grades of cot-\\nton goods, and in machinery. All export duties were abolished. A\\nspecial report of its operation was made by the commissioner to the\\nSecretary of the Treasury from San Juan in February, 1899, from\\nwhich it appears that at minor points changes are desired. The new\\ntariff proves, so far, to be a good revenue producer. The receipts for\\nimports in the first six months of 1899, including less than five months\\nunder the present tariff, amount to $697,902. For the same period in\\n1896 they were $705,033; in 1895,1606,065; in 1894, $464,987. There\\nare no returns for 1898. The total amount collected in the year 1897,\\naccording to the official Estadistica General del Comercio Exterior de\\nla Provincia de Puerto Rico, expressed in United States money, was\\n$1,489,172; the export duties for the same year were $144,844. It is\\nnot possible with the data available to make an accurate comparison\\nbetween the old tariff and the new as to net results. Attention is\\ncalled to the statistics of manufacture of tobacco and manufacture and\\nsale of liquors, gathered with a view to taxation for internal revenue.\\nTHE CURRENCY AND BANKING.\\nThe commissioner s views on the currency were also presented in a\\npreliminary report. The action of the President in fixing the value\\nof the peso in United States money was as just a solution of the\\nproblem as could have been reached. It only remains to complete\\nthe process by retiring the native currency when it can be done with-\\nout injurjf to the interests of the island, and allowing the monej of\\nthe United States to be the circulating medium of the island. The\\ndepreciated silver of the Spanish regime is a source of confusion in\\ncommercial transactions. Silver dollars and half dollars American\\nof practically the same weight and fineness pass for dollars and half\\ndollars, while the peso and 40-centavo piece are received at a little more\\nthan 60 cents and 24 cents, respectively. The time for the change will\\ncome when cabotage, or free commerce, is established between ports of\\nPorto Rico and those of the United States. The people desire a\\nmonetary system which will harmonize with those of other countries.\\nThe currency in circulation is so limited in amount and the banking\\nfacilities so meager that borrowing has been attended with difficulties", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0062.jp2"}, "63": {"fulltext": "53\\nand great expense. There is only one bank of issue the Spanish\\nBank of Porto Rico, in San Juan which had in circulation usually\\nfrom $2,500,000 to $3,000,000 of paper money. These notes were\\naccepted in some parts of the island, but they were not a legal tender,\\nand did not circulate extensively outside of San Juan. The Terri-\\ntorial and Agricultural Bank, in San Juan, was founded in 1894 on\\nthe model of the Credit Foncier of France. Its nominal capital is\\n$2,400,000, of which only one-fourth has been realized by the sale of\\nshares. Its principal business is to make loans on long terms on first\\nmortgages on real estate, for which it issues hypothecary bonds. These\\nissues have not exceeded $1,000,000. There were two savings banks\\n(caja de ahorra), one in Ponce and one in Mayaguez. Their cedulas\\n(so large that they had to be folded) obtained some circulation. They\\nwere taken as a convenience instead of silver.\\nThere is great need of a banking system for Porto Rico which shall\\nallow of the establishment of banks in the chief cities and towns of\\nthe island. The Spanish banking law permits the free establishment\\nof note-issuing banks, provided they are supervised by a governor\\nappointed bj^ the Government, the limit of circulating notes being\\nfixed at three times the amount of the paid-up capital. Our national\\nbanks could not meet the urgent demand of the agriculturists for long-\\ntime loans on mortgages on real estate, but they would be of incal-\\nculable benefit to the merchants and business men. They could issue\\nnotes and thus increase the circulating medium; they could lend on\\ncollaterals for short terms; they would bring banking facilities into\\nevery considerable community, and business transactions would be\\nlargely by check instead of by shipments of silver. The conditions\\nof the agriculturists are peculiar, and they unite in saying that loans\\nfor periods of from twentj^ to thirty or forty years are absolutely nec-\\nessary. The Agricultural Bank met their needs in so far as it had\\nability; but its scale of business was far too limited, and but few\\ncould get accommodations from it. They suggest the establishment\\nof similar banks in other cities, or, failing in that, a large increase in\\nthe capital of the existing bank, the guarantee of its securities by the\\nGovernment, and their recognition in the stock markets of the United\\nStates.\\nCHANGES UNDER THE MILITARY GOVERNMENT.\\nThe government of the island, its various civil institutions, its codes\\nand its courts, the systems of taxation, etc., have been modified in\\nvery important particulars since the American occupation began,\\nOctober 18, 1898. It will be useful; perhaps, to indicate the more\\nimportant changes. Under Gen. John R. Brooke orders were issued\\ndeclaring\\n(1) That the political relations of Porto Rico with Spain were at an\\nend; that provincial and municipal laws were in force in so far as not\\nincompatible with the changed conditions, and that they would be\\nenforced substantially as they were before.\\n(2) Abolishing the use of all stamped paper and stamps of every\\nkind for documents, public and private.\\n(3) Exempting all conveyances and contracts from the payment of\\nroyal dues.\\n(4) Discontinuing the diputacion provincial, and distributing its\\nduties among the secretaries or ministers.\\n(5) Directing that appeals should not be sent to the supreme court\\nin Madrid, but should be heard by the superior court at San Juan.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0063.jp2"}, "64": {"fulltext": "54\\n(6) Abolishing the subdelegation of pharmacy which gave degrees\\nto pharmacists.\\n(7) Making the fisheries free to all.\\nAppropriations for the support of the church ceased with American\\noccupation, and the Government lottery was discontinued.\\nUnder the military government of Gen. Guy V. Henry, orders were\\nissued\\n(1) Appointing military commissions to try cases of arson and mur-\\nder which had accumulated in the civil courts.\\n(2) Closing public offices on Sunday, as far as possible.\\n(3) Suspending the municipal tax on fresh beef for use of the Army.\\n(4) Making Christmas and New Years holidays.\\n(5) Forbidding grants or concessions of public or corporate rights\\nor franchises without the approval of the commanding general and\\nthe Secretary of War.\\n(6) Abolishing the municipal consumo tax on articles of food, fuel,\\nand drink, and providing for additional assessments on the sale of\\nliquors and tobacco.\\n(7) Separating the collection of customs duties from that of direct\\ntaxes.\\n(8) Establishing a new system of land taxation, by which agricul-\\ntural lands should be taxed according to the several classes instituted,\\nfrom 1 peso down to 25 centavos per cuerda, and levying 50 per cent\\nadditional on lands whose owners reside abroad.\\n(9) Providing for the free vaccination of the people of the island.\\n(10) Prohibiting the exhumation of bodies in the cemeteries, recog-\\nnizing the right of priests to control burials in consecrated grounds,\\nand requiring municipalities to keep cemeteries in repair.\\n(11) Reducing notarial fees from $1.88 to $1, from 14.50 to $1, from\\n$11 to $1, and from $1 to 50 cents, according to class of document and\\ncanceling others.\\n(12) Reorganizing the cabinet, so as to make all the secretaries di-\\nrectly responsible to the governor-general.\\n(13) Suspending the foreclosure of mortgages on agricultural prop-\\nerty and machinery for one year.\\n(14) Appointing February 22 a holiday.\\n(15) Prohibiting the sale of liquor to children under 14 years of age.\\n(16) Modifying the civil marriage law.\\n(17) Declaring that eight hours shall constitute a day s work.\\n-t- (18) Creating an insular police.\\nUnder the military government of Gen. George W. Davis orders\\nwere issued\\n(1) Modifying the order of General Henry concerning hours of labor,\\nso as to allow agreements between employer and employee for longer\\nor shorter .hours.\\n(2) Naming May 30 as a holiday.\\n(3) Allowing the writ of habeas corpus to be issued.\\n(4) Constituting a board of prison control and pardon.\\n(5) Continuing the observance as a holiday of June 24.\\n(6) Creating a provisional court on the basis of circuit and district\\ncourts of the United States for the hearing of cases not falling within\\nthe jurisdiction of local insular courts.\\n(7) Creating a superior board of health for the island.\\n(8) Reorganizing the bureau of public instruction and the system\\nof education.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0064.jp2"}, "65": {"fulltext": "55\\n(9) Relieving the judiciary from all control by the department of\\njustice, discontinuing the office of secretary of justice, and appointing\\na solicitor-general.\\n(10) Abolishing the sale at auction of the privilege of slaughter of\\ncattle, .and making it free.\\n(11) Reorganizing the judicial system of the island, with a supreme\\ncourt in San Juan and district courts in San Juan, Ponce, Mayaguez,\\nArecibo, and Humacao, and with modifications of civil and criminal\\nprocedure.\\n(12) Discontinuing the departments of state, treasury, and interior,\\nand creating bureaus of state and municipal affairs, of internal reve-\\nnue, and of agriculture, to be placed under the direction of a civil\\nsecretary, responsible to the governor-general, and continuing the\\nbureaus of education and public works, with an insular board of nine\\nmembers to advise the governor-general on matters of public interest\\nreferred to them.\\nThe reductions in the budget of expenditures have been extensive.\\nThat of 1898-99, adopted in June, 1898, amounted to $1,781,920,\\nnative money. The appropriations for general obligations, which\\nwent to Madrid, $498,502; for the clergy, $197,945; for the army,\\n$1,252,378; for the navy, $222,668, making a total of $2,171,493,\\nceased to be obligations, leaving $2,610,428 for the fiscal year. A\\nnew budget was adopted for the calendar year 1899, which still fur-\\nther reduces expenditures, calling only for $1,462,276. This budget,\\nif carried out, would have involved a reduction from the proposed\\nbudget of 1898-99 of $3,319,644; but a new budget was formed, as\\nalready stated, for 1899-1900, which appears to call for an increase\\nover this very moderate sum.\\nThe revenues were reduced by the abolition of stamped paper,\\npersonal passports, export duties, royal dues on conveyances, the lot-\\ntery system, and other sources of income, amounting, all told, to less\\nprobably than a million of pesos.\\nWHAT PORTO RICO EXPECTS FROM THE UNITED STATES.\\nAll classes of natives of the island welcomed the American Army,\\nAmerican occupation, and American methods, and accepted without\\nhesitation the Stars and Stripes in place of the red and yellow bars.\\nThey had not been disloyal to the old flag; but it had come to repre-\\nsent to them, particularly during the present century, in which a class\\nfeeling developed between the insular and the peninsular Spaniard,\\npartiality and oppression. In the short war, some of the natives occu-\\npying official positions made demonstrations of loyalty to the Crown\\nof Spain, as was perfectly natural, but they were among the first to\\nsubmit to American rule when the protocol promised cession of the\\nisland to the United States. On the other hand, as the commissioner\\nis informed, a Porto Rican who had hoped and prayed for American\\nintervention for fifty years enrolled himself as a Spanish citizen some\\nmonths after the war was concluded, and his hopes had been realized.\\nPorto Ricans generally complained that the former Government dis-\\ncriminated in favor of the Spaniard, who, in the distribution of the\\noffices, was preferred to the native, and who, aided by the powerful\\ninfluence of the authorities, prospered in business as banker, mer-\\nchant, manufacturer, or agriculturist. They also insist that the inter-\\nnal improvement of the island was neglected; that agriculture bore", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0065.jp2"}, "66": {"fulltext": "56\\nmore than its share of the burden of taxation; that the assessments\\nwere very inequitable and unequal that education was not fostered,\\nand that in general the welfare of the people was not the first concern\\nof their rulers.\\nThey expect under American sovereignty that the wrongs of cen-\\nturies will be righted; that they will have an honest and efficient\\ngovernment; the largest measure of liberty as citizens of the great\\nj Republic under the Constitution; home rule as provided by the Terri-\\ntorial system; free access to the markets of the United States and\\nno customs duties on goods coming from our ports; a school system\\nmodeled after that of the United States the adoption of the English\\nlanguage in due time and the general adaptation to the island of all\\nthose institutions which have contributed to the prosperity, progress,\\nand happiness of the American people.\\nThe largest and most representative gathering, since American\\noccupation, was held in San 5uan, October 30, 1898, without distinc-\\ntion of party or class with the object of consultation and formulation of\\na programme for the future, In brief, the propositions of the congress\\nas submitted to the commissioner for presentation to the President of\\nthe United States were these Immediate termination of military and\\ninauguration of civil government; establishment of the Territorial\\nsj^stem, with laws common to other Territories of the Union; a legisla-\\nture in two branches; suffrage for all male citizens of 21 j^ears of age\\nor over, the right to be surrendered at the end of the first two years by\\nthose who do not then know how to read and write; judicial reform;\\nintroduction of the jury system; autonomy for municipal govern-\\nments; taxation on the basis of valuation; free and reciprocal com-\\nmerce with the ports of the United States; aid for agriculture;\\nobligatory and universal education; trade schools; savings banks.\\nThis programme of reforms seems to have very general support,\\nalthough there is a difference of opinion on certain points. Many\\nPorto Ricans urged the commissioner to represent them as desiring\\nthat the military regime be made as short as possible, not because the\\nmilitary governors were in any way objectionable or their rule op-\\npressive, but because the civil status of the island should be fixed\\nwith no unnecessary delay. There was no other opinion except\\namong foreign subjects, many of whom thought that the people were\\nnot yet ready for self-government, and that the firm hand of military\\npower would be needed for probably two years.\\nCAPACITY FOR SELF-GOVERNMENT.\\nThe question of capacity for self-government lies at the threshold\\nof the whole subject. It may be said, without fear of contradiction,\\nthat Porto Ricans have had little opportunity to show their capacity,\\nand such experience as they may have gained in the government of\\ncities and in minor official positions was under a system not the most\\nl suitable for developing efficient, independent, impartial, and honest\\npublic servants. They, themselves, see this clearty and admit it.\\nThey condemn unsparingly the old methods, and say that they want\\nto begin the era of iheir new relations with better institutions, under\\nsounder and juster principles, and. with improved methods. Their\\nanxiety to learn fully equals their willingness to accept the American\\nplan of government. This is not so new to them as manj 7 have sup-\\nposed. Some of them have been educated in American institutions,\\nnot a few of them know our language, and while they might not be", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0066.jp2"}, "67": {"fulltext": "57\\nable to pass a thorough examination in American civil government\\ntheir aspirations for the past half century have been toward the\\nUnited States as a deliverer, and when their allegiance to the Penin-\\nsula was broken they knew pretty well what the rights and privileges\\nof American citizenship were. They are quick in intellectual appre-\\nhension, and have little trouble, either the old or the young, in learn-\\ning to read when there is an object to be gained in doing so.\\nIf the desire to assume the burdens of local self-government may\\nbe taken as indicating some degree of capacity for self-government,\\nthe people of Porto Rico certainly have the desire. They may be\\npoor, but they are proud and sensitive, and would be bitterly disap-\\npointed if they found that they had been delivered from an oppress-\\nive yoke to be put under a tutelage which proclaimed their infe-\\nriority. Apart from such qualifications as general education and\\nexperience constitute, the commissioner has no hesitation in affirming\\nthat the people have good claims to be considered capable of self-\\ngovernment. Education and experience, although too high a value\\nean hardly be set upon them, do not necessarily make good citizens.\\nMen may be well educated and yet be bad morally. Moral conduct\\nis the first and most indispensable qualification for good citizenship.\\nThe ignorant and the vicious are often spoken of as though always\\nin one class. In some measure they are; but so are the intelligent\\nand the vicious. Education is not the invariable line which separates\\ngood citizens from bad, but active moral sense. m\\nThe unswerving loyalty of Porto Rico to the Crown of Spain, as\\ndemonstrated by the truth of history, is no small claim to the confi-\\ndence and trust of the United States. The people were obedient under\\ncircumstances which provoked revolt after revolt in other Spanish\\ncolonies. The habit of obedience is strong among them.\\nTheir respect for law is another notable characteristic. They are\\nnot turbulent or violent. Riots are almost unknown in the island; so\\nis organized resistance to law; brigandage flourished only for a brief\\nperiod after the war and its object was revenge rather than rapine.\\nThey are not a criminal people. The more violent crimes are by no\\nmeans common. Burglary is almost unknown. There are many cases\\nof homicide, but the number in proportion to population is not as large\\nas in the United States. Thievery is the most common crime, and\\npetty cases make up a large part of this list of offenses. The people\\nas a whole are a moral, law-abiding class, mild in disposition, easy to\\ngovern, and -possess the possibilities of developing a high type of\\ncitizenship. The fact that so many of them enter into marital rela-\\ntions without the sanction of state or church is, of course, a serious\\nreflection upon their social morality. Half or more of their children\\nare illegitimate. From this stigma they can not escape. But too much\\nto their discredit may be easily inferred from this scandalous state of\\naffairs. Their apparent defiance.of social, civil, and ecclesiastical law\\nis not due to immoral purpose, but to conditions of long standing,\\nagainst which they have deemed it useless to struggle. It is the gen-\\neral testimony that persons living together without the obligations of\\nmarriage are as a rule faithful to each other, and care for their off-\\nspring with true parental love and devotion.\\nThey are industrious, and are not disposed to shirk the burdens\\nwhich fall, often with crushing force, upon the laboring class. Their\\nidleness is usually an enforced idleness. No doubt the ambition of\\nmany needs to be stimulated, for their lot has been so hopeless of an\\nimprovement that the desire for more conveniences and comforts may", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0067.jp2"}, "68": {"fulltext": "58\\nhave been well-nigh lost. They seem to have few customs or preju-\\ndices which would prevent them from becoming good American\\ncitizens.\\nThe question remains whether, in view of the high rate of illiteracy\\nwhich exists among them, and of their lack of training in the responsi-\\nbilities of citizenship, it would be safe to intrust them with the power\\nof self-government. The commissioner has no hesitation in answer-\\ning this question in the affirmative. Who shall declare what is the\\nrequisite measure of capacity for self-governmentV It may be put so\\nhigh as to rule out all the Central and South American nations and some\\nof the nations of Europe which have demonstrated practical!}* their\\ncapacity for self-government. Tribes living in a very primitive state\\nof civilization show capacity to maintain order, to protect their com-\\nmon interests, and defend themselves against enemies, and to hold\\nindividuals accountable to a more or less crude and imperfect system\\nof law. Some measure of such capacity is common to the human\\nrace, better developed among some peoples than among others, but\\ncharacteristic of all. Porto Ricans are surely better prepared than\\nwere the people of Mexico, or of the colonies in Central and South\\nAmerica, which have one after another emancipated themselves from\\nforeign domination and entered upon the duties and privileges of self-\\ngovernment. Revolutions marked their earlier history with violence\\nand bloodshed, because they were a warlike people; but out of it has\\ncome increased capacity and steady advance toward settled peace,\\nwith prosperity. The Porto Ricans will make mistakes, but they will\\nnot foment revolutions or insurrections. They will learn the art of\\ngoverning the only possible way by having its responsibilities laid\\nupon them and they will fit themselves for the discharge of their obli-\\ngations by establishing at once a system of free schools that will give\\nevery boy and girl a chance to remove the reproach of illiteracy. The\\nfather who wishes his son to learn to swim does not row him all day\\nupon the lake, but puts him into the water and the child s fear of\\ndrowning will stimulate to those exercises which lead to the art of\\nswimming. Let Porto Rico have local self-government after the pat-\\ntern of our Territories and she will gain by her blunders, just as cities\\nand States in our own glorious Republic are constantly learning.\\nIt should be remembered that Porto Rico is not asking for inde-\\npendent self-government. The people are far from desiring separa-\\ntion from the United States. This simplifies the problem and reduces\\nthe risk; for what they might not be able to do if left entirely to their\\nown resources, they may easily accomplish under the strong protecting\\nhand of the Government of the United States. The system will be\\ngiven them by Congress, their chief executive and a few other officials\\nwill be Americans, and with a strong central insular government, to\\nwhich they are accustomed and against which they will not protest,\\nthey may be started on their new career under favorable auspices.\\nAS TO CHANGE OF LANGUAGE AND CUSTOMS.\\nThe commissioner is convinced by what he saw, heard, and learned in\\nPorto Rico by contact with all classes, that Avhile many changes and\\nmodifications are desired and are absolutely essential to the future\\nwelfare of the island, the existing institutions and laws, usages, and\\ncustoms should not be revolutionized or severely reformed. The\\ncustoms and usages and language of a people are not like old vest-\\nments, which maybe laid aside at command, but become a part of their", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0068.jp2"}, "69": {"fulltext": "59\\nlife, and are very dear to them. They will learn our customs and\\nusages, in so far as they are better than their own, as they learn our\\nlanguage. A native lady, a grandmother, said to the commissioner:\\nSir, I am glad the Americans have come. We must learn the Eng-\\nlish language. I shall not learn it; my son will not learn it; we are\\ntoo old; but my grandchildren will learn it, the children of the island\\nwill learn it in the free schools which our new metropolis will cause to\\nbe established. The attachment to the language has long and strong-\\nroots. It will not do and it is not necessary to take any harsh meas-\\nures to sever it. Said one of the leading native scholars and lawyers,\\nan ardent American and a very progressive man I love the Spanish\\nlanguage. I lisped it in my mother s arms; I whispered its soft\\nwords to her who became my wife; I think in it, and in it are all the\\nbeautiful prose and poetry known to me. Both Spanish and English\\nmay be used side by side for years to come.\\nThe codes, civil, commercial, and penal, need to be amended, but\\nnot abrogated or superseded the courts to be reorganized, not revolu-\\ntionized; judicial procedure and administration to be reformed, not\\ncreated anew; the system of property registration has some x~ oints\\nof advantage over our own, and it does not need to be recast, provided\\nthe abuses are remedied municipal government requires development,\\nand the civil divisions of the island should be arranged upon another\\nplan. The commissioner is convinced that an adaptation of the village,\\ntown, and county system of the United States is necessary to efficient\\ninternal government in Porto Rico. Some of the municipal districts\\nare as large as counties. The population of the municipal seat is often\\nbut a small fraction of that of the whole district, yet its streets, plazas,\\nlights, police, fire department, public charity, etc., are maintained at\\nthe expense of the majority in the rural portions who do not enjoy\\nthese conveniences. Township and village organizations would relieve\\nrural taxpayers, and, what is of even greater importance, encourage\\nconcentration of population, which is now so scattered that it is ex-\\ntremely difficult, if not impossible, to provide school and other neces-\\nsary facilities for thousands of people. The county system would\\nsecure equality of assessment as between different towns and villages,\\nmake effective school and road superintendence possible, and provide\\nnatural divisions for courts, registration of property, etc. Attention\\nis called to Dr. Tomas Vasquey s plea for concentration of peones in\\nvillages as the only method of improving their condition, socially,\\nmorally, and intellectually. Even this reform, however, should not\\nbe forced upon the people. They should be allowed to introduce it in\\ntheir own time.\\nFREE COMMERCE BETWEEN PORTO RICO AND THE UNITED STATES.\\nIn recommending that Porto Rico be given a form of government\\nmodeled after that of our Territories, the commissioner does not for-\\nget that the fixing of the status of the island, as that of our older Span-\\nish Territories of Arizona and New Mexico, involves the abolition of\\ncustoms duties between our ports and those of our new possession.\\nIndeed, that is one of the reasons why Territorial government should\\nbe given. The question of statehood is not now in issue. The power\\nthat grants Territorial rights can grant or refuse statehood, and may\\nbe trusted not to make undue haste, seeing that Territories organized\\nfrom thirty-six to fifty years ago have not yet had their pleas for\\nadmission to the Union favorably acted upon. Free access to our", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0069.jp2"}, "70": {"fulltext": "60\\nmarkets is a matter of far more moment to Porto Rico than the possi-\\nbility of statehood.\\nWithout asking the consent or advice of the people of the island,\\nwe separated it from its relations to the Peninsula, and took it under\\nour own control. By that action we caused the markets of Spain to\\nbe closed to its products, except upon terms to which the commerce\\nof all foreign nations must submit in Spanish ports. It sold in Spain;\\nit bought in Spain. Since American occupation, it finds itself without\\na single free market either of sale or purchase. Customs duties bar\\nit from Spanish ports and from the ports of the United States with\\nequal rigor. It pays the same rates at its ports for what it buys in\\nthe United States as for what it buys in Spain and other foreign\\ncountries. The embarrassment of unusually low prices for its prod-\\nucts is increased by the rates it has to pay to, find either its old or\\nnew customers. The sister island of Cuba, which used to buy\\ncoffee and cattle of it, and manufactured its tobacco, is now foreign\\nterritory.\\nUnder these circumstances she turns to the United States and begs\\nthat reciprocal relations of mother and daughter may be established\\nand that iii our markets she may buy and sell as freely as Arizona or\\nNew Mexico or Alaska. It is difficult to see how this prayer can be\\ndenied or disregarded. There is but one reason for doing either, and\\nthat is, Porto Rican sugar and tobacco will come into competition\\nwith the sugar and tobacco of the United States. We must, it is\\nsaid, protect our farmers. True; but is not Porto Rico ours as really\\nas Arizona, and are not Porto Rican farmers our farmers? And if\\nthey have advantage in the markets of the United States, shall not\\nthe merchants and manufacturers of the United States have compen-\\nsating advantage in a new market for their wares and manufactures\\nin Porto Rico? The Porto Rican sugar crop is small compared with\\nthat of the United States. According to the statistics of the Treasury\\nDepartment, our sugar production^ including cane, sorghum, and\\nbeet, amounted in 1896 to more than 383,000 tons; while the island s\\ntotal export the same year was a little over 61,000 tons. The com-\\nparative production of the two countries is as 6 to 1 in favor of the\\nUnion. This does not prove that the free admission of Porto Rican\\nsugar would not affect our sugar market, but it does not indicate that\\nit would unsettle it. Of Porto Rico s export of sugar in 1896, 35,512\\ntons, or somewhat less than three-fifths, came to the United States,\\npaying dutj^, of course.\\nThe exports of tobacco from Porto Rico in 1896 amounted to\\n2,215,245 pounds, which was the bulk of the crop, as a comparatively\\nsmall proportion was manufactured in the island. The tobacco pro-\\nduction of the United States, as estimated by the Department of\\nAgriculture, was, in 1896, 403,000,000 pounds, in round numbers. The\\namount of the Porto Rican export is hardly an appreciable quantity\\ncompared with the crop of the United States. It is as 1 to 182. The\\nvalue of the former was less than 423,000 pesos, or, valuing the peso\\nat $1.66f toll American, less than $255,000 American. Our imports\\nof tobacco leaf in 1895 amounted to 114,745,720.\\nPractically, so far as the sugar and tobacco producers of the United\\nStates are concerned, leaving the revenues to the Government out of\\nsight, the admission of these Porto Rican products free would mean\\nadding about 61,000 to our 690,666 acres devoted to cane and sorghum,\\naccording to the census of 1890, and 4,222 to our 695,301 acres of\\ntobacco. In the first case the increase would be less than one-tenth;", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0070.jp2"}, "71": {"fulltext": "61\\nin the second, less than one one hundred sixty-fifth, or hardly a\\nhealthy annual development.\\nNo doubt the opening of the Government reservations now consti-\\ntuting the Territory of Oklahoma resulted in a considerable increase\\nof the agricultural productions of the United States, but no one\\nthought of raising objection to the settlement of the new lands, because\\nit was recognized as a natural and satisfactory development of the\\nnational domain. The difference between Oklahoma and Porto Rico\\nis chiefly geographical. The former provided for an overflow of pop-\\nulation from surrounding States, the latter will furnish a field for\\nAmerican capital and American enterprise, if not for overflow of\\npopulation. It is American and must and will be Americanized.\\nTHE RIGHT OF SUFFRAGE.\\nThe United States may surely venture to show a trust in Porto Rico\\nequal to that of Spain. It has been seriously proposed that no pro-\\nvision be made for giving the franchise to the people of that island.\\nIs the new sovereignty to be less liberal than the old Are rights long-\\nenjoyed to be taken away? Is less to be granted than under the\\nautonomist decree; less than under the electoral law of 1890? The\\nquestion of giving the right of suffrage to a horde of ignorant men\\nmay be a serious one under certain conditions. Educational and\\nproperty qualifications may be considered requisite by those who are\\ndistrustful of the masses, but republics are founded on trust of the\\nbody of the people, learned and unlearned. Moreover, it is possible\\nto be intelligent and at the same time illiterate, as princes and kings\\nof bygone centuries, and many excellent citizens of the United States,\\nhave demonstrated. The Spanish electoral law of 1890 gave the right\\nof suffrage to all Spaniards over 25 years of age universal suffrage,\\nas it was termed. The provision was as follows:\\nAll male Spaniards over 25 years of age who are in the full enjoyment of their\\ncivil rights and are residents of a municipality in which they have resided at least\\ntwo years, are electors in the islands of Cuba and Porto Rico.\\nThis paragraph occurs both in the electoral law of 1890 and in the\\nadaptation of that law for the autonomist system, for which it was not\\nchanged, except that the restriction of the right to taxpayers in Porto\\nRico was removed. Those who were specially excepted by the law\\nwere noncommissioned officers and privates in the army and navy,\\nthose serving sentence for crime, bankrupts and insolvents who have\\nnot paid their debts, taxpayers in arrears for taxes, and persons liv-\\ning on charity who were not allowed to vote. The voting privilege\\nextended to municipal coun oilmen, to members of the provincial dep-\\nutation, and to deputies to the Cortes. Senators were elected by cor-\\nporations and the larger taxpayers.\\nIf it should be thought wise to modify the Spanish electoral law so\\nas to restrict the suffrage, the exclusion of all the illiterate would\\nleave the right to vote as a monopoly of the few. If the illiterate\\nwho have a certain amount of property were included, the number\\nof voters would be increased somewhat, but would still be a minority.\\nWhat Spain thought it wise and safe to concede the United States\\nought not to deny, except, possibly, as a stimulus to education. With\\nthis in view, it might be deemed wise to grant suffrage to all males\\nof 21 years or over (instead of 25 as in the Spanish law), with the\\nproviso that those who do not learn to read in the next ten years\\nshall be deprived of the right. The term suggested by the native", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0071.jp2"}, "72": {"fulltext": "62\\ncongress is two years; but it is manifest that this does not give suf-\\nficient opportunity to meet the condition. With no schools and no\\nteachers, how is the peasant to learn to read If he is to be denied\\nthe right of a freeman on the ground of inability to read, it would be\\nfairer to provide him first with the facilities and opportunity to learn\\nto read, and then if he fails, after a reasonable time, to improve\\nthem, impose the penalty of deprivation of the franchise.\\nAny propositions for restrictions, however, will be in the nature of a\\ncurtailment of popular rights conceded by the Spanish law. No such\\nrestrictions were proposed in any of the acts granting Territorial gov-\\nernment to New Mexico, Arizona, and other Territories. Neither\\neducational nor property qualifications were required. As to illiter-\\nacy, New Mexico has been a Territory nearly fifty years, and yet of its\\npopulation above the age of 10 years more than 44 per cent, accord-\\ning to the census of 1890, are illiterate. The illiterates of Porto Rico,\\nestimated on this basis, would constitute between 75 and 80 per cent.\\nWhat the effect of manhood suffrage will be under our Territorial\\nsystem it is, of course, impossible to predict. Intelligent Porto Ricans\\nare by no means unanimous in favor of it. They recognize dangers\\nin the free exercise by ignorant men of the right of participation in\\ngovernment. But the Territorial system, while granting self-govern-\\nment, retains for the legislative and executive branches of the Fed-\\neral Government large powers of control. By a provision in the act\\ncreating the Territory of New Mexico all laws passed by the legis-\\nlative assembly and governor shall be submitted to the Congress of\\nthe United States, and if disapproved shall be null and of no effect.\\nThis reservation might be made with respect to Porto Rico. It is\\nalso desirable that a measure of control over municipal administra-\\ntion should be secured to the provincial government. It would not\\nbe wise, in granting municipal autonomy, to leave the cities without\\nprovincial supervision. In an excess of zeal for municipal improve-\\nment the mayor and council might contract ruinous debts, mortgage\\nthe revenues beyond the safety line, and lay enormous burdens on\\nthe shoulders of the people. The Spanish system of administration,\\nwhatever faults ruay be charged against it, kept the cities out of debt\\nvery generally. Its motto seems to have been, Pay as you go, and\\ncontract no obligations beyond the possibilities of the revenues.\\nBonded debts were few, and were in every instance authorized by the\\nprovincial government. As the secretary of state, under the Spanish\\nsystem, had superintendence of municipal administration, it would\\nbe wise to place a reasonable measure of control in his hands under\\nthe Territorial plan.\\nDEPARTMENTS AND SALARIES.\\nAs the executive power of the Governor- General of Porto Rico was\\nexercised through four regular departments, as the people are familiar\\nwith that division of duties, and as the volume of business to be trans-\\nacted is large, the commissioner suggests that similar departments be\\nprovided for in the legislation by Congress, as follows State, treasury,\\nand interior departments, with an attorney-general as legal adviser of\\nthe government, and also to have supervision over the fiscals or dis-\\ntrict attorneys. The treasury would be charged with receiving and\\npaying out provincial funds, and also with disbursing, perhaps, so\\nmuch of the receipts from customs and internal revenue as may be\\nrequired to pay the salaries which may be made a charge upon the", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0072.jp2"}, "73": {"fulltext": "63\\nUnited States Treasury. The interior department should be charged\\nwith control over public works, public instruction, agriculture, com-\\nmerce, and industry, etc.\\nIn fixing the salaries of governor-general, heads of departments,\\nand justices, some regard must be had to what custom requires of\\nthese officials, in the maintenance of dignity of position and in liberal\\nsocial entertainment. The Governor-General received a salary of\\n$20,000, under Spanish domination, with liberal appropriations for\\nexpenses at the palace, visitation of the cities of the island, etc. The\\nsecretaries received $6,000 each, the judges of the supreme court from\\n$3,500 to $4,500, the judges of the criminal courts $3,500 and $3,750,\\nand the district judges, $1,700 to $2,250. This was in Porto Rican\\nx money. With the exception of the pay of the Governor-General, the\\nsalaries were not excessive. The extravagance in the salary accounts\\nof former budgets was not in the amounts of individual salaries, but\\nin the multiplication of official positions. The government clerks were\\nin general very poorly paid, receiving from $300, in the fifth class, to\\n$700 in the first class. There were a great many useless positions,\\nas the ex-secretary of justice, Seiior Herminio Diaz, has pointed out\\nelsewhere. In American money the salaries of the secretaries would\\nbe about $3,600, and those of the judges of the supreme court from\\n$2,100 to $2,700. Rents and living are high in San Juan, compared\\nwith other parts of the island. A salary of $3,600 American, is not\\ntoo much for the secretaries, nor $2,500 to $3,000 too much for judges\\nof the supreme court. That of the Governor-General might be reduced\\nfrom $12,000, American, to $8,000, with reasonable allowances for\\nclerical help and maintenance of the palace.\\nThe commissioner calls attention to the testimony taken in Porto\\nRico at public hearings in alcaldias or city halls, to the statements,\\nmemorials, and resolutions presented to him, to the statistics of the\\ncensus of 1897, of the finances, commerce, crops, births, deaths, and\\nmarriages, and much other information given in the appendix to this\\nreport, and begs to conclude with the following recommendations\\nRECOMMENDATIONS.\\n(1) That the Constitution and laws of the United States be extended\\nto Porto Rico; that all citizens of that province who do not, under\\nthe terms of the treaty of Paris, announce their intention to maintain\\ntheir allegiance to Spain be declared citizens of the United States,\\nand that all male citizens above the age of 21 years residents of said\\nprovince at the time of American occupation shall be entitled to vote\\nat the first election.\\n(2) That a Territorial form of government, similar to that estab-\\nlished in Oklahoma, be provided for Porto Rico, with an executive\\ndepartment consisting of a governor-general, an assistant governor-\\ngeneral who shall serve as seeretarj^ of state, a secretary of treasury, a\\nsecretary of interior, and an attorney-general, all to be nominated by\\nthe President and to hold office for a term of four years a legislative\\nbranch, consisting of the governor-general, and a senate and assembly\\nto be elected by the people the senate to consist of 14 members, 2 to\\nbe chosen in each of the seven departments of administration, known\\nas San Juan, Arecibo, Aguadilla, Mayaguez, Ponce, Guayama, and\\nHumacao the assembly to consist of members apportioned to the popu-\\nlation on the basis of 1 member to every 25,000 inhabitants; a judicial\\ndepartment, embracing a supreme court, district courts, and municipal", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0073.jp2"}, "74": {"fulltext": "64\\ncourts, or justices of the peace, the supreme court to consist of a\\nchief justice and 4 associate justices, and the district courts, of which\\nthere shall be eleven, as provided under the former government, of\\n3 judges each.\\n(3) That the legislative power shall extend to all rightful subjects\\nof legislation consistent with the Constitution of the United States,\\nincluding regulations for the exercise of the elective franchise and\\nthe division of the province into municipal, administrative, judicial,\\nand legislative districts.\\n(4) That no bill passed by the legislative branch shall become a law\\nif the governor-general refuse to sign it, except by a two-thirds vote\\nof each house.\\n(5) That the legal voters of the island be permitted to elect a Dele-\\ngate to Congress.\\n(6) That the penal, civil, and commercial codes be continued in force,\\nin so far as they are consistent with the Constitution of the United\\nStates, until a commission, to be appointed by the President, shall\\nconsider, revise, and amend them, and Congress shall have approved\\nsuch revision.\\n(7) That a commission of five persons, three of whom shall be na-\\ntives of thie island and two of the United States, shall be appointed\\nby the President to revise and, if necessary, recast the codes.\\n(8) That provision be made for trial of criminal cases before juries;\\nalso, of certain classes of civil suits.\\n(9) That the Federal banking laws and the laws relating to patents\\nfor inventions and designs and the registration of trade-marks, prints,\\nand copyrights be extended to Porto Rico.\\n(10) That provision be made for the appointment of a commission\\nof three persons who shall constitute a court of claims to sit in Porto\\nRico and hear and adjudicate all claims to property, ecclesiastical and\\nsecular, arising under the terms of the treaty of Paris.\\n(11) That the mortgage law be so amended as to permit edifices\\nconstructed and used for public worship to be inscribed by registra-\\ndores (registrars), the same as any other property, on presentation of\\nproofs of title.\\n(12) That congregations using church edifices for public worship\\nshall not be disturbed in the use thereof until the question of legal\\ntitle thereto is settled.\\n(13) That for the period of five years after the installation of the\\nnew civil government the receipts of the custom-houses and internal-\\nrevenue office in the island, after the expenses of collection and the\\nsalaries of the governor-general and other Territorial officers and\\nother expenses made payable from it have been met, shall be appro-\\npriated as a school fund for said Territory- to be used in providing\\nsuitable buildings and apparatus for the schools of the island.\\n(14) That the establishment of counties, upon the American plan,\\nwith cities, towns, villages, and townships as subordinate divisions,\\nbe referred to the governor-general and legislature of Porto Rico, to\\nbe provided for at such time and in such manner as they may deem\\nbest.\\n(15) That the people of the several municipal districts be allowed to\\ncontinue to elect their councilmen that the right to elect the alcalde,\\nor mayor, be conceded to them, and that the revision of the system of\\nmunicipal government be intrusted to the governor-general and\\nlegislature of Porto Rico.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0074.jp2"}, "75": {"fulltext": "65\\n(16) That municipalities which own and maintain public ceme-\\nteries be required to provide burial places for all persons, with no dis-\\ncrimination for or against any in respect to suitability or eligibility of\\nburial places or in the care of the grounds, and that the general prac-\\ntice of exhumation of bodies be forbidden, so that perpetual graves\\nshall be provided for all.\\n(17) That the amendments respecting civil marriage adopted by the\\nmilitary government be continued in force until the civil code is\\nrevised.\\n(18) That in view of the disastrous hurricane of August 8, 1899,\\nwhich brought ruin upon the agricultural interests of the island, the\\nlaw of foreclosure of mortgages on agricultural property and machinery\\nbe further suspended until January 1, 1901.\\n(19) That the codes, the laws of the Territorial legislature, and official\\nacts of the governor-general shall be published both in Spanish and\\nin English that the courts shall be provided with interpreters of the\\nEnglish language, and that all papers in cases of appeal to the Supreme\\nCourt of the United States shall be in English.\\n(20) That provision be made for the retirement of the silver coins\\nof Porto Rico, known as the peso, the 40, 20, 10, and 5 centavo pieces,\\nand the copper centavo and 2-centavo coins, and their recoinage in\\nthe mints of the United States as United States coins.\\n(21) That the governor-general and legislature of Porto Rico be\\nrequired to make provision for universal and obligatory education in\\na system of free public schools, in which the English language shall\\nbe taught.\\n(22) That the lottery be prohibited also the issuing of licenses by\\nmunicipalities permitting begging and prostitution.\\n(23) That a survey be made of the coast of Porto Rico; also of the\\nharbors and roadsteads, with a view to their improvement.\\n(24) That an agricultural experiment station be established in\\nPorto Rico, and the publications of the Department of Agriculture be\\nmade available to the planters in their own language; also, that the\\nTerritory share in the Department s distribution of seeds.\\nRespectfully submitted.\\nHenry K. Carroll,\\nCommissioner.\\n1125 5", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0075.jp2"}, "76": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0076.jp2"}, "77": {"fulltext": "APPENDIX.\\nTESTIMONY, STATEMENTS, AND STATISTICS, INCLUDING STENOGRAPHIC REPORTS OF\\nHEARINGS HELD IN PORTO RICO BY THE COMMISSIONER, STATEMENTS AND PETI-\\nTIONS PRESENTED TO HIM, AND STATISTICAL TABLES GATHERED FROM OFFICIAL\\nSOURCES.\\nBy Henry K. Carroll, Commissioner.\\nAGRICULTURE\u00e2\u0080\u0094 SOILS, CROPS, METHODS, RESOURCES.\\nCANE AND SUGAR.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nSan Juan, P. R., October 31, 1898.\\nRicaedo Nadal, of Mayaguez, interpreter to General Henry\\nMr. Nadal. I was first a civil engineer and then later started a firm\\nin New York under the name of Nadal Cuebas, which was known\\nat Mayaguez as Nadal Co. I later came to Porto Rico, and event-\\nually went into the sugar business, and that is the business our firm\\nhas now, our plantation being near Mayaguez and known as the Alta\\nGracia.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you manufacture your own sugar?\\nMr. Nadal. Yes; everything. We also buy cane from the neighbor-\\ning country, which we grind in our mill. The cane is brought there,\\nand we pay 6 per cent on the weight of the cane, according to the\\nmarket prices of muscovado sugar. In reference to the matter of\\nsugar refinery, the only one in Porto Rico was owned by my family\\nin Mayaguez, where they have now a tannery building on the same\\nproperty. We kept the refinery going from 1858 to 1867, when work\\nwas stopped because we found that it did not pay to refine sugar\\nhere, and we could not export it to the United States owing to the\\nduty on refined sugar there. The machinery was, therefore, sold out,\\nand the buildings also. We don t own it now not even the land.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you produce refined sugar at all?\\nMr. Nadal. We produce what is called centrifugal sugar. We\\nsend to the United States what are known as first, second, and third\\ncentrifugals, and the residuum, after passing through the last opera-\\ntion, goes into the still to be manufactured into rum. In order to\\nmake refined sugar these centrifugals are afterwards converted into a\\nkind of molasses, called molasse. This process takes place in the\\nUnited States and they use the centrifugal sugar of this island.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0077.jp2"}, "78": {"fulltext": "68\\nDr. Carroll. Is the brown sugar used here at the hotel produced\\nhere iu that state?\\nMr. Nadal. Yes. What you have at the hotel is a centrifugal sugar\\nof the kind probably called first, and it is manufactured generally in\\nthe central factories, as they are called, by the Jamaica method that\\nis, by the open kettle method. Most of this sugar is sent to Spain\\nand not to the United States on account of the difference in the duties.\\nDr. Carroll. If that grade of sugar were sent to the United States\\nwhat duty would you have to pay on it?\\nMr. Nadal. We pay duty according to its polarization. It is rated\\nfrom 75 degrees up to 88 degrees, and we pay a certain proportion a\\npound. The sugar used in the hotel is about 96 degrees; beyond 88\\ndegrees the rate of duty increases in a rapid ratio.\\nDr. Carroll. How large is your plantation?\\nMr. Nadal. We have about 700 acres of land. We now produce\\nabout 5,000 bags. Our plantation, however, is mostly ruined. We\\nhave a plantation only in name, and if we were to pay what we owe\\non it we would have nothing indeed, we would be even in debt, x\\nDr. Carroll. How niany months are required for a crop?\\nMr. Nadal. The sugar cane requires from twelve to fourteen\\nmonths before it can be cut. We have a petty culture and a larger\\nculture. In petty culture the land is sowed in February or March\\nand cut in February of the following year, and in the larger culture\\nwe sow in October, and within about fifteen months later we cut the\\ncane. That gives a better product. After the first crop we get what\\nis called the rattoon, which may give a second crop the following\\nyear, according to the fertility of the soil, and we have had crops\\nrepeated for as many as twenty years. The difficulty here has been\\nthat we have been extracting from the soil all the time and not giving\\nto it; that is, we do not utilize manure to any great extent. The\\nsoil is very rich. You can find land here where the humus is 16\\ninches in depth. On our plantation the production never went below\\n65 hundredweight of sugar.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you have modern machinery here for sugar\\nmanufacturing?\\nMr. Nadal. There are only about two factories in the island.\\nDr. Carroll. What does a modern plant cost?\\nMr. Nadal. A modern plant with all the latest appliances would\\nproduce something like 35,000 bags, and would cost about $400,000 of\\nour currency.\\nDr. Carroll. How manj^ pounds to the bag?\\nMr. Nadal. Generally they weigh 100 kilograms. I am not posi-\\ntive, however, about that.\\nDr. Carroll. About how many sugar plantations are there in the\\nisland?\\nMr. Nadal. I do not know. Some of our people engaged in the\\nI sugar business here use oxen, just as they did three hundred years\\nago. Of late the plantations have been getting into the hands of a\\nfew planters. The large planters have gradually been absorbing the\\nsmaller ones.\\nDr. Carroll. With modern apparatus much more sugar could be\\nproduced?\\nMr. Nadal. If we had here in the island the diffusion battery\\nsystem we could produce five times as much sugar as we produce\\nto-day.\\nDr. Carroll. Is the land generalty all in use?", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0078.jp2"}, "79": {"fulltext": "69\\nMr. Nadal. Much of our land is going to waste that is, they are\\nusing it for grazing purposes. We call that abandoning the land,\\nalthough it is a paying business in some districts. In Mayaguez, how-\\never, the cattle business does not pay, because it is too wet there.\\nIn other parts of the island, however, it is a paying business, and the\\nranch owners are better off than the sugar planters. They had smaller\\ntaxes because the government did not seem to understand the money\\nthey were making in the business.\\nDr. Carroll. Where do the cattle come from?\\nMr. Nadal. I think from Africa. We lost a good deal of money\\non cattle. I had some Jersey heifers brought here, but we did not\\nsucceed with the business and gave it up.\\nDr. Carroll. Do the cows give much milk?\\nMr. Nadal. Well, a good cow would give 10 quarts of milk a day,\\nwhereas a good cow in the United States will give as high as 16 quarts.\\nIn the country they give more than they do elsewhere because the\\nmatter of having to milk the cow early in the morning in order to have\\nthe milk in the city at an early hour causes the amount to drop off.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there a consumption tax on milk taken into the\\ncity?\\nMr. Nadal. No. Referring again to the sugar industry here this\\nhas been the determining point in favor of annexation to the United\\nStates. That is the certainty in the minds of Porto Ricans that their\\nsugar would not have to pay any duty on going into the United States,\\nknowing that such a duty would amount to a bounty on their product,\\nand this view of the matter has done much to arouse interest in Porto\\nRico in favor of annexation. The same thing may be said of all other\\n_ articles of production which are imported into the United States.\\n7 The planters are perfectly aware of the advantages to be obtained by\\nimproving their apparatus, the introduction of modern appliances,\\netc., but they had not the means to do this. There have been no\\nbanking houses of sufficient means in the island to supply the funds,\\nand besides the agricultural class thus far has been practically\\nsqueezed to death by the business community. Central factories are\\nthose where all modern appliances are introduced like vacuum pans,\\ndouble and triple effect, etc. The Jamaica system consists of the\\nopen-kettle system of evaporating juice instead of evaporating with\\nthe double and triple effect apparatus as we do in the central factories.\\nBoth processes are used here, but mostly the Jamaica train is used.\\nWe started with the oxen mills, then later we had the Jamaica train,\\nand finally the central factories, which have the most modern appli-\\nances that we are able to introduce. In the central factories besides\\ngrinding the cane^that is produced on the property belonging to the\\nplantation, they grind also whatever amount of cane neighbors are\\nwilling to sell.- The staple product of the island of Porto Rico to-day is\\ncoffee, as sugar used to be the most important article of export ten years\\nago. The export is something like 500,000 quintals (100 pounds) every\\nyear. The greater part of this goes to Europe to such ports as\\nHavre, Bremen, and Hamburg, and ports in Spain, and the balance\\nmostly to the island of Cuba very little of it ever going to the United\\nStates on account of the better prices ruling in the other markets, the\\nquality of the Porto Rico coffee not being known in the markets- of\\nthe United States. The quality of our coffee is equal to the best\\nCosta Rica and Savanilla coffee. Some of the planters have already\\nmodern machinery mounted drying apparatus so as not to be\\nobliged to dry the berry in the sun; and the residences of the planters", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0079.jp2"}, "80": {"fulltext": "70\\nare good buildings of brick, where they live comfortably. The labor-\\ners on the large plantations live in small frame houses, which are\\nallotted to them by families, and out of crop time they generally are\\nallowed to have a small piece of land which they cultivate for their\\nown account in small country produce, like bananas, beans, corn,\\nsweet potatoes, yams, etc. We grow here also rice. One of the great\\ndrawbacks to the further development of the coffee industry is the\\nlack of proper facilities for transportation from the interior into the\\nseaport towns, such roads as there are being almost impassable dur-\\ning the rainy season. Coffee is mostly carried into the seaport towns\\non mule back, or in carts, when it is possible to do so. The greatest\\ncoffee-growing district in the island is the southwest section, includ-\\ning Adjuntas, Utuado, Yauco, Lares, IVlaricao, San Sebastian, Las\\nMarias, Mayaguez, Aguadilla, and Arecibo. The principal ports of\\nexport of coffee are Arecibo, San Juan, Aguadilla, Mayaguez, and\\nPonce.\\nTHE CHARACTER OF THE SOILS.\\nSan Juan, P. R., November 2, 1898.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nMr. Francisco T. Sabat, deputy collector of customs at San Juan\\nDr. Carroll. Will you please state the character and condition of\\nthe soils of the island of Porto Rico.\\nMr. Sabat. In my opinion, based upon the experience I have had,\\nthe soil can be classed into four kinds: The soil of the coast, called\\nhere, technically, vegas de primera clase, or alluvial soils, which pro-\\nduce the best food for cattle, and on which are situated the best sugar\\nestates. Then come soils called sobre vega, which are situated at a\\nlittle higher elevation than the coast lands, on the foothills, and are\\nalso used for cattle raising and sugar cane, but are not of such good\\nquality, possessing less alluvial soil. Then we have the mountain\\nlands, which contain coffee plantations, some grazing ground for cattle,\\nand produce small fruits. These lands could be made more pro-\\nductive by fertilizers, but in some districts they are of very poor\\nquality. Lastly, there are the lands of the mountain tops, which are\\ncovered with timber useful for building and decorative purposes, but\\nare entirely uncultivated. I should add that on the coast there is\\nmuch land in the form of jungles which could be reclaimed from the\\nsea, that is to say, they are subject to the action of the tides, being\\ncovered and uncovered with the flow and ebb. These lands, when\\nonce removed from the action of the sea, will become very valuable\\nagricultural lands. There are also sandy and clayey soils which pro-\\nduce nothing but cocoa palms, and are useless for other purposes.\\nDr. Carroll. To whom do the lands belong which you say could\\nbe reclaimed to private parties or to the government?\\nMr. Sabat. Some belong to the government under an old law which\\ngrants the government so many yards inland from the tidal line, and\\nothers belong to individuals who have acquired them from the\\ngovernment.\\nDr. Carroll. What crops besides those of sugar, coffee, and tobacco\\nare raised here?\\nMr. Sabat. Rice, but not sufficient for export nor sufficient for\\nconsumption, nor of a quality that can compete with Hamburg rice;", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0080.jp2"}, "81": {"fulltext": "71\\ncocoanuts, which are exported chiefly to England just as they are taken\\nfrom the palms; corn, which has been produced this year in consider-\\nable quantities and has been exported to Cuba; oranges, and all kinds\\nof tropical fruits, such as nisperos (a tropical plum), pineapples, agua-\\ncates, guavas, etc.; malagueta, from which bay rum is made; the\\ncastor-oil plant; pease, beans, plantains, bananas, patchoulis, and\\nmany other kinds of vegetables and fruits. Cotton also can be grown.\\nCROPS AND MARKETS.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nArecibo, P. R., January 14, 1899.\\nMr. Antonio Figaros, representing the firm of Rosas Co., one\\nof the largest mercantile houses of Porto Rico:\\nDr. Carroll. What is your line of business?\\nMr. Figaros. We are general merchants.\\nDr. Carroll. We are here to investigate everything concerning the\\nwell being of the island, and would be glad to receive any information\\nof that kind that you can give.\\nMr. Figaros. I will confine myself to matters in the business line,\\nbecause we are foreigners now in the island. What I wish for is the\\nabolition of all export duties.\\nDr. Carroll. That has already been done.\\nMr. Figaros. Will there be a new impost placed on tobacco?\\nDr. Carroll. Probably an internal-revenue tax.\\nMr. Figaros. On manufactured tobacco?\\nDr. Carroll. Probably on the production of the leaf tobacco also,\\nas in the United States.\\nMr. Figaros. You have to take into account the fact that the prime\\nvalue is very small.\\nDr. Carroll. I would like to have a full representation on this\\npoint, because I have been asked by the Secretary of the Treasury to\\nget information.\\nMr. Figaros. It would not be advisable to put any tax on the pro-\\nduction of the article. It would be proper to do so on the manufacture\\nand consumption of it. The greater part of the tobacco produced in\\nPorto Rico is of the ordinary class, called bolichi. The greater part\\nof it is inferior to the grade of tobacco called fillers. It is exported\\nto Spain and Germany, and does not bring in to the agriculturists\\nmore than 4 or 5 pesos a hundredweight at the point of delivery, on a\\nbasis of 50 per cent premium of exchange. If Porto Rico were to pro-\\nduce another class of tobacco the amount produced would be much\\nsmaller. This class of tobacco, which has a good market in Spain and\\nGermany, can be grown readily all around the coast. It is a tobacco\\nwhich does not burn well. As the tobacco industry in Spain is a Gov-\\nernment monopoly, they can force the public to accept any class of\\ntobacco they want to, but the purchasers of the monopoly want to get\\nthe cheapest kind of tobacco they can. This monopoly is farmed out\\nthere.\\nDr. Carroll. In the United States an internal-revenue tax is levied\\non the manufacture of tobacco, and then the retail dealers have to", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0081.jp2"}, "82": {"fulltext": "72\\npay a certain sum per year. Do you think that system could be\\nintroduced here?\\nMr. Figaros. Yes; but it is important to have the export free.\\nThe question you raise, though, ought to be carefully considered,\\nbecause of its importance to many poor families who are employed in\\nthe tobacco industry.\\n-^Dr. Carroll. There are a good many small planters\\nMr. Figaros. Yes; because anybody can plant a small patch of\\nground with tobacco, but coffee and sugar require larger estates.\\nWhen the exchange of the money system is put into force here, duty\\nshould be taken off of sugar in the United States. If the gold basis\\nis introduced and the duty is not removed Porto Rico will be ruined.\\nI think there should be a cutting down in the duty of at least 75 per\\ncent, if it can not be taken off altogether. It costs, in native money,\\nsomething like $2.40 a hundredweight to make sugar, and there is a\\nconstant outgo of money during the time it is being produced and up\\nto the time it is sold. Another difficulty here now is the tendency of\\nthe peons to demand better wages. I think it would be a sufficient\\nconcession to them if they were paid in gold what they are now paid\\nin silver.\\nA Planter. Whatever we pay in silver we would have to pay in\\ngold after the exchange of the currency. We had gold currency here\\nin 1868, and we had to pay our laborers then 50 cents gold just as we\\nnow pay them 50 cents silver.\\nMr. Figaros. In addition to sugar, I wish to make some remarks\\non other crops. Coffee, I know, is admitted free into the United\\nStates, but I consider it important for the coffee industry that the\\nUnited States, which to-day has an influence over the Cuban govern-\\nment, should see if it can not procure for Porto Rican coffee a prefer-\\nence in the Cuban market, or rather an advantageous tariff. Porto\\nRico has lost two important markets the Spanish and the Cuban.\\nDr. Carroll. Why do you say that it has lost the Spanish market?\\nMr. Figaros. We had an advantage in the Spanish tariff.\\nDr. Carroll. But you had to pay a duty on your coffee as well as\\non your sugar. Has the duty been increased?\\nMr. Figaros. It has been increased considerably. Since the Ameri-\\ncan occupation, the products of Porto Rico have been and will be\\nconsidered as foreign when imported into Spain.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you know what the rate is?\\nMr. Figaros. One hundred and seventy pesetas for every 100 kilo-\\ngrams of coffee is the present rate; that is to say, $2 more than is\\ncharged on coffee from nations which have favorable treaties.\\nDr. Carroll. Perhaps we shall be able after the treaty of peace is\\nratified to arrange a reciprocity treaty. What did you pay formerly\\nin Spain?\\nMr. Figaros. Sixty-six pesetas. We have only one market now,\\nthe European market, for our best grade. We have no market for\\nour lower grades. The best grades comprise about 80 per cent of the\\nproduction, because coffee is well prepared here. We make three\\nkinds, and they all go to Europe and are readity sold.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you get good prices?\\nMr. Figaros. There is no market in the United States. They do\\nnot know Porto Rican coffee there. Drinkers of coffee in the United\\nStates do not see the natural coffee. Grocers and dealers make them\\ndrink whatever they like.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0082.jp2"}, "83": {"fulltext": "73\\nDr. Carroll. No; the majority of people buy the coffee in the\\nbean and grind it themselves.\\nMr. Figaros. But not most coffee drinkers.\\nDr. Carroll. Of course very much coffee is ground and put up in\\npackages by the dealers, but only the poorer people buy that.\\nMr. Figaros. I understand the best drinkers use Mocha and Java\\nmixed.\\nDr. Carroll. I drink a coffee called Java and Mocha mixed in the\\nproportion of two and one, and I pay from 32 to 34 cents a pound for it\\nin the bean, roasted.\\nMr. Figaros. But it has lost already a large amount of weight.\\nMr. Alfred Solomon (interpreter). They do not drink Porto Rican\\ncoffee in the United States because it is too strong.\\nDr. Carroll. They grind coffee coarser in the United States than\\nthey do here.\\nMr. Solomon. The dealers in the United States would have made\\na market for Porto Rican coffee if the Porto Ricans had not insisted\\non coloring it. I had that from the lips of a coffee dealer.\\nMr. Figaros. We have here one of the largest plants in Porto Rico.\\nWe polish 300 quintals per day, and it is a beautiful operation. We\\nmake a thorough classification of it, and the coffee is not tinted. It\\nis polished.\\nMr. Solomon. The people of the United States want their coffee\\nwithout any foreign substance whatever, and in polishing it, do you\\nnot use some coloring matter?\\nMr. Figaros. Yes, but it is only a gram of this indigo for every\\nquintal.\\nMr. Solomon. The amount does not matter. The people there do\\nnot want coffee with any foreign matter in it. I went to a coffee\\nbroker in New York and asked why he could not sell Porto Rican\\ncoffee there. He said because the Porto Ricans will not send it here\\nas we want it; that it would be possible to sell it to the French and\\nAustrians if the indigo were left out.\\nMr. Figaros. The outer shell is polished and all the bad beans\\ntaken out and classified.\\nDr. Carroll. How do you prepare your best grade which you send\\nto Russia and France?\\nMr. Figaros. We polish it. The price of the best coffee now in\\nPorto Rico is about 15 pesos; the last year it was 25 pesos for raw\\ncoffee. The coffee planters are a little behind in their debts and are\\npretty badly off.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there anything else you wish to speak of?\\nMr. Figaros. About the exchange of money. I would recommend\\na rate of 50 per cent premium on gold, the same as a bank at Ponce\\nand the merchants of Mayaguez. That should be the meeting point\\nbetween agriculture and commerce on the money question. If they\\nmake the rate lower than that, it will be very hard. For some time\\nwe have not seen such a rate, but taking a five years basis you will\\nfind that the average premium is about 50 per cent.\\n^Mr. Adolf Bahr. I wish to say something about our need here of\\nagricultural experts. We have not any here, and it is very important\\nthat Porto Rico should have them.\\nJ Dr. Carroll. For what purpose?\\nMr. Bahr. To advise the agriculturists in their cultivation of the\\nvarious soils here; to tell them the nature of the soils and what crops\\nthey are best adapted for. Those are things we do not know here;", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0083.jp2"}, "84": {"fulltext": "74\\nwe go ahead blindly, without any scientific knowledge, in agricultural\\nmatters.\\nDr. Carroll. That is not a government matter, is it?\\nMr. Bahr. No; but I think such engineers or experts would find\\nwork here.\\nCONDITIONS IN THE VALLEY OF SAN GERMAN.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner. J\\nSan German, P. R. January 26, 1899.\\nDon Joaquin Cervbra and Mr. Santiago Marl\\nDr. Carroll. What is the present state of the sugar industry?\\nMr. Cervera. Deplorable.\\nDr. Carroll. What has brought it to that condition?\\nMr. Cervera. Many reasons. It is a very complex question, which\\nembraces many, aspects. In the first place, poverty on the part of the\\nowners Want of ready money; in the second place, the impoverish-\\nment of the soil, which does not produce as it used to, this impover-\\nishment being due to the want of irrigation and a lack of fertilizers.\\nDr. Carroll. This is not true, I believe, of all portions of the island\\nin which cane is produced.\\nMr. Cervera. Nearly all the island is the same in this respect.\\nDr. Carroll. Is it not possible to use fertilizers more extensively?\\nMr. Cervera. It would be if we had money with which to buy\\nthem.\\nDr. Carroll. Hava not the sugar men been making money in the\\nlast ten years?\\nMr. Cervera. They have not even covered their expenditures, for\\nwhich reason the agricultural industry is in a state of complete ruin.\\nFormerly planters were opulent to-day they are poor.\\nDr. Carroll. Is that due to the decrease in price or to the gradual\\ndecrease of the crop?\\nMr. Cervera. Owing to several causes the land does not produce\\nso much, prices are lower uniformly, and the planters have to pay for\\nthe labor, whereas formerly they had. slave labor.\\nDr. Carroll. Has there been any increase of expense owing to\\nhigh interest on borrowed money\\nMr. Cervera. Yes; that is another cause. That is the chief reason\\nof the ruin of the agriculturist.\\nDr. Carroll. I understand that the interest on money is from 9\\nto 18 and even 24 per cent. What was it formerly?\\nMr. Cervera. There was hardly any need of borrowing money in\\nthe old days, as the estates paid well and gave sufficient returns for their\\ncultivation without the planters having to borrow money. Formerly,\\nnot having to pay for labor, the soil being virgin and the prices being\\nhigh, the business used to be lucrative. We used to obtain $5 or $6\\na quintal, but to-daj^ we hardlv obtain $3.\\nDr. Carroll. What rate of wages do you have to pay\\nMr. Cervera. One-half a dollar, provincial money, for the ordinary\\nlaborers; the skilled laborers obtain higher wages.\\nDr. Carroll. What methods are pursued in the culture of cane?\\nIs it the same throughout the island", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0084.jp2"}, "85": {"fulltext": "75\\nMr. Cervera. With very slight differences the method is uniform\\nall throughout the island.\\nDr. Carroll. Do they give the land a rest after raising cane on it?\\nMr. Cervera. Those owning large properties are able to do so;\\nthose owning small properties have to reap the crop every year.\\nDr. Carroll. In that case can they not give the land rest by alter-\\nnating crops?\\nMr. Cervera. They do that. They have to do so.\\nDr. Carroll. Would it not be a good thing to have fewer mills and\\nadopt the central system of Cuba?\\nMr. Cervera. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Have the sugar planters ever formed an association\\nor society for the promotion of their mutual interests?\\nMr. Cervera. There was an attempt at it, but it has never suc-\\nceeded.\\nDr. Carroll. It would seem to me to be very necessary, if sugar\\nindustry is in a bad condition at present, that such a society should be\\nformed with a view to investigating and ascertaining, for example,\\nwhether another kind of cane could not be introduced another kind\\nthat has not the disease that I understand attacks most of the cane\\nand whether new processes of culture could not be adopted with\\nadvantage; as to whether central establishments might be put up,\\nhow many there should be, and the introduction of new and improved\\nmachinery; with the object also of determining whether the acreage\\ngiven to cane should be increased or diminished in any given year,\\nbased on the condition of the sugar crop in other countries; with the\\nobject also of helping one another in getting loans at a lower rate\\nof interest, and perhaps in finding better and more remunerative\\nmarkets.\\nMr. Cervera. Although we feel the spirit of cooperation it has\\nnever given any result in this country.\\nDr. Carroll. Can it not, in your judgment, under present condi-\\ntions be made a success?\\nMr. Cervera. If we had money it could. That is what we need.\\nWe can not undertake anything because we have not any money.\\nDr. Carroll. But when many come together, some having no\\nmoney, some having little money, and some having more, it is possi-\\nble to do a great many things in concert which could not be under-\\ntaken individually.\\nMr. Cervera. It is not possible. Fifty or one hundred people\\nwould get together, and they could not get enough money together to\\nform their society.\\nDr. Carroll. They might begin such a society without very much\\nmoney and gradually go from one thing to another until they had\\nformed a society which should take under its superintendence the\\nentire production of cane in the island.\\nMr. Cervera. That could be done in a country where the spirit of\\nassociation is more general. Out of one hundred planters here per-\\nhaps only six or eight would come in.\\nDr. Carroll. In the United States the competition is so sharp that\\nassociation is literally compelled by the condition of things. The\\nself-interest of individual producers compels association. It may\\nbe the sugar industry of Porto Rico has not arrived at a sufficiently\\ndesperate situation to force it to act.\\nMr. Cervera. In former attempts at cooperation, whether due to\\nbad management or not, these organizations have always failed, and", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0085.jp2"}, "86": {"fulltext": "76\\nto-day persons are not willing to enter into such arrangements, fear\\ning, perhaps, that the results would be the same. Perhaps, inasmuch\\nas the want of success in former attempts at cooperation has been due\\nto bad administration, a man of intelligence taking hold of the thing\\nand administering it to-day might meet with different results.\\nDr. Carroll. There is one important point in which it seems to me\\nthat such an organization might be of advantage to all sugar owners,\\nand that is in the influence that might be brought to bear in behalf\\nof the sugar owners to mitigate circumstances which they feel bear\\nwith undue weight upon them; in other words, to make representa-\\ntions with more force to the municipal and insular governments than\\ncould be made by one man.\\nMr. Cervera. I think with you in that matter. I wish you to\\nunderstand that the country is in an agonizing condition and we want\\nimmediate assistance.\\nDr. Carroll. I understood, when I made a visit to Utuado, that\\nunless something were done to prevent the foreclosure of mortgages\\nthe country would be ruined. Therefore I changed the course of my\\nvisit and went back to San Juan and besought General Henry to sus-\\npend foreclosure of mortgages for a year, and he did me the honor to\\nrequest me to draw the order. I only state this to show that the\\ninterest of the agricultural industry, which is the paramount indus-\\ntry of the island, is on the heart of those who are in power.\\nMr. Santiago Marl That has helped us to a certain extent, but it\\nhas caused the suspension of credit. The coffee crop has been only\\nhalf what it ought to be. The price has fallen to a very low figure,\\nand we have no possible way of getting advances to attend to next\\nyear s crop.\\nDr. Carroll. There are certain things the Government can do\\nand certain things the Government can not do. The recent action\\nwas taken on the understanding that the debtors required a little\\nlonger time in which to seek for money in other channels, and espe-\\ncially to seek for money at lower rates of interest, and to prevent the\\nsale of their property at a time when it was realized that it would not\\nbring more than 25 per cent of its value. Now, the Government can\\ndo this It can protect the large class of its people who, in the stress\\nof the results of war, are likely to lose their property; but the Gov-\\nernment can not supply the capital; the Government itself can not\\nlend the money; it can only mitigate the conditions, and possibly\\nbring about conditions under which the debtor can borrow money at\\nlower rates of interest, but it can not give him money.\\nMr. Marl As none of the bankers at present will lend money, and\\nthere is no assui*ance of any new banks coming here, credit will be\\nstopped altogether.\\nDr. Carroll. One difficulty about your borrowing money is the\\nimpending change of money system. As soon as the change comes\\nthe monej^ that has been put in chests will come out, so that those\\nwho have good credit can borrow money, because there will be money\\nto lend. One of the largest capitalists in the island told me yester-\\nday that there was money in the island, but that it was in the chests\\nof the island waiting for the exchange rate to be fixed. Now that\\nthe rate has been fixed, and now that the Goveimment has taken this\\naction in favor of the debtor, the debtor ought, as far as he can, pay\\nhis debts.\\nMr. Marl The debtor with bad faith can sell his estate to-day and\\ncheat his creditor.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0086.jp2"}, "87": {"fulltext": "77\\nDr. Carroll. It is still subject to the mortgage.\\nMr. Marl We have three classes of persons here Those who pay\\ntheir debts from pride, those who pay their debts from honest motives,\\nand those who pay their debts from fear of the law. Most of them\\npay from fear of the law.\\nDr. Carroll. That is a bad name to give the debtors of the island.\\nA gentleman present. Mr. Mari is a Frenchman. He is not a\\nPorto Rican.\\nDr. Carroll (to Mr. Mari). Plow do you expect to get your money,\\nif that is the case?\\nMr. Marl Only those will get credit who have something to offer\\nas a guaranty. As long as this order is not what I understand it to\\nbe, I have nothing further to say about it. Coffee is, next to sugar,\\nthe most important crop of the island, especially because so many\\npoor raise it. We have to wait five years to get a crop, and if it is\\nworth nothing, then there is a great loss.\\nDr. Carroll. It seems to me that an organization such as I sug-\\ngested for the sugar planters would be good. Such an association\\ncould find out the needs of the market in the United States and seek\\nto introduce that kind of coffee.\\nMr. Cervera. At least coffee can go in free, and we poor sugar\\nplanters are out in the cold.\\nMr. Marl What will save the country is plenty of money on long\\nterms and cheap rates of interest.\\nDr. Carroll. In order to be able to borrow money on a low rate of\\ninterest, the people must cause confidence to be established by show-\\ning their willingness to pay. It is not true that borrowing money\\ndepends absolutely upon the security, because any security may fail,\\nbut the person is always a factor.\\nMr. Marl If we have good laws, good faith makes no difference.\\nDr. Carroll. That may be, but if a large number do not pay, cap-\\nital will not come. That is the first thing to establish. You must\\nhave the people of the United States believe that the majority of the\\npeople here who want to borrow money pay what they borrow, and pay\\nit if it be their whole fortune.\\nMr. Marl As soon as money comes in, a man who has an estate\\nworth $10,000 and borrows 15,000 on it naturally becomes a good\\npayer; but if he finds anybody foolish enough to lend him $10,000, the\\nlender makes him a dishonest man.\\nDr. Carroll. The principle of honesty is something from within\\nand not something from without, and such a man would be dishonest\\nanyway.\\nMr. Marl Countries in which there are poverty and misery are\\nnever honest.\\nDr. Carroll. That is an entirely cynical view. That takes the\\nview that people are not honest unless force makes them such. I\\nhave seen much of the world, and that is not my observation of it.\\nBut this is not matter bearing on my investigation. I don t want to\\ntake away from Porto Rico the idea that the people here are only\\nhonest from force of circumstances.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0087.jp2"}, "88": {"fulltext": "78\\nTHE SUGAR CROP IN AGUAD1LLA.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nAguadilla, P. R., January 26, 1899.\\nFkancisco Estebes, sugar planter\\nMr. Estebes. In the months of November and December, when the\\nnorth winds blow, the seas beat up very heavily. The land around\\nthis part of the island is used land, and does not produce good crops.\\nThe average crop is 3 hogsheads of 15 quintals to each cuerda. Some\\nof the planters use fertilizers, generally phosphates and fish manure\\nbrought in from Boston.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there not a great deal of the phosphate in the\\nmountains that could be gotten out and made available?\\nMr. Estebes. There are many phosphate deposits here, but not one\\nof them is being worked.\\nPLANTERS AND THE MONEY QUESTION.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nFajardo, P. R., January 31, 1899.\\nMr. George Bird, ex-consul of the United States at Fajardo\\nMr. Bird. The planters are almost ruined in this locality. I can\\nspeak for them, because they have been urging their needs upon me.\\nTheir situation is very critical on account of the low price of sugar.\\nThese planters who own great properties, some valued at 1200,000,\\ncan not get together $200. The doors of the banking institutions\\nare practically closed, and some of the planters have been refused\\nsmall amounts of money on properties of large value, with first-class\\nmortgage receipts, at 8 per cent interest. Those are actual cases.\\nDr. Carroll. One difficulty has been that, pending the settlement\\nof the money question, people have hoarded money; but with the\\nmonetary question settled I think money will be easier to obtain, so\\nthat the situation will be relieved somewhat in that respect.\\nMr. Bird. Has the money question been solved\\nDr. Carroll. It has been so announced. The rate of exchange has\\nbeen fixed. The details of the system have not come from the United\\nStates yet.\\nMr. Bird. The planters regard the situation as so difficult that if it\\nis prolonged for a year they don t think they will be able to get out\\nof it. Some of them are just beginning to plant their crops, and are\\nhaving difficulty in paying their taxes and their laborers.\\nDr. Carroll. I think in a short time money will be easier and\\nmore plentiful, because people don t want to keep it in their chests\\nwhen they can get 9 or 10 per cent for it.\\nMr. Bird. I understood you to tell me that the President can do\\nnothing for the sugar interests, and that the present Congress will\\nnot be able to take the matter up.\\nDr. Carroll. Yes.\\nMr. Bird. We had a kind of a bounty which was given us directly\\nby the exchange. Now, if our money is turned into gold, I don t\\nthink we can even grind our cane. We can not sell sugar at less than\\n$3, and that is all we sret now.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0088.jp2"}, "89": {"fulltext": "79\\nDr. Veve. Our present need is money.\\nDr. Carroll. The Government can not deal out money to the\\nplanters. It is willing to do all it can to relieve the situation.\\nDr. Veve. We will have to pay our laborers the same as before.\\nThe reduced rates will not benefit the people. The merchant will\\nget it all.\\nDr. Carroll. You can not make me believe that. He may get\\nmore than his share, but he is bound to reduce prices.\\nTHE PRODUCTS OF VIEQUES.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nIsland of Vieques, P. R., January 31, 1899.\\nMr. Leopoldo Venegas Jacome. The principal source of wealth\\nof this island is sugar, and the sugar interests are anxious to obtain a\\nfree market in the United States. If that can not be granted, they\\nwant at least a bonus, which, so far as they are concerned, would accom-\\nplish the same end. The present money system is an indirect bonus\\non sugar, but once the change is decreed the complete ruin of this\\nisland will follow, unless we get some sort of relief.\\nDr. Carroll. Don t you think the laboring men would accept an\\namount in gold corresponding to what they now receive in silver?\\nMr. Jacome. I don t think we would have much difficulty with the\\npeople. I believe it would be possible to harmonize the interests of\\nthe employer with those of the peon.\\nDr. Carroll. Would not that solve your difficulty, then?\\nMr. Jacome. The price of sugar to-day in the United States, added\\nto the duty which it pays there, does not allow sugar planters even to\\ncover their expenses.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you raise anything here besides sugar?\\nMr. Jacome. Cattle.\\nDr. Carroll. No tobacco?\\nMr. Jacome. No, and no coffee. We might raise coffee on a small\\nscale, but sugar and cattle are the only industries.\\nMr. L. F. Wolfe. We had an offer here from the house of Bartron\\nBrothers, who are now established in Santa Cruz. The3 7 came here\\nand stated that they were perfectly willing to put up a central factory,\\nbut that all depended upon the free entry of sugar; they could not do\\nso otherwise. Our sister colony of the Danish Government had also\\nlarge amount of duty to pay on sugar in home ports, but they have\\ntaken it off, and the island is going to prosper.\\nDr. Carroll. How much sugar do you produce here?\\nMr. Wolfe. We produce now from 30,000 to 40,000 bags, and the\\nisland can easily yield 100,000 more. We have three centrifugal\\nmachines here. This proposition that was made by Bartron was\\nbased on the fact that many here would be able to raise sugar if\\nthere was a central factory who are unable to do so to-day, because\\nthey can not afford to put up the necessary machinery.\\nDr. Carroll. There are too many poor mills also on the main island.\\nA Planter. We have four central mills now, but one is not running.\\nDr. Carlos Gaspar. One of the most urgent needs of the island\\nfor the benefit of agriculture, which is the basis of its wealth, is the\\ncreation of agricultural experiment stations and experimental culture", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0089.jp2"}, "90": {"fulltext": "80\\nfields. A wide diffusion of agricultural knowledge is necessary for\\nthe country, because without it the country can not flourish under\\nany circumstances. Under the law of the United States I understand\\nthat each State and Territory is entitled to $15,000 for this object from\\nthe Federal Treasury. This place is neither a State nor a Territory\\nat present, but the sum being so small, I don t see why it could not be\\ndonated immediately for so worthy an object.\\nDr. Carroll. Has any attempt been made to have an association\\nof planters here?\\nDr. Gaspar. One did exist, but it went to pieces little by little, as\\neverything else did under Spanish domination.\\nDr. Carroll. Perhaps publications of the Agricultural Depart-\\nment, if translated into Spanish and circulated here, would be of great\\nvalue.\\nDr. Gaspar. Such books would supply the theoretical part and the\\nprofessors of agricultural schools would illustrate the practical part,\\nshowing the people how to make use of what they learn from the\\nbooks. It will be necessary to give the people ocular demonstration.\\nMr. Mouraille. There is a tax now of $20 per man brought here\\nfor laboring purposes, and I think that could be taken off. I import\\none hundred or more. If I had not done so I could not have har-\\nvested my crops.\\nDr. Carroll. Where do such laborers come from?.\\nMr. Mouraille.. From the Windward Islands and about there.\\nDr. Carroll. I understand much complaint has been made in\\nPorto Rico about the importation of laborers.\\nMr. Mouraille. Yes; I have heard of it.\\nDr. Carroll. How much do you pay per day?\\nMr. Mouraille. From 60 to 75 cents.\\nMr. Wolfe. Living here is very high.\\nThe Mayor. We could have brought in Porto Rican laborers, but\\nthis gentleman (Mr. Mouraille) has always fought against Porto Rican\\nlaborers and would never employ them.\\nDr. Gaspar. Will sugar be granted free entry this year?\\nDr. Carroll. No.\\nMr. Gaspar. With the gold standard and without free trade it will\\nbe very hard.\\nDr. Carroll. That is what all the sugar planters say, but it is a\\nsituation that can not be helped.\\nDr. Gaspar. The rate of exchange is what has held the planters.\\nDr. Carroll. But on the other hand there were many who said\\nthat if the money question were not settled business would stop. It\\nhas injured the sugar planters I understand that but it is not possi-\\nble to admit sugar free into the United States until Congress can take\\nthe matter up.\\nSOILS AND CROPS IN HUMACAO.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nHumacao, P. R., February 1, 1899.\\nMr. Miguel Argues\u00c2\u00a9, a planter; Mr. Antonio Roig, merchant\\nand owner of a sugar mill; Mr. Joaquin Masferrer, mayor of\\nHumacao, and others\\nDr. Carroll. Will you state the general character of the soil in\\nthis district?", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0090.jp2"}, "91": {"fulltext": "81\\nMr. Roig. It is a sandy soil, generally speaking, though we have\\nsome meadows.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there much humus in the soil?\\nMr. Roig. Not a great deal.\\nDr. Carroll. Then it is a poor soil generally?\\nMr. Roig. Yes; I think so.\\nDr. Carroll. Is it sandy on the plains and on the mountains, or is\\nthere a difference between the soil of the plains and that of the\\nmountains? There must be a great deal of humus in the valleys.\\nMr. Roig. There is more humus in the valleys, and there is a kind\\nof clay in the mountains.\\nDr. Carroll. This soil of the mountains is specially adapted to\\nwhat crops?\\nMr. Roig. The lower parts are good for cane say, halfway up\\nand above that, good for grass. They don t plant any coffee here.\\nDr. Carroll. What crops do they raise here in a small way, in\\naddition to the sugar?\\nMr. Roig. They raise some corn, some beans, yucca, very few pota-\\ntoes, some cabbage, and other vegetables. We have a few oranges;\\nalso a few lemons, but only enough for our own use. Oranges are\\nproduced here easily.\\nDr. Carroll. Why don t you raise larger quantities of oranges?\\nMr. Roig. Because no one has thought of doing so. I think there\\nis more money in planting cane.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you raise rice here?\\nMr. RoiG. Very little; it flourishes, but it comes cheaper from\\noutside.\\nDr. Carroll. Is it any trouble to raise it?\\nMr. Roig. No.\\nDr. Carroll. Why, then, do you import it? You have to paj^ cash\\nfor what you imj)ort.\\nMr. Roig. All the rice here is raised by the poor people.\\nDr. Carroll. Do they raise all they need?\\nMr. Roig. No; we have to import it.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you raise many bananas?\\nMr. Roig. Only for home consumption.\\nDr. Carroll. Why don t you raise them for export?\\nMr. Roig. I am unable to say.\\nDr. Carroll. I think I can tell why. Your roads are so bad you\\ncan not get them into market. San Juan has few good oranges. If\\nyou could get your oranges into San Juan you would get a good mar-\\nket there. What other crops are raised?\\nMr. RoiG. Cocoanuts.\\nDr. Carroll. They cost nothing to raise\\nMr. Roig. Yes; they do cost something. We have to pay, in the\\nfirst place, 25 cents for the plant. Then care must be taken of the\\nplant or the cattle will come and eat it.\\nDr. Carroll. But after it is a tree it take cares of itself, does it not\\nMr. Roig. No; the leaves have to be washed and the dead leaves\\ncut away.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you raise many cocoanuts for export?\\nMr. Roig. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. You have plenty of land on which you could grow\\nmore for export, have you not 7\\nMr. Roig. Yes; we come to what we said before.\\n1125 6", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0091.jp2"}, "92": {"fulltext": "82\\nDr. Carroll. Is there anything else you raise here?\\nMr. RoiG. We raise annatto. That is a dye stuff.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you ever put fertilizers on land for the raising of\\ncane?\\nMr. RoiG. Yes; sometimes a Porto Rican fertilizer, and sometimes\\none that comes from Boston. The native fertilizer comes from Cabo\\nRojo.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you raise pineapples\\nMr. RoiG. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there much labor required in the raising of a crop\\nMr. RoiG. No.\\nDr. Carroll. You don t export any?\\nMr. RoiG. No or at least very few.\\nMr. Argueso. Mayaguez exports more.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you raise many cattle?\\nMr. RoiG. Yes, and it is a paying business; there is money in it.\\nThere is always a demand for oxen.\\nDr. Carroll. Why is that?\\nMr. RoiG. Because in other West Indian islands they come to buy\\ntheir cattle here.\\nDr. Carroll. Don t you sell a great many here in the island?\\nMr. RoiG. Yes; we even supply Ponce and Mayaguez.\\nDr. Carroll. If your roads were in good condition you would not\\nneed so many oxen, would you?\\nMr. RoiG. No; and a yoke of oxen would last longer on good roads.\\nDr. Carroll. Are there any industries here in the way of hat\\nmaking, for instance, or tobacco manufacturing, or anything of that\\nkind?\\nMr. RoiG. A few cigars are made here, but very few. We raise very\\nlittle tobacco.\\nDr. Carroll. Don t you think it would be better to have a larger\\nvariety of crops, so that when sugar is low you would have something\\nto fall back on? It is considered bad policy in the United States to\\nput all your money into one crop.\\nMr. RoiG. We have an insect here that eats plants, such as beans\\nand tobacco.\\nDr. Carroll. You can exterminate that. We have an insect in the\\nUnited States that preys upon potatoes and tomatoes, and they have\\nexperimented and have found the best means of destroying it.\\nMr. RoiG. The insects here even eat the new canes, so that some-\\ntimes they have to plant the cane twice.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you use the manure that your oxen and cattle\\nmake?\\nMr. RoiG. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you use the ashes from your furnace?\\nMr. RoiG. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. In one large mill on the other side of the island they\\nhad a large pile of ashes, and I asked what they did with it. I was\\ntold they threw it on the dump. The proprietor did not know that it\\nwas good for manure.\\nMr. Masferrer. I want to rectify an assertion of Mr. Roig con-\\ncerning the character of the soils in this district. Mr. Roig considers\\nthem to be sandy; I consider them to be silicate-clay soils. Sandy\\nsoil is found chiefly on the coast as soon as you get inland the silicate-\\nclay prevails.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0092.jp2"}, "93": {"fulltext": "83\\nDr. Carroll. A sandy soil will allow rain water to pass off; silicate-\\nclay soils will hold the water. Is the soil inland damp?\\nMr. Masferrer. The soils are not completely siliceous. They only\\nhold enough water for the purpose of growing vegetation, but they\\ndon t hold the water altogether. The soil is not spongy. There are\\nmarshy lands to-day which, if they were drained, would be cultivable\\nlands of excellent quality.\\nDr. Carroll. Would it be difficult to drain them?\\nMr. Masferrer. No; it would be a simple matter. We could drain\\nbhem into the river. That is where all should be drained, as we are\\nbelow the level of the sea.\\nDr. Carroll. Are they used, now as pasture lands?\\nMr. Masferrer. They can only be used in a prolonged dry season.\\nDr. Carroll. Don t they produce grass in the wet season?\\nMr. Masferrer. They produce grass, but there are many leeches\\nin it, and they attack and damage the cattle.\\nDr. Carroll. What are the mountain soils?\\nMr. Masferrer. Siliceous clay soils.\\nDr. Carroll. Are they adapted to crops?\\nMr. Masferrer. Yes; to small crops. There are some also that\\nwill produce cane.\\nDr. Carroll. Do planters here observe rotation of crops that is,\\nput the land into other crops, or let it lie fallow?\\nMr. Masferrer. They use an infamous system of agriculture here.\\nThey sow the cane, cut the cane, plow the land, sow the cane, cut the\\ncane, year after year, and give the land no rest whatever. The\\nplanter calculates the product of his crop by the cuerda so many\\nbarrels of sugar to the cuerda without taking into consideration that\\na less number of cuerdas, well attended to, give better results than a\\nlarger number, badly attended to.\\nDr. Carroll. Are there any exceptions to that rule in this* district?\\nMr. Masferrer. The plan I speak of is general. Planters know\\nnothing of agriculture. For instance, when they use manure, they\\ndon t know what they are using it for, and sometimes do the land,\\nmore harm than good.\\nDr. Carroll. Would it not be well for the Agricultural Depart-\\nment to send down books in Spanish, explaining the best methods of\\nraising cane and how to conserve the soil?\\nMr. Masferrer. They would be very useful, as scientific knowl-\\nedge with regard to lands here is absolutely wanting.\\nDr. Carroll. Do they use the same seed year after year without\\ntrying to get plants from other countries to improve the character of\\nthe cane?\\nMr. Masferrer. They don t try to improve the cane. They use\\nthe same seed year after year, and it is usually bad seed.\\nDr. Carroll. I should think it would be necessary, in order to\\navoid certain diseases which are apt to come to cane which is used\\nfrom one stock year after year, that the stock should be changed.\\nMr. Masferrer. There is one thing you must take into considera-\\ntion The planter, for want of money, can not plant what and how\\nhe likes; he must plant what and how he can.\\nDr. Carroll. The alcalde of Mayaguez showed me a number of\\ncanes in which there was evidence of a certain disease, which appeared\\nalmost as though a worm had gone through the length of the cane. I\\nasked him to what cause he attribiited it, and he could not tell. I sug-", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0093.jp2"}, "94": {"fulltext": "84\\ngested to him that it might be clue to the fact that one stock of cane\\nhad been used many years and had deteriorated, and that it might be\\nwell to get another stock of cane. He thought such a change might\\nbe well.\\nMr. Masferrer. It appears to me to be the only possible remedy,\\nwhenever they have a diseased plant, to remove it and to use fresh\\nstock; but it is not the custom here to do such things.\\nDr. Carroll. General Henry told me that he had cabled to the De-\\npartment of Agriculture to furnish him with a quantity of seeds for\\nuse among the people of the island; not of cane, but of vegetables.\\nWhat class of seeds, in your judgment, would be most useful to the\\nplanters in this district?\\nMr. Masferrer. There is a certain difficulty to be taken into ac-\\ncount. Nobody cares to give attention to these small crops, because\\nthey don t give the same commensurate profit as tobacco, coffee, or\\nsugar, owing to the bad state of the roads.\\nDr. Carroll. But they could get enough for home consumption by\\ndedicating a very small amount of land to the cultivation of these\\ncrops.\\nMr. Masferrer. Those persons who give their attention to small\\ncrops do it only as a secondary matter, and leave the growth of these\\ncrops entirely to the favor of nature that is, if the wind is favorable\\nand the rain comes at the right time, well and good but they don t\\ngive them any attention.\\nDr. Carroll. My visits to the various market places of the island\\nconfirm me in that opinion. Tomatoes, such as are offered here,\\nwould not be accepted in the United States at any price. They raise\\nvery large and luscious tomatoes there, and it is the same with all\\nother vegetables. It seems to me that with the soil here you could\\ntake the place of the Bermudas, and supply the New York market,\\nwhich is the best market in the world, with these vegetables. It is\\nwell known that these small crops are very remunerative. If you have\\na variety in your crops, you will have larger returns and more certain\\nreturns. Bermuda potatoes sometimes bring $2 a bushel in New York,\\nwhen there is an insufficient supply there, and, at times, even more.\\nMr. Masferrer. Potatoes can not be grown here well because of\\nthat insect which has been referred to. It attacks the potato at all of\\nits stages. I once sowed 30 quintals and was able to harvest only 4.\\nDr. Carroll. In the United States we have a potato beetle which\\nis a dangerous insect and multiplies with great rapidity, but they\\nfound finally something to kill it something that it liked and they\\nfed that to it. We have in connection with our Department of Agri-\\nculture, in Washington, an experiment division in which questions of\\ninsectology are studied, and the Department publishes from time to\\ntime the best specifics for killing certain insects and getting rid of\\nthese pests.\\nMr. Masferrer. They established a similar station here once. It\\ncost the province immense sums of money, but gave no results.\\nDr. Carroll. If you will send specimens of these insects to the\\nDepartment of Agriculture, with a statement of the damage they do\\nhere, I am sure you will receive directions how to exterminate them.\\nMr. Masferrer. That would be a very good idea.\\nDr. Carroll. If you choose to do that, I will be glad to forward\\nthem to the Secretary of Agriculture with such representations as you\\nmay wish to make. Tell me when it appears, what crops it attacks", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0094.jp2"}, "95": {"fulltext": "85\\nand how it attacks them, and give me some specimens of it, and I will\\nask the Secretary of Agriculture to take the matter up.\\nMr. Masferrer. This insect was brought in from Peru in some\\nguano.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you any laws for the inspection of imports, to\\nprevent the bringing in of such insects?\\nMr. Masferrer. No.\\nENEMIES OF THE SUGAR CANE.\\nYabucoa, P. R., February 2, 1899.\\nDr. Carroll. I have come here chiefly to get information and not\\nto impart information therefore I would like to ask a few questions\\nabout agriculture here. I understand that your chief crop is sugar;\\nthat you also raise some tobacco.\\nA Planter. Yes. Cattle raising is also a profitable industry.\\nDr. Carroll. Is the sugar cane you raise affected with any disease?\\nA Planter. The cane suffers most from the ravages of an insect\\nwhich attacks it; so much so that sometimes we have to sow three\\nand four times. The result is that the cane first sowed comes to\\nmaturity before that which is sowed later, and, as we have to cut it\\nall together, some of the cane is lacking in saccharine matter.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you endeavored to introduce new varieties of\\ncane?\\nA Planter. We have written and spoken about it, but it ended\\nthere. However, this would not affect the insect.\\nDr. Carroll. But cane that is continued year after year deterio-\\nrates, and it would, perhaps, be well if you could get a fresh stock of\\nseed occasionally.\\nA Planter. We want agricultural experts here. The fertilizers\\nthey sell us are worthless, because, for want of scientific knowledge,\\nwe are unable to judge of them.\\nDr. Carroll. I promised the people of Humacao, with reference\\nto this insect that is making great ravages in the cane there and else-\\nwhere, that if they would furnish me with specimens of it, I would\\nsend it to Washington and ask the Department of Agriculture to pre-\\nscribe some specific by which they could kill it off and get rid of\\nthe pest.\\nNote. Dr. Carroll then referred to the publications of the Agri-\\ncultural Department, and stated that, if it was the wish of planters\\nin the island, he would ask the Department to furnish them copies,\\nin Spanish, of some of its publications.\\nDr. Carroll. It seems to me very important that the planters of\\nPorto Rico, in the various localities, should associate themselves\\ntogether for the study of their industry, for the mutual protection of\\ntheir interests, and for the advancement of the cause which they have\\nat heart.\\nA Planter. There was a society formed for that purpose some time\\nago, with its headquarters in San Juan, and with agents in every\\ntown, but, under the old government, apathy and indifference seemed\\nto hold sway, so that nothing came of the movement. Perhaps with\\nthe change of nationality, the people may change in this respect.\\nEverybody understands the necessity of association, without having\\nit demonstrated.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0095.jp2"}, "96": {"fulltext": "86\\nFARMING IN ARROYO.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nArroyo, P. R., February 3, 1899.\\nDr. Carroll. What crops do you raise?\\nMr. Gautier, planter. Only cane. I have a plantation in Patillo,\\nanother in Maunabo, and one here in the district of Arroyo.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the character of the soil in this valley?\\nMr. Gautier. I don t know much about that; I should say between\\na siliceous and a sandy soil.\\nDr. Carroll. Is it a naturally rich soil?\\nMr. Gautier. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you have to apply fertilizers?\\nMr. Gautier. The cultivation of cane was abandoned for some\\nyears, and we are just taking it up again. We have never used fer-\\ntilizers up to the present, but we think we will have to do so.\\nDr. Carroll. Is the crop now a smaller and less important one\\nthan it used to be?\\nMr. Gautier. About the same but there is far less cane sown to-day\\nthan formerly.\\nDr. Carroll. If it produces the same quantity as before, why do\\nyou propose to use fertilizers?\\nMr. Gautier. Because the land tires with each successive crop.\\nDr. Carroll. Do the planters practice rotation of crops?\\nMr. Gautier. No, they plant cane only.\\nDr. Carroll. Is it not understood that the raising of one crop con-\\ntinually on the same land, year after year, will impoverish the land\\nof elements that that crop requires, while leaving other elements in\\nlarge quantity?\\nMr. Gautier. Thej^ let the ground rest, and then sow it after the\\nlapse of a year. No farmer has under cultivation at one time the\\nwhole of his estate.\\nDr. Carroll. It is an axiom among the farmers in the United\\nStates that by rotation of crops the sowing of different kinds of\\ncrops the soil is rested.\\nA Planter. That can not be done here we have too much money\\ninvested in machinery for sugar making. You must also consider that\\nsugar not only gives one crop, but several successive crops.\\nDr. Carroll. I do not mean that you should abandon sugar, but\\nhave other crops growing simultaneously with it. When we let land\\nlie fallow, it runs to grass, and that rests it. .We put cattle on it, and\\nthat fertilizes. What is the average production of sugar per cuerda?\\nMr. Gautier. About 28 quintals, on an average. In some years,\\nwhen there is a drought, there is hardly any production.\\nDr. Carroll. What other crops is the soil specially suited for?\\nMr. Gautier. Platanos,corn, pineapples, yucca, annatto, achiote\\nall small crops. Almost anything will grow on the lowlands of\\nArroyo.\\nDr. Carroll. Will rice grow here?\\nMr. Gautier. That is not raised here.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you raise tobacco?\\nMr. Gautier. Yes; but it is not a profitable crop, on account of\\nthe drought.\\nDr. Carroll. I understand you are considering the question of\\nirrigation for this portion of the island.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0096.jp2"}, "97": {"fulltext": "87\\nMr. Gautier. Yes, we are.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you sufficient supply of water for irrigation?\\nMr. Gautier. That is the question now occupying the attention of\\nthe engineers; they propose to bring the water from Patillo.\\nDr. Carroll. Is that higher ground?\\nMr. Gautier. The town of Patillo is not, but the place from which\\nthey expect to bring the water is.\\nDr. Carroll. Does Maunabo get all the rain it needs, as Yabucoa\\ndoes?\\nMr. Gautier. Maunabo used to have plenty of water, but it is also\\nbeginning to suffer from drought. A drought was never known there\\nin former years.\\nDr. Carroll. Would the publications of the Agricultural Depart-\\nment in Spanish with reference to the raising of various crops that\\nyou have here be of any great value to planters? The Department is\\nconstantly issuing publications giving results of experiments for the\\npurpose of disseminating agricultural information. Would treatises\\non the culture of cane and tobacco be of value?\\nMr. Verges. They should be; I hardly hope that they will be.\\nDr. Carroll. Of course I would not ask them to send their publica-\\ntions here unless the planters desired them and would make use of\\nthem. There are many things that the Department does in our coun-\\ntry. It studies, for example, insectology and prescribes remedies\\nboth as regards insects and diseases which attack crops. It has\\nscientific men who make a study of those things. These results will\\nbe valuable to the Porto Rican farmers, if they desire them.\\nMr. Verges. I think it would be ve^ desirable to have them.\\nThere are many diseases in the cane to-day that we know nothing\\nabout. There is not a man here who can classify lands. I once sent\\nsamples of soil to Mayaguez to be classified, and they said they were\\nall the same, although I knew that they were entirely different. So\\nI don t think there are people here who know how to analyze lands,\\nand naturally an agricultural station here would be a very good thing\\nfor the island. A matter of great interest to Porto Rico is the study-\\ning of the different kinds of cane and their diseases.\\nDr. Carroll. That has all been studied in the United States, be-\\ncause we have extensive cane plantations there. Mr. Mayor, are there\\nany industries here, in either a large way or small way any manu-\\nfactures?\\nMr. Virella, vice-alcalde. We have a cooper shop, but we import\\nour staves from Portland, Me. We make bay rum for export in small\\nquantities. We get the malagueta leaves here in the mountains.\\nDr. Carroll. Is cacao raised here?\\nMr. Virella. Yes, but in very small quantities. It is an industry\\nwhich could be developed.\\nDr. Carroll. It grows in the mountains, does it not?\\nMr. Virella. Yes.\\nA Planter. But it requires moist land.\\nDr. Carroll. Does it pay to raise it?\\nMr. Virella. The people here have never devoted themselves to it.\\nDr. Carroll. Your chocolate makers have been in the habit of\\nimporting from Venezuela?\\nMr. Virella. Yes; the three great industries here are those of\\ncane, coffee, and cattle.\\nDr. Carroll. Are there any centrals here?\\nMr. Virella. No.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0097.jp2"}, "98": {"fulltext": "Dr. Carroll. How many mills are there?\\nMr. Virella. Only one.\\nDr. Carroll. Are there any centrals in other districts in this part\\nof the island\\nMr. Virella. No; from here to Ponce you will not find any. In\\nPonce you will find one or two.\\nDr. Carroll. Would not the planters save a good deal of money\\nif, instead of having mills of inferior quality, they were to join\\ntogether and have a good one\\nMr. Virella. Yes it would be a great saving of time and expense.\\nDr. Carroll. I have found all over the island old-fashioned machin-\\nery wooden cylinders, for example and they lose one-third of the\\nvalue of the cane.\\nMr. Virella. There is very little spirit of union here.\\nDr. Carroll. It seems to me if you formed an association of plant-\\ners you could create such a spirit, and it would be much better. You\\nwould be able, then, to use a united influence to accomplish things\\nnecessary to your industry.\\nSUGAR CANE AND IRRIGATION.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nGuayama, P. R. February 3, 1899.\\nCity Hall, evening session:\\nDr. Carroll. I would like to ask some planter a few questions.\\nWhat crops are raised in the municipal district of Guayama?\\nMr. Bird. Coffee, cane, tobacco, and small crops, such as bananas\\nand beans.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the most important crop here?\\nMr. Bird. Sugar; after that, coffee; after that, tobacco. Cattle\\nraising is also an important industry here. I am speaking also for\\nSalinas.\\nDr. Carroll. What are the principal small crops\\nMr. Bird. Plantains, sweet potatoes, corn, a small quantity of rice,\\nbeans, and malanga (a species of farinaceous root). The last two are\\nthe most important of the small crops.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the character of the soils here\\nMr. Bird. They are very good. We can raise more sugar to the\\nacre here than can be raised in any other part of the island; but,\\nowing to the want of rain, crops are sometimes lost.\\nDr. Carroll. What quantity of sugar can you raise here per acre\\nMr. Bird. With all the drawbacks caused by the want of rain, we\\ncan not count on more than 2 hogsheads; whereas, if we could count\\non steady rains, we could produce 6 hogsheads.\\nDr. Carroll. Has anything been done for the project of securing\\nirrigation for these lands\\nMr. Bird. Yes; General Stone was here and got property owners\\nto vest in him the right to represent them to secure irrigation, but we\\nhave heard nothing further about it.\\nDr. Carroll. This matter of irrigation has been studied for many\\nyears in the United States, because we have a large arid portion in\\nthe western part of the United States; and we have much literature\\non the subject, which I think I could obtain for you in the Spanish\\nlanguage.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0098.jp2"}, "99": {"fulltext": "89\\nMr. Bird. Anything- that improves our minds in any direction must\\nbe useful; we don t lose anything by reading.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there any special disease to which your cane is\\nsubject? Is it subject to the ravages of any particular insect?\\nMr. Bird. Whatever they may say in other parts of the island,\\nwhat we suffer from most here is the lack of water. As soon as we\\nhave a period of drought, cane on my estate begins to suffer.\\nDr. Carroll. They showed me, in the western portion of the island,\\ncane that was suffering from a certain kind of disease. In Yabucoa\\nthey showed me cane that had been injured by the changa.\\nMr. Bird. This insect does eat the tender roots of the cane, but\\nthere is a remedy for that. If they would sow the seed on the surface\\nof the land instead of underneath the land, the trouble would be\\navoided, because this insect only attacks the plant underneath. I\\nhave a friend who adopted that system of sowing, and he is never\\ntroubled by the changa. The changa also attacks tobacco when the\\nplant is small, and to prevent this they transplant it in a wrapping\\nof maguey so that the changa can not attack the roots. The manager\\nof the Carmen estate told me that he had gotten rid of them almost\\nentirely by introducing the mongoose, and I think it must be that\\nthey are being exterminated in the island in that way, because on my\\nown estate I had many of them formerty, but now they do not bother\\nit at all.\\nDr. Carroll. It is a good remedy if the mongoose itself, in turn,\\ndoes not become a plague.\\nMr. Bird. It eats chicken and eggs, but on the other hand it kills\\nthe rats. Before I brought it here I used to pay $8 and $10 a week in\\nkilling rats, and now the mongoose does it for me.\\nDr. Carroll. How many sugar mills are there in this section; that\\nis, in this district and that of Salinas?\\nMr. Bird. There are eleven altogether, nine in Guayama and two\\nin Salinas. My cane is in Patillas, bnt I am competent to speak of it\\nhere, as I live in Guayama. If you go to Juana Diaz it would be well\\nfor you to look at a large estate there where in spite of arid lands you\\nwill see what fine cane it produces.\\nDr. Carroll. Are the mills here provided with modern machinery?\\nMr. Bird. None at all. There is no vacuum machinery here.\\nTHE AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES OF YAUCO.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nYauco, P. R., March 6, 1899.\\nDr. Carroll. I desire to take up the subject of agriculture, and I\\nthink we ought to begin with Mr. Mejia. I would like him to make a\\nstatement of the conditions and need of agriculture, endeavoring to\\ngive me statements in a concrete form. I want the, facts rather than\\nthe philosophy of the situation, having special reference to the agricul-\\ntural condition of Yauco.\\nMr. Francis Mejia. The agriculture of this district is very much\\ndamaged by drought, and a thorny question arises with regard to want\\nof work for the laborers. The estates are abandoning work, and their\\nemployees will find themselves without employment. For that reason\\nwe ask that sums of money should be spent in the construction of roads", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0099.jp2"}, "100": {"fulltext": "90\\nto give these laborers work. The small proprietor is in a worse posi-\\ntion than any other because he has no money to work his own farm, nor\\ncan he leave his farm and go to seek work elsewhere. With reference\\nto the order issued by the secretary of finance, imposing a tax of $1.50\\nto 25 cents on the various classes of land, some proprietors will find\\nthemselves in a bad position, because their lands are not of equal value.\\nI understand that a proper appraisement ought and will be made\\nof their value. As you already know, agriculture is the source of\\nwealth of the whole island, and especially of the district of Yaueo,\\nand all these gentlemen here are agriculturists, and they can tell you\\nhow things are in the various barrios in which they live.\\nDr. Carroll. Why is it that so many of the peons will be out of\\nwork shortly? Is it that the planters have determined not to plant as\\nmuch as they did last year?\\nMr. Mejia. Because credit has been suspended, and no one advances\\nmoney for the working of the estates.\\nDr. Carroll. This is due, I suppose, to the great scarcity of money\\nin circulation.\\nMr. Mejia. That is one of the reasons. Another, that so many\\nestate owners having suffered from drought have not been able to meet\\ntheir obligations, and, consequently, as merchants have not been able\\nto collect for outstanding debts they are not in a rjosition to continue\\nadvances.\\nDr. Carroll. Has not this district raised as much coffee and sugar\\nas before?\\nMr. Mejia. Yes, but the prices have fallen considerably and no one\\nis buying coffee to-day.\\nDr. Carroll. Are you getting no returns at all for your crops of\\nsugar and coffee? Now is the time you ought to be getting returns\\nfrom them.\\nMr. Mejia. No; nobody is buying coffee.\\nMr. Dario Francheschi. I have not sold any sugar so far.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the difficulty? Is there no market for it?\\nMr. Francheschi. The prices are very low, and nobody is offering\\nanything for sugar at all.\\nDr. Carroll. What prices did you get a year ago for sugar?\\nMr. Francheschi. An average of $4; this year $3 a quintal. This\\nwas for muscovado. Coffee has fallen $8 and $10 a quintal. Last\\nyear we got on the average 25 pesos a quintal, and this year onhy 15.\\nDr. Carroll. According to estimates made by coffee planters of\\nCayey and Caguas, there seems to be a margin on coffee at 11 and 15\\npesos; not much, but some profit for the planter.\\nMr. Torres. That may be so in Cayey, because they do not cultivate\\nthere so much coffee as we do here.\\nDr. Carroll. They said in Cayey that it costs from $8 to $9 to get\\ncoffee ready -for market. What does it cost here?\\nMr. Torres. In this district, calculating the interest sunk on the\\nestate in machinery, I have paid about 15 pesos per quintal.\\nDr. Carroll. Leaving out the interest and counting only the cost\\nof cultivating, picking, etc., what does it cost?\\nMr. Torres. From 10 to 12 pesos, depending on the particular\\nplantation.\\nMr. Mejia. I think the calculation that Mr. Torres makes is a cor-\\nrect one. It must be taken into account that Yauco lands have to be\\nmanured and Cayey lands do not have to be.\\nMr. Antonio Rodriguez. Lands close together differ very greatly,", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0100.jp2"}, "101": {"fulltext": "91\\nand it is absolutely impossible to make uniform calculations. Some\\nland produces more than others, and the abundance of the crop brings\\nthe average up or down.\\nDr. Carroll. It seems to me that you planters ought to endeavor\\nto have your coffee introduced into the United States, studying the\\nkinds of coffee desired there and catering to the taste of the people.\\nMr. Rodriguez. We are considering that matter now. Up to the\\npresent Yauco coffee has been in great demand, but at present our\\nwarehouses are full and our creditors are trying to buy the coffee at\\nthe actual cost to us.\\nMr. Torres. Another circumstance which makes coffee cost a great\\ndeal of money is that the best estates are 5 miles from here, and it\\ncosts a dollar and a quarter to bring a quintal of coffee here, and very\\nmuch to take provisions to the estates.\\nDr. Carroll. If you had a port at Guanica would you be able to\\nship your coffee to better advantage?\\nMr. Torres. Yes; we have to-day to sell our coffee to merchants in\\nPonce, who try to obtain it for as little as possible. If we had a port\\nat Guanica we would be able to save the profit made by the middlemen.\\nMr. Rodriguez. One of the chief causes of our trouble is that the\\nwholesale merchants are afraid to let their capital out, by reason of\\ndisorders that have taken place in the island. They have restricted\\ncredit absolutely, and do not trust even their best customers. Men\\nlike myself, who are merchants and agriculturists, who stand in an\\nintermediary position and deal directly with the small agriculturists,\\nhave not been able to collect what is owing to them, and consequently\\ncan not go on advancing money out of their own pockets, because they\\ncan not themselves get credit from the wholesale merchants.\\nDr. Carroll. Then all credit has stopped?\\nMr. Santiago ViValdi. Even the alto comercio has no credit in\\nEurope.\\nMr. Rodriguez. This year a coffee crop is earning no profit what-\\never, because we have had to buy our provisions at such high prices.\\nDr. Carroll. Cane is raised here by irrigation chiefly, I understand?\\nMr. Francheschi. In some parts without irrigation it does not give\\nresults.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you have to pay very much for the water?\\nMr. Francheschi. At the present time we are not able to irrigate\\nour lands because the viver has no water in it.\\nDr. Carroll. When the river has water what does it cost you per\\ncuerda to irrigate?\\nMr. Francheschi. We pay the laborer who attends to the ditching\\n25 cents per cuerda. The water costs us nothing.\\nDr. Carroll. How long do you keep that up?\\nMr. Francheschi. Every week Ave have to let the water in.\\nDr. Carroll. How long does the dry season continue?\\nMr. Francheschi. That varies. Sometimes we have no drought,\\nand some years we have a drought of six or eight months.\\nDr. Carroll. You ought to have been spared the drought this\\nyear considering the various other visitations you have had. When\\nyou have plenty of rain you raise very fine cane, do you not\\nMr. Francheschi. Yes, very fine.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there any margin in sugar this year, at $3?\\nMr. Francheschi. Last year we sold our sugar at about $5, which\\nleft us some profit. This year we will lose, as has been the case, with\\nthe exception of last year, for several years past. We count on no", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0101.jp2"}, "102": {"fulltext": "92\\nother salvation than the free introduction of our sugar into the United\\nStates market, and while that is being obtained the only thing that\\ncan save us will be the establishment of banks here letting us have\\nmoney at low rates of interest.\\nDr. Carroll. It will be a somewhat difficult matter to bring in\\ncapital, because capital in the United States is conservative like cap-\\nital in Europe and other countries, and the fact that you are in dis-\\ntress down here would make capital hesitate to come here for invest-\\nment.\\nMr. Torres. The one thing is the cause of the other. The mere\\nfact of not having capital is the reason of our bad position. If we had\\nbeen able to get capital in time we would not be at the mercy of\\nspeculators.\\nDr. Carroll. But under the order of General Henry none of you\\nwho have mortgages on your lands will have to pay more than 12 per\\ncent.\\nMr. Torres. The order of General Henry was made with the best\\nof intentions, but it is one of the reasons credit has been paralyzed\\nhere, because those who have faithfully paid their interest are suffer-\\ning on account of those who have not.\\nDr. Carroll. As to those who have not paid their interest the order\\nprovides that mortgages may be foreclosed. The order is only for the\\nbenefit of those who keep the interest paid.\\nMr. Torres. The order would have been splendid if capital had\\nflowed behind it.\\nDr. Carroll. Suppose the order had not been issued at all; what\\nthen? Would it have been better?\\nMr. Torres. If the order had not been issued a great many estate\\nowners would have lost their estates, but credit would not have been\\nparalyzed and those who keep up with their obligations would have\\ncredit.\\nDr. Carroll. If it is bad, perhaps General Henry would be willing\\nto recall the order.\\nNote. To this suggestion there was prompt dissent.\\nMr. RoiG. Credits were paralyzed here before the order was issued.\\nMr. Rodriguez. I think the reason that banks do not come and\\nestablish here is because they do not know the status of Porto Rico,\\nand that is one reason why the territorial question should be settled\\nas soon as possible. In regard to Porto Rico paying its expenses, I\\nwould mention that once we had a surplus of a million and a half,\\nand sometimes more than that.\\nDr. Carroll. You have contributed to the war in Cuba?\\nMr. Rodriguez. Yes Porto Rico has always been paying, but has\\nnever received anything, owing to the burnings and lawlessness in\\nevery part of the island. Some capital has been reduced to ashes, and\\nthose who can get their money in are doing so and are not likely to let\\nout money when they know they are liable to suffer the same result.\\nDr. Carroll. What other kinds of crops are raised here besides\\ncoffee and cane?\\nMr. Vivaldi. The tobacco crop here is important.\\nDr. Carroll. Does tobacco pay well\\nMr. Vivaldi. Yes, it does, and it is one of the most important in-\\ndustries, because it gives employment to a great many people.\\nDr. Carroll. Are you raising this year more or less than last year?\\nMr. Vivaldi. A great deal less, because no one is advancing any\\nmoney to enable the small planters to sow.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0102.jp2"}, "103": {"fulltext": "93\\nDr. Carroll. Have you sold all of last year s crop?\\nMr. Vivaldi. No; the greater part of it is still in the island.\\nDr. Carroll. How are the prices now as compared with those of\\nlast year?\\nMr. Vivaldi. This year they are very low; in the northern part of\\nthe island they sold tobacco as low as $2 a quintal, and after sending\\nit to Germany have had to send money behind it to pay expenses. I\\nhave tobacco, and I would not dare to send it to the United States,\\nbecause I don t know what prices I would get for it.\\nDr. Carroll. You don t send any tobacco to Cuba now?\\nMr. Vivaldi. No.\\nMr. Torres. That is one of the chief reasons tobacco has fallen in\\nprice.\\nDr. Carroll. On the other hand you don t import from there ciga-\\nrettes and cigars. That is a benefit.\\nMr. Vivaldi. There is not sufficient consumption for the tobacco\\nraised in the island.\\nDr. Carroll. But it is a good thing to have your own market.\\nMr. Vivaldi. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you tried to see whether you could get your\\ntobacco into the United States?\\nMr. Vivaldi. No nobody has. I have spoken to export merchants\\nhere, and they have always told me that it was impossible to send any\\nthere. We want free entry, so as to get our tobacco into the States.\\nDr. Carroll. The only criticism that I have heard of Porto Rican\\ncigars is that the tobacco is too green.\\nMr. Vivaldi. I have cigars three years old. If they are not dry\\nnow they never will be.\\nDr. Carroll. What other crops are there?\\nMr. Mejia. Small crops, such as corn, for local use. The principal\\ncrops are coffee and tobacco.\\nDr. Carroll. I would like to know what the small crops consist of.\\nMr. Mejia. Beans, corn, rice, plantains, potatoes, but very few.\\nDr. Carroll. Is any attention paid to the cultivation of these small\\ncrops?\\nMr. Vivaldi. Very little.\\nMr. Mejia. We produce sufficient for local consumption. We can\\nnot produce large quantities, because of the drought.\\nDr. Carroll. Can you not use irrigation for these small crops the\\nsame as you do for cane?\\nMr. Vivaldi. Yes but there is not sufficient water.\\nDr. Carroll. What kinds of fruit are grown?\\nMr. Mejia. Oranges, pineapples, bitter oranges, cacao, mangoes,\\nnisperos, small bananas, aguacates (alligator pears), mamey, and\\nguavas. We could raise more if we had good roads. We raise, also,\\npepinos (cucumbers). T have a great many oranges on my estate, but\\nthe cost of freighting them down to the wharf would be more than I\\ncould get for them.\\nDr. Carroll. The chinas (sweet oranges) are as good as any raised\\nin the United States, and if you could get them to New York you\\nwould have a market for all of them.\\nMr. Vivaldi. Many are sent from Mayaguez to New York; also\\npineapples are sent from there. Only those that are produced near\\nthe coast, however, are exported. The others would not stand the\\nexpense of the rough roads. The great bulk of the orange crop is in\\nthe mountains.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0103.jp2"}, "104": {"fulltext": "94\\nDr. Carroll. If the oranges were known in the United States you\\ncould sell your entire crop there at good prices.\\nMr. Mejia. I spent $350 in bringing fruits from the United States,\\nand trying to acclimate them here, but they all died.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you tried to introduce your oranges in the\\nUnited States?\\nMr. Mejia. No there is no road by which I can get them down.\\nDr. Carroll. Does it cost very much to raise pineapples? Are\\nthey raised without much labor and expense?\\nMr. Mejia. No; it does not cost much, and a great quantity are\\nproduced in San German, but then here they cost a great deal, because\\nof the expense of bringing them in. They sell here in Yauco at from\\n10 to 20 cents each.\\nTHE CROPS AND THE DRY SEASON.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nCoamo, P. R., February 6, 1899.\\nMr. Francisco Fernandez, coffee planter, and others:\\nDr. Carroll. Are there any planters here who can give me some\\nidea about the soil of this district and what crops are raised, and the\\nadvantages and disadvantages that are experienced by planters in\\nraising their crops and getting them to market?\\nMr. Fernandez. The principal crop of this district is coffee.\\nDr. Carroll. What other crops are raised?\\nMr. Fernandez. Tobacco, a small amount of cane, and small fruits\\nand vegetables. We also have cattle.\\nDr. Carroll. What are the fruits that are raised here?\\nMr. Fernandez. Oranges, pineapples, mangoes, guanavinos, mamey,\\nnisperos, guavas, and others.\\nDr. Carroll. Are there many pineapples raised?\\nMr. Fernandez. None of these are raised; they all grow wild.\\nThey are a beautiful fruit, but they are left to rot in the fields. This\\nmight become the most important crop of the district.\\nDr. Carroll. Why are they not cultivated?\\nMr. Fernandez. For the want of local markets, and the difficulty\\nof getting them to distant markets.\\nDr. Carroll. You have a good road here, both to Ponce and to San\\nJuan, at all times of the year.\\nMr. Fernandez. The difficulty is to get them from the center to\\nthis road.\\nDr. Carroll. Where are they grown?\\nMr. Fernandez. In the mountain lands, 600 meters above the sea\\nlevel. To bring them down from there would cost more than they are\\nworth.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you tried bringing them down on ponies?\\nMr. Fernandez. Yes.\\nColonel Santiago. Pineapples grow splendidly everywhere, and\\nbetter with irrigation but here in the countiy there is no demand for\\nthem, and they don t export them owing to the difficulties they have\\npassed through of having communication.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there no demand for them in San Juan and Ponce?\\nMr. Fernandez. They are too far away. It is too expensive to get\\nthem there.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0104.jp2"}, "105": {"fulltext": "95\\nColonel Santiago. We have never sown them; that is, we have\\nnever gone into the business regularly.\\nA Planter. The amount of the duty on coffee is more than the value\\nof the coffee itself in the ports of the United States.\\nDr. Carroll. No; it has been free for many years.\\nA Planter. We want tobacco also to be free.\\nDr. Carroll. That is another question. You will have to wait\\nuntil Porto Rico becomes a Territory of the United States.\\nA Planter. If at the ports of the United States you could charge a\\nduty on coffee coining from other countries, it would be a benefit to\\nPorto Rico.\\nDr. Carroll. You must remember that the merchants of the United\\nStates who export to Porto Rico pay the same duties as the merchants\\nof Spain or any other country. While that state of things continues\\nyou must expect to pay duties on things that go into the United States.\\nIt would be hardly fair to charge a duty on seven-eighths of the coffee\\nthe people of the United States consume to benefit Porto Rico when\\nwe have no free market here. How many months of dry weather do\\nyou have?\\nA Planter. The dry season continues six months. We have rain\\nfrom August to December and in the month of May.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there no possibility of irrigating any of the lands?\\nA Planter. With very little outlay we could bring the river Bar-\\nranquitas here and use it for irrigation purposes.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you ever had a competent engineer to examine\\ninto the matter?\\nA Planter. We don t need an engineer for that; anybody can see\\nat a glance that we can get water from the north shore down here. The\\ngreater part of the water running through Barranquitas could be\\nbrought here.\\nDr. Carroll. Still, you would not want to undertake any extensive\\nirrigation works without having the opinion of a competent engineer\\nand plans by a competent engineer?\\nA Planter. The country is too poor to attend to irrigation works\\nitself, but in Guayama they paid $25,000 to some English engineers to\\nstudy the subject. These engineers have left and the people have\\nnothing to show for their money.\\nDr. Carroll. Have they no plans to show for it?\\nA Planter. I consider it lost until capital comes here to attend to\\nit. They have the plans, though.\\nDr. Carroll. Does coffee suffer any from the dry season?\\nA Planter. Not on the high lands, but it suffers on the low lands.\\nCoffee sown at a lower altitude than 500 meters suffers from the dry\\nseason, but above that altitude it does not.\\nDr. Carroll. Why does it not suffer above that altitude?\\nA Planter. On account of the dew above that altitude, the air is\\nmuch more humid. Coffee is sown on the lowlands, but in some dry\\nseasons it dies altogether.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0105.jp2"}, "106": {"fulltext": "96\\nCOFFEE RAISING.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.!\\nAibonito, P. R., February 6, 1899.\\nMr. Manuel Caballer, mayor of Aibonito, Mr. Jose E. Santiago,\\ncoffee planter; also Mr. Tomas Sifonte and Mr. Theodore Gonzales,\\ncoffee planters.\\nDr. Carroll. Are there any manufactures of any kind in Aibonito?\\nMr. Caballer. None whatever, so far as I know.\\nDr. Carroll. Are there any planters here who can tell me about\\nagriculture in the district of Aibonito?\\nMr. Santiago. I am a coffee planter and can probably give you the\\ninformation you want.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the chief crop of this district?\\nMr. Santiago. Coffee.\\nDr. Carroll. What other crops are raised?\\nMr. .Santiago. The next most important crop is tobacco, besides\\nwhich there are small crops not worth taking into consideration.\\nDr. Carroll. What about oranges, bananas, cocoanuts, and fruits?\\nMr. Santiago. They don t cultivate them.\\nDr. Carroll. Would they grow here well, if cultivated?\\nMr. Santiago. Yes, they would; but I don t think to any great\\nextent.\\nDr. Carroll. Is the weather too cold for them?\\nMr. Santiago. The climate is good for fruit.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there much dry weather?\\nMr. Santiago. Droughts have occurred, but they are not usual.\\nThe ground, however, is worn-out and is naturally poor.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you use fertilizers on it?\\nMr. Santiago. Up to the present, no.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the ordinary crop of coffee per cuerda?\\nMr. Santiago. From 2 to 3 quintals on the best lands. There are\\nsome lands which don t give more than l-J. Coffee is not a productive\\ncrop here, and there are heavy expenses connected with it.\\nDr. Carroll. Is the coffee you grow of the ordinary class?\\nMr. Santiago. No; it is very fine cofiee. In the exposition at\\nParis I got a prize for the coffee I exhibited. What we are in need of\\nis machinery to work it better.\\nDr. Carroll. What does it cost to have the coffee picked, per\\ncuerda?\\nMr. Santiago. It costs $6 per cuerda.\\nDr. Carroll. What are the other expenses of getting coffee ready\\nfor market?\\nMr. Santiago. We have to pass it through the machinery. We\\nhave to dry it; in fact, a long process has to be gone through.\\nDr. Carroll. I want to get at the expense of it.\\nMr. Santiago. We don t prepare it for exportation.\\nDr. Carroll. Well, what does it cost for drying it?\\nMr. Santiago. It costs about 50 cents a quintal for hulling and\\ndrying.\\nDr. Carroll. Where do you send it?\\nMr. Santiago. To Ponce.\\nDr. Carroll. What does it cost to e-et it to Ponce from here?", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0106.jp2"}, "107": {"fulltext": "97\\nMr. Santiago. It costs 30 or 40 cents, according to whether the\\ncarts are plentiful or not.\\nDr. Carroll. What do you get for it at Ponce?\\nMr. Santiago. This year from 14 to 15 pesos a quintal.\\nMr. Sifonte appeared before the commissioner and was questioned\\nas follows\\nDr. Carroll. What is the general character of the soil in this\\ndistrict? Is it washed and quite thin on the top of the mountain?\\nMr. Sifonte. The land is not regular at all. In some parts the\\nsoil is deep, and in other parts it is thin. You will find it in veins of\\nvarying quantity.\\nDr. Carroll. If a man wanted to plant a coffee farm how would\\nhe proceed, having an open field to begin with?\\nMr. Sifonte. First he would clean the ground and then plant shade\\ntrees.\\nDr. Carroll. How do you clean the ground?\\nMr. Sifonte. By cutting off the surface with a machete.\\nDr. Carroll. What kind of trees do you plant for shade?\\nMr. Sifonte. Plantains and guava.\\nDr. Carroll. How long does it take to get those trees ready to\\nfurnish the proper amount of shade?\\nMr. Sifonte. The guava trees require five years, but the other tree\\ngives a shade at the end of a year, and meanwhile gives fruit.\\nDr. Carroll. And when do they plant the coffee trees?\\nMr. Sifonte. In October.\\nDr. Carroll. At the end of the first or second year, or immediately\\nafter planting the shade trees?\\nMr. Sifonte. A year afterwards.\\nDr. Carroll. How long is it before the coffee trees begin to bear?\\nMr. Sifonte. Five years.\\nDr. Carroll. When do your trees bear their best crops?\\nMr. Sifonte. When they are 7 years old.\\nDr. Carroll. Do they then decrease in the amount they yield?\\nMr. Sifonte. Our climate sustains the coffee tree in full bearing\\nfor many years; even up to fifty years.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you pay any taxes on land that is newty planted\\nin coffee trees?\\nMr. Sifonte. No.\\nDr. Carroll. Does the law allow you five years in which to get\\nyour plantation ready for bearing before imposing a tax?\\nMr. Sifonte. No; two years only have been allowed.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you agree with the gentleman who has just testi-\\nfied as to the cost of picking the coffee, of hulling it, and getting it to\\nPonce to market?\\nMr. Sifonte. I am of the same opinion; and I would say that our\\ncoffee, put down in the market, costs us $10 per quintal, everything\\ncounted, including the planting, the cleaning, the picking, the condi-\\ntioning, the sacking, and the carrying to market.\\nDr. Carroll. Then the margin of profit for the planter is not very\\nmuch, if he only gets 14 or 15 pesos per quintal?\\nMr. Sifonte. This year, at present prices, our coffee costs us almost\\nas much as we get for it.\\nDr. Carroll. Are there many merchants here who buy coffee from\\nyou?\\nMr. Sifonte. There are, on a small scale.\\n1125 7", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0107.jp2"}, "108": {"fulltext": "98\\nMr. Theodore Gonzales was then questioned by the commissioner,\\nas follows\\nDr. Carroll. What is the average size of a coffee farm, in cuerdas,\\nin this neighborhood?\\nMr. Gonzales. From 80 to 100 cuerdas.\\nDr. Carroll. You have heard the questions asked these other gen-\\ntlemen. Do you agree with them in their answers?\\nMr. Gonzales. Yes.\\nNEED OF FERTILIZERS.\\n[Hearing before the United States Comniissioner.]\\nCaguas, P. R., February 27, 1899.\\nMr. Vicente Munoz, ex-mayor of Caguas\\nDr. Carroll. You are a planter?\\nMr. Munoz. Yes but not, of cane.\\nDr. Carroll. What do you plant?\\nMr. Munoz. Tobacco, coffee, a small amount of plantains, and\\nsmall fruits in general.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the general character of the soil in this\\nvalley; is it rich?\\nMr. Munoz. Within a small radius it is fairly good, but the rest of\\nit is not of much value. Everything is grown, but everything grows\\nvery sickly.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the cause of that haven t you rain enough\\nhere?\\nMr. Munoz. It is owing to the want of technical knowledge of how\\nto use the soil, to the want of money, and to the rude methods we\\nhave always employed.\\nDr. Carroll. What crops are best produced here by this soil\\ncoffee and tobacco?\\nMr. Munoz. In one part cane, in another coffee, in another small\\ndistrict tobacco, and in still another forage.\\nDr. Carroll. Are there many cattle raised here?\\nMr. Munoz. Very few.\\nDr. Carroll. Do the planters ever use fertilizers on the soil?\\nMr. Munoz. No; for want of money.\\nDr. Carroll. Does the island not produce fertilizers?\\nMr. Munoz. On the island proper there is none, but the island of\\nMona produces fertilizer. Owing to the cost of getting it here the\\nprice is prohibitive. The agriculturist is in a worse position than the\\nlaborer here, because at the end of the day or week the laborer gets\\nhis pay, but the agriculturist gets no pay, and if he does not get some\\none to help him out he is in a bad way.\\nDr. Carroll. You are in a better j)osition than the agriculturists\\nof some other districts, because you have good roads and communi-\\ncation with Ponce and San Juan.\\nMr. Munoz. It is of small account to have good veins if you have\\nno blood to course through them. We need cash and credit very much\\nhere. Owing to the late happenings in the island, men who sustained\\nthe agriculturists by credit have retired their credits altogether.\\nDr. Carroll. Isn t it a fact that agriculturists have to j3ay too\\nhigh a rate of interest to allow of much profit on their crops?", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0108.jp2"}, "109": {"fulltext": "99\\nMr. Munoz. Agriculturists here, unless they have a most extraor-\\ndinary- crop, can never pay what they owe, and each year they get\\ndeeper and deeper into debt, and after eight or ten years they have\\nto give up their estates and become workmen themselves.\\nDr. Carroll. Did the order of General Henry, suspending execu-\\ntions on agricultural property, afford any relief here?\\nMr. Munoz. Those who were hopelessly in debt were benefited,\\nbut those who had not got to that condition were not greatly benefited.\\nThe order preventing the collection of the consumption tax appeared\\nat first a very beneficent one, but it was really quite the other thing.\\nWe are buying bread and meat at the same prices we were before,\\nand instead of the people of the city, who consume the bread and meat,\\npaying the tax the extra taxation has been put on us.\\nDr. Carroll. It has been put on the liquor dealers?\\nMr. Munoz. The agriculturists pay it indirectlv.\\nDr. Carroll. The tariff has relieved the agriculturist somewhat?\\nMr. Munoz. The price of food stuffs has not come down here.\\nDr. Carroll. What do you pay for bread?\\nMr. Munoz. Six cents in town; I pay 7 cents in the country.\\nDr. Carroll. How much was it before?\\nMr. Munoz. It was 8 cents for a pound, light; now they sell a full\\npound for 6 cents.\\nDr. Carroll. It was 8 cents in San Juan, and now it is 4 cents.\\nMr. Munoz. But the agricultural laborers do not eat either bread\\nor meat.\\nCOFFEE AND TOBACCO.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nCayey, P. R., February 28, 1899.\\nDr. Carroll. What are the chief crops raised here?\\nMayor Munoz. Coffee and tobacco.\\nDr. Carroll. Some corn?\\nMayor Munoz. A small quantity, only, for local consumption.\\nDr. Carroll. Is any cane raised here?\\nMayor Munoz. There was only one sugar grower here and he gave\\nit up.\\nDr. Carroll. Does not cane grow well here?\\nMayor Munoz. Yes; it is very fine land for cane.\\nDr. Carroll. Then is it more profitable to raise coffee and tobacco?\\n\u00e2\u0080\u00a2Mayor Munoz. Naturally; cane requires a great deal more capital\\nthan coffee and tobacco.\\nDr. Carroll. What kind of soil is found here?\\nMr. M. Planellas, president of agricultural society. The northern\\nand eastern parts of the district are clayey. There is also humus\\nsoil, and under that there is a layer of pyrites. In another part of\\nthe district there is volcanic soil; that is found especially in the\\nsouthern part. We harvest 30,000 quintals of coffee here and 5,000\\nquintals of tobacco. Less has been sown this year than last.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the number of workmen, approximately, on\\ncoffee and tobacco estates?\\nMr. Planellas. I estimate that about 4,000 people are given work\\nin the country districts of this municipality. The minimum salaiy is\\n37 cents and the maximum 50 cents a day. Most of the agriculturists", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0109.jp2"}, "110": {"fulltext": "100\\npay in cash, and any peon of good character can live on the estate\\nand have a house bnilt for him by the owner.\\nDr. Carroll. There is an agricultural society here. What is its\\nobject?\\nMr. Planellas. The society was formed last year, with a view of\\ntrying to obtain annexation and get into a position to take advantage\\nof the benefits of it. This is the first society that has ever been formed\\nthis is absolutely the first step that has been taken. One of the points\\nwhich our programme includes is the betterment of the peon class.\\nOne object of the society has been to prepare the ground for the intro-\\nduction of our coffee into the United States. We are thinking of\\nsending an agent there to work the field and get a market, but we\\nhave been laboring under the idea that coffee paid a duty there. The\\ndanger of the situation is that if the agriculturist does not soon find\\na market for his produce he will have to shut down, and that will\\nthrow many out of work.\\nDr. Carroll. What is your port for the shipment of coffee?\\nMr. Planellas. San Juan, principally.\\nDr. Carroll. What does it cost to get your coffee there?\\nMr. Planellas. Forty cents a quintal.\\nDr. Carroll. Is it nearer to San Juan than to Ponce?\\nMr. Planellas. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Do the planters sell the coffee here or in San Juan?\\nMr. Planellas. They sell it here.\\nDr. Carroll. How much do you get for it here?\\nMr. Planellas. Ten pesos per quintal for current classes.\\nDr. Carroll. Is that with the shell on it?\\nMr. Planellas. No; all prepared.\\nDr. Carroll. How much for the fine?\\nMr. Planellas. Fourteen pesos.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there much margin for the producer?\\nMr. Planellas. Very little at 10 pesos it hardly covers the expense,\\nof production. Last year coffee brought as high as 35 pesos a quintal.\\nDr. Carroll. Is 14 pesos now the highest?\\nMr. Planellas. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Why should there be such a shrinkage for the best\\ncoffee? As I understand they never send the best coffee to the United\\nStates or to Cuba or Spain, but to Germany and France.\\nMr. Planellas. We send the best coffee to Spain and France.\\nFrance consumes only a little, however; the chief part was consumed\\nin Spain. The reason we sent most of it to Spain was that the exchange\\non Spain gave us a larger return.\\nDr. Carroll. They raise coffee in Cuba, do they not?\\nMr. Planellas. Very little.\\nDr. Carroll. Then, if they raise only a little, they must import\\ncoffee.\\nMayor Munoz. The Brazilian coffee, which is much cheaper, will be\\nbrought in, as the poor people use it. Our inferior coffees are better\\nthan the Brazilian first-class coffee.\\nDr. Carroll. Can you not produce them as cheaply as they produce\\nthem in Brazil?\\nMr. Planellas. No; in Brazil they don t have to use shade trees;\\nthey can plant them out in the open, and here the expense of raising-\\ncoffee is in the protection of the coffee.\\nDr. Carroll. The freights are cheaper from here to Cuba than\\nfrom Brazil to Cuba, are they not?", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0110.jp2"}, "111": {"fulltext": "101\\nMr. Planellas. Somewhat cheaper, but that would not make up\\nfor it. Fifty years ago, when coffee paid no taxes, when munici-\\npalities hardly existed, and we had slave labor, we could compete\\nwith Brazil, but to-day we can not compete with Brazil, which has\\ncheaper labor.\\nDr. Carroll. What does it cost to get coffee ready for market.\\nA Planter present. From 8 to 9 pesos per quintal.\\nAnother Planter. The most important point to the agriculturist\\nhas not been mentioned that is, that the agriculturists have no money\\nand no bank. They have to obtain their money through merchants\\nwho exact payment in crops; these crops are subject to fluctuation,\\naccording to the demand from outside, which causes fluctuations in\\nSan Juan. So that really the agriculturist is Bt the mercy of the mer-\\nchants, and until he gets better facilities for getting money it will\\nalways be so.\\nDr. Carroll. Under the present laws the agriculturist may be an\\nexporter.\\nA Planter. We can not do it because we havn t commercial rela-\\ntions with Europe and the United States. We wouldn t know how\\nto proceed, and have to deal with the merchants anyway. The very\\nrichest of the agriculturists have seen themselves on the brink of\\nruin. They have had no outlet for their crops, and could get no\\nmoney to attend to the working of their estates. Without exception,\\nthey are in a very difficult position.\\nDr. Carroll. If you think the merchants are charging you too\\nmuch, you should form an association and have an agent and find\\nyour own markets. What one man can not do a great many men\\ncan do.\\nA Gentleman present. As the agriculturist nearly always owes\\nthe merchant he has to meet the debts with coffee. The fault is with\\nthe merchants of the capital. The merchants here can not offer a\\nhigher price than they are authorized to offer by the merchants there.\\nMayor Munoz. I think the real reason for the condition of affairs\\nwhich exists at present is the transitory state through which we are\\npassing. It is not a question of merchants or prices, but of an upset con-\\ndition of affairs. When we find our neAv markets we will settle down\\nupon a satisfactory basis. We want your assistance and that of the\\nUnited States to the end that Porto Rican coffee shall be protected as\\na national product against Brazilian and others.\\nDr. Carroll. That is, you want the United States to impose a\\nduty on coffee from other countries\\nA Planter. In any form.\\nDr. Carroll. By bounty? That ought to come out of your own\\ntreasury.\\nMayor Munoz. I think a duty ought to be imposed on othercoffee.\\nDr. Carroll. Would that be fair to the 70, 0000, 000 consumers in the\\nUnited States It seems to me that one trouble with the planters\\nhere is that you go too much on the credit basis and not enough on\\nthe cash basis; in other words, you pay out what would be your prof-\\nits in interest, which, I understand, runs as high as 18 per cent, and\\nit would seem to me better to pass through a starvation period, if\\nnecessary, for a year or two in order to get on the cash basis.\\nA Planter. I think that as soon as American capitalists come in\\nto take the place of Spanish capital that has been withdrawn the\\ncountry will get on a better footing.\\nDr. Carroll. The more money you borrow the worse you are off.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0111.jp2"}, "112": {"fulltext": "102\\nA Planter. No, it will give the agriculturists breathing time in\\nwhich to wait for better prices.\\nDr. Carroll. Suppose the better prices vou wait for do not come?\\nWhat then?\\nA Planter. We would have money at lower interest than we now\\npay, and, at least, would have the benefit of the time for waiting.\\nDr. Carroll. What inducement have you to offer to capitalists to\\nlend money at a less rate of interest than you have been paying?\\nYou say that the prices are so low that you can not make expenses.\\nA Planter. We would give our property as a guaranty.\\nIRRIGATION.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nPonce, P. R., March 3, 1899.\\nMr. Robert Graham:\\nMr. Graham. I have been here thirty-eight 3 T ears. My business is\\nengineering, and I know the island pretty well. There are very con-\\nsiderable openings here for capital from outside. There are large\\nclaims lying uncultivated which could be made very valuable by\\nbringing water to them. There is no difficulty in bringing the water\\nto them, except the difficulty of the money necessary to do it. Gen-\\neral Stone went into this question of irrigation very closely. He\\ntraveled all over the district and we traveled a great deal together.\\nHe was delighted with the whole thing, and he was quite certain he\\nwas going to do big things; that firms in the United States would go\\nin for it right off, and I have been surprised to find that he has been\\ndisappointed altogether. His disappointment, however, is no reason\\nwhy we should not try to secure irrigation here.\\nDr. Carroll. I had a talk at Guayama at the alcaldia. There were\\na number of planters there, also at Arroyo. Thej^ have plans at\\nArroyo, but no plans at Guayama with respect to irrigation. It seems\\nto me important in order to bring this question properly before capi-\\ntalists in the United States that there should be plans, with estimates,\\nso that the people can judge somewhat with regard to it.\\nMr. Graham. That is so, and the plans have been all worked out in\\nfirst-class style and copies of them remain in the office of the depart-\\nment of public works in San Juan. Estimates also have been made\\nand copies have been supplied to different people. It is not easy to\\nsn PPty copies, except of superficial plans, but the matter has *been\\nbrought so plainly before a number of people that it seems surprising\\nthat it has not been taken up. A little more than a year ago the\\nscheme was nearly taken up by a London syndicate of capitalists.*\\nThe American war came on and they said, We will wait and see what\\nwill happen. After the war they were ready to come. I told them\\nthey were too late. I had been speaking with General Stone, and\\nnaturally considered that Americans would go into it and give us\\nEnglishmen no chance, and I wrote to that effect. An enterprise of\\nthis sort requires capitalists to send out capable men to look into it\\nand finally get the concession good for the whole ground, make their\\nown plans, and make such calculations as modern ideas and experi-\\nence may suggest.\\nDr. Carroll. You have a system of irrigation in this district?", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0112.jp2"}, "113": {"fulltext": "103\\nMr. Graham. Yes; we have irrigation in the Ponce district and it\\nis a pretty complete system. We take the water from various rivers.\\nDr. Carroll. Does that water ever fail in rivers?\\nMr. Graham. Yes; when we have long spells of dry weather it gets\\nscarce; but the districts of Guayama, Arroyo, and Salinas have no irri-\\ngation at all to speak of. The matter has been worked out and looked\\ninto by different engineers and all have found it perfectly feasible, and\\nthere could be no doubt about the success of it, because landed pro-\\nprietors are willing to bind themselves in advance, to pay so much per\\nacre for the use of the water.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the sj^stem that you have here?\\nMr. Graham. It is just gravitation. They take the water high up\\nin the river, dam it slightly, build brick conduits, and bring the water\\nto the estates.\\nDr. Carroll. How is it distributed on the estates?\\nMr. Graham. By a main ditch which runs along the high part of\\nthe field and smaller ditches or furrows so arranged that the water\\nruns along the furrows. The furrows are from 3 to 4 feet from each\\nother. The cane is planted in a hill and the water runs over the roots\\nof the cane.\\nDr. Carroll. Is that system costly?\\nMr. Graham. The first cost is considerable, but after it is once\\nestablished the system is not a costly one.\\nDr. Carroll. For a field of 100 cuerdas, say, what would it cost\\nthe owner per annum?\\nMr. Graham. You would have to keep two men constantly employed\\nand that would cost about 60 cents a day, gold.\\nDr. Carroll. Is the water pumped from the river?\\nMr. Graham. No. They take the water up higher than their own\\nproperty. For Guayama and Salinas the water would be taken up in\\nthe hills and a reservoir made. The original scheme would cost\\n$700,000, but the water that has to be brought down would give 1,600\\nhorsepower for electric lighting. That would light all the lights\\naround the coast here.\\nDr. Carroll. Would it turn all the sugar mills?\\nMr. Graham. No, but it would haul all the cane. The mills require\\nheavy power; but they will have plenty of power for their purposes.\\nThe electric-light scheme was not included in the original irrigation\\nscheme. It is only lately that this scheme has been thought of at all.\\nConnected with this scheme is the central factory.\\nDr. Carroll. That would be a matter of economy also for the\\nplanters, because their present system is-a costly one.\\nMr. Graham. They are losing when they are grinding just one-\\nthird of the whole crop. It is equivalent to one-half of what they\\nmake.\\nDr. Carroll. Yes; that is evident to a passer-by.\\nMr. Graham. The bankers have gone into a little speculation in\\nthis district. They bought a thousand acres the other day and are\\ngoing to put up a factory.\\nDr. Carroll. Where is that?\\nMr. Graham. Between Guayama and Salinas.\\nDr. Carroll. Do they expect to irrigate it?\\nMr. Graham. Yes, and I think they are expecting that one day the\\ngeneral irrigation scheme will be introduced.\\nDr. Carroll. Has it always been as dry in these southern districts\\nas it is now?", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0113.jp2"}, "114": {"fulltext": "104\\nMr. Graham. Not quite. Twenty-five or thirty years ago we did\\nnot suffer so much from dry weather.\\nDr. Carroll. The mountains have been denuded, I suppose?\\nMr. Graham. Yes, and the cutting down of the timber has done a\\ngreat deal of harm.\\nDr. Carroll. Can not that be remedied by planting forests?\\nMr. Graham. Very slowly, because the land is the property of pri-\\nvate owners and they would not plant lands from which they would\\nderive no benefit.\\nDr. Carroll. That would be of benefit to the whole district, and\\npossibly you would have a natural supply of moisture.\\nMr. Graham. We may have rains in April, but we may not get them\\nin that month.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you plenty of rain in the summer?\\nMr. Graham. No, not plenty. We may get showers from now on\\nto July, sometimes later, but we can not count on the weather from\\nJanuary to September. Sometimes we get rain in that period and\\nsometimes we don t. The estates that don t have irrigation can not\\nmake anything in this sort of weather.\\nAVERAGE CROPS OF SUGAR AND COFFEE.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nPlainfield, N. J., May 26, 1899.\\nSenor Lucas Amadeo, a coffee planter of Utuado, P. R.\\nDr. Carroll. I should like to ask a few questions as to coffee and\\nsugar.- I have been unable to get the average production per acre or\\ncuerda of coffee and sugar.\\nSenor Amadeo. The production of sugar there varies according to\\nthe location of the plantation and according to the method of cultiva-\\ntion. Along the coast there are some places where the ground bein\\nwell watered, will produce from 3% to 4 hogsheads per cuerda\\nDr. Carroll. From 1,400 to 1,800 pounds per hogshead?\\nSeiior Amadeo. Yes. The average production will fall as low as\\n2 hogsheads m other localities, where the ground, perhaps, is not as\\ngood and the methods of culture are not adequate.\\nDr. Carroll. Much depends, 1 suppose, also on the character of\\nthe mills.\\nSenor Amadeo. I believe that with modern mills and modern\\nmethods the production on good lands would be from 5 to 6 hogs-\\nheads per cuerda. On the plantation of my father I have, even with\\nthe crude method of oxen, obtained sometimes 5 hogsheads per\\ncuerda.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you think the average for the land under culti-\\nvation is 2 hogsheads per cuerda?\\nSenor Amadeo. That is about the most they will give, taking into\\nconsideration the manner in which it is cultivated now; it must be\\nborne in mmd that present methods of culture in the island are inad-\\nequate to produce what the same farms might yield if riahtlv culti-\\nvated. ft J\\n_ Dr. Carroll. What would probably be the value of the residue or\\njuice or molasses to the hogshead left over after the sugar has been", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0114.jp2"}, "115": {"fulltext": "105\\nmade? I want to get at the value of a cuerda in cane, made up into\\nsugar, molasses, and rum.\\nSenor Amadeo. Calculating that the cuerda will give 2 hogsheads\\nof sugar, it will then give 30 per cent molasses and 10 per cent rum\\nthe sugar represents 60 per cent.\\nDr. Carroll. Do the 2 hogsheads include the molasses and rum?\\nSenor Amadeo. No.\\nDr. Carroll. I ask these questions because Judge Curtis, of the\\ncolonial commission, made a statement to the effect that the sugar\\ngrowers of Porto Rico were not so nearly had off as they made out.\\nHe said they could easily make $120 gold per acre.\\nSenor Amadeo. I don t see where Mr. Curtis gets his authority from\\nupon which to base that statement, because you must take into account\\nthe cost of production.\\nDr. Carroll. Would a cuerda produce $120 worth without regard\\nto the cost\\nSenor Amadeo. No.\\nDr. Carroll. I don t see how it is possible.\\nSenor Amadeo. As long as the production per cuerda is 2% hogs-\\nheads or less there is no profit. The profit really commences when\\nthe production is from 3 hogsheads up. The plantations spend a\\ngreat deal of money. I know of plantations near Ponce which pro-\\nduce 800 hogsheads and spend from $35,000 to $40,000 a year in the\\nproduction of the crop.\\nDr. Carroll. Now, with regard to the ordinary production of coffee\\nper acre, I think you have stated to me that the most liberal estimate\\nis from 35 to 40 quintals an acre.\\nSenor Amadeo. The amount you mention was produced under\\nexceptional conditions on one of my pieces of land, and I have other\\npieces which sometimes produce about the same; but taking a gen-\\neral average, and taking into consideration that the cultivation is so\\npoorly undertaken there in that respect, we get about 4 quintals per\\ncuerda. There have been years in which the production has exceeded\\n6 quintals on an average. Last year the production was poor.\\nDr. Carroll. That includes all classes?\\nSenor Amadeo. In years like the present you might calculate, per-\\nhaps, 4 quintals upon all the grounds, but in past years it has been\\nlower than that.\\nDr. Carroll. What are the classes or grades produced? What are\\nthey called?\\nSenor Amadeo. It is divided into about three grades. The first\\nand the best is produced on the large plantations, where they have\\ntheir own mills and where they undertake the whole operation.\\nDr. Carroll. What is that called caracolillo?\\nSenor Amadeo. It is called haciendo coffee. Caracolillo coffee is\\npicked out from that. They are the round beans.\\nDr. Carroll. Yes, and I understand they grow on the higher\\nbranches.\\nSenor Amadeo. No; it grows indiscriminately.\\nDr. Carroll. It consists of one berry in the cascara?\\nSenor Amadeo. Yes. The second grade is that produced by the\\ndifferent commission merchants that buy up the different crops and\\ntake them into the city and sort them and the third grade is that pro-\\nduced on small properties, where the} dry their coffee crudely, and\\nwhere the whole process, in fact, is crude.\\nDr. Carroll. What classes are polished for the European markets?", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0115.jp2"}, "116": {"fulltext": "106\\nSenor Amadeo. The first two grades.\\nDr. Carroll. What will you do now with your third-class coffee?\\nYou used to send much of it to Cuba.\\nSenor Amadeo. We don t know where to send it; it is at its lowest\\nprice there.\\nDr. Carroll. It really makes good coffee,, does it not? The beans\\nare irregular and broken, but I understand it makes good coffee.\\nSenor Amadeo. It is only a question of looks. Very often the cof-\\nfee that is dried in its own bean, as is done in the case of the third-\\nclass coffee, tastes even better than the other grades.\\nDr. Carroll. Is it better than the cheap grade produced in Brazil,\\ncalled Rio?\\nSenor Amadeo. Yes, much better.\\nTHE NEEDS OF AGRICULTURE.\\n[Memorial of Mayaguez planters submitted to the Commissioner.]\\nWe, the undersigned property holders and agriculturists in the de-\\npartment of Mayaguez, being desirous of cooperating as far as our\\nscanty forces allow for the welfare of this island, beg to state: That\\nthe coffee growers of Mayaguez, Las Marias, and Maricao some years\\nago began their work anew, arising out of the prostration to which the\\nindustiy had been for some time subjected. At this date the planta-\\ntions are in very good condition, owing to the fertility of the soil and\\nthe careful work which has been bestowed on them; but as the mer-\\nchants of Mayaguez have absolutely cut off credits, the only source on\\nwhich we count for the development of agriculture, the day may\\narrive (and it is not far off) when the coffee industry may die for lack\\nof funds with which to attend to its needs. As the poor classes live\\non the work given by the agriculturist, if that work be suspended they\\nwill be reduced to the utmost misery. For a year this condition has\\nbeen threatening, and cases of starvation have already occurred, and\\nwill occur frequently, for want of work. To save the situation, a sad\\none for both owner and workman, to combat the tyranny of the specu-\\nlator and usurer, to place the coffee industry on a footing of progress,\\nto free the laborer from his condition of anaemia, and enable him to\\nearn enough to buy food with the wages of his honest labor, and to\\nlift the agriculturist from the penury which overwhelms him, and\\nenable him to meet his obligations and his social duties, there is urgent\\nneed\\nFirst. That the money question be settled, giving the peso a value\\nof 50 cents.\\nSecond. That agricultural banks be established by American corpo-\\nrations to loan money at low rates and for long terms on mortgages.\\nThird. That full freedom be given for Americans, our fellow-country-\\nmen, to establish themselves so as to introduce competition and put\\nan end to Spanish and German monopoly, which, owing to lack of com-\\npetition, sells its merchandise dear, and scourges agriculture by the\\nlow prices paid for produce. The merchants are interested only in\\nsending their capital to their respective countries, leaving our country\\nbare, greatly to our prejudice.\\nFourth. That lawyers, notaries, and court clerks fees be limited to\\nrates made generally known by a published tariff.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0116.jp2"}, "117": {"fulltext": "107\\nSixth. That every citizen be allowed to conduct his own litigation\\nwithout obligatory reeom se to procurators, as these, together with\\nshysters, whose only idea is to draw the agriculturists into litiga-\\ntion with or without reason, cause great prejudice to agriculturists.\\nSixth. That agricultural tools and machinery be exempted from all\\nduties.\\nSeventh. That the so-called cuota imponible be annulled for a\\nnumber of years, owing to the onerous state of present conditions.\\nEighth. That the ayuntamiento of this city, together with General\\nHenry, work for the annexation to the district of the neighboring ones\\nof Maricao and Las Marias, as those districts impose heavy taxation to\\nmeet the salaries of their unnecessary employees, ,to the exclusion of\\nimportant work, such as roads and education; and that preference be\\ngiven to these branches so completely neglected.\\nKnowing your good wishes and the good wishes of the President of\\nthe great Republic, we await with faith and enthusiasm the speedy\\nchange of the situation to one of prosperity for Pofto Rico, which,\\nonce the traces of the fatal Spanish domination are wiped out, will\\nbe, like Kentucky, the American paradise and the garden of America.\\nJulio P. Beauchamp, Marcelino Beauehamp, Alades Beau-\\nchamp, Adolfo Fenellas, Francisco Linares, M. Rodri-\\nguez Perez, Manuel Frabal, Juan N. Aran, Tomas\\nPer,ez, Antonio Rivera, Juan Rivera, Sandalio Rivera,\\nJulio Vincenty, Pr. Victor M. Rivera, Adolfo Gonzales,\\nJose G. Rivera, Jose Ignacio Rivera, Juan de Mata\\nRivera, Maximino Lacour, G. Torrella, Pablo Beau-\\nchamp, Ernesto Surra, Pedro Paoli, Jose G. Rivera,\\nGregorio Castillo, Francisco Cepaller, Jose Luis Ortiz\\nRentes, Joaquim Vincenty, Amego de P. Tandredo\\nHernandez, A. Ortiz, Alcedes Beauchamp, Artuco To-\\nrrella, Carlos M. Beauchamp, Domingo Rivera, Jose A.\\nRivera, Cipriani Rivera, A. Luego de Julio Tratar,\\nJuan Torrella, Amego de D. Teodoso, Agapito Journet,\\nVenancio Gonzalez, Francisco Aran, Zine Lapetegin,\\nV. Forestier, Ricardo Rivera, Julio C. Rivera, Luis\\nEsteva.\\nDEPREDATIONS OF THE CHANG A.\\nEustaquio Milland, resident of Yabucoa, property owner and town\\ncouncillor, respectfully states that no study is more worthy of consid-\\neration than that of the method of extirpating the pest called changa,\\nthe cause of ruin to our crops and decay of agriculture in this district.\\nAgriculturists are interested in (taking advantage of) your visit,\\nplacing under the scalpel of a scientific commission of the savior\\nRepublic the insect known as Grillo talpa (mole cricket) and finding\\na means of extirpating it, all steps taken by the experts named by\\nthe Spanish Government having failed. It is quite impossible for the\\nagriculturist to sustain the struggle caused by this enemy of labor,\\nwho to evade persecution burrows under the ground down to one-half\\nmeter depth and makes its nest, producing its young by thousands\\nand feeding on the first shoots until the plantation succumbs to its\\nattacks.\\nThe mamey leaf used because of its toughness and bitter flavor to", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0117.jp2"}, "118": {"fulltext": "108\\nwrap around the young tobacco shoot, to protect it from the ravages\\nof the pest, prevents the full growth of the plant and affects its qual-\\nity, thus defeating its object. It also attacks cane, rice, garden stuff,\\nand everything green.\\nNote.\u00e2\u0080\u0094 The field laborers of this district earn 50 cents Porto\\nRican daily, and are paid in provisions from the store of the estate,\\nat prices much above those charged at retail in the towns. Can noth-\\ning be done for these unfortunates?\\nTHREE NEEDS.\\nSTATEMENT OF SENOK J. COLON.\\nWe are in need of roads. The want of them makes it difficult\\nat times for even carts to move. Our port, which does not allow the\\nentrance of ships of large draft, could easily be deepened, as its bot-\\ntom is chalky. Our countrymen, who are peasants, should be grouped\\nm villages, so that. efforts for their education shall not be without\\nresult. The cultivation of our fields is made difficult by the lack of\\nmodern implements and an insect called changa, which destroys\\nthe greater part of the sowing. Up to the present time we have not\\nbeen able to find any method of destroying this troublesome animal.\\nENLARGEMENT OF AGRICULTURE.\\nPatillas, P. R., March, 1899.\\nSenor Jose Amadeo, M. D.\\nThe economic future of our fertile island will depend on a greater\\nextension being given to the cultivation of cane, coffee, and cacao in\\nthe mountain zone, where there is still a great quantity of land fit for\\nthese crops. Tobacco will also play a part as one of the most valuable\\nproducts, as already in both London and other places in Europe cigars\\nmade at Comerio, Cayey, Juana Diaz, Patillas, and other districts of\\nthe island have been well received. In the whole of the granite region,\\nfrom the famous district of Mamey toward the east until arriving at\\nManaubo and Yabucoa, magnificent meadows, uplands, and crests\\nare found which produce this plant in fine quality. It constitutes a\\nbranch of no despicable value, as time will show.\\nIt is also important to increase the cultivation of minor crops, such\\nas rice, corn, beans, plantains, sweet potatoes, and other tubers,\\nwhich will serve our growing poorer classes as cheap and abundant\\nfood, and will free us from the ruinous importation of cereals\\nand other articles from foreign lands, thus saving money for the\\nincrease of our own wealth. To arrive at this result it is necessary to\\nstimulate the small producer in every possible way, among these by\\nequitable taxation. Legislation will help powerfully toward agricul-\\ntural progress. The extinction of feudal laws favorable to concen-\\ntration gave rise to the spread of agriculture in Europe. In China,\\nwhere property is well divided and intense cultivation is practiced as\\nm no other part, nobody can neglect his piece of land, but has to pro-\\nduce something. Above all, the rights of proprietors are the rights\\nof society in general.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0118.jp2"}, "119": {"fulltext": "109\\nThe arbitrary destruction of forests has converted much of our land\\ninto waste, and fuel and building wood are already scarce. It is indis-\\npensable that forests should be planted with indigenous trees and\\nsuitable ones brought from other climates. This would increase wealth\\nand modify the temperature of hot zones to the benefit of public\\nhealth in general. The cocoanut alone, which grows so easily on our\\ncoasts, offers a hope. By the lands of the maritime zone and the\\nsmall islands lying around, Porto Rico should be covered by this\\nbeautiful and generous tree. Jamaica and Cuba export yearly mil-\\nlions of dollars worth of cocoanuts, bananas, pines, oranges, lemons,\\ntomatoes, and other fruits, which we can also produce in abundance.\\nThe cultivation of flowers, particularly of the orchid family, of\\nwhich there are many indigenous and exotic examples, attended to\\nwith care, would be a remunerative industry. By increasing yearly\\nthe area of our coffee plantations, the fruit of which has acquired fame\\nas one of the finest in the world, by the production on our mountain\\nsides of cacao, equal in quality to any of the South American, as can\\nbe seen by visiting any of the magnificent plantations existing in this\\ndistrict, there would be no reason why this country should perish if a\\nfriendly hand were held out to help it.\\nFew regions of the globe in this latitude and of the same area pro-\\nduce so many kinds of valuable fruits, without counting the numerous\\nalimentary substances, as does Porto Rico.\\nTHE VARIOUS CROPS.\\nGuayama, P. R., January 1899.\\nSTATEMENT OF MAYOR CELESTINO DOMINGUEZ.\\nThe agriculture of this country consists of the planting of sugar,\\nwhich is still done in the manner observed by our grandfathers,\\nscience not yet having taken a hand in the work. Unscientific and\\nirrational systems are still in vogue, and the work is intrusted to over-\\nseers, who have no further knowledge than that acquired by many\\nyears of practice.\\nCoffee, to-day the principal crop of the island, worth perhaps about\\n10,000,000 pesos per annum, also suffers from the lack of scientific\\ncultivation. Our coffee is reputed to be the best in the world. The\\nprincipal coffee districts are Yauco, Mayaguez, Las Marias, Maricao,\\nLares, and Utuado. The ports of export are San Juan, Ponce, and\\nMayaguez. Most of it goes to Cuba, Germany, and France. Free\\ncoasting trade will create a great demand for it in the States, as the\\nAmericans, who are used to Brazilian coffee, do not know ours, and\\nconsequently can not appreciate its fine qualities.\\nCacao. There are a few plantations of this tree in the island. The\\nquality is excellent, of second class, like Guayaquil cacao. It can be\\ngrown anywhere in Porto Rico, and its extension would be beneficial.\\nTobacco Is produced in large quantities and of excellent quality,\\nbeing equal to Cuban leaf. The principal producing districts are\\nComerio, Cayey, San Lorenzo, Caguas, and Patillas. About 3,000,000\\npesos is the annual value of the crop.\\nMinor crops. Plantains of several kinds, names, corn, yauticas,\\nrice, beans, gandules, etc., are grown all over, and form the princi-\\npal foods of our peasants (jibaros).", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0119.jp2"}, "120": {"fulltext": "110\\nOther products. Building and cabinet woods, in great variety and\\nof excellent qualities, form a source of wealth.\\nRoads. There is a central road, starting from Ponce and passing\\nthrough Aibonito, Coamo, Cayey, Caguas, and Rio Piedras, leading to\\nthe capital. It is 134 kilometers long. Another, from Guayania, 88\\nkilometers long, joins the central road at Cayey. Both are well built\\nand are not inferior to roads in any country. There a/re also several\\nroads around the coast, which, for want of attention, become impassa-\\nble in the rainy season. As to roads in the interior, they are few and\\nbad.\\nFor cane the lands are prepared by plowing with the primitive\\nsystem of oxen; then the land is banked up, leaving furrows between.\\nWhen the planting season arrives, usually March and April, the seeds\\nare placed in the furrows and covered by the earth removed before-\\nhand. This operation is called minor cultivation, and there is another,\\ncalled major cultivation, practiced in the months of September and\\nOctober, the cane not being ready for grinding until about twelve to\\neighteen months after planting. The irregularity of the rains in this\\ndistrict do not allow of a fixed time for harvesting, we haying had\\ndroughts lasting as long as twenty months. The farmers live with\\ntheir eyes turned skyward, to find out if they are to be favored by\\nrains. Their position, always one of uncertainty, is at times a des-\\nperate one. A plan of irrigation was made in 1865 by an English\\nengineer, Mr. Whebben, the cost of which was to be about 1,000,000\\npesos, and which was never fostered by the Spanish Government. If\\nthe American Government would protect the project and push it to\\ncompletion it would be the salvation of this part of the island, which\\nwould become prosperous and flourishing, giving far larger returns of\\nsugar and benefiting the inhabitants.\\nCoffee is a mountain plant, sown on high lands. It requires mois-\\nture and shade for its proper growth. The old routine and primitive\\nmethods are still in vogue. The land is cleared of weeds, and in holes\\nof about the depth of a hand the seeds are sown. As this plan requires\\nsome months for the coffee to appear, it is rarely used, being substi-\\ntuted by that of transplantation from nurseries, in which the plant\\nhas grown to about one-half yard in height. The plants are placed in\\nthe ground at distances of three yards from each other. I have seen\\nlarge trees bearing fruit thus transplanted. The first crop is given at\\nthe fourth year. It is always weakly and scarce.\\nThe rdanting of tobacco is a delicate operation and is usually per-\\nformed on the lands skirting the rivers. It can, however, be grown\\nanywhere. The land needs little preparation a turning over and weed-\\ning superficially and then transplantation from the seed nurseries.\\nThe seed is usually sown in August, the transplanting being done in\\nNovember, December, and January.\\nTechnical sugar schools. Porto Rico, during the year 1897, has\\nexported 57,648,851 kilograms of sugar, including muscovado and cen-\\ntrifugal. Calculating the consumption in the island itself to be the\\ntenth part of that exported, we have a total production of 65,413j736\\nkilograms during the year. For the manufacture of such an impor-\\ntant quantity of sugar there is not in the whole island an individual\\nwho can claim the title of a chemical expert. Owing to the want of\\na technical school in Porto Rico, those who devote themselves to the\\npreparation of this product have no further knowledge of the matter\\nthan that acquired by routine, and for this reason, and owing also to\\nthe fact that they have not the slightest scientific knowledge, they do", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0120.jp2"}, "121": {"fulltext": "Ill\\nnot obtain all the results which the sugar industry should give, as they\\nallow a large portion of the saccharine matter to go to waste.\\nAccording to the memorandum issued by the assessors at the begin-\\nning of last year in the island, 25,090 hectares of cane (a hectare being-\\nequal to 2.471 acres) are under cultivation. The districts which pro-\\nduce the most are the following, in the order given\\nHectares, i Hectares.\\nPonce 2.618 Yabucoa 922\\nJuana Diaz 1, 718 j Maunabo 762\\nVieques _. 1,398 Yauco 681\\nArecibo 1, 391 I Humacao 658\\nSan German 1,093 j Pati lias 648\\nFajardo 973 j Cabo Rojo 621\\nThis gives a total of 13,483 hectares (33,316 acres which represent\\nmore than 53 per cent of the total cultivation of sugar cane in the\\nisland.\\nIn 1888, according to statistics of well-known veracity, there were\\nat work in the island:\\nEstates with steam vacuum sugar machinery 20\\nEstates with ordinary machines worked by steam 140\\nEstates with ordinary machines worked by oxen 286\\nIn 1898 the proportion was altered in the following manner:\\nEstates with steam vacuum sugar machinery 50\\nEstates with ordinary machines worked by steam 100\\nEstates with ordinary machines worked by oxen _ 100\\nIt is an absolute necessity that there should be established here\\nsuch a school as already mentioned on the same principles as those\\nconducted in the United States.\\nAGRICULTURAL DECADENCE.\\nSTATEMENT OF SENOR P. SANTISTEBAN Y CHARIVARI, SPANISH MERCHANT.\\nSan Juan, P. R. October 28, 1898.\\nAgriculture. Calls for special study on the part of the Government\\nin order to better its condition.\\nIn spite of the fact that the country has paid 17,000,000 pesos for\\nthe liberation of the slaves, who were almost exclusively the property\\nof the agriculturists, and the fact that the island and principally com-\\nmerce has been kept down since 1879 by the circulation first of Mex-\\nican silver and later of colonial silver in spite of this unfortunate\\ncondition of affairs generally, agricultural products have usually\\nobtained high prices in the world s markets. But agriculture to-day\\nis perhaps poorer than in the year 1879, and commerce is obliged to\\nadvance money to it to carry it on and to prevent its disappearance\\naltogether.\\nIt is difficult to explain the different causes which could have pro-\\nduced this agricultural decadence, but I think it can be attributed to\\na great extent to the lack of an economic system among the agricul-\\nturists themselves. They have become accustomed to routine. They\\nlack necessary implements for good and cheap cultivation they do\\nnot make use of the necessary fertilizers for worn-out lands; they\\nhave no system of irrigation to replace the want of rainfall, and they", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0121.jp2"}, "122": {"fulltext": "112\\ndo not employ measures for reclaiming productive lands which are\\nunder water. In general, our agriculturists are not possessed even\\nof the rudiments of horticulture and have not even the good sense to\\nchoose the best seeds for planting.\\nTHE NEEDS OF AGRICULTURE.\\nSTATEMENT BY SENOR LUIS CENAL.\\nFajardo, P. R., November 6, 1898.\\n,We lack entirely the mechanical improvements necessary to enable\\nthe industrial branch of sugar producing to prepare the sugar in the\\nform required by the market consuming it. Our machinery can only\\nproduce raw and muscovado sugar, and it is well known that the article\\nin this state does not enjoy a staple value sufficient to encourage its\\nproduction. This district is rich and extensive, lending itself favor-\\nably to the establishment of central mills with a margin of profit, and\\nthus dividing the industry into its two natural parts the agricultural\\nand manufacturing and giving hope to the agriculturists and mutual\\nbenefit to state, province, and locality. In this district there are\\ntwenty-six sugar-cane estates, of which fourteen are idle owing to the\\nfinancial crisis we are passing through. Besides these, there are a\\nlarge number of properties fit for this class of crop, which could be\\nconverted into an important and profitable nucleus of the industry.\\nThe abandoned cane estates are run to pasture, but as this is not\\nmaking proper use of the lands, it can be calculated that 75 per cent\\nof the district is, properly speaking, unproductive.\\nWe have to sell our crude sugars to local commission agents, whose\\nexpenses and commissions greatly reduce the value of the article.\\nI think that the district could support two central mills of the first\\norder, which would divide the production among them.\\nThere is also a lack of capital in the district, which fact should\\nreceive due attention, as well as the cultivation of minor crops, for\\nwhich excellent land exists and which have not been taken into account\\nin speaking of the special fitness of the district for sugar cultivation.\\nThe installation of the two mills would make the district a flourish-\\ning one both agriculturally and commercially, as we possess one of\\nthe best ports of the island.\\nOwing to the connection between commerce and agriculture, the\\nformer can be said to be decaying also.\\nSpeaking of the general needs of the island, that of treaties is of\\ngreat importance, taking into consideration that one day the opening\\nof the Panama Canal will make this port of great maritime importance\\ncommercially.\\nAs regards manufacturing there is great opportunity for the estab-\\nlishment of fibrous textile, paper, beer, and chemical factories, and\\nof the working of the numerous minerals that the country produces.\\nAs regards roads, without in any way deprecating the construction\\nof a belt line of railroad, there is great need of cart roads over which\\nour produce could pass from the interior to the principal markets of\\nthe island without the expense of transport being greater than the\\nprofits, as at present is the case.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0122.jp2"}, "123": {"fulltext": "113\\nTHE SMALL FARMER.\\nSTATEMENT OF MAYOR ETTSTAQUIO TORRES.\\nGuayanilla, P. R., November 7, 1898.\\nAgriculture, which has been languishing and is impoverished, is\\noverwhelmed by enormous tributes, wanting facilities afforded by an\\nagricultural bank, and fighting an unequal fight with the merchants,\\nowing to the fact that the difficulties of the money system closes to it\\nforeign and national markets.\\nFrom this cause originates the general depression of the country,\\nespecially of the laboring class. This class do not earn enough to\\nbuy food, and their ranks are being swelled enormously by small pro-\\nprietors who, wanting in means to till their small farms, are obliged to\\nsell them. This is the reason why public wealth is concentrating in\\nthe hands of a few capitalists in each town and also why so many\\nuncultivated lands are seen, their owners, owing to their great extent,\\nnot being able to give them attention.\\nSolve as soon as possible the money question; protect, instead of\\nlimiting, the free establishment of banks; open free markets for\\nthe export of our agricultural products, and it will soon be seen how\\nour agriculturists will prosper and flourish.\\nAGRICULTURAL RESOURCES.\\n[Extract from report of Jose C. Barbosa, M. D. as commissioner for the Philadelphia exposition.\\nMy principal efforts have been directed toward obtaining the great-\\nest possible variety of samples of coffee and tobacco, and we shall\\ntherefore be able to present 300 of the first and 200 of the latter, not-\\nwithstanding that the period is but little favorable for the obtaining\\nof samples of coffee, owing to the time of harvesting of the last crop\\nbeing passed and the new crop not being ready until about the same\\ndate that the exposition will be inaugurated.\\nIn spite of this, my efforts being seconded by the good will of the\\nagriculturists, we shall be able to present a large variety of samples\\nof coffee of superior quality. The same holds good with regard to\\ntobacco, of which, a greater part being in store, owing to the complete\\nparalyzation of its sale, we have been able to obtain the very best and\\nfinest selected samples.\\nThe sugar industry has been suffering for a long time in Porto Rico\\nowing to low sale prices. The want of capital has been the cause of\\nthe generally imperfect development which the good quality of the\\nsoil should have led us to expect. This has brought with it the dis-\\ncouragement of those persons making a business of this industry\\nand has caused a great number of sugar plantations to be abandoned\\nand the land Used for other classes of products.\\nNevertheless, the ninety samples which will be presented are suffi-\\ncient to show the immense advantages which could be obtained by the\\nintroduction of machinery, the investment of capital in this direction,\\nand of the necessary protection for the complete development of this\\nindustry, thus opening a future for sugar growers in Porto Rico.\\nWe shall have sixty samples of different classes of textile materials.\\nThese form a branch of wealth which to-day is not exploited, owing to\\n1125 8", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0123.jp2"}, "124": {"fulltext": "114\\nwant of capital. Textile materials are found here in great quantities\\nand varieties, but abandoned and uncultivated and without use for this\\nreason. It is advisable to show them in the exposition in order to\\nallow manufacturers in the United States to appreciate the advantages\\nwhich they could obtain by a cultivation of these rare materials, and\\ntheir use in factories, which would give labor to many, would cheapen\\nthe cost of living, and would bring us foreign capital by the establish-\\nment of manufacturing centers which contribute so largely to the\\nwealth and prosperity of a country.\\nThe superior quality of our achiote, which grows wild, can be greatly\\nimproved. I have, thought it convenient to call the attention of\\nfarmers to the importance of this product, which obtains the price of\\n12 pesos a hundredweight, and can be collected almost without any\\nexpense. A number of samples will be presented in the exposition,\\nso that its quality shall be known and a good market for it be opened\\nup.\\nOur rice, as will be seen by the samples shown, is of fine qualit} 7 and\\ncompetes advantageously with the imported article. This product, of\\nwhich there is an enormous consumption in the country (the importa-\\ntion of which extended in the years 1897-98 to 8,662,682 kilograms\\nvalue, 606, 387 pesos) can be here grown in sufficient quantities for home\\nconsumption, with immense advantage to the country and to those who\\nwish to undertake the cultivation of the article.\\nThe samples of our corn are of better quality than the imported. This\\narticle gives three crops a year and requires only a small amount of\\ncapital for its cultivation. The precarious condition of our farmers\\nhas caused its cultivation to be almost abandoned.\\nI have taken care to collect samples of beans, chick peas, Mexican\\nbeans, gandules, etc. articles which, without special cultivation, can\\ncompete with those of the better class which are imported into our\\nmarkets, and which have the advantage of being easy to raise in the\\npoorest class of land and of giving two or three crops a year.\\nI have asked for several samples of cotton, which once constituted\\none of the principal sources of wealth of our country. My object was\\nto allow its fine qualities to become known, so that its cultivation and\\nexploitation could again be undertaken.\\nI have obtained forty-two samples of the different classes of starch\\nproduced in the island by the crude and primitive processes yet\\nemployed. Such is the richness of the plants that even with these\\nmethods a large quantity of starch is obtained, and it can compete in\\nevery way with similar classes manufactured in foreign countries.\\nThe tabonuco is a resinous gum which, if worked properly, will\\ngive a large quantity of trementine and camphor. Of the hedionda\\nseed (substitute for chicory), 1,117 kilograms were exported to Cuba\\nin the year of 1897. We show a number of samples of this in order\\nto open up a market for them.\\nI have insisted on the advantage to be obtained from the cultiva-\\ntion of the malagueta (used for bay rum), which is already well\\nknown outside of the country, and the essence of which is quoted at\\na high price in the New York market. We have obtained a large\\nnumber of the samples of the article.\\nSeveral collections of the woods of the country, both for cabinet\\nand building purposes, have been obtained, and they compare favor-\\nably in quality, beauty, and variety with those of many other coun-\\ntries, and are abundant in our forests. Up to the present their\\nusefulness has been simply meager, owing to the want of commu-", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0124.jp2"}, "125": {"fulltext": "115\\nnication between the larger towns and the excessive expense of trans-\\nportation which bad roads necessitate. Once known, they will become\\nappreciated immediately, and their working will be made easy by the\\nopening of proper roads.\\nThe mineral wealth of Porto Rico is duly represented by the ten\\ncollections which will be shown in the exposition. The several classes\\nof mineral which they contain and the constant demand for mining\\nrights are the best proof that a rich subsoil exists and that granite,\\ncoal, iron, copper, silver, gold, etc., form a source of immense wealth\\nunknown until to-day, and which at no very distant day will exercise\\nconsiderable influence in the future of our island.\\nA great many samples of articles which can be used in new indus-\\ntries have been forthcoming. These have not been used up to the\\npresent time, not owing to want of knowledge of their utility and\\nadvantage of cultivating them, but purely for want of capital. In a\\ncountry like ours, where up to a short time ago the rate of interest\\nwas from 18 per cent per annum upward, and through whose custom-\\nhouses a half of the circulating medium passes in a year, it was\\nimpossible to set on foot any industry even when the prime material\\nwas on hand in abundance.\\nWe should, therefore, make known the few manufacturing indus-\\ntries which we possess, such as that of matches, distilleries, hat\\nweaving, dyeing, soap making, etc. in order to show that willingness\\nhas been there and industry has not been wanting, and at the same\\ntime to stimulate the introduction of capital in the form of banks,\\nsocieties, companies, etc. which, when they see the material which\\nwe have on hand and the thriftiness of our people, will find a stimulus\\nand guaranty for the undertaking of new enterprises, bringing the\\none factor which is necessary for our prosperity, namely, capital.\\nWe have nothing to desire in the direction of a fertile country and\\nan honest and laborious population.\\nReturns for farms and cattle in forty-five municipal districts.\\n[Prepared for Henry K. Carroll, commissioner, by bureau of agriculture of Porto Rico,\\nJuly, 1899.]\\nSugar-cane\\nestates.\\nCoffee\\nestates\\nwith or\\nwithout\\nma-\\nchinery.\\nTobacco\\nplanta-\\ntions\\n(hec-\\ntares 1\\nSmall-\\ncrop\\nfarms\\n(hec-\\ntares 1\\nCattle\\nfarms.\\nNumber\\nMunicipal districts.\\nIn culti-\\nvation.\\nNot in\\ncultiva-\\ntion.\\nof head\\nof cattle.\\n11\\n2\\n9\\n4\\n8\\n7\\n2\\n3\\n2\\n8\\n1\\n6\\n1\\n5\\n3\\n4\\n9\\n6\\n11\\n9\\n1\\n1\\n1\\n5\\n446\\n620\\n756\\n231\\n600\\n200\\n1,606\\n3,340\\n3\\n46\\n14\\n20\\n7\\n20\\n1,200\\n500\\n35\\n13\\n6\\n1\\n14\\n39\\n4\\n192\\n90\\n189\\n150\\n41\\n145\\n846\\n78\\n99\\n17\\n100\\n10\\n176\\n95\\n70\\n5,300\\n3,109\\n17,000\\n6,000\\n1,257\\n4,183\\n1\\n5\\n1\\n6\\n1\\n1\\n23\\n3,000\\n1,050\\nYauco\\n104\\n5\\n81\\n32\\n3\\n35\\n378\\n117\\n3\\n43\\n148\\n30\\n2,043\\n300\\n2,000\\n200\\n650\\n710\\n1,500\\n54\\n2,190\\n500\\n1,600\\n1,389\\n5\\n5\\n26\\n15\\n35\\n7\\n3\\nArroyo\\n800\\nGruayanilla\\n4,500\\n1,910\\nJuncos\\n3,180\\nGurabo\\n2,354\\nUtuado\\n4\\n1\\n1\\n3\\n3,000\\nAguada\\n1,745\\nYabucoa\\n200\\n20\\n5,413\\nA fiasco\\nAibonito\\n600\\n1,000\\nLoiza\\n1\\n7\\n7\\n3.200", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0125.jp2"}, "126": {"fulltext": "116\\nReturns for farms and cattle in forty-five municipal districts Continued.\\nMunicipal districts.\\nSugar-cane\\nestates.\\nIn culti-\\nvation.\\nNot in\\ncultiva-\\ntion.\\nCoffee\\nestates\\nwith or\\nwithout\\nma-\\nchinery.\\nTobacco\\nplanta-\\ntions\\n(hec-\\ntares 1\\nSmall-\\ncrop\\nfarms\\n(hec-\\ntares 1\\nCattle\\nfarms.\\nN umber\\nof head\\nof cattle.\\nPatillas\\nCayey\\nLares\\nSan German\\nRio Grande\\nPiedras\\nMaunabo\\nSabana Grande\\ndales\\nPenuelas..\\nRincon\\nArecibo\\nLas Marias\\nFajardo\\nCoamo\\nCaguas\\nManati\\nBarceloneta\\nToa Alta:\\nNaguabo\\nBayamon\\nCamuy\\nAguas Buenas\\nPonce\\nTotal.\\n37\\n60\\n545\\n75\\n27\\n105\\n300\\n1,934\\n2,000\\n2,247\\n110\\n42\\n79\\n68\\n491\\n50\\n185\\n59d\\n7\\n233\\n6\\n56\\n16\\n2\\n10\\n31\\n70\\n112\\n560\\n18\\n137\\n80\\n232\\n365\\n813\\n128\\n82\\n89\\n192\\n77\\n220\\n577\\n786\\n1,202\\n4,779\\n380\\n3,380\\n2,000\\n1,370\\n628\\n1,215\\n460\\n352\\n586\\n243\\n600\\n393\\n1,034\\n418\\n740\\n5,815\\n209\\n80\\n3,177\\n54,074\\n11\\n12\\n18\\n128\\n4\\n4\\n14\\n1\\n9\\n40\\n600\\n3,300\\n2,500\\n5,833\\n12,180\\n1,140\\n1,200\\n6,468\\n700\\n8,930\\n800\\n7,495\\n15,000\\n12,128\\n3,930\\n5,400\\n2,700\\n14,000\\n14,600\\n8,287\\n681\\n4,000\\n199,973\\n1 Hectare 2.471 acres.\\nNote by the Director of Agriculture. The data given in these tables con-\\ncerning the principal crops and cattle breeding in the forty-five towns noted, if\\nnot thorough and accurate, notwithstanding the efforts of the agricultural bureau\\nto make them so, are as near the truth as possible.\\nUntil now this class of statistical data has been asked for only for the purpose\\nof burdening the public wealth with new imposts. For this reason it has been\\nalmost a traditional custom to conceal the truth from fear of imposts.\\nThe data from the twenty-seven towns which are not embraced in this table are\\nexcluded because they are not well authenticated.\\nAs to the number of sugar lands, not under cultivation, it must be borne in\\nmind that the bureau has not given attention to the multitude of Jamacia trains\\nand small estates which exist only in good times, but only to sugar mills of large\\nand superior character, and to extensive and fertile lands.\\nIn relation to farms which are being worked, excepting those which produce\\ncentrifugal sugar, the rest which produce muscavados, the price of which in the\\nmarkets is very low, only have under cultivation a very small area in comparison\\nwith the number of hectares which they possess, a circumstance which aroused\\nthe enthusiasm for the cultivation of coffee, triplicating the production in less than\\nten years.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0126.jp2"}, "127": {"fulltext": "117\\n\u00e2\u0096\u00a0H\\nS3\\ncS CD\\n2 S\\ncS to\\n+3 CD\\n2\\nc3 jn ra\\nP\u00e2\u0080\u009e CO\\na r fe im\\nOlOOiOlO\\n03C0005i\\nCOIOOOOSOOCO ^OOOOCOHO\\nOSflJOJH-SHOHlOeSOfflCKO\\nO\u00c2\u00bbrtiai-ON!BX-*\u00c2\u00bbOa0{l5(\u00c2\u00bbHOHlB\\na op co o co -h co u; i ct t~ co co m as m\\n5^Nint-OOHinHlOt-OHXOSl WOSQOO:\\nO-iONNHMOH^OO-llHt-COtO\\nr- I CO in St St\\n30 co st co si c\\nHNinOOONXMWiSCOOOiONlOO\\nSt St NOOHHOS\u00c2\u00aelOi tO-*10\u00c2\u00bbONHCOO\\nCO 00 CO CO r- It\u00e2\u0080\u0094 IQS -inin\\nr 3 COOSOCOmStr-linC-OSCOOSrHl.--OaOint-in\\n5 OS CO CO t- r- lO-JHOSCO-^OSOt-OSOSOCOt-\\nt- -rH IM IM CO St CO t-H CO CO St St St r-l St\\nH\u00c2\u00bbHoioo!eji80-*t\u00c2\u00abooociBiffl\u00c2\u00aboi\u00c2\u00bb\\n.rH03COmiS-t-.CO-*03 *OOCOOCOStmStCOt-\\nrHc6aJo6^co^-*t^t^iristo6st-*iristcoco\\n5-*. _\\ns CO CO CO -K St 00 (M m\\nC0OH10U5\\nst oo 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en\\nOOOCSCOt-.COOOS^t~asi -o6cO\\nsT -H inin st incrrH co co crcot^\\nWCOCONOffiinOlCOilCDIM^\\niooNOOxinQ ffloo**o\\ncoin-sHGinaot-o-^asmasas\\n-*c6r^o6stcOrHt-^COlriod-*t^\\n\u00c2\u00a3~CDmcOCDr-fCOCOCD-+ascccD\\ncosjt-coosstot-t-ot-co-*\\ninaOOStCOCOast~COr- I COincO\\ni-i co-\\nnnco^ccoiOiocoaji o\\n)-*i\u00e2\u0080\u0094 losmcooococ\\n^OHooeo-*-*u!OHSie\\noinb-oomt-ascostor-iooos\\nCO CO t-^ St ^4 O CB i^ J\u00e2\u0080\u0094 oo co\\nom^iocioiooim^coioc\\nincoor-it~coincD-^stasasm\\n^ccTr^ co r-rcocs as COW-*CO~CO~\\ncoomccstasr-istinmsiooos\\nin o m m st oo co co st st r-i co t-\\nOM-ilNC\\nHOHOCOffiira\\n-,COC_ _\\nt i c r r.\\no-*cos!co-*co-*ccstin-MO\\n^O 00 rHC0C0 o i cQ00 t-- o sf\\nr-l r-l St St\\nMfl^Hifljmo5iiot-^ooo\\noo st r-i co st t- o in st i\u00e2\u0080\u0094 ii ho\\nsi os in st si os t-^ t-^ i st st\\nt-st^Hinr-^cocococomooinoo\\ninrHCOOCOOi-HOt-COCOrHSt\\nffiMeooo^t0toNeo-*ioei\\nSt r-l I rH CO\\ncomcoststinoooinoi\u00e2\u0080\u0094 coin\\nCDi HC0-^t-00i0WOOl i\\niSr- iminrHint-t-t-ststos\\nc-t c. ~f CO CO st in r-l OS t-\\nSt CO StrHCDr-lrH r-l rH\\noooomeso-nmocomcoo\\nosoinstt-stmstocostoot-\\noorHcocoincoinooco si rHoo\\n1-H\u00c2\u00abat i -*CBOSt-r-IOOl-\\nostcoocooi -cooso-*C-^ico\\nStrH in r-TcOrn rH\\nOlOOOfflOiOOCOOOC\\nwt-MONcieiioooiooo\\n^coo6coo-*t^coit^co-HSt\\ncoao cs comr\\nO O St CO CO OS st O O O -^H CO CO\\nOOinN-iCO!OMO! 5!-*tD\\nincoocoinb^cs stcoo oococo\\nmoo n^t ocoosost-oo-*T-ir-i\\nco in m co o st i^ o o in in m o\\nos st os as o i\u00e2\u0080\u0094 i co o in st st st c\\nCOOlCiOOJNCSN diHCCHci\\nostt-stoot-oco CO i\u00e2\u0080\u0094 I 00\\n-^1 -H r- 1 CO -tH in HCOH\\ncocostJ^coooosinocoi^osco\\noint-t-coin^t-oooscoinos\\n-^oscocoi^stoinoo-^costos\\nCSr-ISti\u00e2\u0080\u0094 IrHOSincOCOCOOOOSOO\\ncomcoinco-cH-^Hcot-osm^-*i\\nn ,0 g5-^3\\nd39-PcBpia^r 3 s^r bii o\\nu cs =1-5* S.g SSo a,\\nlOrao L)SeqoeqoSr t", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0127.jp2"}, "128": {"fulltext": "118\\ngs\\nCS CD\\na\\n-i r*\\n9^3 S.g\\npi in te !H\\n338!\\n01 0 CO 01 Oi CO\\no co o wo o wo\\ncocot-cooii:\\nWO 05 CD O WO 05\\n_ co g oJ t- to oi\\ngo5 0i\u00c2\u00b0oioio5\\n5? wo of co~ co co\\n\u00e2\u0096\u00a0S 3 -J) OS CQ CO OS CO\\nHi 05 CO OI i\u00e2\u0080\u0094\\n,jrtOOOtOCO\\nS oi rH CO CO CO CO\\nGO CO H CO CS\\nt- rH -rft CO O O\\n3 rH r- CO CO\\nco 04 05 co 05 co\\nS oo co oi os co wcj\\nOi CO -H X rH\\nrCCHi OOCO\\nwo J- CO O 05 CO\\n^j 05 04 CO CO CO CO\\nSooooeoo\\nih m oi co\\ni; 05 1\u00e2\u0080\u0094 i o co m oi\\nS T-* cb o co t-\\n3 rH rH rH CO rH CO\\n.OCC 000005\\n2ioo-*io5o\\nr\u00c2\u00ab CO oi OS. 05 CO O\\nCO -r\\n05 05 05 04 rH r*\\nO t- Oi 05 CO\\nr5 co co co co wo o\\nP Oi OS rH CO CO b-\\nSrH\u00e2\u0080\u0094 IMrHrHrH\\nglOONlOiOO\\nP O O i CO i lO rH\\nONiOOON\\nw CO 01 CO Oi 05 CO\\ni\u00c2\u00ab 05 H CO O CO\\nPcOrHCOOiCDO\\nCOCOOCOrH\\nCo WO WO WO\u00c2\u00a9\u00c2\u00a9\\na t^ t- 1- io io\\nf3 t-C r-i 05 O i^ rH\\nrH X O! CO O iC-\\n1HOM CO rH\\ncot\u00e2\u0080\u0094 t- x oi ice\\nICH CO X OiC~\\nO lO :0 irr CD rH\\nOi 01 b- CO -r\\nlOOWCC!-\\nce cS a) c3-0\\n3 pirQ \u00c2\u00a3cih\\nMimes 35\\n3 t|5rj\u00c2\u00a3cB\\n-fOCi-CClH Q O CO O\\nCOt-OCOCOCCOOlO-rp\\nr* o o oi oi oo o co\\n-H CO CO CO 01 OC -H WO\\n0!C0 XOl COCO t--0 ICC O\\nLOHXH(-CH- CO CO\\nWC CO CO rH Oi Oi X\\ni rJOO\u00c2\u00abC:iUOH\\nrHW2COW0CCir-^t-\u00c2\u00a9ai\\nWCJ\u00c2\u00a9\u00c2\u00a3-\u00c2\u00a9W0O5W0t^W0CO\\nrH O r+ LO O r- V. 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ICKCXH\\nbigtf-\\n03 fl\\n59\\ncS (D\\njooopa\\n-OO\\nit-oi\\ng^Sc\\n-f I!-l-O00i-\\n\u00e2\u0080\u00a2/.iCO.COl- CO CO rH\\nCt-CO*Nl\\noi td co oi oof x\\nco x o\u00c2\u00bb w: do x o\\nX H. i- co O.\\n^S;\\nCOOlCOrHCOCii^i-rC\\nCO O. I- CO i-O 0! 01 Oi C\\n-HHCDrHrHOlW0W0-H4*\\n-\u00c2\u00a3-^C0 01-i C0 c0O c\\nCO CO CO CO O CO CO Ci c\\nHC WO O WO CO t- 1-\\n01 X X rH 01 01 WO WO -H X\\ni- WC 05 -t- O rH Oi oi ~t CO\\n05 Q 05 p CO CO CO CO CO t-^\\n-*OOC!HHl-:!OH\\nOCOOOOOicOCOWOOCO\\n0-H01TO^ COrHrH wi o\\nco oi oi w: co -f oi co co\\n\u00e2\u0096\u00a0*ot-c\u00c2\u00abi9isai-a\\nC0 1-C0W00i05 05O0000\\nCO Oi CO CO rH 05 05 oi o o\\nX i K0 X OC WO CO rH rH\\n05 0iCOOW0r*lOCO0irH\\nco^co wesTo t^ t^ cos?\\nCO WO 05 O WO O O CO WO CO\\nCCOOOipCOWOWOCOt-rH\\nCOOCOO -HOirH05e05^\\nWC CO O -H O Oi O 01 OC CO\\n05t-COCOic--rflrHOW5rH\\ncocc o h^cc^ cococowo\\n05 T-HOl^OlrHrHrHrH\\n0505t-W0-*Ol^05C005\\ncdwOcirHrHi^rHi^OCp\\nHl-LONCCUOHOCOCO\\nCO 05O5O5-H rtlON\\nO05t-W0W0t-W0t-i\\nrH-H COtc-t-COt-COrHi5\\nCCCJoioOWOWOcoicOWOrHCM\\nOi CO X i.- WO 05 O i^\\nrHW?05CO *UOrHOirHC\\n30 0 WO OOWOO\\nt-iOWOWOt- OO05O\\nCO rH CO rH I O rH r-i\\nCO WO CM 05 rH\\n-CO Oi-OOOOOH 05\\nOiCOCOrH0000005CO\\nCOt^COOrHrH^-icOOit^\\ni.O X WC CO Oi O X 1\\n05CO05W0W005_ OCOt-\\nOOS-HrHCo 05 oo rH\\n05 OOKOOlSt-O\\nH ICOIOOONCOIO\\n1 I -OCD05cOaOOit^05\\ni CO WC rH o 05 t- CO Oi\\nLCOCCOONHOCCO\\n10 X CO 01 -rr: Oi -H*\\nlOHONHNHOOlO\\nCC0Ci050iC0C0O-d\\n:h^h3noxho\\nrlWOCDCDrHrHfc-CirH\\n5\\n\u00e2\u0080\u00a2\u00e2\u0080\u00a2cr cSr-J m\\nJ* H KHS iorH\\no^ ce o s cs ca5^3\\nPH ^PQOHo02 720^(li", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0128.jp2"}, "129": {"fulltext": "119\\n-H\\nS\\nCO\\nCO\\nS\\ns\\nt-H\\nof\\n00\\nSC-\\nco\\n00\\nc\\nCO\\nt-\\nOS\\n\u00c2\u00abo\\nOS\\n1\u00e2\u0080\u0094i\\no\\nQO\\n1-1\\n91\\nO\\necf\\nlO\\n01\\nOS\\n-H\\nUS\\ne$\\nco\\nCO\\nCO\\niC~\\nin\\n\u00c2\u00bbT\\ncm\\n91\\nin\\n91\\nin\\n9J\\nin\\n\u00e2\u0080\u00a2Hi\\no\\ng\\n00\\nSO\\nlO\\nn\\nOS\\n91\\n00\\nOS\\nSB*\\nOf\\nCO\\nrs\\ns\u00c2\u00ab\\n91\\n00\\nOS\\nb-\\nco\\n01\\nOS\\n91\\ni\u00c2\u00a9\\nOS\\nin\\nCO\\no\\no\\nOS\\nCO\\nto\\n95\\nCO\\n1\\nco\\no\\no\\nS4\\nCM\\nO\\no\\nCO\\nCO\\nOs\\nc\\no\\ncS\\n3\\no\\n\u00c2\u00a9t-CO CO\\n9icoi^o6 I in\\nH oo 91\\nOOOlOO\\nHNKlffl\\nin rHcdi^\\nOOHHl-\\netT-^fTcTcxr\\n91rH-\u00c2\u00abCO\\n\u00c2\u00a991 91-*\\n\u00c2\u00a9\u00c2\u00a99191\\ncot- com\\nCO CO OS i~^\\nm in in Cn!\\nt-oooco\\ncceosot^\\n\u00c2\u00a9cot-i-H\\noi in\\n\u00e2\u0096\u00a0*\u00c2\u00bbHBO\\nOSNtDH\\ntOtQCOCO\\nno giijuy\\nOr IOSCO\\nin in in co\\n(Ni-ioi\\nOS 00 CO\\nl- OS cat-\\no t\u00e2\u0080\u0094 i in os I m\\nococmco in\\nin\u00c2\u00a9t-H9i in\\nco coos co\\nCOOH-*\\ncd-HncorH\\n00~tHi .CO\\n0-1 91 O\\nOOCO-*\\nrHCOic^\u00c2\u00a9\\nCO CO CO OS\\n91 com\\n95 OS -rH OS\\nH* rH l\u00c2\u00a3S 91\\ncoco-#o\\na^J\\nr-i oo os os o m\\nOS 91 OS -H CO t- ic-\\nh in os -rH os 91 in\\nj i\u00e2\u0080\u0094 i in co --h os co\\n91 t- 00 9} co in\\n\u00c2\u00a9inWoTt-Tin oi\\nCO rH in 9 rH 91 CO\\nc co co m b- t\u00e2\u0080\u0094 i\\ni- o in t- 9J\\nin CO i t-H 95 CO Jc^\\nm -h co co t-\\nin in t~ i\u00e2\u0080\u0094 co t- co\\nTin~co~\u00c2\u00a9~corHVr\\nOS OS CO t- 91\\n-HH i\u00e2\u0080\u0094 I CO 91 CO CO\\n1\u00e2\u0080\u0094 T-H 1\u00e2\u0080\u0094 t OS\\nCO 91 t- os in\\nin os os in t-h\\nl-H I\u00e2\u0080\u0094 I\\n-*Oin\u00c2\u00a9\u00c2\u00a9lCrH\\no ^p\u00c2\u00a9 -*in\\n91 91 CO 91 t-H 91 91\\nin H b- CD 91\\ni-Ht-COO\u00c2\u00a9\u00c2\u00a9\u00c2\u00a9\\n\u00c2\u00a991 t- in r^nn\u00c2\u00a9\\ninco\u00c2\u00a9oo\u00c2\u00a99i\u00c2\u00a9\\n91 co os in i\u00e2\u0080\u0094 1 1-\\n9i9i-*co edco\u00c2\u00a9\\n91 in 91 in i^ t\\n\u00c2\u00a9\u00c2\u00a9in^H\u00c2\u00a9co\u00c2\u00a9\\ni\u00e2\u0080\u0094 i in in co\\nOS CO CO t-h i\u00e2\u0080\u0094 I\\nt- OS l-H i\u00e2\u0080\u0094 I t\u00e2\u0080\u0094l\\nT -Tco co -HrosriHCo\\n91l\u00e2\u0080\u0094 It\u00e2\u0080\u0094 i^H t\u00e2\u0080\u0094 I rH\\nOHO1OO00O\\n\u00c2\u00a9t-\u00c2\u00a99it-\u00c2\u00a9in\\n\u00c2\u00a9\u00c2\u00a9\u00c2\u00a9\u00c2\u00a9i-Hin b^\\n00 i-l iH t- OS\\noco9io-*mco\\n\u00c2\u00a9\u00c2\u00a9t- nt-\u00c2\u00a9co\\nt-C -H^ t-I CO OS\\n91 91 CO -HH\\nco m lOlcico o\\niHi Hi CiC C\\nt-OS\u00c2\u00a9 t-iHiH\\niH\u00c2\u00a9\u00c2\u00a9 CO \u00c2\u00a9CO CO\\noo in \u00c2\u00a9\u00c2\u00a9t- co\\niS^ t-^ OS 91 OS\\n91 t-\u00c2\u00a9 in oo\\nT-H i-i 91 in t-H\\nncoco\u00c2\u00a9 no\\n91 co t- m\\nos in t 91*\\nHHtC -T- iCi-O\\n\u00c2\u00a9OS910S\u00c2\u00a9\u00c2\u00a9^\\ni-H 9191\\nCO t-H t- i?- 91 O\\nCO i^ 91 CO CO\\noo\u00c2\u00a9\u00c2\u00a9inco\u00c2\u00a9in co\\n~v co in t-h -h\\nt-H t~ CO -H CO\\nco co co os in\\ng r g I o.Ei\\\\\u00c2\u00a3a ci\\nWrH HfeOj|Zi\\nco in t-h -^h in i hh\\n\u00c2\u00a9T-Hinco\u00c2\u00a9\u00c2\u00a9min in\\nodoscoin-HincM co t-^\\na^cciccccocu-b- CO\\nt-\u00c2\u00a9T\u00e2\u0080\u0094 i\u00c2\u00a9\u00c2\u00a9in\u00c2\u00a9in t-\\ni-H in co in9ri-r I\\n\u00c2\u00a9C0-H~-H-H\u00c2\u00a9in\\n\u00c2\u00a9\u00c2\u00a9CO\u00c2\u00a9-H9191\\ntHOH^HH K)NIO\\nOS 91 I t-H L\u00e2\u0080\u0094 in\\nt^ 91* CO CO CD\\nt^\u00c2\u00a9 t-H \u00c2\u00a9OS\u00c2\u00a9\\nCO t-H OS T-H rH t\u00e2\u0080\u0094\\n9iin9i inco 9i\\nOS lO t-H CO 00 91 91 OS\\n\u00c2\u00a9osco\u00c2\u00a9t -\u00c2\u00a9\u00c2\u00a9in\\n\u00c2\u00a9OCOOSCptHlKf\\nt-HHH\u00c2\u00a991\u00c2\u00a9\u00c2\u00a9h+1\u00c2\u00a9\\ncot-int-t-^inro\\nco9icoc6os\u00c2\u00bb-^9i9i\\nt-\u00c2\u00a9\u00c2\u00a99iin\u00c2\u00a9os\u00c2\u00a9\\n\u00c2\u00a9C091\u00c2\u00a9\u00c2\u00a9C0\u00c2\u00a9\u00c2\u00a9\\nin N j rco t-ror9fi r\u00c2\u00a9\\n9i\u00c2\u00a9ooinin\u00c2\u00a9\u00c2\u00a9os\\nCO 91\\ni* -i# b- CO\\nt- 91 t-h hh in\\ninT-H9iT-H9i)^coos\\nOOCO\u00c2\u00a9t-T-H\u00c2\u00a9\u00c2\u00a9\u00c2\u00a9\\nT-HT-lT-H91\u00c2\u00a9\u00c2\u00a9-*rH\\nt-H9lT-HOs 93ini-HT-r\\n91910S0Sin-rti-H^t-H\\nHt inOJOi- -^H91\\nCOt-\u00c2\u00a9COCO*S-9lT\u00e2\u0080\u0094 t\\n-HHcoinosrHOsin-*\\nCO\u00c2\u00a9\u00c2\u00a9\u00c2\u00a9ir-9!CO\u00c2\u00a9\\nos\u00c2\u00a9\u00c2\u00a99iin\u00c2\u00a9\u00c2\u00a9\u00c2\u00a9\\ni-T\u00c2\u00a9 coi ri r-Hr\u00c2\u00a9 in\\ni 00Nie\u00c2\u00abC0HH\\nC09H -rH91\u00c2\u00a9\u00c2\u00a9in\\nOS\u00c2\u00a9rH\u00c2\u00a9in\u00c2\u00a9\u00c2\u00a9fc-\\ncoin c6T-H-*\u00c2\u00a9odeo\\nint-9lOSi--COT\u00e2\u0080\u0094 I\u00c2\u00a9\\n\u00c2\u00a9-*m\u00c2\u00a909i\u00c2\u00a9T-H\\n9lOSi-H 91HJ i-r\\n0SHHO3-H\u00c2\u00a9rH95in\\nt-\u00c2\u00a9t-\u00c2\u00a99lT-H\u00c2\u00a9t-\\n91* 91 91 iri CO CO rH CO\\n1\u00e2\u0080\u0094 IOO\u00e2\u0080\u0094lfc-\u00c2\u00a9rH-HH\u00c2\u00a9\\n-H4\u00c2\u00a9in\u00c2\u00a9t-t\u00e2\u0080\u0094 1-*91\\n91o rco 95 co\\nt-H 91\\n(N\\nSin in in tr- in oo 91\\ni\u00e2\u0080\u0094 1 1- 91 co in co\\nco 91 in os in t-^\\nco\u00c2\u00a9t-\u00c2\u00a9 t^ost-\\n\u00c2\u00a9\u00c2\u00a9OS-*00i-H\\ni- 91 H CO 91 -k H\\nt- 91 CO 91 in rH\\n91 t-H i I -H J\\nin t-H -tr\\nrH t- in\\nCI rn 91 91 9l\\nHCOrHCOCO\\nin\u00c2\u00a99i\u00c2\u00a9i -i\\ncocoi -in9it-\u00c2\u00a9in\\nCOinrHCOCO\u00c2\u00a9CO\u00c2\u00a9\\nrH CO CO 91 lO 9!\\nintr9ico\u00c2\u00a9i^\u00c2\u00a9^\\n\u00c2\u00a9\u00c2\u00a99i\u00c2\u00a9\u00c2\u00a9incoco\\nin\u00c2\u00a9\u00c2\u00a9Hi9iHH\u00c2\u00a9\u00c2\u00a9\\n-*inCO-*t~-*COt-H\\ni-T91t- t-H91HH\\nrH CO O\\noo i^ os co in\\nCO-*\u00c2\u00a3-00OS\u00c2\u00a991r-l\\nin \u00c2\u00a9r\\n.ii -P T 1 -U -rH .Si ID\\n=Tji-e\\ns s\\nrHCCE-lrHrHinCCp-", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0129.jp2"}, "130": {"fulltext": "120\\nLive stock in 1896 Returns to the provincial board of assessment.\\nDepartments.\\nHorses.\\nMules.\\nAsses.\\nCattle.\\nSheep.\\nGoats.\\nSwine.\\nTotal\\nhead.\\n11,861\\n13, 202\\n5,216\\n8,624\\n16,468\\n3,780\\n5,441\\n1,159\\n254\\n694\\n551\\n748\\n2,143\\n73\\n4\\n66\\n108\\n102\\n175\\n211\\n29\\n25\\n1\\n86,535\\n49, 595\\n19,578\\n39,531\\n46,879\\n12, 779\\n40,777\\n7,938\\n324\\n72\\n12\\n934\\n346\\n97\\n217\\n53\\n775\\n423\\n191\\n1,667\\n1,585\\n448\\n473\\n217\\n3,531\\n2,620\\n733\\n2,121\\n2,201\\n793\\n1,287\\n125\\n103,346\\n66,714\\n26,383\\n53,800\\nArecibo\\nAguadilla\\n69,833\\n17,999\\nHumacao\\n48,224\\n9,493\\nTotal\\n65,751\\n4,467\\n717\\n303, 612\\n2,055\\n5,779\\n13,411\\n395, 792\\nIntended uses of the live stock.\\nAgricultu-\\nral .work.\\nReproduc-\\ntion.\\nConsump-\\ntion.\\nIn harness\\nand trans-\\nportation.\\nMotive\\npower for\\nmachinery.\\n19,626\\n2,107\\n255\\n65,281\\n28,739\\n793\\n352\\n170,979\\n1,407\\n4,051\\n7,455\\n17,253\\n1,533\\n110\\n13,941\\n133\\nMules\\n34\\nCattle.\\n52,077\\n648\\n1,728\\n5,956\\n1,334\\nTotal\\n87,269\\n213,776\\n60,409\\n32,837\\n1,501\\nAcreage of various products in 1862.\\nAcres.\\nMinor crops.. 88,678\\nCoffee 33,626\\nTobacco 4,761\\nSugar. 55,382\\nCotton 1,344\\nPRODUCTS IN THE PERIOD 1828-1864.\\nThe production of sugar had risen to 18,782,675 pounds in 1828\\nand there was a steady increase for the next twenty years. In 1848\\n101,298,754 pounds were produced, the highest point down to 1864\\nbeing reached in 1861, when 131,035,471 pounds were reported.\\nThe coffee crop of 1828 was 11,160,950 pounds, rising in 1830 to\\n16,911,925 pounds, with a marked decrease between 1835 and 1840 to\\n5,277,250 pounds in 1836. There was a steady increase between 1850\\nand 1864.\\nOf cotton 479,150 pounds were produced in 1828; in 1837 it reached\\n5,003,779 pounds, falling in 1859 to 47,251 pounds.\\nThe tobacco crop in 1828 was 2,406,100 pounds. In 1862 it rose to\\n8,950, 725 pounds; the lowest point in the period was reached in 1837,\\nwhen 2,104,215 pounds were produced.\\nProducts in 1776.\\nEstates 5,815\\nSugar 1 pounds.. 273,725\\nCotton do.... 111,875\\nCoffee do.... 1,126,225\\nRice _.._ do 2,009,650\\nCorn do 1,550.600\\nTobacco do.... 702,050\\nNot including molasses.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0130.jp2"}, "131": {"fulltext": "121\\nLive stock in 1776.\\nCattle 78,884\\nMules 13,614\\nHorses... 4,334\\nSheep 952\\nGoats 31,758\\nINDUSTRIES.\\nINDUSTRIES KILLED BY SPANISH TARIFF.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nSan Juan, P. R., October 29, 1899.\\nDr. Carbonell, secretary of the interior. There is absolutely no\\nindustrial life here in the sense of manufacture. The only thing\\nwhich my department has to do in connection with that branch is to\\nregister trade-marks, patents, and copyrights which come from other\\nparts of the world.\\nDr. Carroll. There is no inventive genius, then, among this people?\\nDr. Carbonell. The Government has discouraged always the insti-\\ntution of any industries here, so as to preserve to the merchants in\\nSpain the monopoly of sending their goods here. For example, it\\nhas never been possible to put up a flour-milling establishment here\\nbecause the Spanish Government placed on wheat in the grain the\\nsame rate of duty as was placed on the ground flour, for the purpose\\nof allowing merchants in Spain to take wheat from the United States,\\ngrind it in Spain, and then send it to Porto Rico. Also the industry\\nof making soup paste was killed in the same way. They put on such\\nan exorbitant duty that they were unable here to compete with the\\nSpaniards in Spain.\\nDr. Carroll. We understand that Spanish monopoly is now at an\\nend.\\nDr. Carbonell. Unfortunately, it has not terminated yet, because\\nthe same laws are in force now as formerly. If the United States\\nhad only allowed this to become part of the Union with respect to the\\ntariff that is, without custom-house duties on articles coining from\\nthe United States it would have done an immense amount of good to\\nthe country.\\nDr. Carroll. The duties imposed on goods from Spain are the\\nsame as those from the United States, so that Spain has no longer the\\nadvantage which she formerly had over other countries.\\nDr. Carbonell. I consider that goods manufactured in the United\\nStates should come in free, and goods from Porto Rico should go to the\\nUnited States free. Goods that went from here to Spain paid a pro-\\nhibitive duty, but those which came from Spain here paid 10 per cent\\nad valorem. Coffee in Spain paid $12 a hundredweight.\\nDr. Carroll. They do not seem to like Porto Rico coffee in Spain.\\nDr. Carbonell. That can not be so, because one of their songs\\nsays the best coffee in the world is the coffee of Porto Rico.\\nDr. Carroll. They seem to have preferred to roast the people of\\nPorto Rico instead of their coffee. What is the commerce over which\\nthis department has control\\nDr. Carbonell. None, in spite of the name of the portfolio.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0131.jp2"}, "132": {"fulltext": "122\\nSUGAR MILLS.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nSan Juan, P. R., November 1, 1898.\\nDr. Carroll. Is the sugar industry nourishing?\\nMr. Antonio RoiGr. It is now^ but not as regards muscovado sugar,\\nbecause each planter has $20,000 or $30,000 invested in machinery,\\nwhich is unnecessary. We will have to establish central factories,\\nand all the other plantations sell their cane to these factories. We\\ncan then afford to have better mills and all the latest improvements.\\nDr. Carroll. What do you consider the best points at which they\\nshould be established.\\nMr. RoiG. There should be two in each of the departments.\\nDr. Carroll. Are- there no modern sugar-making plants in the\\nisland\\nMr. RoiG. Yes; I have one; there is also the Progresso at Carolina;\\nMr. Finley has one; Mr. Huisi one, called La Esperanza, in Arecibo.\\nThere is one in Aguadilla, owned by Mr. Amell; one in Anasco, owned\\nby Mr. Pagan; another in Mayaguez, owned by Bias Nadal; two in\\nPonce, one of them owned by Mr. Gallard, and two in Yabucoa. The\\ncapacity of these mills is from 10,000 to about 20,000 bags. I am the\\nowner of sugar machinery, but do not raise the cane. I buy the cane\\nfrom the neighboring planters. I sell the sugar here and in the\\nUnited States. I think if some American people come here and go\\ninto that business either alone or with natives it would be good for\\nthe island.\\nVARIOUS INDUSTRIES.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nSan Juan, P. R., November 2, 1898.\\nMr. Francisco T. Sabat, deputy collector of customs at San Juan\\nDr. Carroll. What kind of wood is used in making charcoal?\\nMr. Sabat. Very fine woods in immense quantities. It is not pos-\\nsible to name them. There are large tracts of timber on the mountain\\ntops. This country sent to the World s Fair at Chicago a piece of\\nwork containing 240 different woods, all produced in the island.\\nDr. Carroll. Are there any fishing industries?\\nMr. Sabat. The fishing industry, as an industry, does not exist,\\nbut the poor people of the coast towns are accustomed to earning their\\nliving by fishing, usually with nets, sometimes with hooks, and bring\\ntheir catch to the cities to sell. There is absolutely no organization\\nin the industry. Each man is an independent fisherman, and brings\\nhis fish independently to market. So abundant are the fish on this\\ncoast that I have frequently seen a surplus of fish thrown into the\\nsea for want of purchasers, the market having been glutted.\\nDr. Carroll. Are cattle raised in large numbers on the island?\\nMr. Sabat. Yes;, cattle are raised in large quantities, and this\\nindustry forms the second source of agricultural income in the island\\nof Porto Rico. It is the second source of wealth next to sugar. What\\nI mean is that after the agricultural products of sugar, coffee, and\\ntobacco, the cattle-raising industry is the most important. We sell\\ncattle to the Virgin Islands, St. Thomas, and other English and French", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0132.jp2"}, "133": {"fulltext": "123\\nislands of the West Indies, more than half a million dollars worth\\nevery year.\\nDr. Carroll. Do they have any means of preserving the meat\\nafter it is killed?\\nMr. Sabat. .It is exported alive. There are no cold storages in the\\nisland. Sometimes families salt meat for their own consumption.\\nDr. Carroll. What kinds of meat are consumed here?\\nMr. Sabat. Beef, pork, goat meat; also sheep are raised, but not\\nmany.\\nDr. Carroll. Are there any canning factories on the island.\\nMr. Sabat. In Mayaguez and the capital the industry exists on a\\nvery small scale, pineapples being the principal fruit canned.\\nTHINGS MADE IN MAYAGUEZ.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nMayaguez, P. R., January 23, 1899.\\nMr. Badrena, ex-United States consul at Maj^aguez\\nDr. Carroll. Are you familiar with the industries of Mayaguez?\\nMr. Badrena. Yes. The best and most important is that of matches\\nmade by M. Grau Sons. It is not a large factory, but is sufficient\\nto supply Mayaguez and other cities, even San Juan. The material\\nfrom which they are made is all imported from Germany. They have\\nnot machinery to make the sticks here. In San Juan they make the\\nwhole match. I do not know how many men are employed here.\\nThen there is the chocolate mill here. The chocolate is made from\\nnative cacao, raised in this part of the island, and it is the best on the\\nisland. We used to send the cacao from here to San Juan to the fac-\\ntory there. There are two chocolate factories here, but both of them\\nare small. They sell the chocolate here from 16 cents to $1 a pound.\\nDr. Carroll. We would consider that high in the United States.\\nWe get the best in the United States for 40 cents. But there is some\\ncacao imported here from Venezuela, is there not?\\nMr. Badrena. No; unless some one wants it especially and pays\\nfor it.\\nDr. Carroll. Well, in San Juan when I asked why they charged\\nso much, they said because they had to pay such heavy duties.\\nMr. Badrena. Yes; but it is seldom imported. Our cacao is as\\ngood as that of Caracas. Then we have distilleries for the making of\\nrum, bay rum, and wines.\\nDr. Carroll. What would the distillers here think of having the\\nUnited States revenue system introduced?\\nMr. Badrena. They will feel badly about it; and the same thing\\nmay be said of tobacco.\\nDr. Carroll. Would it not be better to make rum higher and wines\\ncheaper?\\nMr. Badrena. I think wines should be introduced without paying\\nany duties.\\nDr. Carroll. We propose to admit them at 3 cents instead of 30.\\nMr. Badrena. The people here all drink wine. They never get\\ndrunk on it. I have tasted California wines, and they are as good as\\nFrench clarets, and they can be brought here very cheaply. I believe\\nthey can compete with Spanish wines. That depends on the quality.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0133.jp2"}, "134": {"fulltext": "124\\nDr. Carroll. I have statistics as to the production of the distill-\\neries as to the number of gallons they produce, and so forth. Is\\nthere much tobacco manufactured here?\\nMr. Badrena. There are many private shops for the making of\\ncigars and cigarettes not in large quantities, but very good. The\\ncigarettes are made here by Esteva Hermanos. Before the war we\\nused to have Cuban cigarettes, but now they are shut out and this\\nfactory was started. Confidence will be restored upon the settlement\\nof the tariff and the money question, and American capital will come\\nhere without the intervention of the Government.\\nTHE CATTLE INDUSTRY.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nSan German, P. R., January 26, 1899.\\nMr. Lopez, a cattle dealer\\nDr. Carroll. Have you anything to say about your business that\\nof cattle raising?\\nMr. Lopez. No.\\nDr. Carroll. Shall I consider, then, that everything is going well\\nwith you that all debts are being paid and business is good?\\nMr. Lopez. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. How many cattle have you?\\nMr. Lopez. Six or seven hundred.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you keep them for laboring purposes or for beef?\\nMr. Lopez. For both purposes.\\nDr. Carroll. How much does an ordinary yoke of oxen bring,\\ngenerally?\\nMr. Lopez. One hundred dollars.\\nDr. Carroll. Are they then ready for work?\\nMr. Lopez. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. What is a pair of ponies worth?\\nMr. Lopez. That varies a good deal. Good saddle horses are worth\\nup to $400. Good working horses are worth about $80.\\nDr. Carroll. Then a pair of oxen is worth a little more than a\\npair of horses?\\nMr. Lopez. Yes, if the horses are ordinary ones.\\nDr. Carroll. How much milk a day does a good cow give when\\nthe pasture is good?\\nMr. Lopez. The maximum quantity can be taken as from 8 to 10\\nliters. [A liter is a little over a quart.\\nDr. Carroll. Are the cows milked twice a day?\\nMr. Lopez. Only once.\\nDr. Carroll. In the United States they always milk good cows\\nat least twice a day.\\nMr. Lopez. They give more, then.\\nDr. Carroll. They consider that the oftener they milk them there\\nthe more milk they get in the aggregate.\\nMr. Lopez. Here they have to bring up the calf on its mother s\\nmilk. They can not feed it satisfactorily as they do in the United\\nStates.\\nDr. Carroll. In what time do you wean one here?\\nMr. Lopez. A year.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0134.jp2"}, "135": {"fulltext": "125\\nDr. Caeroll. They very seldom allow a calf to remain with its\\nmother more than from three to six months, and never allow it to\\nhave all the milk at any time.\\nMr. Lopez. Here they give them nearly all.\\nDr. Carroll. The quality of the milk is not especially rich in\\ncream here.\\nMr. Lopez. There is very little cream, owing to the poor quality\\nof the pasture.\\nDr. Carroll. You have magnificent cattle here, larger than almost\\nany breed I have seen in the United States; hut they don t compare\\nwith them in milk-giving capacity. Where did you get the breed\\nfrom?\\nMr. Lopez. It is a cross between the cattle of the country and Afri-\\ncan cattle.\\nDr. Carroll. Why is it that you do not have better pasture? Is it\\non account of the drought or the poorness of the land, or for what\\nreason?\\nMr. Lopez. For lack of water, especially in the southern parts of the\\nisland. Big herds are raised in these districts, and months pass some-\\ntimes without rain.\\nDr. Carroll. In what months does the drought occur?\\nMr. Lopez. Generally from March to August.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there any water in the rivers here, which could be\\nsaved in the rainy season, so that you might have irrigation of your\\nlands?\\nMr. Lopez. We have no rivers; only springs to give our cattle water.\\nDr. Carroll. Then there is no way in which the supply of water\\ncould be gotten here in the rainy season for the purpose of irrigation?\\nMr. Lopez. Some years ago there was a trial made to sink an artesian\\nwell, but it gave no result, and since then everybody has been con-\\nducting experiments on his own grounds and endeavoring to get results.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the average rainfall per annum?\\nMr. Lopez. They have never made those calculations here.\\nDr. Carroll. But you do have an immense rainfall here during\\neight months of the year.\\nMr. Lopez. Yes; very much rain.\\nDr. Carroll. If you knew exactly how much, it might be possible to\\narrange a reservoir to save water for the period of drought.\\nA Gentleman present. We have never had rain-measuring instru-\\nments here; but in the lowlands, where water comes down in torrents,\\npools form which last for months, sometimes preventing traffic.\\nDr. Carroll. Then if you had a reservoir situated in the proper\\nplace, with streams leading to it, you might store up water to serve\\nin the dry season?\\nMr. Lopez. The topography of the country would prevent that.\\nWe could only catch water to irrigate the lowlands, but the better\\nlands are situated high up.\\nDr. Carroll. Most of the land is low, is it not?\\nMr. Lopez. No.\\nDr. Carroll. Is not your important land the land of the valley?\\nMr. Lopez. We have very fine lands on the mountain, also, which\\nwould be worth a great deal if we could water them.\\nDr. Carroll. If you can not water all 1 of them I should think it\\nwould be well if you could water the lands of the valley.\\nMr. Lopez. It would be a very costly plan. It has never been tried.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0135.jp2"}, "136": {"fulltext": "126\\nDr. Carroll. The first thing necessary would be to have a com-\\npetent engineer look over the land and see whether it would be pos-\\nsible to have a reservoir or not.\\nMr. Lopez. That would require the cooperation of all the land\\nowners.\\nINDUSTRIES IN CABO BO JO.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nCabo Rojo, P. R., January 27, 1899.\\nMr. Pedro Colberg (a druggist). I desire to ask permission to cor-\\nrect some mistakes in the statements made by Mr. Ortis. I have heard\\nit said that we have no industries here. I wish to say that this city\\nhas more industries probably than any other city in the island. There\\nis the straw-hat industry, which is almost exclusively confined to Cabo\\nRojo. The whole island is supplied from here, and we only need a\\nlittle money to bring it up to a very important place.\\nDr. Carroll. Where do you get the material?\\nMr.. Pagan. We have it here. We could make sufficient, not only\\nto supply the whole country, but even for export. Moreover, we have\\nthe salt industry here, and the richest salt deposit in the island. I am\\none of the owners of it. We have just asked General Henry to get\\nthe duty in the United States reduced. We have just sent 30,000\\nquintals of salt to Boston, but made no profit on it, owing to the duty\\nwe had to pay. We have sufficient salt to supply Porto Rico, Cuba,\\nand perhaps a part of the United States. The present production,\\nwith the old-fashioned methods of obtaining the salt, is from 300,000\\nto 400,000 quintals a year.\\nDr. Carroll. In what form does the salt occur?\\nMr. Pagan. It is artificial salt. We have big flats into which we\\npump sea water and allow it to crystallize by action of the air. At\\npresent we produce about half a million bushels, but we can raise that\\nproduction to 3,000,000 bushels a year.\\nDr. Carroll. I understand that your principal difficulty is that\\nyour vessels have to clear from Mayaguez; that your port is not now\\nopen as it used to be.\\nMr. Pagan. In the name of the town I ask that the port be declared\\nan open port. The port of Cabo Rojo is one of the best protected har-\\nbors of the island. It is the best port on the western coast of the\\nisland.\\nDr. Carroll. Would there be any shipment from it, in addition to\\nsalt, if it were opened?\\nMr. Pagan. We would have big shipments of sugar, cattle, corn,\\nand other products. This town has been completely isolated. The\\nrailroad system, instead of touching at this place, has cut off this\\ntown and left it without communication of any sort with the rest of\\nthe island.\\nDr. Carroll. How far is it from here to the port?\\nMr. Pagan. From 2 to 3 kilometers.\\nDr. Carroll. Are the salt marshes very close?\\nMr. Pagan. By sea they are very near, by land they are farther.\\nDr. Carroll. How many bushels of salt have you shipped this\\nyear?\\nMr. Pagan. Between 4,000 and 5,000 bushels, in spite of the war.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0136.jp2"}, "137": {"fulltext": "127\\nDr. Carroll. Was that less than the year before?\\nMr. Pagan. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you ship salt here on coastwise vessels for vari-\\nous ports of the island?\\nMr. Pagan. We ship on these little schooners going around the\\nisland because we can get cheap rates; but to the United States we\\nship on large schooners.\\nDr. Carroll. For coastwise trade your vessels are not required to\\nclear from Mayaguez, are they?\\nMr. Pagan. Yes; even in that case.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you asked General Henry by petition to make\\nCabo Rojo a port of entry?\\nMr. Pagan. We asked General Brooke.\\nDr. Carroll. What did he say?\\nMr. Pagan. He made no reply.\\nDr. Carroll. Does the city of Mayaguez oppose having Cabo Rojo\\nmade a port of entry?\\nMr. Pagan. Some years ago there was a big fire in Mayaguez and\\nthe people of Cabo Rojo loaned their port to Mayaguez. As soon as\\nMayaguez itself built up by means of this port the people there\\ninfluenced the government by use of large sums of money to declare\\nthis port closed again.\\nDr. Carroll. If General Henry should agree to declare Cabo Rojo\\na port of entry, would the municipality or would private citizens agree\\nto see that no loss was caused to the government on account of the\\nexpense.\\nMr. Pagan. We don t wish the port to be used as a custom-house.\\nAll we want is to have a collector here, and we will attend to that.\\nDr. Carroll. That is a very important point, because ports of\\nentry sometimes do not pay expenses, and if you will assure the gov-\\nernment that it will pay expenses it may go a long way toward\\ninducing General Henry to open the port.\\nMr. Pagan. Do I understand you correctly that if the entries into\\nCabo Rojo shall not be sufficient to pay the expense of the collector-\\nship that the people of Cabo Rojo will agree to pay the balance?\\nDr. Carroll. Yes.\\nMr. Pagan. All of us here would be pleased to undertake that\\nresponsibility.\\nDr. Carroll. Returning to the hat industry; can you inform me\\nas to the number of hats made here a year?\\nMr. Pagan. At the very least from 50,000 to 60,000 hats annually.\\nDr. Carroll. Is not that number too large?\\nMr. Pagan. No; I don t refer to the best hats, but to all classes.\\nMr. Ortiz. The poor people make them in their houses.\\nDr. Carroll. Are they made usually by the women and children?\\nMr. Pagan. Yes; the poor women make them; not the men.\\nDr. Carroll. How much can the women make in a day at it?\\nMr. Pagan. One of the finest hats sells for $48 a dozen, and each\\nhat takes a woman a month to make. They sell cheap hats in quan-\\ntities for 6 or 7 cents apiece.\\nThere is also a cane industry and brick works here.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0137.jp2"}, "138": {"fulltext": "128\\nBRICKS AND EARTHENWARE.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nCayey, P. R., February 28, 1899.\\nDr. Carroll. What industries have you in Cayey?\\nMayor Munoz. Only the tobacco industry and the bakery; they are\\nthe main industries.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you any other industries on a smaller scale\\nwhich might be developed?\\nMayor Munoz. Yes; earthenware pots are made here.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you the clay here for them?\\nMayor Munoz. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Is the industry an extensive one.\\nMayor Munoz. No; it is very small.\\nDr. Carroll. You only make for your own use?\\nMayor Munoz. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. How many men are employed in that industry?\\nMayor Munoz. I think only about three men.\\nDr. Carroll. Do they make only plain earthenware?\\nMayor Munoz. Really, only bricks.\\nDr. Carroll. Where are these earthen pots made?\\nMayor Munoz. In Santurce.\\nTHE MANUFACTURE OF SOUP PASTES.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.\\nPonce, P. R., March S, 1899.\\nMr. Alfred Casals:\\nMr. Casals. I find that the new tariff does not protect manufac-\\nturers as much as the old tariff did. There are many articles neces-\\nsary in manufacturing that were treated much better under the old\\nthan the new schedules. As a basis I will tell you that a great\\nmany young men who are not able to go into agricultural enterprises\\nwould go into manufacturing on a small scale, and this would put an\\nend to the plague of office seeking that exists at present. Now, as\\nregards the tariff and its effects upon my own business, which is the\\nmaking of soup pastes, I don t know whether you are aware of the\\nfact or not, but the manufacture of soup pastes was carried on almost\\nexclusively in Latin countries, being an article of general consump-\\ntion among people of the Latin race. About 100,000 boxes are used\\nevery year in the island, and Spain had an enormous market here for\\nher soup pastes, she being among the first manufacturers of it in the\\nworld. Spanish flour was good for making soup paste. American\\nflour is much better adapted for the purpose, because it is richer in\\ngluten. For that reason Spain imposed a tax of $4 on American flour,\\nwhile her soup paste came into the island without paying any duty\\nwhatever. Consequently the manufacture of pastes here was impos-\\nsible. The Spanish pastes, which at the beginning of the invasion\\nwere paying $2.75 per 100 kilos, under the new tariff pay a low ad\\nvalorem duty, which is preventing competition by the native manu-\\nfacturers.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the ad valorem equivalent to in specific duty?\\nMr. Casals. That is just where the disadvantage comes in. Thej^\\ndeclare to their consul the value of the invoice, but in trading with.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0138.jp2"}, "139": {"fulltext": "129\\nSpain you can be sure that they never declare over half or quarter of\\nthe value of the goods. The pastes have different values, according\\nto the quality of the material used, and the American consul in Spain\\ncan not be an expert on that question and must take the values de-\\nclared to him. The average price for the poor qualities of paste would\\nbe $5 for 100 pounds. Even if they had declared their paste at its\\nprice, they would have to pay only about 80 cents on 100 pounds, be-\\ncause the new tariff calls for 1 5 per cent ad valorem, so that even when\\ntruly stated there is a difference between the duty under the old tariff\\nand the duty under the new represented by the difference between\\n$2.75 and 80 cents. The result of this will be that the industries of\\nthe country will be again under the influence of Spanish control.\\nThere are two factories in Ponce. Between the two they can make\\nsufficient for the consumption of the whole island. These factories\\ngive employment to hundreds of families, and many of the employees\\nare women. If these duties are not modified slightly we will have to\\ndiscontinue.\\nDr. Carroll. But you have a great advantage in the reduction of\\nflour from $4 to $1.\\nMr. Casals. The reduction of the duty gives us about $1.25 on one\\nhundredweight of paste, whereas the difference in duty on imported\\npastes gives Spain $1.95 on one hundredweight of the paste, or a differ-\\nence of 70 cents on one hundredweight.\\nDr. Carroll. What other materials enter into composition of these\\npastes?\\nMr. Casals. Only flour and box shooks. Formerly we paid 2 pesos\\na cubic meter on the shooks, but to-clay we pay 16 cents per $100.\\nDr. Carroll. How do those charges compare?\\nMr. Casals. The present charge works out to about $2. 60 per cubic\\nmeter. It depends, however, on the quality of the wood, greener\\nwood weighing more; but it always costs us more than it did before.\\nConsequently our industry, which was exploited always by the Span-\\niards, is even now in the worst condition.\\nDr. Carroll. Do all the imported soup pastes come from Spain?\\nMr. Casals. Seven-eighths of the soup pastes come from there, the\\nother eighth being divided between Italy and the United States.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the present price per box in the stores?\\nMr. Casals. Eight pesos and a half per 100 pounds.\\nDr. Carroll. What did you sell it for before?\\nMr. Casals. Seven pesos and a half, with competition from Spain.\\nDuring the last four years our factory has lost more than $4,000.\\nDr. Carroll. What does the imported paste sell for?\\nMr. Casals. The imported pastes sell about 50 cents less, because of\\nan inferior quality.\\nDr. Carroll. Does it take the market away because it is less in\\nprice, notwithstanding that it is inferior in quality?\\nMr. Casals. Yes. At price for price we could command the market,\\nthough some of the houses in San Juan try hard to hold the market\\nfor the Spanish pastes out of racial sympathy.\\nDr. Carroll. How much ought the tariff to be raised on the Spanish\\nsoup paste?\\nMr. Casals. To what it was before, $2.75. Take away the ad\\nvalorem duty, because they always act in bad faith.\\nDr. Carroll. If it were put at II, American money, would it give\\nresults?\\n1125 9", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0139.jp2"}, "140": {"fulltext": "130\\nMr. Casals. I think that at 11.50 we would be able to get along.\\nOther foreign pastes do not affect competition.\\nDr. Carroll. If the tariff were raised to what it was before, or to\\n$1.50 American, then at what price would you sell your soup paste?\\nMr. Casals. We would reduce it immediately a peso per 100 pounds\\nand hold the market. It forms an important part of the food used by\\nthe poor people of the island, who buy it in small quantities.\\nDr. Carroll. As regards the undervaluation, it is easily met by\\nyour compelling them to prove the value at the custom-house.\\nMr. Casals. That is a good suggestion, but it would be much better\\nif the ad valorem duty were changed to a specific one. It would not\\ngive any chance for fraudulent declarations.\\nDr. Carroll. Are there any other industries here suffering from\\nthe new tariff?\\nMr. Casals. I think that leather is too high and that shoemakers\\nare suffering.\\nDr. Carroll. That duty was to protect the tanners.\\nMr. Casals. As there are none here, no protection is needed.\\nDr. Carroll. There is representation in regard to it in the two\\ndocuments I have referred to.\\nMr. Casals. Only as to sole leather. The country is destined to\\nhave shoe manufacturers here, but the establishment of shoe factories\\ndepends on cheapening the price of raw materials.\\nPOSSIBLE INDUSTBIES IN YAUCO.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nYauco, P. R., March 6, 1899.\\nMr. Cianchini, Mr. Vivaldi, and others\\nDr. Carroll. What industries, Mr. Mayor, are carried on in this\\ndistrict\\nMr. Cianchini. Absolutely none.\\nDr. Carroll. Not even on a small scale\\nMr. Cianchini. There are shoemakers and hatmakers who work by\\nhand, but that is all. The hats come from Cabo Rojo, not here.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you make any brick in this district\\nMr. Cianchini. Yes, but by hand.\\nDr. Carroll. Any tiles\\nMr. Cianchini. No. Lime is burned here.\\nDr. Carroll. Do they get the limestone from the mountains\\nMr. Cianchini. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Is that lime ever used on the land in the way of fer-\\ntilizer\\nMr. Cianchini. There is an artificial fertilizer manufactured in Ma-\\nyaguez in which they use the lime.\\nDr. Carroll. Would it not be possible to develop some industry\\nhere that would be of benefit to the town and townspeople by giving\\nemployment, and thus help along the prosperity of the municipality?\\nNote. There was a general response in the affirmative.\\nMr. Cianchini. That is absolutely necessary, and one of the first\\nthings to be attended to. We have a great deal of raw material in the\\ncountry which could be used for manufacturing to the benefit of every-\\nbody.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0140.jp2"}, "141": {"fulltext": "131\\nDr. Carroll. What kinds of industries could be established here?\\nMr. Cianchini. The manufacture of paper.\\nDr. Carroll. Out of what materials?\\nMr. Cianchini. The bark of several trees, the plantain leaf, corn-\\nstalks, and rags, which are at present put to no use.\\nA Gentleman. The husk of the cocoanut\\nMr. Vivaldi. No the husks of the cocoanut are- already exported\\nto the United States for manufacture into fiber, which, in turn, is woven\\ninto mats.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there any other substance for the manufacture of\\npaper\\nMr. Vivaldi. There are several, including those which have been\\nreferred to.\\nMr. Cianchini. Another industry which could be developed is that\\nof rope. This industry would have plenty of raw materials.\\nDr. Carroll. What are the raw materials\\nMr. Cianchini. Maguey.\\nDr. Carroll. Does that make good, strong rope\\nMr. Cianchini. Yes; it is as good as hemp.\\nDr. Carroll. I saw some rope made of that material, but it was\\nevidently made by hand.\\nMr. Cianchini. Everything is made by hand, as we have no\\nmachinery.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there much maguey?\\nMr. Cianchini. There is plenty of it, and more could be sown on\\nthe poor lands, which are serviceable for that purpose. We could\\nmake big plantations of maguey on lands which could be used for\\nnothing else. It grows without cultivation.\\nDr. Carroll. What other materials have you for rope making\\nMr. Cianchini. The pine leaves, and, in fact, there are a number\\nof trees here with fibrous materials in them, such as cadillo, guasima,\\nmalva, jagua, and many others.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there much demand for rope?\\nMr. Cianchini. More than we make. We import it from the States.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you clay fit for making pottery\\nMr. Cianchini. We have clay suitable both for earthenware and\\nrough pottery.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there not pottery or earthenware made in the\\nisland?\\nMr. Cianchini. Yes; it is made at Ponce.\\nDr. Carroll. Is that a large factory?\\nMr. Cianchini. No. Now and then they bring a little to sell here\\nin the market place. It is not good work.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there any basket making here?\\nMr. Cianchini. Yes; but only in private houses. They are used\\nin picking coffee.\\nDr. Carroll. Would it not be well to have here a basket factory?\\nMr. Cianchini. I think so.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you import baskets?\\nMr. Cianchini. A few of a good class, for family use.\\nDr. Carroll. It seems to me that there ought to be a great demand\\nhere for baskets; you hardly seem to have anything to carry your\\nprovisions or articles in.\\nA Gentleman. There is a species of basket which the horses carry,\\nwhich is made here, and the bakers all have baskets. All of these\\nare made in the island.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0141.jp2"}, "142": {"fulltext": "132\\nDr. Carroll. I went to the market yesterday and got some oranges,\\nand could not find a basket or anything else to carry them away in.\\nMr. Cianchini. They only make enough for August and September\\nfor the coffee crops, and for personal use.\\nDr. Carroll. You must have materials here from which you could\\nmake coarse sacking, and you use a great deal of sacking here.\\nA Gentleman. Maguey only.\\nDr. Carroll. What other industries could be started here with\\nmaterials which you have in abundance?\\nMr. Cianchini. Soap making. We have all the prime materials for\\nthat industry, except two articles turpentine and caustic soda.\\nDr. Carroll. There is a soap factory in Ponce which claims to be\\ndoing a poor business.\\nMr. Vivaldi. That is because it makes such bad soap.\\nDr. Carroll. They say that you import a worse soap from Spain,\\nbut are used to it, and will not use other kinds.\\nMr. Vivaldi. The laundries would not use the soap made in the\\ncountry, because it contains too much caustic soda and hurts the hands.\\nBefore Rocamora soap was used thej used French soap, but gave that\\nnp because they found the Rocamora soap better.\\nDr. Carroll. In Ponce they said the tariff ought to be increased\\non foreign soaps to protect the domestic soap.\\nMr. Mejia. The prime material used for soap costs the manufac-\\nturers here more than it does over there, and consequently the domestic\\nmanufacturers are at a disadvantage. I think if the old tariff were\\nreimposed the manufacturers in this country could raise their prices\\nto any figure they wanted.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you think the present tariff should be increased?\\n(There was a unanimous response in the negative.)\\nA Gentleman. I don t think it would be right to tax all the people\\nfor the sake of a few struggling manufacturers. I know the soap fac-\\ntory at Ponce, and it is a very small affair. It can not manufacture\\nenough for the supply of the island. If the tariff were increased they\\ncould raise their prices as high as they wished.\\nDr. Carroll. But they say they will have to stop manufacturing\\nunless the tariff is raised a little.\\nA Gentleman. It would be an unfortunate thing for them, but it\\nwould not affect the island generally. We prefer the foreign soaps\\nto-day because they are sold at a less price.\\nMr. Torres. I think, in order to assist the establishment of new\\nindustries, that duties -on crude materials should be decreased.\\nA Gentleman. If the duty were taken off of caustic soda, for\\nexample, other people than the soap makers would be benefited,\\nbecause it is not used exclusively in soap making, and it is not pro-\\nduced here.\\nDr. Carroll. The history of industries in the United States shows\\nthat if you want to establish a new industry, you have to protect it,\\nand in order to protect it you have to levy a duty upon the same\\narticle coming from other countries, which may temporarily raise the\\nprice of that article. But it is considered so important to add new\\nindustries that the people very cheerfully bear that additional bur-\\nden, which, as I have said, is only temporary, in order that they may\\nhave a new source of employment and a new source of wealth. And\\nit is for the people of Porto Rico to consider whether they want indus-\\ntries established in this island in that way.\\nMr. Vivaldi. That is what we want most.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0142.jp2"}, "143": {"fulltext": "133\\nA Native Druggist. I think if the soap industry taking that\\nindustry as a concrete example could be established in proportion to\\nthe requirements of the country, it would be very well; but as things\\nare at present it would be protecting a small industry that could not\\nsupply the needs of the island, and thej T would say we will take\\nadvantage of the limited supply by raising the price.\\nDr. Carroll. If you have most of the materials that are needed to\\nmake soap here, and need to import only two turpentine and caustic\\nsoda soap could be produced cheaply here, and it would soon be\\nfound that it could be done at a profit. That would draw capital into\\nthe industry, and there would perhaps be a dozen factories in dif-\\nferent parts of the island, and experience would teach soap makers\\nhow to make good soap and make it cheaply. A dozen factories com-\\npeting for the markets of the island would bring the price down even\\nwith or below the price of imported soap.\\n(This statement of the commissioner was greeted by applause,\\neveryone present at the hearing seeming to participate in it.\\nMr. Torres. Turning again to the soap industry, I think the proper\\nthing to do would be to charge manufactured soap coming into the\\nisland with the amount representing the loss to the Government, by\\nthe removal of duties from the raw materials imported for use by the\\ndomestic manufacturers, so that the Government should not be the\\nloser by the change.\\nDr. Carroll. Are there any other industries you could establish\\nhere?\\nA Gentleman. Yes; candle making.\\nDr. Carroll. Where would you get the tallow?\\nA Gentleman. There is plenty of tallow and plenty of wax in the\\ncountry.\\nDr. Carroll. What becomes of the tallow?\\nA Gentleman. Most of it is exported.\\nDr. Carroll. Candles are very high here; you ought to be able to\\nstart a factory in the island.\\nMr. Vivaldi. There is no doubt of it. We pay very high for\\ncandles.\\nDr. Carroll, You could start such a factory in a small way.\\nA Gentleman. It has not been done, because nobodj 7 has thought\\nof it because of the lack of initiative here. There is no manufacturing\\nhere because there is no spirit of cooperation.\\nDr. Carroll. This industry of candle making you can begin on a\\nsmall scale and almost without capital. In the TJnited States every\\nhousewife used to make her own candles. All you need is the tallow\\nand the wick. I understand you have plenty of tallow, and the wick\\ncan be imported at a very small rate.\\nMr. Cianohini. We have cotton here also, and could make our own\\nwicks.\\nDr. Carroll. Then you can import candle molds, made of tin, that\\nare extremely cheap.\\nA Gentleman. I think, in order to stimulate the establishment of\\nsmall industries, duty should be abolished on all raw materials.\\nDr. Carroll. What you call raw materials may be the product of\\nsome other laborer in the island, and ought, therefore, to have pro-\\ntection. For example, suppose you ask that leather shall be brought\\nin free. There are producers of hides here and tanners, and you\\nwould break up their industry.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0143.jp2"}, "144": {"fulltext": "134\\nMr. Vivaldi. They haven t exported hides here in large quantities.\\nThe curing of hides is another industry that could be taken up.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you the bark here for tanning\\nMr. Vivaldi. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. What bark do they use\\nMr. Vivaldi. Mangle. We export a great deal of it to Venezuela\\nand Santo Domingo.\\nDr. Carroll. Why don t you start tanneries of your own\\nMr. Vivaldi. There is one in Ponce, but they only make sole\\nleather. There is, however, more mangle than we could possibly use.\\nDr. Carroll. Would it not be well to bring in a few expert tanners\\nto show you how to produce fine grades of leather, so you could pro-\\nduce your own leather That would be better than to have leather\\nintroduced free.\\nThe Druggist. We export a great deal of leather from here. We\\nexport a far greater quantity than we use in the island.\\nDr. Carroll. I have opened this question, gentlemen, because it\\nseems to me extremely important for the future of the island that you\\nshould diversify your industries. If you desire prosperity, and pros-\\nperity in a large measure, you must establish new industries, because\\nin establishing new industries you give employment to poor people,\\nand as you give employment to the poor people, they get a larger\\nincome and become larger consumers; they wear more clothes, and\\nwear more shoes, and Porto Rico will be one of your best markets.\\nThat is what we find in the United States; as the condition of the\\npoor is improved, we have more demand for manufactured articles,\\nand for fruits and vegetables which are produced by the farmer.\\nA Gentleman. That has a bearing on what we were talking about\\nbefore. The people are naturally moral, but with the small amount\\nthey earn, they can not be decent. An indecent state of living is\\nproduced here for want of means of living decently. The poor people\\nhave no money for marriage, for example.\\nMr. Torres. The shoes produced here are of better quality than\\nthe imported ones, but they can not compete with them in price, owing\\nchiefly to the fact that shoes are made here by hand by poor people.\\nWe think we can add to the manufacture of shoes and leather also,\\nand work the two in partnership, so to speak, so that we will not have\\nto import any shoes at all. The principal reason why factories have\\nnot been started is that there are no capitalists of importance, and\\nthose capitalists who have money are certain to obtain from 12 to 18\\nper cent, and, therefore, keep to the beaten track in which they know\\ntheir interest is sure, rather than venture into other enterprises. As\\nsoon as money comes in here and is loaned out at 6 and 7 per cent,\\nnew industries will be started, because capital will have to seek new\\nfields.\\nSOAP MAKING.\\nSTATEMENT OF SENOK MANUEL HEDILLA.\\nPonce, P. P., March 2, 1899.\\nDuring the Spanish domination no soap factory could live, owing to\\nthe great advantages given to a large factory established in Barcelona,\\nnamed Rocamora. Even American soap, although of better quality,\\ncould not be sold in this island. Rocamora s soap could be sold at a", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0144.jp2"}, "145": {"fulltext": "135\\nvery low price, as it was made from oil residues and white earth and\\nwas freighted here as ballast, paying* a minimum of freight. It was\\nimported here in quantities of 2,500 boxes monthly, which, at $7,\\nmade $17,500.\\nWhen the American Government took possession, all the local manu-\\nfacturers thought that the hour had arrived for them to be able to\\ncompete, especially as coevally with the invasion there was a great\\ndemand for our soaps, and for the lots of American soaps as they\\narrived; but we find ourselves in the same position as before, with no\\nsales, and American soaps equally so. This is owing to the new tariff,\\nwhich only imposes a duty of 50 cents on Rocamora s soap. It should\\nat least charge as much as was formerly collected $1.50 a box; and\\nI must tell you that the new tariff, far from helping us, prejudices us\\ngreatly.\\nYou will thus see that if the Rocamora product is not obliged to\\npay a duty of $1.50, and caustic soda and rosin allowed free entry into\\nPorto Rico, no soap factory can live here, and not a pound of the\\nAmerican article will find a sale.\\nFACTORIES IN PORTO RICO.\\nSTATEMENT OF MAYOE CELESTINO EOMINGUEZ.\\nGiiayama, P. R., January, 1899.\\nThe island produces about 60,000 tons of sugar, of which the larger\\npart goes to the United States for refining. Our system of prepara-\\ntion is still the primitive one, except in a few cases, such as Yabucoa,\\nPonce, Mayaguez, Anasco, Vega Baja, and Loiza, where there are\\ncentral mills. The other estates use old-fashioned machinery which\\ndoes not extract all the juice, which I understand should be 15 per\\ncent. The island, with its extensive plains of Arecibo, Mayaguez,\\nGuayama, and Yabucoa, could, with effective machinery, produce\\nthree times the quantity now given, and would doubtless thus become\\nhappy and prosperous.\\nThere are here an infinity of small industries, infirm, some for want\\nof a field for extension, some for want of protection, some for lack of\\nraw material, which has to be imported, and others for want of a mar-\\nket less limited than the island offers. They are\\nSoap factories, which import caustic soda and the larger part of the\\nfatty materials. This does not allow them to compete with foreign\\nmanufacturers.\\nChocolate factories in Ponce, San Juan, and Mayaguez, which, in\\nspite of suffering from foreign competition, can be built up, as all the\\nraw material is produced in the island.\\nBay-rum factories in Vieques, Cabo Rojo, Patillas, and Guayama.\\nThis is an exquisite product extracted from the malagueta plant\\n{Eugenia pimento), well known in the United States, and used for the\\ntoilet, bath, and in barber shops. This is the only country in the\\nworld producing this plant. Owing to prohibitive customs rates\\nits importation into the United States is very limited. An open mar-\\nket would raise the industry to a flourishing position. The writer is\\nthe owner of the best plant in the island for this industry, but is able\\nto run it only three months in the year, as there are no buyers for a\\nlarger quantity.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0145.jp2"}, "146": {"fulltext": "136\\nCastor-oil factories. One in San Juan, one in Cayey, and one in\\nGuayama, property of the writer; also the oldest and best in the\\ncountry. The seed from which the oil is extracted is grown all over\\nthe country. The industry can grow to be an important one.\\nShoe factories. There are none working on a large scale, but small\\nestablishments are located in every town in the island. Our shoe-\\nmakers have nothing to learn from those of other parts of the world.\\nIn elegance, solidity, and finish they compete with the French and\\nSpanish goods. This industry labors under the disadvantage of high-\\npriced raw materials, and, therefore, can not extend and grow.\\nTanneries. I know of only one maker of sole leather in Mayaguez.\\nCheese factories, as such, do not exist, but all over the island, espe-\\ncially in those parts where cattle are abundant, Cabo Rojo, Salinas,\\nArecibo, Santa Isabel, Guayama, Yauco, excellent cheeses are made,\\nbut they are not manufactured with a view to keeping, and do not\\nkeep long. They can be much improved in the manufacturing.\\nPreserved fruits. We know of one only, in Mayaguez, which jDre-\\npares the native fruits in cans. The quantity produced does not suf-\\nfice for export.\\nAlcohol, rum, and liquors. As rum and aguardiente are by-prod-\\nucts of sugar, most of the cane estates make them. Besides this, there\\nare stills established in several towns which turn out an excellent\\nquality. There are also in San Juan, Ponce, Mayaguez, Guayaina,\\nPatillas, and other towns factories of gin, aniseed, and other liquors\\nof various qualities. This branch of industry has a great future in\\nPorto Rico, as a large quantity of excellent rum can be produced.\\nAerated waters. There are three in the island San Juan, Maya-\\nguez, and Ponce. They produce but a limited quantity, which is\\nconsumed in the same towns and their immediate limits.\\nIron and brass foundries and machine s7iops. I understand that\\nthere is one in San Juan and another in Ponce, but they can only\\nmake simple machines and pieces requiring small skill. This indus-\\ntry can be made a prosperous one.\\nSawmills. One in Ponce and one in Mayaguez; not very flourishing.\\nPottery. No real factories. In Santurce, San Lorenzo, Yabucoa,\\nand other towns pitchers, jugs, and pots, and other similar articles\\nare made. The raw material is excellent and plentiful.\\nPetroleum refinery. One in Cataiio, which is said to bring the oil\\nin already refined, and only has to change the lid of the cases a\\nmonopoly, fortunately abolished now, which only served to enrich a\\ncommercial house in San Juan, to the prejudice of the whole country.\\nCigar factories. This industry is certain to assume large propor-\\ntions, as large quantities of the leaf are produced and the quality can\\ncompete with the best Cuban. There are two large factories in Cayey,\\none the Bella Rosita, the other of Rucabado Brothers. The prod-\\nnet of M. Lopez s establishment the first named is the standard of\\nexcellence in Porto Rico and enjoys a good reputation in Europe.\\nThere are also important factories in Ponce, San Juan, and Mayaguez,\\nand in many other towns of the island.\\nC igarette factories. There are only two in the country, one called\\nthe Colectiva, and another in Ponce, the Internaeional. Their prod-\\nuct is excellent and competes with the Cuban.\\nStarch factories. Are really none, but an excellent quality is made\\nin many parts of the island.\\nIce factories. Several in the island, two in San Juan, one in Maya-\\nguez, and three in Ponce. The product is consumed in these towns\\nand immediate limits.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0146.jp2"}, "147": {"fulltext": "137\\nLimekilns. The prime article is so abundant that lime is made in\\nmany places.\\nFertilizers. One in Mayaguez only, besides natural fertilizers on\\nthe Mona Island, in the Mona Passage.\\nHat manufacturers. One in Ponce only, who uses Italian straw and\\nalso makes felt hats.\\nCocoanut oil. No manufactories of this article. There is abun-\\ndance of crude material, and a small amount is made in Cabo Rojo.\\nCoffee-polishing mills. Both Ponce and Mayaguez, as well as many\\nestate owners, have them.\\nFEW INDUSTRIES IN THE ISLAND.\\nSTATEMENT OF SENOS DE GAZTAMBIDE.\\nYauco, P. R., November 20, 1898.\\nIndustries in this country are very rare and poor. They should be\\nnurtured, giving free entry to all classes of machinery and certain\\narticles not produced in the island, constituting the crude material for\\nmanufactories. The tariff in this respect requires conscientious study,\\nso as to facilitate the establishment of factories to-day nonexistent^\\nwhile not going to the extreme of an exaggerated protection.\\nCommerce is suffering the consequences of* a decadent agriculture,\\nhigh exchange, and heavy taxation. Its salvation lies in the modifi-\\ncation of the tariffs and the increase in the number of banks, to break\\ndown the monopoly enjoyed by the Spanish Bank in this direction.\\nAgriculture is in decadence, thanks to the dearness of articles of\\nprime necessity, the want of capital, and the high rates of interest.\\nThe situation would be somewhat ameliorated by the establishment\\nof coasting trade (cabotaje) with the metropolis and the change of\\ncurrency with a discount of 33 centavos per peso, debts to be liqui-\\ndated in equal proportion. Besides this, it is necessary to help the\\nestablishment of agricultural banks which would lend money at low\\nrates and for long periods, seeing that the only establishment of this\\nnature can not, by a long waj 7 fill the needs of the island.\\nHOW TO HELP MANUFACTURERS.\\nSTATEMENT OF SENOR ANTONIO SANCHEZ RUIZ.\\nAguada, P. R. November 12, 1898.\\nI am of opinion that the free importation should be allowed of all\\nmachinery necessary for the manufacture of the crude materials pro-\\nduced in this country, including medicinal plants so necessary to the\\nwants of the climate. This would in great measure remove the diffi-\\nculties under which manufacturers labor, and would tend to the aggran-\\ndizement of this piece of American soil by the positive advantages\\ngiven to our manufactures in foreign markets.\\nIt is clear that the growth of manufactures would greatly increase\\ncommercial prosperity, but it is very necessary that food stuffs be sub-\\nject to small imposts only. This would be of great advantage to our\\nindigent classes, victims to-day of the high price of food and their\\nscanty means of procuring them. In compensation, the loss occasioned\\nby this reduction could be made up by the heavier taxation of articles\\nof luxury, necessarily paid by the wealthy classes.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0147.jp2"}, "148": {"fulltext": "138\\nNASCENT INDUSTRIES.\\nSTATEMENT OF MAYOR ETJSTAQTJIO TORRES.\\nGuayanilla, P. R., November 7, 1898.\\nIndustries are in the most lamentable condition. The enormous\\nduties levied on the importation of machinery, tools, etc., necessary\\nfor the use of the most simple manufactures, with the view of pro-\\ntecting peninsular industries, smothered at birth all initiative, and\\nkilled the germ of progress in this important branch. It is necessary,\\ntherefore, to harmonize insular interests with the legitimate interests\\nof the metropolis, facilitating as much as possible the growth of\\nnascent industries and of those which under a frank and free protec-\\ntion might be begun.\\nCAPTAL NEEDED.\\nSTATEMENT OE SENOR P. SANTISTEBAN Y CHARIVARI, SPANISH MERCHANT.\\nSan Juan, P. P., October 28, 1898.\\nThe manufacturing industry of the island is extremely insignificant,\\nbeing reduced to the manufacture of cigars, cigarettes, macaroni,\\nchocolate, ice, matched, and the distillation of rum. These indus-\\ntries are lacking altogether in vigor, and can only be strengthened\\nby the introduction of capital necessary to enable them to compete\\nwith foreign countries. It is possible to manufacture here paper,\\nbeer, canned goods (meat and fish as well as fruits), cordage, textile\\nfabrics from vegetable fibers, which could be harvested at a small cost,\\nand among which can be named the maguey; also cabinet works\\nwhich could use the excellent woods growing on the mountains of this\\nisland, and there could also be established to advantage smelting\\nworks to reduce our excellent ores, such as manganese, iron, copper,\\nlead, etc.\\nLIQUORS AND TOBACCO.\\nPRELIMINARY REPORT OE THE COMMISSIONER.\\nSan Juan, P. P., January 11, 1899.\\nThe Secretary of the Treasury,\\nWashington, D. C.\\nSir: I have the honor to present herewith returns which I have\\ngathered with reference to the manufacture and sale of liquors and\\ntobacco in the island of Porto Rico. Late in November a circular let-\\nter in Spanish was sent to the alcaldes of each of the seventy-one\\nmunicipal districts, including the island of Vieques. The questions\\nasked had reference to the number of distilleries, the annual product\\nthereof, the number of bay rum distilleries, with their annual product,\\nthe number of wholesale liquor dealers, the number of retail liquor\\ndealers, the number of manufacturers of cigars, and the number of\\nmanufacturers of cigarettes. After no little difficulty, I am able to\\npresent substantially complete returns from all these districts and for\\nthe various items, estimates taking the places of returns in only six\\ninstances, namely, the annual product of the two native rum dis-\\ntilleries in Mocha, the product of the bay rum distillery in Rio Piedras,", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0148.jp2"}, "149": {"fulltext": "139\\nthe product of the two bay rum distilleries in Vieques, and the num-\\nber of retail liquor dealers in Toa Baja, Vega Alta, and Vega Baja.\\nAlthough I have made diligent use of the mails and also of the tele-\\ngraph, I have failed to secure returns in these few cases. I believe\\nthe statistics may be taken as quite trustworthy. They are from the\\nofficial head of the municipal district in each case, and the returns\\nfrom which the inclosed statement is compiled bear the stamp of the\\nalcaldia or the signature of the alcalde himself. At present there are\\nbut sixty-nine municipal districts, there having been a consolidation\\nin two or three cases.\\nIt should be understood that the distilleries of alcoholics are nearly\\nall appendages of sugar estates, and the product is therefore a by-\\nproduct. The molasses which is obtained from the cane, after the\\nsugar has been almost entirely extracted, is the raw material for the\\nmaking of this rum, which is manufactured very cheaply and consumed\\nin large quantities by the natives. The process of distilling does not\\ngo on constantly, but begins after the sugar-making season is over\\nand while another crop of cane is coming to maturity. When the\\nprice of sugar is low the product of rum is likely to be increased,\\nand vice versa.\\nA considerable quantity of artificial wines is made in the island\\nwith the native rum as the base. Raisins are steeped in it, and the\\nproduct, which is flavored by certain chemicals, is bottled and sold as\\na cheap wine, the duties on good wines forbidding the general use of\\nthe imported article. Not only wines, but cordials, such as pepper-\\nmint, aniseed, vermuth, absinthe, gin, and other varieties which\\nare used as after-dinner beverages, are produced. Brandy is also\\nmade here from pure alcohol with burnt sugar and other ingredients.\\nIt is stated to be quite a general practice among retail liquor dealers\\nto prepare their own liquors, in many cases using ingredients which\\nare regarded as destructive to health.\\nIt will be observed that there are 198 distilleries of alcoholics in\\nPorto Rico. The municipality which has the largest number is Cabo\\nRojo, which is in the southwestern part of the island, near Mayaguez,\\nbut the largest output is from the 7 distilleries of Arecibo, which yield\\nannually 294,000 gallons. The total number of gallons produced is\\n1,615,075. As there is no special motive for concealing the product of\\nthe distilleries, it is not believed that there is any illicit distilling.\\nThe number of bay rum distilleries is 28, with an annual output of\\n15,143 gallons. Bay rum is produced from the alcohol which is made\\nfrom the native rum, in which leaves of the malagueta tree are steeped.\\nThe number of wholesale liquor dealers is 246, and of retail liquor\\ndealers 2,445. There are no data with regard to the amount of sales,\\neither of the wholesale or the retail dealers. It is possible, however,\\nto arrive at approximate figures concerning the consumption of liquors\\nin the island by reference to the official report of the commerce of the\\nisland for 1897, which gives both the imports and the exports. It\\nappears from that report that the imports for 1897 of spirituous liquors,\\nwines, beer, etc., amounted to 1,386,249 gallons, which, together with\\nthe total products of the 198 distilleries in the island, viz, 1,615,075\\ngallons, makes a total of 3,001,324 gallons. But there was sent out of\\nthe country by exportation and reexportation 103,521 gallons, leaving\\na net total of 2,897,803 gallons as representing the jjrobable consump-\\ntion of a year. How much of the native rum produced by the distil-\\nleries is used for mechanical, chemical, and other purposes it is\\nimpossible to state.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0149.jp2"}, "150": {"fulltext": "140\\nOf course the alcohol which goes into the manufacture of artificial\\nwines and of bay rum is produced from the native rum. It is not\\nimprobable that the real total is somewhat larger than that indicated,\\nfrom the fact that retail dealers, according to common report, are in\\nthe habit of increasing their stock by artificial means. The rum pro-\\nduced at the distilleries is of sufficiently high proof to allow of being\\nconsiderably reduced by retail dealers in selling it as a beverage. Of\\nthe total imports in 1897, 50,129 gallons were of spirituous liquors;\\n1,186,971 gallons of wines, and 149,149 gallons of beer and cider. Of\\nthe exports, 84,654 gallons were of aguardiente de cana, or native rum,\\nproduced from sugar cane. The first cost of the production of native\\nrum is estimated to be about 30 cents a gallon. This includes the\\nvalue of the material and cost of distillation, together with insurance,\\ncartage, etc. I am informed that the plantation price is from 40 to 45\\ncentavos per gallon. The wholesale price quoted in the San Juan\\npapers is from 50 to 55 centavos per gallon.\\nNo excise taxes have been levied by the insular government. Stills\\nbelonging to sugar estates have been considered as part of the sugar\\nmachinery and have paid nothing unless they bought materials and\\ndid di stilling for other parties. Distilleries separate from sugar estates\\n.pay so much per 100 litros capacity of the boiler or receptacle of the\\nraw material in which the boiling is done. The rate is $6 per year for\\neach 100 litros capacity. For common stills the rate is $2 per year,\\nand for the manufacture of aniseed or other liquors oh a small scale,\\n$3 a year. This tax is levied for the benefit of the insular govern-\\nment.\\nRetail dealers of liquors pay no special tax unless their business is\\nconfined entirety to the sale of liquors. Almost every grocery store\\nsells liquors and tobacco, and such stores pay an annual tariff accord-\\ning to the class of cities in which they are situated. In San Juan,\\nPonce, and May aguez they pay -$40 a year. In the next grade of cities,\\n$33; in cities of 12,000 population or more, $26; in cities of from 8,000\\nto 12,000, $20; from 4,000 to 8,000, $16; less than 4,000, $11. If cigars\\nare manufactured in connection with the store an additional tax is\\ncharged.\\nWholesale liquor dealers pay a tax graded in a similar way from\\n$130 down to $31. Cafes and restaurants pay rates graded from $81\\ndown to $20, and clubs where liquor is sold, 50 per cent of these rates.\\nBy virtue of an order issued by General Guj 7 V. Henry, military\\ncommander of the island, under date of December 30, 1898, modifying\\nthe consumption tax as levied by municipalities on bread, beef, mut-\\nton, and pork, a special tax is now allowed to be levied on the sale of\\nliquors and tobacco, as follows:\\nFor every liquor or tobacco store or stand:\\nIn towns of from 5,000 to 10,000 population $50.00\\nIn towns of from 10,000 to 15,000 population 60. 00\\nIn towns of from 15,000 to 20,000 population _ 70. 00\\nIn towns of more than 20,000 population 80. 00\\nThese rates are for the sale of liquors and tobacco, and are addi-\\ntional to the rates levied on the business of groceries and restaurants.\\nMunicipalities may ask larger amounts on licenses issued to wholesale\\ndealers in liquors and tobacco.\\nThere are no breweries in the island, but about twenty brewing\\ncompanies have agencies here for the sale of their products. All but\\none are United States firms. The exception is a Copenhagen, Den-\\nmark, company.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0150.jp2"}, "151": {"fulltext": "141\\nThere is, naturally, a difference of opinion on the question of levy-\\ning an internal-revenue tax on the production of liquors. One agri-\\ncultural proprietor says a tax on the output of the cane distilleries\\nwould not only ruin the business, but seriously affect the sugar pro-\\nducers, who depend upon the rum they make, in many instances, to\\nput a balance on the right side of the accounts. Another proprietor\\nsays it will simply result in raising the price of rum to the consumer.\\nHe holds that if men want drink they will pay for it. Others, not\\ndirectly interested in the cane crop, insist that an internal-revenue\\ntax on rum would be a good thing. It is now the common beverage of\\nthe poorer classes, because it is very cheap; imported wines, which pay\\nunder the existing tariff a total tax of 30 cents, being much too costly\\nfor general consumption. Its effects on the consumer are said to be\\ninjurious, and it would be a measure in the interests of health and\\ngood morals, according to philanthropists, so to tax native rum and\\nartificial liquors as to lessen their consumption and lead to the more\\ngeneral use of light wines.\\nThe number of cigar manufacturers is 108, and of cigarette manu-\\nfacturers 27. The inquiries were limited because of the information\\nthat it would be impossible to get definite returns for other items.\\nThere are no official figures relating to the annual production of\\ntobacco. It is only possible to approximate the figures by estimates.\\nThere are two ways of doing this. It is believed that two-thirds of\\nthe annual production have been exported. The amount exported in\\n1897 was 6,267,327 pounds. One-half of that, which it is estimated\\nwas consumed in the island the same year, is 3,133,663, making a total\\nof 9,400,990 pounds. One of the leading tobacco dealers in the island\\nmakes the following estimate by districts for 1898:\\nTobacco districts.\\nCayey\\nCorta aba jo\\nArecibo\\nBales\\nproduced.\\n4,000\\n12,000\\n25,000\\n30,000\\nTobacco districts.\\nYauco\\nJuncos.\\nBales\\nproduced.\\n10,000\\n4,000\\n85,000\\nBales weigh about 100 pounds each.\\nIn addition to the number of cigar and cigarette manufacturers\\nreported in this table, there is a large quantity of tobacco manufac-\\ntured into cigars and cigarettes in private houses, especially into\\ncigars. Most of the cigars consumed in the island have been made\\nhere, while most of the cigarettes have been imported from Cuba.\\nSince the same rates in customs duties were imposed on Cuban ciga-\\nrettes as are imposed on those imported from other countries, it is\\nbelieved that the imports from that island have fallen off almost\\nentirely. Native production has therefore been greatly stimulated.\\nThere is a steam factory in San Juan which produces 400,000 ciga-\\nrettes daily, all of which are sold in Porto Rico. There is another\\nsteam factory in Ponce. Formerly manufactures of tobacco from\\nCuba were admitted to this island without the payment of any customs\\nduty except the payment of the 10 per cent transitory tax, amounting\\nto about 4 cents per kilo. It is estimated by a committee appointed\\nby the chamber of commerce of Ponce that there are about 250,000\\nsmokers in the island and that the average daily consumption of\\ncigarettes is about 200,000 packages.\\nVery respectfully, Henry K. Carroll,\\nCommissioner.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0151.jp2"}, "152": {"fulltext": "142\\nLiquors and tobacco manufacturers and dealers.\\nMunicipal district.\\nNum-\\nber of\\ndistill-\\neries.\\nAnnual\\nproduct in\\ngallons.\\nNum-\\nber of\\nbay\\nrum\\ndistill-\\neries.\\nAnnual\\nproduct\\nin gal-\\nlons.\\nWhole-\\nsale\\nliquor\\ndeal-\\ners.\\nRetail\\nliquor\\ndealers.\\nCigar\\nmanu-\\nfactur-\\ners.\\nCigar-\\nette\\nmanu-\\nfactur-\\ners.\\n54\\n6\\n60\\n26\\n25\\n8\\n13\\n157\\n40\\n20\\n30\\n23\\n15\\n66\\n24\\n31\\n15\\n46\\n6\\n17\\n1\\n5\\n2\\n1\\n3\\n10\\n2\\n5\\n5\\n66,137\\n19. 708\\n2\\n1\\n13\\n3\\n2\\n1\\n3\\n2\\n7\\n7\\n2\\n1\\n25.780\\n294.000\\n65. 016\\n27.249\\n9\\n2\\n3\\n1\\n350\\n2\\n3\\n152.000\\n12.600\\n4\\n3\\n5\\n3\\n6\\n6\\n2\\n3\\n1\\n6\\n14\\n15.000\\n14.782\\n1\\n1\\n5\\n1\\n2\\n1\\n8\\n3\\n3\\n9\\n2\\n3\\n5\\n2\\n2\\n5\\n8\\n2,142\\n14,417\\n17,724\\n24,000\\n2,110\\n26,455\\n52.911\\n9:520\\n18,518\\n23,102\\n25, 000\\n11,000\\n38, 080\\n9,521\\n15\\n32\\n15\\n23\\n30\\n28\\n45\\n25\\n14\\n8\\n52\\n61\\n31\\n40\\n23\\n29\\n30\\n20\\n3\\n29\\n25\\n10\\n100\\n32\\n18\\n7\\n14\\n198\\n22\\n38\\n9\\n25\\n30\\n64\\n8\\n130\\n40\\n50\\n66\\n8\\n30\\n30\\n8\\n6\\n84\\n8\\n12\\n12\\n35\\n46\\n2\\n3\\n6\\n1\\n3\\n3\\n2\\n1\\n1\\n300\\n6\\n1\\n9\\n1\\n2\\n3\\n2\\n2\\n5\\nHatillo\\n1\\n2\\n1\\n5\\n2\\n7\\n6\\n6\\n2\\n7,200\\n5,291\\n5\\n2\\n1\\n2\\n7\\n19, 047\\n3.000\\n12,000\\n52,910\\n4\\n1\\n2\\n30\\nMoca _\\n1\\n661\\n7\\n7\\n3\\n15,000\\n1\\n9,259\\n3\\n2\\n1\\n9\\n3,300\\n27,893\\n11\\n2,760\\n31\\n4\\n4\\nPatillas.\\n4\\n3\\n1\\n3\\n6\\n2\\n1\\n3\\n62, 628\\n3,174\\n7,936\\n30,000\\n18, 000\\n36,000\\n7,000\\n3,306\\nPiedras..\\n1\\n1\\nQuebradillas\\n1\\nRio-grande\\n1\\nRio-piedras\\n1\\n100\\n3\\n9\\n1,500\\n40\\n20\\n3\\n2\\nSabana-grande\\n8\\n1\\n1\\n1\\nSan German\\n3\\n2\\n1\\n2\\n3\\n2,110\\n76. 899\\n2,645\\n24,000\\n14,400\\nSalinas\\nSanta Isabel\\nToa-alta\\n7\\nToa-baja..\\nTrujillo-alto\\nUtuado.\\n6\\n2\\n2\\n4\\n8\\n3\\n15,872\\n52,285\\n42,327\\n8,000\\n38,080\\n58,000\\nVega-alta\\nVega-baja\\n3\\n4\\n12\\n3\\n2\\n200\\nYauco\\nYabucoa\\nTotal\\n198\\n1,615,075\\n28\\n15,143\\n246\\n2,445\\n108\\n27", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0152.jp2"}, "153": {"fulltext": "143\\nCOMMERCE, FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC.\\nBUSINESS METHODS.\\n[Hearing before United States Commissioner.]\\nSan Juan, P. R., November 1, 1898.\\nMr. Sasteria Francesca. Importations formerly were made on a\\nhalf scale in Porto Rico, that is to say, were imported over and above\\nthe needs of the island, because the importers could get a year s credit\\nfrom Paris, London, or Hamburg commission houses. These mer-\\nchants or importers when they sold to smaller houses charged them\\nfrom the date of invoice one-half per cent interest outside of their\\ncommission on the merchandise shipped, while they only paid their\\nbankers at the rate of 4 per cent a year. Moreover these importers\\nsold that very merchandise on long terms to merchants in the interior\\nthese terms extending as long as a year and a half, in some cases and\\ngenerally sold at wholesale at higher prices than were paid by retail\\nat the rates prevailing in the capital. These merchants of the interior\\nwould do exactly the same thing in turn with the smaller merchants\\nof the country, selling to them on long terms, and charging them at\\nleast 10 per cent a month on the invoice value, and often from 1-g- to\\n2-J per cent.\\nThis class of smaller merchants in the interior consists for the\\nmost part of cultivators, and it is a very important matter to be con-\\nsidered that these small cultivators are charged at least 35 per cent\\nper annum over and above any profit realized in any country in the\\nworld. The results of that system have been that at least one-quar-\\nter of the small proprietors in the island, buying in that waj^, in the\\nperiod of five years have all lost their estates, the estates going into\\nthe hands of Spanish merchants who commenced selling goods on\\ncredit without any capital to speak of, and who after five or ten years\\nhave become worth $20,000 and even $50,000. The estates on which\\nthey held mortgages were unable to produce sufficient to pay back at\\nthe half rates that were collected. When the relations between the\\nUnited States and Spain became strained the merchants here became\\nafraid, saying that nearly their whole capital consisted of bills receiv-\\nable and other forms of credits owing from creditors throughout the\\nisland. This alarm was increased by the Spanish bank declining to\\nrenew on first-class indorsements except by paying off on the princi-\\npal amount at 25 per cent for every renewal. As a matter of fact, big\\nimporting houses have to follow the same system and their customers,\\nthe interior merchants, have had to do the same with large and small\\nestate owners. The result of that is that to-day all transactions are\\ndone on a spot-cash basis throughout the island, and the current stock\\nof merchandise in merchants stocks and warehouses does not amount\\nto one-third of what it was before the war. The prospect is that this\\nstate of things will continue, because every merchant is convinced\\nthat the extraordinary credit allowed in Porto Rico has been the cause\\nof much mischief, for any person who knows Porto Rico never thinks\\nof attempting to collect money through the courts, as they invariably\\nprotect the man who owes against the man to whom the debt is due.\\nThe Spanish law intrinsically may be as good as any law elsewhere,\\nbut it will never be enforced so long as the judges receive no salary.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0153.jp2"}, "154": {"fulltext": "144\\nCOMMERCIAL BUSINESS.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nSan Juan, P. R., November 5, 1808.\\nDr. Carroll. What do you consider the most important matter\\nrespecting the future of Porto Rico\\nMr. Manuel Egozcue, Vice President Provincial Deputation. The\\nestablishment of a Territorial form of government.\\nDr. Carroll. We have had a number of statements with respect\\nto the money question. We have had less about commerce and mer-\\ncantile business than anything else, and I would be pleased if you\\nwould tell me something about that.\\nMr. Egozcue. Commercial business in Porto Rico is entirely in the\\nhands of the Spaniards. Porto Ricans hardly have any representa-\\ntives in it at all. The commerce of this island is in the hands of very\\nactive men, and also of men of means, who will distribute money over\\nthe island. Lately there has been an extensive grant of credit to store-\\nkeepers in the interior, and a great many of these having failed, the\\ncritical stage of affairs has resulted. Commerce without a doubt has\\nbuilt up agriculture, but unfortunately agriculturists have not attended\\nto the prompt payment of their debts, but have used the amounts\\nwhich they have been able to get together for the purpose of buying\\nnew estates. It would be a great desideratum to-day for the com-\\nmerce of Porto Rico to obtain a low tariff between here and the United\\nStates, or, better still, to have free trade. I am in favor of indirect\\ntaxation, as against direct taxation. In any case the amount need not\\nbe so great as it formerly was, as we have removed from our estimates,\\nor will do so, the clergy of Rome, and to a great extent pensioners.\\nThe poor of the island would not feel taxation so heavily if it were\\nindirect and through the custom house.\\nDr. Carroll. Would you have a high tariff with all other nations\\nthan the United States\\nMr. Egozcue. It would certainly be well to have a high tariff, be-\\ncause with very few exceptions everything we consume could be bought\\nthere, and this would interest the people to protect the trade of the\\nisland and of the United States.\\nDr. Carroll. What are the exceptions you refer to that can not be\\nbought in the United States?\\nMr. Egozcue. There is no olive oil in the United States.\\nDr. Carroll. Yes, there is lots of it there.\\nMr. Egozcue. One of the things we could not get would be the Span-\\nish peas, which is a staple food here. As to the textile fabrics, we\\nknow nothing of them, because, owing to the heavy duties, we have\\nnot been able to import them. The article of food which is consumed\\nhere by all classes is rice. East India rice is generally used by the\\npoor and working classes, while the better classes use the Valencia rice,\\nwhich is a better quality. That would be one of the exceptions.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you never heard of the Carolina rice\\nMr. Egozcue. No; I never did.\\nDr. Carroll. I understand that the Spanish idea of the United\\nStates was that our chief products were pork and a poor class of\\nmachinery.\\nMr. Egozcue. Yes, and it was their object to make everybody here\\nbelieve it, too.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0154.jp2"}, "155": {"fulltext": "145\\nDr. Carroll. Is the mercantile trade here divided into the usual\\nclasses, retail and wholesale, or are most of the articles that are needed\\nby the retail trade imported through commission houses on order?\\nMr. Egozoue. A great many of the retailers imported directly for\\ntheir own consumption. Some of them who are really retailers buy\\neverything of the local merchants. Besides the wholesalers there are\\ncommission merchants, who are general!} 7 the bankers and owners of\\nsteamship lines.\\nDr. Carroll. Do the wholesale houses here have drummers going\\nthrough the island to sell their goods?\\nMr. Egozcue. Not as a general rule. Generally a wholesale\\nhouse will send one of its employees around the island, chiefly to find\\nhow its customers are getting along, and when it finds them all right\\nit tries to sell them goods. Most of the small houses in the interior\\nhave their own houses in the city where they have an open credit. For\\ninstance, in the cities of Toa-alta and Ciales every merchant and\\nbusiness interest buys from me exclusively at four or six months, or\\nfrom harvest to harvest, and all the produce from this district comes\\nto me in payment of merchandise.\\nDr. Carroll. Is it common to charge high interest on those long-\\nterm credits?\\nMr. Egozcue. For terms longer than four months usually 8 or 9 per\\ncent is charged.\\nDr. Carroll. Is it not extremely difficult to introduce new goods\\nto the people of Porto Rico? If you wanted to introduce something\\nnew in dress goods, for instance, how would you go about it?\\nMr. Egozcue. By advertising, and also by sending around printed\\nlists stating that the goods had arrived, were of such and such quality\\nand description. These lists we would send around to all our cus-\\ntomers through the island.\\nDr. Carroll. What per cent of their sales do the wholesale mer-\\nchants generally expect to lose in the way of bad debts?\\nMr. Egozcue. That is not an easy question to answer. Sometimes\\nI don t lose more than $2,000 or $3,000 in a year in bad debts, but if\\nharvest is bad there is a heavier loss. Things now are better because\\nmerchants generally are not selling goods to persons except of recog-\\nnized standing.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there not an enormous number of retail shop-\\nkeepers in this island?\\nMr. Egozcue. No; there is plenty of room for more business.\\nDr. Carroll. There seem to be a great many of them in this city.\\nMr. Egozcue. They all do business, and as a proof of this it can\\nbe stated that shopkeepers are constantly retiring from business,\\nleaving the country, and taking with them twenty, thirty, forty, and\\neven as high as eighty thousand dollars.\\nDr. Carroll. You said that the mercantile business was generally\\nin the hands of Spaniards. I want to ask how it is that they have\\nobtained control of the retail business in this island. Is it that they\\nare better business men than the Porto Ricans, or are they more\\nthrifty and live on less?\\nMr. Egozcue. Not by reason of any superior intelligence, but\\nbecause of the protection they give one another. Take my case, for\\nexample. Although I was born here, I was educated in Spain, and I\\ndesired to obtain a mercantile career. I had difficulty in getting a\\nposition in a Spanish house. When I did get one I commenced by\\nH25 10", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0155.jp2"}, "156": {"fulltext": "146\\nsweeping out the store. The Spaniards prefer to take an employee\\nwho is a relative, or some one recommended to them by their friends\\nin Spain. In this way commerce has become a sort of close corpora-\\ntion.\\nDr. Carroll. Is that system likely now to be interrupted and per-\\nhaps entirely broken up, owing- to the change of allegiance of the\\nisland from Spain to the United States?\\nMr. Egozcue. The Spaniards are of the same mind as before. I\\nhave been urging Porto Ricans to go into business, and I have met\\nwith a great deal of opposition from the Spaniards. I have been\\nable to persuade two to open retail grocery stores. I believe there\\nwill be a great future for Americans who will come down here and\\nestablish themselves with Porto Ricans, so that little by little as the\\nSpaniards go from the country the new commerce will gradually be\\nintroduced.\\nDr. Carroll. How much profit does the retail merchant generally\\nexpect to make on his goods?\\nMr. Egozcue. It is absolutely impossible to reply to that question.\\nRetailers generally take advantage of the scarcity of an article to\\nraise prices, and when there is an abundance of the article they drop\\ntheir prices. The system in San Juan is absolutely cash. The\\nwholesale houses sell to the retailer on cash terms, and the retailers\\nsell in the same way.\\nDr. Carroll. Then, I suppose, the wholesale dealers in that case\\nhave to sell on a small margin of profit.\\nMr. Egozcue. Yes; they have to content themselves with small\\nprofit, but they do very well.\\nDr. Carroll. Is that cash system also established in Ponce, Maya-\\nguez, and Aguadilla?\\nMr. Egozcue. There also. What I mean by cash is payment at the\\nend of a week or ten days. No accounts are opened.\\nDr. Carroll. That is really the valuable trade of the island, is\\nit not?\\nMr. Egozcue. Those three points are the most important, and here\\nthere are stores, if they could be supplied with American capital,\\nwhose business would be increased very much, as they have a large\\nfollowing in the country. To-day the tendency is to buy from Porto\\nRicans, and if that tendency increases I will have to buy twice as\\nmuch as I do to supply the demand.\\nDr. Carroll. One complaint which the American visitors make is\\nthat the retail dealers have no fixed prices for their goods; that what\\nthey ask at first is a much larger price than they expect to get.\\nMr. Egozcue. It is a bad custom of the country, and it is owing to\\nthe fact that the peasant from the country is never satisfied with the\\nfirst price asked him, but always insists on a reduction on the price\\nstated. This has naturally led the merchants to raise the price above\\nthe figure at which they are willing to sell their goods.\\nDr. Carroll. Perhaps if a few Americans came here and set an\\nexample it would be followed by their merchants.\\nMr. Egozcue. I think it would be. Eveiybody wants to drop the\\nold custom so as to make an epoch in our commercial life. Perhaps\\nif one started all would follow.\\nDr. Carroll. Have the retail merchants and wholesale merchants\\nany society here?\\nMr. Egozcue. They have a sort of club which is more of a social\\ninstitution than anything else, in which they have to pay a small fee", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0156.jp2"}, "157": {"fulltext": "147\\nfor membership. I don t know whether it has been dissolved or\\nwhether it is still existing. The merchants of higher rank usually\\nmeet and expound their views in the chamber of commerce.\\nDr. Carroll. Is the chamber of commerce a somewhat large body?\\nMr. Egozcue. Under Spanish rule it was a very important body\\nbecause it was the official chamber of commerce, but it was a Spanish\\nbody. To-day the press and public opinion are beginning to ask that\\nthe native Porto Rican shall be represented in it.\\nDr. Carroll. Have the}^ been excluded hitherto?\\nMr. Egozcue. Almost entirely.\\nDr. Carroll. The newspapers in the United States have told us,\\nthrough some of their correspondents down here, that the people are\\nvery much wedded to one style of goods, and that they would not take\\nto new goods. Does that correctly represent the situation here?\\nMr. Egozcue. I consider that the question of price is all important.\\nI think we can introduce new goods here if we can get them at a suf-\\nficiently low price. .If we have free trade here, and a high protective\\ntariff! against other countries, we shall have to introduce goods from\\nthe United States, but in any event I think if merchants take some\\ntrouble to prepare the public for the receipt of these goods they will\\nbe quite acceptable.\\nWAR PRICES.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nSan Juan, P. R., November 5, 1899.\\nDr. Carroll. I wish you could give us some notion about the prices\\nhere relative to dry goods before the war and now since the war.\\nThere are some people who have come here from America who say\\nthat the people are robbing them; that they are putting the prices\\nup, and that they are in a conspiracy to extract from the American\\nconsumers all they can, and I would like to have a statement as to\\nthis matter.\\nMr. Andreas Crosas. Previous to the war as exchange went up on the\\nUnited States to 80 per cent, it was natural to expect that provisions\\nwould increase in proportion, but they really did not. Dry goods re-\\nmained about stationary. During the war there was hardly any business\\ndone. Those who had a little business were the provision merchants.\\nWhen provisions commenced to get a little short here the Captain-\\nGeneral decreed that no provisions should be taken out of the city, so\\nthat what little there was in the country they had to do the best thej^\\ncould with. As I foresaw that the Government was going to pounce\\non these provisions, I bought a large supply for myself. Then it was\\nthat Hamburg rice, for instance, was worth $5 and $5.25 a quintal. It\\nran up to $7.50 and $8, but dry goods dragged along and they did not\\nsell $5 worth in any of these stores, but now since the war is over\\nbusiness has revived a little, principally provisions, and some lines of\\ndry goods. Building material and everything of that kind is stag-\\nnant yet. Provisions have decreased some, according to the rate of\\nexchange. Dry goods have kept the old prices, and these prices are\\nnot exorbitant in reality. You can get many articles in dry goods\\ndown here cheaper than in the city of JSew York. I know of several\\nladies who have bought articles of clothing cheaper, they said, than\\nthey could buy them in the States. A lady was telling me of a lawn\\nthat she bought for $1.50, for which she had to pay $1 more in gold in", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0157.jp2"}, "158": {"fulltext": "148\\nNew York. There is a custom here, however, very different from that\\nin New York, and it is a Latin custom. You go into a store, for exam-\\nple, to buy an article worth 14 and they will ask you 85. They expect\\nyou to heat them down and then they come down to the real value.\\nIf they know you are not of the kind that beat merchants down, they\\nwill ask the real price first. I bought some cigars the other day.\\nWhen I asked how much they were the cigar man said 83. I told\\nhim I would not give him $3 for them, and he asked me what I would\\ngive. I said 12.50, and I got the cigars. Pretty soon an American\\ncame in and asked me what I paid for the cigars and I told him $2.50,\\nbut when he priced the cigars the cigar man asked him 63. I told the\\ndealer not to act foolishly; to sell the cigars for 12.50, and assured him\\nthat Americans don t beat down. He said he did not know that that\\nwas the custom among them.\\nDr. Carroll. Is that custom you have described universal here?\\nMr. Crosas. Yes.\\nTHE IMPORTS OF PORTO RICO.\\nSTATEMENT OF MIGUEL I. ARSUAGA, OF THE COMMERCIAL AND BANKING FIRM OF\\nS0BRIN0S DE EZQUIAGA.\\nSan Juan, P. R,, December 5, 1898.\\nMerchandise generally imported from the United States consists of\\nherrings, machine oil, beans, pease, some dry goods, wheat flour, corn\\nflour, bacon, lard, hams, beer, canned goods, brooms, whisky, crack-\\ners, sausages, petroleum, paper, maizena, thread, fencing wire in rolls,\\npepper, macaronies, soap, paraffin, spices, oysters, notions, plows,\\nFlorida water, blacking, drugs, codfish, potatoes, bicycles, lumber,\\nshucks, specie, safes, salted meats, chairs, butter, glass, manufac-\\ntures of iron, furniture, and some few other manufactures and pro-\\nvisions which for years have been imported from the United States\\nboth before and after the Spanish- American treaty of commerce.\\nMerchandise imported into Porto Rico from other countries is rice,\\ndry goods, hardware, machinery, wines, liquors, canned goods, cheese,\\ndried fruits, mineral waters, oils, olives, notions, jewelry, furniture,\\nfrijoles (beans), gin, perfumery, ready-made clothing, codfish, um-\\nbrellas, fruit jellies, Spanish candies, sweets, French beans, chick-\\npeas, potatoes, raisins, dried plums, and many other goods, as well as\\nalmost all the articles brought from the United States, which are\\nordered in the markets where quotations happen to be lowest, or whose\\ntariffs give the most advantage.\\nMerchandise which could be imported from the United States if\\nthere were free coasting trade (cabotaje) would comprise everything\\nnow brought from Europe of which an equivalent exists in the United\\nStates and the goods now imported from there. In time the whole,\\nor nearly all, the importations would come from the north, as Amer-\\nican usages and customs were gradually introduced.\\nThe present difference of fashions of dressing, etc., will cause some\\ntime to elapse before this country acquires the same tastes and cus-\\ntoms as the American; and this holds goods with several articles of\\nfood and drink, owing to the difference of the American and Spanish\\ntable. These will be overcome by assimilation in time, and then\\neverything made in the States will find a market here. The tariff\\nwould play a very important part in the question in favor of the United", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0158.jp2"}, "159": {"fulltext": "149\\nStates molding customs, usages, and the tastes of the people, if\\nnecessary, in a more or less short period. The hardest goods to obtain\\nin the United States to fill public tastes will be foot wear, women s\\nhats, some articles of food and drink usually obtained in Spain,\\nFrance, and England; also fancy articles and novelties.\\nEuropean countries compete favorably with the prices of the United\\nStates, as merchants there quote lower prices than in America freights\\nare lower, and maritime commerce is proportionately less. In imports\\nof consideration these items do not pass unperceived. The question\\nof tonnage and charges thereon 1 will be a very important matter for\\nthis island once the sugar crop commences, owing to the exclusive\\ncoasting trade under the American flag between this island and the\\nStates. This measure has not yet resulted in an increase of tonnage\\nunder that flag, and it is feared that it will be confined to steamships,\\nwhereas sailing ships are required for freighting sugar, molasses,\\nand rum, otherwise freights will rise and harm considerably the agri-\\ncultural and commercial interests of the island. Formerly the com-\\npetition of foreign flags kept down freights between the island and\\nthe United States, as ships of various nationalities calling at the\\nFrench islands, Barbados and St. Thomas, in ballast sought freight\\nfor the United States chiefly in Cuba and Porto Rico. The English\\nflag, owing to the number of its merchant marine, was most abundant\\nand its freights lowest.\\nThe importation of merchandise is chiefly as follows: Textiles,\\nSpain, France, England, and a small amount from United States;\\nreadj -made clothing, from Spain this article is hardly used here\\nhardware and machinery, Spain, France, England, Germany, Bel-\\ngium, Holland, and United States; food stuffs of general consumption,\\nSpain, France, England, German} Holland, Belgium, and United\\nStates; canned goods, Spain, France, England, and United States;\\nwines and liquors, Spain, France, an dltaly; stationery, Spain, United\\nStates, England, France, and Germany; furniture, Spain, United\\nStates, Austria, Italy, and local manufacture; lumber, United States\\nchiefly. The island produces fine lumber for building purposes,\\nboards, beams, planks, cabinet woods, and woods of great beauty for\\ncanes, etc. The woods mostly used in building are American white\\nand pitch pine. Houses are built of wood with galvanized zinc\\nroofs imported from England, with roofs sometimes of shingles im-\\nported from the United States. In the principal cities, houses are of\\nmixed stone and brick, with roofs of the same material.\\nGoods imported from the United States and Europe are of the\\nsizes and weights usually demanded for this trade, and come in pack-\\nages subject to the same demands, or merchants send special instruc-\\ntions according to their special needs. The weights and measure-\\nments are usually the common ones current in all countries, as regards\\ntextiles, hardware, food stuffs, canned goods, wines, liquors, etc.\\nTHE YAUCO MARKET.\\nYauco, P. R,, March 5, 1899.\\nThe market place in Yauco is a large square in the center of the\\ntown, on one side of which is the alcaldia. From early in the morn-\\ning (Sunday is market day) until 11 o clock, this square was crowded\\nNote by translator: By tonnage is here meant ownership or nationality of bottoms.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0159.jp2"}, "160": {"fulltext": "150\\nwith market people and others doing their marketing. Some were\\nselling vegetables only; others were selling corazones, cacao, and\\nsome vegetables, including cucumbers. Others were selling yams,\\nwater cresses, radishes, tomatoes, bananas, achiote or annatto, beans,\\npeas, beef, fat bacon, lard, codfish, fresh fish, coffee, sugar, tobacco\\ntwists, cigars, rice, bread, sirups used as sweet drinks, mabby (a\\nnative drink), and butter. Besides, there were venders of hats which,\\nthey stated, were brought from Cabo Rojo; also small notions, such\\nas cheap laces, collar buttons, cheap ornaments, etc. At one stand\\nwhere various provisions were being sold, including lard from an\\nAmerican can, a young native who was assisting in the sales was\\nvery skillful in wrapping up the various articles sold. He was able\\nto wrap up rice in small sheets of paper, seemingly too small for the\\npurpose, without wasting a grain or using a string, and did it very\\nrapidly. He also made change very rapidly, and kept up a busy stir\\nthat seemed to draw business to his stand. One man had on exhibi-\\ntion a graphophone, and was surrounded by natives listening to the\\ntunes. There were also a number of beggars who were importuning\\neverybody.\\nTHE STRUGGLE OF COMMERCE.\\nSTATEMENT OF MR. P. SANTISTEBAN Y CHARIVARI, SPANISH MERCHANT.\\nSan Juan, P. R. October 28, 1898.\\nCommerce constitutes the most substantial source of income, owing\\nto the tribute it pays through the custom-house, and its general\\ncondition of solidity gives it prestige in foreign parts. It may be said\\nto constitute the greatest wealth of the country.\\nIn spite of all the advantageous qualities just attributed to it and\\nwhich make it a subject for the greatest consideration on the part of\\nthe Government, it has to sustain a terrible struggle to defend itself\\nagainst the bad faith which is taking it to ruin by means of suspen-\\nsion of payments and failures, which are rarely punished, owing to\\nthe deficiency of our laws and judicial proceedings. It is also the\\nvictim of the present monetary system, which lends itself easily to\\nspeculation in exchange, sometimes the rise being as much as 25 per\\ncent and 30 per cent during three months. This state of affairs does\\nnot allow even the most clear-sighted merchant to protect himself\\nfrom enormous losses.\\nCustoms tariffs which have been in force for a long time are not\\nbased on equitable or scientific principles. The rates charged do not\\nfollow the requisite table of valuations based on 20 per cent over\\nactual cost of goods in the factory, and the custom-house rules are\\nfull of punishments, guided more by the letter than the spirit of the\\nlaw.\\nCustom-houses, from their very nature, require more intelligent and\\nhonest employes than any other public offices, their object being to\\nfacilitate commerce by good faith and attention to duty, and also to\\ndiscover the frauds which dishonest merchants try to perpetrate.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0160.jp2"}, "161": {"fulltext": "151\\nCOMMERCIAL TAXES.\\nSTATEMENT OF MANY CITIZENS.\\nIsabela, P. R., February 15, 1899.\\nAgriculture is suffering from great prostration and the Government\\nshould hold out a helping hand, freeing it for a few years from direct\\ntaxation, which to-day weighs so heavily on it owing to years of bad\\nprices, monetary crisis, and immense municipal and State taxation.\\nThe industrial and commercial taxes are also too heavy and should be\\nreduced after giving a hearing to the persons interested.\\nThere is a notable want of agricultural banks which would lend\\nmoney at low rates and for long periods to agriculturists, so as to help\\nthem recover from the losses occasioned by the Mexican and colonial\\ncurrencies, which, authorized by the Spanish Government, caused the\\nruin of the country.\\nThe town of Isabela, one of the most industrious and fertile when\\nrains are copious, has its properties well divided among several owners.\\nBut its position on the coast, where there is a lack of trees, subjects it\\nto continuous droughts, which, however, have never been able to make\\nour farmers lose heart for their work.\\nVVe think the Government would commit an act of justice by attend-\\ning to the two requirements of this town, which are an irrigation canal\\nto bring the waters of the River Guajataca into the district and fer-\\ntilize its fields, and the opening of the port for commerce of export\\nand import with the other towns of the island, which would lead to an\\nextension of business.\\nMERCANTILE BUSINESS FLOURISHING.\\nSTATEMENT OF MAYOR CELESTINO DOMINGUEZ.\\nGuayama, P. R., January, 1899.\\nCoevally with the downfall of the sugar industry one of the most\\nextraordinary spectacles ever witnessed in an agricultural country\\nhas been seen. On the ruins of agriculture there has arisen a flour-\\nishing community of merchants, which not only dominates the farm-\\ners, but is slowly absorbing their land. These merchants are nearly\\nall peninsular Spaniards. In other parts of the world commerce has\\nbeen the right hand of agriculture; here it is its worst enemy, owing\\nto the protection granted by the Government to merchants, which has\\nenabled them to override the landowners, generally natives of Porto\\nRico.\\nThe larger part of our business to-day is with the United States,\\nwhich buys our sugars. Then comes Spain, which has extensive deal-\\nings in this country, as we are accustomed to consume her products.\\nWe can not ship our produce there, except in small quantities, owing\\nto prohibitive duties and fiscal hi?idrances. Our sugar is hardly known\\nin Spain, our coffee goes there in very small quantities only, and our\\ntobacco and alcohol in lesser degree still.\\nOur imports come also from France, Italy, and Germany, and our\\nexports go to North America, France, and Denmark, as to our sugar;\\nto Cuba, Germany, and Denmark as to our coffee, and our other prod-\\nuce is consumed in the country.\\nCuba takes large quantities of our tobacco, manufactures it and\\nsends it out all over the world as Vuelta Abajo.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0161.jp2"}, "162": {"fulltext": "152\\nTHE COMMERCE OF PORTO RICO.\\n[Compiled from Estadistica General del Commercio Exterior de la Provincia de Porto Rice\\nfor 1897.]\\nValue of importations in 1807.\\nSchedules.\\nDuty.\\nI.\\nII.\\nIII.\\nIV.\\nV.\\nVI.\\nVII.\\nVIII.\\nIX.\\nX.\\nXI.\\nXII.\\nXIII.\\nStones, earth, minerals, etc\\nMetals and manufactures\\nChemicals, etc\\nCotton and manufactures\\nVegetable fibers and manufactures\\nWool and manufactures\\nSilk and manufactures\\nWood\\nPaper\\nAnimals and animal products\\nMachinery, etc\\nFood stuffs\\nMiscellaneous\\nSpecial imports\\nPesos.\\n691,834.\\n675,747.\\n651, 947.\\n,540,393.\\n513,094.\\n128,464.\\n50, 581.\\n368,211.\\n818,952.\\n,196,377.\\n401, 156.\\n1, 984, 808.\\n189, 557.\\n648, 044.\\nPesos.\\n69,772.9]\\n134,431.13\\n66. 696. 36\\n180,725.36\\n66,389.01\\n13,661.16\\n5, 871. 54\\n32.449.92\\n78,176.26\\n28,046.46\\n35,739.00\\n1, 750, 856. 54\\n37,185.98\\n13,960.88\\nTotal 17,858,063.29\\n3,841,962.57\\nForeign commerce until Porto Rico in 1897.\\nCountries.\\nValue.\\nQuantity.\\nImports.\\nExports.\\nImports.\\nExports.\\nSpain.\\nPesos.\\n7,152.016\\n3,749,815\\n1,755,754\\n1,445,000\\n1.314,003\\n913.089\\n092,780\\n215,474\\n163, 675\\n155. 363\\n124, 406\\n74, 126\\n36,046\\n10, 108\\n9.709\\n5 495\\n5,491\\n3,774\\n3,715\\n2,783\\n1,800\\n518\\n78\\n37\\nPesos.\\n5,067,467\\n2,814,349\\n77,341\\n254,430\\n2. 117, 803\\nToneladas. 1\\n41.433\\n35.573\\n19,468\\n20, 865\\n19,543\\nToneladas.\\n23,304\\n47,168\\n986\\n5,436\\n5. 370\\n3,515,006\\n3,037,984\\n1,607\\n98, 539\\n908\\n705\\n15,135\\n5,680\\nBelgium\\n372\\n79\\n177\\n190\\n94\\n1,393\\n408,211\\n28,762\\n2\\n416\\n192\\n28,319\\n35,734\\n993\\n2,147\\n53,156\\n1\\n339\\n206\\n8,055\\n6,682\\n19\\nAfrica..\\n102\\n224\\n1 Tonelada= 1,000 kilograms, or 2,220 pounds.\\nArticles imported in 1897.\\nArticles.\\nQuantity.\\nValue.\\nMineral coal\\nkilograms..\\n..do....\\n30,517,771\\n1,919,040\\n2,204,030\\n1.185,968\\n3,502,745\\n4.649,784\\n774,392\\n11,244.245\\n317,919\\n35,451.874 J\\nPesos.\\n167,848\\n211,094\\ndo....\\n220,403\\nPaper, straw and ordinary\\ndo.---\\n..do....\\n..do....\\n142,316\\n70, 055\\n1,394,935\\ndo___-\\n108,415\\nCodfish\\ndo....\\n1.461,752\\nPish and shellfish in oil\\nRice (cleaned)\\ndo....\\ndo....\\n158, 960\\n2.481,631", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0162.jp2"}, "163": {"fulltext": "153\\nArticles imported in 1897 Continued.\\nArticles.\\nWheat flour kilograms.\\nDried vegetables do...\\nGarden produce do...\\nOlive oil do...\\nComniou wine liters-\\nCanned goods kilograms-\\nCheese __- do...\\nManufactured tobacco _ do...\\nOther articles _ do...\\nTotal\\nQuantity.\\n13,852,030\\n2,176,884\\n5,026,086\\n762,102\\n4,314,473\\n265,477\\n337,982\\n324, 022\\nValue.\\nPesos.\\n969,642\\n141, 497\\n201,043\\n172. 179\\n388,303\\n238, 929\\n202, 789\\n648,044\\n8,478,228\\n17,858,063\\nNational flags under which shipments left Porto Rico in ISO\\nCountries.\\nUnited States\\nCuba.. i\\nSpain\\nEnglish possessions\\nDanish possessions\\nSanto Domingo.\\nFrance.\\nGermany\\nFrench possessions\\nEngland\\nItaly.....\\nAustria\\n\u00e2\u0096\u00a0Holland s possessions\\nHaiti\\nVenezuela\\nMexico _\\nAfrica\\nSteam\\nvessels.\\nTotal\\n172\\n243\\n138\\n21\\n27\\n39\\n49\\n43\\n1\\n151\\n16\\n14\\nSailing\\nvessels.\\n5\\n1 I-\\n26\\n28\\n341\\nSeamen.\\nMer-\\nchandise.\\n5.245\\n13. 568\\n8,395\\n1,223\\n1,546\\n1,686\\n1,842\\n1,608\\n261\\n502\\n650\\n516\\n53\\n264\\n22\\n10\\n20\\n37,420\\nTons.\\n47,168\\n15,125\\n23,304\\n5,426\\n2,147\\n192\\n5,680\\n5,270\\n339\\n968\\n1,765\\n416\\n224\\n2\\n102\\n108,246\\nArticles exported in 1897,\\nArticles.\\nCoffee kilograms.\\nSugar:\\nCentrifugal ..do\\nMuscovado _.do\\nMolasses. do\\nMolasses -do\\nTobacco do\\nHides __ .do\\nTallow.. .do\\nRum... liters.\\nBay rum _do\\nOil of bay leaves _ do\\nCocoanuts- thousands..\\nOranges do\\nGuano vegetal, kilo-\\ngrams _\\nAnnotto kilograms.\\nChocolate bean -do\\nChocolate \u00e2\u0096\u00a0_ .do\\nStarch do\\nTamarinds do\\nHedionda (to mix with\\ncoffee) kilograms-\\nPineapples.. hundreds..\\nCattle head..\\nOxen do\\nSheep do\\nSalt kilograms..\\nCarnaza do\\nHusks of cacao do\\nTobacco seed do\\nQuantity.\\n23,504,999\\n16, 154. 466\\n40, 129 465\\n1,364,980\\n11,529.132\\n2,843,615\\n378, 170\\n116, 624\\n310, 006\\n50.339\\n223\\n1,391,917\\n1,004,048\\n50, 759\\n54,813\\n5, 715\\n58\\n61,555\\n7,594\\nValue.\\nPesos.\\n12,222,600\\n1,316,584\\n2,608,415\\n82,991\\n403, 520\\n1,194,318\\n71,S52\\n11,662\\n31,000\\n7,551\\n982\\n27,838\\n2,510\\n5,583\\n2,741\\n2,286\\n47\\n6, 771\\n760\\n2,328\\n233\\n12,000\\n840\\n5,517\\n220,680\\n53\\n1,060\\n15\\n90\\n220.000\\n6,600\\n2,200\\n110\\n1,249\\n14\\n5,032\\n2.113\\nArticles.\\nPeanuts kilograms.\\nGinger. do\\nCorn do\\nCorn meal do\\nTortoise shells .__do\\nSweets (dry and in\\nsirup kilograms\\nFruits l.do\\nAnimal wax. do\\nOil of cocoanut .do\\nHoney. ..liters..\\nLime kilograms\\nHorns of cattle do\\nEggs hundreds..\\nPotatoes kilograms\\nBananas hundreds..\\nGuineos (small bana-\\nnas) kilograms\\nArcos de pomarosas,\\nkilograms\\nBrick.. M..\\nBeans kilograms..\\nSmall beans do\\nYams do\\nYautias do\\nIce do\\nWoods do\\nCocks number\\nChickens do\\nQuantity.\\nTotal\\nValue.\\n4,899\\n5, 300\\n1,944,050\\n3,612\\n67\\n4,643\\n7,201\\n137\\n4.405\\n1.350\\n10,600\\n7,077\\n113,253\\n24,211\\n6,181\\n3,750\\n1,380\\n23,160\\n4,495\\n16, 830\\n41,442\\n2,168\\n8,190\\n2, 799\\n42\\n4,009\\nPesos.\\n490\\n530\\n97,203\\n361\\n268\\n4,179\\n5; 761\\n27\\n881\\n405\\n318\\n354\\n2.831\\n484\\n19\\n278\\n450\\n1,683\\n828\\n6S\\n82\\n140\\n84\\n3,007\\n18,352,541", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0163.jp2"}, "164": {"fulltext": "154\\nNational flags under which shipments entered Porto Rico in ISO}\\nCountries.\\nSpain\\nEnglish possessions.\\nUnited States\\nCuba\\nEngland...\\nGermany\\nDanish possessions\\nSan Domingo\\nFranco\\nBelgium\\nFrench possessions\\nVenezuela\\nItaly _\\nSteam Sailing I o\u00e2\u0080\u009e ar ___ Mer-\\nvessels. vessels. oeamen chandise.\\nHayti\\nHolland s possessions-\\nAustria\\nArgentine Republic _\\nBrazil\\nUruguay\\n194\\n31\\n97\\n144\\n134\\n85\\n14\\n24\\n36\\n1\\n13.956\\n1.958\\n2.497\\n9.095\\n4.516\\n6,224\\n1, 157\\n1,577\\n2,160\\n1,049\\n195\\n235\\n361\\n358\\n35\\n120\\n35\\n20\\n18\\nTons.\\n41. 433\\n20.365\\n25,573\\n908\\n19.468\\n19,543\\n993\\n94\\n765\\n3, 799\\n1\\n177\\n39\\n19\\n190\\n372\\n7f\u00c2\u00bb\\n326 45,566 143,818\\nCountries to which the exports were sent in 1897.\\nSpain kilograms\\nFrance do\\nCuba .do\\nGermany do\\nItaly.. do\\nAustria do\\nSwedenand Norway,\\n_ kilograms.\\nUnited States do\\nEngland do\\nTOBACCO.\\nCuba kilograms\\nSpain. do\\nUnited States do\\nGermany do\\nDanish possessions do\\nEngland do\\nVenezuela do\\nItaly ___do\\nSUGAR.\\nUnited States, kilo-\\ngrams\\nSpain kilograms.\\nEnglish possessions-do.\\nDenmark do...\\nEngland. _ do.\\nDanish possessions-do...\\nGermany do...\\nItaly do...\\nFrance do...\\nCuba do...\\nWOODS.\\nUnited States, kilo-\\ngrams\\nSpain kilograms..\\nRUM.\\nSpain... liters..\\nAfrica do...\\nUnited States do...\\nFrance do.\\nItaly do...\\nCuba ...do...\\nQuantity.\\n6, 853, 694\\n5.802,495\\n4,008,775\\n3, 975, 878\\n1,939,375\\n785,022\\n54,460\\n47, 995\\n34,453\\n2,359.\\n337.\\n80,\\n56,\\n3,\\nValues.\\n34, 966, 838\\n18.020,119\\n1,591,927\\n1,327,962\\n843, 989\\n282, 556\\n273, 598\\n143, 455\\n113, 539\\n78, 399\\n2. 500\\n200,105\\n86,558\\n15, 783\\n4,663\\n1,837\\n1,060\\nPesos.\\n3,563,921\\n3, 017, 297\\n2, 084, 563\\n2, 067, 456\\n1,008,475\\n408,212\\n28,319\\n24,957\\n17.916\\n990,808\\n141, 729\\n33.906\\n23. 806\\n1,577\\n1.189\\n942\\n119\\n2, 418, 938\\n1,272,885\\n102,831\\n98.523\\n46, 595\\n19, 806\\n17, 784\\n9,324\\n7,380\\n5,662\\n125\\n15\\n20,011\\n8,656\\n1,578\\n466\\n184\\n106\\nQuantity. Values.\\nUnited States liters 50, 177\\nDanish possessions-do. 162\\nMOLASSES.\\nUnited States, kilo-\\ngrams... _ 8,792.409\\nEnglish possessions, kilo-\\ngrams I 2.644,937\\nEngland kilograms..! 91,786\\nHIDES.\\nSpain ..kilograms.. 1 262,800\\nFrance do j 64.482\\nGermany do.\u00e2\u0080\u0094 I 36,990\\nItaly do.... I 8,848\\nCuba _ do-._- 5,050\\nCARNAZA.\\nSpain ...kilograms.. 2,200\\nTALLOW.\\nCuba kilograms 109. 020\\nSpain do 7,604\\nGUANO VEGETAL.\\nCuba kilometers.. 50.339\\nSpain .do.. 420\\nCOCOANUTS.\\nUnitedStates.thousands- 723,763\\nCuba do.- 427.713\\nSpain do_- 237,941\\nDanish possessions,\\nthousands.. 1.500\\nEnglish -thousands.- 1,000\\nCACAO.\\nSpain kilograms.. 5,715\\nORANGES.\\nUnited States, thou-\\nsands 939,798\\nPesos.\\n7,52\\n24\\n307.734\\n92,573\\n3,213\\n49,932\\n12.252\\n7,028\\n1,681\\n960\\n110\\n10,902\\n760\\n5,537\\n46\\n14, 475\\n8,544\\n4,759\\n30\\n20\\n2.2S6\\n2,350", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0164.jp2"}, "165": {"fulltext": "155\\nCountries to xvliich the exports were sent in 1897\u00e2\u0080\u0094 Continued.\\noranges\u00e2\u0080\u0094 continued.\\nCuba thousands\\nDanish possessions, thou-\\nsands\\nEnglish possessions,\\nthousands\\nSpain thousands\\nOIL OF BAY LEAVES.\\nDanish possessions, li-\\nters _\\nUnited States liters\\nCHOCOLATE.\\nSpain kilograms\\nANNOTTO.\\nGermany kilograms.\\nUnited States do\\nFrance .do\\nDanish possessions, kilo\\ngrains\\nQuantity.\\nSTARCH.\\nCuba -.-kilograms.\\nSanto Domingo do\\nTAMARINDS.\\nEngland kilograms.\\nUnited States do\\nHEDIONDA (A SMALL\\nSEED TO MIX WITH COF-\\nFEE.).\\nSpain kilograms..\\nCuba do\\nPINEAPPLES.\\nUnited\\ndreds.\\nStates, hun-\\nHolland s poss e s s i o n s,\\nkilograms\\nHUSKS OF CACAO.\\nSpain kilograms.\\nCATTLE.\\nCuba.. head..\\nEnglish possessions. do.\\nFrench possessions-do...\\nDanish possessions .do.\\nSanto Domingo do...\\nOXEN.\\nFrenchpossessions,\\nhead\\nDanish possessions,\\nhead\\nSanto Domingo head L\\nSHEEP.\\npossessions,\\nEnglish\\nhead\\nFrench possessions^\\nhead\\nTOBACCO SEED.\\nCuba kilograms\\n46,000\\n17,000\\n1,050\\n200\\n193\\nValues.\\n53\\n34,546\\n10, 773\\n8,481\\n1.013\\n60, 827\\n6.984\\n610\\n1,211\\n1,117\\n12,000\\n220, 000\\n1,349\\n2,420\\n96.800\\n1,471\\n58,840\\n1.312\\n52. 480\\n304\\n12,160\\n10\\n400\\n32\\nPesos.\\n115\\n43\\n772\\n120\\n46\\n1.727\\n539\\n424\\n51\\n6,691\\n121\\n112\\n840\\n.600\\n14\\n5,032\\n640\\n400\\n20\\n2,113\\nPEANUTS.\\nCuba kilograms..\\nGINGER.\\nUnited States. kilograms.\\nCORN.\\nCuba kilograms.\\nSpain do\\nCORN MEAL.\\nCuba kilograms..\\nTORTOISE SHELLS.\\nUnited States, kilo-\\ngrams\\nSpain kilograms\\nSWEETS (DRY AND IN\\nSIRUP).\\nSpain kilograms.\\nSanto Domingo do\\nCuba do\\nFRUITS.\\nCuba kilograms\\nSanto Domingo do...\\nSpain do...\\nANIMAL WAX.\\nUnited States, kilo-\\ngrams...\\nSpain kilograms.\\nOIL OF COCOANUT.\\nCuba liters-\\nHONEY.\\nUnited States liters.\\nLIME.\\nSanto Domingo, kilo-\\ngrams. _\\nCuba kilograms\\nHORNS OF CATTLE.\\nSpain -..kilograms.\\nEGGS.\\nCuba --.hundreds.\\nPOTATOES.\\nCuba kilograms\\nBANANAS.\\nCuba hundreds.\\nGUINEOS (SMALL BANA-\\nNAS).\\nCuba ..kilograms..\\nARCOS DE POMAROSA.\\nSanto Domingo, kilo-\\ngrams\\nQuantity.\\n5,300\\n1,930,353\\n13, 697\\ni.612\\n40\\n4,445\\n100\\n4,279\\n2,484\\n438\\n4,405\\n1,350\\n5,600\\n5,000\\n7,077\\n113,253\\n24,211\\n6,181\\n3,750\\n1,380\\nValues.\\nPesos.\\n490\\n530\\n96,518\\n685\\n361\\n160\\n108\\n4,000\\n90\\n3,423\\n1,987\\n350\\n881\\n405\\n168\\n150\\n354\\n2,831\\n489\\n14\\n55", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0165.jp2"}, "166": {"fulltext": "156\\nCountries to which the exports xoere sent in 1897 Continued.\\nQuantity.\\nValues.\\nQuantity. Values.\\nBRICKS.\\nSanto Domingo M--\\nBEANS.\\nCuba kilograms\\nSMALL BEANS.\\nCuba kilograms\\n23,160\\n4,495\\n16,830\\n41,442\\nPesos.\\n278\\n450\\n1,683\\n828\\nYAUTIAS.\\nICE.\\nSanto Domingo, kilo-\\n1 Pesos.\\n2,168 J 65\\n8,190 82\\n43 84\\nCOCKS.\\nSanto Domingo, kilo-\\nYAMS.\\nCuba .kilograms--\\nCHICKENS.\\nCuba kilograms\\n4,009 i 3,007\\nTHE MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION.\\nRAILROADS.\\nThe San Juan Railroad.\\nThe Porto Rico Railroad (French).\\nThe Bayamon Railroad (Ferrocarril del Oesta).\\nA short railroad from Anasco toward Lares.\\nTHE SAN JUAN RAILROAD.\\nThis road was built to Martin Pena in 1879 and completed to Rio\\nPiedras in 1880. It comprises ?f miles of track, including side tracks,\\nand has four station buildings, shops, bridges, etc.\\nThe equipment consists of 5 engines, 15 passenger cars, 1 baggage\\ncar, and 16 freight cars.\\nPesos.\\nCost of construction and equipment $232,500\\nPassengers carried in 1897 557, 437\\nFreight carried in 1897 tons_. 9,123\\nReceipts for nassengers, 1897 $55,670\\nReceipts for freight, 1897 8,340\\n$64,010\\nCost of operating in 1897 ._ 50,919\\nTHE WESTERN RAILROAD.\\nPassenger and freight traffic during the year 1897.\\nPesos.\\nNumber of passengers. 141,355, giving receipts of $24, 442. 32\\nTons of freight, 12,370, giving receipts of 12,369.93\\nGross earnings 36,812.25\\nTotal working expenses .__ _ 23, 181.40\\nNet earnings 13,630.85\\nThere are 10 kilometers (6.21 miles) in operation, of which 7 kilo-\\nmeters (4.35 miles) are by land and 3 kilometers (1.86 miles) by water.\\nThe system is between San Juan and Bayamon, and the stock con-\\nsists of 2 locomotives, 5 passenger coaches, and 17 cars. Coal has\\ncost on an average 12 pesos per ton.\\nR. Yaldes Cobian.\\nBayamon, December 3, 1898.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0166.jp2"}, "167": {"fulltext": "157\\nTHE PORTO RICO RAILROAD COMPANY.\\nSections of lines.\\nA 1, from San Juan to Arecibo\\nA 2, from Arecibo to Camny_\\nA 3, from Aguadilla to Mayaguez Beach\\nC 1, from Mayaguez Beach to Hormigueros\\nC 2, from Yauco to Ponce\\nB 1, from Martin Peiia to Carolina.\\nTotal\\nTotals reduced to miles\\nIn operation.\\nPerma-\\nnent.\\nKilometers.\\n44\\n35\\n165\\n102.54\\nProvi-\\nsional.\\nKilometers.\\n~U\\n39\\n24.23\\nTotal.\\nKilometers.\\n86\\n14\\n44\\n11\\n35\\n14\\n204\\n126.78\\nNumbers, tonnage, and receipts in the year 1897.\\nPassengers carried ._ 138, 379\\nFreight carried tons.. 59,108\\nReceipts from\\nPassengers pesos 104, 818. 04\\nFreight do.... 138,055.79\\nRolling stock.\\nLocomotives\\nPassenger coaches\\nMail coaches\\nBaggage wagons\\nClosed cars, series E...\\nOpen cars, series F H and H H.\\n18\\n26\\n3\\n4\\n90\\n240\\nSan Juan, November 21, 1898.\\nSUBDIRECTOR.\\nRAILROAD FROM ANASCO TO ALTO SANO.\\nThis railroad, with a gauge of 23f inches, was built in 1898. It\\ncomprises 11 miles of completed track and has buildings at two sta-\\ntions. The cost of construction is reported as having been 1275,000.\\nThe line is to be continued through San Sebastian to Lares. The\\nrolling stock consists of 2 locomotives, 4 passenger cars, 2 baggage\\ncars, and 8 freight cars.\\nFREIGHT AND PASSENGER RATES.\\nThe distance from San Juan to Camuy is 100 kilometers. The rates\\nfor passengers between these points on the Porto Rico Railroad are\\nas follows\\nPesos.\\nFirst class, single. 4. 95\\nSecond class, single 3.85\\nThird class, single 2.75\\nFirst class, excursion.. 8.14\\nSecond class, excursion 5.92\\nThird class, excursion. 3.70\\nFreight rates depend on distance, quantity, and character of ship-\\nments and speed of trains. For 10 kilograms or less the rate at the\\ngreater speed is 60 centavos between San Juau and Camuy; $3 for 41\\nto 50 kilograms. At the lesser speed the rate is one-half these figures", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0167.jp2"}, "168": {"fulltext": "158\\nMerchandise is divided into four classes, and the lowest charges are 15\\ncentavos a ton per mile for first class, 12^ for second, 10 for third, and\\n7 for fourth class. The charge per ton on merchandise of the first\\nclass between San Juan and Camuy is $15, for the second, $12.50; for\\nthe third, $10, and for the fourth, $7. These rates apply to articles of\\nnot less than 50 kilograms that is, the minimum charge is for that\\namount.\\nThere are also special tariffs for sugar, coffee, and general farm\\nproduce. The rate on coffee between Camuy and San Juan is $4.95\\nper ton; on farm produce and fruits, $2.56 between San Juan and\\nBarceloneta (65 kilometers); on sugar, $3.85 between Arecibo and San\\nJuan (86 kilometers) Rum and other liquors pay $6. 51 per ton between\\nSan Juan and Camuy.\\nThe passenger rates on the Western Railroad between San Juan\\nand Bayamon are 30 centavos for first class, 20 for second class, and\\n40 and 30, respectively, for excursion tickets.\\nPORTO RICAN ROADS.\\nBy Mr. Tuilo Larrinaga, Civil Engineer.\\nThe greatest drawback in the development and progress of the\\nisland of Porto Rico has been the absence of good roads and of any\\nother means of transportation. Too late to be of any use to the coun-\\ntry, the Spanish Government took up the affair and gave out at public\\nauction the concession for building a railroad around the island with\\nquite a liberal subsidy, consisting of the guaranty of an 8 per cent\\ninterest on the capital invested. The interest was calculated on the\\nassumption that the average cost of building the road was $18,000,\\nwhen $30,000 would have been a closer approximation to the truth, so\\nthat the interest was rather 4.80 per cent than 8. Work on the line\\nwas commenced in October, 1889. Bad management, carelessness in\\nthe selection of the auxiliary class of the personnel, and some system-\\natic opposition in the beginning on the part of Spanish engineers soon\\nbrought the affair to a standstill, and work was stopped.\\nFrom 1889 the Spanish Government had been trying to change his\\nsystem and devote to subsidies for concessionaries of railroad the\\ngreater part of the money appropriated for building common roads and\\nother public works, but the local corps of official engineers resisted, and\\nnothing definite was come to. In 18 the Government passed a royal\\ndecree put up for bids the concession of several roads to the interior\\nof the island offering to help the building of them with 40 per cent\\nof the actual cost of the roads. It seems that the credit of the Gov-\\nernment at the time and other difficulties to be encountered in official\\nbureaus kept away bidders.\\nThe finishing of the road around the island should be taken up at\\nonce. Several lines going from the coast to the interior should be\\nbuilt to furnish the country with good means of transportation.\\nOf these lines the most important perhaps is the line from Rio Pie-\\ndras to Caguas, to be extended afterwards through the valley, if found\\nconvenient. Caguas and the whole plateau forming this rich valley\\nis no more than 40 meters above the level of the sea. A road to that\\ndistrict may be passed through the gap cut in the mountains by the\\nLoiza River, whose course must follow the line as soon as the town of\\nTrujillo Alto is reached. The road will be a very winding one, but", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0168.jp2"}, "169": {"fulltext": "159\\ngrade would be easy; no tunneling would be required; the Loiza will\\nafford ample power for working the road by electricity at a very low\\nexpense. The traffic has not to be created, as the existing one now\\ndone through the common roads is more than is required to make the\\nroad pay.\\nNext iu importance comes the road from Anasco to Lares, in the dis-\\ntrict of Mayaguez. Lares is one of highest and best coffee-producing\\ndistricts of the island. This road has been studied and a part of it\\nbuilt. The road is being built on the French system of narrow-gauge\\nroad, 0.60\u00e2\u0084\u00a2 wide between rails, so much in favor for chemin de fer\\nd interest local in France. Seventeen kilometers, forming the first\\nsection, have already been built and are working since December,\\n1897. The line is equipped with first-class American rolling stock\\nand possesses all the rails, ties, etc. for the superstructure of another\\nsection reaching to San Sebastian. The actual cost of the part work-\\ning has been 117,000 rjer kilometer. Grade will not exceed 2i per cent,\\nand 50 meters is the minimum radius for curves.\\nWood is used mostly as fuel and the road is worked at little expense.\\nThe length of the line is 43 kilometers.\\nNext after the Aiiasco-Lares line comes the line from Arento to\\nUtuado.\\nSan Juan P. R., January 10, 1899.\\nROADS.\\nBy Jose Amadeo.\\nExcept the central road, which was built splendidly and with stra-\\ntegic views, as were also those of Guayama and Adjuntas, the roads\\nof the country are for the most part mule tracks and cart paths, im-\\npassable in rainy weather. It was a pitiful sight last September to\\nsee three pair of powerful American mules on the road from Ponce to\\nGuayama pulling at the wagons and unable to move them.\\nA journey from Maunabo to Mayaguez in the months of June to\\nOctober costs more than a trip to New York.\\nThere is also a lack of communication around the coast by water\\nthe cheapest of all waj T s and we can not understand why a small line\\nof steamers is not established to attend to this traffic. This was im-\\npossible under the last government, owing to vexatious custom-house\\nrestrictions, which I am informed are still in force under the American\\nrule.\\nAs we have no other means of transport, it is to be hoped our coast-\\ning vessels will be assisted rather than hostilized, and that they will\\nbe allowed to enter and leave the island ports freely and without\\nformalities.\\nAfter four centuries of existence we are almost cut off from inter-\\ncommunication. Of our internal roads, it is best to say nothing no\\none dares journey by them. Even in traveling on foot one s ribs are\\nnot safe. There are towns where no mail is delivered for five or six\\ndays when the rivers rise, and neither the public works department nor\\nprivate enterprise has thought of spanning the rivers by footbridges\\neven. With a thousand obstacles and expenses we have to carry our\\nproduce to market and bring back our provisions the same way, add-\\ning to the expenses of freight those of consumos, which keeps up\\nthe already excessive prices and causes general discontent. The want", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0169.jp2"}, "170": {"fulltext": "160\\nof activity of the Porto Ricans forcibly condemned to inertia by\\nwant of means of travel is not to be wondered at.\\nThe peasant of Patillas would like to market his produce in Ponce\\nand there make his purchase of provisions at lower prices, but cannot,\\nas the cost of the journey would represent the earnings of months.\\nThe greater part of the people of this town have never seen Ponce,\\ndistant only 60 miles.\\nThere can be no greater obstacle to the progress of the country than\\nthis.\\nAny sacrifice made now to inaugurate a good system of roads would\\nsoon meet with its recompense.\\nMany were surprised and angered by the paralyzation of the con-\\nstruction of the railroad to the east of the island, one of the richest\\ndistricts, owing to the fertility of the soil and the continuous rains.\\nSix years ago no one would have said that the concessionary company\\nwould have neglected to tunnel the Pandura (mountain between Mau-\\nnabo and Yabuco). No other administration would have tolerated\\nsuch a want of good faith in its dealings with our progress-loving\\npeople. Unfortunately these aids to progress have been undertaken\\nas timid experiments. This has been a serious evil, as no country\\nunprovided with a. network of railroads can progress.\\nThe value of these is understood by Americans better than by any-\\nothers. In the hands of the Government the post-offices, telegraphs,\\nand money-order service so necessary for the country can be installed\\nand run as perfectly as in the United States.\\nThis would leave room for railroads and private telegraph companies,\\nwhich would surely come, as the increase of the well-being of the\\ncountry would offer hopes of large profits.\\nIn rich, happy countries people travel, and there is life and motion\\nan every side. In poor countries only the cry of anguish and misery\\nis heard, leading to despair and immorality. We must work therefore\\nfor the benefit of our country.\\nThis can be aided by the freedom of our commerce giving us access\\nto all the world and cheapening our cost of living.\\nPatillas, P. R.\\nROADS AND RAILROADS.\\n[Hearing luefore the United States Commissioner.]\\nSan Juan, P. R., October 29, 1898.\\nDr. Carbonell, secretary of the interior. In preference to ordi-\\nnary roads, railroads should be built, because from the time they are\\nstarted they begin to pay, as they work the portion already started,\\nwhereas roads do not until completed. The road from here to Ponce\\ncosts $15,000 a year to keep in order.\\nIt would be far better for the State to invite foreign capital to come\\nin to build railroads and guarantee interest on the money, as they\\nwould not have to pay so much money, and the most they would have\\nto pay for interest would not be in excess of the amount required to\\nkeep ordinary roads in condition.\\nDr. Carroll. But that would leave many parts of the island with-\\nout proper communication, would it not?\\nDr. Carbonell. They were making a railroad from Mayaguez to\\nSan Sebastian, but as it was started without sufficient capital behind\\nit, it came to an end and they had to abandon the railroad.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0170.jp2"}, "171": {"fulltext": "161\\nDr. Carroll. I should suppose that good cart roads would be nec-\\nessary in order to give access to the railroads from towns in the inte-\\nrior. I am told that the roads now in use, with a few possible exceptions,\\nare almost impassable.\\nDr. Carbonell. I think the roads already begun should be finished,\\nbut I think it would be advisable to grant liberal concessions to rail-\\nroad companies with the view of having the island intersected by rail-\\nroads as soon as possible. This would make communication much\\neasier than it is.\\nDr. Carroll. Is it very costly to construct such roads as the mili-\\ntary road from here to Ponce?\\nDr. Carbonell. It cost $14,000 a kilometer. There was an immense\\namount of robbery in connection with the building of that road. They\\nused 400 prisoners, whom they paid 10 cents a day, and they put in\\nbills for wages at 50 cents a day, the difference going into the pockets\\nof the officials. In some places it cost $25,000 a kilometer, 5 kilome-\\nters being equal to 3 miles.\\nDr. Carroll. Do they have stone convenient for the construction\\nof roads in the island?\\nDr. Carbonell. Everywhere throughout the island.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you the facilities for crushing the stone?\\nDr. Carbonell. In some places we have, in others we have not.\\nIn the greater part of the island it is crushed by hand.\\nDr. Carroll. Can not the cost be greatly reduced by having proper\\nappliances for crushing stone?\\nDr. Carbonell. It is not possible to have machinery everywhere,\\nand to cart it (the stone) from place to place would be very costly.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the length of the road?\\nDr. Carbonell. It is variously stated at 142, 143, and 144 kilometers.\\nDr. Carroll. I am told that in the interior of the island the roads\\nare so bad that teams are destroyed, and that transportation, owing\\nto the state of the roads, costs an immense amount an amount, in\\nfact, out of proportion to what the planters can pay.\\nDr. Carbonell. You have been correctly informed. In many\\nplaces the oxen have been drowned in mud. The freight charges are\\nfar out of proportion to the value of the stuff transported.\\nDr. Carroll. Has your department any control over the railroads?\\nDr. Carbonell. Yes, over the railroads and over electric lighting\\nformerly the telegraph also; but that is now under the military author-\\nities. Also my department had charge of the stock (not the working)\\nof the post-office.\\nDr. Carroll. Does the department fix the rates of tariff on the\\nrailroad?\\nDr. Carbonell. The railroad companies put in their propositions\\nfor freight and passenger tariffs, and they were accepted by the gov-\\nernment.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you heard any complaints as to the tariffs being\\ntoo high?\\nDr. Carbonell. I have heard a good many complaints, and the rail-\\nroad company has violated its agreement. For instance, if you want\\nto take a horse from here to Arecibo the rate is the same as a first-\\nclass passage for a person moreover, if you take one horse you have\\nto pay the same as for five. Formerly the State used to grant conces-\\nsions to private parties for building a certain road or certain bridge,\\nand allowed them to collect so much for foot passengers and so much\\nfor vehicles.\\n1125 11", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0171.jp2"}, "172": {"fulltext": "162\\nDr. Carroll. Could the prisoners be used by the government in\\nthe making of roads?\\nDr. Carbonell. Yes; they have to give prisoners 10 cents a day\\nwhen making roads, besides supporting them.\\nDr. Carroll. That is cheap labor, is it not?\\nDr. Carbonell. The Spanish officers who had charge of them\\nalways took from the prisoners one-half, and when they went out they\\nhardly had anything. I do not understand why the United States\\nauthorities have not removed the employee who is at the head of the\\npresent department, as he is the very worst man they could have for\\nthe purpose.\\nDr. Carroll. The military government having been established\\nonly about a week, it can not correct all the evils at once.\\nCART RATES.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nSan Juan, P. R., October SI, 1898.\\nDr. Carroll. Would not the agriculturists be greatly helped if\\nthey had a quicker and better transit for their products to the ports\\nof shipment?\\nDr. Santiago Veve, of Fajardo. The chief complaint against the\\nSpaniards has been that they did not furnish facilities of that kind,\\nand some farms are so located that it is impossible to ship products\\nfrom them to the seaport towns.\\nDr. Carroll. Are the rates charged by the railroads excessive?\\nDr. Veve. The railroads in existence in the island are of very\\nlittle importance. They consist of small sections, which are not con-\\nnected. They charge practically any rate they like and their rate is\\nestablished without regard to equity, but even then it is cheaper than\\nthe old cart roads.\\nDr. Carroll. Why are the cart rates high, when labor is cheap and\\nthe cost of cattle is not great, I presume, nor the carts themselves?\\nDr. Veve. A cart from here to my city, which leaves to-night, for\\ninstance, at midnight and arrives to-morrow morning at daylight, can\\nnot be rented for less than from $20 to $25. The reason for this is\\nthe condition of the roads, which wear the oxen out. They are really\\nnot roads. You go over them and get stuck in the mud up to the\\nmiddle of the wheels. In order to come here to attend the congress\\nyesterday I had to pass over a river on a raft.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you think the establishment of the trolley or\\nelectric system would be a good thing for the producer?\\nDr. Veve. Yes; it would be of immense value.\\nDr. Carroll. Is it not a fact that producers lose the best of the\\nmarket by the delay incident to the difficulty in getting their goods\\nto the shipping points?\\nDr. Veve. In reference to the sugar producers, they do not suffer\\non this account, because they can get their crops to the seashore in\\nample time with the facilities in the way of roads which they have\\nhere. There are only a few firms here who buy sugar, and these firms\\ndo not limit the purchasers in point of time in getting their sugar\\nto the seaport.\\nDr. Carroll. Is the military road between the capital and San\\nJuan the only good road in the island?", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0172.jp2"}, "173": {"fulltext": "163\\nDr. Veve. In addition to that road there are other small pieces\\nwhich have been begun, but not completed, and are now more or less\\nin a state of dilapidation. For instance, from here to Fajardo the\\nroad is not finished, and from Arroyo to Guayama the road has been\\nyears in building, and is not yet finished. From Guayama to Cayey\\nthe road is finished, and is fairly good. From Mayaguez to Cabo Rojo\\nand from Mayaguez to Aiiasco the roads are fairly good. The rest of\\nthe roads in the island are atrocious; they are not graded and are\\nreally unworthy of the name of roads.\\nDr. Carroll. Should the railroad system be extended so as to\\nencircle the western half of the island to Aguadilla, Mayaguez, and\\nPonce?\\nDr. Veve. That was the original plan of the railroad, and its com-\\npletion to those points is very necessary. The French company began,\\nbut failed in a short while. Referring again to the other roads which\\nI have described as atrocious, it is sometimes necessary to pull a coach\\nwhich is passing over the road out of the mud with oxen.\\nDr. Carroll. If the railroad system were finished and reasonable\\ncharges were made, would it not result in an increased use of the\\nrailroad, so that the revenues would be increased and the road be a\\npaying investment?\\nDr. Veve. I think it would. There are families living here in the\\nisland, some of whose close relatives live within a few miles of them,\\nwho, because of the almost impassable condition of the roads, have\\nnot visited each other and have not seen each other for four or five\\nyears and I believe that if the railroad was opened up many of these\\npeople would patronize it and greatly increase the receipts of the\\ncompany.\\nDr. Carroll. What does the railroad company charge per mile?\\nDr. Veve. I do not know. It is 50 cents a round trip to Rio Piedras\\nfrom the capital, which is a distance of about 11 miles, and I suppose\\nthe rate between other points is in proportion.\\nDr. Carroll. I have heard that the freight charged on a chicken\\nfrom Arecibo to the capital is $1.\\nDr. Veve. That is an exaggeration. It is my impression, however,\\nthat the rate between here and Arecibo is greater than the rate\\nbetween the capital and some other points, the rate seemingly being\\nbased on the amount of business which the company handles between\\nthe capital and connecting points.\\nTHE NEED OF RAILROADS.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nSan Juan, P. R., October 31, 1899.\\nRicardo Nadal, of Mayaguez:\\nThey have begun a railroad from Anasco to Lares, affording com-\\nmunication from the center of this coffee district to the seaport in\\nMayaguez, which enterprise, owing to the abnormal condition brought\\nabout by the war and consequent retrenchment of all mercantile\\ntransactions,- has been suspended, the shareholders waiting and hoping\\nfor some American company to come and take hold and carry out this\\nline and plan. The island is also greatly in need of some crossroads\\nrunning through from east to west, which together with the French Belt", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0173.jp2"}, "174": {"fulltext": "164\\nLine of railroad, that is to run around the coast of the island, would\\nfurnish sufficient transportation from the interior to every available\\nseaport. That French line, although its time of completion has been\\nextended three different times by the Spanish Government, has not as\\nyet complied with the requirements of the grant, affording good ground\\nfor the question as to whether or not the American Government now\\nhas a right to take such part of the line as is already built away from\\nthe company according to the articles of agreement under which the\\n-concession to the railroad company was made.\\nCOST OF INLAND TRANSPORTATION.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nArecibo, P. R., January 14, 1899.\\nMr. Bernardo Huicy. The question of roads is a most important\\none, as there are estates in the center of the island which have to pay\\nas high as 75 or 80 cents a hundredweight over a distance of 20 miles.\\nDr. Carroll. Is that to the railroads or by the railroads?\\nMr. HuiCY. To the railroads.\\nVIEWS OF AN ENGINEER.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nSan Juan, P. R., January 10, 1899.\\nMr. Tuilo Larrinaga, an American civil engineer:\\nMr. Larrinaga. I am a native of Porto Rico, and studied in the\\nUnited States.\\nDr. Carroll. When were you educated in the United States?\\nMr. Larrinaga. From 1865 to 1870. Since then I have been here.\\nI was in the United States a few days in 1894.\\nDr. Carroll. What engineering works have you been engaged in\\nhere?\\nMr. Larrinaga. I built the first railroad of the island.\\nDr. Carroll. When was that?\\nMr. Larrinaga. In 1880. I was employed in its construction some-\\nwhat against the wishes of the then Governor-General, who ques-\\ntioned the propriety of having a Yankee come here to build a railroad.\\nHe seemed to regard it as a reflection on the ability of Spanish engi-\\nneers.\\nDr. Carroll. Was that first road the one which connects San\\nJuan and Rio Piedras?\\nMr. Larrinaga. Yes. The longer road from San Juan to Camuy\\nwas built later.\\nDr. Carroll. I notice that on the maps a distinction is indicated\\nbetween certain parts as completed and in working order and of cer-\\ntain other parts as under construction for instance, from Camuy to\\nAguadilla.\\nMr. Larrinaga. No; that has only been surveyed and studied.\\nPlans and specifications and estimates are complete. From Agua-\\ndilla to Mayaguez and Hormiguerros the road is built and in working\\norder. From Mayaguez to San German all the grading is done and", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0174.jp2"}, "175": {"fulltext": "165\\nthe superstructure is ready to be placed, such as ties, rails, and\\nbridges. I was to put up the bridges. I have put up all the bridges\\nof that line for a French company. I also built all the bridges from\\nSan Juan to Ponce. From San German to Yauco all the plans and\\nestimates are made. From Yauco to Ponce it is built and in working\\norder. There is a little of the east line running to Carolina, 11\\nkilometers.\\nDr. Carroll. There is a line shown on the maps all around the\\nisland, from Ponce eastward through Guayama.\\nMr. Larrinaga. That was given in the concession, but nothing\\nwas ever done except to survey it. There was some little grading\\ndone near Fajardo. I should add that there is a short road from\\nAnasco to the heights.\\nDr. Carroll. I suppose you will meet many difficulties in running\\nbranches into the interior from the belt road?\\nMr. Larrinaga. It is not difficult to build roads to the interior\\nalong the rivers. We have plenty of rivers affording good passages\\nthrough to the interior.\\nDr. Carroll. Don t those rivers become dry?\\nMr. Larrinaga. No; except on the south coalst, the difference being\\ndue to the fact that our mountain range runs closer to the south side of\\nthe island than to the north, so that the territory where rain falls is\\nsmaller on the south side, and dry weather there is more frequent. The\\ngreat watershed is on the northern side, and you can see brooks on\\nthat side which do not carry a pint a second and yet never run dry;\\nwhereas on the other side you see streams that abound with water in\\nthe rainy season which disappear in the dry season. Moreover, the\\nland on the northern side is more porous and water filters through to\\nthe substrata more than it does on the southern side, where the soil is\\nsandy.\\nDr. Carroll. I am told that the rivers on the east coast dry up\\nsometimes.\\nMr. Larrinaga. Yes, some of them; but not so much as in Ponce\\nand Guayama. From ISTaguabo coming north you do not find it so.\\nDr. Carroll. Mr. Argueso, of Humacao, said that they wanted\\nto build a trolley line from Humacao to their port, and that there\\nwas water power enough to run their dynamo; but there was a gen-\\ntleman here this morning who stated that the streams in that section\\ndry up now and then.\\nMr. Larrinaga. Small brooks may, but not the larger streams.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you think it would be cheaper to have trolley\\nroads and have cars run by electricity rather than by steam?\\nMr. Larrinaga. Yes; there can be no question about it.\\nDr. Carroll. You would not, in that case, need as solid a road-\\nbed.\\nMr. Larrinaga. That is true, because it would avoid the use of a\\nlocomotive, which is always the trip hammer that destroys the road-\\nbed. Heavier trains and locomotives than those you see here in use\\nwould require a much more solid roadbed than we have now.\\nDr. CArroll. If you could have a more solid roadbed, and perhaps\\nchange your gauge and have more powerful engines, you could make\\nrailroading pay. You could then reduce freight and passenger rates,\\nand passengers then could make quicker trips.\\nMr. Larrinaga. Yes; there would be a gain in time, and with a\\nbroader gauge more freight could be carried, so that the rates could\\nbe brought down; but my experience in railroading has taught me", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0175.jp2"}, "176": {"fulltext": "166\\nthat such a step should not be taken unless there is an excess of\\ntraffic over the capacity of the road.\\nDr. Carroll. It has seemed to me that if you had branch roads\\nfrom this belt line into the interior, so as to facilitate traffic between\\nthe interior and the coast, and charged lower rates, the people would\\npatronize the road and make it pay.\\nMr. Larrinaga. When such feeders shall have brought the excess\\nof traffic to justify the use of heavier trains, then would be the time\\nto study that matter.\\nDr. Carroll. One difficulty has been the cost of getting the loco-\\nmotives, the coaches, and the steel rails here. Now, you are going to\\nhave lower duties so that it will not cost so much to import these\\nthings. Besides, you will have ad valorem duties, which will make a\\nlarge margin of difference. Tour locomotives are of an old pattern,\\nare they not?\\nMr. Larrinaga. Those which run along the north coast are of French\\nmanufacture and are old-fashioned, but those in use on the tramway\\nto Rio Piedras are of the best Baldwin make from the United States.\\nThese Baldwin locomotives have been working well, even with poor\\nrepairing. The company sent to England for a No. 4 engine. It was\\na 14-ton engine, but they have never been able to get the work out of\\nit that they have been getting out of a 10-ton engine of Baldwin make.\\nShe was too stiff about her back too much of an Englishman. The\\nFrench engines can not make 10 kilometers an hour, as I was able to do\\nwith the Baldwin engines.\\nDr. Carroll. It seems to me that the trolley is the thing to intro-\\nduce here for short lines, to connect the towns of the interior with the\\nbelt line.\\nMr. Larrinaga. Yes; and that would enable the people of the\\ninterior to send their fruits out to the coast towns. At present they\\ncan not send bananas or oranges, which they have in great abun-\\ndance. They can only cultivate coffee and tobacco.\\nDr. Carroll. Referring again to the introduction of electric motors\\nhere for passenger and freight cars, would it be your idea to have the\\noverhead wire?\\nMr. Larrinaga. Yes; it is the cheapest. The only objection to it\\nis the danger of its causing accident in thickly populated districts.\\nDr. Carroll. Would you think it wise to make use of the military\\nroad to Ponce for a trolley line?\\nMr. Larrinaga. It is not wide enough.\\nDr. Carroll. Do ,you know whether any concessions have been\\ngranted for the construction of trolleys here?\\nMr. Larrinaga. None of any kind whatever have been granted. I\\nwas named as under-secretary of public works when the first auto-\\nnomic government was established here and have been in close touch\\nwith the work of that department. The law requires that before any\\npower other than animal power can be used for transportation pur-\\nposes, application must be made to the insular government, and such\\napplications all come to the department with which I was connected,\\nand I can state positively that no concessions have been granted.\\nDr. Carroll. Are there many engineers in the island now?\\nMr. Larrinaga. About a dozen or so.\\nDr. Carroll. It seems evident that the first great need of Porto\\nRico to-day is a system of good roads. The question is, Should the\\ninsular government bear the expense of them alone? Responsibility", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0176.jp2"}, "177": {"fulltext": "167\\nfor the construction and maintenance of good roads might be divided\\nbetween the various divisions of the island.\\nMr. Larrinaga. There was a governor-general here several years\\nago who* gave the entire island roads and then left the care of them\\nto the municipalities. In three years from that time the roads were\\nin a state of ruin and were never repaired. But good roads must be\\nbuilt; nothing is more urgently needed, and nothing would influence\\nmore materially the social and moral development of the people than\\ngood means of transportation.\\nCOST OF ROADS.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nUtuado, P. R., January 18, 1899.\\nMr. Lucas Amadeo. Roads of broken and rolled stone are calcu-\\nlated to have cost from 18,000 to 20,000 pesos a kilometer under the\\nformer administration.\\nDr. Carroll. But I understand that much of that went into wrong\\nchannels.\\nMr. Amadeo. I understand that to-day such roads can be made at\\nfrom 12,000 to 14,000 pesos a kilometer. I think, in contradistinction\\nto what many others think, that roads are more important to the\\ncountry than railroads. This is a country of small distances only.\\nThe roads would allow the development of industries which to a large\\nextent would not give support to railroads. That does not prevent\\nanybody from building railroads across the island or anywhere he\\nwants to. I would favor anybody who wished to come here with capital\\nto build railroads, but I think plain roads are most needed.\\nDr. Carroll. But are there not cases where the tramway, which\\ncan be run with exceeding cheapness, could be run with great advan-\\ntage, as between Utuado and Yauco, or Utuado and Ponce, or Utuado\\nand Arecibo\\nMr. Amadeo. Yes; but not to the exclusion of ordinary roads. A\\nmost ridiculous proposition has been advanced to exclude ordinary\\nroads altogether.\\nCOST OF LIGHTERAGE.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nArroyo, P. R., February 3, 1899.\\nDr. Carroll. Is this a port of entry?\\nA Gentleman present. Yes and we expect to remain such because\\nit is a center of this district; and if this port of entry were suppressed,\\nwe would have to go to Ponce.\\nDr. Carroll. You could have it kept open if you guarantee that\\nthe expenses of the port shall be paid?\\nA Gentleman present. At present we have only two or three\\nemployees. The expenses of the port are only about $310 a month,\\nand that is nothing as compared with the business that is done. We\\ncollected from $40,000 to $50,000 a year here.\\nDr. Carroll. Then there is no question about it. Have you con-\\nsidered a project for getting a pier built here?", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0177.jp2"}, "178": {"fulltext": "168\\nA Gentleman present. It would cost a great deal to construct one,\\nbecause the sea is quite rough sometimes, hut I think a strong pier of\\niron would pay.\\nDr. Carroll. It must cost you a great deal to load and unload\\ncargoes.\\nA Gentleman present. We bring the cargoes on lighters, and we\\nrun out two poles. The system is very primitive; it costs $1.85 to dis-\\ncharge 1,000 feet of lumber.\\nDr. Carroll. I was told it would cost 15 for a thousand feet in\\nHumacao.\\nMr. Verges, of Arroyo. As regards the questions you have been\\nspeaking of, I agree with the gentleman who has spoken.\\nNEED OF MORE PORTS OF ENTRY.\\nSan Juan, P. R. January 10, 1899.\\nMr. Gustavo Preston, of Humacao, called at the office of the spe-\\ncial commissioner and made a statement respecting ports of entry in\\nthe island. He said that although large quantities of muscovados\\nare shipped from Maunabo and Yabucoa, two towns on the south-\\neastern coast, neither of these places has a port of entry, but vessels\\nwith cargoes from or to these places are obliged to go to Arroyo to\\nreport for landing of cargoes or for clearance papers. Planters and\\nmerchants importing staves for hogsheads are obliged to have them\\nlanded at Arroyo and reshipped by coastwise vessels, or carted from\\nArroyo to the place of final destination, thus very greatly increasing\\nthe cost of importation. There used to be a rule by which vessels\\nwhich reported at Arroyo and landed cargo could go on to Maunabo\\nor Yabucoa and lie there, take on cargo, and clear without returning\\nto Arroj^o, by paying the fee which would be charged if they did go\\nthere.\\nOn the southwest coast there is a similar inconvenient arrangement\\nat Cabo Rojo, which is the shipping point for the salt mines of that\\nplace. Vessels are obliged to proceed to Mayaguez to report and get\\nclearance papers, thus increasing the cost of shipment.\\nThe district of Naguabo is subject to the same riile as Yabucoa.\\nFREIGHT RATES.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nUtuado, P. R., January 17, 1899.\\nMr. Casalduc. In good times we pay $1 a quintal freight from here\\nto Ponce. When the roads are bad, as they are now, we pay $1.25.\\nThat is the ruin of agriculture. It costs more to transport coffee from\\nhere to Ponce than from Ponce to Europe. The road from Arecibo\\nhere is the best in the whole district.\\nDr. Carroll. How can anything be worse than the road from\\nArecibo to Gobo? I can not imagine it possible.\\nMr. Casalduc. That is a fine turnpike road in comparison. You\\nshould not go from here to Lares without first making your will. From\\nhere to Ponce it is 30 kilometers, and it requires from twelve to four-\\nteen hours to go there.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0178.jp2"}, "179": {"fulltext": "169\\nCOST OF BAD ROADS.\\n[Hearing before the United. States Commissioner.]\\nUtuado, P. R. January 18, 1899.\\nMr. J. A. M. Martinez, of Lares. We need good roads cart roads\\nand railroads. We have to pay $1.25 freight from the port to our\\ncity. Our ports are Arecibo, Aguadilla, and Mayaguez.\\nDr. Carroll. Are those ports equally distant?\\nMr. Martinez. They are 6, 7, and 9 leagues. Such rates cut down\\nthe profits considerably.\\nDr. Carroll. Are roads as bad between those places as between\\nUtuado and Lares?\\nMr. Martinez. Worse still.\\nDr. Carroll. It seems to me that your system of roads, as I have\\nseen them, is the most costly in the world, because they are so destruc-\\ntive to wagons and to teams, and it costs so much to get your goods\\ntransported over them that they are really far more expensive than\\ngood macadam roads.\\nMr. Martinez. With what has been collected for the making of\\nroads in the four hundred years of Spanish domination we could have\\nall our roads paved with silver.\\nDr. Carroll. What does it cost to make a mile of good road that\\nwill withstand the rain?\\nMr. Martinez.. Here they estimate, but they do not spend. They\\nmake an estimate of $20,000, but most of it goes into private pockets.\\nDr. Carroll. That was under the old regime, but I want to get at\\nthe cost of the making of roads under the new regime. What would\\nit cost to put a road in good working order with cracked stone?\\nMr. Martinez. I can not inform you as to that. The man who had\\nthe contract for road making could tell you about it. His name is\\nJose Roig. He lives in Santurce and is now visiting in Utuado. The\\nrailroad from Anasco to Lares ought to be finished. They have a\\nlarge amount of money lying dormant in shares, which is not producing\\nany returns.\\nDr. Carroll. Is that road built by a foreign company?\\nMr. Martinez. -Yes; by a French company. If the road does not\\npass into the hands of the new government, it will never be finished.\\nMr. Vivo. Half a million dollars was spent oh it, and when they\\nreached that point and found it would cost a million, they were unable\\nto go on. Nearly 12 miles were finished.\\nDr. Carroll. Is it in operation?\\nMr. Martinez. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the entire length?\\nMr. Martinez. Thirty miles.\\nVIEWS OF AN EXPERT ON ROADS.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nUtuado, P. R., January 18, 1899.\\nJose Roig, of Santurce, P. R.\\nDr. Carroll. I desire to ask you as to the best kinds of roads in\\nthese mountain districts to withstand sudden and heavy rains and\\nwhat they would probably cost.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0179.jp2"}, "180": {"fulltext": "170\\nMr. RoiG. The best sort of roads for these districts are what they\\ncall vicinage roads, the width of which should not exceed 4 meters,\\nor about 12 feet. These roads at intervals of 2^ or 3 kilometers have\\na widening which enables carts to pass going in opposite directions.\\nAdded to the width of these roads there is an additional 7 feet used\\nfor ditching to carry off the water when it falls in abundance, and\\nthis part of the road is not packed down, but is left soft. It really is\\na sort of sidewalk. At intervals of a kilometer or a kilometer and a\\nhalf there is a sectional ditch to carry off water, to prevent it from\\ncollecting and injuring the road. These roads over the mountainous\\nparts of the country, where there are ups and downs and irregularities,\\nshould cost, with all the additional construction which I have just\\nmentioned, from $2,000 to $2,500 a kilometer.\\nDr. Carroll. Would you use cracked stone?\\nMr. RoiG. Yes; the middle part of the road of broken stone, beaten\\ndown, but the 7 additional feet at the side are not macadamized.\\nDr.. Carroll. What would it cost to have the road sufficiently\\nwide all the way through for wagons to pass each other at any point?\\nMr. RoiG. The differences in building roads of that kind are con-\\nsiderable. They call them roads of the third class, and they cost\\nabout $11,000 a kilometer.\\nDr. Carroll. That is in the mountains.\\nMr. RoiG. No we don t have really level roads. We take an aver-\\nage, and estimate on that basis.\\nDr. Carroll. Would you have a road wide in the valleys and\\nwherever it is convenient?\\nMr. RoiG. A road on the level lands wide enough to allow two carts\\nto pass would cost only about $2,000 less than a single track would\\ncost in the mountains.\\nDr. Carroll. Where there is much travel would you have wide\\nroads on the plains?\\nMr. RoiG. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Have not many of these roads already been cut,\\nrequiring now only the roadbed?\\nMr. RoiG. The whole question of cost depends on the depth of\\nstone you want in the roadbed and whether you break the stone by\\nhand or by machine.\\nDr. Carroll. Of course the cost would be greatly reduced by ma-\\nchinery?\\nMr. RoiG. In the interior such a machine has not been known.\\nThe state has them and uses them elsewhere.\\nDr. Carroll. How do they make the road firm? Do they have\\nrollers to press down the stone?\\nMr. RoiG. They have a big iron roller drawn by oxen. They first\\nmake the excavation to the depth they require the stone to be laid,\\nthen put the stone in and either beat it down with hand implements\\nor with the roller I have mentioned.\\nDr. Carroll. I suppose a steam crusher would greatly reduce the\\ncost also.\\nMr. RoiG. Doubtless it would, because one of the machines can\\nbreak up from 50 to 60 cubic meters a day, and a man can not break\\na cubic meter a day.\\nDr. Carroll. We pay about 90 cents a ton for cracked stone in\\nthe United States; that is, including cartage. That would insure\\ncheap road making here.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0180.jp2"}, "181": {"fulltext": "171\\nMr. RoiG. There is no road in this country of any use unless it has\\na stone top, because after a rain a cart opens a ditch in the road,\\nwater collects there, and the road is injured.\\nDr. Carroll. It is an axiom now that money put in roads made of\\ngravel is money thrown away.\\nMr. RoiG. I have held that opinion for a long time.\\nDr. Carroll. It is better to make 100 feet of good road in a year\\nthan a mile of gravel road.\\nDECADENCE DUE TO BAD ROADS.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nAguadilla, P. R., January SI, 1899.\\nMr. Torregrosa. This city used to be one of great commercial\\nimportance, owing to the fact of its being the port of outlet for sev-\\neral interior towns which produce coffee. To-day it is a city of\\ncomplete decadence. One of the chief reasons for this decadence is\\nthe complete abandonment of the roads. From here to Lares is a\\njourney of six hours, and yet there are times when carts laden with\\nfreight require seven, eight, and ten days to make the journey.\\nDr. Carroll. That is when the weather is very wet and the roads\\nvery muddy.\\nMr. Torregrosa. Yes; in the rainy season, which lasts from seven\\nto eight months.\\nDr. Carroll. Is the road from Aguadilla to Lares worse consid-\\nerably than the road from Aguadilla to Camuy?\\nMr. Torregrosa. There is no comparison between them very\\nmuch worse. There are mud holes where oxen have fallen in and\\nperished.\\nDr. Carroll. That has always been so, has it not?\\nMr. Torregrosa. Twenty years ago that was not the case. Roads\\nwere kept in good order, but since that time the Government has\\nabandoned them completely and paid no attention to repeated appeals\\nto have them repaired. Half the distance from Moca to Lares it is\\nan infernal road. It is not more than six hours, but there have been\\ninstances of carts taking as long as fifteen days in making the jour-\\nney. There have also been occasions when a hundredweight of\\nfreight has paid 15, or four times that from Aguadilla to Liverpool.\\nThe opposite has taken place in Arecibo. Arecibo, a few years ago,\\nwas of no importance but as the people of Lares have not been able\\nto communicate freely with Aguadilla, they have opened a road to\\nArecibo and send their goods that way.\\nDr. Carroll. If they could open a road to Arecibo why could they\\nnot improve the road to Aguadilla?\\nMr. Torregrosa. The limits of Lares lie half way between here and\\nArecibo, and the people living in those districts were able to get to\\nArecibo better and it cost less to make the road.\\nDr. Carroll. What about the road from Lares to Camuy?\\nMr. Torregrosa. Bad; but the other is worse.\\nDr. Carroll. The town of Camuy itself is bad?\\nMr. Torregrosa. Very bad. Camuy and Hatillo should be joined\\nto make one municipality.\\nDr. Carroll. How far is it from Rincon to Mayaguez?\\nMr. Torregrosa. It is about an hour s journey by railroad.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0181.jp2"}, "182": {"fulltext": "172\\nMr. Caeroll. Why has the commercial importance of Aguadilla\\nbeen deteriorating since the roads have been getting bad?\\nMr. Torregrosa. All these small towns around the coast are poor.\\nThe only two towns of importance that used to feed Aguadilla were\\nSan Sebastian and Lares. Since they have gone to Arecibo; Arecibo\\nhas gone ahead and Aguadilla has dropped behind.\\nDr. Carroll. Is the harbor of Aguadilla a good one?\\nMr. Torregrosa. One of the best in the island. Ships can remain\\nhere in all weather, they have such good anchorage. There is no\\ntrouble getting in and out. They do not even need a pilot.\\nDr. Carroll. Has the government discriminated against Agua-\\ndilla in any wa}~?\\nMr. Torregrosa. As this town and the interior towns of Lares and\\nSan Sebastian were almost entirely in the hands of Porto Ricans,\\nthe Spanish Government would never do anything for the benefit of\\nthem.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there much shipping here now?\\nMr. Torregrosa. No, but there used to be. The traffic between\\nthis port and Europe and the United States used to be very impor-\\ntant. Insurance companies that would not allow their vessels to stop\\nat Arecibo never made any objection to their calling here.\\nDr. Carroll. What measures are necessary to reinstate the pros-\\nperity of Aguadilla?\\nMr. Torregrosa. The very first is the roads. If you will open\\nthem the rest will come.\\nDr. Carroll. Does the municipality do all that it can for its own\\nroads and streets?\\nSecretary of the Council. This municipality can hardly cover\\nits expenses. It assigns a small amount yearly to attend the vicinage\\nroads, but the amount is so small it has very little effect. The munici-\\npality labors under too many restrictions. Everything has to be sent\\nto the government center for approval. The municipality can do\\nnothing of its own accord.\\nDr. Carroll. Are your propositions generally approved in San\\nJuan?\\nSecretary of the Council. Since the American Government has\\nbeen in power we have not sent srny, but now the time of making our\\nbudget is approaching and we will have to send various propositions.\\nMr. F. Estebes. I am a sugar planter and wish to say that what\\nthe sugar planters want is good roads and agricultural banks to\\nadvance them money with which to carry on their work. Agriculture\\nis the source of wealth of the country. The real wealth of the coun-\\ntry lies in the interior. The land around the coast has been worked\\nout, and what we want is better facilities for bringing our produce\\nfrom the interior to the coast towns. The interior possesses a large\\nextent of fertile virgin lands.\\nDr. Carroll. How far from Aguadilla is your plantation?\\nMr. Estebes. I have one estate near the railroad station and another\\nnear Moca, but this road that I speak of should go through the towns\\nof Moca, San Sebastian, and Lares. The great part of the produce\\nof the island is lost through not finding an outlet. It costs four or\\nfive times as much to bring it down to the coast as to transport it from\\nthe coast to the United States or Europe. Besides the staples, sugar,\\ncoffee, and tobacco, we could ship pineapples, oranges, and. other\\nthings, if we had better facilities of communication with the interior.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there any water power on this route which could", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0182.jp2"}, "183": {"fulltext": "173\\nbe used to run dynamos, so that you could have trolley roads into the\\ninterior?\\nMr. Estebes. There are rivers of great volume of water which\\ncould be used for that purpose, and also plenty of material in the way\\nof stone and lumber which could be used. As Aguaclilla is a natural\\nport for all those towns in the interior which I have named, the con-\\nstruction of a pier here is very necessaiy to accommodate shipping.\\nOwing to the advancement made in scientific building of these struc-\\ntures, it could be built very easily.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you recommend that it be done by the state or by\\nprivate enterprise?\\nMr. Estebes. I think it would be a very good business enterprise\\nfor any private company to undertake. The municipality would do\\nit if it could.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the present method of transporting freight\\nfrom the shore to the ship and vice versa?\\nMr. Estebes. We are about two hundred years behind the times in\\nthat respect. They bring the lighters up to the beach, turn them\\nover so that the inside is perpendicular to the earth, and then they\\nroll the hogsheads in, let the lighter fall back again into its normal\\nposition, and then push it out to the ships. Each hogshead pays one-\\nhalf dollar. Bags of flour weighing 200 pounds pay 8 cents a bag.\\nDr. Carroll. You have no pier, then, at which the vessel can lie?\\nMr. Estebes. No.\\nDr. Carroll. If the pier were built, could a vessel lie here at the\\npier in all kinds of weather?\\nMr. Estebes. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you think the prosperity of this city can be\\nrevived?\\nMr. Robert Schnabel. Yes; if the roads are improved. It used\\nto take only four hours from here to Lares, and now it requires two\\ndays. Sometimes it costs a dollar and a half to bring a quintal of\\ncoffee from Lares to this city. In good times it can be brought for 75\\ncents. In rainy times the peons are better for the bad roads, but\\nonly certain classes of articles can be taken up by them.\\nNEED OF RAILROAD FACILITIES.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.\\nCabo Rojo, P. R., January 27, 1899.\\nMr. Pagan. The natural course of the railroad is from Mayaguez\\nto the bridge on the road you passed over joining the branch that\\nleaves Yauco. It is a flat land and naturally adapted for the con-\\nstruction of a railroad. The construction of this road, or the altera-\\ntion of the old plan, would be an immense benefit to this town district\\nand to the surrounding districts. This road would receive freight\\nfrom all of the largest and most productive estates of Cabo Rojo. It\\nwould also receive all the wealth of production of the neighboring\\nmunicipality of Lajas; also that of Cuanica; it would also take a lot\\nof freight from the salt mines, one of which is at a short distance from\\nhere and another down on the southern corner of the island. One of\\nthese mines is only about half a mile from where the line would pass.\\nThis freight we speak of would not take away the freight of the port,\\nbecause it would be for internal consumption. The railroad would", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0183.jp2"}, "184": {"fulltext": "174\\nget 50,000 quintals of freight per annum from the salt transportation.\\nA great quantity of tobacco also is produced all along the line.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you made representations to the railroad com-\\npany?\\nMr. Pagan. No. A great quantity of corn also is raised along the\\nline; also a large number of cattle and very fine cattle, too cocoa-\\nnuts, firewood, cacao, lime in abundance, and bricks made of the best\\nclay known in Porto Rico.\\nROAD EXPERTS REQUIRED.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nArroyo, P. R., February S, 1899.\\nA gentleman of Maunabo and others\\nMr. I would like to say a word about the roads and about\\nthe new tax laws. I think the money to be spent on the roads should\\nbe under the control of the government, and the work undertaken\\nby contract and not left in the hands of the municipalities. For\\ninstance, this town has $10,000, we will suppose. The people here are\\nnot able to study roads and. are unable to make the best application\\nof the money. In the mountains it is still more difficult. If the gov-\\nernment is going to spend half a million dollars, that sum is too\\nimportant to be left in the hands of incompetent persons. Engineers\\nshould do the work in order that the money may be well spent. The\\nmoney will certainly be squandered if placed in the hands of the\\nmunicipalities. We have asked for $5,000. Perhaps it is too small\\nfor our needs, but the engineer would know what is required, and I\\nthink we should have the services of one.\\nMr. I think in every town there should be a road commission.\\nIn Maunabo there is nobody who knows anything about roads, and\\nmy experience is that money spent by the municipalities of the island\\non roads has been ignorantly spent. Sometimes the Spanish Govern-\\nment would give a town a couple of thousand dollars, and I have\\nknown cases where that amount disappeared entirety, and not a cent\\nof it was even spent on roads.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there anything to be said about the roads of Arroyo?\\nA Gentleman present. They are infernal. The road from here\\nto Patillo should be built, also the vicinage road, and a road from\\nhere to San Lorenzo, which is now in project.\\nRAILROAD AND CART FREIGHTS.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nYauco, March 6, 1899.\\nA Gentleman. In Mayaguez there is a soap factory which makes\\nvery good soap, but as they have so small a market they can not go\\ninto it on a large scale, besides which the margin of profit is not large,\\nbut the quality of the soap is good, as I can show you.\\nMr. Vivaldi. I am a merchant, and have never seen any of this\\nsoap.\\nDr. Carroll. This incident brings out very strongly and very\\nclearly the great defect in this island, and that is in transportation.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0184.jp2"}, "185": {"fulltext": "175\\nIf you had easy, quick, and cheap transportation and they produced\\ngood soap in Mayaguez you would know it here in Yauco.\\nA Gentleman. A load from Mayaguez to Yauco costs 7 pesos now\\nthat the road is dry; in the wet season it costs 15 pesos.\\nDr. Carroll. That is an embargo on commerce between municipal\\ndistricts.\\nThe Druggist. Before there was a railroad between here and Ponce\\nI have paid 18 pesos for one ox load brought here from there.\\nDr. Carroll. How do the rates compare with railroad rates?\\nMr. Vivaldi. In normal times, when the roads are dry, there are\\nstill people who prefer to bring their goods by cart, because they are\\nbrought direct from the playa, while by the railroad they have to\\ncart them from the playa to the railroad station and then load them\\non the cars.\\nThe Druggist. I think on the average, in the rainy season, the\\nfreight is about 50 per cent less by railroad.\\nDr. Carroll. How much would you pay now, during the rainy\\nseason, on the railroad for the same load?\\nThe Druggist. From 2 to 3 pesos.\\nDr. Carroll. The railroad charges no more in bad weather than\\nin good?\\nA Gentleman. Besides, we can always have transportation.\\nDr. Carroll. How much does it cost to send a hogshead of sugar\\nor a thousand pounds of coffee to Ponce by railroad?\\nA Gentleman. Two-thirds of a cent per quintal per kilometer.\\nDr. Carroll. How many kilometers are there between here and\\nPonce?\\nMr. Cianchini. Thirty-five.\\nDr. Carroll. What does it cost from here to Ponce for 2, 500 pounds\\nby cart?\\nMr. Cianchini. Four pesos.\\nMr. Vivaldi. The average freight on merchandise from the ware-\\nhouse here to the warehouse in the playa at Ponce is 15 cents per\\nquintal by cart; and the railroad freight and the car freight to Ponce\\nare more or less alike sometimes a little in favor of the cart freight.\\nDr. Carroll. What does it cost from the railroad in Ponce to the\\nplaya by cart?\\nMr. Vivaldi. One dollar, and it costs 50 cents from the warehouse\\nhere to the station.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you consider the railroad freight rates too high?\\nMr. Vivaldi. The general opinion here is that they are too high and\\ncould be lowered.\\nNote. The commissioner made the following calculation on the\\ntransportation of 2,500 pounds from the warehouse in Yauco to the\\nwarehouse in the playa at Ponce on the basis of two-thirds cent per\\nquintal (100 pounds) for 1 kilometer of distance\\nPer quintal for 35 kilometers.. $0.23J\\nRailroad charges ___ 5.75\\nCartage in Yauco .50\\nCartage in Ponce to playa 1.00\\nTotal for 2,500 pounds 7.25\\nSeveral gentlemen present at the hearing examined the foregoing\\nfigures and acquiesced in the result as a fair estimate for the trans-\\nportation of the amount stated.\\nMr. RoiG. You must take into account that the railroad freight is", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0185.jp2"}, "186": {"fulltext": "176\\ncollected under different tariffs. The rate you have taken is that for\\ncarload lots.\\nDr. Carroll. It would be higher, then, for other freights?\\nMr. RoiG. Yes; very much higher. Yauco is One of the most\\nimportant cities of the island, and its traffic is one of the most exten-\\nsive. It contains a population of 27,000 persons, with an area of\\n50,000 cuerdas, paying taxes, divided into 24 barrios, each one\\nimportant in itself. There are 40 coffee estates of the first class and\\nas many of the second class, a great many small coffee estates, and 10\\nsugar plantations. One of the grades of coffee most acceptable in\\nEurope is Yauco coffee. Our surrounding districts also send their\\nproducts to Yauco. Yauco exports 2,000,000 pesos worth of coffee,\\nand imports three-fourths of that amount of merchandise. Its natural\\nport is Guanica. We require two hours to go to Ponce, over 35 kilo-\\nmeters, while we can reach Guanica in twenty minutes, over 5 kilo-\\nmeters. One great disadvantage of this is that we have to purchase\\nour provisions from Ponce. Ponce controls the only communication\\nbetween Yauco and the rest of the world, and the merchants there put\\ntheir own terms on us. When our merchants have tried to import\\ndirectly through Ponce, they have been badly treated. The Ponce\\npeople tried to have fines imposed on them, and put other hindrances\\nin the way of direct importation. This town has sufficient vitality to\\nexist by itself, and could do so easily if the port of Guanica was opened.\\nIt is a painful thing to us that, rich as this district is, we find ourselves\\ntributary to another district, and we appeal to you, as the representa-\\ntive of the Government which can bring about this change, to bring\\nit about.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the character of the harbor of Guanica?\\nMr. Roig. It is the best one in the island.\\nNote. A few weeks later Guanica was opened as a port of entry on\\nthe commissioner s recommendation.\\nRESULT OF WRETCHED ROADS.\\nSTATEMENT OF ME. P. SANTISTEBAN Y CHARIVARI, SPANISH MERCHANT.\\nSan Juan, P. R., October 28, 1898.\\nCountries which have the good fortune to possess honest and intel-\\nligent municipal administration usually have good roads thanks to\\nwhich they are also, as a rule, in possession of a flourishing commerce\\nand agriculture. Their freight rates for agricultural products to the\\nports of exportation and for merchandise to the centers of consump-\\ntion are nearly always low. This, however, is not the case in this\\nisland, there being important producing centers here where coffee,\\ntobacco, and other crops are grown which have to pay from 2 to 4\\npesos a hundredweight for freight charges to get their products to the\\nport of shipment. This is owing to the wretched roads which have\\nto be crossed, sometimes so bad that ox teams and drivers have been\\nknown to lose their lives. Postal communication with these parts is\\nin no better shape.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0186.jp2"}, "187": {"fulltext": "177\\nSTATE ROADS.\\nSTATEMENT OF A. HARTMANN CO.\\nAeroyo, P. R. November 7, 1898.\\nWe think the Spanish system of highways (carreteras) being made\\nand sustained by the state a very good idea. In proof of it there are\\ngood carreteras existing in the island. If the towns have to look\\nafter the roads, they would have more roads to attend to than their\\nmunicipal finances could stand, and the result would he, in course of\\nyears, no roads. Without roads the island can not be developed in\\nall its riches though we expect American enterprise will give us rail-\\nroads, there are many parts of the island where they can not be built,\\nnor would it pay to do so.\\nDIFFICULTIES OF TRAVEL.\\nSTATEMENT OF MAYOR EUSTOQUIO TORRES.\\nGuayanilla, P. R., November 7, 1898.\\nApart from the Central road from San Juan to Ponce, that from\\nthis town to Adjuntas, and a few others, the rest do not merit the\\nname of roads. During the rainy season travel from one town to\\nanother is almost impossible, not only owing to the bad condition of\\nthe roads, but also because of the absence of bridges, which is more\\nnoticeable when the rivers are swollen. But in the roads called\\nrural, which join one barrio (district) with another, this is still\\nmore apparent. This, as is natural, makes the moving of the crops\\nvery difficult, and is one of the chief difficulties agriculture has to\\ncontend against. The laws in force direct that these roads be kept in\\norder by those using them, but if it is taken into account that these\\nare mostly the field hands who live from hand to mouth on their mis-\\nerable daily wage, and that the day they attended to the roads their\\nfamilies would be left without food, it will be seen how impracticable\\nthat measure is and how unjust to the laborers.\\nTherefore if an ample system of autonomy does not give the munici-\\npalities the right to control this matter, the foregoing order should\\nbe derogated, and the municipalities should be authorized to provide\\nfor the maintenance of these roads in their estimates, the province in\\neither case setting aside a sum sufficient to help them for a period of\\nfour years, after which time the municipalities to take them under\\ntheir exclusive charge.\\nAs regards the vecinales (roads joining one town with another), the\\neconomic situation of almost all the towns of the island will not per-\\nmit them to undertake the work necessary to provide a system of\\ngood roadways. I am of opinion that this should be a matter for the\\npublic treasury, at least until a stronger administration has lifted\\nthe municipalities out of the prostration into which they have fallen.\\nOne of the roads which calls for immediate attention is certainly\\nthat from Mayaguez to Ponce, and another that from Ponce to Yauco,\\nthe latter not only because of its present bad condition, but because of\\nthe numerous towns it passes through and the trade depending on it.\\nIt is therefore of greatest moment that the road from Ponce to Yauco\\nbe declared carretara (highroad) and put under the jurisdiction of\\nthe province.\\n1125 12", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0187.jp2"}, "188": {"fulltext": "178\\nBETTER TRANSPORTATION INDISPENSABLE.\\nSTATEMENT OF DELEGATION FROM PONCE.\\nPonce, P. R., November 8, 1898.\\nIn reference to our seaports and means of transportation to and\\nfrom the interior of the island, we are to-day in about the same prim-\\nitive state as when Puerto Rico was discovered. A short visit to the\\ninterior will demonstrate that the immense natural resources of Puerto\\nRico can not be properly developed unless we have the necessary\\nmeans of transportation.\\nROADS AND RAILROADS.\\nSTATEMENT OF JOSE M. ORTIZ.\\nMaunabo, P. R., February 1899.\\n1. Speedy construction of roads, especially around the island (belt\\nroad), which for a long time has been neglected and contains places\\nabsolutely impassable; for instance, between Maunabo and Yabucoa,\\nwhere at times even a horse can not pass.\\n2. Stimulate and assist the installation of railroads, both steam and\\notherwise, all over the island.\\n3. Grant facilities to foreign steamships to enable them to call at\\nour ports.\\n4. Cheapness and rapidity in the mail and telegraph service.\\nINSUFFICIENCY OF TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES.\\nSTATEMENT OF SENOR C. DOMINGUEZ.\\nGrUAYAMA, P. R. December 8, 1898.\\nIf we look at the topography of the island, it will be noted that its\\nterritory on the coast land is generally flat, and extensive valleys are\\nfound in this district. On the other hand, the interior of the island\\nis very mountainous. On the coast land most of the sugar planta-\\ntions, pasture lands, and cocoanut groves are to be found, also graz-\\ning lands and stock ranches, and, to a certain extent, tobacco, cocoa\\ntrees, and a fair number of vegetable products.\\nCoffee, the principal source of the wealth of the island, is cultivated\\non the highlands, the principal region of its cultivation being that\\nabout Yauco, Maricao, Lares, Ciales, Utuado, Ad juntas, San Sebastian,\\nand Moca. Besides coffee, numerous small fruits are cultivated, and\\nhere the forests abound, full of fine woods for building and cabinet\\nwork.\\nOwing to the exuberance of our vegetation, almost all the lands of\\nthe island are capable of cultivation. The approximate area of the\\nisland is about 10, 000 square kilometers. If, in addition to this data, it\\nis taken into consideration that the island is peopled by about 900,000\\ninhabitants, that its agricultural productions exceed \u00c2\u00a319, 000, 000, and\\nthat its exterior trade amounts to 136,000,000, it will immediately be\\nseen what a large amount of capital should be brought into the island\\nfor the proper development of those agencies which modern life and\\nour particular necessities required", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0188.jp2"}, "189": {"fulltext": "179\\nLet us now look at the means which we possess to attend to the\\ntransportation of passengers and merchandise within this region.\\nWith respect to roads of the first order, we have one from the capital\\nto Ponce, measuring 132 kilometers; one from Rio Piedras to Rio\\nGrande, 25 kilometers; one from Arroyo to Cayey (by way of Guay-\\nama), of 25 kilometers, and pieces from Mayaguez to Anasco, from\\nBayamon to Reyes Catolicos, and, in course of construction, one from\\nArecibo to Ponce, 72 kilometers, which will be of great importance as\\njoining four of the most flourishing districts of the island. The remain-\\ning roads are far from being in suitable condition in fact, they are\\nso lamentably bad that in the rainy season the freight on products\\nfrom the interior to ports of shipment is two or three times as much\\nas that across the Atlantic.\\nThe aspect of railroads is not any more flattering. The railroad\\ncalled the Belt Road covers 546 kilometers, of which 194 only are in\\noperation. These 194 kilometers are cut up into four disconnected\\nsections. The branch from Anasco to Lares is only finished between\\nthe first-named point and San Sebastian. The concession for the con-\\nstruction of a road from Arecibo to Utuado has already been granted,\\nand a short time ago there was some thought of constructing a branch\\nfrom Ponce to Jayuga, and another between Rio Piedras and Caguas.\\nPublic works maj^ always be considered as measuring the amount\\nof interest and intelligence with which governments have attended to\\nthe well-being and greatness of their countries. We consider, for the\\nreasons already stated, and to give impulse to agriculture and com-\\nmerce on this island, a railroad should be constructed which would\\ntake in the whole of the shore line, with branches to the most impor-\\ntant towns of the interior.\\nA NETWORK OF RAILROADS.\\nSTATEMENT OF RUCABADO CO.\\nCayey, P. R., March J h 1899.\\nOne of the most necessary requirements of this country is the open-\\ning of new roads between different districts which to-day, owing to\\nthe inexplicable indifference of the last government, are completely\\nneglected. The best results would be obtained by a network of rail-\\nroads joining the interior towns of the island. It would be less\\ncostly, quicker to construct, and more suitable than cart roads.\\nCENSUS OF THE POPULATION.\\nTHE POPULATION OF PORTO RICO AT VARIOUS PERIODS SINCE THE SPANISH\\nOCCUPATION.\\nThe first census of Porto Rico, according to Acosta s annotated\\nedition of Fray Inigo Abbad s history of the island, was taken in\\n1765. The figures given for previous dates are, therefore, evidently\\nestimates, official and otherwise. It is not clear that the results given\\nfor later years of the last and the early years of the present century\\nwere official. It is nowhere stated that the government took an\\nannual census. How the figures given for those years were made up", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0189.jp2"}, "190": {"fulltext": "180\\nthere is no definite information to show. In 1867, we are told, a\\ndecennial census was ordered, but no figures are given for that year,\\nand there is a break of seventeen years from 1860 to 1877.\\nThe table for 1775, as found in Abbad s work, is full of errors in\\naddition, which Acosta refers to and says that he did not undertake\\nto correct them. It is not a very difficult clerical work, however, to\\nfind and remove these errors. Similar errors are to be found in most\\nother Spanish statistics. I have eliminated them from the tables for\\n1887 and 1897, as well as from that of 1775. The necessary changes\\nvery slightly affect the totals. Of much more importance is the dis-\\ncovery that the last column of the table for 1775, which has univer-\\nsally been understood to represent the total of population for that\\nyear, is only the total for all classes, excepting the slaves. The head-\\ning of the column De Almas (souls) would seem to be inclusive of\\nall classes. Acosta himself accepts the footing, 70,260, as the total\\nof all classes and castes of inhabitants, but I am convinced that\\nis this a mistake. The column of souls is embraced with that\\nof slaves under the same heading, Total general, showing\\nthat the compiler, from whom Abbacl doubtless copied the table,\\nintended to place slaves and souls in complementary columns,\\nwhich must be added together ih order to find the grand total. Any-\\none may convince hiniself that this inference is correct by adding\\ntogether, across the table, the several numbers representing whites,\\nfree mixed, free blacks, and groups, the sum of which will be found\\nidentical with that placed in the column of souls. The total for\\nthat column, 73,932, represents, therefore, all classes of inhabitants\\nof Porto Rico, except slaves. The slaves must be added in order to\\nget the total population, which is found to be 80,504, which is more\\nthan 10,000 greater than has been attributed to Porto Rico for that\\nyear. In the table for 1765 no such discrepancy exists; the slaves\\nare included in the final total. The population in 1765 was 14,883.\\nThe total for 1775 is 80,504. Here is a difference of 35,621, from\\nwhich it would appear, if both censuses are correct, that there was\\nan increase in ten years of 80 per cent. If there was any such increase,\\nno explanation has been given of it, and one is left to suspect that one\\nor both of the censuses must be incorrect. No errors in addition were\\nfound in the table for 1765. In all other tables, including those for\\n1887 and 1897, I have found many.\\nThe returns for the censuses of 1887 and 1897 were kindly furnished\\nby the secretary of state for Porto Rico, Senor Munoz Rivera. They\\ndiffer somewhat from the figures given for both censuses elsewhere.\\nOne authority, for example, gives 806,711 as the total population for\\n1887; another, 803,474, and another, 802,439, while in the table fur-\\nnished by Mr. Rivera the footing is 798,565, all claiming to give official\\nfigures. The discrepancy between the last figure and the two preced-\\ning ones is in large part explained by the fact that evidently the\\nformer includes the Spanish soldiers and marines, and also the pris-\\noners, while the latter does not. There were in 1887, 3,224 soldiers,\\n114 marines, and 536 prisoners, making a total of 802,439, which is\\n4,000 less than one of the figures above given. According to the cen-\\nsus of 1897 the population in that year was 890,820. To be added to\\nthis number, as making up the actual population of the island on the\\n31st of December of that year, are 7,014 Spanish soldiers, 368 marines,\\nand 1,101 prisoners, making a grand total of 899,203, as representing\\nthe actual population on the 31st of December, 1897. It will be\\nobserved that in ten years the number of soldiers and prisoners had\\nmore than doubled and the number of marines had more than trebled.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0190.jp2"}, "191": {"fulltext": "181\\nAmong the intelligent Porto Ricans with whom I have talked there\\nseems to be no very great confidence in the correctness of the figures\\nof the census of 1897. It was taken under the direction of the Span-\\niards, who are said to have carried away most of the detailed returns\\nwhen they left for the peninsula or to have destroyed them. I have\\nobtained copies of the blank schedules used in that census. The\\nsheets are from 14 to 20 inches in length and each is ruled for seven-\\nteen names. The province, judicial department, municipal district,\\nsection, and barrio are indicated, together with the street, number of\\nthe house, the story, etc. The inquiries embrace (1) sex, (2) race,\\n(3) age, (4) civil state (married or single), (5) family relation, (6) edu-\\ncation, (7) place of birth, (8) nationality, (9) resident or transient,\\n(10) present or absent, (11) length of residence in the municipal dis-\\ntrict, (12) profession or occupation, (13) period of absence, and (14)\\nlegal residence of transients. A distinction is made between the actual\\nor hecho and the legal or derecho population. The former includes\\nall who are present, whether citizens or not, permanent or transient\\nresidents; the latter, those who are citizens of Porto Rico or of Spain,\\nboth present and absent. It would be interesting to know how the s/\\npopulation is divided among the various occupations and how many\\ncan read and write, but I am informed that, notwithstanding the\\nrequirements of the schedules, there are no returns for these items,\\nor they are too incomplete to be tabulated.\\nThe progress of the population of Porto Rico since the discovery\\nof Columbus has been greatest in the present century. The aborig-\\nines disappeared like the mists before the sun, according to an\\nauthority quoted by Acosta, shortly after the Spaniards began to settle\\nthe island?. In 1493, the year of the discovery by Columbus, there\\nwere, Secretary Coll thinks, not more than 80,000 to 100,000 Bori-\\nqueiios or Caribs. Acosta s estimate is 200,000. Both agree in saying\\nthat the estimate of Father Las Casas 600,000 is impossible, because\\nthe island could not have supported so large a population living in\\nsuch a primitive state, because in 1511 only 11,000 Caribs could be\\nmustered to oppose the invaders and to strike a final blow for the\\nliberty of the natives, and because it is not conceivable that 600,000\\npersons could be destroyed within a generation, authentic documents\\nshowing, it is claimed, that there was only a small remnant of Indians\\nin 1530. The lot of the Indians was indeed a hard one. They were\\nvirtually slaves and when they finally disappeared as a distinct race,\\nthe Africans, who had come with the first colonists, continued to\\nserve the Spanish settlers as bondmen until 1873. If the first census\\nis at all trustworthy, the number of inhabitants, including slaves, was\\nless than 45,000 in 1765, which was more than two hundred and fifty\\nyears after the settlement of the oldest town, Caparra. That is slow\\nprogress, indeed. It is partly explained, however, by the fact that\\ngold fields were opened by Pizarro and other Spanish adventurers in\\nSouth America, and that the Spanish thirst for gold led the migration\\nfrom Spain in that direction and also tempted all who could to abandon\\nPorto Rico, which, while it was rich in other natural productions, was\\nnot a promising gold field.\\nFrom 1765 to the close of the century there was an increase of\\n110,593, showing that the tide of population was setting from the\\npeninsula more rapidly and steadily toward the West Indies. In the\\nnext twelve years there was a gain of about 28,000; some 38,000 were\\nadded in the next three years, if we may believe the record, while the\\ngrowth in the next nineteen years was 128,000. The large growth in", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0191.jp2"}, "192": {"fulltext": "182\\nthe fifty years ending in 1834 was brought about by the gradual\\nrelaxation of the laws prohibiting foreigners from settling in Porto\\nRico. In 1778 some Catholic workingmen were allowed to come from\\nneighboring islands, and by a royal decree of 1815, when the golden\\nage of the island is said to have begun, many foreigners were allowed\\nto obtain land and became permanent residents. In the period\\nbetween 1834 and 1846 there was a net increase of 85,000. From 1834\\nto 1877 the population was considerably more than doubled. In the\\ndecade 1877 to 1887 the increase was about 71,000, and in that of\\n1887 to 1897 upward of 87,000.\\nIn the period 1765 to 1783 the population doubled in that of 1783\\nto 1803 it doubled again; in that of 1803 to 1834 it doubled a third\\ntime; in 1834 to 1877 it doubled a fourth time. The gain in the last\\ntwenty years has been at the rate of 22 per cent. During the present\\ncentury the population has almost inultipled itself by 6. This sex-\\ntuple increase shows that it was only in the present century that the\\nMadrid Government made the conditions of settlement in Porto Rico\\nsufficiently attractive to induce a large migration to the colony.\\nNOTES ON THE POPULATION OF PORTO RICO AT PERIODS.\\nBy Seiior Coll y Toste, Secretary of the Treasury.\\nllfiS (date of discovery). According to the historian Fray Bartolome\\nde las Casas, the island was as thickly populated as a beehive. Fray\\nInigo Abbad, agreeing with Bayacete, places the number at 600,000.\\nThe probable number is from 80,000 to 100,000 aboriginals, taking\\ninto consideration the difficulties of obtaining food and the unhealthi-\\nness of the intertropical climate.\\n1515-1535. Thirty-five residents in Caparra (old capital) and 35 in\\nSan German, the only two towns of the island (Licentiate Velasquez).\\nThe aboriginals were then formed into gangs and were working in the\\nmines. Those who had taken part in the uprising were branded with\\nan F in the forehead.\\n154-8. The capital, more than 100 residents, and San German a few\\nmore than 30 (Bishop Bastido). Aboriginals, but very few.\\n1556. The capital, 130; San German, 20 residents. (This latter\\nhad been burned by French corsairs.)\\n164.6.\u00e2\u0080\u0094 The capital, 500; San German, 200; Arecibo, 100; Coamo, 80\\ninhabitants.\\n1759. 5,611 fighting men, according to Governor Esteban Bravo.\\n1765. 44,833 souls, according to Governor O Reylly (first census).\\n1775.\u00e2\u0080\u0094 70,260 souls (Fray Ihigo).\\n1782.\u00e2\u0080\u0094 81,120 souls.\\n1788.\u00e2\u0080\u0094 87,984 souls.\\n1788.\u00e2\u0080\u0094 101,398 souls.\\n1793.\u00e2\u0080\u0094 120,022 souls.\\n1796.\u00e2\u0080\u0094 132,982 souls.\\n1798.\u00e2\u0080\u0094 144,525 souls.\\n1799.\u00e2\u0080\u0094 153,232 souls.\\n1800.\u00e2\u0080\u0094 155,426 souls.\\n1802.\u00e2\u0080\u0094 163,192 souls.\\n1803.\u00e2\u0080\u0094 174,902 souls.\\n1812.\u00e2\u0080\u0094 183,014 souls.\\n1815.\u00e2\u0080\u0094 220,S92 souls.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0192.jp2"}, "193": {"fulltext": "183\\n1834.\u00e2\u0080\u0094 358,836 souls.\\n1846.\u00e2\u0080\u0094 443,139 souls (Santiago Fortun).\\n1860.-580,329 souls (Paulino Garcia).\\n2577.-731,64-8 souls.\\n2554.-784,709 souls.\\n1887. 802,439 souls. This last was made up of 474,933 whites,\\n246,647 mixed, 76,985 blacks, plus 3,224 individuals of the army, 114\\nof the navy, and 536 prisoners.\\n2557.-899,394, made up of 573,187 whites, 241,900 mixed, 75,824\\nblacks, plus 7,014 individuals of the army, 368 of the navy, and 1,101\\nprisoners.\\nSince 1867 the census of the island was ordered to be taken every\\nten years. From 1860 to 1867 no census was taken. In the last cen-\\nsus of 1897 it is noteworthy that the black race is not prospering, as\\nwill be seen by comparing the number of blacks, 75,824, with that of\\n1887, 76,985. By not allowing black immigration from the neighbor-\\ning islands and counting on a 3 per cent annual loss by absorption by\\nthe white and mixed races the 75,824 negroes now in the island will\\nhave disappeared in 300 years, more or less. This study in anthro-\\npology is interesting, for if that should happen Porto Rico would be\\nthe only island of the Antilles in which the white race would prepon-\\nderate numerically.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0193.jp2"}, "194": {"fulltext": "184\\n1\\no3\\na\\n\u00e2\u0080\u00a2I^oj,\\nlc\u00c2\u00bb\\nCO co\\nt-i-H\\n\u00e2\u0080\u00a2DO\\nX\\no.\\n0!CO\\nXCD\\nE5os\\ncoco\\n4\\n04 CO\\n*C0\\nCOOS\\nmm\\n00\\nt\u00e2\u0080\u0094\\nt-\\n-1\\ncoin\\nX,\\ncr. 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IW\\n\u00e2\u0080\u00a2e^iq-M.\\n\u00e2\u0080\u00a2IB^OJ,\\n\u00e2\u0080\u00a2j[oi3ia\\n\u00e2\u0080\u00a2pexipi\\n\u00e2\u0096\u00a0e^RAV\\n\u00e2\u0096\u00a0m\u00c2\u00b0\\n\u00e2\u0080\u00a2Jio^ia\\n\u00e2\u0096\u00a0pextj^\\nQOT.M.\\n\u00e2\u0080\u00a2IB^Oi\\n\u00e2\u0080\u00a2jp eia\\n\u00e2\u0080\u00a2paxipff\\nososoiinincoi\u00e2\u0080\u0094 ios\\noin-*cococscocs\\nOSt-OSOSOOCOCOCO\\ni-Tco cOi-wracros cvf\\nion incoroco\\neo.eo-*t-oot-coco\\nMt--*tOO(CC(:N\\nt- iH co i\u00e2\u0080\u0094i co in co\\nO-Jl^t-t-COCO\\ninrH t-TOTOiHi-l\\nco i^oim\\nCOTOCOi-HTO\\nTO-*-* CO-*\\nss=\\nHOiHOOCOO-*\\noco^tooi\u00e2\u0080\u0094 it- m-H\\ncoosmaot-cooco.\\ni\u00e2\u0080\u0094 ICO00-*\u00c2\u00a9OSi\u00e2\u0080\u0094 ICO\\nt- co l\u00e2\u0080\u0094 1 1- o in\\nin^H^csasiMaji\u00e2\u0080\u0094 i\\nQincMcoccmcoio\\nSSiH MNS3N\\n^omt-HN^\u00e2\u0080\u00a2lO\\nINOseOCOi\u00e2\u0080\u0094 ITOlO\\nt *-*COONH\\nIMt-i\u00e2\u0080\u0094 li\u00e2\u0080\u0094 ICOTOOSOS\\nt-COOSOS^ticOQi\u00e2\u0080\u0094 I\\nH CDinCOTO-*\\nt-i\u00e2\u0080\u0094 iininosc-jco-*\\nOSi-H -*\u00c2\u00bbCHCO\\ntoOH-*a-iooo\\nCOi-H lOTOt-t-O\\natDCNOOioio\\nCOCOQOCXi\u00e2\u0080\u0094 -tli\u00e2\u0080\u0094 100\\ncooo\u00c2\u00aba3^*icsc ioe\\nmt-inoi\u00e2\u0080\u0094 icomin\\n03-*HOt-t-NC\\ni-i CO t- OS CO t- CO c\\ni\u00e2\u0080\u0094 I to in CO OS CO\\nin oo -h t- m -h\\nrtfflNOMCCO-* t-\\nco in as in in in m i\u00e2\u0080\u0094i I\\ni-Tcooor-r-* t-^ c\u00c2\u00bbe f os\\ninN incocoesi TO\\n8OTM\\nin co co et co in i\u00e2\u0080\u0094 i o\\nTOCMinCSOSTOr-lt- I\\noi cO TOTO odcO r oOC r\\nt- 1\u00e2\u0080\u0094 i oo 1 1- in TO\\n5g gto\\n1 t;Ci r 2 03 S 1 ts\\nfl\u00c2\u00ae?.S2 SSo3\\ngtibjJoJSPS.S\\na2 H (Xi\u00c2\u00abci5WK", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0205.jp2"}, "206": {"fulltext": "196\\nTable III. Sex and race in 1897.\\nPopulation.\\nPercent-\\nage.\\n448,619\\n442,201\\n573,096\\n241,895\\n75,829\\n0.504\\n.496\\nWhite..\\n.643\\nMixed\\n.272\\nBlack\\n.085\\nTable IV.\\n\u00e2\u0080\u0094Penal population Census of 1897. l\\nDepartments.\\nNumber\\nof pris-\\noners.\\nDepartments.\\nNumber\\nof pris-\\noners.\\n799\\n48\\n24\\n62\\n53\\nGuayama\\n58\\nTotal\\n1,101\\n1 Evidently the entire number of prisoners in all classes of prisons, including municipal jails.\\nTable V. Totals of population Census of 1897.\\nTotal general population 890,820\\nSpanish military forces 7,014\\nSpanish naval forces 368\\nPrisoners 1,001\\nTotal 899,203\\nTable VI. Census of 1887 compared with census of 1897. Race and sex. 1\\nMALES.\\nDepartment.\\nSan Juan\\nArecibo...\\nAguadilla.\\nPonce\\nMayaguez\\nGuayama\\nHumacao\\nViegues...\\nTotal\\nWhite.\\n1897.\\n38,132\\n59,324\\n42,266\\n60,304\\n40,874\\n29,787\\n19,670\\n1,529\\n291,886\\n1887.\\n30,401\\n46,428\\n36,100\\n46,250\\n34,014\\n25.480\\n19,448\\n1,279\\n239,400\\nIn-\\ncrease\\nor\\nde-\\ncrease\\n7,731\\n+12,896\\n6,166\\n+14,054\\n6, 860\\n4,307\\n222\\n250\\n+52,486\\nMixed.\\n1897.\\n25,089\\n11,805\\n4,311\\n25,826\\n17,186\\n18,994\\n14,739\\n1,137\\n119,087\\n1887.\\n23,875\\n11,678\\n4,571\\n27,026\\n19,541\\n17,364\\n16, 176\\n1,073\\n121,304\\nIn-\\ncrease\\n(+)or\\nde-\\ncrease.\\n+1,214\\n127\\n260\\n\u00e2\u0080\u00941,200\\n\u00e2\u0080\u00942,355\\n+1,630\\n\u00e2\u0080\u00941,437\\n64\\n-2,217\\nBlack.\\n1897.\\n10,295\\n4,105\\n1,587\\n7,807\\n4,189\\n4,841\\n4,244\\n578\\n37, 646\\n1887.\\nIn-\\ncrease\\n)or\\nde-\\ncrease\\n38,317\\n+667\\n+247\\n\u00e2\u0080\u0094325\\n39\\n\u00e2\u0080\u0094167\\n\u00e2\u0080\u0094343\\n\u00e2\u0080\u0094566\\n\u00e2\u0080\u0094223\\n-671\\nFEMALES.\\nSan Juan\\nArecibo.\\nAguadilla\\nPonce\\nMayaguez\\nGuayama\\nHumacao\\nViegues...\\nTotal\\n35,440\\n28,717\\n6,723\\n26,820\\n26,074\\n746\\n10, 990\\n10,317\\n57,862\\n46,686\\n+11, 176\\n11,954\\n11,804\\n150\\n3,908\\n3,711\\n41,858\\n36,517\\n5,341\\n4,638\\n4,950\\n312\\n1,608\\n2,046\\n56,583\\n43,608\\n+12,975\\n26, 109\\n26, 789\\n680\\n7,705\\n7,870\\n39,884\\n33, 369\\n6,515\\n17,679\\n20, 156\\n\u00e2\u0080\u00942,477\\n4,477\\n4,490\\n28,800\\n25,885\\n2,915\\n19,304\\n18, 049\\n+1,255\\n4,901\\n5,029\\n19,336\\n19,616\\n280\\n15,142\\n16, 493\\n-1,351\\n4,092\\n4,546\\n1,447\\n1,135\\n312\\n1,162\\n1,028\\n134\\n502\\n659\\n281,210\\n235,533\\n+45,677\\n122, 808\\n125,343\\n+2,535\\n38,183\\n38,668\\n+673\\n+197\\n\u00e2\u0080\u0094438\\n\u00e2\u0080\u0094165\\n13\\n\u00e2\u0080\u0094128\\n-454\\n\u00e2\u0080\u0094157\\n\u00e2\u0080\u0094485\\n1 There are wide discrepancies between reports of the results of the census of 1887. One\\nauthority gives the population at 806,711. In Table VI the returns by departments were cer-\\ntified to the commissioner by the secretary of state, Senor Mufioz Rivera. His total is 798,565,\\nwhich evidently does not include the Spanish military and naval forces and the prisoners.\\nThese aggregate 3,874, making the total 802,409. Another authority gives the figures 803,474. It\\nis impossible to reconcile these differences, because there is no way of ascertaining the cause of\\nthem.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0206.jp2"}, "207": {"fulltext": "197\\nTable VI. Census of 1887 compared with census of 1897. Race and sex Cont d.\\nSUMMARY.\\n1897.\\n1887.\\nIncrease.\\nDecrease.\\nMales:\\nWhite\\n391, 886\\n119,087\\n37,646\\n239,400\\n121,304\\n38,317\\n52,486\\n3,217\\nBlack\\n671\\nTotal\\n448,619\\n399,031\\n49,598\\nFemales:\\nWhite\\n281,310\\n133,808\\n38,183\\n235,533\\n125,343\\n38,668\\n45,677\\n2,535\\nBlack\\n485\\nTotal\\n442,201\\n399,544\\n43,657\\nAggregate\\nWhite\\n573,096\\n341,895\\n75,829\\n474,933\\n246,647\\n76, 985\\n98,163\\n4,752\\nBlack\\n1,156\\nTotal\\n890,820\\n798,565\\n93,255\\nTable VII. \u00e2\u0080\u0094Summary of population in 1765.\\nFree.\\nSlaves.\\nMales\\nFemales..\\nChildren\\nTotal\\n10, 968\\n11,497\\n17,381\\n3,439\\n1,598\\n39,846\\n5,037\\nGeneral total, 44,883.\\nTable VIII. Summary of popidation in 1775.\\nResidents.\\nSons.\\nDaugh-\\nters.\\nTotal.\\nMen.\\nWomen.\\nWhites\\n5,349\\n5,433\\n693\\n4,351\\n3,450\\n4,663\\n5,346\\n530\\n3,441\\n3,133\\n9,903\\n11,936\\n860\\n9,284\\n11,431\\n712\\n29, 199\\n34,146\\n2,795\\n7,792\\n6,572\\n19,376\\n17,103\\n22,699\\n31,437\\n80,504", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0207.jp2"}, "208": {"fulltext": "198\\nINCREASE OF POPULATION FROM 1765 TO 1897.\\nBetween 1775 and 1877 no full tables of census returns are given.\\nThe following figures are, with two or three exceptions, those of\\nAcosta, in his notes in Abbad s History\\nTable IX.\\nYear.\\nPopula-\\ntion.\\n1765\\n44,883\\n80,504\\n81,120\\n87,994\\n91,845\\n93, 300\\n96,233\\n98,877\\n1775\\n1782\\n1783\\n1784\\n1785\\n1786\\n1787\\nYear.\\nPopula-\\ntion.\\n1788\\n101,398\\n103,051\\n106,679\\n112,712\\n115,557\\n120, 022\\n127,133\\n129,758\\n1789\\n1790\\n1791\\n1792 _\\n1793\\n1794\\n1795\\nYear.\\n1796\\n1797\\n1798\\n1799\\n1800\\n1801\\n1802\\n1803\\nPopula-\\ntion.\\n132,982\\n138,758\\n144,525\\n153,232\\n155,426\\n158,051\\n163, 192\\n174,902\\nYear.\\n1812\\n1815\\n1834\\n1846\\n1860\\n1877\\n1887\\n1897\\nPopula-\\ntion.\\n183,014\\n220,892\\n358,836\\n443,139\\n583,308\\n731,648\\n802,409\\n890,820\\nTable X.\u00e2\u0080\u0094 Population in 1834.\\nWhites 188,869\\nFree, mixed 101,275\\nFree, blacks 25,124\\nSlaves 41,818\\nTroops and prisoners 1, 750\\nTotal 358,836\\nTable XI. Population in 1846.\\nMales.\\nFemales.\\nTotal.\\nWhites\\n109,061\\n76,728\\n10,360\\n6,366\\n21,908\\n107,022\\n77,572\\n11, 131\\n6,674\\n16,317\\n216,083\\n154,300\\n21, 491\\n13,040\\n38,225\\nTotal\\n224,423\\n218,716\\n443,139\\nTable XII. Population in 1860.\\nSan Juan\\nBayamon\\nArecibo\\nAguadilla\\nMayaguez\\nPonce\\nGuayama\\nHumacao\\nTotal\\nIsle of Vieques\\nGeneral total\\nFamilies.\\nSouls.\\n3,387\\n18,259\\n13,051\\n77,781\\n13,916\\n80,427\\n12,558\\n70, 629\\n18,425\\n107,710\\n16,961\\n98,116\\n11,546\\n68,891\\n10,150\\n58,516\\n99, 994\\n580,329\\n530\\n2,979\\n100,524\\n583,308\\nBY RACE AND SEX.\\nMales.\\nFemales.\\nTotal.\\nWhites\\n154,350\\n120,397\\n21,668\\n146, 080\\n120,618\\n20,068\\n300,430\\n241,015\\nSlaves\\n41, 736\\nTotal\\n296,415\\n286, 766\\n583, 181\\n127\\nGeneral total\\n583, 308", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0208.jp2"}, "209": {"fulltext": "199\\nTable XII. Population in 1860\u00e2\u0080\u0094 Continued.\\nPERCENTAGE BY RACE AND- SEX.\\nWhites: Per cent.\\nMales 5207\\nFemales 5094\\nFree colored:\\nMales 4061\\nFemales 4206\\nSlaves:\\nMales. 0731\\nFemales 0699\\nBY NATIONALITY.\\nNational. Foreign\\nWhites\\nFree colored\\nTotal\\n298,704\\n280,821\\n579,525\\n1,726\\n1,930\\n3,656\\nBY AGE.\\nLess than 1 year 1M52\\nBetween 1 year and 7 years i??\\nBetween 8 and 15 years i ?1\\nBetween 16 and 20 years 61 6 io\\nBetween 21 and 25 years 57,69o\\nBetween 26 and 30 years 5/, 55b\\nBetween 31 and 40 years 6 Mof\\nBetween 41 and 50 years 35 S?S\\nBetween 51 and 60 years ZIS\\nBetween 61 and 70 years W\u00c2\u00a3\\nBetween 71 and 80 years If\\nBetween 81 and 85 years 928\\nBetween 86 and 90 years 970\\nBetween 91 and 95 years 253\\nBetween 96 and 100 years 218\\n100 years or more 3\\nBY OCCUPATION.\\nFree\\ncolored.\\nProprietors\\nFarm peasants\\nMerchants\\nManufacturers\\nIndustrial pursuits\\nEcclesiastics\\nActive employments\\nPensioned officials and superannuated\\nActive military duty, including trained militia\\nRetired\\nProfessors\\n4,563\\n9,642\\n321\\n6\\n512\\nCIVIL STATE.\\nSingle.\\nMarried.\\nWidow\\nand\\nwidower.\\nWhites:\\nMales\\n112,555\\n98,871\\n92,167\\n89,359\\n21,272\\n19,756\\n37,155\\n36,756\\n24,599\\n24,218\\n338\\n256\\n4,600\\nFemales\\n10,453\\nFree colored:\\nMales\\n3,632\\nFemales\\n7,040\\nSlaves:\\nMales\\n57\\nFemales\\n57", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0209.jp2"}, "210": {"fulltext": "200\\nTable XII. Population in 1860 Continued.\\nLITERACY.\\nLiterate.\\nIlliterate.\\nWhites:\\n27,009\\n17, 719\\n3,672\\n2,850\\n127,341\\n128,361\\nFree colored:\\n138,393\\n137, 836\\nTotal\\n51,250\\n531,931\\n.LITERACY IN PORTO RICO AND CUBA COMPARED.\\nLiterate.\\nIlliterate.\\nCuba:\\n33.00\\n26.00\\n17.50\\n12.50\\n67.00\\n74.00\\nPorto Rico:\\nMale\\n82.50\\n87.50\\nTable XIII. Increase of population by race, 1765-1897.\\nYear.\\nWhites.\\nIncrease.\\nFree\\ncolored.\\nIncrease.\\nSlaves.\\nIncrease.\\n1765....\\n5,037\\n6,572\\n41,818\\n51,216\\n41,736\\n1775\\n29, 199\\n188,867\\n216,083\\n300,430\\n474,933\\n573,096\\n36, 941\\n126,399\\n175, 791\\n241,015\\n323,632\\n317,724\\n1834\\n159,668\\n27,216\\n84,347\\n174,503\\n98,163\\n89, 458\\n49,392\\n65,224\\n82,617\\n!5,908\\n35.246\\n1846\\n9,398\\n1860\\n19,480\\n1887\\n1897\\n1 Decrease.\\nGEOGRAPHICAL.\\nSan Juan, P. R., November 2, 1898.\\nMr. Andres Crosas, an American citizen, many years in business\\nin Puerto Rico:\\nThe area of the island of Puerto Rico has been represented as 3,865\\nsquare miles, and in a new geography it is given as 3,500 square miles.\\nThe fact is there has never been an accurate survey, and the true\\narea lies probably between those figures. There was a triangular\\nsurvey of the. island made by the engineer staff officers of the Spanish\\narmy, but the Spaniards took that survey away with them. That\\nsurvey cost the island a great deal. I do not know how much.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0210.jp2"}, "211": {"fulltext": "201\\nRIVERS AND BROOKS.\\n[Those in braces are known by the first name, the other names being of branches or feed\\ners; italics indicate different names for the same river; Q. means quebrada, or brook; R. means\\nrio, or river.]\\nQ. Fajardo.\\nQ. Juan Martin.\\nR. Pita j alia.\\nR. Sabana.\\nR. Mameyes.\\nR. Grande.\\nR. Espiritu Santo\\nR. Herrera.\\nR. Canovanas.\\nR. Grande de\\nLoiza.\\nR. Canas.\\nNORTH COAST FROM EAST TO WEST.\\nR. Bairoa.\\nR. Cagnitas.\\nR. Quebradillas. I\\nR. Turabo.\\nR. Valencia.\\nR. Gurabo.\\nQ. Baden.\\nQ. Grande. J\\nQ. Juan Mendez.\\nR. Piedras.\\nR. Puerto Nuevo.\\nQ. Margarita.\\nR. Bayamon.\\nR. Hondo.\\nR. de la Plata.\\nR. Usabon.\\nR. Guayabate.\\nJ R. ChicodeCarite R.\\nR.\\nR.\\nIB.\\n|R.\\nIB.\\nR. Carite.\\nR. Hondo.\\nR. Ciburco.\\nR. Morovis.\\nR. Manati.\\nR. Cialitos.\\nQ\\nJQ-\\nR.\\nR.\\nQ.\\nQ.\\nArecibo.\\nTanama.\\nCriminales. {_\\nde los Angeles, f\\nAlonso.\\nLimones.\\nSeca.\\nBeblaca.\\nde Camuy.\\nGuajataca.\\nde los Cerdos.\\nSeco.\\nWEST COAST FROM NORTH TO SOUTH.\\nR. Culebrinas.\\nR. Nador. J\\nR. Grande.\\nQ. de Liana.\\nQ. de la Altura.\\nQ. Cagnat.\\nQ. Machucal.\\nQ. Adolfo.\\nQ. Gonzalez.\\nR. Susua.\\nQ. Rosas.\\nR. Yauco.\\nR. Guayanilla.\\nR. Macana.\\nR. Tallaboa,\\nQ. del Agua.\\nR. de Anasco. 1\\nR. de Prieto. I\\nR. de Blanco.\\nR. Guabas. J\\nR. de Mayaguez.\\nR. Guanajibo. 1\\nR. Grande.\\nR. Viejo.\\nR. Maguas.\\nR. Cain. f\\nSOUTH COAST FROM WEST TO EAST.\\nR. Canas.\\nR. Portugues.\\nR. Bucana.\\nR. Inabon.\\nR. Jacaguas.\\nR. Canas.\\nR. Descalabrado.\\nR. de Coama.\\nR. Jueyes.\\nR. Salinas.\\nR.\\nR.\\nR.\\nR.\\nQ.\\nQ-\\nQ.\\nR.\\nR.\\nQ.\\nLapa. I\\nMajada. f\\nJajonie. J\\nSeco.\\nAgiTas Verdes.\\nCimarrona.\\nPozo Hondo.\\nGuamani.\\nPianos\\nCreaux.\\nR. Rosario.\\nR. Buey.\\nR. Chico.\\nQ. Dumas.\\nQ. Ortiz.\\nQ. Palencia.\\nR. de Arroyo.\\nR. Maria.\\nR. de Patillas.\\nR. Maton.\\nR. del Real.\\nR. Chico.\\nQ. del Bajo.\\nR. Jacaboa.\\nQ. Manglillo.\\nEAST COAST FROM SOUTH TO NORTH.\\nR. de Maunabo\\nQ. Honda.\\nR. Guayanes.\\nR. de Ingenio.\\nR. Limones.\\nR. Candelero.\\nR. de Humacao.\\nR. Anton Ruiz.\\nQ. Mambille.\\nR. de Naguabo.\\nR. Santiago.\\nQ. Bolijas.\\nQ. Palma.\\nR. Daguao.\\nQ. Salada.\\nR. Aguas Claras.\\nR. Ceiba.\\nQ. Damajagua.\\nQ. Vueltas.\\nR. de Fajardo.\\nSan Juan.\\nAguadilla.\\nGuanica.\\nHARBORS AND ROADSTEADS.\\nNORTH COAST.\\nWEST COAST.\\nMayaguez.\\nSOUTH .COAST.\\nPonce.\\nArecibo.\\nCabo-rojo.\\nJobos.\\nHumacao.\\nEAST COAST.\\nFajardo.\\nIsabel Segunda, Island of\\nVieques.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0211.jp2"}, "212": {"fulltext": "202\\nISLANDS.\\n[Cayo means key, small island.]\\nEAST COAST.\\nVieques.\\nCulebra.\\nCulebrita.\\nCaballo Blanco.\\nCayo Santiago.\\nCayo Southwest. Puerca.\\nCayo Northeast. Hicacos.\\nPalominos. Pinero.\\nArcifes de la Cor- Cabras.\\ndillera. Aldodon.\\nSOUTH COAST.\\nLa Alcarraza.\\nPiragua del Este,\\nCucharas.\\nDescubridor.\\nCordona.\\nCaja de Muertos.\\nCano Gardo. Ratones.\\nWEST COAST.\\nC. de Berberia.\\nMona.\\nMonita.\\nNORTH COAST.\\nCabras. San Juan\\nCAVES.\\nDesecheo.\\nEl Consejo (Council Cave), near Arecibo.\\nOscura, Clara, Ermita, in Aguas Buenas.\\nCave of the Dead, Utuado, so called because of human bones found therein.\\nCueva de Pagita, in Callejones, Lares.\\nCave at G-uayabal, in Juana Diaz.\\nIndian Cavern, in Loiza.\\nSwallow Cave, in Manati.\\nGuataca, in San Sebastian.\\nEnea, in San Sebastian.\\nMOUNTAIN PEAKS.\\nEl Yunque, between districts of Naguabo and Rio Grande, ab6ut 5,000 feet.\\nTorrecilla, near town of Barranquitas, 3,664 feet.\\nMata Platano, northern part of district of Penuelas, 3,030 feet.\\nToita, in district of Cayey, 2,856 feet.\\nGuilarte, in district of Adjuntas, 2,660 feet.\\nCerro Gorda, in district of Sabana Grande, 2,233 feet.\\nBATHS OR SPRINGS.\\nBaiios de Coamo, mineral, medical, hot.\\nQuintana, near Ponce, sulphur baths.\\nSan Sebastian, warm springs, mineral.\\nSan Lorenzo, mineral springs.\\nCaguitas, in Aguas Buenas, hot springs.\\nRayo, Rincon.\\nTHE CLIMATE.\\nBy Prof. Mark W. Harrington, Director of the U. S. Weather Bureau.\\nThe published observations of Porto Rico are very scanty, con-\\nsisting of a total of about nine years at San Juan only, and these are\\nfragmentary, being scattered through twenty years. They show a\\ntrue tropical climate, with a high mean temperature (78.9\u00c2\u00b0 F.) and\\nvery little difference in season, except in rainfall. The coldest month\\non the average is February (75.7\u00c2\u00b0), and the hottest June (81.5\u00c2\u00b0), but\\nDecember to March are very much alike in temperature, and so are\\nthe months from June to September. The very coldest month on rec-\\nord is January, 1895 (70\u00c2\u00b0), and the very warmest is June, 1878 (86\u00c2\u00b0).", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0212.jp2"}, "213": {"fulltext": "203\\nThe average change from the coldest to the hottest is only 6\\ndegrees, but this is verj?- appreciable to one who has lived long in the\\nTropics. The cool months really seem to the natives to be decidedly\\ncold, requiring additional covering on the bed and heavier clothing.\\nThe coldest temperature on record in San Juan is 57.2\u00c2\u00b0, on a day in\\nJanuary, 1894. The very hottest on record is 100.8\u00c2\u00b0, on a day in May,\\n1878. The absolute range of temperature observed is therefore\\nbetween 43\u00c2\u00b0 and 44\u00c2\u00b0. The former temperature is far above frost, but\\nwould seem to the natives very cold and would check the growth of\\ntropical plants. The latter would seem very hot, for the air of San\\nJuan is very moist and the evaporation of perspiration is slow.\\nThe comfort of San Juan as a place of residence, not to mention its\\nhealthfulness, is very much increased by the briza, which is not\\ngiven in the published reports. It is the northeast trade which has\\nbeen turned toward the west, until the briza comes quite regularly\\nfrom the east. It is not felt much during the day, but springs up\\nlate in the afternoon and lasts through the evening. It is a soft,\\ngentle breeze, laving the body, and giving an effect which is most\\nfresh and delightful. It has a regularity approaching that of the\\nsun, and Santurce and Catano, two suburbs of the capital, get it both\\nmore strongly and through a larger part of the twenty-four hours.\\nAt Catano it may be felt until the middle of the forenoon, and\\nbegins again in mid-afternoon. At Santurce it makes the nights\\npositively cool.\\nThe year at San Juan is divided into the dry season and the wet sea-\\nson; but the dry season has about as much rainfall as the Northeastern\\nStates, and the wet season more than twice as much. The dry season\\nembraces the months from December to March, with a rainfall of 10 or\\n11 inches. It is the most attractive season of the year, relatively dry\\nand cool. It is the proper season for the visits of Northerners to San\\nJuan; and winter residents would find its climate very gentle, mild,\\nand safe. The wet season embraces the other eight months in the\\nyear, and has a rainfall of 48 to 49 inches, or more than the whole of\\nthe year for the most of the United States. The total rainfall at San\\nJuan is nearly 60 inches, and the culmination is in November, when\\nan average of nearly 8 inches falls.\\nThe rainfall is not excessive. It is equaled in many places in the\\nSouthern States and in the northern part of the Pacific coast, and is sur-\\npassed in many places. It is less significant from the ease with which\\nthe rain comes down. There are few threatenings of storms for\\ndays beforehand. There is little wind and little lightning. Rainy\\ndays are rare, but rainy afternoons or evenings for an hour or two\\ncommon. The rain begins suddenly, falls heavily, and ends soon.\\nThere is no impression of a rainy climate, except that everything\\nseems constantly fresh and clean.\\nThe healthfulness of San Juan is the greatest of any city in the\\nWest Indies. Yellow fever is never at home here, and when imported\\nit rarely, if ever, spreads. Malarial fevers are very rare in the city\\nand some cases of dysentery and typhoid occur. The little city has\\nno waterworks in a condition to be used, but stands on a coral island\\nwhich rises to a summit of 100 feet or more and is only 3 miles long\\nby half a mile broad and with few open sewers, and between the city\\nauthorities and the heavy rainfalls it is kept quite clean.\\nThe great climatic misfortune of San Juan is the hurricane which\\noccasionally visits it in the latter part of the rainy season (from\\nAugust to October). It comes on very much as general storms do in", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0213.jp2"}, "214": {"fulltext": "204\\nthe North, with lowering sky, rising winds, and general threats of\\nan impending storm but it comes from the east, while our storms\\ngenerally are from the west. It is much more intense than our\\nstorms, but is very much rarer. Its usual earliest sign is a booming\\nsea without apparent cause, for waves propagate themselves faster\\nthan wind travels. Hurricanes are rare in San Juan. The last\\noccurred in 1876. They usually pass to the south or to the north of\\nPorto Rico.\\nThe climate of the rest of the island is much like that of San Juan,\\nwith modifications due to elevation above the sea and to changes in\\nthe briza, due to the topography. The change of the temperature\\nwith elevation is relatively rapid here, being apparently about 4\u00c2\u00b0 of\\ntemperature to every thousand feet.\\nNow, Mount Yunque, at the northeastern part of the island, is,\\naccording to the chief of the department of engineers of the island,\\nabout 6,000 feet high, and its summit would have a mean temperature\\nas low as that of many places in the States. Besides elevations of\\n2,000 feet are not unusual for towns snow apparently never falls on\\nthe island, but hoarfrosts are reported as occasional in high places.\\nSeveral towns of some size in the interior have a popular reputation\\nas being cold Cayey, Adjuntas, and Utuado. That black frosts do\\nnot occur, however, is evident from the fact that the banana grows\\nfreely up to at least 2,000 feet, and it is very sensitive to frost.\\nThere appear to be three mountain ridges running from end to end\\nin the island, but the central is the commanding one, and the eleva-\\ntions are, on the whole, highest toward the eastern end, and espe-\\ncially at the northeastern angle. The result is that the briza most\\nwets and refreshes the eastern end of the island and the rainfall\\nchanges greatly from point to point. Judging by Jamaica, of which\\nthe climate has been carefully studied, the heaviest rainfall is in the\\nnortheast, and it may here in places amount to 100 inches annually\\nor more. In Jamaica it is known to surpass 200 inches in some places,\\nand El Yunque, as seen from San Juan, is very generally capped by\\nrain cloud. The interior valleys of the island are relatively dry,\\nwhile the northern and eastern mountain slopes are wet. A few pro-\\ntected places are reported as so dry that rain may not fall for an\\nentire year or more, but these spots must be small.\\nThe general appearance of the island is most attractive and vernal.\\nThe vegetation is luxuriant and clothes the mountains to their very\\nsummits. Very little bare rock is seen anywhere. The island is one\\nof the best watered in the world. It is said to have 1,200 streams\\nwith names, of which 71 can be called rivers, and 5 or 6 are of con-\\nsiderable size. In crossing the island from Ponce to San Juan on the\\nmilitary road .one crosses over 50 bridges, besides fording several\\nstreams at the southern end. Water power is extremely abundant\\nand could provide power for a large part of the work required in the\\nisland. It suffers, however, the marked disadvantage that the streams\\nare subject to sudden and severe floods. Two or three weeks ago the\\nCoamo River rose 15 or 20 feet and fell again in one night. Its\\nhighest point was marked by the limbs of trees and other vegetation\\nwhich it had plastered against the arches of a high bridge. A heavy\\nafternoon rain in the mountains about its source had caused the sud-\\nden rise.\\nWeather Bureau Station,\\nSan Juan, P. R. November 3, 1898.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0214.jp2"}, "215": {"fulltext": "205\\nHURRICANES IN THE ISLAND.\\nAccording to history the nineteenth century has seen more destruc-\\ntive hurricanes than any previous century since Spanish occupation\\nof the island. The following list is given in Acosta s Notes to Fray\\nInigo Abbad s History of Puerto Rico\\nJuly. 1515.\\nOctober 4, 1526.\\nJuly 26, 1530.\\nSIXTEENTH CENTURY.\\nAugust 23 and 31, 1530.\\nJuly and August, 1537.\\nSeptember 21, 1575.\\n1740.\\nSEVENTEENTH CENTURY.\\nSeptember 12, 1615.\\nEIGHTEENTH CENTURY.\\nAugust 28, 1772.\\nNINETEENTH CENTURY.\\nSeptember 4, 1804. August 2, 1837.\\nJuly 23, 1813. August 18, 1851.\\nJuly 23, 1814. October 29, 1867.\\nSeptember 21, 1819. August 14, 1886.\\nJuly 26, 1825. August 8, 1899.\\nOf these twenty-two hurricanes, the record of which has been pre-\\nserved, ten have taken place during the present century. Eight\\noccurred in the month of August, six in July, four in September, and\\none in October. Of all the hurricanes, that of 1772 seems to have\\nbeen the most severe.\\nSUMMARY FOR TWELVE MONTHS.\\nMonth.\\nNovember. 1898\\nDecember, 1898.\\nJanuary, 1899...\\nFebruary, 1899\\nMarch, 1899\\nApril, 1899\\nMay, 1899\\nJune, 1899..\\nJuly, 1899\\nAugust, 1899\\nSeptember, 1899\\nOctober, 1899...\\nHighest\\nLowest\\ntempera-\\nDate.\\ntempera-\\nDate.\\nMean.\\nture.\\nture.\\n88\\n1\\n65\\n9\\n77.2\\n85\\n12\\n66\\n118\\n75.9\\n82\\n28\\n66\\n19\\n74.6\\n85\\n8\\n66\\n2 20\\n75.2\\n82\\n3 5\\n66\\n8\\n74.7\\n90\\n21\\n66\\n4\\n76.6\\n89\\n3\\n68\\n1\\n79\\n91\\n22\\n71\\n6\\n79.4\\n87\\n2\\n70\\n6 4\\n80\\n88\\n29\\n71\\n20\\n80\\n91\\n11\\n71\\n30\\n81\\n89\\n10\\n68\\n1\\n80\\nGreatest\\ndaily\\nrange.\\nMonth.\\nLeast\\ndaily\\nrange.\\nCloudy\\ndays.\\nPartly\\ncloudy\\ndays.\\nClear\\ndays.\\nRain.\\no\\nInches.\\n7\\n6 2\\n64\\n612\\n12.08\\n8\\n8\\n9\\n9\\n22\\n22\\n5.34\\n2.92\\n8\\n10\\n9\\n9\\n19\\n21\\n.80\\n2.29\\n1\\n8\\n2\\n8\\n20\\n6.09\\n10\\n2\\n18\\n11\\n2.59\\n9\\n6\\n17\\n7\\n7.23\\n7\\n4\\n16\\n11\\n7.53\\n7\\n5\\n12\\n14\\n10.38\\n7\\n6\\n11\\n13\\n13.66\\n7\\n13\\n12\\n6\\n10.21\\nMaximum\\nvelocity of\\n\u00e2\u0096\u00a0wind-\\nNovember, 1898\\nDecember, 1898.\\nJanuary, 1899...\\nFebruary, 1899\\nMarch, 1899\\nApril, 1899\\nMay, 1899..\\nJune, 1899\\nJuly, 1899\\nAugust, 1899\\nSeptember, 1899\\nOctober, 1899...\\n20\\n21\\n24\\n19\\n24\\n19\\nr 66\\n31\\n38\\n1 Also, 19, 22.\\n2 Also, 28.\\n3 Also, 7, 19, 20, 29, 30.\\n4 Also 4, 22, 27.\\n6 Also, 8, 27, 28.\\n6 Beginning November IS\\n7 Eighth, east.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0215.jp2"}, "216": {"fulltext": "206\\nPUBLIC HEALTH AND SANITATION.\\nTHE CHIEF DISEASES.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nSan Juan, P. R., October 28, 1898.\\nJose C. Barbosa, M. D.\\nDr. Barbosa. I am a physician, having graduated at Ann Arbor,\\nMich., in the class of 1880.\\nDr. Carroll. I desire to ask you a few questions bearing on your\\nwork as a physician. What are the chief diseases here?\\nDr. Barbosa. Malaria is the principal disease. It is found here\\nin all its different forms. There is also much tuberculosis, owing to\\nthe condition in which the people live here. We have here sometimes\\n50 or. 60 persons living in quarters where there is hardly sufficient\\nspace for 10 or 12. The poor live in the lower part of the house and\\nthe wealthier classes upstairs. The lower part of the houses is\\nfrequently damp and altogether unhealthful.\\nDr. Carroll. What about smallpox?\\nDr. Barbosa. We have a case of smallpox now and then, but it is\\nsporadic. We have no epidemics of that kind. In 1880 we had some\\ncases, and again in 1893, but it was not so dangerous as in former\\nyears. We have paid a great deal of attention to precautionary\\nmeasures against it. We have given special attention to vaccination.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there not a great mortality here among children?\\nDr. Barbosa. Yes. The poor people here have too many children\\nto sustain; they have not the means to provide their children proper\\nnourishment. Milk costs here a great deal, because of the consump-\\ntion tax, and is usually stale. Then the crowded way in which the\\npoor live and the damp places where they have to live are conducive\\nto disease among the children and adults as well. The principal dis-\\neases among the children are bowel diseases, which reduce them to a\\ncondition of weakness from which they are unable to build up their\\nstrength again, owing to lack of proper nourishment and suitable con-\\nditions. There is also a great deal of tetanus among the children\\nowing to the careless way in which the cord is cut at birth seldom by\\na physician in the case of poor children usually an old neighbor is\\ncalled in and she will cut the cord with a pair of scissors. This care-\\nlessness, together with the climate, which is favorable to the develop-\\nment of tetanus, produces the disease in many cases.\\nDr. Carroll. Do the people suffer often from sunstroke?\\nDr. Barbosa. Very seldom. We usually have a good breeze, which\\ngreatly modifies the temperature.\\nNEED OF MEDICAL AID FOR THE POOR.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nUtuado, P. R., January 16, 1899.\\nMr. Gonzales Cordova (physician). I will take advantage of this\\nopportunity to say a few words in behalf of my country with regard\\nto questions concerning my profession. I consider Porto Rico the\\nmost enemic country in the world. We are almost without charitable\\ninstitutions; so much so, that among a people of 1,000,000 inhabitants\\nwe only have one hospital worthy of the name. That is at Ponce.\\nWe are continually seeing people in the country die for want of med-", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0216.jp2"}, "217": {"fulltext": "207\\nical assistance. I think that is a matter of the ntniost importance.\\nThis lack of hospitals should be attended to at once. As there are\\njudicial districts, so there should be formed hospital districts. If\\nevery town is not able to sustain a hospital, several towns can unite\\nand among them be able to do so. It is impossible to educate a people\\nunless you can first attend to their health. I make these suggestions\\nbecause I recognize the good intentions of the great country which\\nto-day protects us and which is striving to do everything for our good.\\nINSANE COMMITTED TO JAIL.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nCabo Rojo, P. R., January 27, 1899.\\nDr. Carroll. How many prisoners have you in the municipal jail?\\nMr. Ortiz. One madman there only. We send our prisoners to San\\nGerman. We only detain prisoners in our jail one day.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you no other places for an insane person?\\nMr. Ortiz. No not even a prison. It is only a detention place.\\nA LABORATORY NEEDED.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nHumacao, P. R., February 1, 1899.\\nDr. Pablo Font, a physician of Humacao, and Mr. Joaquin Mas-\\nferrer, mayor of the city\\nDr. Carroll. I am told that the health of Humacao is very good.\\nDr. Font. It is good.\\nDr. Carroll. It is a poor place, then, perhaps, for doctors to get\\nrich?\\nDr. Font. Yes; decidedly so.\\nDr. Carroll. What are the prevailing diseases here?\\nDr. Font. Principally malarial fever in various forms. We have\\nalso typhoid, but it is rare; it is never epidemic, and yellow fever is\\nalmost unknown here. We have at present two smallpox cases,\\nbrought in here from Ponce. We- quarantine such cases out on the\\nlimits of the city. We also have a quarantine place for yellow fever.\\nDr. Carroll. Are there many cases of pulmonary diseases?\\nDr. Font. Owing to the weather of the winter months we have an\\nepidemic of grip here. Two or three hundred people are suffering\\nfrom that now. There is also very much rheumatism in the town.\\nDr. Carroll. What is rheumatism here due to to dampness on\\naccount of rain or to undue exposure?\\nDr. Font. It is due to dampness. The poor people are more sub-\\nject to it, because they haven t sufficient covering to keep themselves\\nwarm.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the condition of the hospital?\\nDr. Font. The hospital is in good condition at least, in proportion\\nto the size of the town. It requires to be enlarged a little, but we\\nhaven t the money to do it. I desire to suggest to you the necessity\\nof establishing a bacteriological laboratory, which might be either in\\nthe capital or other large city of the island. It is an absolute\\nnecessity.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0217.jp2"}, "218": {"fulltext": "208\\nDr. Carroll. What special argument would you advance for hav-\\ning a bacteriological laboratory in the island? What would be its\\nchief uses?\\nDr. Font. I give as one reason that there are a great many cases of\\nhydrophobia in the island, and we have to take them to Havana.\\nThe same is true of croup and diphtheria. If we had such an estab-\\nlishment in San Juan, we could take patients there. Poor people can\\nnot go to Havana.\\nDr. Carroll. Would the cost of maintaining such a laboratory be\\nlarge?\\nDr. Font. During the Spanish domination there was some talk of\\nestablishing such an institution in Mayaguez, and all the municipali-\\nties were to contribute a proportionate amount for that purpose, but\\nwhen the war came on the project fell to the ground. Some money\\nwas, in fact, contributed.\\nDr. Carroll. Where did the money go?\\nDr. Font. History telleth not.\\nDISEASES IN THE INTERIOR.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nCaguas, P. R., February 7, 1899.\\nDr. Carroll. What are the prevailing diseases here?\\nDr. Jimenez Cruz. Paludic fevers and typhoid fever, the latter not\\nin an epidemic form. Yellow fever, smallpox, and measles are only\\nof rare occurrence and are brought here from outside. There is a\\ndisease getting more common here every year and which will merit\\nthe attention of the Government. It is malignant pustule, which is\\ncausrht from cattle.\\n[HeariDg before the United States Commissioner.]\\nPonce, P. R., March 4, 1899.\\nDr. Vidal. It will be necessary to have energetic health measures\\nintroduced here. The country is suffering very much for want of\\nhealth regulations. For the last two months there has been an\\nimmense mortality in the island on account of smallpox and for want\\nof vaccination.\\nDr. Carroll. That is being altered now.\\nDr. Vidal. By the time the remedy is applied a large number of\\npeople will have died. It would have been easy to remedy it before-\\nhand. It is necessary to Americanize everything, beginning with the\\nayuntamiento at Ponce. There are five councilors who have been in\\ncouncil for ten years who have come to regard it as a business.\\nAnother terrible evil here is the evil of venereal diseases. I am doc-\\ntoring a large number of American soldiers for that. We have a sys-\\ntem of vigilance, but it is not sufficient. If you want to see the state of\\nabandonment and distress in which things are here, go to the emer-\\ngency hospital in the alcaldia and take an American doctor with you.\\nThere is not a needle or anything else to attend to wounded persons.\\nThe poor man who goes there wounded is murdered for want of proper\\ntreatment. I was the titular doctor here and left the position because\\nI thought it was beneath me as a doctor to treat people as I had to\\ntreat them with the small means afforded.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0218.jp2"}, "219": {"fulltext": "209\\nSANITARY CONDITION OF THE CITIES.\\nSTATEMENT OF DR. AZEL AMES, MAJOR AND BRIGADE SURGEON, U. S. VOLUNTEERS.\\nPonce, P. P., March 20, 1899.\\nThe sanitary or rather unsanitary conditions of Porto Rico have been\\ntoo well known, especially by Army and other visitors of the island\\nin the last few months, to need any extended comment. That every\\ndisease of a zymotic character that is, diseases originating in filth\\nwas widely prevalent in fact, omnipresent goes almost without say-\\ning. Perhaps no more general filth conditions among a people living so\\nnearly an outdoor life, and yet so densely packed in a small area, was\\never known, and these conditions, both as an ever-increasing menace\\nto themselves and recently to the lives and health of the new pos-\\nsessors and their representatives, have assumed the utmost impor-\\ntance. While it has been denied that typhoid fever prevailed to any\\nextent in the island before the advent of the United States troops,\\nsuch a claim can not be made good, though it is beyond dispute that\\nthe volume of the disease was immensely increased by the arrivals\\nfrom camps Alger, Chickamauga, etc. The prevalence of malaria,\\non the other hand, has not proved as extensive as was probably gen-\\nerally expected by medical officers of the Army. In fact, the whole\\nring of most prevalent diseases except, probably, rheumatism is chiefly\\nthat due to evil hygienic conditions. Syphilis and associated venereal\\ndiseases, long the curse of the Tropics and certainly extremely so in\\nPorto Rico, were undoubtedly increased by the influx of the Amer-\\nican Army; and while the disease has perhaps become more attenuated,\\nstill it is widely prevalent and possesses no small degree of virulence.\\nTo this assemblage of conditions it became the paramount duty of\\nthe medical intelligence of Americans as represented especially by the\\nMedical Corps of the Army, to address itself, and with great vigor,\\nskill, and energy. That it has done so may best be known from the\\nresults which have followed.\\nMayaguez, the chief city of the western end of the island and the\\nearliest one, except Ponce, of the principal cities occupied by the\\nUnited States forces, was the first to receive any considerable measure\\nof attention in the direction of public hygiene. Under the sanitary\\nsupervision of Major Ames, at that time sanitary inspector, the effort\\nwas made to rehabilitate its health conditions, and Dr. Hermanez\\nNuessa, a very able young Porto Rican physician, educated in the\\nUnited States, was created its health officer, and to-day Mayaguez\\npresents an almost altogether unobjectionable appearance to the vis-\\niting stranger. Its water supply is excellent, requiring only proper\\nfiltration to make it acceptable. Its streets are clean, its market\\nhouses the same, and a general air of cleanliness and fineness, thrift,\\nand modern prosperity is evident. The city council has voted a con-\\nsiderable appropriation, pursuant to the suggestion of Major Ames,\\nfor the improvement of its waterworks in the direction indicated, and\\na comprehensive system of sewerage is a probability of the near future.\\nAguadilla, at the extreme western end of the island, at the time of\\nits occupation by the United States troops in October last, it being\\nthe delivery point of the Spanish prisoners at the close of negotiations,\\nwas the representative town of its size in the matters of filth and an\\nevil hygiene, but under the exceptionably able administration of Major\\nMansfield, Eleventh United States Infantry, who has held nearly every\\n1125 14", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0219.jp2"}, "220": {"fulltext": "210\\nofficial relation to it possible, it has become a model town in the\\nisland, the United States post there being one of the most beautiful\\nto be found in the Antilles. It lacks an adequate water supply and\\ndrainage, which, with the wealth and energy displayed by its people,\\nare sure to receive early attention.\\nPonce, the largest city and chief commercial port of the southern\\ncoast of the island, including its port or play a, situated on a bay 2 miles\\nor more from the town, has the merit of an admirable water supply\\nand of fairly conditioned streets. Its public buildings, city hall, jail,\\nmarket houses, abattoir, etc., are of wretched description, and require\\nto be demolished and replaced. It is probable that all this will be of\\nspeedy occurrence. Its low location and the extensive watershed sur-\\nrounding it make it especially desirable, in fact essential, that its\\nsewerage should be a matter of very early consideration. There are\\nfive tentative propositions looking toward this under consideration,\\nbut there is need of a comprehensive board of water supply and\\ndrainage for the island, composed of competent engineers and experi-\\nenced men to determine this with other similar questions. While the\\nconditions of life of the lower classes are far superior to those of San\\nJuan, the capital, the low-lying character of the city s site and perhaps\\nother causes may account for the unduly large mortality which attends\\nits sick list. The city is now kept in a cleanly condition and with\\nadequate sewerage and a continuance of the excellent regulations\\nrecently established can not fail to become in a few years as well con-\\nditioned as it is beautiful. A vast gain has been made since the occu-\\npation by the troops in every material condition, but the poor character\\nof the public buildings and the want of proper drainage have .been\\ninsuperable barriers to a progress otherwise possible on hygienic lines.\\nGuayama, an old town built upon the popular lines of the Moorish-\\nSpanish character, is by situation a healthful town, but lacked, on the\\nadvent of the American forces, nearly every sanitary requirement.\\nUnder the administration of United States medical and military offi-\\ncers its condition has been greatly improved and is now likely to\\nreceive still more careful attention in the presence there of old and\\nexperienced officers of reputation for energy, and has already taken\\n\u00c2\u00a9n features of cleanliness and improvement not hitherto possessed.\\nSan Juan, the capital, perhaps the dirtiest and vilest city in the\\nisland, presented so many difficult problems to the sanitarian on its\\noccupation by the United States forces as to be well-nigh paralyzing.\\nIt was then without water supply, without any but the most superfi-\\ncial attempts at drainage, with a population more densely huddled\\ntogether under utterly unsanitary conditions than any other similar\\npopulation in the United States domain. Narrow in construction,\\ncontracted in its limits, and under particularly bad conditions as to\\ndiseases prevalent, San Juan was apparently as hopeless a proposition\\nto the health officers as could well be imagined. The first difficulty\\nwas that of the densely crowded mass of human beings occupying, in\\nfamilies of astonishing size, the ground-floor rooms of the contiguous\\ndwellings. Their condition may be better imagined than described;\\nin fact, there are no words equal to the task of telling it. Yet, in the\\nfew months of American occupancy, water from the works in process\\nof construction by the Spaniards for several years has been brought\\ninto the city. Its fire department has been reorganized and made\\nconsiderably more efficient; the health administration intrusted to a\\nboard created by the general commanding, at the head of which is\\nCapt. L. P. Davidson, Fifth United States Infantry, ably assisted by", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0220.jp2"}, "221": {"fulltext": "211\\nDr. Glennan, assistant, United States Marine-Hospital Service, a native\\nphysician, and two members of the municipal council, which board is\\naccomplishing a tremendous work in the cleansing of the city, in\\nhouse-to-house inspection, the abatement of intolerable nuisances and\\nthe regulation of sanitary conditions, the prevention and control of\\ndiseases, quarantine regulations, the removal of domestic waste and\\nexcreta, and various other kinds of hj^gienic work of the utmost\\nimportance. Captain Davidson, recognizing the magnitude of the\\nwork committed to him, promptly ordered from Boston, New York,\\nand other cities of the United States the most perfect appliances for\\nthe removal of garbage, excreta, etc., and has installed them in an\\nefficient and well-regulated service. The outbreak of smallpox which\\nhas visited the city has been placed under adequate control and with\\nthe march of vaccination will be speedily eliminated.\\nThe question of the control of the dense, ill-starred population\\nmassed together in the tenements of the lower stories in San Juan is\\none that might well appall the most sagacious and experienced sani-\\ntarian. Without an adequate water supply uritil now, without sewer-\\nage accommodations, public wash houses, or baths, and with only the\\npoorest provision for the preparation of food, it has seemed almost\\nhopeless to accomplish any material change in the situation of this\\ngreat population. But already, under the stimulus of Captain David-\\nson and his associates, endeavors are being mooted, partly by philan-\\nthropic aid from the United States, to occupy certain lands of the\\nGovernment at San Geronimo and build there industrial dwellings\\nfor this class, which can be given to the poorer classes at present\\nrentals, to which it is believed that 5,000 or more of the poorest\\npeoj)le could be successfully removed and there be controlled in hygi-\\nenic matters. It is a bold and great undertaking, as yet in embryo,\\nbut that it will develop into something adequate there seems little\\nroom to doubt.\\nThe health of the United States troops, since they have been so\\nreduced in number as to make it possible adequately to house and\\ncare for them, especially since the advent of fine winter weather, has\\nmarvelously improved, and sickness is now at the minimum and\\nbelow the figures for equal numbers at the majority of posts in the\\nUnited States. The people and the soldiers are alreadj^ accustomed\\nto each other, and the friction which has sometimes to a limited\\nextent and in a mild degree existed is rapidly being reduced to the\\nminimum, having been always much exaggerated. Under the more\\ncareful handling of the men and the better regulation of the citizens,\\nbrawls, licentiousness, and petty crimes are steadily decreasing and\\nthe level of public health is proportionately rising. That so much\\nshould have been accomplished under shifting conditions and under\\nconditions involving haste and waste, poor regulations and uncer-\\ntainty, and the movement of large bodies of troops in the brief time\\nwhich the Americans have occupied the island, seems incredible but\\nthat another year is to furnish results far greater still can not rea-\\nsonably be doubted. There is every reason to believe that sanitary\\nconditions are abreast of, if not superior to, those in the British West\\nIndies, with sanitary appliances of American manufacture far supe-\\nrior, and all at the end of a few months. When the American army\\nestablished itself, intelligent officers of experience took up the white\\nman s burden with an individual sense of obligation and a devotion\\nworthy of the American citizen soldier.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0221.jp2"}, "222": {"fulltext": "212\\nTHE VACCINATION PLAN OF GENERAL HENRY.\\nPonce, P. R., March 20, 1899.\\nSTATEMENT BY DB. AZEL AMES, MAJOR AND BRIGADE SURGEON, TJ. S. V., COM-\\nMANDING THE UNITED STATES VACCINE CORPS, DEPARTMENT OF PORTO RICO.\\nDr. Ames. The undertaking to vaccinate the entire department of\\nPorto Rico arose from the increasing prevalence of smallpox and the\\nevident necessity of taking vigorous measures to control it. It\\nbecame evident that there should be a thorough and general vaccina-\\ntion, and General Henry issued an order requiring compulsory vac-\\ncination of all inhabitants. The initial question then, of course, was\\nwant of the supply of virus, vaccine lymph, and on inquiry it was\\nfound that to bring it from the United States in sufficient quantity\\nthe only source available for so large a quantity as would be requisite\\nfor the vaccination of a million people would be approximately\\n$50,000 or $60,000. In discussion of the matter with the chief sur-\\ngeon, Colonel Hoff I suggested that it ought to be possible to produce\\nour own virus, as the supply of cattle in the island was large and\\nuncommonly fine, and after preliminary consideration and inquiry I\\nwas placed in charge of the undertaking, which contemplated noth-\\ning less than the primary testing for disease of approximately 2,000\\ncattle, a million vaccinations and revaccinations.\\nThe work of organization of so great an undertaking was one\\ninvolving, of course, infinite detail and some considerable difficulty.\\nIt was necessary to secure without great cost to the United States\\na sufficient supply of young cattle, to locate them and subsist them\\nfor a considerable period, to procure from the United States initial\\nlymph and the appliances for vaccination and tests, to organize and\\nequip a corps of nearly one hundred men, with expert pathologists,\\nphysicians, assistants, etc., arrange for their transportation, and get\\nthem all into effective working order. Of course, the production of\\nthe virus was of itself a very great undertaking, but was but half of\\nthe entire enterprise, and left the organization for the vaccination of\\nthe inhabitants to be provided for.\\nThe great difficulty experienced, after securing the cattle and pro-\\nviding for their proper manipulation and the regulation of the corps,\\nwas in the matter of procuring the initial vaccine virus for the vacci-\\nnation of the cattle. This had to be brought from the United States,\\nand, as was feared, it proved to a very considerable extent entirely\\nuntrustworthy, probably owing to climatic changes incident to the\\nvoyage and conditions under which it was transferred from the\\nStates. Enough, however, was procured to make a beginning, and it\\nwas rapidly multiplied as soon as local stock was established, a,nd\\nthe work carried steadily forward from that time. The magni-\\ntude of the undertaking and the difficulties attendant will perhaps\\nbe best understood when it is stated that the vaccination require\\nments of the public vaccinators employed in the field made it requi-\\nsite that there should be sent from the United States distributing-\\nstation at Coamo Baths 15,000 charged points every day, besides\\nwhich there must be gathered from the animals at the camps 1,200\\npoints more for the vaccination of cattle, etc., making a total of\\n16,200 requisite per day. The work of distribution was simplified by\\nthe division of the island into departments, namely: five with head-\\nquarters at San Juan, Ponce, Guayama, Arecibo, and Mayaguez, the\\neffort being to divide the population between these five divisions as", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0222.jp2"}, "223": {"fulltext": "213\\nnearly equally as possible. These divisions embraced a population\\nusually of about 165,000 people, all of whom have had either to be vac-\\ncinated or examined for proof of smallpox or of satisfactory recent\\nvaccination.\\nTo reach the vaccinators engaged in the work it was necessary to\\nestablish a carrier service from the virus-producing farms at whatever\\ndistance they might be from the distributing station at Coamo Baths,\\nwhereby the virus produced each day to the amount of 16,200 points\\nshould be conveyed to the distributing station. The carrier and his\\nhorse, on arriving each night, must be fed and housed, the hour of\\nhis arrival and departure noted, and the virus placed for safe-keeping\\nin a cold refrigerator. The next morning it was divided at the dis-\\ntributing station into unit packages, so called, containing 100 points,\\nwhich were placed in quadruple wrappings to protect them against\\nchanges of heat, cold, and moisture, and then sent by mail to their\\nvarious destinations, to the extent of 3,000 points each, to every one\\nof the five vaccination divisions of the island. The virus being com-\\nmitted to the several alcaldes of the municipalities in the five divi-\\nsions, is distributed by them to the vaccinators engaged in their respec-\\ntive jurisdictions.\\nThe work at the virus farm has been so carefully done that when\\nan animal was selected for vaccinating purposes, after being under\\nobservation for two days as to general health conditions, it was tested\\nby an injection prepared by the United States Agricultural Depart-\\nment, and then retained under observation for twenty-four hours or\\nmore, temperatures being taken carefully from 5 o clock each morning\\nuntil 12 o clock the same night and duly recorded. The animal\\ngiving satisfactory reactions to these tests had a tag placed in its ear\\nand took its place in the group for vaccination. Vaccinating tables,\\nwith tilting tops, were constructed, and the animal ready for vacci-\\nnation, being driven alongside, was instantly strapped to the table top\\nand lifted to the horizontal and laid upon the table. It was then\\nthoroughly sterilized, cleansed, and shaved, and vaccinated with the\\nvirus first procured from the United States and later by that pro-\\nduced on the farm. In gathering the virus from the ripened vesicles\\nof the vaccinated animals all of which were under 1 year of age,\\nand hence of tenderer skin and more likely to be free from all dis-\\nease than older animals, as well as being easier handled much care\\nwas taken.\\nThe virus froni each animal was kept separate and distinct, and\\nthorough records were kept by the number of the animal from start to\\nfinish, so that the complete record of every vaccine point at the vari-\\nous points of the island is in the hands of the vaccinator using it. As\\nthe virus is cut from the animal it is placed on a wire-net drying basin,\\nfrom which it is removed to a sterilized glass jar, which is closed and\\nplaced in a refrigerator and left until the work of gathering for the\\nday ceases. All virus to be shipped to the distributing station is then\\ntaken, one jar at a time, so that there shall be no admixture of points,\\nand 500 points are placed in absorbent cotton, in shallow tin boxes\\nmade for the purpose, and duly protected by wrappings of absorbent\\ncotton and oiled silk, and 15 of these boxes are placed in a pannier, two\\npanniers being slung on opposite sides of the carrier s horse, who\\nstarts immediately upon his ride to the vaccination station, sometimes\\nconsuming half a night in the journey.\\nIn each tin box is placed a printed blank, carefully filled in, giving\\nthe record number of the animal from which the virus was taken, the", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0223.jp2"}, "224": {"fulltext": "214\\nname of the owner, the location of the farm, the breed, age, sex, color,\\nweight, and distinguishing marks, general condition of the animal, its\\nresponse to tests, whether for tuberculosis or glanders, the date of these\\ntests, and the operator s name, the date of vaccination, the virus used,\\nthe name of the operator, the number of punctures made, the date at\\nwhich the virus was gathered, the number of points charged from the\\nanimal, the number sent to the vaccination stations, the date and hour\\nof departure the whole being duly attested by the officer in charge\\nat the distributing station at Coamo Baths (which was found admi-\\nrably adapted to the needs of the corps on its occupation, being pos-\\nsessed of ample space, excellent location, fine conveniences of corrals,\\nkitchens, outbuildings, tent room, etc.).\\nThe charged points, taken from the tin boxes in which the carrier\\nbrought them, are packed, as before stated, in unit packages of 100\\neach, great care being taken to keep them always in a cool tempera-\\nture in a refrigerator until en route for their destination. Great care\\nhas been taken to distinguish the packages containing the virus by\\nproper marks and labels, so as to keep them from the sun and in cool\\nand dry places, and the post-office people have been charged to give\\nboth great care and rapid dispatch to virus packages throughout the\\ndepartment. They have, at considerable pains, prepared mailing\\nschedules to enable a package intended for any particular destination\\nanywhere in the island to be forwarded with greatest dispatch to its\\ndestination.\\nThe work of vaccinating the island has been simplified in a degree\\nby the efficient use of the division of labor. In each of the four\\ndivisions are jurisdictions or alcaldias, presided over by an alcalde or\\nmayor, varying in number in different divisions. Under these alcaldes\\nare numerous precincts or barrios, which are presided over by an\\nalcalde de barrio, who is responsible to his alcalde for the proper con-\\nduct of his precinct or district. These alcaldes de barrio are familiarly\\nacquainted with every person in their precincts. Their assistance\\nunder the plan formulated by the chief surgeon and myself was\\navailed of to accomplish the desired ends. Full lists were made by\\nthem of all the people in their respective precincts, and at a desig-\\nnated time, of which due notice was given, the alcalde de barrio sum-\\nmoned 225 people from these lists to a designated place, usually a\\nschoolhouse in his district. In the order of their arrival each person\\nis given a numbered check, establishing the number of his vaccina-\\ntion, so that there is no overcrowding.\\nThe vaccination of these 225 people, or so many as appear and\\nrequire vaccination, is a day s work for a vaccinator and his assist-\\nants. The organization of this corps of vaccinators, consisting very\\nlargely of native physicians, who are employed under contract by the\\ndirectors of the respective vaccination divisions, has been a work of\\nno small preparation, involving as it does the necessity of procuring\\ncompetent men, usually versed in both Spanish and English, dividing\\nup the territory among them for greater efficiency, keeping in such\\ncommunication with them over difficult trails and in remote places as\\nto secure them their daily supply of virus, properly inspect them and\\ntheir work, and secure through them .proper certification of vaccina-\\ntion and records. It has only been accomplished b}^ the utmost atten-\\ntion to detail and systematic organization. Every inhabitant is\\nrequired to have a public vaccinator s certificate, under the stamp of\\nthe public vaccinator and the seal of the United States.\\nOn presenting himself to the vaccinator, if the person has had", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0224.jp2"}, "225": {"fulltext": "215\\nsmallpox, a certificate is given him so indicating. If presenting a\\ncertificate of recent vaccination from a responsible physician, such\\ncertificate is accepted and the official certificate of vaccination issued.\\nOtherwise the person on presentation, after cleansing the arm, is\\nvaccinated in turn, under specific instructions given by the director\\nof vaccination, a complete record made, and an incomplete certificate\\ngiven the person, with instruction to return in one week for examina-\\ntion, at which time the certificate will be completed, and if the vac-\\ncination is successful will be stamped accordingly. If not, the\\nindividual is revaccinated and the certificate finally stamped as vac-\\ncination finally completed. Without these certificates every person\\nis practically debarred from any participation in any occupation, the\\npublic schools, assemblies, etc., while for failure to report, when\\nordered, for vaccination or examination, penalties imposed by the\\nalcalde follow.\\nThe records alike of the scientific work of vaccination and its\\nresults, testing of the cattle, the measure of success resulting from\\nthe various efforts, and the work incident thereto, will, it is believed,\\nconstitute important additions to the scientific professional literature\\nof this most important subject. The effort comes at a time and under\\nconditions favorable, if well handled, for testing thoroughly, on an\\nenormous scale, the merits of vaccination; this is very desirable at a\\ntime when there seems to be, in different parts of the world, a revival\\nof the animosity against this invaluable agent for the control of a\\nnoxious disease.\\nTo the personnel of the work its successes must necessarily be more or\\nless indebted. The conception of the undertaking originated in the\\nmind of the able chief surgeon of the department, Lieutenant-Colonel\\nHoff of the Medical Corps of the United States Army, and the execution\\nof it was, as stated, so far as the production of the virus was concerned\\nand the care of the largest vaccination division, committed to Maj.\\nAzel Ames, brigade surgeon, U. S. Volunteers, who was more than\\nfortunate in being able to surround himself with a corps of most\\nadmirably qualified assistants. He was especially so in the oppor-\\ntunity of securing the services of Timothy Leary, who, although a\\nyoung man, was widely recognized as one of the ablest pathologists of\\nthe United States, serving since last summer for scientific purposes in\\nPorto Rico as a pathologist at the general hospital at Ponce in the\\ncapacity of acting assistant surgeon, U. S. Army. To him has been\\ncommitted the work of testing all cattle for disease, and his labors\\nhave been as indefatigable and unselfish as they have been scientific\\nand fruitful. To no person connected with the undertaking is a larger\\ndebt due for its successes than to Professor Leary. The vaccinating\\ncorps was organized by him into four sections First, the administra-\\ntion, with myself at the head, and Dr. Richard Wilson, acting assist-\\nant surgeon, U. S. Army, generally well known and universally\\nesteemed in Porto Rico, as executive officer at the vaccination station\\nat Coamo Baths.\\nTo Mr. Samuel Moret, a well-known citizen and cattle buyer of\\nPorto Rico, the entire undertaking is primarily inexpressibly indebted\\nfor the supply of cattle gathered by him at a trivial expense to the\\nUnited States and the painstaking service he has rendered. The sec-\\nond section is that of cattle testing for disease, and is placed under\\nthe charge of Dr. Timothy Leary, who, with a corps of 21 efficient\\nassistants, has been steadily in the field from the inception of the\\nenterprise. The third section is comprised of two groups, the officers", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0225.jp2"}, "226": {"fulltext": "216\\nof the first being Dr. L. L. Gillman, acting assistant surgeon, U. S.\\nArmy, and Drs. Gustav Moret, temporarily, and W. E. McConathy,\\nacting assistant surgeon, IT. S. Army. To this group has fallen the\\ndifficult work of collecting the virus from the vaccinated cattle, a\\nwork full of the utmost difficulty, the greatest responsibility, and the\\nmost fatiguing effort. To this group, in addition to the severe strain\\ninvolved in the cattle tests, Professor Leary has given his personal\\naid in unstinted measure, as also more or less to the second group of this\\nsection, which is that charged with the duty of vaccinating the ani-\\nmals. In this group are associated Drs. William Reddin Kirk, acting\\nassistant surgeon, U. S. Army, and L. E. Barney, acting assistant\\nsurgeon, U. S. Army, with a corps of assistants, and their work has\\ncalled for most laborious effort and the best of professional endeavor.\\nThe supply service of the corps has been in the hands of Dr. J. S.\\nWhite, acting assistant surgeon, U. S. Army, by general order of the\\nDepartment, acting quartermaster, commissary of subsistence, ord-\\nnance officer, and medical supply officer of the corps, to whom in no\\nsmall degree is due its great successes in taking the field and the\\nsmall amount of friction with which this work has been accomplished.\\nThe post established at Coamo Baths, under the name of the United\\nStates Vaccination Station, is well known to many of the visitors of\\nthe island as one of the most beautiful and perhaps the best regu-\\nlated in the department, admirably adapted to the purpose to which it\\nhas been delegated. It has been made, by the efforts of the command-\\ning officer and his staff, one of the most completely furnished and\\neffective of any in the department, guard at this post being furnished\\nby the Nineteenth United States Infantry, which has also the field\\ncamp. The carrier service, before mentioned, between the camps and\\nthe field is furnished by the Fifth United States Cavalry. The prox-\\nimity of this plant to the beautiful Coamo baths has naturally caused\\nit to be much visited by those coming to the baths, and added a new\\nfeature to the already many attractions of that beautiful spot.\\nThat the undertaking is one of greater magnitude than has ever\\nbefore been conducted, established on distinctive scientific lines, can\\nnot be doubted that great advantages will be derived from it for a\\nlong period of years in the island of Porto Rico is equally beyond\\ndoubt. Smallpox has been for many years one of the worst scourges\\nof the island, and far more injurious as interfering with commerce,\\nboth foreign and internal, than any other disease. That it is now to\\nbe stamped out can not be doubted. If we had imported cattle, we\\ncould not have done it for less than $25,000, but by manufacturing the\\nvirus here the cost has been only about one-sixth of what it otherwise\\nwould have been.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0226.jp2"}, "227": {"fulltext": "217\\nVITAL STATISTICS.\\nTable I. Inmates of military hospital from 1889 to first half of 1898.\\nYear.\\nStanding\\nover from\\nprior year.\\nAdmitted.\\nDis-\\ncharged.\\nDied.\\nRemain-\\ning.\\n1889\\n249\\n242\\n113\\n159\\n199\\n200\\n191\\n308\\n205\\n211\\n3,507\\n2,658\\n2,159\\n2,145\\n2,239\\n3,175\\n3,524\\n2,999\\n2,587\\n1,389\\n3,360\\n2,650\\n2,004\\n2,027\\n2,128\\n3,039\\n3,081\\n2,970\\n2,142\\n1,218\\n151\\n137\\n109\\n98\\n110\\n145\\n326\\n132\\n169\\n86\\n242\\n1890\\n113\\n1891\\n159\\n1892\\n199\\n1893\\n200\\n1894\\n191\\n1895\\n308\\n1896\\n205\\n1897...\\n211\\n1S98 (first half\\n296\\nTotal\\n2,077\\n26,382\\n24,619\\n1,463\\n2,124\\nSan Juan, September 26, 1S9S.\\nJose Battle, Director, Subinspector.\\nTable II.\\n-Inmates of military hospital Nosological statistics from 1889 to\\nJuly 1, 1898.\\nYear.\\nPrisoners and\\ncharity pa-\\ntients.\\n_co\\np.\\ngo\\n+3 O\\nO\\ns\\n-a\\nrt CD\\na\\nB 3\\nco a\\n01 CD\\nCO +3\\ns\\no\\nIS\\no\\ns\\nCO\\nco\\nCS\\n01\\na\\nFh\\nOl\\np.\\nCO\\nfl\\nP\\nO\\n\u00e2\u0096\u00a03\\nr-H CO\\n28\\nS\\na\\n0\\nC5\\na\\nP.\\nO\\nCO\\nCD\\nCO\\nc3\\nOl\\nm\\n-3\\na\\n3\\nCD\\na\\n6\\n\u00e2\u0080\u00a2B\\nCD\\n1889\\n446\\n425\\n431\\n421\\n414\\n130\\n261\\n282\\n328\\n189\\n59\\n49\\n48\\n55\\n40\\n11\\n35\\n73\\n64\\n29\\n1\\n5\\n4\\n4\\n6\\n1\\n10\\n10\\n15\\n14\\n14\\n24\\n18\\n34\\n18\\n8\\n32\\n59\\n59\\n34\\n114\\n169\\n24\\n99\\n91\\n185\\n630\\n95\\n95\\n95\\n6\\no\\n3\\n3\\n7\\n4\\n3\\n19\\n3\\n3\\n1\\n2\\n23\\n4\\n386\\n279\\n281\\n195\\n265\\n307\\n299\\n462\\n420\\n209\\n15\\n25\\n16\\n19\\n29\\n24\\n48\\n65\\n75\\n83\\n395\\n259\\n333\\n291\\n415\\n256\\n520\\n411\\n401\\n283\\n16\\n13\\n21\\n10\\n16\\n13\\n29\\n71\\n49\\n21\\n350\\n235\\n105\\n64\\n115\\n216\\n100\\n115\\n130\\n151\\n999\\n1890\\n1891\\n1,359\\n1,120\\n1892.\\n1,091\\n1893\\n2,163\\n1894....\\n1895\\n2,220\\n1,507\\n1896..\\n2,310\\n1897..\\n1,510\\n1898 (first half)...\\n1,060\\nTotal\\n3,327\\n463\\n70\\n300\\n1,597\\n25\\n58\\n3,103\\n399\\n3,564\\n259\\n1,581\\n15,339\\nSan Juan, September 26, 189S.\\nJose Battle, Director, Subinspector.\\nTable III. Marriages, births, and deaths in 1897, as returned by municipal judges.\\nMunicipal district.\\nges.\\nLegitimate\\nbirths.\\nIllegitimate\\nbirths.\\nDeaths.\\n78\\n438\\n731\\n516\\n15\\n102\\n31\\n284\\n75\\n218\\n85\\n351\\n41\\n249\\n231\\n685\\n25\\n149\\n130\\n267\\n7\\n21\\n34\\n238\\n45\\n286\\n124\\n336\\n187\\n535\\n620\\n1,073\\n65\\n133\\n89\\n825\\n74\\n145\\n157\\n353\\n50\\n226\\n66\\n320\\n127\\n209\\n34\\n215\\n44\\n73\\n48\\n272\\n54\\n396\\n217\\n752\\n43\\n242\\n392\\n676\\n38\\n79\\n47\\n236\\n50\\n240\\n63\\n186\\n67\\n316\\n333\\n425\\nAd juntas\\nAguas Buenas\\nAguadilla\\nAnasco\\nAibonito\\nArroyo\\nAguada\\nArecibo\\nBayamon\\nBarceloneta\\nBarros.\\nBarranquitas.\\nCarolina\\nCaguas\\nCayey\\nCidra\\nCamuy\\nCabo Rojo", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0227.jp2"}, "228": {"fulltext": "218\\nTable III.\u00e2\u0080\u0094 Marriages, births, and deaths in 1897, as returned by municipal\\njudges Continued.\\nMunicipal district.\\nCeiba\\nCoiner io\\nCiales\\nCorozal\\nCoamo\\nDorado\\nFajardo..-\\nGurabo\\nGuayanilla\\nGuayama.\\nHato Grande..\\nHatillo\\nHormigueros.-\\nHumacao\\nIsabela\\nJuncos.\\nJuana Diaz\\nLoiza\\nLares\\nLajas\\nLas Marias\\nLuquillo...\\nManati\\nMorovis.\\nMoca\\nMayaguez\\nMaricao .._\\nMaunabo\\nNaranjito\\nNaguabo\\nPonce\\nPennelas\\nPatillas\\nPiedras\\nQuebradillas\\nRio Grande\\nRio Piedras\\nRincon\\nSan Juan..\\nSan Sebastian..\\nSabana Grande\\nSan German\\nSalinas\\nSanta Isabel\\nToaAlta\\nToaBaja\\nTrujilloAlto...\\nUtuado\\nVega Alta.\\nVega Baja\\nVieques\\nYauco\\nYabucoa\\nTotal\\nMarriages\\n13\\n41\\n85\\n56\\n29\\n1\\n14\\n51\\n21\\n21\\n45\\n51\\n18\\n33\\n70\\n22\\n79\\n18\\n103\\n22\\n56\\n20\\n56\\n45\\n63\\n89\\n16\\n14\\n21\\n36\\n118\\n91\\n20\\n33\\n102\\n33\\n35\\n76\\n111\\n92\\n39\\n29\\n25\\n3\\n20\\n135\\n30\\n26\\n14\\n97\\n36\\n3,557\\nLegitimate\\nbirths.\\n176\\n329\\n306\\n271\\n45\\n112\\n68\\n143\\n102\\n266\\n223\\n52\\n173\\n183\\n88\\n249\\n19\\n426\\n169\\n135\\n100\\n145\\n241\\n231\\n384\\n159\\n59\\n197\\n115\\n287\\n200\\n154\\n159\\n110\\n334\\n67\\n195\\n392\\n376\\n208\\n446\\n46\\n78\\n78\\n25\\n57\\n112\\n74\\n149\\n64\\n463\\n124\\n13,489\\nIllegitimate\\nbirths.\\n103\\n157\\n97\\n126\\n331\\n76\\n149\\n42\\n363\\n98\\n265\\n94\\n46\\n301\\n79\\n79\\n543\\n35\\n213\\n167\\n102\\n114\\n99\\n53\\n38\\n278\\n279\\n97\\n101\\n67\\n242\\n280\\n265\\n160\\n5\\n304\\n50\\n53\\n446\\n113\\n100\\n233\\n104\\n86\\n64\\n42\\n39\\n663\\n98\\n163\\n126\\n12,471\\nDeaths.\\n158\\n292\\n466\\n236\\n506\\n72\\n436\\n246\\n234\\n617\\n446\\n212\\n133\\n561\\n321\\n328\\n904\\n224\\n696\\n191\\n300\\n188\\n455\\n273\\n316\\n1,418\\n319\\n331\\n224\\n340\\n1,778\\n304\\n407\\n231\\n147\\n338\\n421\\n198\\n1,272\\n456\\n383\\n606\\n168\\n128\\n223\\n133\\n153\\n1,407\\n187\\n330\\n270\\n962\\n851\\n30,806", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0228.jp2"}, "229": {"fulltext": "219\\nQg,S\\ncoco\\nCON\\ns\\n4^S\\nCON\\nCO\\nCO\\no cd\\n^S\\nOS\\nCO\\nC0.grO\\ncom\\nCOIN\\nCO\\n1\u00e2\u0080\u0094 1\\ni\\npj CO\\nOS\u00c2\u00a9\\ncoco\\nCO\\nCO\\n9\\n1-5\\ngg\\n00\\ncd\\npi\\nl-B\\nOtD\\ntoco\\nCO\\ncS\\nCOCO\\nCM\\n-*co\\n\u00c2\u00a3-00\\n,3\\no\\ncS\\nt-CO\\nCO\\nrH\\n3\\ntXCO\\nK3CQ\\nO\\nOS\\n\u00c2\u00a3a\\nCOOS\\n\u00c2\u00ab5\\nCO\\n3\\nO\\nE-i\\no\\ntfsos\\nCM CO\\n8\\nCD\\nCM CM\\nrHrH\\ncd\\noco\\ncocm\\nCO\\ns\\nM\\nCD\\nco\\ni CO\\ni o\\n3\u00c2\u00a7\\ntis\\nEn\\ns\\n6\\nCB\\nP\\nrH\\nCM\\nrH\\nrH\\nrH\\nO\\nft\\n1-1\\nCM\\nCM\\nrH rH MS\\no\\nO\\nrH\\nrH\\nCO rH CM\\nft\\nCB\\nco\\nrH\\nCO\\n1-1\\nCO o\\nsi\\nS3.\\nrH rH\\nCM\\nHH\\n1-1\\n1-5\\ni-l\\nrH rH rH rH rH\\nCD\\n1-5\\nI-H\\nrH CO\\nCM\\n\u00c2\u00ab5\\ncS\\ns\\nrH 0* N rH CE\\n7-* CM\\nft\\nCO rH\\nCO\\nrH 1C rH\\nCM\\n1-1\\nCM CM\\n3\\nCM\\nrH rH CO rH\\nCM rH rH\\nCB\\nrH CM rH\\ni-i CO CXI\\nCS\\n1-5\\nrH\\nM\\nCM\\nCO\\nr-i rH\\nO\\ncS\\nM\\nHN\\nCMrHCMrH rH rH CO r-t\\ni rH i i\\nj rH-* j\\nCB\\n3\\nrH\\nrHCMrH\\nCM CM OS t-rH\\nM\\nCMCM -*-*CO- *l\\nCD\\n3\\nCO CO CO rH rH t- rH\\n0 rH OS \u00c2\u00bb0 CM\\n-H rH-* lOCOiOcM\\nCD\\nCO\\nCD CD\\n\u00c2\u00a3.2 *i\\nCD CD CD CD\\n\u00c2\u00a75 3=5 \u00c2\u00a7a\\nCD\\nCD 3\\nCD CD CD\\ns 3 \u00c2\u00a73\u00c2\u00a7\\nCD\\nCO\\ncS\\nCD\\nCO\\ns\\nCO\\nH\\nco\\nj\\nH\\nCO\\ni 4\\nM\\nH\\na\\nq-\\nT\\na\\nc\\nT\\na\\nI\\ns\\nc\\n1\\nc\\nB\\nr?\\n1\\nJ\\nr=\\nc\\na\\na\\na\\na\\nn\\n1\\ni a\\nr\\na\\nIs\\na\\ns a\\nc\\n1\\n1\\na\\nP\\n4-\\ni\\nB\\n1 r?\\nii\\nM\\nI r\\ni\\nc.\\nj a\\nc\\n1\\nB\\n1\\n1\\nc\\nU\\na\\na\\n1\\nE\\ni", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0229.jp2"}, "230": {"fulltext": "220\\nH-i iH t-\\ni-l 1-H -H CO\\nCI in \u00c2\u00a9I r-l in\\nO 1*1 o\\nM M to CI i IM\\n(N CO C3\\nin i*i\\nCI i-l m O 1-H\\ni CI i-l CS i-l i-l\\nei co ej os to\\nCO i ci\\nCO OS CO lO t\u00c2\u00bb\\niH CO CO\\ni T [i I i-l tO\\ncj c os oo os ci co m to\\ni-l C} CJ CO i-l CI\\ncoo cj\\nH*^C3 GC to CI C! CO\\niCJ tO-^ii\u00e2\u0080\u0094 Or\\ni CJ iH CO rH CO\\nincj co co i\u00e2\u0080\u0094 OS cj os to csohhos*\\nCO Q\\ncbo 3\\n3 Q\\nS 6?\\no h a Q\\nM H\\n9\\nSflPSS\u00c2\u00b13J2Q\\nW M Ph CH\\n.2 B\\nffl Ph O", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0230.jp2"}, "231": {"fulltext": "221\\nCO i-H i\u00e2\u0080\u0094 I SO\\nSO N M\\nN N H N\\nrH I C^ t- rH CO CO 03 M\\ni-i o\u00c2\u00ab i so si i\\nN CO 01\\nt, co\\nOJ 01 O ^K HO\\nrH i O rH rH CO\\nSO rH\\n04 SO\\n0-1 H t\u00c2\u00bb W H^\\nM iO\\ni- iS!i H(COHOOOCOCOOm i|-H rH\\n1 05 NiOWr\\ntfSrHrHrHrHrHaOiO\\n(THNlOHlfflr\\n(MSO^H\\n*a lOJCOrHt-WCOrHrHOllC-HHaOOlOCO\\nI rHCO rH Oi rH rH i-H rH rH\\n0JC0C0 OOOCO\\nJ2 fl^rS 1.23 a .2 S2 liS fl2 s2 \u00c2\u00a72 fl\\n3 1|^ \u00c2\u00a73^ \u00c2\u00a73 \u00c2\u00a73 \u00c2\u00a73 \u00c2\u00a73 \u00c2\u00a73 \u00c2\u00a73 1\\n_ TO TO\\n\u00c2\u00ab8 1 J, CS p SS jj\\n3 r3\\na cs\\n1 I\\nQ rd\\nfn S S\\nO O M M Q P\\n.rf ft\\n5", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0231.jp2"}, "232": {"fulltext": "222\\nTable VI. Marriages, births, and deaths in thirteen districts in the last five\\nyears.\\nMunicipal dis-\\nMarriages.\\nDeaths.\\ntricts.\\n1894.\\n1895.\\n1896.\\n1897.\\n1898.\\n1894.\\n1895.\\n1896.\\n1897.\\n1898.\\n28\\n14\\n89\\n47\\n26\\n13\\n51\\n140\\n43\\n316\\n13\\n90\\n43\\n12\\n96\\n50\\n23\\n22\\n33\\n145\\n42\\n166\\n19\\n60\\n19\\n27\\n15\\n47\\n31\\n34\\n14\\n31\\n128\\n54\\n89\\n26\\n46\\n13\\n33\\n7\\n67\\n29\\n41\\n14\\n21\\n116\\n50\\n76\\n20\\n36\\n14\\n25\\n11\\n56\\n43\\n27\\n115\\n22\\n89\\n30\\n51\\n19\\n52\\n8\\n203\\n130\\n447\\n316\\n190\\n241\\n455\\n1,231\\n450\\n599\\n79\\n462\\n170\\n99\\n527\\n284\\n192\\n246\\n344\\n1,397\\n423\\n784\\n114\\n371\\n123\\n163\\n102\\n368\\n289\\n236\\n282\\n424\\n1,243\\n443\\n572\\n97\\n455\\n219\\n417\\n238\\n425\\n506\\n292\\n436\\n617\\n1,517\\n641\\n662\\n153\\n851\\n239\\n267\\n144\\n567\\n346\\n388\\n371\\n513\\n1,418\\n464\\n930\\n105\\n471\\nSan Juan (1 dist.)-\\nSan German\\nTrujillo Alto-\\n289\\nBirths.\\nMunicipal dis-\\ntricts.\\nLegitimate.\\nIllegitimate.\\n1894.\\n1895.\\n1896.\\n1897.\\n1898.\\n1894.\\n1895.\\n1896.\\n1897.\\n189S.\\n155\\n109\\n282\\n419\\n175\\n283\\n70\\n485\\n196\\n732\\n47\\n285\\n180\\n114\\n322\\n398\\n185\\n320\\n90\\n414\\n212\\n687\\n40\\n278\\n51\\n297\\n103\\n338\\n343\\n166\\n326\\n98\\n427\\n202\\n690\\n56\\n344\\n75\\n170\\n55\\n314\\n544\\n176\\n261\\n102\\n420\\n204\\n679\\n57\\n317\\n64\\n146\\n150\\n258\\n326\\n153\\n188\\n69\\n384\\n167\\n649\\n51\\n164\\n52\\n132\\n147\\n139\\n154\\n133\\nArroyo\\n313\\n201\\n276\\n333\\n249\\nCoamo\\n109\\n142\\n141\\n157\\n138\\nFajardo\\n97\\n406\\n238\\n118\\n387\\n229\\n119\\n378\\n224\\n98\\n360\\n262\\n89\\n278\\n156\\nSan Juan (1 dist.)-\\nSan German\\nTrujillo Alto\\nYabucoa...\\n25\\n30\\n26\\n39\\n36\\nVieques\\n137\\n167\\n91\\n46\\nTHE FLORA AND FAUNA.\\nDr. Stahl, who lias made numerous and careful studies in the\\nnatural history of Porto Rico, with admirable illustrative drawings\\nin colors, very kindly furnished the commissioner with the following\\nbrief survey of the subject. His ambition is to be permitted to com-\\nplete his most important work and present it to the Government at\\nWashington for the use of the Smithsonian Institution. He does not\\nask compensation for his work simply support while he is completing\\nit, which would, I am assured, take no long time.\\nHenry K. Carroll, Commissioner.\\nTHE FAUNA AND FLORA OF PORTO RICO.\\nBy Don Augustin Stahl, M. D., Naturalist.\\nThe natural history of Porto Rico is yet unstudied. Its flora will within a\\nshort time be fairly well known; its fauna is a long way from that point, and the\\nknowledge of its geology extends only to as much as can be seen superficially by\\nthe eye.\\nThe Spaniards in four hundred years have done nothing to acquire a specific\\nknowledge of its natural history. What is known to-day is from analogy with\\nstudies made in the neighboring non-Spanish islands\u00e2\u0080\u0094 the splendid researches of\\nDr. Gundlach in Cuba, his valuable work also in this country, although this\\nlatter is not of a general character\u00e2\u0080\u0094 and from the copious collection of plants made\\nby Mr. Lintenis, which is preserved in the botanical garden of Berlin.\\nThe fauna is less known at present than the flora by reason of this latter having\\nbeen given preferential study; and those animals inhabiting the seas or the depths\\nand hidden places of still or running waters, as also those requiring the micro-\\nscope, are still enveloped in the darkness of the unknown. In the great group of", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0232.jp2"}, "233": {"fulltext": "223\\nvertebrates we have, in the first division, the mammals, represented by four only\\nof the Cheiroptera. The Muriate and domestic animals have all been imported, as\\nhas been the mongoose ichneumon (Herpestes mongo), which has caused incalcu-\\nlable damage among poultry and wild birds which nest low. It is certain that\\nthis animal, which has spread over the island in a most astonishing manner, far\\nfrom being a blessing, as was expected when it killed off the rats in the sugar\\nplantations, has become a veritable plague.\\nBirds have had special attention from the American ornithologists, although the\\ngreater number of them had been previously classified. This branch is relatively\\npoor, there being hardly 130 species, of which a third are birds of passage which,\\nabandon the North American Continent during the winter only and come to\\nenliven our woods and shores, while the marine eagle (Pandion earolinensis)\\nmounts to the sources of our rivers and feeds on the fish therein. The indigenous\\nbirds can be distinguished from the transitory species by the greater brilliancy of\\ntheir plumage, while the harmonious voice of the ruisenor (Mimus polyglottus)\\nand that of the cotorra (Psittacus vittatus), which imitates the human voice, cause\\nadmiration. Many have quite delicate flesh. A species of periquito (small par-\\nrot) has been extinct since the beginning of the century, and many other species,\\nsuch as the hawk, carrao, and yaguaza, and the pigeons, partly owing to the rav-\\nages of the mongoose and partly to the barbarous destruction of our forests, which\\nhas also removed our most useful trees.\\nThe number of our reptiles and batrachians is small. We know of 7 species of\\nsaurians, 4 testudinata, 4 ophidians (among which is 1 boa and 3 batrachians) Of\\nthe last the coqui has merited the attention of naturalists by reason of its anom-\\nalous metamorphosis, leaving the egg as it does in a perfect state without pass-\\ning through the preliminary of tadpole life. We have no venomous ophidia. Our\\nreptiles, as a rule, are harmless, and, with the exception of the flesh and eggs of\\nthe testudinata, useless also.\\nOur fishes have not yet been studied. Their analogy with those of the Cuban\\ncoast has, however, enabled the greater part of them to be classified. The road-\\nstead of AguadillaandAguada, celebrated as the spot where the immortal Genoese,\\nColumbus, touched when he discovered our island on his second voyage, in 1493,\\nis notable also for the abundance and fine quality of its fishes. Of fresh- water fish\\nthere are but few in our rivers. Species appearing in the estuaries are sea fish\\nand only ascend the rivers up to where the salt water inflow terminates. Some\\nof the species attain great size; some are remarkable for their brilliancy of colors,\\nand some are terrible in their attacks on their prey around the coast, in the bays,\\nand even in the mouths of the largest rivers.\\nWithout doubt, of our fauna the fishes are the most useful, giving food to thou-\\nsands of poor people on our coasts. The voracity of the sharks is terrible, as is\\nalso that of their familiars of the family of Plagiostomi, which accompany them\\nas parasites, the so-called pega (Leptecheneis naucrates) which adheres to their\\nbody by its suction apparatus, situated on the back of the head and neck. Worthy\\nof attention, by reason of their strange form, are the eriso, chapin, toro, and\\nothers, all of the family of Plectognathi, and the Hippocampus punctulatus, which\\nrepresents the figure of a miniature horse without feet, the body terminating in a\\nlong tail.\\nOf the second group the invertebrates, divided into articulates andmollusks, we\\nfind among the first the insects, a group of graceful winged creatures of which\\nhardly one is directly useful to mankind, while some of them are more or less\\nharmful. The color and variety of our Lepidoptera, especially of the diurnal\\nspecies, is charming.\\nThe Coleoptera, whose bodies are protected by a hard and resisting armor, labor\\nunder the unjust charge of causing almost all the ills to which our agriculture is\\nsubject, not only in newly planted fields but also in those whose crops have\\nalready matured. The truth is, they lodge wherever they find sickly or rotten\\nvegetation or dead plants, to feed on the softening roots and fibers. As a proof\\nof this, they are generally to be found among the roots of sickly plants, or where\\nthe only vegetation is the refuse that has been cast aside and is rotting.\\nThe larger escarabajos are lovers of palm trees, but are to be found among the\\nroots of other vegetation far removed from palm groves. The smallest of the\\nRhynchophora, scarcely visible to the naked eye, has its habitat among some of\\nthe Solanacese and on the most beautiful of the guayabos. Numerous hidrofili-\\nnos are to be- seen swimming in pools of stagnant and deleterious waters.\\nTo attribute the disease of the sugar cane to the larvae of the caculo is crass\\nstupidity which causes public laughter. The author of this fleeting theory for-\\nmerly depended on the fanatical and ignorant belief of his political friends to\\nsustain it.\\nThe Hymenopterse, or wasp family, are represented by the bee (Apis mellifica).\\nApiculture is unknown in this country, where the bee finds material at hand for", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0233.jp2"}, "234": {"fulltext": "224\\nthe preparation of honey and wax. If men of understanding should be sent to\\nteach our people this industry, the gain in the future therefrom would he consider-\\nable. Of other species of insects there are hardly any worth the mention. The\\ncomejen, of the tribe of Termites, is one of the most harmful of the country,\\ndestroying in a relatively short time the most solid wooden buildings. The Grillo\\ntalpa, or changa (Gryllotalpa hexadactyla) is an intrusive foreigner, introduced\\nhere to our sorrow, probably in Peruvian guano, which concealed some of its eggs\\nor larvae. It has caused incalculable damage in the young plantings of tobacco,\\nrice, and garden stuff, and attacks everything but leguminous plants.\\nThe class of Arachnida? is poorly represented. In it figure two interesting\\nspecies. The hairy spider (Mygale spinicrus), which excavates holes in the\\nmountain sides for a nest. It has a repulsive appearance; its bite is to be feared.\\nThe guaba {Phrynus palmatus) hides under fallen trees in the forests and in the\\nbrushwood of damp caves. This spider is wrongly feared as terribly venemous.\\nIt can inflict a bite with its pointed defenders, but as these are unprovided with\\npoisonous secretion it is comparatively harmless. The alacran, or scorpion, is\\nprovided with a sting. There remain the Garrapatas Ixodes, an annoying para-\\nsite, which infests cattle and horses, lodging itself in the ears and around the anus.\\nThe Annelida? are not worth mentioning, consisting of a few species of ground\\nworms and those infesting the body of man and domestic animals.\\nThe Crustacea?, on the other hand, are numerous both on land and sea, in the\\nrivers and waterfalls. Several kinds of lobsters (family Loricata) are caught on\\nthe rocky shores of our coasts. In our rivers shrimp abound and some species of\\nlarge crabs, while among the stones washed by small cascades in the deep ravines\\nformed by closely-meeting mountain sides our peasants search for the buruquena\\n(Epilabocera cubensis), which is of delicate flavor. To the same family belong\\nthe centipedes (Scolopendra) and the gongolones (Jidtis). The first-named\\ninflicts a terrible bite, but the second is wrongly feared, being harmless.\\nThe mollusks are very numerous as well in species as in numbers. The land\\nspecies are univalve, only one species of bivalves having been found by Dr. Gund-\\nlach, near Guanica. Their color is uniform, and at first sight attracts but little\\nattention. It is worthy of note that many species are to be found only in certain\\nvery circumscribed limits as, for instance, the meridianal coast has some species\\nentirely unknown in the rest of our little island. On the shores, either in the sands\\nor adhering to the rocks, are great numbers of univalves and bivalves of varied\\nform and beautiful colors. The Venus shell Venus dione) is one of the most\\ncurious of the malacologic fauna.\\nThe polypus and cuttlefish, of the order of Cephcdophorce, which abound in\\nthese waters, are much appreciated for their delicate flesh. Their great tentacles,\\nprovided with innumerable suckers, distinguish them from all other mollusks.\\nThe Radiata? are scarce in species; but members of the Echinida? and Asteridae\\nfamilies, the latter commonly known as starfish, are numerous along the shores.\\nThe Polypi are very widespread along the coral formations of our coast, which\\nis composed in its greater part of this material, extending some way inland and\\nresembling real rock formation. On the sand flats the naked polypi and different\\nforms of medusa? are common. These latter, generally known here as agua-\\nviva, are to be found swimming just below the surface, their numerous tentacles\\nspread out from their gelatinous bodies. They exhibit brilliant iridescent colors,\\nand are to be feared by reason of the caustic effect produced by contact with their\\npulpy bodies. The finest coral growths are to be found in the depths of still\\nwaters. Our sponges are not very serviceable for purposes of commerce.\\nThe flora of our island is as rich as its fauna. From the shore to mountain top,\\nfrom north to south, there is a profusion and variety of splendid vegetation.\\nAs in all intertropical countries of the character of Porto Rico, the Dicotyle-\\ndonea?, or plants exceeding in woody element, are more numerous than the Mona-\\ncotyledonea?, and these latter more numerous than the Acotyledonea?. Belonging\\nto the first family were the luxuriant and, at times, gigantic trees of our former\\nextensive and impenetrable forests, among the second the majestic palms, and in\\nthe third the gigantic Felix fern and others of fair size which cover the argilla-\\nceotis soil of the crags and high mountains.\\nIf we were to divide our plants into groups according to their utility to man-\\nkind, we should have to give the food plants first place. Most of these have been\\nintroduced from Europe, Asia, and Africa and are cane, coffee, yam, yautia, plan-\\ntain, calabash, bean, gandul (a species of bean) as well as fruit trees and other\\nuseful plants, such as cocoanut, breadfruit, mango, nispero, quenepa, orange,\\npomarosa, ernajagua, malla, zarza amarilla, lemon, acacia.\\nSugar cane was introduced from the East Indies; coffee from Arabia and Africa;\\nrice and vegetables from Spain; the plantain, yam, yautia, cocoanut, and bread-\\nfruit from Africa; mango and orange probably from the Canary Islands; the nis-\\npero and quenepa from South America. The only indigenous food plants are yuca,", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0234.jp2"}, "235": {"fulltext": "225\\nmalanga, gunda, yuquilla, maize, aguacate, maguey, and a few others. Tobacco\\nis also a native and is to-day one of our principal crops, exceeding in quality all\\nother tobaccos, with the exception of the Cuban leaf from the Vuelta Abajo district.\\nOur massive forest trees supply fine woods of every description, especially veined\\ncabinet woods and woods of iron hardness; but the rapid destruction of our forests\\nunder the devastating ax is greatly to be deplored. Unless some energetic meas-\\nures are taken, they will have disappeared within a very short time. Our peasant\\nknows only how to destroy: he has no thoughts for the morrow. Cedar almend-\\nrillo, capa prieto, male cedar, laurel sabina, capa blanca, ortegon, cana fistula\\nand cana fistula cimarrona, guayacan, pendulo rojo and pendulo bianco, tachuelo,\\nand many other fine trees can almost be considered extinct in the island, and we\\nshall soon have to import our timber for building purposes. Whole forests of\\nvaluable lumber have been destroyed by burning, representing a capital lost for\\ntheir owners. In course of extinction are also the yaya, magar, tortugo amarillo,\\nmaricao, ausubo, and even the oak. With difficulty the following species are\\nconserved: The ucar granadillo, guaraguao, and several laurels and, in the high\\nmountains, tabonueo, cucubano, sebonquillo. and others.\\nThe shores, almost bare of trees, now and then produce gome mangroves of the\\nred, white, and button species, and magos.\\nThe trees we have named are the most valued for solid buildings and for cabinet-\\nwork. Others of less value and strength are the ceiba, pomarosa, aguacate, geo-\\ngeo, javilla, mamey, guama, and guaba.\\nAmong fruit trees producing succulent fruits are aguacate, nispero, mamey,\\nmamey zapote, saimito caimitillo, austibo, pomarosa, jagua, cerezo, grosella,\\nguama, pajuil, and hicaco.\\nThe different classes of higueros are of great value owing to the hardness of the\\nshell of their fruit.\\nAmong medicinal toxic plants we may mention mamzanilla, tilcoy, tibey rojo,\\ntabaco, carrasco, rabano cimarron, and all the araceas and many belonging to the\\nfamily of Euphorbias.\\nDistinguished for their beautiful and at times fragrant flowers are the magar,\\nbello or mauricio, pendulo rojo, cana fistula, guavo, taman, tabaiba, roble, all the\\nmirtaicas. In this direction the shrubs and herbs are more notable. In the win-\\nter season our pastures and mountain sides are covered with convolvuli, sinan-\\ntereas, verbenas, and leguminosge, and the orchidese and other parasites display\\ntheir blossoms on the limbs of trees. On the placid waters of the pools the\\nNymphea and Eichhorn\\\\a azurea extend themselves.\\nThe foods most liked by our herbivorous animals are malojilla and guinea grass,\\nboth of which are exotic gramineae, the name of their introducer not being known.\\nThey eat also some of the native grasses, whose growth, however, is very inferior\\nto those mentioned. Fifty square meters of the former will easily sustain one ox\\nor horse, while three times the quantity of native grass would be necessary for the\\nsame purpose.\\nIf the flora of our north coast can be distinguished from that of the south, with\\nonly 1\u00c2\u00b0 of latitude between them, much more so the floras of the coast and high\\nmountains, where the corresponding distance is 10\u00c2\u00b0 or 1,100 meters of height, equal\\nto 28\u00c2\u00b0 north latitude.\\nBefore terminating we will mention the guano tree, useful for the fiber con-\\ntained in its great capsules, which fiber we use for stuffing pillows and mattresses.\\nAs textile plants, we have cotton, maguey, and emajagua, and, less useful, the\\nguasima and some herbaceous malvaceas.\\nThe scope of this article does not allow of a detailed account of the different\\nplants of our flora, but we have mentioned the most common and notable ones.\\nWe conclude this paper with a list of the flora already mentioned, their common,\\nscientific, and family names.\\nCommon name.\\nScientific name.\\nFamily.\\nOrtegon\\nAusubo\\nUcar\\nCapa prieto\\nCapa blanca\\nPendulo rojo\\nTachuelo.\\nGuayacan\\nEspino rubial\\nGuayabacan\\nTortugo amarillo\\nCoccoloba rugosa\\nDipholis\\nBucida buceras\\nCordia ger ascanttms\\nPetitia domingensis\\nCitharexylum quadrangulare\\nPictetia squamosa\\nGuaj acuin officinale\\nXanthoxylum ochroxylum\\nMyrica divaricata\\nSideroxylon pallidum _\\nPolygonese.\\nSapoteae.\\nC ombre tacese.\\nBorragineae.\\nVerbenaceae.\\nDo.\\nLeguminosae.\\nZygophylleae.\\nRutaceae.\\nMyrtacese.\\nSapoteae.\\n1125-\\n-15", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0235.jp2"}, "236": {"fulltext": "226\\nTrees whose timber is less strong and resisting.\\nCommon name.\\nScientific name.\\nFamily.\\nXanthoxylumdava hercules\\nRutaceae.\\nRoble\\nLaurel\\nLaizrus\\nByrsonima spicata.\\nLaurineae.\\nMalpighiaceae.\\nTrees with ordinary timber for building and inferior usefulness.\\nCeboruquillo\\nCabo de bacha\\nMamey\\nMangle, Colorado\\nMangle, bianco\\nMangle, boton\\nPalo debueso\\nPalo de doncella.\\nMago\\nGuara.\\nJacana\\nTbouinia tomentosa Sapindeae.\\nTrichilia hirta__ Melicas.\\nMammea americana Guttiferae.\\nRhizophora mangle Rbizopboreae.\\nAvicennia nitida Verbenaceae.\\nConocarpus erectus Coinbretaceae.\\nLinociera compacta Olinese.\\nByrsonima lucida Malpigbiacea9.\\nHernandia sonora j LaurineaB.\\nCupania americana i Sapindaceae.\\nSucuma multiflora Sapotaceae.\\nTrees whose timber is of poor quality and of slight duration.\\nJobo\\nAlmacigo\\nCayur\\nJaboncillo\\nPalo de muneca\\nCeiba\\nPalo de burro\\nPalo de jaqueca\\nAcbiotillo...\\nMasa\\nSpondias lutea\\nBusser a gurr uf er a\\nAnona palustris\\nSapindus saponaria\\nRauwolfia nitida\\nEriodendron anfractuosum\\nCaparis verrucosa\\nTbespesia populnea\\nAlcbornea tifolia\\nHedwigia balsamif era\\nTerebintbaceae.\\nDo.\\nAnonaceas.\\nSapindaceae.\\nApocyneas.\\nBombaceae.\\nCapparideae.\\nMalvaceae.\\nEuphorbiaceas.\\nTerebintliaceae.\\nTrees whose wood is fit for fine cabinet work.\\nMagar\\nTbespesia grandiflora\\nCedrela odorata\\n9\\nMalvaceae.\\n9\\nMagnolia portoricensis\\nColubrina ferrginosas\\nExostemma floribundum\\nDo.\\nEuphorbiaceae.\\nDo.\\nTaiti\\nIndigenous fruit trees.\\nGuanabana\\nAnon\\nCorazon\\nCMna dulce\\nCerezas\\nPajuil\\nGuayaba\\nJagua\\nCaimito\\nAguacate\\nGuama\\nAnona muricata\\nAnona squamosa\\nAnon a reticulata\\nCitrus aurantium\\nMalpighia punicif olia\\nAnacardium occidentale\\nPsidium paniferum\\nGnipa americana\\nCrysopbyllum cainito\\nPer sea gratissima\\nInga laurina\\nAnonaceae.\\nDo.\\nDo.\\nAurantiaceas.\\nMalpigbiacese.\\nTerebinthacese.\\nMyrtaceae.\\nRubiaceae.\\nSapoteae.\\nLaurinae.\\nLeguminosse mi-\\nmosae.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0236.jp2"}, "237": {"fulltext": "227\\nTrees and plants imported and propagated.\\nCommon name.\\nScientific name.\\nFamily.\\nCiruela\\nAlmendro\\nCafe\\nPomarosa.\\nNispero\\nQuenepa\\nCoco\\nSaman\\nAcacia\\nMangifera indica\\nSpondias purpurea\\nTerminalia catappa\\nCaffea arabica\\nJambosa vulgaris.\\nSapota achras\\nMelicocca bijuga\\nCocos nucifera\\nCalliandra saman...\\nAcacia lebliek\\nTerebinthaceae.\\nDo.\\nCombretaceae.\\nRubiaceae.\\nMyrtaceae.\\nSapindaceae.\\nPalmae.\\nLeguminosae mi-\\nmoseae.\\nDo.\\nTrees and plants useful for various purposes.\\nGuasima\\nEmajagua\\nGuano\\nGuaba.\\nHiguero\\nMaguey\\nJuan caliente\\nMalla\\nAcbiote\\nBejuco prieto\\nGuasima ilmif olia\\nParitium tiliaceum\\nOchronia lagopus..\\nInga vera\\nCrescentia cujete..\\nAgave\\nRourea glabra\\nBromelia\\nBixa crellana\\nHippocratea ovata\\nButteriacese.\\nMalvaceae.\\nBombaceae.\\nLeguminoseae.\\nBignoniacese.\\nLinaceae.\\nTerebinthaceae.\\nBromeliacese.\\nBixineae.\\nHippocrateaceae.\\nPlants considered as poisonous.\\nManzanillo\\nCarrasco\\nJavilla\\nTibey bianco\\nYuca\\nTibey Colorado\\nDon Tomas\\nRabano cimarr6n\\nBejuco de mona\\nBarbasco\\nHippomane mancinella\\nComocladia ilicifolia...\\nJura crepitans\\nYsotoma longiflora\\nJanipba manihot\\nTupa assurgens\\nJatropha multifida\\nDiff enbachia seguine\\nCisampelus pareira\\nSaurella alba...\\nEupborbiaceae.\\nTerebintbaceae.\\nEupborbiaceae.\\nLobeliaceae.\\nEupborbiaceae.\\nLobeliaceae.\\nEuphorbiaceae.\\nAroideae.\\nMenispermeae.\\nCanellaceae.\\nBayamon, P. R.\\nWOODS OF PORTO RICO AND THEIR USES.\\n[Revised by the Director of Agriculture, San Juan, for tbe Commissioner.]\\nSpanish name.\\nEnglish name.\\nSpecific\\ngravity.\\nUses.\\nAbelluello\\nAbispillo\\nAceitillo\\nAceitunillo\\nAlgarrobo\\nAlmendro\\nAquilon\\nAusubo\\nBucare\\nCacao cimarron\\nCafeillo\\nCaimitillo\\nCaimito\\nCanela\\nCanelilla\\nCa pa bianco\\nCapacillo\\nCapa prieto\\nCaracolillo.\\nCedro macho\\nCedro Hembra\\nCenizo\\nCerezo\\nCo.jova\\nSatin wood\\nGum animae or carob.\\nIndian cherry; almond\\nBullet wood\\nFire wood\\nStar apple\\ndo\\nCinnamon\\nCedar (bastard)\\nCedar\\nWhite goose foot\\nCherry tree\\n.75\\n.90\\n.90\\n.88\\n1.09\\n.77\\n1.08\\n.85\\n1.78\\n.85\\n.87\\n.75\\n1.20\\nBoards.\\nShooks.\\nCabinet wood.\\nBoards.\\nWagon wheels and other objects\\nwhere rough usage is required.\\nBoards.\\nDo.\\nMuch used for building.\\nBoards.\\nWalking sticks, firewood.\\nCharcoal.\\nShingles, barrel staves, charcoal.\\nBoats.\\nBoards.\\nDo.\\nDo.\\nNo use.\\nBoats, boards.\\nHard wood for building.\\nBoards.\\nCabinet wood.\\nFormerly for hogsheads.\\nShooks.\\nPosts and fencing.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0237.jp2"}, "238": {"fulltext": "228\\nWoods of Porto Rico and their uses Continued.\\nSpanish name.\\nEnglish name.\\nSpecific\\ngravity.\\nUses.\\nCorazon.\\nCoscorron.\\nCorcho\\nBull s heart of sweet\\nsop.\\nCuero deSapo\\nCucubano\\nCienigilla\\nDama Juana (a bush)\\nEbony.\\nEspejurlo-bobo\\nEspinillo (a very large\\ntree).\\nEspinorubio\\nFlamboyant\\nGallina (a shrub).\\nGen gen\\nGeno geno\\nGuaba.-\\nGuajanillo, same as cara-\\ncohllo.\\nGuama\\nGuanabana\\nGuasabara\\nGuasabarillo\\nGuasima\\nGuasimillo.-\\nGuabara\\nGuara\\nGuaraguao.\\nGuayaba\\nGuyacan\\nGuayabota.\\nAceituna...\\nHiguerillo.\\nHiguero\\nSoursop\\nHortegon\\nHucar\\nHucar amarillo.\\nHucar Colorado.\\nHucarillo\\nHuso amarillo\\nHuso bianco\\nHuso Colorado...\\nJaboncillo\\nJagua\\nJobo\\nJuso-\\nLaurel bianco\\nLaurel amarillo\\nLechicillo\\nLimoncillo\\nMahogany\\nMaria\\nMaricao\\nMaza\\nMoca\\nMora\\nMameyuelo\\nMoral ._\\nMulta\\nMuneco\\nNaranja\\nNegralora.-t\\nNispero\\nNuez moscado\\nHoja menuda\\nOak _\\nPalo bianco\\nPalo bobo\\nPalo de hierro\\nPalo polio\\nPalo puerco.\\nPalo santo\\nPendula\\nPimiento\\nPomarosa\\nGuava fruit tree\\nLignumvitae\\nGourd tree\\nSoapwort\\nBay tree\\nTola\\nMulberry\\nSpecies of mulberry.\\nShrub-\\nBitter orange\\nTropical plum.\\nNutmeg\\nShrub\\ndo\\nShrub\\nRose apple\\n.65\\n.90\\n.84\\n.82\\n1.08\\n1.10\\n.68\\n1.16\\n.66\\n1.09\\n.66\\n.51\\n1.25\\n1.06\\n1.07\\n.93\\n1.30\\n.63\\n1.12\\n.84\\n.79\\n1.20\\n1.02\\n.57\\n1.06\\n.59\\n.48\\n.91\\n1.02\\n.77\\n.54\\n1.07\\n.87\\n.70\\n.84\\n1.02\\n.70\\nCharcoal.\\nBoards.\\nUsed for charcoal and to sharpen\\nsteel instruments and carpen-\\nters tools.\\nHut building, firewood.\\nBoards, firewood.\\nBoards Tone of the fine woods).\\nFirewood.\\nBoards.\\nFirewood.\\nDo.\\nMachete handles.\\nWooden pans of gold seekers.\\nShade for coffee.\\nFirewood.\\nDo.\\nDo.\\nDo.\\nDo.\\nFibre used for rope.\\nFirewood.\\nDo.\\nDo.\\nBoards and cabinet wood.\\nOne of the hardest building woods\\nof the island.\\nPosts.\\nBoat building.\\nBoards.\\nFirewood; fruit furnishes the\\npeasants cups, etc.\\nHardest wood known.\\nHard wood (coffee and cocoa\\nshade).\\nDo.\\nDo.\\nHard wood.\\nDo.\\nDo.\\nDo.\\nBoards.\\nBoards, coaches, and wagons.\\nFence posts.\\nPosts.\\nFurniture.\\nBoards, furniture.\\nFirewood.\\nCabinet.\\nDo.\\nDo.\\nCabinet, firewood.\\nFirewood.\\nCoffee shade.\\nCabinet wood.\\nBoards.\\nFruit used for coloring rum, etc.\\nFirewood.\\nBoards.\\nHut building.\\nDo.\\nCharcoal.\\nHandles for machetes, pans for\\ngold seekers.\\nCharcoal.\\nBoards, posts.\\nVery hard wood.\\nCharcoal (fruit said to be 30 per\\ncent sugar).", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0238.jp2"}, "239": {"fulltext": "229\\nWoods of Porto Rico and their uses Continued.\\nSpanish name.\\nEnglish name.\\nSpecific\\ngravity.\\nUses.\\n.87\\n1.07\\n.89\\n.85\\n1.11\\n.55\\n1.13\\n..66\\n1.12\\n1.25\\nDo.\\nRoble\\nOak\\nShrub\\nTabonuco, a very resinous\\nshadow of this tree are poisoned\\nby its exhalations. Useless.\\nTimber.\\ntree.\\nDo.\\n1.05\\nthe drug digitalina).\\nYaiti\\n.94\\nWalking sticks.\\nFive-leaved silk cotton\\ntree.\\ning wood.\\n1.11\\n.74\\nShrub\\nrope fiber.\\nVEGETABLES OF THE ISLAND.\\nAchiote Annato seed, used for coloring rice, etc.\\nAjo Garlic.\\nAjonjoli -Sesame seed.\\nAlgarroba Carob bean.\\nApio Celery.\\nArroz Upland rice.\\nBatata Sweet potato.\\nBerengena .Eggplant.\\nCalabaza Squash or pumpkin.\\nCana dulce Sugar cane.\\nCebolla Onion.\\nCol Cabbage.\\nEddoes. _ A tuber used for food.\\nFrijol Black bean.\\nGandul Small red bean.\\nGingamboa Seed like a small lentil.\\nGuisante Pease.\\nGumbo Okra, used for soup.\\nHabichuela String bean.\\nHedionda Small berry used by natives instead of coffee.\\nHiguera Gourd used, to make peasant s cup, ladle, and spoon\\nKenep Kenep.\\nLechosa A species of muskmelon.\\nLechuga Lettuce.\\nLenteja Lentil.\\nLeren Species of small potato.\\nMaiz Corn.\\nMalagueta Tabasco pepper.\\nMani Peanut.\\nMel6n Melon.\\nNabo Turnip.\\nJSTami .Yam, a large tuber.\\nPapas Potatoes.\\nPepino Angola Angola cucumber.\\nPimienta Green pepper.\\nRabano Radish.\\n1/", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0239.jp2"}, "240": {"fulltext": "230\\nRemolache Beet.\\nTallote A corrugated, pear-shaped green vegetable.\\nTanier A plant, the leaves of which are boiled and eaten.\\nTabaco Tobacco.\\nTomate Tomato.\\nYuca Cassava, manioc, a starch food.\\nZanachoria Carrot.\\nZandia. _ Watermelon.\\nFRUITS OF THE ISLAND.\\nAguacate Alligator pear.\\nAlmendro Wild almond.\\nCacao Chocolate bean.\\nCafe Coffee.\\nCaimito Small red fruit.\\nCereza Tropical cherry.\\nChina Sweet orange.\\nChina injerta Bitter sweet orange.\\nCidra Species of grapefruit.\\nCoco Cocoanut.\\nCorazon Soursop, a large sweet fruit.\\nCorozo Ivory nut.\\nCoyoll Coyoll palm fruit.\\nFresa.. .Wild strawberry.\\nFruta de pan Breadfruit.\\nGrosella A kind of gooseberry growing on a tree in clusters like\\ngrapes.\\nG-uanabana Custard apple.\\nGuayaba Guava.\\nGuinda Species of currant.\\nGuineo Small plantain.\\nHicaco Coco plum.\\nHigos chumbo Cactus pear.\\nLima Lime.\\nLimon Lemon (sweet).\\nMamey Mamee, sopota.\\nMangle .White pulp inclosed in shell of fruit of mangrove tree.\\nMango _. Mango.\\nMangotin Mangosteen fruit of size of apple.\\nMultas _-- Mulberries.\\nNaranja Bitter orange.\\nNispero .Russet fruit, very sweet.\\nNuez moscada ...Nutmeg (spice).\\nPajuil A small pulpy stone fruit.\\nPinas Pineapples, three varieties sugar loaf, Mayaguez, and\\nCimarron or wild.\\nPlatano .Plantain or banana; there are 20 or more varieties.\\nPomarosa Rose apple, an edible berry.\\nTamarindo .Tamarind fruit.\\nToronja Grape fruit.\\nUvas de playa. Seaside grape (so called in British West Indies).\\nMEDICINAL AND OTHER PLANTS.\\nAcerga Flavoring herb.\\nAnil Indigo.\\nArrowroot\\nCana fistula. Medicinal plant.\\nCalantro Herb used for soup.\\nFlor de nacahuita. Dried flour used medicinally.\\nGengibre Ginger.\\nHelecho Male fern.\\nMabi Bark used for liquor.\\nMalanga A farinaceous root.\\nMato A small round gray bean, medicinal.\\nOregano Wild marjoram.\\nPatchouli A mint-like plant.\\nPerejil .Parsley.\\nTabaluco A resin extracted from a tree used as vermifuge.\\nYuquilla Ginger-like medicinal root.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0240.jp2"}, "241": {"fulltext": "231\\nTHE INSULAR GOVERNMENT.\\nCHARACTER OF THE PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nSan Juan, P. R., November 2, 1898.\\nSeiior Luis Munoz Rivera, secretario de la gobernacion\\nDr. Carroll. I heard a great deal about you even before I left the\\nUnited States, and I am very glad of this opportunity to meet you.\\nI desire your views on the condition of things in Porto Rico, and as\\nto what would be best to be done to advance the welfare of the island.\\nMr. Rivera. If you will give me concrete questions, I will be bet-\\nter able to give you the information you desire.\\nDr. Carroll. What are the present political conditions of Porto\\nRico? Are the Porto Ricans divided on party lines; and if so, on\\nwhat lines?\\nMr. Rivera. Under the Spanish rule in Porto Rico there existed\\ntwo political parties one a small one, the party of the rulers, whose\\nbasis was the Peninsula the other a large one, composed almost entirely\\nof natives of. the country. The ruling party was able to keep itself\\nin power for a long period, thanks to the electoral privileges which\\nwere conceded them. In the opposition partj^ all the Porto Ricans\\nwere united, but on the establishment of the autonomous regime, and\\non the declaration of universal suffrage in 1897, the Peninsula party\\nwas reduced to an insignificant minority, and the Porto Rican party\\nwas divided into two branches. One of these branches, more moder-\\nate than the other, was called the Liberal party, and the other party,\\nmore advanced, called itself the Radical. The Liberal party is much\\nlarger than the Radical party and has won in all electoral struggles\\nsince the establishment of autonomy in the island. Their defeats\\nirritated the Radical party, which resorted to violent proceedings,\\nmaking use at times of even personal insults, which has brought on\\na condition of affairs making politics very difficult in this country.\\nWhen the American army took possession of the whole island in a\\ndefinite manner on October 18, things were in the following situation:\\nWhen General Brooke, who was of the opinion that the various sec-\\nretaries should continue the exercise of their respective functions,\\ncontinued in office the secretaries who had received their election to\\noffice by the votes of the Liberal party, their adversaries inaugurated\\na violent campaign against them, in spite of old unions being dis-\\nsolved and in spite also of the fact that the council of the island tries\\nby every means to bring to its side all conflicting elements in the\\nisland. I do not think that any great difference exists between the\\ntwo parties in their primary principles, and I believe the present\\nopposition is owing entirely to reasons of personal rancor on the part\\nof those who have determined the struggle. The citizens of Porto\\nRico are for the most part democrats (I use the word democrats\\nin the broad sense of the word, not as indicating the tenets of any\\npolitical party). All of them aspire to preserve the individuality of\\nthe country within the union of the states, and as no fundamental\\nprinciple divides us, it is possible that concord will soon be reestab-\\nlished and that the Government of the United States will find in the\\nisland immense opportunities for working out her objects and for\\narriving at an era of progress and general welfare. That is my idea\\nof the general condition of the island.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0241.jp2"}, "242": {"fulltext": "232\\nDr. Carroll. May it be said that tlie autonomous system is fairly\\ninstalled?\\nMr. Rivera. When the Americans arrived the autonomous system\\nwas fully introduced, but to-day the government is a military one,\\nand that government settles matters having any importance.\\nDr. Carroll. I would like to have an explanation of the general\\nscheme of government here at the time our troops arrived, and, if it\\nwould be just as convenient, I would be pleased to have you divide\\nthe subject into the three parts the legislative, judicial, and execu-\\ntive and give me a plain exposition of each.\\nMr. Rivera. The legislative power was exercised by two chambers,\\nrepresentatives and councilors of administration, who constituted a\\nsort of senate. These chambers had the power to legislate on esti-\\nmates, public instruction, sanitation, charities, public works, and, in\\ngeneral, upon everything which affected the life of the island locally.\\nDr. Carroll. Were they subject to any veto power?\\nMr. Rivera. Yes; the governor-general had the right of vetoing\\nthe statutes voted by the chambers which required his approbation to\\nacquire executive character. The opportunity of exercising this right\\nof veto never arrived, because the first legislature was dissolved\\nimmediately on being called, owing to the war.\\nDr. Carroll. How were the members of the legislature elected?\\nMr. Rivera. The election of representatives was by universal suf-\\nfrage, exercised by all males above the age of 25 years. The election\\nof councillors, or senators, was by indirect suffrage; that is, the towns\\nelected their representatives, who in turn voted for the senators, but\\nhad no other function.\\nDr. Carroll. How many members were there in the senate?\\nMr. Rivera. The senate was composed of 15 members, 8 of whom\\nwere elected by popular vote, as before stated, and 7 members were\\nnamed by the Spanish Crown.\\nDr. Carroll. Were the representatives all voted for on the ballots?\\nMr. Rivera. Yes all of them.\\nDr. Carroll. How many of them were there.\\nMr. Rivera. Thirty-two.\\nDr. Carroll. This was the system prevailing under autonomy?\\nMr. Rivera. Yes.\\nTHE EXECUTIVE POWER.\\nMr. Rivera. The executive power was exercised by a governor-\\ngeneral and four secretaries, one of public works and public instruc-\\ntion, another of justice, another of finance, and one of gobernacion\\n(government). No act of the governor was valid unless one of the\\nsecretaries added his assent to it that is to say, it must have the\\napprobation of at least one of the secretaries, and the secretaries in\\nturn could not decree any measure without the approbation of the\\ngovernor so that together the council of administration and the gov-\\nernor had charge of all executive functions, and it was their duty to\\napply all statutes passed by the chambers. The secretaries were\\nrequired to be members of one of the two chambers either of repre-\\nsentatives or senators. The governor, besides the power which he\\nexercised in company with the secretaries, took under his charge all\\nmatters of a diplomatic character and was the sole manager of eccle-\\nsiastical matters in the island by virtue of the patronato real or spe-\\ncial powers conferred on him by the Holy See for that purpose,\\nmaking him virtually the head of the church here. The governor,", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0242.jp2"}, "243": {"fulltext": "233\\ntogether with the secretaries, named all the employees of the colony,\\nand he alone the employees of his special secretarial department. But\\nin each ministerial department the secretary was at the head of affairs\\nand directed without hindrance of any sort all matters pertaining to\\nhis department. The governor-general had the right to evoke and\\ndissolve the chambers and to remove his ministers at will.\\nTHE JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT.\\nThe judiciary was directed by the secretary of justice, and was\\ncomposed of the territorial superior court at San Juan, which had\\njurisdiction of appeals from all civil and criminal judgments and\\ndecisions of the two audiencias, one at Ponce and one at Mayaguez,\\nwhich only had jurisdiction in criminal matters; of several justices\\nof first instance in the chief city of each district, who, as their desig-\\nnation indicates, attended to preliminary proceedings and also suits\\nof a civil character only. There was also a municipal justice in\\nevery city and town of the island, established to punish offenses for\\nwhich the maximum penalty or punishment prescribed did not exceed\\none month s imprisonment, and who also had jurisdiction in civil cases\\nwhere the amount involved was not greater than $200.\\nRELIGION.\\nThe public treasurer paid all expenses connected with the Catholic\\nChurch in the island, which was the religion of the State, and in every\\ncity and in every town there were churches exclusively for Catholic\\nworship. In Ponce only does there exist a Protestant church and\\nminister. In the country there are no followers of any other religion.\\nI will now compare the autonomous system with the system which\\nit succeeded. Before the establishment of autonomy, or under the\\nold system, the Governor- General was absolute master of the destinies\\nof the country. He directed finances through a manager, who was\\nhis subordinate, who had under his order the chiefs of all the other\\ndepartments, so that the country did not have a voice in any way in\\nits government. The governor was surrounded by a number of influ-\\nential persons, to whom he granted favors, and on whom he depended\\nto keep up the appearance of a system of representation which was at\\nbottom completely false. There was a provincial deputation, with\\nvery limited powers, such powers as it had being purely administrative\\npowers, and the budget of the country was voted by the Spanish\\nChambers, in which Porto Rico had a representation of 16 members\\nand 3 senators, which representation it kept under the autonomous\\ngovernment. As regards the municipalities, they had no liberty for\\nthe administration of their interests, and all their acts were submitted\\nfor the approbation of the Governor-General, who appointed all munici-\\npal employees, naming arbitrarily every employee, even down to por-\\nters and janitors, and removing completely all initiative from the\\nmunicipalities. It can be said that the Governor- General did every-\\nthing in the government of Puerto Rico.\\nDr. Carroll. The present military government, as I understand\\nit, is a continuation of the former system of government, with such\\nchanges as military control might require.\\nMr. Rivera. That is the case.\\nDr. Carroll. Then, the autonomistic system is not in operation\\nto-day?", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0243.jp2"}, "244": {"fulltext": "234\\nMr. Rivera. I can not consider that we are to-day an autonomous\\ngovernment, because the fact of the invasion dissolved the chambers,\\nand the secretaries are not responsible members of the government.\\nThey have to appeal to General Brooke.\\nDr. Carroll. It is a system of government ad interim, awaiting\\nlegislation from the United States to make necessary changes?\\nMr. Rivera. The country generally understands that, and desire\\nand hope that the United States will legislate for them in- such a way\\nthat their road to progress will be easy.\\nDr. Carroll. Would the Territorial system of the United States\\nbe a satisfactory system for Porto Rico, with such adaptations as\\nmay be necessary?\\nMr. Rivera. I will answer that at some length. The Territorial\\nsystem of the United States is perfectly applicable to Porto Rico\\nwith a governor at the head of the country a secretary to consult with\\nhim, to keep him informed a manager of the treasury a manager of\\nthe post-office, and a manager of public works, which office does not\\nexist in the Territories of the United States, but which is here neces-\\nsary and indispensable, because public works can not be here exclu-\\nsively a municipal matter. These functionaries would be sufficient to\\nmanage all matters of the Territory. The business of the government\\nshould be further simplified by the concession of absolute liberty to\\nthe municipalities, so that they themselves could resolve, without any\\nhindrance, their own municipal problems, the administration of jus-\\ntice being under the direction of the Supreme Court. There should\\nexist also a legislature, with power to make laws, which should be\\nsubmitted for approbation to the Congress of the United States.\\nThe country would be satisfied with this system, and under its pro-\\ntection would prepare itself gradually for statehood, which is the\\nhighest aspiration of the natives of the country, a consummation\\nwhich might arrive in a comparatively short period of time if the\\nculture and richness of the island be taken into account, which are\\nequal to the minor States of the Union itself. Porto Ricans desire\\nthat the military occupation should be as brief as possible, and that\\nthe situation at present existing shall be normalized, not being subject\\nto the will of the governor or the President of the United States, but\\nthat the colonial life shall be subject to the necessary and appropriate\\nlaws.\\nTo conclude, Porto Rico aspires to statehood and accepts as a\\ntransitory condition that of a Territory, asking that the military regi-\\nmen may be concluded as soon as possible.\\nDr. Carroll. I suppose that the people of Porto Rico want true\\nhome rule, not only for the general affairs of the island but for munici-\\npalities. Now, I am told that there are a great many municipalities,\\nmore than are really needed for the island that there is a great deal\\nof municipal machinery, and that it would be better that some of the\\nmunicipalities should be merely towns and villages. If that is so, I\\ndesire to ask whether it would not be well to inaugurate the system of\\ncounties which we have in all our States?\\nMr. Rivera. I don t consider the system of counties practicable in\\nthis country.\\nDr. Carroll. Let me explain further. These counties are judicial\\ndistricts. At the county seats, so called, are the county courts, places\\nfor the registration of property transfers, mortgages, wills, etc. a board\\nof taxation, a school superintendent, etc., and the general business of\\nthe county is there transacted. The county is also a legislative dis-", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0244.jp2"}, "245": {"fulltext": "235\\ntrict. It would seem that there ought to be similar divisions here,\\nand would it not be well to call them counties and give them county\\ngovernment?\\nMr. Rivera. As regards the county court-house, under the judicial\\nsystem as at present in vogue every group of five or six municipalities\\nhas its judge of first instance. As to municipal matters generally, I\\nthink every municipality should be its own master and not be subject\\nto any county council; that if it saw fit to build a road or a bridge\\nor other improvement it should be free to do so.\\nDr. Carroll. They have that right under our form of government.\\nMr. Rivera. Then I don t see the advantage of having that division.\\nIs the object of the county to resolve questions affecting a number of\\ncommunities all together?\\nDr. Carroll. Partly that and partly to stand between the munici-\\npality and \u00c2\u00a3he State. For example, as districts convenient for\\nelecting members to the legislature; as districts convenient to the\\nexercise of judicial functions; as districts convenient for the regis-\\ntration of deeds and other documents; as districts convenient for the\\nexercise of school superintendency; for the construction and mainte-\\nnance of county roads and bridges, and for the purpose of assessment\\nand collection of taxes and remittal to the State authorities.\\nMr. Rivera. I believe that such an institution or organization\\nwould be both practical and useful, and we possess almost the same\\ninstitution here to-day, except that we have an anarchical state of\\naffairs existing in these institutions at present, some so-called coun-\\nties being in one district for judicial matters, in another district for\\nmilitary matters, and in another district for other matters; but I con-\\nsider the proposition you suggest a very practical and useful one.\\nDr. Carroll. The object of the county is to unify all those inter-\\nests and to bring home to the people the privileges of government, so\\nthat in a country where it may cost a great deal to travel the people\\nmay not have to go very far to seek governmental aid in any direc-\\ntion. If the Territorial form of government is introduced here in its\\nsimplicity, it would probably do away with a great many posts which\\nexist under the present government. Would that be an objection?\\nMr. Rivera. Not in the least. The country would be pleased to\\nsee the government simplified and the disappearance of useless\\nsinecures.\\nDr. Carroll. I would like to ask what were the limitations of suf-\\nfrage previous to the establishment of universal suffrage in 1897?\\nMr. Rivera. Voting was only allowed to those persons who paid to\\nthe state taxes above the value of $5 without regard to what they paid\\nto the municipality, and all public servants and employees also had\\nvotes, no matter what their salaries. It was an original and curious\\nsystem under which those who collected the money could vote, but\\nthose who paid it out had no vote by which means the government\\nwas able to retain in power its own party continually, and although\\nconsisting of an insignificant minority in point of numbers these voters\\nwere the absolute dictators of the island. It has been known to hap-\\npen in San Juan that the number of voters who were employed by the\\nstate were greater in number than the number of citizen voters there-\\nfore it can easily be seen that all outside parties together had no voice\\nin the government.\\nDr. Carroll. Would it not be well to change the minimum age\\nlimit with respect to the right of suffrage by reducing it from 25 years\\nto 21 years, as is the general rule in the United States?", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0245.jp2"}, "246": {"fulltext": "236\\nMr. Rivera. Taking into consideration the state of education of\\nour people and also the difference in race the Anglo-Saxon race being\\na considering and debating and calm people, whereas the Latin race\\nis excitable and undeliberative, and at the age of 21 years a man of\\nthe latter race has not formed character I think it unwise to make\\nthe change suggested. I consider that the Government of the United\\nStates should give this matter of suffrage earnest attention, because\\nit is perhaps the most serious which it will have to resolve. From\\nthe vote will proceed the government of the country, and experience\\nhas shown us already that it would be extremely dangerous to hand\\nover our future to the masses, who are entirely without civic educa-\\ntion and who might be wrongly directed by the audacity of agitators\\nwho would make them their tools. I wish to emphasize the fact, before\\nour interview closes, that I am earnestly in favor of the establishment\\nhere of a Territorial form of government with the modifications pro-\\nposed, and I can say that with the more genuineness because I hold an\\noffice which will be swept away by the change to a Territorial form.\\nTHE PROVINCIAL DEPUTATION.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nSan Juan, P. R., November 5, 1898.\\nMr. Manuel Egozcue (a merchant and vice-president of the provin-\\ncial deputation). I hand you some books which refer to the provincial\\ndeputation, which I present to you. I was at the head of this institu-\\ntion for six months, during which time, I think I can say truthfully,\\nthe country made some advance. One of these pamphlets treats of\\nthe rules governing vaccination, another of the provincial lottery, and\\nthere are also several reports here.\\nDr. Carroll. I thank you very much for these books; I shall find\\nthem valuable. I am desirous of information in regard to the pro-\\nvincial deputation.\\nMr. Egozcue. The promulgation of the provincial law in Porto Rico\\nand, as a consequence, the establishment of the provincial deputation\\nwas the first, step which the Spanish Government made in favor of\\nadministrative decentralization.\\nThe ayuntamiento was governed by a law which limited all popu-\\nlar action with reference to their peculiar interests, because in the\\nmost important branches of the administration, and in their munici-\\npal budgets, the direct inspection of the governor-general was required,\\nwhose authority assumed all civil and military powers then came the\\ndeputation to fill a felt necessity demanded by the liberal spirit which\\nhas always been manifested in the country, for thus the said munici-\\npal corporations were not subjected to the absolute judgment and will\\nof the governor, except that in permanent functions a commission of\\nthe deputation, which was elected by the people subdivided into elec-\\ntoral districts, knew of the local affairs and informed the superior\\nauthority after a careful examination of these. The orders emanating\\nfrom the central provincial authority have been generally executive.\\nThe deputation came also to give impulse to the branches of bene-\\nficencia, instruction, and public works and health, establishing an\\nasylum and colleges, and giving impulse to roads and cart roads for\\nthe development of the wealth which was found stationary on account", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0246.jp2"}, "247": {"fulltext": "237\\nof the want of the elements which would determine its progressive\\nmovement.\\nThen, with the promulgation of the first reforms in the system of\\nautonomy, the deputation occupied an important place in the adminis-\\ntrative life of the country, charged the country with the government\\nand direction of the peculiar interests of the province, the stimulation\\nof its material interests, extending to everything in general which\\nhas reference to public works telegraphic and postal communication,\\nterritorial and maritime, agriculture, industry and commerce, emigra-\\ntion and colonization, public instruction, beneficencia and health,\\nassemblies, expositions, and other institutions for industrial develop-\\nment (fomento) and other analogous objects, without other limitations\\nthan those inherent faculties in the sovereign power which the laws\\nalways reserve to the government of the nation.\\nThe centralization of the state thus became almost annulled, and\\nthe Province saw administered directly and liberally its interests by\\na popular corporation ably judging of its necessities and eager to\\nsupply them. The ayuntamientos moved also in their proper orbit\\nand the deputation was the protecting center which guaranteed their\\npopular action, and assisted with its elements to render aid in those\\nbeneficent enterprises for their respective municipal objects.\\nThe provincial deputation to-day has property worth $1,145,000.\\nThe cities of the island are its debtors to the extent of over $150,000,\\nand the deputation itself does not owe more than $70,000 or $80,000.\\nDr. Carroll. Then the island has no debt?\\nMr. Egozcue. No; none whatever.\\nDr. Carroll. The provincial deputation has a treasury, and the\\nprovincial government has another treasury. Why is that?\\nMr. Egozcue. They have separate treasuries because they have sep-\\narate functions and separate collections. Each collects its income inde-\\npendently of the other. Although connected with the deputation, I\\nam in favor of its disappearance, but not until after the establishment\\nof another government.\\nDr. Carroll. Was the provincial deputation under the central\\ngovernment, or did it run parallel with it?\\nMr. Egozcue. Neither was subject to the other. They were inde-\\npendent bodies, with independent functions. The high officials of\\nthe provincial deputation are not paid any salaries. They are elected\\nby popular vote and are not subject to anybody.\\nDr. Carroll. There are two departments, I understand, which\\nwere under the direction of the provincial deputation. One was that\\nof fomento, and the other that of gobierno.\\nMr. Egozcue. No; it was purely administrative in its functions.\\nFomento was entirely under the charge of the provincial deputation\\nunder the autonomistic government, but not gobierno.\\nDr. Carroll. I thought those two departments were provided for\\nin the budget.\\nMr. Egozcue. They simply made distribution or apportionment of\\nthe expenses of the gobierno, without having anything to do with it.\\nDr. Carroll. Well, the expenses of the province which were\\napproved in Madrid also included these expenses, did they not?\\nMr. Egozcue. The last ones did not go to Madrid at all for approval.\\nThey were approved here.\\nDr. Carroll. The budget I saw was for 1897-98.\\nMr. Egozcue. It was reformed after it was adopted, and the refor-\\nmations came in the form of decrees and royal orders.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0247.jp2"}, "248": {"fulltext": "238\\nDr. Carroll. Can we get the estimates for 1898-99?\\nMr. Egozcue. There was no new estimate furnished. As the coun-\\ntry was in a state of war, the Government ordered that the previous\\none should be adopted.\\nDr. Carroll. Then the last one did not go to Madrid?\\nMr. Egozcue. The provincial deputation estimate is the one that\\ndid not go to Madrid.\\nDr. Carroll. When was the provincial deputation established?\\nMr. Egozcue. It was established when the decentralization of power\\ncommenced. You will find a full statement of it in the paper which\\nI have included in the several documents handed to you. The pro-\\nvincial deputation was the bulwark of defense against the Spanish\\nGovernment. It was formed by popular election. The} 7 have the\\nsame thing in Spain; each province has one; but there the vice-\\npresident is named by the Crown, while here he is elected by the peo-\\nple. It is not legislative it is purely administrative. It is nothing\\nmore than a court for the protection of the people against the govern-\\ning bodies for instance, against the municipalities. It had to approve\\nthe estimates made by the municipalities, and where they transgressed\\nthe law in drawing up their estimates the provincial deputation\\nintervened to see that the estimates were changed in that respect and\\nmade to conform to the law.\\nDr. Carroll. To whom was the provincial deputation responsible?\\nMr. Egozcue. I was and still am the vice-president of the provin-\\ncial deputation and one of its permanent committee. Among the\\ntwelve provincial deputies five are chosen by the deputation itself to\\nform a permanent committee to transact its current business. The\\ndeputation, as a body, meets only twice a year. In all the Spanish\\nprovincial deputations the deputies have salaries, but in Porto Rico\\nthey never have had salaries.\\nDr. Carroll. Are the twelve deputies all elected on one ballot or\\nslip, or were they elected by districts?\\nMr. Egozcue. By districts.\\nDr. Carroll. What districts the military, the judicial, or are\\nthere distinct districts for the purposes of the provincial deputation?\\nMr. Egozcue. The judicial districts. I wish to add here that the\\nprovincial deputation is the only institution in Porto Rico to-day\\nwhich represents the popular vote. The present secretaries of the\\nGovernment wish to do away with the provincial deputation at once,\\nbut I think it would be a pity at present to do away with the only\\ninstitution in the island whose officers were elected by popular vote.\\nManuel Lopez does not wish it, but the other secretaries are trying to\\njustify the salaries they are drawing.\\nTHE AUTONOMISTIC SYSTEM.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.\\nSan Juan, P. R., October 28, 1898.\\nDr. Carroll. I shall be very glad if you can give us a succinct\\nstatement of the insular civil government.\\nMr. Manuel F. Rossy. Owing to the representations made by the\\nautonomist party; owing, also, in part to the pressure exerted from\\nWashington during the Cuban war and to the situation in which Spain\\nfound herself as a result of that war, the autonomous government of", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0248.jp2"}, "249": {"fulltext": "239\\nPorto Rico was instituted. Our programme had specially in vieWtwo\\nobjects: One was the citizenship of every inhabitant of the island, and\\nthe other was the installation of local self-government. Accepting\\nthese views and responding to our desires, the Spanish Government\\nformulated the articles of the autonomous government which were in\\nforce Until the occupation of the island by the American forces. The\\nSpanish Government recognized the Spanish citizenship of every inhab-\\nitant of Porto Rico and gave them representation to enable them to\\ntake part in imperial decrees in all matters relating to the national\\naffairs. In regard to the second point, the Government gave us power\\nto direct our internal affairs, but not to the extent which we required.\\nIn obedience to these two principles, the following is the autono-\\nmous constitution:\\nA Governor-General, named by the Peninsula Government to repre-\\nsent it here in Porto Rico, who was at the same time the military and\\nnaval commander of all the forces stationed here.\\nA local government consisting of a president and four secretaries\\nnamely, a secretary of the treasury, a secretary of the government,\\none of justice, and the fourth of fomento. The secretary of fomento\\nincludes the following portfolios: Public works, education, agricul-\\nture, and commerce. I was minister of public instruction under the\\nfirst autonomical government. These ministers were named by the\\nGovernor- General from members of the political party which obtained\\na majority in the elections.\\nDr. Carroll. What was that election for?\\nMr. Rossy. For the purpose of electing members to constitute the\\nlocal parliament under the autonomous regime.\\nDr. Carroll. Was that the first real election the people here had\\nhad?\\nMr. Rossy. That was not a real election; it was so unreal that I and\\nmy party retired from the government. The insular parliament was\\ncomposed of two chambers, the higher one called the council of admin-\\nistration and the lower the chamber of representatives. The latter\\nchamber was composed of thirty-two members, elected by universal\\nsuffrage throughout the island. Any male person who had attained\\nthe age of 25 years and resided in the island was entitled to vote.\\nDr. Carroll. Are persons under the age of 25 regarded as infants\\nin the eyes of the law?\\nMr. Rossy. That is only the case respecting the right of suffrage\\nin all other civil matters 23 years constitute majority. The council\\nof administration is composed of fifteen members, seven named by\\nthe Govenor-General from among persons resident in the island who\\npossess certain requirements (which are too extensive to go into ad\\nextenso) and eight elected by the people at large. Each of these\\nchambers named its president and discussed everything concerning\\nthe management of the chambers and concerning the legality of the\\nelection of their respective members. This regimen has not been\\ncarried out here in its amplitude, because after the formation of the\\nfirst cabinet war with the United States intervened, the autonomous\\ngovernment was suspended, and things went on without any autono-\\nmous government. The ayuntamientos or municipal corporations\\nwhich administered municipal business came under the autonomous\\nmunicipal law. This never was put into practice. Above the munici-\\npal government there is a provincial government, which has jurisdic-\\ntion over all questions in which persons who are not satisfied with\\nmunicipal acts seek redress or correction at the hands of this body.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0249.jp2"}, "250": {"fulltext": "240\\nIt has the characteristics of a superior tribunal. The provincial govern-\\nment was for the whole island as one province. Everybody was agreed\\nthat this body had to disappear, because the rest of the mechanism\\nhad not been brought into play. That is the extent of the insular\\ngovernment as lately decreed.\\nDr. Carroll. Will you give a general view in outline of the duties\\nand powers of the Governor-General under this autonomistie system?\\nMr. Rossy. The following was the theory of his duties and powers\\nunder that system: He was a sort of constitutional king, according\\nto the European system, because he had no powers of government\\nvested in himself alone. The secretaries governed in their respective\\ndepartments, and any act promulgated by the governor, in order to\\nbecome legal, had to have the consent of the secretaries, which secre-\\ntaries made themselves personally responsible for their government\\nto the insular parliament. The whole system is very analogous to\\nthe constitutional parliament system adopted by European countries.\\nIn military and naval matters the insular government had no juris-\\ndiction. Orders came direct from the Peninsular Government.\\nDr. Carroll. What was the scope of the duties and powers of the\\nsecretaries?\\nMr. Rossy. The secretaries were the chiefs of the administration of\\ntheir respective departments, in the management of which they were\\nsubject to the laws respecting the same and to those which might be\\npromulgated by the insular parliament. In other words, they were\\nexecutive chiefs.\\nDr. Carroll. What was the scope of the functions of the legis-\\nlative department?\\nMr. Rossy. The insular parliament had the power to legislate on\\nall local questions except those which involve questions affecting the\\nEmpire in general, military and naval questions, war, and questions\\naffecting the constitution.\\nDr. Carroll. Did they have the power to fix the budget of expenses\\nand salaries in the island?\\nMr. Rossy. Yes with the obligation of voting, in addition to insu-\\nlar estimates, the amount assigned by the nation as our proportion\\nof the general contribution.\\nDr. Carroll. Had the insular parliament the right of fixing the\\ncustoms duties without reference to Madrid?\\nMr. Rossy. No; they did not have that power. This was the only\\nexception to the rule above mentioned. The tariff was fixed hy a\\ncommission appointed by Spain, in conjunction with another com-\\nmission appointed by the island, who arranged and fixed the tariff\\nschedules and everything else connected with the custom-house in\\nPuoto Rico.\\nDr. Carroll. Is that the tariff that the Americans found in opera-\\ntion here?\\nMr. Rossy. No they never got further than the naming of their\\nemployees for the customs service. The present is the old Spanish\\nsystem.\\nDr. Carroll. How long has it been in force?\\nMr. Rossy. I can not say with certainty; but I believe it is the\\nmodus vivendi which was arranged when the last treaty was abro-\\ngated, in 1890 or 1891.\\nDr. Carroll. Is the present tariff satisfactory to merchants?\\nMr. Rossy. No; it is too high. It tends unduly to favor what they\\ncall Catalonian business men.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0250.jp2"}, "251": {"fulltext": "241\\nDr. Carroll. Returning to the question of legislation; did the\\nlegislature legislate directly for the districts and municipalities, or for\\nthe municipalities through the districts?\\nMr. Rossy. I do not understand the question fully.\\nDr. Carroll. Do the districts here correspond to our counties in\\nthe United States?\\nMr. Rossy. No they are different. A municipal district here con-\\nsists of a portion of territory embracing a certain number of houses;\\nthat is the basis of the municipality. There are 70 municipal dis-\\ntricts in Puerto Rico.\\nDr. Carroll. What is meant by the seven districts?\\nMr. Rossy. That is a division for military purposes. Each of the\\n70 municipal districts has its municipal government, and these munic-\\nipal governments are subject to the provincial deputation. The\\nisland is further divided into 11 judicial districts entirely distinct\\nfrom the municipal and military divisions. The military districts of\\nthe island are the capital, Arecibo, Aguadilla, Mayaguez, Ponce,\\nGuayama, and Humacao, at the head of each of which there was a\\nmilitary commander.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the composition of the municipal govern-\\nment?\\nMr. Rossy. The actual state of affairs in municipal and provincial\\ngovernment is the old one. Thej^ did not have time to get down to\\nthat before the war broke out. They had elections in February and\\nMarch and war broke out in April, and municipal government\\nremained as it was under the old regime.\\nDr. Carroll. What was the former municipal government?\\nMr. Rossy. The old system, which is at present in force, has a\\nmunicipal council elected by all persons residing in the municipality,\\nand is composed of members called councilors, varying in number\\nfrom nine to twenty-four, according to the importance of the munici-\\npality. Once elected, they met and named their mayor, unless the\\nGovernor-General should wish to name the mayor, which he could do,\\nbut the person so named by him had to be one of the councilors.\\nDr. Carroll. What was the term of the councilors and mayors?\\nMr. Rossy. The councilors remained in offi.ce four years, half of\\nthem being replaced every two years. The mayor held office for two\\nyears.\\nDr. Carroll. Is the mayor intrusted with large powers?\\nMr. Rossy. Mayors have a twofold official character. As delegates\\nof the Governor- General, they receive orders in regard to political\\ngovernment; as head of the municipality, they have to execute the\\nmandates of the councilors, and had, by virtue of their office, certain\\npowers over priests, vigilantes, and other matters of a purely local\\ncharacter, which they exercised at discretion.\\nDr. Carroll. Are the highways controlled by the municipal gov-\\nernment or by the provincial?\\nMr. Rossy. Roads are divided into two classes one class called\\nmunicipal roads and streets and the other called provincial roads.\\nThe former are those within the immediate limits of the municipality,\\nand provincial roads are those which connect the municipalities.\\nProvincial roads are under the jurisdiction of the provincial govern-\\nment.\\nDr. Carroll. Can you inform me in regard to the schools of the\\nmunicipalities?\\nMr. Rossy. The schools are governed under a law promulgated by\\n1125 16", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0251.jp2"}, "252": {"fulltext": "242\\none of the Captains-General, and also by the school law of the new\\nautonomous government. It is a provincial matter. The naming of\\nteachers is under the immediate jurisdiction of the secretary of\\nf omen to. In respect to financial matters, such as payment of salaries,\\nrepairs of school buildings, etc., the schools depend upon the munici-\\npality.\\nDr. Carroll. Do the mayors direct the municipal police, munici-\\npal fire department, and similar municipal matters?\\nMr. Rossy. They have charge of the police. There are further\\nboards, called local boards, whose duties include the inspection of\\nschools and education generally. They are named by the mayors of\\neach municipality.\\nDr. Carroll. Who prescribes the text-books?\\nMr. Rossy. Formerly they were prescribed by the Governor-Gen-\\neral, but they are now prescribed by the secretary of fomeuto.\\nDr. Carroll. Have the mayors also powers of magistrates to hear\\nand determine cases of any kind?\\nMr. Rossy. Absolutely none.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the range of salaries paid the Governor-\\nGeneral and heads of the several departments of the insular govern-\\nment?\\nMr. Rossy. The Governor-General has an annual salary of $20,000\\nand a house, besides $2,500 for entertaining and $2,500 for furniture\\nand fittings. The president of the council and the secretaries each\\nhave $8,000 annually, without houses.\\nDr. Carroll. Can a secretary hold more than one portfolio?\\nMr. Rossy. Each can hold only one portfolio. The x^resident can\\nhold, besides the presidency, another portfolio; but he is legally\\nallowed to draw only one salary.\\nDr. Carroll. Are there any fees besides these salaries?\\nMr. Rossy. None whatever but in the corrupt times we have had\\nhere everybody has looked out for himself.\\nDr. Carroll. I have been informed that the cost of maintaining\\nthe governmental machinery of the island has been too large and\\nthat there has been too much of it.\\nMr. Rossy. That is absolutely so.\\nTuesday, November 1, 1898.\\nMr. Rossy To-day affairs in the island are worse than ever, because\\nthe autonomous government did not have time to promulgate new laws,\\nand we have our own constitution and the old Spanish constitution,\\nboth partly in effect, and there is continual confusion, and no one\\nknows where to look for his authority.\\nUntil the 18th of last month there were a great many unnecessary\\nemployees whose salaries amounted to $32,000 a month, of which a few\\nstill remain. The old intendencia remains just as it was with its four\\nsections secretary s department, central administration, auditor s\\nand accountant s office, and treasury in each one of which there is a\\nregular army of emirioyees. To give you an idea of the unnecessary\\nand cumbersome machinery and number of employees in this depart-\\nment, suppose, for example, that a judge orders $50 to be refunded\\nto a person for certain purposes. In order to collect it it is necessary\\nto go through the following steps You have to apply to three or four\\nof its interior departments, in each one of which you have to get two\\nor three signatures and have three or four entries made in the books\\nof the office. You have to pay a gratification to one of the inferior", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0252.jp2"}, "253": {"fulltext": "243\\nclerks in order to have him steer you through all this. Then the in-\\ntendent gives his signature ordering the payment to be made, and\\nfinally the document is taken to the treasurer to be cashed. All\\nthese formalities occupy much time, frequently consuming the morn-\\ning hours of five or six days and costing in gratifications $5 or\\nmore. I have been a victim of this system in my profession as a law-\\nyer which often takes me to this office. Under the jurisdiction of the\\nintendencia are all the custom-houses of the island, which are also\\noversupplied with employees, and in which scandalous robberies took\\nplace, and still do, not by taking money from the custom-house\\ndirectly, but by connivance on the part of some of the employees and\\ncertain merchants to defraud the government of its revenues. The\\nformer collector at the port of Ponce, who was appointed on the 22d\\nof February of this year (and I mention these facts because they are\\npublic property) was, when appointed to office, known as a poor man,\\nup to his eyes in debt, with nothing to eat and little to wear. When\\nthe Americans landed there, he had paid off his debts, amounting to\\n15,000 or $6,000, he had bought a printing establishment for about\\n$2,500, and he was living in luxury with horses and carriages on a\\nsalary of $208 a month.\\nEverything connected with the collection of taxes and everything,\\nin short, referring to the financial department of the government is\\nunder the jurisdiction of the intendencia. The political organization\\nwas under the jurisdiction of the secretary of government. The\\nsecretary of the government was really the secretary of the Governor-\\nGeneral and had under his jurisdiction the political management of\\nthe country, so that the secretaries appointed under the autonomous\\ngovernment were only figureheads and could not perform their func-\\ntions independently.\\nI think there will be much difficult}^ in the way of coming to a clear\\nunderstanding of the present political situation here in Porto Rico\\nbecause of the confusion which has been caused by changes in the\\nform of government following each other in quick succession. For-\\nmerly there was a definite form of government which had in it no\\nsuggestion of self-government, all the employees being Spaniards. As\\nsoon as the difficulty with Cuba arose, Canovas, who was then prime\\nminister, had a law passed decentralizing the government, taking\\naway from the Governor- General the right to exercise certain govern-\\nmental powers, such as direction of i_ ublic instruction, posts, tele-\\ngraphs, and some others which were turned over to the provincial\\ndeputation, and a more ample municipal law was promulgated.\\nWhile the country was getting used to this new order of things, Cano-\\nvas was killed and Sagasta came into power and gave the autonomi-\\ncal system to the island. While this latter system of government\\nwas being introduced and before it had been completely established\\nin all its parts the American forces invaded the island and gave us a\\nmilitary government, so that we have now a mixture of the three\\nforms of government, resulting in much confusion as to the exact\\nstatus of governmental matters in the island.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the fiscal year in this island?\\nMr. Rossy. From the 1st of July to the 30th of the following June.\\nDr. Carroll. Are there any officials of the government who are in\\nreceipt of income from more than one source.\\nMr. Rossy. There are none. In some cases, however, when the\\nchief officers wished to increase the salaries of minor employees beyond\\nthe limits of what they were legally entitled to receive (such limits", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0253.jp2"}, "254": {"fulltext": "244\\nbeing those of salaries paid to employees in similar positions in Spain)\\nthey added to the legal salary a gratification or bonus.\\nDr. Carroll. I have noticed a provision for that in the budget.\\nIs it to be translated as a bonus or an allowance?\\nMr. Rossy. The employees who were favored in that way collected\\nthe money; you can translate it as you please.\\nDr. Carroll. Was it according to law?\\nMr. Rossy. No; it was contrary to law. The salaries could only\\nlawfully be equal to those paid in Spain of persons holding correspond-\\ning positions there, not in excess of them. But, in order to keep the\\nletter of the law while they violated its spirit, they called the extra\\ncompensation in excess of their rightful salaries a gratification.\\nThe colonels in the army here received $400 additional in that way.\\nDr. Carroll. It would seem that if the amounts appropriated for\\nthe church and the military establishment of the island were cut out\\nof the budget it would make a difference of over 2,000,000 pesos.\\nMr. Rossy. Yes; about two and a half million pesos.\\nDr. Carroll. Then it would seem possible, if these two items are\\nnot to be provided for, to do away with some of the taxes which are\\nburdensome. Moreover, there will be this difference now: There will\\nbe a more honest, capable, and intelligent set of officials in charge of\\nthe administration of the custom-house and other branches of the\\ngovernment.\\nMr. Rossy. I think it will be possible, as you suggest.\\nDr. Carroll. Suppose the Government of the United States should\\nallow the amounts collected from customs and internal revenue,\\nbeyond the amount necessary to administer the custom-house and col-\\nlect the taxes, to remain in the island for its needs?\\nMr. Rossy. It would not be safe to suggest that here. If some of\\nthese people knew that they were to have 2,000,000 pesos and more\\nspent here thej^ would be killing each other trying to get some of it.\\nDr. Carroll. I should think it could be spent on schools and other\\nneeds of the island.\\nMr. Rossy. I believe the country has resources sufficient to con-\\ntract a loan that would enable us to meet all our needs, and it seems\\nmore just that the public improvements to be undertaken here should\\nbe borne in part by future generations who will equally have the\\nbenefits of them, so that a loan for, say, fifty years should be con-\\ntracted and distribute the burden of expense, rather than compel the\\npresent generation to pay in two or three years for public works des-\\ntined to last a hundred years.\\nDr. Carroll. Why is it that Porto Rico has no debt?\\nMr. Rossy. Because the Government has always collected here\\nmore money than was required to meet the island s expenses. In\\nJune, 1897, there was $1,600,000 in the public treasury of the island,\\nbut it has disappeared. The Spanish Government has made way\\nwith it..\\nDr. Carroll. How was the great military road built?\\nMr. Rossy. By assigning a certain amount in the budget every\\nyear, during a period of about twenty-two years, for that purpose.\\nThe people got very tired of it because of the excessive and unneces-\\nsary expenditures of money in its construction. It was a great work,\\nbut the cost was far out of proportion to what it should have been.\\nTaxation here is not heavy. What affects the poor man chiefly is the\\nconsumption tax, which makes it difficult for him to clothe and feed\\nhimself properly. Besides, as everything has been neglected, he has", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0254.jp2"}, "255": {"fulltext": "245\\nno hospital to go to when he is sick and has no proper schools in\\nwhich his children may receive an education.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there any income tax here?\\nMr. Rossy. No.\\nDr. Carroll. Judge Russell, of the evacuation commission, under-\\nstood that there was such a tax?\\nMr. Rossy. What Judge Russell may have had in mind was what\\nis called the territorial tax, which is paid by property holders on the\\nvalue of the lease of the property. The tax is not based on a man s\\ncapital, but on his income from the property he owns. For instance,\\nthis house might be calculated as producing $1,500 a year; in that\\ncase the owner would pay 5 per cent on that amount, but he would\\nnot have to pay any other tax on the house. This form of tax does\\nnot apply to stocks, bonds, or other forms of property. The tax is\\ncharged on lands under cultivation, a deduction being made of 30\\nper cent to cover cost of cultivation and harvesting. This tax results\\nin injustice in the country districts because it is badly distributed.\\nThe assessors who have the work of apportioning the amount to be\\npaid by each estate are a political body and favor adherents of their\\npolitical party to the prejudice of their opponents, and they generally\\nassess more in proportion for the small property holders than for the\\nlarge ones.\\nTHE CIVIL PENSION LIST.\\nSan Juan, P. R., November 5, 1898.\\nMr. Manuel Fernandez Juncos:\\nMr. Juncos. I have been in the island about forty years and am\\nfamiliar with the general conditions throughout the island as to poli-\\ntics, customs administration, and almost any other subject about\\nwhich you would wish to ask.\\nDr. Carroll. I desire a statement from you in regard to politics.\\nI understand that you are a leader of the Liberal party.\\nMr. Juncos. Since the change of government I have abstained from\\npolitics altogether, so that the parties might reform themselves with-\\nout the pressure of influence of their former heads. Politics to-day\\nconsists more or less of personal feelings which were initiated before\\nthe last election, but I believe that this state of affairs is only transi-\\ntory and that it can easily be calmed by the good sense of the Gov-\\nernor-General, as the feelings of our political men are not really as\\nviolent as they appear to be.\\nDr. Carroll. I would like to have you describe the general cus-\\ntoms here. I think that was one of the things you stated you could\\ngive me information about.\\nMr. Juncos. The nation, as a whole, suffers for want of education.\\nOnly for about sixteen years has the system of free education been in\\nexistence, and that very imperfectly. In rural districts the working\\npeople are so scattered about that they do not get the benefit of these\\ninstitutions. The general character of the Porto Rican is a mild and\\nhospitable one, his chief fault being lack of will force. This should\\nbe one of the points to be attended to in his education. As far as I\\ncan find out by my own research, the natives are well disposed toward\\nthe new government. From the old government they received such\\neducation as they have and such customs as now prevail, but these\\nadvantages, if they can be called such, came so modified and so", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0255.jp2"}, "256": {"fulltext": "246\\nwrapped up in restrictions that the affection of the people of this\\ncountry for the mother country has been somewhat lukewarm.\\nI think that the condition of this country can be materially improved\\nby the following three things First, the implanting here of American\\nlaws and customs; second, by the wise direction of a stream of white\\nimmigration which would lend force to the inhabitants and better the\\neconomic conditions of the people in the next generation; and, third,\\nlegislation which would enable this country to place itself in close\\ncommercial communication with other parts of the world, which it\\nought to be able to do owing to its favorable geographical position,\\nand thus acquire a large amount of commercial prosperity. The\\nchange of government has materially altered the estimates for this\\nyear. We should dispense with a great number of items which are\\nnot now necessary, but which are found in the last estimates made.\\nThe gain which will result to this country in one year by the change\\nof government will not be less than $2,000,000 of income and may be\\nnear $3,000,000. In view of this economy it appears to me to be only\\njust that a corresponding reduction should be made in the heavy\\nduties and imposts under which the people are suffering I hand you\\na statement showing a few items which ought to be cut out from the\\nestimates. They represented the net savings resulting from the mere\\nfact of the change of government. The amount in round numbers is\\n$3,119,937. I have not taken note of the military question, as the\\nisland is still occupied by the military body, but if that were deducted\\nfrom the expenditures, the net saving would be materially increased.\\nI would strongly advise the government to form a new estimate\\nfrom January, because if the collection of taxes is carried on as it is\\nnow being done, at the point of the ba3^onet (that is, soldiers are\\naccompanying the tax collectors through the country), the island will\\nbe left without any money whatever.\\nDr. Careoll. I had not heard of that before. When did that\\noccur?\\nMr. Juncos. That is general through the island in the collection of\\ntaxes. Under present conditions the estimates which were compiled\\nby the Spanish Government are a ridiculous thing to keep in force,\\nbecause they include salary items for positions which now do not exist\\nand for employees who are not now here. Nevertheless these items\\nare being collected.\\nDr. Carroll. I notice that you include in those statements that\\nyou have handed to me an item of nearly $500,000 for public works\\nas an item which can be omitted. Are not the public works covered\\nby that item necessary?\\nMr. Juncos. These amounts are only in relation to the last esti-\\nmates. The estimates were made out in July last, and that amount\\nwas assigned to public works.\\nDr. Carroll. For what economic year?\\nMr. Juncos. The year 1898-99. As the country was at war, and\\npublic works could not be commenced because of the prospect that\\nthey might be destroyed, I think the item should be struck out and\\na new estimate put in on a new basis.\\nDr. Carroll. These items might apply to buildings or roads or\\nlight-houses or anything of that sort, as I understand it.\\nMr. Juncos. It might have referred to any class of public works.\\nPublic works are all right, but it is wrong to leave them in these esti-\\nmates. Any amount deemed necessary- can be put into the new esti-\\nmate. I don t mean to say that these amounts are not necessary,", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0256.jp2"}, "257": {"fulltext": "247\\nbut I say that it is only right and just that the amount assessed for\\nthat purpose should be in a new estimate.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you think most of these should be struck out?\\nMr. Juncos. No; the title under which they were classed there was\\nnot proper.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you an exact knowledge of all the pensioners\\nincluded in this amount of $362, 700.\\nMr. Juncos. Yes. As in Spain, it was the custom to pay to the\\nwidows of civil employees who had served a certain number of years a\\npension in proportion to the salary they received, and to widows of\\nofficers of the army and navy. There were also what are called retir-\\ning pensions; that is to say, military or naval officers could retire at\\na certain age and receive a pension. I should state that the pension\\nfund was made the instrument of great abuse. Ministers in power\\nused to send their relatives and friends here and keep them in active\\nservice for a while, and then these relatives would go back to Spain\\nand retire on a pension for the rest of their lives. It is clear that in\\ntime a pension list will be established here to pension the relatives of\\nthose who die or to pension those who have been injured in the serviec\\nof the government, but for the present I consider that the whole\\namount can be wiped out.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you think that there are any claims these pen-\\nsioners have which the incoming government would not be free to\\ndisregard? Are there none that might be due to invested funds or\\nanything of that kind?\\nMr. Juncos. The Spanish Government has the obligation of con-\\ntinuing those pensions which were granted wholly for state reasons;\\nthat is to say, for services given to the state. There are, a few pensions\\ngranted here both by the provincial government and by municipali-\\nties, but they will be continued doubtless by the bodies which granted\\nthem. I think the question you raise ought to be settled by the Peace\\nCommission in Paris.\\nDr. Carroll. Will you kindly explain what is meant here by dietas\\ncomisiones, which appear in this list?\\nMr. Juncos. It was a gratuity given to employees, which was also\\nabused from the Governor-General down. It was an amount assigned\\nto employees above their salaries when they made journeys on govern-\\nment business. For instance, when the Captain-General made an\\nofficial trip around the island he was given $1,000 for personal\\nexpenses, and the first thing the Captain-General did on arriving in\\nthe island was to make this trip, even though the preceding Captain-\\nGeneral had just made one.\\nDr. Carroll. Is this $150,000 item for subvention to the railroad\\ncompany not a permanent obligation of the Government?\\nMr. Juncos. No. It was a contract made between the French rail-\\nroad company and the central Government of Spain, although the\\namount was called from the insular treasury. I don t see how the new\\nGovernment can be made responsible for the contract, and more espe-\\ncially as I understand that the Constitution of the United States does\\nnot allow of bolstering up by payment of subventions in private under-\\ntakings. This was the amount required to bring the earnings of the\\ncompany up to the guaranty of 8 per cent of its capital. The contract\\nread that the day the company earned 8 per cent from its traffic the\\nGovernment should pay nothing.\\nDr. Carroll. What are the establecimientos pios put down here at\\n$7,716?", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0257.jp2"}, "258": {"fulltext": "248\\nMr. Juncos. They are gratuities made to schools of education\\nerected by religious orders, which schools at the same time make a\\ncharge for tuition to pupils. There is not included in this amount\\nthe sum granted by the Deputation fpr the Esculapian Fathers, who\\nreceive a house and a certain amount annually. This amount stated\\nrefers to a college of the kind I have described situated in Ponce.\\nTHE PENSIONERS.\\nSan Juan, P. R., November 4, 1898.\\nDr. Carroll. I would like to ask you particularly about the class\\nof pensioners and what claim these pensioners would have upon the\\nUnited States, if any?\\nMr. Julian Y. Blanco, secretary of the treasury. Some of the\\npensioners are out of the island and there was an order that after\\nJuly those residing in Spain should be paid there. I can not give all\\nthe data in regard to these pensioners.\\nDr. Carroll. I would like very much to have details regarding\\nthem and the basis of their claims.\\nMr. Blanco. The pension bureau in Madrid used to decree that\\nsuch and such persons were entitled to pensions. Some of these pen-\\nsions were granted for military service and others for civil service.\\nThere was a great deal of abuse committed with these pensions.\\nMr. Andres Crosas. I know a party who was a major in the army.\\nAt his death his widow and daughter were granted a pension. The\\nwidow died and the daughter got married and the whole of the pension\\nwas lost. Afterwards the daughter, who had a large number of chil-\\ndren, lost her husband, who was a planter, and she by some hocus-\\npocus arrangement commenced to receive the pension that her mother\\nused to receive.\\nSALARIES AND ABUSES.\\nSan Juan, P. R., November 2, 1898.\\nMr. Andres Crosas (an American citizen engaged in business for\\nmany years in Porto Rico): The salary of the Captain-General of\\nPorto Rico was $25,000 a year; he also had a house and servants.\\nBut during the term of their service here, which was generally\\nthree years, they managed to store up about $300,000. There is a\\nproblem for you to figure out how they managed to do that. In\\nfact, if the Captain-General happened to be any sort of a good busi-\\nness man he cleared out with a great deal more than that. Abuses of\\nofficial office, however, were not confined to the Captain-General. I\\ncan give you the name of a civil engineer who remained here about\\neighteen months. His salary was something like $4,000 a year. He\\nlived here in elegant style and was seen at every public place of\\namusement. At the expiration of the eighteen months he left here\\nwith $100,000. He did not resign, but asked for a furlough to go to\\nSpain. It was granted. When the four months were drawing to a\\nclose, he asked for three months more, which were granted. When\\nthe three months were drawing to a close, he asked for a further\\nextension of two months and got that. All this time he was receiv-\\ning his salary, and his substitute, acting here in his jdace, nft d an", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0258.jp2"}, "259": {"fulltext": "249\\nincrease in salary. When the term finally expired, he asked to be\\ntransferred to a position in Spain, and he was transferred accordingly.\\nDr. Carroll. Referring to the former government, did the Captain-\\nGeneral have vacations every year?\\nMr. Crosas. No; he generally stayed here until withdrawn.\\nDr. Carroll. Did he go to the mountains?\\nMr. Crosas. He generally went around the island; but. when he\\nwent, he made it out that he was visiting the island officially and, of\\ncourse, put in a bill for it. Generally, such visits brought about\\n$9,000 extra into his pocket.\\nDr. Carroll. The term of office of governors of Territories is four\\nyears. Perhaps Congress would wish some light as to the salary that\\nshould be paid to the governor, who, I presume, will be an American.\\nMr. Crosas. Yes; we want an American, a real American; not a\\nwhitewashed American. As to salary, some say about $6,000 a year,\\nbut in my opinion the Government could well afford to give him\\n$12,000 a year in gold and a house. All the military forces that we\\nhad here, the naval and the arsenal, were paid by the island. Spain\\nnever paid a single cent for those objects, and this island was the\\nfattening place for the Spaniards. Sometimes they called us a prov-\\nince, and sometimes a colony, but we were nothing more than one of\\nthose places on the coast of Africa where they go to make themselves\\nrich. When the ten years war started in Cuba, they called on the\\ntreasury here for assistance, and took from it -$1,200,000. I am not\\ncertain of the amount, because at that time I was considered a rebel\\nand had to get out of the country. Then there was a remittance of\\nabout $600,000, and later a further remittance of about $200,000. This\\nwas a loan which the island made to the Spanish Government to sup-\\npress the rebellion in Cuba. Well, after having that put away on\\nthe shelf without touching it, they pretended to say that they would\\npay that debt by making a steamer touch once a month at the island\\nand each trip of the steamer would be reckoned at $13,000. These\\ntrans-Atlantic steamers belong to the prominent men of Spain, so it was\\na ease of playing into their hands. Thej were to reserve freight and\\npassenger spaces from here to Spain, but frequently they did not take\\na pound to Spain, though sometimes thej^ did crowd a few passengers\\nin. Some time ago, according to the lowest estimate, we ought to\\nhave had $600,000 with which to build an aqueduct. At the time of\\nthe annexation of Santo Domingo, the Government took a large\\namount of that fund. Seeing that the fund in the treasury was dis-\\nappearing, it was decided to build a hospital on a large scale, and\\nevery one of the natives voted in favor of it, not because they thought\\nit would be wise, but so as to convert the money into brick and stone,\\nwhich could not be taken away. The hospital was planned on too\\nlarge a scale, and consequently for two years there was nothing done\\non it. There was always a case of smallpox in the jail, and they\\ndecided to convert the hospital into a jail. As to the penitentiary, the\\nSpaniards did a wrong thing here on their evacuation fr.om the\\nisland. They took particular pains, as they thought it were an act of\\ngrace, to set free about 400 of the worst criminals thieves and cut-\\nthroats\u00e2\u0080\u0094and decent fellows who are in there for petty vices are still\\nlocked up. I believe that those who have been liberated in that way\\nare the fellows who have been robbing; and burning around the island.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0259.jp2"}, "260": {"fulltext": "250\\nINSULAR ACCOUNTS.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nSan Juan, P. R., February 11, 1899.\\nMr. Nicholas Daubon, of San Juan, P. R.\\nMr. Daubon. I was formerly interventor, and when General Brooke\\ncame, he named me auditor of revenue in the treasury. On the 31st\\nof December I learned with surprise that my post was to be abolished.\\nAs I can not understand how any administration can exist without\\nauditing, I went to General Henry with this document, in which I\\nasked to be continued in the post, having had forty-one years of serv-\\nice, and Dr. Coll, to whom it was referred, sent it back to General\\nHenry with an indorsement. The fact of this post being abolished\\npermits Dr. Coll to audit his own affairs, which is against morals.\\nThe secretaries are taking to themselves functions Avhich they have\\nno right to. They are returning sums which have been left as collat-\\neral to secure due performance of some service or contract. They\\nhave no right to do that.\\nDr. Carroll. On what plea are they doing it?\\nMr. Daubon. The accounts are not examined.\\nDr. Carroll. Were the accounts generally kept carefully under\\nthe Spanish regime?\\nMr. Daubon. Yes. After the American invasion everything became\\nparalyzed, because the Americans were in possession of some parts of\\nthe island and the Spaniards of the others. I opposed the return of\\nthe securities, which were deposited in the treasury, because before\\nreturning a bond the accounts connected with that bond have to be\\nexamined. They haven t examined the accounts, but have returned\\nthe bonds and freed the sureties from responsibility.\\nDr. Carroll. Can you give me some instances?\\nMr. Daubon. Ramon Mendez Cardona, Jose Mendez Arcaya,\\nNegron Sanjuajo, Luis Sanquirico, and Carlos Penaranda. There\\nare many more.\\nDr. Carroll. What were they bonded for?\\nMr. Daubon. These were bonds for the faithful performance of\\ntheir duties in the custom-house. According to the treaty of peace,\\nthe American Government bound itself to respect all cases which\\nwere decided in Spain by the court of appeals, which were then in\\nprogress. Spain has abolished every office in connection with the\\ncolonies, Cuba and Porto Rico, except the court of accounts; and if\\nthis court to-morrow were to order that any of these former employees\\nshould pay amounts for any particular object, there would be no bond\\nunder which to hold them responsible.\\nDr. Carroll. Did you present to General Henry these facts about\\nthe return of the bonds without the accounts connected with them\\nbeing audited?\\nMr. Daubon. Yes. The accounts are in Madrid. They are being\\nexamined there, and these men should have been held until the\\nexamination of the accounts is completed and the results known.\\nDr. Carroll. Were they released by act of a court, or merely by\\nact of the secretary?\\nMr. Daubon. General Heniy issued an order allowing bonds to be\\nreturned in certain cases where there was no claim against the per-\\nson, and these secretaries have taken the order in a general sense.\\nDr. Carroll. I have been informed that a year or two ago, when\\nthere was a surplus in the treasury, it was transferred to Cuba and", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0260.jp2"}, "261": {"fulltext": "251\\nused by Spain in the prosecution of the Cuban war. Is there any\\ntruth in that statement?\\nMr. Daubon. We expended money by order of Spain, for account\\nof Cuba, to the extent of $1,000,000, more or less. AVhen the Ameri-\\ncans surrounded this island and established a blockade, and thus cut\\noff from Porto Rico its principal source of income, the Spanish Gov-\\nernment directed Fernandez Juncos to draw against the Spanish treas-\\nury for that amount, and it was done but as they went on making\\nthese payments after that date, in small amounts, Spain still owes us\\n$61,000 for Cuban account. From the last ten years war Spain owes\\nus nearly $3,000,000.\\nDr. Carroll,. It was used in the prosecution of the Cuban war?\\nMr. Daubon. Yes. The money was sent in hard cash to Cuba by\\norder of Spain. The mistake has been made in trying to differentiate\\nbetween American and Spanish sovereignty as regards the treasury\\nof Porto Rico. This treasury was independent, collected its own\\nbudget, and spent the money it collected, or a portion of it. When it\\ndid not have enough it had to economize.\\nDr. Carroll. You sent about $500,000 a year to Madrid to pay for\\nexpenses of administration of the colonial office?\\nMr. Daubon. Not so much as that.\\nDr. Carroll. It was $488,000 in 1898?\\nMr. Daubon. Porto Rico had to pay 16 per cent of the amount in\\nthe national budget for the administration of the colonies. When the\\nliquidation of the year 1878 was made it was seen that Spain owed\\nPorto Rico $3,000,000 for account of Cuba. I have documents in my\\npossession to prove it. The Spanish Government ordered Cuba to\\nplace in its budget every year an amount to go toward this sum. It\\ndid so for one year and then ceased doing so. Cuba owes that to\\nPorto Rico, and if Cuba is declared independent, it will be a claim\\non Cuba.\\nTHE CIVIL GUARD.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nPlainfield, N. J., May 26, 1899.\\nSehor Lucas Amadeo, of Utuado, Puerto Rico\\nDr. Carroll. I desire a statement in regard to the civil guard, its\\npolice functions, and just what that famous organization was as it\\nexisted in Puerto Rico.\\nSenor Amadeo. It was essentially a military body, much like the\\ngendarmerie of France. Its aspect or its form was not entirely that\\nof a rural police; it was more of a military organization.\\nDr. Carroll. How extensive was it?\\nSenor Amadeo. I think from 800 to 1,000 men; I am not sure about\\nthat. After the civil war in Spain this body was made up especially\\nto pursue and capture bandits, thieves, etc. and then the same body\\nwas extended to Porto Rico for the same purpose. General Sans was\\nthe first Spanish general to bring over the civil guard into Porto\\nRico, and he brought this body over just about the time of the strongest\\npolitical strife in the island, and this general, being somewhat of a\\ndespotic character, employed the forces of the civil guard to subserve\\nhis own political ends and aspirations in the island by compelling the\\npeople to vote the way he wanted them to.\\nDr. Carroll. It was a fine body of men, was it not?\\nSenor Amadeo. When it was first established there by General Sans 7", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0261.jp2"}, "262": {"fulltext": "252\\nhe employed in it a great many of the soldiers who were in Porto\\nRico already, and thus it was not such a fine body of men as it might\\nbe expected to be but later, when these men were drafted from Spain,\\nthen the body took on the aspect which it has recently had.\\nDr. Carroll. In what way did they become oppressive, if thej r did\\nbecome oppressive?\\nSehor Amadeo. By direct opposition to any political voice that the\\npeople might want to express at the polls. They would prevent them\\nfrom voting by being very exact with their cedulas, their electoral\\ncards; and political feeling being very strong between the people of\\nthe country and the Spanish party, the civil guard would use their\\ninfluence to keep the people awav from the polls, either by threats or\\nforcibly?\\nDr. Carroll. That was not of their own initiative?\\nSenor Amadeo. It was during the recent times, when the island was\\ndivided into two distinct bodies the people of the island and the\\nSpanish Government, which looked with suspicion upon everything\\nthat was done by the sons of the country and would oppress them in\\nany measure that they wanted to take, and therefore used the civil\\nguard as one of their instruments.\\nDr. Carroll. Was it most oppressive during the years known as\\nthe componte?\\nSenor Amadeo. Yes; as you suggest, it was during this componte\\nthat the greatest tyranny was exercised by this civil guard of course,\\nalways under orders because the people of the country, the Porto\\nRicans, had established secret societies with the object of separating\\nthemselves, if possible, from the Spanish as much as they could, and\\nthen the civil guard not only attacked them in an indirect way, as you\\nmay say, but directly punished them and inflicted tortures by their\\n1 componte system.\\nDr. Carroll. Was the civil guard superior in influence to the\\nmunicipal police?\\nSenor Amadeo. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Did their spheres of influence or power conflict at\\nall?\\nSenor Amadeo. The civil guard had the authority and right to\\ninvade any premises or territory in the island in search or pursuit of\\nbandits or any political offenders that they were running down.\\nDr. Carroll. You have referred to brigandage. Did that exist\\nprevious to the late war?\\nSenor Amadeo. No; not before the war, or was very rare. It may\\nbe said to have become known since the war.\\nDr. Carroll. That is pretty well over with now?\\nSehor Amadeo. Yes; completely.\\nTHE INSULAR LOTTERY.\\nThe lottery was authorized by royal decree and formed a part of\\nthe estimates of provincial income. The prizes were guaranteed by\\nthe whole of the provincial income. Of the net proceeds of each draw-\\ning, one-half was paid into the public treasury. Drawings were held\\nevery twenty days in San Juan. There were 27,000 tickets at $2.50\\neach, divided in tenths, of 25 cents. Of the total sum, three-fourths\\nwas paid in prizes. These amounts could be altered to suit the pro-\\nvincial requirements. The drawings were held in public. At all\\ndrawings armed forces were present.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0262.jp2"}, "263": {"fulltext": "253\\nINSULAR REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES.\\n[Compiled from Presupuesto General de Gastos e Ingresos for 1897-98.]\\nEstimates of receipts of Porto Rico for 1897-98.\\nFIRST DIVISION\u00e2\u0080\u0094 TAXES AND IMPOSTS.\\nPesos. Pesos.\\nTerritorial taxes 410,000.00\\nLess 50 per cent, which is to be handed over to the pro-\\nvincial deputation 205,000.00\\n205, 000. 00\\n120, 000. 00\\n251,200.00\\nTotal for first division 576,200.00\\nSECOND DIVISION\u00e2\u0080\u0094 CUSTOM-HOUSES.\\nI. Customs duties:\\nDuties on imports 2,631,000.00\\nDuties on exports 254.000.00\\n2,885,000.00\\nII. Special duties:\\nCharges on loading and unloading of merchandise\\nand embarkation and disembarkation of pas-\\nsengers (transferred entire to the provincial depu-\\ntation) ._ 245,000.00\\nWarehouses 1,100.00\\nFines and confiscations 5, 800. 00\\nTransitory dues of 10 per cent on custom duties. 241, 000. 00\\n247, 900. 00\\nTaxes on industry and commerce 240, 000. 00\\nLess 50 per cent, due provincial deputation 120, 000. 00\\nRoyal dues and dues on transfer of property 148, 000. 00\\nMining imposts 200.00\\nCedulas personales (passports) 31, 000.00\\nTen per cent tax on railroad passenger and freight traffic. 11, 000. 00\\nConsumption tax on petroleum 61 000. 00\\nTotal for second division 3,132,900.00\\nTHIRD DIVISION\u00e2\u0080\u0094 MONOPOLY REVENUES.\\nI. Stamped papers:\\nBulls 1,200.00\\nStamped papers and instruments of indebtedness 97, 000. 00\\nForms for payments to the State 32, 000. 00\\nForms for receipts and accounts 7,000.00\\nForms for drafts 17,000.00\\nForms for insurance policies and bank and company shares 4, 000. 00\\nDrafts for use by the press 3,000.00\\nCustom-house stamps and documents 23,000.00\\nTotal for the third division 184,200.00\\nPostage stamps (transferred entire to the provincial deputation) 128, 000. 00\\nFOURTH DIVISION PROPERTY OF THE STATE.\\nI.. Income produced:\\nRent of property 100.00\\nRent of waste and unappropriated lands\\nBuilding lots 1,000.00\\nProducts of slate mountains _. 100.00\\nRent from confiscated clerical property 100. 00\\nII. Products of sales:\\nSale of property prior to law of 1872 2, 000. 00\\nSale of property subsequent to law of 1872 5, 000. 00\\nSale of waste and unappropriated lands 1 000. 00\\n1,300.00\\n8, 000. 00\\nTotal for fourth division 9,300.00", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0263.jp2"}, "264": {"fulltext": "254\\nFIFTH DIVISION INCIDENTAL REVENUES.\\nPesos. Pesos.\\nI. Various classes ._ 1,500.00\\nCessions and restitutions 1,900.00\\nSix per cent interest on delayed payments 2, 600. 00\\nHalt anatos (clerical term for the receipts for\\ntitles and decorations) 100. 00\\nUndetermined products of prison work 2, 000. 00\\nReceived on accounts unprovided for in estimates 4, 000. 00\\n12,100.00\\nII. Closed accounts:\\nFirst division 22,000.00\\nSecond division 100. 00\\nThird division 2,000.00\\nFourth division 700.00\\n24,800.00\\nTotal tor fifth division.... 36,900.00\\nImposts for raffles and lotteries (to be transferred entire to the pro-\\nvincial deputation) 145, 000. 00\\nRECAPITULATION.\\nTaxes and imposts _\u00e2\u0096\u00a0_ 576,200.00\\nCustom-houses 3,132,900.00\\nMonopoly revenues 184, 200. 00\\nProperty of the State 9,300.00\\nIncidental revenues 36, 900. 00\\nTotal 3,939,500.00\\nTotal estimates of expenses for 1897-98 3, 536, 342. 19\\nTotal estimates of receipts for 1897-98 3, 939, 500. 00\\nSurplus 403,157.81\\nEstimate of expenses for the island of Porto Rico for 1S97-9S.\\nFIRST DIVISION\u00e2\u0080\u0094 GENERAL OBLIGATIONS.\\nI. Assignment for expenses of the colonial ministry per-\\nsonal: Pesos. Pesos.\\nSalary of the minister 960.00\\nSecretary s department 21,976.00\\nRegistry and notarial division 1 544. 00\\nSuperior committee on the debt 856. 00\\nArchives of the Indies 216. 00\\nLibrary and museum, colonial 688. 00\\nMaintenance of archives and library 1,312.00\\n27, 552. 00\\nII. Assignment for expenses of colonial ministry mate-\\nrial\\nVarious expenses 5, 321 60\\nFor buildings and repairs 304. 00\\n.Maintenance of archives and library 6, 664. 00\\nLibrary and museum, colonial 336. 00\\nSuperior committee on the debt 192.00\\nCustom-house statistics.. _. 240.00\\nUndetermined expenses 1, 000. 00\\n14,057.60\\nIII. Auditing of accounts personal: Employees of the colonial divi-\\nsion of auditing department 15,664.00\\nIV. Auditing of accounts\u00e2\u0080\u0094 material: Material and various expenses\\nof the colonial division of the auditing department 1 128. 00\\nV. Incidental expenses:\\nTraveling expenses of civil and ecclesiastical func-\\ntionaries 12,000.00\\nExchange and losses thereon 30, 000. 00\\nCoinage of money ._*...\\n42, 000. 00", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0264.jp2"}, "265": {"fulltext": "255\\nPesos.\\nVI. Judicial fees 3,400.00\\nVII. Interest, sinking fund, and negotiation of notes 32, 000. 00\\nVIII. Pensions: Pesos-\\nCivil pensions 85.000.00\\nMilitary pensions 71,000.00\\nFavor pensions 1,000.00\\nFor retired soldiers and marines, 158, 000. 00\\nFor those who have completed the term of service. 24, 000. 00\\nTemporarily suspended 9, 000. 00\\nEmigrants from America 700.00\\n348, 700. 00\\nIX. Bonuses: Bonuses allowed pension classes 14,000.00\\nTotal of first division 498,501.60\\nSECOND DIVISION WORSHIP AND JUSTICE.\\nI. Tribunals personal:\\nSuperior court of the island, 59, 360. 01)\\nCriminal court at Ponce 23, 625. 00\\nCriminal court at Mayaguez 23, 625. 00\\n106, 610. 00\\nII. Tribunals material:\\nSuperior court of the island 4,300.00\\nCriminal courts 2, 100.00\\nIndemnities 6,900.00\\n13, 300. 00\\nIII. Judges of the first instance and ecclesiastical justices:\\nJudges of the first instance 34,010.00\\nJudges, ecclesiastical 4,200.00\\n38, 210. 00\\nIV. Judges of first instance and ecclesiastical justices\\nmaterial:\\nJudges of the first instance 843. 75\\nEcclesiastical justices 135. 00\\n978. 57\\nV. Service commissions:\\nSubsistence and traveling expenses 1 000. 00\\nNotarial expenses 600. 00\\nRents of buildings.... 3,720.00\\n5, 320. 00\\nVI. Worship and clergy personal:\\nClergy of the cathedral 42,400.00\\nParochial clergy 124,940.00\\n167,340.00\\nVII. Worship and clergy material:\\nExpenses of buildings, bulls, and conciliar seminary 26, 270. 00\\nVIII. Reformatory and prisons personal:\\nReformatory _ 273. 75\\nPenal prisons 58,582.30\\n58, 856. 05\\nIX. Reformatory and prisons\u00e2\u0080\u0094 material 6, 934. 00\\nTotal for the second division 423,818.80\\nTHTRD DIVISION\u00e2\u0080\u0094 WAR.\\nI. Superior administration personal:\\nSalary of the Captain-General and gratuities (the\\nsalary is given in the sixth division) 432. 00\\nSalary and gratuities, lieutenant-governor. _\u00e2\u0080\u00a2 8, 288. 00\\nStaff of the army, and office employees 30, 795. 00\\nStaff of the army, artillery 12,025.00\\nStaff of the army, engineers 16,125.00\\nStaff of the army, military justice 6, 650. 00\\nStaff of the army, administrative corps 16, 025. 00\\nStaff of the army, military sanitation 19, 150. 00", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0265.jp2"}, "266": {"fulltext": "256\\nI. Superior administration personal Continued. Pesos. Pesos.\\nMilitary clergy 180.00\\nGratuities 4,528.00\\n114, 198. 00\\nLess for vacancies and on leave 6, 853. 67\\n107, 344. 33\\nII. Superior administration material:\\nStaff of the army 900.00\\nGovernment and military commands 1, 250. 00\\nWar audits 100.00\\nThe army staff 700.00\\nMilitary sanitation 200.00\\nSubordinate administration 122. 50\\n3, 272. 50\\nIII. Permanent army corps personal:\\nInfantry 689,211.14\\nCavalry 4,049.79\\nArtillery 149,521.51\\nSanitary brisrade 4, 542. 52\\nColonial fund 16,195.10\\nPreparatory military academy 600. 00\\nInvalids 371.44\\nGratuities 9, 246. 00\\n873, 737. 50\\nLess vacancies and on leave 12,769.32\\n860, 968. 18\\nIV. Volunteers: Fifes and cornet bands 4, 565. 76\\nV. Active commissions, reserves, and substitutes:\\nCommissions in active service. 57, 036. 60\\nChiefs and officers waiting to embark 9, 000. 00\\nReserved for San Domingo pensioners 324. 00\\nDisciplinary militia about to be mustered out .8, 740. 00\\nChiefs and officials acting as substitutes and super-\\nnumary 23,700.00\\n98, 800. 60\\nLess vacancies and on leave. 5, 200. 00\\n93, 600. 60\\nVI. Clergy and hospital service _ 4,756.00\\nVII. Various materials:\\nUtensils and lighting 724.00\\nHospital supplies 63,491.75\\nMilitary transportation 60,590.00\\nArtillery supplies 9,000.00\\nEngineers supplies 10,000.00\\nRents and cleaning buildings 5,151.00\\nWater... 400.00\\n149, 356. 75\\nVIII. Various expenses 3, 500.00\\nIX. Pensions accompanying medals 4,000.00\\nX. Colonial war fund for the disabled and orphans. 9, 600. 00\\nXL Disciplinary brigade of Cuba 11,413.64\\nV\\nTotal of the Third Division 1,252,377.76\\nFOURTH DIVISION\u00e2\u0080\u0094 THE TREASURY.\\nI. Administration Personal:\\nDirector-General of the Treasury 12. 250. 00\\nAuditing-General of the state administration 20.000.00\\nCentral treasury 6, 800. 00\\nClerks and employees 16,160.00\\n55, 210. 00\\nII. Administration\u00e2\u0080\u0094 Material 3, 700. 00", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0266.jp2"}, "267": {"fulltext": "257\\nIII. General objects: Pesos. Pesos,\\nRents of offices... 3,110.00\\nTransfer of funds 2,000.00\\nPrinting.. 4,750.00\\nValuing real estate 12.000.00\\n21,860.00\\nIV. Incidental expenses: Service commissions 2,900.00\\nV. Expenses of collecting taxes and incomes personal:\\nCentral administration of taxes and incomes 26, 375. 00\\nLocal administration of custom-houses and col-\\nlectorships ._ 760.40\\nCustom-house coastguards 657. T\\n168, 195. 00\\nVI. Expenses of collecting taxes and incomes\u00e2\u0080\u0094 material:\\nCentral administration of taxes and incomes 1, 000. 00\\nLocal administration of custom-houses and col-\\nlectorships 3,035.00\\nCustom-house coast guard 900. 00\\n4,935.00\\nVIII. Various expenses: Transportation of printed forms 4. 000. 00\\nTotal for the fourth division 260,800.00\\nFIFTH DIVISION NAVY.\\nI. Land service\u00e2\u0080\u0094 personal:\\nGeneral service 52, 209. 00\\nSpecial service 15,516.00\\nGeneral expenses 2, 150. 00\\nII. Vessel service\u00e2\u0080\u0094 personal:\\nShip assigned to the station 37, 437. 20\\nHydrographic service 10, 848. 00\\nService of the commanding general and captain of\\nthe port 3,612.00\\nGeneral expenses 1,200.00\\n69, 875. 00\\n53, 097. 20\\n5, 195. 00\\nIII. Land service material:\\nGeneral office expenses 3, 380. 00\\nSemaphores and special service 1,815.00\\nIV. Vessel service\u00e2\u0080\u0094 material:\\nRepairs and renewals 10,681.00\\nRations 12,975.00\\nCoal. 2,645.00\\nClothing.... 300.00\\nMedicines and hospital supplies 600. 00\\n27, 201. 00\\nV. General expenses 3, 300. 00\\nAdditional improvement of the national navy 64, 000. 00\\nTotal for the fifth division 222,668.20\\nSIXTH DIVISION\u00e2\u0080\u0094 GOVEENMENT AND INTERIOR DEPARTMENT.\\nGeneral government personal:\\nGeneral government, secretarial and technical inspection\\ndepartments. 85,940.00\\nII. General government material:\\nService commissions 1,000.00\\nGeneral government 2,000. 00\\nCablegrams... 22,870.00\\nExpenses of the palace and house of acclimatization. 3,096.00\\nCommission on statistics 300.00\\nUnforseen expenses 3,500.00\\nTechnical inspections 3, 000. 00\\nIII. Council of administration and local tribunal of offi-\\ncial litigation personal:\\nCouncil of administration _ 20, 000. 00\\nTribunal of litigation 5,500.00\\n1125 17\\n35, 766. 00\\n25, 500. 00", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0267.jp2"}, "268": {"fulltext": "258\\nIV. Council of administration and local tribunal of offi-\\ncial litigation material: Pesos. Pesos.\\nCouncil of administration 2, 000. 00\\nTribunal of litigation 500.00\\n2, 500. 00\\nV. Division of local administration personal: Attention to this duty. 23, 750. 00\\nVI. Division of local administration material: Expenses for mate-\\nrials and rent 2, 500. 00\\nVII. Delegations of the general government personal: Regional\\ndelegations 22,200.00\\nVIII. Delegations of the general government material: Regional\\ndelegations 4,000.00\\nIX. Civil guard\u00e2\u0080\u0094 personal Body of civil guard 310, 075. 29\\nX. Civil guard material: Materials for the guard 41, 557. 88\\nXI. Public order personal: Corps of vigilance and security. 86, 480. 56\\nXII. Public order material: Corps of vigilance and security 5,812.10\\nXIII. Postal, telegraphic, and telephonic service personal: Tele-\\ngraph stations 28,840.00\\nXIV. Postal, telegraphic, and telephonic service mate-\\nrial:\\nTelegraph stations 7,700.00\\nOcean transportation 79,406.00\\nInternational Postal Union 200.00\\n87, 306. 00\\nXV. Navigation\u00e2\u0080\u0094 personal: Light-houses _. 20,625.00\\nXVI. Navigation material:\\nPorts 34,650.00\\nLight-house examinations 3, 000. 00\\nNew works, preservation and repairs of light-\\nhouses... 37,000.00\\nPurchases, rents, and gratuities... 9.913.00\\n84, 563. 00\\nXVII. Civil construction material: New works, preservation, and\\nrepairs 10,000.00\\nXVIII. Board of control of waste lands:\\nPersonal 360. 00\\nMaterial 100.00\\n460. 00\\nXIX. Examinations for professorships: Expenses of examination 300.00\\nTotal for the sixth division 878,175.83\\nRECAPITULATION.\\nFirst division\u00e2\u0080\u0094 General obligations. 498,501.60\\nSecond division Worship and justice 423, 818. 80\\nThird division\u00e2\u0080\u0094 War 1,252,377.76\\nFourth division\u00e2\u0080\u0094 Treasury 260,800.00\\nFifth division\u00e2\u0080\u0094 Navy 222, 668. 20\\nSixth division\u00e2\u0080\u0094 General government and interior 878, 175. 83\\nTotal 3,536,342.19\\nComparative statement of expenditures for the years 1897-98 and 1896-97.\\n1897-98.\\n1896-97.\\nNet\\ndecrease.\\nGeneral obligations\\nWorship and justice\\nWar.... _\\nTreasury\\nNavy\\nGeneral government and department of interior\\nTotal expenses\\n$498,501.60\\n423,818.80\\n1,252,377.76\\n260,800.00\\n222,668.20\\n878,175.83 i\\nS499.236.16\\n435,68s. 22\\n1,271,119.36\\n281, 772. 87\\n193,668.20\\n1,766,642.70\\n3,536,342.19\\n,127.71\\n$734.86\\n11,869.42\\n18, 741. 50\\n20,972.87\\n29,000.00\\n888,466.87\\n911,785.52", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0268.jp2"}, "269": {"fulltext": "259\\nComparative statement of receipts for the years 1897-98 and 1896-97.\\n1897-98.\\n1896-97.\\nDecrease.\\nTaxes and imposts\\nCustom-houses\\nMonopoly revenues\\nProperty of the State\\nIncidental revenues..\\nTotal receipts\\n$576,200\\n3,132,900\\n184,200\\n9,300\\n36,900\\n3,939,500\\n$850, 000\\n3,300,000\\n300,000\\n10,000\\n250,000\\n4,710,000\\n$273,800\\n167,100\\n115,800\\n700\\n213,100\\n770,500\\nBudget of the deputation provincial.\\n[Compiled from Presupuesto General de Gastos e Ingresos for 1897-98.]\\nESTIMATE OP EXPENSES FOR 1897-98.\\nFIRST DIVISION PROVINCIAL DEPUTATION.\\nAdministration provincial: Pesos.\\nPersonal 64,700.00\\nMaterial. 7,160.00\\nLottery:\\nPersonal 11,650.00\\nMaterial 11,530.00\\nBeneficencia:\\nPersonal _... 16,391.00\\nMaterial 33,725.00\\nPublic correction 25,000.00\\nVarious expenses 9,175.00\\nDebt ;_. 35,800.00\\nClosed accounts 6, 130. 48\\nTotal for first division 221,261.48\\nSECOND DIVISION\u00e2\u0080\u0094 GOVERNMENT.\\nPostal and telegraphic service:\\nPersonal 90,590.00\\nMaterial 80,916.00\\nSanitation:\\nPersonal 10,780.00\\nMaterial 1,516.00\\nVaccine station 2,400.00\\nMedicinal baths 1,000.00\\nHospitals and asylums 23,052.00\\nTotal for second division 210,254.00\\nTHIRD DIVISION INTERIOR DEPARTMENT.\\nPublic instruction:\\nPersonal \u00e2\u0096\u00a0_ 82,295.00\\nMaterial 37,900.00\\nPublic works:\\nPersonal 72,290.00\\nMaterial 589,789.52\\nColonization 3,910.00\\nTotal for third division 786,184.52\\nRECAPITULATION.\\nFirst division\u00e2\u0080\u0094 provincial deputation 221,261.48\\nSecond division\u00e2\u0080\u0094 government 210,254.00\\nThird division\u00e2\u0080\u0094 interior department 786, 184. 52\\nTotal 1,217,700.00", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0269.jp2"}, "270": {"fulltext": "260\\nEstimates of receipts for 1897-98.\\nPesos. Pesos.\\n50 per cent of the territorial taxes 205. 000\\n50 per cent of the tax on industry and commerce 120, 000\\nApportionment to the municipalities 150, 000\\n475,000\\nSale of postage stamps 128,000\\nTariff charges on loading and unloading merchandise and passen-\\ngers 245.000\\nProceeds of the lottery ;\u00e2\u0096\u00a0_ 309, TOO\\nIncome from the institute and normal schools 5, 000\\nIncome from orphan asylum and school of art 5, 000\\n10,000\\nClosed accounts 50, 000\\nTotal., 1,217,700\\nSummary of the hvo budgets.\\nRECEIPTS FOR 1897-98.\\nGeneral budget\\nTaxes and imposts \u00c2\u00a7576,200\\nCustom-houses 3,132,900\\nMonopoly revenues 184,200\\nProperty of the state 9,300\\nIncidental revenues 36, 900\\n\u00c2\u00a73, 939, 500\\nBudget of provincial deputation:\\nTerritorial and industrial taxes 325, 000\\nFrom municipalities \u00e2\u0080\u00a2_ 150, 000\\nTariff charges on loading, unloading, etc 245, 000\\nPostage stamps. 128,000\\nProceeds of lottery 309,700\\nOther sources 60, 000\\n1,217,700\\nTotal 5,157,200\\nEXPENSES FOR 1897-98.\\nGeneral budget:\\nGeneral obligations $498, 501 60\\nWorship and justice 423,818.80\\nWar 1,252,377.76\\nTreasury 260,800.00\\nNavy 222,668.20\\nGeneral government and in terior 878, 175 83\\n$3, 536, 342. 19\\nBudget of provincial deputation:\\nAdministration, provincial. 71, 860. 00\\nLottery 23, 180. 00\\nBeneficencia _- 50, 116. 00\\nVarious items 76,105.48\\n$221 261 48\\nPostal and telegraph service 1 71 506 00\\nSanitation, etc 38,748.00\\n210,254.00\\nPublic instruction 120, 195. 00\\nPublic works 662, 079. 52\\nColonization 3,910.00\\n786,184.52\\n1,217,700.00\\nTotal of two budgets 4,754,042.19", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0270.jp2"}, "271": {"fulltext": "261\\nANALYSIS OF THE BUDGET OF PORTO RICO.\\n[By Senor Julian E. Blanco, Secretary of the Treasury: presented to the United States com-\\nmissioner November 8, 1898.]\\nThe last budget, approved in Madrid the 25th of June, 1897, divides expenses as\\nfollows:\\nPesos.\\nSection 1. General obligations: Salaries and materials of the colonial\\nministry, of the court of accounts in Madrid, of pensions, and other\\npayments in Spain 498, 501.60\\nSection 2. Worship and justice: Tribunals of the island, penal estab-\\nlishments, worship, and clergy 423, 818. 80\\nSection 3. War: Salaries and material of the army, military sanita-\\ntion and administration, transport, pensioned orders and decora-\\ntions, etc 1,252,377.76\\nSection 4. Treasury: Salaries and material of all the offices thereof,\\nexpenses of collection, etc 260, 800. 00\\nSection 5. Navy: Salaries and material of this department in the\\nisland 222,668.20\\nSection 6. Government and interior: Salaries and material of the\\ngovernment general of the island; auxiliary centers and employees;\\ncivil guard and civil police; posts and telegraphs; light-houses, ports,\\npublic works; education 878, 175. 83\\nTotal... 3,536,342.29\\nThese expenses must be met by the following income:\\nSection 1. Territorial tax: Direct tax of 5 per cent on the net incomes\\non No. 1\\n1. Real estate and cattle 410,000.00\\n2. Industry and commerce 240, 000. 00\\n3. Royal dues on transfer of property 148, 000. 00\\n4. Mining dues 200.00\\n5. Internal passports 31,000.00\\n6. 10 per cent on passenger tickets, transport of merchandise by\\nrail and coasting steamers 11, 000. 00\\n7. Consumption tax on petroleum 61,000.00\\nSection 2. Custom-house:\\nImports 2,631,000.00\\nExports 254,000.00\\n901,200.00\\nSpecial dues:\\n1. Loading and unloading merchan-\\ndise, embarking and disembarking\\npassengers 245, 000. 00\\n2. Mercantile deposit (warehouse) 1,100.00\\n3. Fines and confiscations 5,800.00\\n4. Transitory dues of 10 per cent on\\nimport duties 241, 000. 00\\n2, 885, 000. 00\\n492, 900. 00\\n3,377,900.00\\nSection 3. State (monopoly) income: Stamped paper, instruments\\nof all classes.... 312,200.00\\nSection 4. State property: Sale and rental of waste lands and gov-\\nernment property, commutation of censos (clerical mortgages) 9, 300. 00\\nSection 5. Eventual income:\\nLottery tax and raffles 145, 000. 00\\nBalances of accounts, interest for delay in pay-\\nments, amounts paid after closing last budget. 36, 900. 00\\n181,900.00\\n4, 782, 500. 00", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0271.jp2"}, "272": {"fulltext": "262\\nThe State granted the following items to the provincial deputation\\nto enable it to cover its expenses:\\nPesos. Pesos.\\n50 per cent of the territorial tax 205,000.00\\nLoading and unloading tax 245, 000. 00\\n50 per cent of the industrial tax 120. 000. 00\\nPosts and telegraphs 128, 000. 00\\nLottery 145, 000. 00\\n843, 000. 00\\nLeaving the state income at. 3, 939, 500. 00\\nExpenses... _ 3,536,342.29\\nSurplus 403,157.71\\nThe autonomous constitution of this island being promulgated on\\nthe 11th of February, 1898, in which the insular government was\\nauthorized to form its own budget for local purposes, excluding gen-\\neral obligations, war and navy, understanding that it should vote the\\namount which the Spanish Cortes might agree to as expenses of sov-\\nereignty, the government drew up the budget for 1898-99 in June of\\nlast year with the modifications which the new regimen (autonomous)\\nrequired, taking over the amounts which had been assigned to the\\nprovincial deputation which had been formerly ceded to that cor-\\nporation.\\nOwing to current events, the national Cortes had not yet voted their\\nbudget, neither had they fixed the amount which this island should\\npay for expenses of sovereignty, so the insular government left stand-\\ning the same amounts as had figured in the last budget.\\nIn the new budget, therefore, appeared, in section 1, expenses:\\nPesos.\\nGeneral obligations, as before 498,501.60\\nSection 2 (worship and justice) was increased to 454, 773. 80\\nSection 3 (war) as before 1,252,377.76\\nSection 4 (treasury) was reduced to _ 225, 825. 00\\nSection 5 (navy) as before 222,668.20\\nSection 6 was divided in two:\\nGovernment, increased to _ 906, 070. 83\\nFomento, amounting to 886, 735. 12\\nExpenses amounting to 4, 446, 952. 31\\nTo cover which the items of income were 4,782,500.00\\nLeaving as before, a surplus of 335,547.69\\nThe outbreak of the war prevented the collection of the larger part\\nof these items, and the insular government, to make up the deficiency,\\nestablished the following transitory taxes:\\nPesos.\\nExport tax on cattle 14,000\\nImport tax on tobacco from Cuba 1 2, 000\\nWar tax on letters and telegrams 37, 000\\nDiscount from salaries and pensions 71, 724\\nDiscount from provincial and municipal employees. 25, 000\\nTotal.. 120,724\\nThe United States Government took possession of the island by\\nvirtue of the protocol, and the insular government continues admin-\\nistering as a council of secretaries on its behalf Therefore the income\\ncan be considered reduced as follows:\\nCustoms collected direct by the United States Government without\\nintervention of the Secretary of the Treasury \u00c2\u00a73. 377, 900\\nPersonal passport (cedulas) farmed out by the Spanish Government\\nbefore leaving 31,000", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0272.jp2"}, "273": {"fulltext": "263\\nTax on passengers and petroleum, suspended by the war $72, 000\\nStamped paper, etc. abolished by General Orders, No. 4. _ 312, 200\\nLottery 145,000\\nTotal reduction 3,938,100\\nFormer income. 4,782,500\\nLeaving the Secretary of the Treasury 844, 400\\nNo notice is taken of transitory dues, such as surcharge on letters\\nand telegrams, as those that are not suppressed will soon be so. In\\ndetail the Treasury will now collect\\nPesos.\\n1. Territorial tax on lands and cattle 410,000\\n2. Industrial and commercial tax 240, 000\\n3. Royal dues on transfer of property (since annulled) 148, 000\\n4. Mining dues, waste lands, etc 9,500\\n5. Eventual taxes 36,900\\nTotal 844,400\\nWith which to pay the following expenses of civil administration\\nSection 2. Worship and justice. $454, 773. 80\\nLess clergy 193,610.00\\nSection 4.\u00e2\u0080\u0094 Treasury 225,825.00\\nLess salaries and material paid by the United States 146, 070. 00\\n$261,163.80\\n79, 755. 00\\n89,742.90\\nFomento. including 766,928 for public works, roads, railroads and\\nlight-houses 886,735.12\\nSection 6.\u00e2\u0080\u0094 Government 906,070.83\\nLess governor-general 76,471.00\\nTribunal of contention 6,000.00\\nPost-offices 291,832.00\\nCivil guard 351,633.17\\nCivil police 92,292.66 818,228.83\\nTotal expenses 1,315,495.92\\nIncome.... 844,400.00\\nDeficit 471,095.92\\nWhich will have to be taken from the amount for public works 766, 928. 00\\nReducing that amount to 295, 833. 08\\nThe budget for civil administration expenses is to-day as follows:\\nPesos.\\nWorship and justice (without clergy) _. 261, 163. 80\\nTreasury (without customs or coast guard) 79, 755. 00\\nGovernment, reduced to 87, 842. 00\\nFomento, including only 295,833.08 for public works. 415, 639. 20\\nEqual to income 844, 400. 00\\nAs will be seen, the United States Government to-day takes posses-\\nsion of the easiest collected tax, that of the custom-house, amounting\\nto 3,377,900 pesos, from which deducting the expenses for manage-\\nment thereof, or say, 146,070 pesos, there remains, net, 3,231,830 pesos,\\nwhich covers with excess all the expenses of sovereignty paid up to\\nthe present, including war, navy, and colonial ministry, and pensions,\\n1,975,547.56 pesos, leaving a balance for no purpose of 1,256,282.44\\npesos, with which there is sufficient to pay all the expenses of our\\npresent local budget without necessity for any other taxation, or, say,\\n844,400 pesos, and still leave a surplus of 411,882.44 pesos.\\nAgainst this surplus without application the recourse left to the", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0273.jp2"}, "274": {"fulltext": "264\\ncivil administration to meet the expenses of 844,400 pesos is either\\nvery problematical, as, for instance, the 36,900 pesos interest on over-\\ndue taxes, etc., and 9,800 pesos rent of State lands, or else is difficult\\nof collection in the present unsettled state of affairs, as is also the\\n410,000 pesos tax on income from property (agricultural) and the 240,000\\npesos tax on commerce and industry and the professions.\\nThese facts should be considered in making the budget for next\\nyear, but without prejudice to the immediate granting to the civil\\ngovernment such sums as it may need to cover its expenses.\\nTo cover the expense of the department of justice it need s at least\\n261,163.80 pesos, and for urban and suburban police, at least (if order\\nand tranquillity are to be restored by these bodies in place of the\\ncivil guard and the civil police, which formerly cost 440,000 pesos)\\n200,000 pesos; to give impulse to the work on roads and public works,\\nto-day paralyzed, another 200,000 pesos; a total of 661,163.80 pesos,\\nwhich, with the surplus from custom-house receipts, 1,256,282.44 pesos,\\nwould still leave a surplus of 595,118.64 pesos.\\n(1) The sum of 120,724 pesos, quoted as representing the transi-\\ntory dues, is wrong, owing to a mistake of the Official Gazette, and\\nshould be 150,724 pesos. This, however, is immaterial, as the amount\\nwill shortly be suppressed and will disappear in toto.\\n(2) The tax of 240,000 pesos on industry and commerce has been\\nreduced by superior order, and I have solicited the revocation of the\\norder. This tax is completely separate and apart from any tax col-\\nlected through the customs, and forms one of the few recourses left\\nto the civil administration for its needs, which it will be unable to\\ncover if the sources of income be further suppressed or diminished.\\n(3) The division of the collection and administration of taxes the\\ncustom-house by the military and the others by the civil authorities or\\nsecretary of the treasury causes a number of conflicts and much con-\\nfusion, and, should be altered if a smooth and orderly working is\\nrequired. Either the office of the secretary of the treasury should dis-\\nappear or be converted into a mere paying branch of civil accounts,\\nall collections being made b}^ the military; or else the treasury should,\\nas before, take charge of all collections, including customs, and all\\npayments for military expenses should be drawn against by the mili-\\ntary chiefs, under authority of their paymasters. In this way the\\nsafes of the treasury, to-day empty, would become the central deposi-\\ntory, and due inspection and vigilance of all income and expenses\\ncould be exercised, replacing what to-day amounts in this direction\\nto a state of financial anarchy.\\nPorto Rico, November 8, 1898.\\nTHE CODES AND COURTS.\\nSYNOPSIS OF THE SPANISH CODES.\\nBy Seiior Herminio Diaz, Secretary of Justice.\\nTHE CIVIL CODE.\\nThe civil code in force has been drawn up by the Spanish legislative\\nchambers on the following bases:\\n(1) It takes as its capital inspiration the sense and intention of the\\ncivil institutions of historic law of that nation, regulating, explaining,\\nand harmonizing the legal precepts which were in force in Spain before", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0274.jp2"}, "275": {"fulltext": "265\\nits promulgation and adopting the rulings which doubtful points of\\nthe same had given rise to in practice.\\n(2) The operation of the laws and statutes, as well as the nationality,\\nnaturalization, recognition, and conditions of judicial entities, are\\ntherein adjusted to the constitutional and legal precepts in force in\\nSpain.\\n(3) It establishes two forms only of marriage the canonical and the\\ncivil granting to the former the same legal consequences as to the\\nlatter and decreeing both indissoluble.\\n(I) The juridical relations consequent on marriage as affecting the\\npersons and property of the married parties and their descendants,\\npaternity, and affiliation, the successive parental rights of the father\\nand mother over minor children, civil effects of the union of the parties,\\nand, in fine, everything relating to family law is handled in conformity\\nwith previous Spanish legislation, notoriously influenced in those mat-\\nters by the doctrines and precepts of the Roman Catholic Apostolic\\nreligion.\\n(5) It does not allow the investigation of paternity, except in cases\\nof crime or the existence in writing of the undoubted wish of the\\nfather to recognize his offspring, deliberately written with this view,\\nor when a question of the possession of property arises. It allows the\\ninvestigation of maternity and authorizes the legitimization of off-\\nspring by subsequent marriage or royal decree, this latter being per-\\nmitted onty when the first is impossible, and allows prejudiced third\\npersons to impugn both recognition and legitimization when not\\neffected within the conditions of the law. It also authorizes adoption\\nby contract and judicial authority, fixing the requirements of age and\\nconsent, and also prohibitions preventing the inconvenience which the\\nabuse of this right might introduce into the organization of the family\\nproper.\\n(6) Characterizes and defines cases of absence and presumed death,\\nestablishing guaranties for the assurance of the rights of the absent\\nand his heirs, which, while allowing those concerned who have an\\ninterest in the estate, either by testament or legitimate succession, to\\nenjoy their rights of inheritance, in no case authorizes the surviving\\nspouse to remarry.\\n(7) Allows the law, testament (will), or fauiilj- council to name the\\nguardians of minor children, elemented persons, legally declared\\nprodigals, and persons laboring under civil disability.\\n(8) Fixes the legal age at 23 for civil effects, and establishes the\\nemancipation from minority by the marriage of minors, or voluntary\\nemancipation by permission of living persons, when the minor has\\nattained 18 years of age.\\n(9) Creates a registry for acts affecting the civil conditions of per-\\nsons, in which should be inscribed births, marriages, recognition of\\nnatural offspring, legitimization of same, deaths, and naturalization;\\nit directs that these operations be accredited by such inscriptions\\nonly, except when they have taken place before the creation of the\\nregistry or when the registry has disappeared.\\n(10) Maintains the principle of ownership, the division of property\\n(laws affecting), the principle of accession and of coownership on the\\nlines of fundamental articles of historic law, and respects the spirit\\nof the laws of water rights, of scientific productions, of literary and\\nartistic authorship, and of mines, as ruling on its promulgation.\\n(II) Defines possession in its two phases absolute, or emanating,\\nfrom and coexisting with right of use; limited, and springing from a", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0275.jp2"}, "276": {"fulltext": "266\\nholding which can be proved to be separate and independent from the\\nright of use. Upholds the results of this distinction both in the form\\nand manner of acquiring property, establishing the particular results\\nas affecting hereditary property; the personal unit of the person hold-\\ning property, excepting in case of indivisibility of property, and deter-\\nmining the effects of such ruling by the public authorities, the pre-\\nsumption being in the holder s favor; enjoyment of benefits accruing\\ntherefrom according to the nature thereof, the crediting of expenses\\nand improvements, and the conditions attending the loss of possessory\\nrights according to the class of property.\\n(12) Defines usufruct, use, and habitation, and regulates the limits\\nof the right of use and forms of division, firstly, by title and, secondly,\\nby law. States the rights of the person enjoying usufruct respecting\\nthe things enjoyed according to kind and situation thereof at the time\\nof the beginning and termination of the period of usufruct. Fixes the\\nprinciples on which to decide doubtful questions in practice regarding\\nthe usufruct and use of mines, forests, plantings, cattle, improvements,\\nobligations as to inventories and bond, registration, payment of taxes,\\ndefense of rights of enjoyers of usufruct and of owners, both in the\\ncourts and outside, and the proper and legitimate procedure in order\\nto cancel such rights, all in obedience to the principle and practice of\\nSpanish law.\\n(13) Classifies and divides servidumbre (servitude as applied to\\nproperty) into continuous and discontinuous, positive and negative,\\napparent and nonapparent, according to its condition of exercise and\\nuse; legal and voluntary, according to the origin of its cause. It\\nrespects the doctrines of historic Spanish law regarding the means of\\nacquiring servitude, rights and obligations of the owners of estates\\naffected actively or passively thereby, and procedure for canceling\\nsuch rights and obligations. In special chapters defines the principal\\nservitudes fixed by law respecting water rights and urban and suburban\\nproperty.\\n(14) institutes occupation as one of the modes of acquiring property,\\nregulates rights over domestic animals, treasure trove, and appropria-\\ntion of abandoned personal estate, and leaves in force as a complement\\nof these dispositions former laws of chase and fisheries.\\n(15) Preserves the essence of former Spanish legislation as regards\\nwills in general, their forms and solemnities, their different classes,\\nsuch as open, closed, military, maritime, and those subscribed to in\\nforeign lands, and also everything relative to the capability of dispos-\\ning of and acquiring by will, the institution of entail, of disinherit-\\nance, bequests and legacies, conditional or terminal institution, exec-\\nutors and revocation, or inefficiency of the terms of wills; organizing\\nand classifying such laws as formerly existed and complementing them\\nby the addition of what was thought necessary to insure the facility\\nand legality of testamentary expression.\\n(16) It does not allow fiduciary substitution to pass the second gen-\\neration, not even in direct line, except such substitution be made in\\nfavor of persons living at the time of death of testator. It divides the\\nestate of deceased into three parts: (1) Which is the legitimate inher-\\nitance of the children, divisible among them in equal parts; (2) which\\nhe can divide as he wishes among them, and (3) which he can dispose\\nof by will as he pleases. The half of the obligatory heritage, adjudi-\\ncated according to proximity of parentage, without prejudice to excep-\\ntions, constitutes, in default of legitimate descendants, the heritage\\nof the ascendants, who can choose between taking it or having the", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0276.jp2"}, "277": {"fulltext": "267\\nestate pay their sustenance. It gives to recognized natural offspring\\na share in the heritage, and if they have been legitimatized, they are\\nentitled to one-half of what their shares as legitimate children would\\nhave been. This amount can be increased when only ascendants exist\\nto inherit.\\n(17) Establishes for the widow an usufruct of the deceased husband,\\nlimited to an amount equal to what a legitimate child, if any, could\\nhave inherited, and determines the cases when usufruct shall cease.\\n(18) Invites to take a share in intestate estates. The ascendant\\nrelatives, legitimate descendants, natural offspring, brothers, sisters,\\nand children of these, the widow or widower. This succession does\\nnot pass the sixth degree in the collateral line. When, in default of\\nrelatives, the state inherits, the estate passes to benevolent, or educa-\\ntional institutions in the town where the deceased lived or, if there\\nare none, to those of the province. As regards reservations, right of\\nincrease, acceptance or repudiation of inheritance, benefit of inventory,\\ncollation and partition, and payment of hereditary debts, it expounds\\njuridical doctrines of great exactness.\\n(19) Takes cognizance of simple obligations (contracts) and explains\\ntheir nature and effect. Retains the historic idea of mancomuni-\\ndad, joint action, and, with general principles, solves the questions\\narising from the relations between creditor and debtor, and those\\narising from the subject of a contract being a thing divisible or a\\nthing indivisible. It defines the elements of legal entail as affecting\\ndifferent kinds of contracts, alternative, conditional, with terms and\\nwith a penal clause. Simplifies the procedure for annulling contracts\\nby separating into two groups, one of which is subjected to the doc-\\ntrines generally accepted as affecting the terms of the contract and\\nthe other of contracts of an essentially different element. Establishes\\ngeneral principles for the proof of contracts, and fixes a maximum\\nabove which all contracts of gift or restitution, of constitution, of\\nrights, of renting, of property, or of personal service shall be made in\\nwriting, in order to be valid before a court in suits of execution or\\ncomplement.\\n(20) Considers contracts as mere titles of acquisition when they have\\nfor an object the transfer of ownership of some similar object. Sub-\\nmits contracts to the principle that the mere coincidence of purpose\\nbetween those contracting establishes the legal link between them,\\neven in cases requiring determinate processes for the transfer of\\nproperty and the drawing up of deeds. Establishes conditions neces-\\nsary for consent, both as regards capability and legal power there-\\nfor, and accepts the sacred modern principles of the nature and\\nobject of contracts, their cause, form, and interpretation, and the\\ncauses of their annulment or rescindment.\\n(21) Accepts the existence of quasi contracts and determines the\\nresponsibilities that may accrue from the voluntary acts given effect\\nto thereby, in conformity with the principles of justice as understood by\\nthe doctrine of historic law unanimously accepted by modern codes.\\nRecites the effects of culpability and negligence when not constitut-\\ning a crime or misdemeanor. Obligations arising from misdemeanors\\nor crimes are left to be treated under the penal code, both in cases\\nwhen the accused incurs civil responsibility and when this responsi-\\nbility is incurred by the person under whose custody or authority\\nthe accused may have been.\\n(22) Allows liberty of contract in antenuptial agreements, and", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0277.jp2"}, "278": {"fulltext": "268\\ntakes for granted that when no antenuptial contract is made the\\nparties have wished to establish a legal partnership of earnings.\\n(23) Antenuptial contracts can be entered into by minors who\\npossess the legal conditions for marriage. These contracts must be\\nsubscribed to by the persons who give consent to the marriage.\\n(24) Gifts of parents to children are considered as advances of her-\\nitage.- Expresses the rules governing gifts between husband and wife\\nduring the period of their matrimonial life.\\n(25) States that the marriage portion and inheritance property can\\nbe made the subject of antenuptial contract, but that when the mar-\\nriage portion is not specialty mentioned it shall be considered as not\\nincluded. The husband has the management of the marriage portion,\\nand gives a deed of mortgage, so as to insure the rights of the wife,\\nrules being established for the sale or decrease of such portion, for\\nthe usufruct thereof, and for the charges that it incurs, which admit\\nthe principles of the laws of mortgage in everything organic and leg-\\nislative in the matter, leaving the woman freedom during her married\\nlife to undertake the defense of her property against the prodigality\\nof her husband.\\n(26) It explains the forms, requisites, and conditions of all con-\\ntracts and their effects, keeping within the lines of historic legislation.\\nDefines and fixes the nature and effects of donation, stating who may\\ngive and receive, the limitations, revocations, and reductions, the\\nformalities to be gone through, the relative duties of giver and\\nreceiver, and everything tending to prevent prejudicing the offspring\\nof the giver thereby, or of his legitimate creditors, or the rights of\\nthird persons.\\n(27) In its final disposition abolishes all legal bodies ruling before\\nits publication. Does not concede retroactive effects if such preju-\\ndice acquired rights, and establishes the organic basis as an addition,\\nallowing every ten years sach reforms as the practice and progress in\\nthe science of law in other countries may make advisable.\\nLAW OF CIVIL PROCEDURE.\\nThis law determines the form of procedure of the diverse civil\\nmatters which can be tried before our courts.\\nIts bases are the following:\\n(1) Steps or petitions (suits) instituted before the courts of first\\ninstance, trial, and appeal can not be taken personally by the parties\\ninterested except in determinate cases mentioned by the law. Except\\nin those cases, power of attorney must be given to a functionary, styled\\nprocurator (procurador), who, in the name of his client and under the\\ndirection of a lawyer (abogado), takes the steps in the matter.\\nThese procurators collect fees according to a tariff which will be\\nstated later. Lawyers are subject to no tariff. They may charge\\nwhatever they think their work is worth, but the client has the right\\nof challenging the account before the court in which the suit has been\\ntried, if he thinks it excessive. The court obtains the opinion of the\\nboard of directors of the college of lawyers thereon, and decides.\\n(2) Procurators, lawyers, clerks of courts, and judges secretaries\\nmust defend gratuitously those persons who have proved their poverty\\nto the court.\\n(3) Establishes rules determining before which judge or court of\\nfirst instance a suit should be heard, taking as the primary basis that\\nsuch one as the litigants have voluntarily selected shall alwa} T s be", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0278.jp2"}, "279": {"fulltext": "269\\nconsidered competent therefor. If any judge of court is conducting\\na case not within his jurisdiction the parties interested may request\\nthe judge within whose jurisdiction it falls to demand the turning of\\nthe suit over to him.\\n(4) In one suit distinct claims not incompatible among themselves\\ncan be embodied if all the claims come within the power of the judge\\nto pass upon and if they can all be settled by a suit of one character.\\n(5) Any litigant can recuse any judge or tribunal sitting on his\\ncase if such be a relative of the other litigant up to the fourth degree\\neither of consanguinity or affinity, or the iawyer defending the other\\nlitigant if a relative in the second degree; also if any of them have\\npreviously been denounced by the litigant as principal, accomplice,\\nor accessory of a crime; or in general, if any fact tends to affect their\\nimpartiality, or inclines them to favor either of the litigants. On the\\nrecusation being made and justified the judge must pass the case to\\nthe substitute provided for by the law. If he do not, and the litigant\\nprove the motive of his recusation, the judge is severely punished and\\ncan even be criminally proceeded against.\\n(6) Determines the form in which all judicial resolutions and judicial\\nformalities must be drawn, the method by which the cooperation of\\nother judges must be sought in cases where any steps have to be\\ntaken outside of the territory of the judge acting, and the period\\nwithin which resolutions must be written.\\n(7) If the litigant thinks that the judge has infringed the law by\\nissuing any order or resolution in connection with a suit in process\\nbefore him, and before final decision be given thereon, he can ask to\\nhave it quashed, and, on the judge refusing, can appeal to the superior\\ncourt.\\n(8) The superior tribunals, when the inferior ones fail in their\\nduties, and judges of courts, when lawyers or procurators are disre-\\nspectful in the conduct of the cases, can apply any of the following\\ncorrectives: 1, admonitiou; 2, warning; 3, suspension from practice\\nor employment for not more than six months.\\n(9) Before any suit can be instituted the plaintiff can exact what is\\ncalled a conciliatory meeting, to be held before the municipal\\njudge, to endeavor to arrive at an amicable arrangement. If not suc-\\ncessful, then the plaintiff can formulate his suit before the judge com-\\npetent to sit on it.\\n(10) All questions not turning on any of the matters which will be\\ndetailed later must be ventilated and decided by one of the following\\nforms of suits: Declarative suit of major degree, declarative suit\\nof minor degree, verbal suit.\\n(11) Questions to be decided by major declarative suits are: Those\\nexceeding 1,500 pesos value in litigation; those in which the matter\\nin litigation can not be valued; cases concerning political rights or\\nquestions of honor; cases of personal exemption of privileges, affilia-\\ntion, paternity, interdiction, and other cases turning on the civil\\nstatus and conditions of the person. Cases to be decided by minor\\ndeclarative suits are those in which the subject of litigation is of\\ngreater value than 200 pesos but does not exceed 1,500. Verbal suits\\nare those where the subject of litigation has a value not exceeding\\n200 pesos.\\n(12) The procedure of the major declarative suit is as follows: The\\nclaim is presented in writing, accompanied by the documents on which\\nthe plaintiff founds his case and by a literal copy of the whole as\\nduplicate. The judge then orders the defendant to give written", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0279.jp2"}, "280": {"fulltext": "270\\nnotice of his participation in the suit, which must be done within nine\\ndays, counting from the day following the judge s notice to the plaintiff\\nthat he has so advised.\\nIf the defendant does not comply, the case is proceeded with and the\\ndefendant declared in default, in which case, on the request of the\\nplaintiff, the defendant s property can be attached while awaiting the\\nresult of the trial.\\nShould the defendant, however, have complied within nine days,\\nthe judge orders him to put in a pleader within twenty days, in writ-\\ning, which pleader is handed to the plaintiff for written reply within\\nten days. This reply is handed to the defendant for him to adduce in\\nwriting new arguments if he thinks proper.\\nAfter this, if either or both litigants have so requested, the case is\\nopened for proofs. If the issue is a point of law and proofs are\\nunnecessary, the parties can ask for judgment, and verdict must be\\ngiven without further steps.\\nIf proofs are to be submitted, the judge orders that within twenty\\ndays the litigants shall submit those on which they propose to justify\\ntheir allegations.\\nAny of the following proofs are permissible: (1) Sworn examina-\\ntion by either one of the litigants of the other before the judge; (2)\\npresentation of public or printed documents; (3) examination of the\\nbooks or correspondence of some merchant who, if interested in the\\ncase, is obliged to show them if not interested, he can refuse; (4)\\nopinion of experts (5) examination by the judge personally; (6) testi-\\nmony of witnesses called by the litigants.\\nThe litigants haviug stated what proofs they propose submitting,\\nand the term for so doing having expired, the judge orders the exam-\\nination of same within thirty days if ail the proofs are interinsular\\nand six months if some have to be examined outside of Puerto Rico.\\nThe proofs are examined in the following manner: If one of the\\nlitigants wishes the other to testify under oath, he draws up in writ-\\ning a set of questions which he presents closed and sealed to the judge,\\nwho fixes a day for the examination. On this day both litigants\\nappear, and in their presence the judge breaks the seal. The witness\\nis then required to swear by God that he will tell the truth, and the\\nquestions are put to him. The judge s secretary draws up a docu-\\nment of what has taken place, containing the replies which the wit-\\nness has dictated to him. In this document both litigants can have\\nembodied the questions and observations which they think necessary\\nto establish the truth of the statements on which the interrogatories\\nhave turned.\\nWhen public documents are to be submitted as evidence thej*, or\\ncertified copies thereof, drawn up by duly authorized functionaries,\\nmust be presented when the claim is made, or with the reply made to\\nthe claim by the defendant, if the documents are of previous date. If\\nof later date, they can be produced during the period allowed for the\\nproposition of proofs to be submitted. If either of the litigants dis-\\nputes the authenticity of the original or certified copy of a public doc-\\nument, the other must ask that it be compared with the original. The\\nlaw considers as public documents: Deeds authorized before a notario;\\ncertificates given by brokers of entries in the books recording their\\ntransactions (brokers in Spain and colonies have to keep certain books\\nlegally defined and are licensed under bond) papers granted by public\\nfunctionaries in the exercise of their duties; extracts from books of\\nregistry in the public archives; certificates of birth, marriage, and", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0280.jp2"}, "281": {"fulltext": "271\\ndeath given by the persons charged with keeping the books of regis-\\ntry of same; certificates of judgments and of judicial proceedings.\\nIf any private document is to be offered as proof, it must be pre-\\nsented within the same periods as allowed for public documents. To\\nbe valid as testimonj^ the signatory must acknowledge his signature\\nbefore the judge; and if he denies it, the signature must be passed on\\nby experts in caligraphy in comparison with other signatures by the\\nsame person.\\nThe examination of merchants books and correspondence must take\\nplace in their office in their presence or in that of their delegate and\\nof the litigants if they wish to attend. The true finding of this exam-\\nination, which the judge himself must make, or his clerk, or the clerk\\nof the court (escribano), if the litigants so request, is to be put in\\nwriting then and there and attested by all present. The litigants\\nmay exact the insertion in this document of any observation they\\nthink proper.\\nThe evidence of experts may be used when scientific, artistic, or prac-\\ntical knowledge is required to appreciate some influential point of\\nthe suit. The litigant proposing this evidence must clearly state the\\nobject or point on which the expert has to pass. Experts are named by\\nboth litigants appearing before the judge, who endeavors to bring about\\nan agreement between them as to how many are to be named, which\\nnumber must be either one or three. If they do not agree, the judge\\ndecides as to the number, according to the importance of the case,\\nand draws, by lot, one name from among several, which is decisive.\\nThe examination by the judge of some place or object, if necessary,\\nis also direct evidence.\\nThe litigants can assist at such examination and can make such\\nobservation as they think proper. The result of the examination\\nmust be put into writing and signed by all present.\\nThe litigant wishing to use the testimony of witnesses must draw up\\na list of the questions to be asked and present a list of the witnesses\\nto be called. The judge fixes the day and hour for the examination,\\nat which the other litigant has the right of cross-examination. Wit-\\nnesses must be sworn; and if a witness be a relative, intimate friend,\\nemployee, or servant of the litigant calling him or if interested in\\nthe suit, he can be challenged by the opposite party, and if the chal-\\nlenge is upheld by reason of the above incompatibilities, the evidence\\nshall be struck out.\\nOn the termination of the maximum time allowed for the taking of\\nevidence, even if all the evidence proposed has not been produced, the\\nlitigants are notified to present in writing, through their attorneys,\\nwithin twenty days, the remarks they think necessary regarding the\\ntestimony taken. On the completion of this the judge gives a verdict.\\nFurther on in this paper the right of appeal allowed by law will be\\nentered into.\\n(13) Minor declarative suits mentioned in paragraph 10 are shorter\\nthan those just treated of. Their procedure is as follows Having\\npresented the claim, the document on which it rests, and duplicate\\ncopy of the whole, the judge orders the defendant to put in an ap-\\npearance by writing within nine days, counting from the day follow-\\ning the notification. If the defendant does not appear within the\\nstated time, he is declared in default, and the case continues. If the\\nclaimant so requests, the defendant s property may be attached to\\nawait the result of the trial. The defendant on making his reply\\nshould state all the arguments in his favor, whether or not he is in con-", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0281.jp2"}, "282": {"fulltext": "272\\nformity with the facts alleged by the complainant. If both litigants\\nare of one accord, and the question is reduced to a point of law, a\\nmeeting is held before the judge, in which both state their interests\\norally, and sentence is given. If the litigants should not have been\\nin accord, the case is opened for proofs, and six days are granted for\\nsubmitting testimony. The same class of testimony, offered in the\\nsame way, can be produced as already mentioned in major suits.\\nThe term mentioned for proofs having ended, no matter whether the\\ntestimony has been offered or not, a meeting is held before the judge,\\nboth litigants state their case, and judgment is given. Later the\\nappeal allowed in these cases will be stated.\\n(14) The verbal suits mentioned in paragraph 10 are the most rapid\\nof all. They are tried before the municipal judge. The claim having\\nbeen presented, both litigants are ordered to appear before the judge\\nat a certain day and hour. Both appear and, in order, state their\\ncases. If the testimony offered can be examined then and there, it is\\nso examined; if not, a day is named for such examination. Having\\nexamined the testimony, or the day named for doing so having passed\\nwithout this having been clone, sentence is given. All steps in the\\nsuit have to be reduced to writing by the judge s secretary aud the\\ndocument signed by all taking part in the case. Appeal allowed in\\nthese suits will be treated of later.\\n(15) Questions involving litigation can be settled by the parties sub-\\nmitting them to a court of lawyers, if they do not wish to take them\\nto the courts. In this case the following rules must be observed:\\nThe number of lawyers composing the court can not exceed five and\\nmust always be an odd number. They are to be named by the liti-\\ngants in joint accord. The litigants must have drawn up before a\\nnotary a deed stating date, names, professions, and residence of the\\nsignatories, the period within which judgment must be given, the\\namount of the fine to be paid by the party not accepting the verdict,\\nand the name of the place where the sittings are to be held.\\nAfter the deed is drawn and the referees or substitutes have\\naccepted the nomination, they shall notify the litigants that within a\\ngiven time they must present their briefs in duplicate. If either\\nlitigant neglects to do so, the case shall continue without him, with-\\nout prejudice to his being called on to pay the stipulated fine. The\\nbriefs shall be given to the opposite litigants, granting them a certain\\ntime in which to propose their replies, after which time the case shall\\nbe opened for proofs in the form as expressed in paragraph 11.\\nAfter the proofs have been heard, and if the litigants so wish, a\\nday may be named for them to appear and make oral observations.\\nAfter this judgment is given. If any points of discord among the\\nreferees fail to obtain a majority of their votes, the points in question\\nshall be submitted to the judge, whose decision shall be accepted.\\nOf the appeal allowed in both cases I will treat later.\\n(16) With the same object as the former exists another form of\\nsuit called friendly composition, the procedure of which is the same\\nas that recorded in paragraph 15 with the difference that those form-\\ning the court need not be lawyers.\\n(17) Against judgment given in suits treated in paragraphs 11 and\\n12, appeal is allowed in second instance to the court of appeals,\\nwhich court is composed of three judges of the supreme court. In\\n02 der to do this, all the testimony which has been written in the case\\nis placed before the court of appeals, which fixes a day for the appel-\\nant to appear, and the secretary of the court draws up a resume of\\nthe case.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0282.jp2"}, "283": {"fulltext": "273\\nThis resume is handed the litigants for them to express themselves\\nin conformity therewith or to make known if anything has been\\nomitted therefrom which should have been included. Having\\nexpressed their conformity, or having made the observations which\\nthey think necessary, they may ask that testimony be taken, but\\nonly when the judge of first instance has refused to accept, or when\\nin any case not attributable to the litigant, he did not take certain\\ntestimony in the first instance, or when the time allowed for testimony\\nin the first instance shall have concluded and some matter of abso-\\nlute bearing shall have arisen afterwards, or when either of the liti-\\ngants shall swear that some defect exits, of which he previously had\\nno knowledge, or when the litigant declared in default by the judge\\nshall have appeared after the time conceded for testimony.\\nIf both litigants are agreeable that these proofs shall be taken, the\\ncourt shall so order it. If they are not agreeable, the court shall\\norder what it thinks proper. If the court orders that the testimony\\nbe taken, there is no appeal against its resolution. If it does not do\\nso, the right of requiring it to reconsider the matter is given, and on\\nits refusing to reconsider the matter, there is a right of appeal, which\\nwill be treated of later. For the purpose of hearing all testimony\\nbefore the court of appeals, the same rules are in force as mentioned\\nin paragraph 11. To take the testimony, if such has been offered, a\\nday is fixed for the counsel to state the case orally to the court, which\\nbeing done, judgment is given. Against this judgment there is\\nright of appeal, which must be lodged in the manner to be treated\\nof later.\\n(18) The right of appeal against judgment indicated in paragraph\\n13 lies before the judge of first instance. The judge, upon receiving\\nthe brief and hearing the claimant who lodges the appeal, fixes a day\\nfor the appearance of both litigants, who state their case. The judge\\nthen gives a verdict.\\n(19) When, in the cases of appeal referred to in paragraphs 16 and\\n17, the party lodging the appeal does not appear before the court of\\nappeals to sustain it within the period conceded, which must not\\nexceed twenty days, the case must be returned to the judge for exe-\\ncution without further steps.\\n(20) When judges infringe the laws through negligence or igno-\\nrance, the litigants have the right, if prejudiced by such action, to beg\\nthe superior court to order damages occasioned by such infringement\\nto be paid by the judge so infringing. This claim, according to the\\namount it relates to, must be ventilated by one of the forms of suit\\nreferred to in paragraph 10.\\n(21) Besides all the matter already treated of, the law which I am\\nnow analyzing determines the form in which the judgment shall be\\nexecuted and the resolution to be adopted when the person dies intes-\\ntate, when minors are living or heirs who wish for a judicial division\\nof his property. The same law treats of meetings of creditors and\\nfailures and the steps to be taken in those cases. It is not possible\\nthat a paper of this scope shall go into detail about these dispositions.\\n(22) When a creditor suspects that his debtor is sacrificing his goods\\noris trying to hide them, the object being to evade payment of a debt\\nalready due, he can ask that a sufficient quantity of goods or prop-\\nerty be attached to cover the debt in question and all the expense\\noccasioned by the attachment. The judge is obliged to order the\\nattachment in every case in which the debt can be proven by the pre-\\nsentation of documents.\\n1125 18", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0283.jp2"}, "284": {"fulltext": "274\\n(23) Within the same law we have a privileged suit, when the col-\\nlection of a debt is in question, called executory suit. This can only\\nhe made use of when the debt has been acknowledged by the debtor\\nin a public document drawn before a notary or privately acknowledged\\nby him as having been subscribed to before a judge, or when no docu-\\nment exists, but the debtor confesses under oath before a judge that\\nhe does owe the amount.\\nThis form of suit can also be employed when the collection of a bill\\nof exchange is in question, or of any security to bearer,- or to original\\npolicies of contract made through the intervention of licensed agents\\nor brokers.\\nIn this suit the judge orders the debtor to pay. If he does not paj T\\nimmediately upon being ordered, a sufficient quantity of his property\\nis attached to cover the claim, interest, and costs. If the debtor so\\nrequire and he pay the debt, interest, and judicial expenses which\\nhave been incurred, the suit is not continued. If he does not pay,\\nthe attachment is made. Within three days after the attachment is\\nmade the debtor can present his evidence, which is subject to the\\ncreditor for him to refute, if he thinks proper, which he must do\\nwithin four days following, after which the suit is opened for testi-\\nmony, which must be proposed and heard within the next ten days\\nfollowing, after which judgment is given. The judgment must con-\\nsist of one of the three following results: (1) Either the suit must\\ncontinue until the attached goods have been sold at auction in order\\nto pay the creditor; (2) it must not be continued; (3) or all the steps\\nare null and void by reason of some of the regulations decreed by the\\nlaw determining the procedure of this class of suit having been\\ninfringed. The right of appeal, as mentioned in paragraph 16, is\\napplicable to these judgments, and against the decision of the court\\nof appeals there is a right of appeal in the form which will be treated\\nof later.\\n(24) In the cases of eviction from either urban or suburban property,\\nof obtaining alimony, of making valid the right of retraction, reten-\\ntion, recovery, or possession of an object, or the prevention of the\\nconstruction of anj^thing prejudicial or causing harm to one s property\\nthe law now being treated of determines the proceedings as brief as\\nthe necessity of the case requires.\\n(25) Of the recourse to appeal treated of in paragraph 16, only the\\nsupreme court in full session can treat. Its records can be taken\\nadvantage of should the substantive law of right have been infringed,\\nor the law which determines the rules to be observed in the steps of\\nthe suit treated of. Those wishing to have recourse to appeal for\\ninfraction of the substantive law must require the court of appeals to\\ngive the sentences against which they wish to appeal within ten days\\nof their request and to provide them with a certified literal copy of\\nthe same. This certified copy must be presented by the appellant to\\nthe supreme court within fifteen days, counting from the day fol-\\nlowing its presentation by the court of ppeals to the supreme court,\\nwhich then hears arguments of both sides and decides whether there\\nhas been an infringement of the substantive law, giving verdict\\naccordingly.\\nIf appeal is to be had for infringement of the law determining the\\nrules which should have been observed in the steps of the suit in ques-\\ntion, the appellant must present to the court of appeals a statement\\nin writing of the infringements which he thinks have been committed\\nand stating that the recourse is justifiable. The court of appeals", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0284.jp2"}, "285": {"fulltext": "275\\nadmits the recourse and sends a copy of the document to the supreme\\ncourt with a literal certified copy of the part of the suit only in which,\\naccording to the allegations of the appellant, the infraction was com-\\nmitted. The supreme court discusses the matter and then decides.\\n(26) In the matter of former verdicts or verdicts against which no\\nappeal can be had by reason of a court of last appeal having arrived\\nat a decision thereon, or the verdict having been accepted by both liti-\\ngants, a revision can be asked for if some decisive documents shall\\nhave come into the possession of either of the litigants afterwards, or\\nif judgment shall have been based on documents which had previously\\nbeen declared forgeries without the knowledge of the court, or might\\nbe so declared afterwards or if, having given judgment on the strength\\nof testimony, such witnesses had been condemned later for perjury\\non the particular evidence; or if judgment had been obtained by sub-\\norning the judge or by actual violence. These records can only be\\ntaken advantage of before the supreme court and the procedure is\\nvery brief.\\n(27) In its last article the law under discussion treats of the rules\\nfor verifying acts called Of voluntary jurisdiction, which are those\\nin which the intervention of the judge is necessary without the for-\\nmal suit having been brought.\\nThese facts are: Asking permission to adopt, when law makes adop-\\ntion necessary; the temporary guardianship of persons; the supple-\\nmentary authority to contract mortgage; the procedure for putting\\ninto writing a verbal will; the opening of closed wills; information\\nnecessary when the dispensation from certain laws is applied for; the\\nsteps for opening a lawsuit; information regarding perpetua memo-\\nria; the administration of property of persons whose whereabouts\\nare unknown; the voluntary auction of property and the laying down\\nof the boundaries of property.\\nLAW OF MORTGAGE.\\nWe know that a mortgage constitutes a right of real estate, guaran-\\nteeing the fulfillment of a contract. The law of mortgage, as stated\\nby its constructors, and as it really is, adopts the system which has\\npublicity for its basis, which system, the Germanic, is highly recom-\\nmended by the best writers on legal subjects.\\nPublicity does not allow of hidden mortgages. Neither does it\\nallow that persons of good faith can be endangered by liens on the\\nproperty they are interested in unless such liens be found duly regis-\\ntered. A person possessing rights which he has neglected to inscribe\\ncan not prejudice, by an omission for which he alone is to blame, a\\nperson who, being unaware of the same, may have acquired an estate\\nor lent money thereon with a mortgage as guaranty. The registry\\nis open to everyone who wishes to search the titles of real estate for\\nthe purpose of lending money thereon, for claiming rights thereon, or\\nfor any other matter in which he may have legitimate interest in\\nknowing the condition of the property and the lien attached to it.\\nIt may be said that a person lending money on mortgage lends\\nrather to the property than to the owner of the property the value\\nof the mortgaged property becomes the debtor. The personal debtor\\nis only a representative of the property. The lender does not care\\nabout the qualities, credit, or condition of the person to whom he lends.\\nWhat matters to him is whether the value of the estate which guar-\\nantees him payment is sufficient to insure it at due date. The debt", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0285.jp2"}, "286": {"fulltext": "276\\nin these cases is not really owed by the owner of the estate as such,\\nbut is passed from one owner to another when the estate is sold, thus\\nmaking the person who may own it at the time of due date the person\\nwho is to liquidate the obligation. The creditor is in this way well\\nprotected; each creditor thus knows what preference he has over\\nother creditors and has nothing to fear from mortgages or liens being\\nhidden, as persons can not prejudice him in his rights unless they have\\nthem inscribed in the registry. In this way capital is confined to solid\\nand safe investment, and property owners can obtain credit in propor-\\ntion to their real wealth, the circulation of money is increased, and\\nnew springs of wealth and prosperity are brought into existence.\\nHaving indicated the general principles on which our mortgage law\\nis based, I will now make a resume of its special precepts.\\nThe law names the towns in which registries shall be established,\\nso as to facilitate the inscription of mortgages. These towns are San\\nJuan, Caguas, Humacao, Guayama, Ponce, San German, Mayaguez,\\nAguadilla, and Arecibo.\\nIt orders that the following shall have inscription in registries:\\nDeeds of transfer or deeds of ownership of real estate or of the royal\\ndues imposed on same; the deeds by which are constituted, recog-\\nnized, modified, or extinguished the rights of usufruct, use, habita-\\ntion, alienation of usufruct, mortgages, church liens, servitude, and\\nof all other rights; deeds or contracts by virtue of which any property\\nor royal dues are adjudicated, even if they are accompanied with the\\nobligation of transfer to others or of the inversion of their amount in\\ndeterminate objects; executive verdicts in which are declared a legal\\nincapacity for administration or the presumption of death of persons\\nor of those which impose punishment of interdiction or any other by\\nwhich the civil capacity of persons as regards the free disposition of\\ntheir property is modified contracts of rent of real estate for more\\nthan six years or by which the rent for three years or more have been\\npaid in advance, or, when possessing none of the stated conditions, the\\ncontracting parties shall have mutually agreed to have the deed reg-\\nistered deeds of acquisition of real estate or royal dues possessed or\\nadministered by the state or civil corporations or ecclesiastical bodies\\nand, lastly, after certain formalities, documents drawn up in foreign\\ncountries.\\nFor the purpose of registry, national debt bonds and bank shares,\\nand shares of mercantile companies or of ordinary corporations of any\\nclass, are not considered as real estate.\\nRegistry can be asked for by him who transmits, him who acquires\\nor has an interest in sharing the right of the property to be inscribed,\\nand by legitimate representatives of any of them.\\nEach property inscribed for the first time shall be given a distinct\\nnumber, which shall be correlative, and the corresponding inscrip-\\ntions shall be marked with an ordinal number.\\nThe system adopted by the law is not that of the transcription of the\\ndocument, but its inscription. Every inscription has to express the\\nfollowing requisites: The nature, the situation and boundaries of\\nthe property inscribed, or of those whose rights are affected by the\\ninscription, with their superficial measurement in square meters; the\\nnature, extent, conditions, and charges of the right on which the right\\nwhich is the object of inscription is based; the nature of the deed to\\nbe inscribed and its date; the name or surname of the person or cor-\\nporation or collection of persons interested, in whose favor the inscrip-\\ntion is to be made the name or surname of the person or the name of", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0286.jp2"}, "287": {"fulltext": "277\\nthe corporation or juridic entity from whom the property or rights to\\nbe inscribed immediately proceed the name and domicile of the court,\\nnotary, or functionary who authorizes the deed to be inscribed the\\ndate of presentation in the registry of the deed, also the hour and day\\nof its registration.\\nAs regards the effect of registration the general principle is that titles\\nwhich have not been inscribed shall not prejudice a third person, who\\nmay not have intervened in the act or contract of the subject of the\\ndeed. This principle is admitted to be without exception and in force,\\neven against creditors otherwise privileged.\\nAt times in the registration of some properties there are made what\\nare known as preventative annotations, which have for an object that\\nin all negotiations engaged in by the owner of the property in ques-\\ntion respecting such property such annotations shall appear. These\\nannotations can be executed by him who claims the property as his\\nown in a suit, by him who has claimed the constitution, declaration,\\nmodification, or distinction of any royal dues thereon, by him who has\\nobtained under the provisions of the law an order of attachment which\\nwas put in force against the real estate of his debtor, by him who has\\nobtained an order prohibiting his debtor from administering his prop-\\nerty, by him who has entered a suit for the purpose of obtaining an\\norder annulling or modifying the capacity of a person for disposing of\\nhis property, and by him Avho has presented for registration any deed\\nwhose inscription can not be effected because of some defect in the\\ntitle. The law in each case determines the effect produced by these\\nannotations. The effects of registration and annotation are lasting\\nas regards third parties while the registration is not canceled or left\\nwithout effect and during the period named within which the annota-\\ntion is valid.\\nOn treating specially of mortgages these are described, stating that\\nthey constitute a real right, forming a part of the contract for which\\nthey serve as a guaranty and which follows the property mortgaged\\ninto whosesover hands it passes.\\nOnly the following are subject to mortgage: (1) Real estate, ina-\\nlienable royal dues within the provisions of the law on real estate.\\n(2) Buildings constructed on other persons land without prejudice to\\nthe rights of the owner of the land. (3) The right of usufruct, in\\nwhich case the mortgage terminates when the usufruct terminates by\\nan act foreign to the wish of the person possessing such usufruct.\\n(4) The mere property, in which case, if the person possessing the\\nusufruct and the owner are one, not only will the mortgage continue,\\nbut it will also be extended to the usufruct itself, in case the con-\\ntrary has not been agreed upon. (5) Property formerly mortgaged,\\nalthough a clause may exist that it shall not be remortgaged, in which\\ncase the right of collecting on the first mortgage is always perma-\\nnent. (6) Rights of surface, grazing, water, wood, fuel, and other\\nsimilar natural rights, in which case the rights of others participating\\nin the property must always be respected. (7) Railroads, canals,\\nbridges, and other works of public service, whose exploitation the\\nGovernment has conceded for ten years or more, together with build-\\nings and land which, although not directly and exclusively destined\\nto that particular service, belong to private ownership and form-part\\nof the said works. (8) Property belonging to persons who are not\\nallowed the free disposition of same, in cases where the formalities\\nprescribed by law for their disposal have been complied with. (9) The\\nright of voluntary mortgage, subject to the confirmation of this same", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0287.jp2"}, "288": {"fulltext": "278\\nright. (10) Property sold with the agreement of reselling, if the\\nbuyer limits mortgage to the amount which he shall receive in case of\\nreselling. (11) Property in litigation, if the claim in which the suit\\noriginates has been accorded preventative annotation or if the\\nregistration books prove that the creditor was aware of the litigation.\\nThe following can not be mortgaged: Income and rent due when\\nseparated from the propertj^ producing them; (2) movable property\\nwhen permanently fixed in buildings, either for their ornamentation\\nor comfort or for the use of some industry, except when mortgaged\\njointly with the buildings; (3) public buildings; (4) bonds issued by\\nthe state, provinces, or towns, bank shares, and bonds or share of\\nbonds of any enterprise or company of any sort whatever; (5) royal\\ndues on property, when such dues form a future but not present claim\\n(6) servitudes, except when mortgaged jointly with the property which\\nthey affect, and excepting water rights in all cases; (7) the right of\\nusufruct constituted by the laws to the parents on goods of their chil-\\ndren, or to the surviving spouse on property of the deceased spouse;\\n(8) use and habitation; (9) mines, until definite title of concession\\nhas been obtained, even when such mines exist in one s own property.\\nThe mortgage is understood to constitute a lien on the estate, its\\nnatural growths, improvements, pending harvests, and rents not\\nreceived at the time of the falling due of the contract. It is also\\nunderstood to constitute a lien on indemnities conceded or owed to\\nthe owner by insurers of the property mortgaged, or for sums paid\\nfor forcible appropriation of the property in the public interest.\\nIn case of the estate passing to other hands, furniture placed per-\\nmanently in the buildings and improvements other than repairs, if\\npaid for by the new owner, are not considered as forming a part of\\nthe mortgage. Neither are growing crops or rents due if belonging\\nto said new owner.\\nWhen several estates are mortgaged as a guaranty for one debt,\\nthe amount for which each estate is liable is to be specifically stated.\\nThe mortgage remains in force until the whole amount of it has been\\npaid, even though the debt shall have been partly paid. When a\\nmortgaged estate is divided into two or more, the debt shall not be\\ndivided also, except by the consent of debtor and creditor. In con-\\ntrary cases the creditor can claim the whole amount of mortgage\\nagainst either of the new properties formed by the division, or against\\nboth at the same time. Mortgages granted by persons who, in the\\njudgment of the registrar, have not the right to grant them shall not\\nbe valid, although the grantor may later acquire such right.\\nIf a mortgaged estate passes to the hands of a third person before\\nfalling due, the payment therefor at its due date must be obtained\\nfrom such third person. The right of foreclosure of mortgage trans-\\npires in twenty years, dating from the day in which such foreclosure\\ncould have been legally undertaken.\\nMortgages are divided into two classes, called voluntary and legal.\\nVoluntary mortgages are those agreed upon by contracting parties\\nor imposed by the owner of property constituting the subject of mort-\\ngage. This can be effected personally or by persons holding power\\nof attorney. To be valid they must be drawn by a notary and\\ninscribed in the registry of property. All mortgages can be sold or\\ndisposed of or ceded, which concession must also be effected by a deed\\ndrawn by a notary and registered in the same way as stated above.\\nLegal mortgages are those which the law allows to certain persons as\\na means of guaranteeing their property. Married women, minors, the", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0288.jp2"}, "289": {"fulltext": "279\\nhelpless children under control of their parents, possess this right.\\nOthers are those given by the husband to protect the property handed\\nto him as the dower of his wife. It is given to guarantee reservable\\nproperty of children. It is given by guardians to guarantee property\\nof their wards. It is claimed by the State and municipality to guar-\\nantee due taxes of the past fiscal year and those liens granted as a\\npremium for insurance on the estate insured.\\nOn treating of the manner in which the registries have to be con-\\nducted, the law of mortgage orders, firstly, that the books of all the\\nregistries be alike and of the pattern ordered by the government,\\nwith a view of preventing frauds and falsifications. These books are\\ncalled daybooks, and in them inscriptions are made.\\nThe registry must be opened on all working days, six hours each\\nday. Outside of these hours all work therein is prohibited. When\\nthe hour strikes for closing the registry the registrar must state, on\\nthe first blank line following the signature of the last inscription, the\\nfact that he has closed the registry for the day and the number of\\noperations which have been concluded during the day. In each reg-\\nistry a separate book is kept for the inscriptions of each municipality.\\nOn taking a document for registration an entry must immediately be\\nmade of the day and the exact hour of its presentation and a resume\\nof the contents of the document. Within fifteen days from such entry\\nthe inscription or refusal, in case the document has any defect pre-\\nventing its inscription, must be made.\\nThe books are public and may be examined by anybody interested.\\nThe registries are classed in three categories: First, second, and third.\\nOnly those holding titles of lawyers are allowed to take up the pro-\\nfession of registrars, and positions as registrars are granted by com-\\npetitive examinations. Those admitted by a competitive examination\\nare first appointed to a registry of a third class.\\nCOMMERCIAL CODE.\\nThis code gives us a conception of mercantile law in the most scien-\\ntific form. Whether an action is mercantile or not, it takes into con-\\nsideration the nature of the action and the person executing it. It\\nthus widens considerably the horizon of mercantile legislation, giving\\na place therein to all those transactions which the progress of the age\\nand industries have brought within its scope and to all which future\\nevents may bring.\\nOur code, inspired by these principles, considers as mercantile\\nactions all those mentioned in it and all those of an analogous nature,\\nthus admitting a determination a posteriori of mercantile actions\\nwhich can be undertaken either by the practice or uses of merchants\\nthemselves or, if occasion requires, by the courts of justice.\\nAccepting the principle of liberty of working, it recognizes the right\\nof mankind to dedicate itself to any of the industrial or mercantile\\nprofessions, and only exacts as an adequate condition the requisites\\nwhich the civil code marks for the possession of a juridic entity. The\\nlegal incapacities, which carry with them the limiting of contracting,\\nhave been reduced to very narrow limits. It reduces the age of\\nminority, with respect to capacity for engaging in business, to 21\\nyears, when the minor is emancipated and has a personal individu-\\nality. For the benefit of minors, it establishes a principle that they\\ncan enter into commerce, whatever be their age, when they wish to\\ncontinue the business left by their parents or those whose heirs they", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0289.jp2"}, "290": {"fulltext": "280\\nniay have become. In these eases the guaranty of their guardians is\\nrequired.\\nMarried women can undertake business with the tacit consent of\\ntheir husbands, who, if not granting it, are under the obligation to\\nmake their denial publicly. Married women of more than 21 3 r ears of\\nage can establish themselves in business when divorced in cases where\\ntheir husbands are under their guardianship, or when the husband\\nis absent and his whereabouts are unknown, or when suffering penal\\npunishment or civil disability. Foreigners are granted the same com-\\nmercial privileges as Spaniards if, under their own legislation, they\\nare competent to engage in business.\\nTaking into consideration that the great spread of commerce requires\\npublicity in its operations with a view of guaranteeing third parties\\naffected thereby, the mercantile register is fully developed in the code\\nand its sphere of action is broadened, making it a base and starting\\npoint of the largest mercantile undertakings.\\nThis registry is under the jurisdiction of the courts and is managed\\nby an independent functionary, who obtains the position by competi-\\ntive examination. His books are open to the inspection of anybody\\nwishing to see their contents. There are two books. In one of them\\nare inscribed the documents of corporations and mercantile societies,\\nand in the other documents of private merchants, who have a right of\\noption in the matter. In places where it is necessary, a third book is\\nkept for the registration of vessels.\\nCorpdrations and mercantile societies are obliged to keep, besides\\nother necessary books, a book of minutes, which has to contain the\\nresolutions passed in general meetings or meetings of directors of the\\ncompanies with reference to their operations. It authorizes the use\\nof mercantile letter copy book, and determines the manner and form\\nin which merchants books have to be kept in order to have the value\\nof testimony in lawsuits and for the purpose of insuring exactness\\nbetween the different entries in the respective books of each trans-\\naction.\\nAny transaction established by credible entries in mercantile books\\ncan be offered as testimony in the courts.\\nAll mercantile contracts must be guided by the commercial code\\nas regards validity, capacity of the contracting parties, renovation,\\ninterpretation, and extinction in matters not provided for by dispo-\\nsitions of the civil code. The most ample and unlimited liberty is\\nallowed in the form and celebration of contracts. The proof of the\\nexistence of contracts is allowed by the same means as employed in\\ncivil law, except that evidence of witnesses in contracts whose amount\\nis greater than 300 pesos is to be submitted by written proofs.\\nThe effects of delay count from the day following the termination\\nmentioned in the terms of the contract.\\nA freedom of exchanges is allowed, and they can be established in\\nany place, either by initiation of the Government or by concession of\\nthe Government, at the request of private persons, after full informa-\\ntion has been taken about their public utility. The Government\\nreserves to itself the right of conceding or refusing an official char-\\nacter to the quotations of private exchanges. All possessing civil\\ncapacity for contracting can freely exercise the profession of middle-\\nmen. The exercise of the functions of stock-exchange brokers,\\nexchange brokers, commercial brokers, and ship brokers and inter-\\npreters is also free. A notable difference, however, is established\\nbetween the judicial effects of contracts entered into through the inter-", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0290.jp2"}, "291": {"fulltext": "281\\nvention of agents not authorized by the Government, it being neces-\\nsary to prove their transactions by methods offered under common or\\ncivil law in all cases when such agents are not publicly accredited\\nin their respective markets.\\nDetermines the method of forming mercantile societies, allowing\\nthe most ample liberty for the associates to constitute the society as\\nthey see fit. The government does not take any intervention in the\\ninternal management or in the complete publicity of whatever acts\\nof the society might effect third persons. The code also treats of all\\nclasses of mercantile companies in existence and those that may come\\ninto existence later on through new combinations, but not of the\\nmutual associations or cooperative societies, calculating that these\\nhave nothing in them of a mercantile nature, as their transactions\\nare not carried on with a view of earning money.\\nLimited partnerships and anonymous companies can represent their\\ncapital by shares to bearer or registered shares, without in any way\\ntaking into account the extent of their operations. These last-named\\ncompanies are allowed to purchase their own shares or lend money\\non them.\\nAll commercial shares have to be registered in the name of the\\nholder until 50 per cent of the nominal value has been paid up, after\\nwhich time they can be converted into shares to bearer, if their stat-\\nutes so ordain or if a resolution be passed to that effect.\\nAnonymous companies are obliged to publish monthly their balance\\nsheets in the monthly Gazette.\\nCollective and limited companies must resolve by meeting of share-\\nholders the method to be employed when they wish to liquidate. Anony-\\nmous companies must during that period continue observing their\\nstatutes. No special form of contract is required for mercantile com-\\nmission, but the commission agent must, under his signature, state\\nwhether he is working on commission and the name and residence of\\nhis principal. All contracts entered into by commission agents are\\nirrevocable and have legal effect between the contracting parties.\\nThe principal has the right of claim against his commission agent\\nwhen this latter shall have exceeded the limits named in the commis-\\nsion.\\nAs regards factors, emploj^ees, and apprentices, the first named\\nmust have the power of attorney registered in the mercantile registry\\nbefore entering into his position. Other employees need not be so\\nauthorized.\\nThe depositing of goods in a warehouse shall be considered as a con-\\ntract, which shall only be completed when the goods are delivered.\\nThe depository is entitled to compensation, except when he expressly\\nrenounces it, and is responsible for all damage, prejudice, and loss\\nsuffered by the goods in his warehouse, even if the object deposited\\nbe money in coin.\\nNOTARIAL LAW.\\nThe notary, according to the above law, is the public functionary,\\nwho must draw contracts and other extrajudicial documents.\\nThe notary is obliged to lend his services. If he refuses without a\\njust reason he is held responsible.\\nEach judicial division constitutes a notarial district, within which\\nthe number of notaries thought to be requisite may be named, taking\\ninto account the number of inhabitants, the frequency of transactions,\\nthe special circumstances of the locality, and the possibility of the\\nnotaries earning a reasonable livelihood.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0291.jp2"}, "292": {"fulltext": "282\\nOn appointing notaries the government must determine where they\\nare to reside.\\nThe notarial deinarkations of Porto Rico are as follows:\\nDistrict of San Juan Two notaries within the citj^ proper and one\\nin Carolinas for the service of that town, Rio Piedras, Rio Grande,\\nLoiza, and Trujillo Alto (total, three).\\nDistrict of Caguas: One for Caguas, Aguas Buenas, and Comerio;\\none for Hato Grande and Gurabo (total, two).\\nDistrict of Aguadilla One for Aguadilla, Aguada, Moca, Isabela,\\nQuebradillas, and San Sebastian (one).\\nDistrict of Mayaguez Two for Mayaguez, Hormigueros, Las Marias,\\nAnasco, and Rincon (total, two).\\nDistrict of San German: One for San German, Sabana Grande, Cabo-\\nRojo, Lajas, and Maricao (one).\\nDistrict of Arecibo One for Arecibo, Camuy, and Hatillo one for\\nManati, Barceloneta, and Morovis (total, two).\\nDistrict of Utuado: One for Utuado and Ciales, one for Adjuntas,\\none for Lares (total, three).\\nDistrict of Ponce Two for Ponce and Penuelas one for Yauco and\\nGuayanilla; one for Juana Diaz and Sta. Isabel; one for Coamo and\\nBarros (total, five).\\nDistrict of Guayama One for Guayama, Arroyo, Patillas, Maunabo,\\nand Salinas; one for Cayey, Aibonito, Cidra, and Barranquitas (total,\\ntwo).\\nDistrict of Humacao: One for Humacao, Yabucoa, and Naguabo;\\none for Fajardo, Juncos, and Piedras; one for Vieques and Culebra\\n(total, two).\\nDistrict of Vega Baja: One for Vega Baja, Corozal, Dorado, Toa-\\nbaja, and Vega Alta; one for Bayamon, Toa Alta, and Naranjito (total,\\ntwo).\\nIn case of death, sickness, absence, disability, or any other preventa-\\ntive cause, the notary is substituted by the person who was designated\\nas his substitute at the time of his nomination. If any cause should\\nprevent this, the judge names a substitute from among the notaries\\nof the town or of the nearest town, until the president of the supreme\\ncourt resolves the matter.\\nThe substitution endures while the causes originating it endure.\\nThe notary must reside in the place designated at the time of his\\nnomination to the post.\\nThe requirements for nomination as a notary are The applicant\\nmust be a native, of legal age, of good reputation, and must either be\\na lawyer or have passed the notarial examination.\\nFormerly the notaries were appointed by the Spanish Government.\\nTo-day they are appointed by the secretary of justice, with the gov-\\nernor-general s approval.\\nNotarial posts are filled by the examination or contest between the\\ncandidates.\\nBefore entering on. their duties, notaries have to give bond as guar-\\nanty for their actions, which bond is fixed in proportion to the\\nimportance of the district.\\nThe bond can be in money or mortgage on real estate.\\nNo notary can exercise any other employment in which jurisdiction\\nis an attribute, or which is remunerated, or which obliges him to live\\naway from his home.\\nNotaries draw up the original deeds of contract or other documents\\nwhich have to be submitted to their authorization. These have to be", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0292.jp2"}, "293": {"fulltext": "283\\nsigned by the contracting parties and two witnesses. These original\\ndeeds are held by the notaries in their own keeping, and these, when\\nbound in volumes, are known as protocol. Copies of the original\\ndeeds are issued to the contracting parties and are certified to by the\\nnotary only.\\nEvery notary must use a special rubric to his signature, which can\\nonly be altered by permission of the Government.\\nThe supreme court keeps a book containing the signature and rubric\\nof each notary.\\nDeeds drawn by notaries can not be witnessed by their relatives,\\nclerks, or servants; nor bv relatives up to the fourth degree of consan-\\nguinity or second of affinity of the contracting or interested parties.\\nNotaries must state in the deeds that they personally know the con-\\ntracting parties, or, if not knowing them, must require the presence of\\ntwo witnesses who do.\\nNotaries must state in every document its date, the names, residence,\\nand professions of the contracting parties, and their own names and\\nresidence. Abbreviations and signs in the expression of dates and\\namounts or quantities are not allowed.\\nAdditions, interlineations, and erasures in the original document\\nare invalid unless mentioned at the foot of the deed.\\nDeeds drawn by notaries are valid all over the island. To acquire\\nvalidity out of the island the notary s signatures must be attested by\\ntwo other notaries.\\nNo other person but the notary in custody of the protocol can grant\\nvalid copies thereof.\\nNot even judges can order the removal of the protocol from the build-\\ning in which it is kept. It can not be removed therefrom.\\nNo document can be examined by any person except those men-\\ntioned therein, nor can a copy be issued except by them or their heirs\\nexcept by order of a judge.\\nWithin the first eight days of each month notaries must remit to\\nthe president of the supreme court, through the judge of first instance,\\nindices of the original documents drawn by them during the preced-\\ning month, stating their classification in the protocol in the ordinal\\nnumbers. These indices must also state the names of the contracting\\nparties, witnesses, date of signature, and object of contract of each\\ndocument.\\nThe protocols are the property of the state. The notaries are their\\ncustodians only and are responsible for them.\\nIf any part or the whole of a protocol should be injured, the notary\\nmust notify the judge of the district, who, in his turn, must notify\\nthe president and attorney of the supreme court, who form an expe-\\ndente to replace the part destroyed and state therein the antecedents\\nof the case.\\nJudges should pay visits of inspection to the notarial offices when\\nthey think necessary.\\nThe notaries of the whole island constitute a notarial association\\n(college), with a board of directors, who are empowered to apply cor-\\nrectives to those members who offend against professional decorum.\\nNotaries can not be suspended or deprived of their functions by\\ngubernatorial action.\\nNotaries are subjected to a tariff of fees.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0293.jp2"}, "294": {"fulltext": "284\\nJUDICIAL ORGANIZATION.\\nThe judicial organization of Porto Rico is governed by the royal\\ndecree of January 5, 1891.\\nThere is a supreme court in San Juan, composed of\\nPer year.\\nA president, with a salary of \u00c2\u00a74, 500\\nA president of the chamber, with a salary of 4, 000\\nFive judges (magistrados) with a salary each of 3, 500\\nAn attorney (fiscal) with a salary of _ 4, 000\\nAn assistant attorney (teniente fiscal) salary 2, 750\\nA fiscal advocate (abogado fiscal) salary 2, 250\\nA general secretary (secretario de gobierno) salary 1, 875\\nTwo court secretaries (secretaries de sala) with salary of 750\\nThree court officers (officiates de sala) with salary of 750\\nIn both Ponce and Mayaguez there is a criminal court, each com-\\nposed of\\nPer year.\\nA president $3,500\\nTwo judges, each ._ 3,500\\nAn attorney 3,500\\nAn assistant attorney 2,500\\nA court secretary 1,700\\nA court officer 750\\nThere are, besides, twelve judges of first instance for civil cases,\\ncalled also judges of instruction when acting in criminal cases. These\\njudges are classified into three catagories: Entrada (initiatory), ascenso\\n(promotion), and termino (terminated), who draw the respective sala-\\nries of $1,700, $1,875, and $2,250 annually.\\nThe so-called escribanos (scriveners) serve as secretaries to the\\njudges. The} 7 are not paid a salary, but receive fees, subject to a\\ntariff.\\nThe judges of termino are five in number two in San Juan, one\\nin Ponce, one in Mayaguez, and one in Arecibo.\\nThere is only one judge of ascenso, who is in Humacao. The\\njudges of entrada are: One in Yega Baja, one in Utuado, one in\\nAguadilla, one in San German, one in Guayama, and one in Caguas.\\nThe two judges in San Juan, called judge of the Cathedral district\\nand judge of the San Francisco district, and those of Caguas, Huma-\\ncao, and Vega Baja are dependent on the supreme court.\\nThe judges of Ponce and Guayama depend on the criminal court of\\nPonce.\\nThe criminal court of Mayaguez has dependent on it the judges of\\nMayaguez, Arecibo, Aguadilla, San German, and Utuado.\\n(Note. The meaning is that the inferior courts send their cases to\\nthe superior courts respectively named when these cases are instruc-\\ncion de sumario, or cases in which the inferior courts have no final\\njurisdiction, but prepare the cases for trial only.)\\nREFORMS IN THE CIVIL AND CRIMINAL CODES.\\nBy Don Herminio Diaz, Secretary of Justice.\\nOur laws, the majority of which are codified, are not a capricious\\nsystem, but a collection of laws which, fitting one into the other and\\nforming as a whole a fairly complete system, lay down in their pre-\\ncepts the solutions which at the time of their promulgation were accepted", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0294.jp2"}, "295": {"fulltext": "285\\nby the most radical and advanced European schools of lawyers for the\\nintricate problems of law which juridic experience presented.\\nThose laws are not so defective as affirmed by some, who, perhaps\\nnot having studied them thoroughly and conscientiously, do not under-\\nstand them.\\nTheir relative worth, however, is no argument against their neces-\\nsary reform at this time. These reforms are necessary not only because\\nsaid laws had as a basis the Spanish constitution, the political princi-\\nples of which are diametrically opposed to the republican institutions\\nof the United States, but also because it is necessary to adopt certain\\nreforms lately made by judicial science and to modify some precepts\\nand abrogate others as unproductive of good results.\\nIn making these modifications it is my opinion, and that of the most\\ndistinguished lawyers of our courts, that our law should not be totally\\nlost sight of, but such precepts as have been useful and fruitful in\\nour social development should be retained.\\nRadicalism is exaggeration, and exaggeration is sometimes ulti-\\nmately useful is for the moment productive always of great disturb-\\nance; and if society does not wish to witness reactions as exaggerated\\nas the step in advance itself, it should endeavor to attain a gradual\\nevolution, such as fruitful nature shows us in her evolutionary scheme.\\nKeeping this well in mind it is absolutely necessary that any reform\\nin our laws should retain the system of codification and should make\\nimperative the introduction into the reformed code of all laws to be\\nadopted by reason of the reform.\\nOn modifying the precepts thought to be defective these modifications\\nshould be made in the particular code affected and a new edition of\\nsame should be prepared.\\nThus, grouping the precepts which rule in each branch of our law,\\ntheir study will be facilitated and ignorance of them will not be an\\nexcuse for their noncompliance.\\nThus, also, governors and governed will be spared the tedious work\\nof consulting innumerable volumes in order to ascertain at a given\\nmoment the law governing questions arising, and can choose, without\\nfear of error, and by simply consulting the code, the course to be fol-\\nlowed in resolving such questions.\\nAdmitting the necessity of reforming our laws and determining the\\nscope to be given to such reform, it is important to make some obser-\\nvations about the process by which this work should be carried out.\\nRight here, and excuse the frankness which I owe to my govern-\\nment and my country, I do not hesitate in stating that if our laws are\\nmodified in accordance with the recommendations of the advisory\\ncommissioners sent to study our needs, they will be unproductive of\\ngood and may cause harm. That was the procedure followed by the\\nSpanish Government for four hundred years. The colonial ministers,\\nwithout understanding us, legislated for Cuba and Porto Rico from\\ntheir offices, which system stifled our society and prevents its growth\\nby reason of certain laws circumscribing its activity.\\nThe advisory commissioners have been here but a few days. In\\nsuch a short time it is not possible to study and know this country\\nthoroughly. The greater part of their information has been supplied\\nby egotists, who wish public reforms to take certain directions to suit\\ntheir private interests. They have been able to j udge of our condi-\\ntions only by isolated cases presented to their rapid observation.\\nThey have not made a previous and conscientious study of the basis\\nand form of our ruling laws, to be able to appreciate their true value,", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0295.jp2"}, "296": {"fulltext": "286\\nor the contrary, for which reasons their reports must be erroneous,\\ndeficient, and very far from the strict reality of things.\\nEven admitting that on submitting their reports to Washington,\\nthey had, with marvelous intuition and absolute fidelity, pictured in\\ndetail and as a whole the internal life of our society, you, who are a\\nstatesman, and the Government in Washington must see that legisla-\\ntion drawn in Washington for Porto Rico by men of different habits\\nand customs from those of our country, would not fit in as it should\\nwith our social machinery, and if history does not lie the Constitution\\nof the United States does not permit of it.\\nThe laws of autocratic societies are the expression of the will of\\ntheir rulers, and these laws fall like bombs of dynamite and destroy\\nthe most sacred rights of the masses, attempting their lives, violating\\ntheir hearths, disposing of individual property, imposing on con-\\nsciences, all with a view of the aggrandizement only of the ruler.\\nIn the United States, habit, custom, traditions, mutual considera-\\ntion, respect for others rights as a means of respect for one s own, all\\nthis constitutes the being, the spirit of public and private life, and\\ntakes shape and is reduced to law by each of the self-governing peo-\\nples who are guided by them and who respect them as their own work\\nand recognize therein all the liberty compatible with social require-\\nments.\\nE pluribus imam is the motto of the United States, and according\\nto this motto, which synthesizes the principles of the wise Constitu-\\ntion, which can not change, which has to be alike for all, it is this\\nfundamental principle which constitutes the nation, which gives life\\nto the freedom of unity without restraint, the spirit, the variety of\\ncustoms and characters, the distinct character of each State, the spe-\\ncial idiosyncrasy of each one of the peoples, which forms the uncon-\\ncpaerable union, and which palpitates in the laws and special institu-\\ntions that each creates for itself according to its needs.\\nTaking all these remarks into consideration, it appears to me that\\nif it is not at this moment possible to satisfy our ardent desires that\\nPorto Rico be declared a Territory of the Union, leaving to our\\nchambers, elected by the people, the work of modifying the laws as\\nthey think proper on the basis of the Constitution, it would be well\\nif the governor of the department should decree such reforms as\\nproposed by the secretary of justice in consultation with our most\\neminent lawj^ers and as called for by the unanimous voice of public\\nopinion.\\nThinking thus, sir, I beg you to allow me to submit for your\\napproval the necessary general orders, introducing into each one of\\nour laws the reforms and modifications which I proceed to state and\\nwhich should be adopted with haste, as the island needs them urgently.\\nCIVIL CODE.\\n(1} Fix the age of majority at 21 years.\\n(2) Suppress all laws relating to matrimony which tend to connect\\nthe religion of Rome with civil matters.\\n(3) Give civil effects only to civil marriage, leaving contracting\\nparties at liberty to contract religious marriage or not, as they think fit.\\n(4) Allow divorce for all forms of marriage, giving this disposition\\nretroactive effect.\\n5) Suppress the family council.\\n(6) Establish liberty of legacy.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0296.jp2"}, "297": {"fulltext": "287\\n(7) Abolish the contradiction found in some of the precepts of this\\ncode, and clear up others whose ambiguous and obscure wording lead\\nto different interpretations, bringing all within the American Consti-\\ntution.\\n(8) Shorten the term of prescription of real estate.\\nMORTGAGE LAW.\\n(1) Unification of this law and its codification, making it one legal\\nbody only.\\n(2) Suppression of brief (expediente) of possessory title, shorten-\\ning the period now in force for the proceedings in titles of dominion.\\n(3) Ordering that the substitutes of the registrars be lawyers with\\ntitle accepted in the island.\\n(4) All documents presented for registry to be inscribed, unless\\nthere exists cause in the registry for not so doing; for instance, the\\nproperty to be registered already being inscribed under the name of\\na different person from that figuring in the deed.\\nIf the document be defective, the registrar to state same in writing\\non inscribing it.\\n(5) The procedure of appeal against the only instance in which\\nthe registrar shall have the right to deny registry to be simplified and\\nshortened.\\n(6) The attributes given by law to the minister of colonies to pass\\nto the secretary of justice, who will always act with previous approval\\nof the general commanding.\\nCOMMERCIAL CODE.\\n(1) Will determine when the merchant can suspend payment before\\ndeclaring himself bankrupt, adopting measures to protect and guar-\\nantee the creditors who to-day are at the complete mercy of the debtor\\nuntil an arrangement is made between them.\\n(2) Dictating dispositions defining exactly the rights engendered by\\nthe contract of current accounts and determining their judicial effect.\\n(3) Indicating the form of making contracts by telegraph, cable,\\nand telephone in order to establish their existence when necessary.\\n(4) Embodying in the code the laws here ruling respecting banks,\\nmaking the necessary modifications and explanations.\\nNOTARIAL LAW.\\n(1) Unifying this law and its codification in one legal body only.\\n(2) Allowing the practice of notaries to all at present allowed so\\nto practice and to all allowed to practice as lawyers in Porto Rico.\\n(3) Allowing these to reside and open their office in any city or town\\nthey wish and to give their services in any part of the island without\\nthe restrictions to-day imposed.\\n(4) The present notarial tariff of fees to contimie in force.\\n(5) Certified copies, in any number, of documents in any notary s\\noffice to be given to parties interested or persons authorized by them\\nto ask therefor.\\n(6) Originals of notarial deeds to be filed in the supreme court and\\nnotaries to send the volumes of originals in their possession every ten\\nyears or before in case of death, illness, absence, disqualification, or\\nany other motive preventing them from practicing.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0297.jp2"}, "298": {"fulltext": "288\\n(7) All attributes to-day conceded by this law to the minister of\\ncolonies of Spain and to the president of the supreme court shall pass\\nto the secretary of justice, who shall always act with the approval of\\nthe Governor-General of the island.\\nLAW OF CIVIL PROCEDURE.\\n(1) Litigants shall be allowed to conduct their own cases, and shall\\nbe at liberty to name a representative to do so, if they please, if such\\nrepresentative live in the same town where the suit is conducted.\\nThis privilege is forbidden under the present law.\\nWhen living in another town they shall be obliged to name a repre-\\nsentative, and, for their own good, a lawyer also in the case.\\n(2) In cases heard before judges of diploma the three instances at\\npresent necessary shall be reduced to one instance, with right of appeal\\nto the supreme court.\\n(3) Dilatory incidents and useless formalities shall be done away\\nwith in universal suits of intestates, wills, meetings of creditors, and\\nbankruptcies.\\nOTHER CIVIL LAWS.\\n(1) In the law organizing the civil registry, law of mining, public\\nforests, patents, railroads, forcible expropriation, intellectual prop-\\nerty, chase and fishery, water and associations, and in instructions\\nfor the drawing up of public documents requiring registration in the\\nregistry of property, the necessary reforms for the simplification of\\nprocedure which these laws exact for the realization of the acts and\\nacquisition, conservation, and defense of rights conceded by them\\nshall be made.\\nPENAL CODE.\\n(1) Referring to the application of punishment for authors, accom-\\nplices, or accessories of crimes or misdemeanors, the principle shall be\\nadopted that the sentence named by the code shall be applied, but that\\njudges may, in consideration of their estimation of the greater or lesser\\ngravity of the offense and of extenuating or aggravating circumstances,\\ndetermine the time that the punishment may last.\\n(2) All crimes shall be defined.\\n(3) Many deeds now unduly considered by our code as crimes shall\\nbe considered as misdemeanors.\\nLAW OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE.\\n(1) The absolute publicity of trial from its inception shall be ordered\\nthe accused shall not be imprisoned incomunicado.\\n1 2) Preventive imprisonment shall be subject to habeas corpus.\\n[3) Judges of instruction shall try small crimes punishable by major\\narrest.\\n(4) Other crimes shall be tried by jury.\\nSan Juan, P. R., April 12, 1899.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0298.jp2"}, "299": {"fulltext": "289\\nTHE JUDICIAL SYSTEM.\\nSan Juan, P. P., November 8, 1898.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nChief Justice Don Servero Quinones:\\nDr. Carroll. I would be very much obliged to you if you would\\ngive me a clear idea of the judicial system of this island as it now\\nexists, together with such suggestions as you would like to make as to\\nchanges under the new government to be established here.\\nMr. Quinones. I will reply with much pleasure to the questions\\nwhich you care to put to me.\\nDr. Carroll. Will you please begin by giving a statement of the\\njudicial system as it now exists?\\nMr. Quinones. As regards procedure?\\nDr. Carroll. As regards the constitution of the courts, as to what\\nthe judicial system is, what it comprehends, the audiencia territorial,\\nwith the scope of its powers, the courts of first instance, with the scope\\nof their powers, and the municipal magistrates, with the scope of their\\npowers.\\nMr. Quinones. Our judicial system consists, first, of subaltern or\\ninferior judges, who are called municipal judges. These judges have\\nlimited powers in civil cases. They can hear and give judgment in\\ncases where the amount involved does not exceed $200. In criminal\\ncases they have jurisdiction only over misdemeanors. They are besides\\nobliged to prepare the preliminaries in major criminal cases. Both in\\ncivil and criminal cases their documents and sentences are appealable\\nto the judge of instruction and first instance. These justices are\\nnamed at the beginning of the fiscal year for two years by the presi-\\ndent of the audiencia. They have jurisdiction also in what are called\\nsuits of consolation; that is to say, they try cases as arbitrators between\\nlitigants.\\nIn the ascending order we next come to judges of first instance and\\ninstruction. These judges hear appeals from the municipal judges.\\nThey also hear civil cases in which the amount involved exceeds $200,\\nwith appeal to the audiencia territorial. They prepare criminal causes\\nto be passed to the audiencia of the criminal branch. There are two\\ncriminal audiencias and one audiencia territorial, the latter being\\nestablished in San Juan, and the other two at Mayaguez and Ponce,\\nrespectively. The audiencias in Mayaguez and Ponce only take cog-\\nnizance of criminal cases, and appeal lies from their sentence to the\\nsupreme court of Madrid. The audiencia territorial has a chamber\\nwhich is called the criminal department. It has jurisdiction over\\ncriminal causes within its territory. This is a bird s-eye view of the\\njudicial system in the island in which I have not taken into account\\nthe supreme court at Madrid.\\nDr. Carroll. I suppose that appeals to Madrid are now, naturally,\\nbroken off.\\nMr. Quinones. The right does not now exist.\\nDr. Carroll. And at the same time appeals are not allowed to the\\nSupreme Court at Washington?\\nMr. Quinones. No; there is no appeal to the tribunal there for\\nthis reason: All suits on appeal are in suspension and await action\\nfrom Mr. McKinley.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you understand that cases of appeal now pending\\nat Madrid lapse by virtue of the change in the status of the island?\\n1125 19", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0299.jp2"}, "300": {"fulltext": "290\\nMr. Quinones. That is a very grave question, which all the lawyers\\nhere are thinking about very deepby. Before the signing of the pro-\\ntocol a great many cases were appealed to Madrid and were in litiga-\\ntion, but I suppose that the final treaty of peace at Paris will probably\\ndispose of the question. In other cases, where right of appeal has\\nbeen granted from the Supreme Court, the parties are awaitng deci-\\nsion from Washington.\\nDr. Carroll. The judicial system of the United States in the States\\nand Territories, and in both State and Territorial courts, embraces the\\nsystem of juries. First, the grand jury, which is an inquisitive body\\ncalled together generally at the beginning of the term of a court to\\ninquire into criminal cases and to report indictments if they find prob-\\nable cause, which indictments are brought to trial in course of time by\\nthe district attorney or prosecuting officer of the court, and these\\nindictments are always tried before the court with one or more judges\\npresiding and a jury of twelve men, and it requires the unanimous\\nvote of the twelve jurymen for either a sentence of guilt or acquittal.\\nThe jury judges of the facts of the case, while the presiding judge\\nalways lays down the law. You are, of course, familiar with all this.\\nI simply state it for the purpose of basing upon it a question as to\\nwhether, in the establishment of a Territorial or other governmental\\nsystem in the island, the jury system could be adopted here to advan-\\ntage.\\nMr. Quinones. I think not for the present, as I do not consider the\\npeople in general sufficiently well educated to pass on questions of\\nthat sort, and because just now political feeling runs very high.\\nDr. Carroll. There might be some difficulty in adopting a system\\nof government and a judicial system for this island under the United\\nStates Constitution which should leave out the jury system, particu-\\nlarly the jury-trial system. I suppose that if the defendant in any case\\nwere to demand trial by jury, under the Constitution of the United\\nStates he could not be convicted unless he had such trial.\\nMr. Quinones. If the adoption of the jury system is a constitutional\\nright of citizens of the United States, no matter what the result might\\nbe in this country, we would be bound to accept it and would be glad\\nto accept it. Yet, as a lawyer and a man of conscience, I prefer judges\\nby prevention rather than judges by adoption. Under the system of\\nthe audiencias as it to-day exists, all trials are conducted before three\\njudges at least, who are men of high standing in their profession.\\nThese judges hear orally the accused, the witnesses, documents, and\\neverything relating to the case, and I am of the opinion that the\\ntrained legal criterion of these three judges is more satisfactory than\\nthat arrived at by a jury. In cases which might involve the passing\\nof capital sentence, or life imprisonment, the law requires the attend-\\nance of at least five judges.\\nDr. Carroll. There are not that many in the audieneia territorial,\\nare there?\\nMr. Quinones. There are eight altogether.\\nDr. Carroll. Are all of them here?\\nMr. Quinones. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Are the criminal judges in Ponce and Mayaguez\\nconsidered a part of the audieneia territorial, or are they separate\\nfrom it?\\nMr. Quinones. In criminal matters they exercise their functions\\nwithin their jurisdiction absolutely independently.\\nDr. Carroll. Ah appeal, then, in a criminal case goes to Madrid?", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0300.jp2"}, "301": {"fulltext": "291\\nMr. Quinones. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. There are many in the United States who agree with\\nyou that the judges, who are trained lawyers and who are generally\\nimpartial men, are more likely to give a correct judgment in many crim-\\ninal cases than a jury; but it is the practice in all criminal courts/of the\\nUnited States for the judge to give a review of the testimony when\\nthe case is submitted to the jury and to instruct the Jiiry upon all\\nthe legal points, and then to lay the facts as developed by the testi-\\nmony so clearly before them.tkat they will b\u00c2\u00ab able to consider them\\nand arrive at a right judgment. Are there any suggestions which you\\nhave to make with regard to changes in the judicial system, or any\\nspecial features which you think it would be well to retain?\\nMr. Quinones. Do you refer to judicial proceedings or to a judicial\\nconstitution?\\nDr. Carroll. To both.\\nMr. Quinones. I think it would be advisable, for the present, to\\nretain our code of laws known as the Civil Code as it exists, with some\\nslight modification. This code has been our law in civil matters since\\n1890. It was formed by the codification of the old laws. It treats of\\ndomestic relations, of contracts, and everything relating to civil\\nrights.\\nDr. Carroll. What about the criminal code?\\nMr. Quinones. I would say the same of that. There are some\\nslight alterations which should be made in that code.\\nDr. Carroll. The Territorial system of the United States, as well\\nas the system of State government for the various States, includes an\\nattorney-general, who is the chief law officer of the State. It is his\\nfunction to advise the executive department in all cases where legal\\ncounsel is required. It is also his function to superintend the opera-\\ntion of the various district or prosecuting attorneys throughout the\\nState or Territory. Would it be advisory to ingraft that system upon\\nthe judicial system of this island?\\nMr. Quinones. In each audiencia there is an officer called the\\nfiscal, whose duties are not a part of the administrative branch, but\\ndo include that of seeing to the correct interpretation of the laws as\\nthey exist. He has his assistants, who are all under his direction and\\nattend to the carrying out of his branch of service in the various dis-\\ntricts. These are simply his subordinates and carry out the work as\\nhe directs them, but their principal function is chiefly exercised in\\ncriminal cases. In civil cases they have jurisdiction only when the\\nlaw expressly grants it, as in the case of orphans, demented persons,\\nand persons who have no legal protection.\\nDr. Carroll. Who represents the State in the prosecution of per-\\nsons on trial for criminal charges?\\nMr. Quinones. The fiscal.\\nDr. Carroll. Does the fiscal appear also in civil cases?\\nMr. Quinones. Just the same as in criminal cases. It will be very\\nadvantageous if our system of civil procedure can be considerably\\nsimplified. Under the existing Spanish law the system is a lengthy\\nand a costly one.\\nDr. Carroll. Can you explain in what respects the system is\\nintricate and costly?\\nMr. Quinones. The cost has already been lessened by the abolition of\\nstamped paper. Formerly there were some proceedings which could\\nnot be taken because the stamp fee was one half dollar on each page.\\nAs to simplifying the procedure, this could be done by taking out cer-", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0301.jp2"}, "302": {"fulltext": "292\\ntain steps in a case now required by existing law. Much of the\\npresent circumlocution in litigation could be removed without affect-\\ning the ends of justice in the least degree.\\nDr. Carroll. We have a good deal of the same difficulty in civil\\nproceedings in the United States, where very often civil cases drag on\\nfor years in one court or .another. Dickens wrote a book, as you\\nmay recall, to indicate the circumlocution in the English courts.\\nMr. Qtjinones. In Spain they have had lawsuits which have lasted\\nfor a century.\\nThe ultimate aspirations of this country are toward statehood, but\\nwe recognize that this can not be granted at once; but we desire to\\nhave an autonomistic form of government as ample as the one we were\\ngranted recently by Spain.\\nTHE COURTS.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nSan Juan, P. R., November 1, 1898.\\nDr. Carroll. Will you give me a general idea of the system of\\njudicature here?\\nMr. Francisco de P. Acuna (abogado). In the first place, we have\\nmunicipal judges, whose jurisdiction extends to cases involving up to\\n$200, with right of appeal to judges of first instance. The municipal\\njudges also have the right to try criminal cases of a petty kind.\\nJudges of first instance have within their jurisdiction all cases of a\\ncivil character, with a right of appeal to the supreme court and with\\na further right of cassation established by law to the court of appeal\\nin Madrid. This applies to civil law. As to criminal cases, the\\njudges of first instance, who are called judges of instruction, prepare\\ncases, and when prepared they are taken to the criminal audiencia, of\\nwhich there are two, one in Ponce and one at Mayaguez, which are\\ncriminal exclusively, and the audiencia territorial, of this capital,\\nhaving both civil and criminal jurisdiction. Each audiencia has a\\nnumber of courts depending upon it.\\nNow, I wish to recommend to the commissioner the convenience of\\naltering the system of civil procedure analogous to the criminal pro-\\ncedure. Judges of first instance should prepare statements of dis-\\ncussion and evidence between the litigants, which statements or\\nsummaries of the case should be passed on to the audiencia in one\\nsingle hearing. In this way a multitude of clela}^ on the part of per-\\nsons of bad faith, whose object is to draw out legal proceedings, will\\nbe avoided.\\nThere should be established a tribunal of cassation to take the place\\nof the same tribunal existing in Madrid, which has occupied itself\\nwith supreme court questions up to this day. This is necessary in\\norder to have a court of review to pass on acts of the lower courts;\\notherwise verdicts will depend on one court only as to-day there is\\nno supreme court as there was formerly. These matters are for future\\nconsideration only; other questions require immediate consideration\\nat the hands of the Government with respect to suits which have\\nalready been referred to Madrid and as regards suits which were in\\npreparation for reference to Madrid. It is extremely necessary for the\\nGovernment to decide immediately whether it is obligatory to suppress\\nor do away with the necessity of appealing to the supreme court in", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0302.jp2"}, "303": {"fulltext": "293\\nMadrid or not. Under the hypothecary law the right of appeal exists\\nagainst the decisions of the registrars of property to the judge; after\\nthat to the audieneia; after that to the management of the regis-\\ntrars of property in Madrid. This last right should be suppressed\\nimmediately.\\nIn mercantile law we have suits in bankruptcy, and the proceeding\\nis extremely long and costly, with great prejudice to creditors. These\\nproceedings should certainly be curtailed, substituting meetings of cred-\\nitors with powers to arrange all affairs in the bankruptcy proceedings.\\nThere is also a proceeding for the suspension of payments, which pro-\\nduces disastrous results to commerce. The administration of his own\\ncase by a merchant declaring himself unable to meet his engagements\\nshould be taken from his hands. I suppose that the high powers of\\nthe United States will feel inclined to establish the jury system here\\nin criminal matters. I do not consider the status of this population\\nsufficiently high to give this method of justice good results. It is\\npreferable to leave the system of criminal justice as it exists to-day.\\nDr. Carroll. Does it work satisfactorily?\\nMr. Acuna. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Without undue delay or bias?\\nMr. Acuna. The administration of justice has gone on all right.\\nThere have been cases where some judges have not been scrupulous,\\nbut that has been owing to the judge and not to the law.\\nDr. Carroll. We have juries in civil and criminal cases. In crimi-\\nnal Jaw we have the grand jury, which inquires into cases referred to\\nit by police justices or the prosecuting attorney. The grand jury is\\nalso instructed by the court to inquire into any abuse of the law by\\nofficers. In case they find anything against any person in any part of\\nthe municipality they may make a presentment to the court, and in\\ncase they believe it probable that a crime has been committed they\\npresent an indictment to the court.\\nMr. Acuna. With us the fiscal can also denunciate, as it is called,\\nany crime or illegal act which comes to his knowledge.\\nDr. Carroll. Can he institute proceedings, on his own motion, in\\ncivil or criminal cases?\\nMr. Acuna. Yes. The court has to admit his accusation and open\\nproceedings to try the person accused. The jury is not necessary in\\npetty cases. The moment the jury system is established here it will\\nbe necessary to change the entire system of judicature.\\nDr. Carroll. In criminal cases the jury are the judge of the facts,\\nwhile the presiding judge decides all questions of law.\\nMr. Acuna. Here tribunals perform the same part that juries do in\\nthe United States.\\nDr. Carroll. I suppose if anyone brought to trial here, under the\\nlaws of the United States, were to appeal to the Supreme Court in\\nWashington and ask for a trial by jury, under the Constitution of the\\nUnited States he would have to be granted that trial; but if the\\naccused made no such appeal, the matter might pursue the usual\\ncourse here. It would be better to establish a jury system right\\naway.\\nMr. Acuna. There is here a distinct difference between proceedings\\nof private parties and those in which the State is a party. We have\\na separate court called the administration court, which takes under its\\njurisdiction charges against high officials as regards infringement of\\nthe law of this country, as well as against any other independent cen-\\nter of government in the island. This court is composed of the presi-", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0303.jp2"}, "304": {"fulltext": "294\\ndent of the audiencia and two judges, and to deliver sentence two\\nmembers of the provisional deputation, who must be doctors of law,\\nare further required. For procedure in such cases there is separate\\nlegislation, distinct from the legislation applicable to civil procedure.\\nIt will be better if in these cases the judges are taken from among\\nthe judges of the audiencia without having doctors of law from the\\ndeputation, and these are questions which, without any inconvenience,\\ncould be submitted to Washington on appeal.\\nDr. Carroll. Suits between private parties under our system\\nwould not be carried to the Federal Supreme Court unless some\\nquestion were raised involving the construction of a provision of the\\nConstitution or a law of Congress.\\nMr. Acuna. I consider in the matter of the registration of property\\nthat the Spanish law is good as it stands, but the administration of it\\nby the employees is very corrupt and causes great prejudice to per-\\nsons who have to make use of these services. If a document is pre-\\nsented to the registrar for registration, he has authority to refuse\\ninscription for the document, for which he has to give his reasons.\\nThe trouble is that the registrar is not held accountable for having\\nrefused to inscribe a document, even when the document conforms\\ncompletely to the requirements of the law. A person who has been\\nrefused inscription for his document has the right of appeal as in\\nother civil cases, but even if he gains his appeal he has no remedy\\nagainst the registrar. On review the court will issue a mandamus, i\\nbut there is no remedy by which to recover the costs on the appeal.\\nThe registrar has an authority which is entirely unnecessary in this,\\nthat if the judge of first instance or the president of the audiencia\\ndecides against his decision, he has the further right of appealing\\nhimself, which causes immense harm to property holders.\\nDr. Carroll. You would recommend an immediate change, then,\\nin the powers of the officials in that office?\\nMr. Acuna. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Can you point to the law in which the officials of the\\nregistrar s office have this power?\\nMr. Acuna. It is found among the first paragraphs of the hypothe-\\ncary law. I consider that from the decisions of the registrar of prop-\\nerty there should be only one appeal, and that should be to the sala\\ngobierna audiencia. The registrar can absolutely intervene and pre-\\nvent the sale of property if he does not wish the sale effected, and he\\nsometimes takes advantage of this to say to the party interested in\\nsecuring the inscription of the document, If you don t give me so\\nmuch money, I won t register your document. I will appeal it all the\\nway to the Madrid court. The present registrar of this district is a\\nlawyer, but he is away on leave, and he is allowed to appoint a, sub-\\nstitute, whose acts he is accountable for. I think that the office of\\nregistrar of property should not be a purely mechanical one. It should\\nalways have a seal of judicial examination to it, but the appeal from\\nthe registrar to the sala gobierna audiencia should be immediate and\\nbe decided within four or five days.\\nDr. Carroll. How are the judges of the supreme court and the\\ncourts of first instance appointed?\\nMr. Acuna. Under the old rule judges were all named by the colo-\\nnial minister in Madrid, but under the autonomistic government which\\nhas been in force since February of this year they were named by the\\ncouncil and secretary and approved by the Governor-General.\\nDr. Carroll. What was their term of office?", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0304.jp2"}, "305": {"fulltext": "295\\nMr. Acuna. There was no limit. In the autonomistic government\\nthe Government could remove them by process in case of any laxity\\nin their administrations.\\nDr. Carroll. What are the salaries of the judges?\\nMr. Acuna. Judges of first instance have distinct salaries accord-\\ning to their grade, entrado, ascenso, and termino. The first receive\\nabout $2,000, the second $2,500, and the third $3,000. Judges of the\\naudiencia receive $3,000, the president of the sala gobiernaand fiscal\\n$5,000, and the president of the court is allowed $500 more for expenses.\\nDr. Carroll. Are they allowed any fees of any kind?\\nMr. Acuna. To accept a fee would be considered a crime.\\nDr. Carroll. How many judges are there of first instance?\\nMr. Acuna. In the capital there are two, and there are ten all\\ntogether.\\nDr. Carroll. Is that the right number?\\nMr. Acuna. That is two too many. In Vega Baja and ITtuado they\\nare unnecessary.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there capital punishment here?\\nMr. Acuna. Yes; by means of an iron collar, which is screwed\\nabout the neck but in the few cases where it was ordered reprieves\\nhave come from Spain. The last cases were under military rule. At\\nleast six or seven years have passed since there was a case under\\ncivil administration.\\nCRIMINAL AND CIVIL CASES.\\nArecibo, P. R. January lJf, 1899.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nAlfredo Arnaldo, judge of first instance and instruction of\\nArecibo\\nDr. Carroll. Does your jurisdiction extend to all criminal cases?\\nJudge Arnaldo. Over all criminal cases which are brought for\\naction here, except cases of arson, robbing in gangs, and robbing in\\nthe country, as to which tribunals or commissions take the place which\\nwas held by the criminal court of Mayaguez.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you hold court here or at Mayaguez?\\nJudge Arnaldo. Here.\\nDr. Carroll. I want to ask you some questions about the character\\nof the crimes which are most common in this part of the country.\\nJudge Arnaldo. These times we are now passing through are\\nextraordinary. Most cases brought before me are either burning of\\nestates or robbery directed against persons, and all bearing the char-\\nacter of collective crimes that is, of conspiracy with the intention of\\nrobbery.\\nDr. Carroll. Leaving out of view these extraordinary crimes,\\nwhat are the more ordinary ones?\\nJudge Arnaldo. Generally small thefts from the coffee estates and\\nassault. But there is really a very small amount of crime here.\\nDr. Carroll. Do cases of disorder come before you or before mag-\\nistrates, such as the breaking of the peace the more serious of such\\ncases?\\nJudge Arnaldo. Any violation of the municipal ordinances is tried\\nby the municipal judge, but he has not jurisdiction over any other\\nmatters.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0305.jp2"}, "306": {"fulltext": "296\\nDr. Carroll. Are there any other magistrates in the city besides\\nthe mayor, or person who hears eases of violation of municipal ordi-\\nnances\\nJudge Arnaldo. Within this district, only myself. I would sug-\\ngest, as a very important point, that a great many of these disorders\\nand robberies are committed, I think, from political bias. I think\\nthat people who have committed these crimes have, in very many\\ninstances, done so foolishly thinking that in that way they are helping\\nthe American forces. Before the American invasion here there was a\\ngreat political turmoil, and to-day the result is being noticed. There\\nare many crimes being committed for which there is no proof, and\\nmany persons are committed on charges for which there are false\\nproofs, and for that reason I think that all persons detained upon\\nsuch charges ought to be let out.\\nDr. Carroll. That is, you think members of one party are attempt-\\ning to have those of the other found guilty, although they may not be\\nguilty?\\nJudge Arnaldo. Those who were at the head of Spanish politics\\nhad absolute power, and, having the monopoly of every privilege, they\\nare naturally odious to the people in general. Upon the American\\noccupation this feeling naturally broke loose and found vent in these\\nvarious disorders, and, besides, there was a theory that property was\\ngoing to belong to everybody. That was the opinion held by the\\ncountry people.\\nDr. Carroll. I have seen it stated that the military officers have\\nreported from various points that it is impossible to have these crimi-\\nnals who are guilty of crimes against property brought to judgment;\\nthat in many cases after they have been brought to trial they have\\nnot been sentenced, although the proofs were overwhelming.\\nJudge Arnaldo. As regards the Mayaguez court, that is not so.\\nThat court is too severe. The people here are very shrewd in defend-\\ning themselves.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there much delay in bringing criminals to trial?\\nJudge Arnaldo. The penal system could not be worse. To begin\\nwith, they have to form what they call a summary, which covers from\\n500 to 1,000 sheets, and the work of preparing this is in the hands of\\nthe judge of first instance and instruction. The summary is the initia-\\ntion of the case. Then the case passes to Mayaguez from here, and it\\nis six months before there is a hearing.\\nDr. Carroll. Is the fault with the penal code or with the method\\nof procedure?\\nJudge Arnaldo. It is with the procedure. It requires too much\\ndetail.\\nDr. Carroll. I have understood that the penal code is a good one.\\nJudge Arnaldo. Yes; but the method of procedure requires simpli-\\nfication. We have a project for the simplification of legal procedure,\\nof introducing the jury system, so that cases can be terminated within\\ntwenty days.\\nDr. Carroll. Would it be, in your judgment, a wise thing so to\\nmodify the present law as that people shall not be allowed to be put\\nin jail without an immediate hearing of some kind?\\nJudge Arnaldo. We have a law at present which requires that\\nwithin twenty-four hours they go to the prisoner and take his decla-\\nration; but it means nothing.\\nDr. Carroll. In the United States, when a man is arrested he is\\ngenerally taken before a justice of the peace, and he has the right to", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0306.jp2"}, "307": {"fulltext": "297\\nask for an immediate hearing, or his counsel may waive an immediate\\nhearing and await a hearing- before the grand jury; but in every case\\nthe man has the right to demand a bearing.\\nJudge Arnaldo. The introduction of the jury system here is an\\nindispensable improvement.\\nDr. Carroll. No man can be arrested in the United States unless\\nby an officer of the law and without a warrant from a justice of the\\npeace, except when taken by an officer who finds the man actually\\nengaged in the commission of the crime. The warrant is issued on\\nan affidavit of the person who makes the complaint.\\nJudge Arnaldo. It is actually true here that there are persons in\\nour prisons whose cases are being tried in Mayaguez.\\nDr. Carroll. There is one other point about the system in the\\nUnited States. If anyone there swears out a warrant falsely, the\\ninjured party can proceed for false imprisonment at civil law and\\nrecover heavy damages.\\nJudge Arnaldo. The same thing exists here. When the judge\\npronounces sentence exonerating the man from a crime he also accuses\\nthe person who instigated the case of false witnessing.\\nDr. Carroll. I understand that many persons are now in jail of\\nwhom it is likely some are innocent; that some persons out of pure\\nmotives of revenge have put charges against their names and had\\nthem put in prison, and that it is a custom here after a person has\\nbeen in prison a month or so for the prison or court authorities to tell\\nhim to go, and nothing more is done about the matter.\\nJudge Arnaldo. The situation is even stranger than that. After\\nputting the person at liberty, the case still goes on at Mayaguez.\\nWhen they have found out all about it they send it back here. It is\\na gigantic work that counts for nothing.\\nDr. Carroll. It seems to me they ought to have a court here to\\ninquire into the serious cases the more serious police cases. It would\\nbe wise to have in every city a court that could deal with them at\\nonce.\\nJudge Arnaldo. They should be correctioual tribunals.\\nDr. Carroll. Corresponding to our police courts in New York City,\\nfor example?\\nJudge Arnaldo. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. It must put the municipality to great expense in\\nhaving so many prisoners confined for so long a time?\\nJudge Arnaldo. Yes; it is a crying evil. The number of reams of\\npaper consumed every month in the preparation of summaries is\\namazing.\\nDr. Carroll. Did you have to use stamped paper for that?\\nJudge Arnaldo. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you think a petty jury would do for the trial of\\ncases of arson, burglary, and murder?\\nJudge Arnaldo. Yes:\\nDr. Carroll. It is a theory of the courts of the United States that\\nthe people shall be represented in this case hj^. lawyer called a prose-\\ncuting attorney, whose business it is to prepare the case and put it in\\nshape for trial. Then the judge sits and judges between the State\\nand the criminal. Is that the theory here?\\nJudge Arnaldo. Yes; the same thing.\\nDr. Carroll. Then no change is needed in that respect?\\nJudge Arnaldo. It is the procedure which needs correction here.\\nDr. Carroll. Would there be a .place in this system for the grand", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0307.jp2"}, "308": {"fulltext": "298\\njury? (Here Dr. Carroll explained at length the functions and duties\\nof the grand jury.)\\nJudge Arnaldo. I think it would be preferable to leave the prefer-\\nment of complaints to judges.\\nDr. Carroll. One theory in connection with the grand jury is that\\nit will be a protection to innocent people, and prevent some cases\\ncoming before the court which should not be brought there.\\nJudge Arnaldo. It is an ingenious system and has its merits.\\nDr. Carroll. But would not be expedient here?\\nJudge Arnaldo. As regards the change of judicial system, it should\\nbe done wholly because towns here are small and people are all friends\\nof each other.\\nDr. Carroll. That is a difficulty we have in the United States,\\nand for that reason challenges of jurymen are allowed on the part of\\nthe district attorney. For example, be may challenge a juryman\\nbecause he finds that he was a business partner or a relative of the\\naccused.\\nJudge Arnaldo. The same system is followed wherever they have\\na jury.\\nDr. Carroll. Some lawyers in San Juan were doubtful about the\\nsuccess of the jury system here.\\nJudge Arnaldo. I think it would be wise, without doubt. This is a\\nLatin country. We have followed the old Roman system; but to-day,\\nas we are entering a period of more upright administration of justice,\\nthe people should administer their own justice.\\nDr. Carroll. I think the objection on the part of the lawyers of\\nSan Juan was owing to a misapprehension of the scope of the jury,\\nthinking that laymen were to be brought in to decide questions of\\nlaw, which is not the case. Were there many cases in the island of\\nburglary or murder before these outbreaks that have occurred since\\nthe occupation?\\nJudge Arnaldo. There has always been a great deal of petty thiev-\\ning, but not burglary.\\nDr. Carroll. What about murder?\\nJudge Arnaldo. Very little of that. In this country one can always\\npass through any part with any amount of money and without fear of\\nmolestation.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there much in the way of offenses against property\\nis there much litigation over titles to property?\\nJudge Arnaldo. Since the registration of property was introduced\\nlawsuits have increased considerably. There are not many to-day.\\nWe have a very fine law of registration.\\nDr. Carroll. Does that law require that all parcels of property\\nshall be registered?\\nJudge Arnaldo. No. Registry is voluntary, but as inscription of\\nproperty brings advantages, naturally owners desire to have their\\nproperty inscribed.\\nDr. Carroll. Are there any questions arising in the courts regard-\\ning the property passing by descent, for instance, from father to son?\\nIs it necessary that the will shall be probated and that the son shall\\nbe placed in possession of the title by a process of law?\\nJudge Arnaldo. That depends upon whether the heir is a minor\\nor not. If he is a minor, then they have to appoint guardians. The\\nwill is taken to the registrar, who inscribes it and that becomes evi-\\ndence of ownership. If the father dies intestate, they make a docu-\\nment of intestacy, and that is inscribed.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0308.jp2"}, "309": {"fulltext": "299\\nDr. Carroll. Are mortgages also inscribed?\\nJudge Arnaldo. Everything is inscribed that has any bearing or\\nany effect upon real estate titles.\\nDr. Carroll. When did the last capital punishment occur here?\\nJudge Arnaldo. In 1882.\\nDr. Carroll. In the law regarding murder, do they distinguish\\nbetween murder and manslaughter of different degrees?\\nJudge Arnaldo. There is plain homicide; then there is homicide\\nwith aggravating circumstances, and there are classifications. There\\nis a high grade of murder called infanticide, and this is always pun-\\nished by capital punishment. The penalty for murder committed in\\na row is fourteen years of penal servitude.\\nCOST AND DELAY OF PROCEEDINGS.\\nGobo, P. R., January 15, 1899.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner, at the residence of Mr. Leopold Strube, whose\\nestate lies partly in the municipality of Arecibo and partly in Utuado.]\\nMr. Strube. Recently I had trouble with a man who made a per-\\nsonal attack upon me. The next day after the attack he tried to steal\\nmy horse. I followed him up instantly, and caught him and the\\nhorse and made my complaint to the commissioner of the district.\\nThe value of the horse was only about $25. The next day I had to\\nmake my statement before the judge at Arecibo. Every horse here\\nhas a certain brand, and I had to show the brand of my horse. The\\njudge gave me my horse in deposito. The next day the same man was\\nhere again making trouble. The case had to go from Arecibo to\\nUtuado, because the offense was committed in that district. Three\\ndays later I went to Utuado to see the judge, and to inquire whether\\nor not I had to make another statement before him. He did not seem to\\nknow whether it was necessary or not, but told me that probably I\\nwould not have to make another statement. He also told me that the\\ncase w r ould be tried in Mayaguez in June or July next. At that time\\nI will have to go there with my witnesses. The man is now at large,\\nand if in the mean while, as is probable, he leaves this district for all\\nthat class of men are here to-day and the next day somewhere else\\nthey will not be able to find him. Then I will have to bear the cost\\nof my journey, which will be about $50, besides the loss of time. It\\nwill be a week at least. This week is in addition to the two days\\nalready spent at Arecibo and Utuado. I would have to get to Maya-\\nguez the day before the hearing, and could not well leave there until\\nthe day after. It takes two days to go and twx days to return.\\nDr. Carroll. Why did you go to Utuado?\\nMr. Strube. I went first to Arecibo. My land lies partly in Arecibo\\nand partly in Utuado, where the man stole the horse, but I caught\\nhim in the Arecibo district. That fact appeared in my statement, and\\nwhen the Arecibo judge saw it he delivered him to the judge in\\nUtuado. The man was immediately released without bail.\\nDr. Carroll. If you had a village government here, you would\\nhave a man on the ground to hear such a case at once. It would be\\na great improvement in the administration of justice to have a judge\\nhere.\\nMr. Strube. Yes; but the difficulty is in getting a justice.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0309.jp2"}, "310": {"fulltext": "300\\nWORK OF JUDGE OF FIRST INSTANCE.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nUtuado, P. R., January 17, 1899.\\nMr. Jose L. Casalduc, ex-notary of Utuado, now procurator and\\nproperty owner:\\nDr. Carroll. Are you fiscal for the municipal district or the judi-\\ncial district?\\nMr. Casalduc. For the judicial district.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the name of the judicial district in which\\nUtuado is situated?\\nMr. Casalduc. It is the judicial district of Utuado, comprising\\nUtuado, Lares, Ciales, and Ad juntas.\\nDr. Carroll. You have no criminal court, I believe, in this dis-\\ntrict. You have to go to Mayaguez for that?\\nMr. Casalduc. Yes; we go to Mayaguez.\\nDr. Carroll. But I understand that you have a judge of first\\ninstance here.\\nMr. Casalduc. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Does he prepare cases for the criminal court?\\nMr. Casalduc. Yes. It would be more convenient to have an audi-\\nencia of Utuado. We should be connected with that of Ponce, as we\\nare within easy reach of Ponce.\\nDr. Carroll. Would it not be better still to have a court here in\\nUtuado to hear and determine criminal cases, with appeal to the audi-\\nencia territorial?\\nMr. Casalduc. Under the new rule which has been promulgated\\nin San Juan three judges hear the case, and when there is appeal\\nfive judges sit.\\nDr. Carroll. That is, three judges in Mayaguez, Ponce, or San\\nJuan?\\nMr. Casalduc. In San Juan; but the three judges who tried the\\ncase originally form part of the court of appeal.\\nDr. Carroll. That is contrary to good juridic principles, is it not?\\nMr. Casalduc. Where they had a voice in deciding a case originally\\nthey would not go back on that decision.\\nDr. Carroll. Then you can not get any independent judgment from\\nthem?\\nMr. Casalduc. Formerly these appeals went to Madrid, and this is\\nan attempt to dispose of them somehow.\\nDr. Carroll. I suppose that when the civil government of Porto\\nRico is established there will be an appeal to the Supreme Court of\\nthe United States. What class of cases are determinable here in\\nUtuado?\\nMr. Casalduc. Criminal cases are only prepared here and sent to\\nMayaguez.\\nDr. Carroll. What about ordinary police cases, such as petty\\nthefts? Must they go to Mayaguez also?\\nMr. Casalduc. All have to go to Mayaguez. The people take\\nspecial pains not to give any information about robberies or about\\nany crime committed, because they understand that they will be\\ncalled to Mayaguez, and that means several days lost without any com-\\npensation.\\nDr. Carroll. Are they not paid for it?\\nMr. Casalduc. There was an order directing the payment of", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0310.jp2"}, "311": {"fulltext": "301\\nexpenses, but the employees of the court got together and whenever\\nbills for such expenses were presented these employees said there was\\nno money. Eventually these employees bought up these claims and\\nhad them cashed themselves.\\nDr. Carroll. Then the only cases that are heard here and finally\\ndetermined are violations of municipal ordinances?\\nMr. Casalduc. Small cases that are called in the Spanish code\\nfaltas, which can only be punished by imprisonment for seven days\\nor so, are tried by the municipal judge, and appeal lies from his sen-\\ntence to the judge of first instance.\\nDr. Carroll. Has the judge of first instance in such cases final\\ndecision?\\nMr. Casalduc. Yes; and in civil cases the judge of first Instance\\ngives verdict, with an appeal to the audiencia territorial.\\nDr. Carroll. What suggestions would you make of reform in the\\nconstitution of the courts and in judicial procedure?\\nMr. Casalduc. Small cases, such as robberies for small amounts,\\nand police cases generally should be tried by juries composed of per-\\nsons taken from the place itself, which cases should have a prelimi-\\nnary hearing here, and afterwards, if necessary, be sent elsewhere.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you not think the audiencia should be estab-\\nlished here?\\nMr. Casalduc. Yes; that is what must be done. This being a cen-\\ntrally located town, should naturally have such an institution.\\nDr. Carroll. Then you would have one here, instead of compelling\\npeople to go to Mayaguez?\\nMr. Casalduc. Yes. In that way most of the small crimes would\\nnot go unpunished. If a man to-day should rob me of my horse, I\\nwould not make an accusation against him, because it would cost me\\n$50 to make the journey to Mayaguez.\\nDr. Carroll. There is a jail here, I suppose?\\nMr. Casalduc. There is no building here specially for that purpose.\\nWe luwe a provisional prison, but it is in very bad condition. There\\nis not a single penitentiary in the island.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there not one at San Juan?\\nMr. Casalduc. There is a prison there, but not a penitentiary.\\nDr. Carroll. By penitentiary do you mean a place for reforming\\ncriminals?\\nMr. Casalduc. Yes. Here they mix up the real criminals with\\nthose who are not natural criminals. They do not teach the prisoners\\nany trade nor give them any work to do. The prisons here really are\\nschools for bandits, because those who go in not as criminals, but as\\ntransgressors of the law, come out criminals.\\nDr. Carroll. What do you do with juvenile offenders?\\nMr. Casalduc. They put them in the prison with the rest of the\\nprisoners. They are very behindhand in these matters. Another\\nthing worth mentioning: The judiciary should be well paid, to remove\\nthe judges from temptation. They receive small salaries, while the\\nsecretaries of the government are paid enormous salaries. The gov-\\nernment can remove judges whenever it sees fit. That was the rule\\nand I presume is still. Take, for instance, a judge of first instance\\nin Ponce, who has to take cognizance of from 4,000 to 5,000 cases a\\nyear. He receives $187 a month only. He is naturally exposed to all\\nsorts of temptations.\\nDr. Carroll. What do the clerks make?\\nMr. Casalduc. They have no salaries at all. They have fees.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0311.jp2"}, "312": {"fulltext": "302\\nDr. Carroll. I should think it would be better to give them a\\nfixed salary.\\nMr. Casalduc. It is owing to this fee system that justice runs as\\nit does here. Anybody who wants to get out of prison can do so if\\nhe has $100.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there a tariff of fees for the clerks?\\nMr. Casalduc. There is a tariff in civil cases. There is no tariff\\nin criminal cases.\\nDr. Carroll. Does not the criminal pay for his defense?\\nMr. Casalduc. The rich ones do; but you don t see the rich ones\\nup for trial, because they buy themselves off before the case comes\\nup for trial. A popular saying here is that The prison was not\\nbuilt for people with black coats.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you any suggestion of amendments of the\\npenal code, or is it generally satisfactory?\\nMr. Casalduc. It ought to be reformed where it relates to petty\\ncrimes. For instance, if you have a servant in your* house who takes\\n$25 from you, he can be sentenced to six years; that is, for what are\\ncalled domestic crimes.\\nDr. Carroll. Then they make a distinction as to domestic crimes?\\nMr. Casalduc. They punish the servant the more, because in addi-\\ntion to the robbery, he is guilty of an abuse of confidence.\\nDr. Carroll. What would be the sentence of a man found guilty\\nof burglary?\\nMr. Casalduc. There are several subsections to that. The penalty\\nwould depend on whether it were done during the day or at night and\\nwhether or not there are two or more persons concerned in the bur-\\nglary. If it takes place in a country district, and there are more than\\none, the sentence is twelve years.\\nDr. Carroll. In that case is it supposed to be a conspiracy?\\nMr. Casalduc. It is supposed to be in band or brigandage.\\nDr. Carroll. Does the element of conspiracy enter into that?\\nMr. Casald uc. They call it robbery in gangs, and everybody who\\nhas a direct or indirect part in it is liable to imprisonment.\\nDr. Carroll. Are there many cases of petty theft?\\nDr. Casalduc. It is the case that happens the most here, and if the\\npresent procedure were changed the crimes would soon be stopped.\\nDr. Carroll. Have there been any serious crimes in this munici-\\npal district in the last eight or ten years, apart from such as inay have\\ngrown up as a result of the war?\\nMr. Casalduc. There were very few. The people had a terror for\\nthe civil guard it was not a respect for the law and now that that\\nterror has disappeared with the disappearance of the civil guard, I\\ndon t know whether there will be such cases or not.\\nDr. Carroll. There have been no capital cases here?\\nMr. Casalduc. A case of homicide is so unusual that a case of assas-\\nsination would create a great deal of excitement here.\\nSPECIAL TRIALS OF BANDITS.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nMayaguez, P. R. January 2Jf, 1899.\\nMaj. Charles L. Cooper, of the Fifth United States Cavalry, made\\na statement the substance of which is as follows\\nThere were a great many depredations committed in this district by", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0312.jp2"}, "313": {"fulltext": "303\\npersons who had cause for revenge against proprietors. Cases accumu-\\nlated before the civil courts, which seemed either to be powerless or\\nindifferent to the trial of them. In consequence of this slowness of\\naction, General Henry constituted a military commission of three per-\\nsons, with the secretary, and this commission tried three or four cases\\nof a minor character. The sentence of imprisonment was imposed in\\nprisons of the United States. This seemed to stimulate the civil courts\\nto action, as it was intended to do. Major Cooper believes that it would\\nbe a wise thing to institute a mounted police for the rural districts,\\ncomposed of natives. He spoke of the police of the city as excellent\\nmen, and he believed that by organizing a secret service the marauders\\ncould in many cases be apprehended and be brought to justice. The\\ncases before the military commission were tried under international\\nlaw, as declared by Lieber in 1862 or 1863. Major Cooper stated that\\nthe planters very seldom took measures for self-defense, because it\\nwas a principle of law that they were not allowed to defend themselves,\\nbut were held responsible before the court for any act committed in\\ndefense of their domiciles. He said he had been told this over and\\nover again by Porto Rican lawyers. On examination of the penal\\ncode it appears that defense of one s person or family or domicile is\\njustifiable, but it is stated that subsequent proceedings in such cases\\nincluded imprisonment of the defender and such a course of legal\\nresponsibility as to deter people from the ordinary means of self-\\ndefense. It is claimed that this is not due to the law itself, but to the\\ncorruption of the courts, and that judges appointed from the Penin-\\nsula took this means of adding to their income, requiring persons who\\nwere arrested for acts committed in self-defense to pay a good round\\nsum to regain their liberty.\\nPROCEDURE IN CRIMINAL CASES.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nSan German, P. R., January 26, 1899.\\nDr. Carroll. I recognize you as one of the judges who presided at\\na trial in Mayaguez which I attended a few days ago. Has the trial\\nbeen concluded?\\nMr. Joaquim Servera Silva, registrar. It was finished Tuesday\\nmorning.\\nDr. Carroll. What was the result?\\nMr. Silva. The sentence will be published on Monday. The court\\nhas already arrived at its decision. I will have to go and sign the sen-\\ntence on Monday. They publicly put in provisional liberty three of\\nthe prisoners, having taken that step because three of them will be\\nacquitted.\\nDr. Carroll. I would be very glad, indeed, if you could give me\\nthe steps that were taken in that case from the beginning to the end.\\nI saw a part of the case, and I would be glad to get a better idea of\\nthe Spanish method of procedure.\\nMr. Silva. There was in this case a private accuser, who is called\\na denouncer. The denouncer was the aggrieved person, Don Juan\\nSein. Immediately after the denouncement the judge of instruction\\ntook the first steps to inquire about the matter.\\nDr. Carroll. Was the complaint made to him?\\nMr. Silva. They first complained to the alcalde verbally, and then\\na complaint was made in writing to the municipal judge of Anasco.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0313.jp2"}, "314": {"fulltext": "304\\nDr. Carroll. Did the alcalde sign any document or do anything\\nto expedite the case?\\nMr. Silva. Under the Spanish law any aggrieved person has the\\nright to make complaint to any government official, and this official\\nis obliged to refer the complaint to the competent judicial authority.\\nDr. Carroll. Then it was placed in the hands of the judge of first\\ninstance.\\nMr. Silva. The judge of first instance in this case is what they call\\nthe instructing judge, who looks into the case, attending to the claims\\nof the denouncer. The judge takes the necessary steps to prepare\\nthe case. When the judge of first instance considers that he has\\nobtained all the necessary proofs and data within his power, he draws\\nup a summary and passes the case on to the audiencia.\\nDr. Carroll. Does he cite witnesses?\\nMr. Silva. Yes; he calls witnesses and examines them under\\noath. The testimony given before a judge of first instance is not\\nconsidered as evidence, and the same witness may testify in a com-\\npletely opposite way before the audiencia without rendering himself\\nliable to punishment for false swearing. The reason for this is that\\nthe Spanish civil guard here used to illtreat people, and before the\\njudge of first instance they would give any sort of evidence to get\\naway from the guard. But when reforms were introduced here the\\nSpanish law said that the conclusive evidence was only that given\\nbefore the audiencia.\\nDr. Carroll. Is that law or only practice?\\nMr. Silva. It is a new law of criminal procedure. There are two\\nexceptions to the rule above stated. For instance, when the judge of\\nfirst instance has to take cognizance of a matter which has to be\\ninquired into on the spot, and which the audiencia could not examine\\ninto, such as blood stains, which would not last until the audiencia\\ncould meet, or the evidence of a witness who desires to leave the\\ncountry and make his formal statement before doing so.\\nDr. Carroll. From the judge of first instance is the case reported\\ndirectly to the audiencia or to the fiscal?\\nMr. Silva. The case is passed from the judge of first instance to\\nthe audiencia. The audiencia examines the summary, and if it does\\nnot consider that the case has been properly drawn for instance, if\\ncertain witnesses have not been examined who should have been they\\nreturn the case to the judge of first instance, recommending what they\\nconsider convenient in the case. Should they consider the case com-\\nplete in its drawing by the judge of first instance, they draw up a\\ndocument in which they put on record that the case has been properly\\ndrawn up by the judge of first instance, and they pass it over to the\\nfiscal. The fiscal then studies the case and prepares a preliminary\\nopinion and passes the documents over to the defending counsel, who\\npresent in writing their preliminary defense. The court then studies\\nthe preliminary defense and appoints a day for the first hearing.\\nDr. Carroll. How is the case opened by the lawyer for the prose-\\ncution in an address to the court, as is the custom in the United\\nStates, or do they proceed at once to examine witnesses?\\nMr. Silva. Each party has his well-defined duties in the case. The\\ncourt is opened by the president asking each person the regulation\\nquestions as to age, birthplace, etc. then he allows the fiscal to address\\neach of the prisoners, asking such questions as he thinks convenient.\\nAfter the fiscal is through the lawyer for the defense may also put\\nquestions to the prisoner. The witnesses called by the fiscal are first", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0314.jp2"}, "315": {"fulltext": "305\\nexamined and then the witnesses called by the defense. Should the\\ncourt think it necessary to take evidence at the scene of the crime, it\\nhas the power to constitute a commission from among the judges and\\nhold court on the spot where the crime was committed. When all the\\nevidence of witnesses has been taken, the evidence of documents or of\\nexhibits, such as clothing, chemical substances that have been analyzed,\\nand other inanimate testimony generally, is taken. Then the presi-\\ndent calls on the fiscal to substantiate or correct his original accusa-\\ntion, which he does. He also calls on the lawyer for the defense to\\nsubstantiate or rectif}^ his original defense, which he does by writing.\\nThen the court retires and within three days gives sentence.\\nDr. Carroll. Is a majority sufficient to convict?\\nMr. Silva. Yes; and dissenting votes are put into writing, with the\\nreasons therefor, together with the documents of the case, which are\\nsent to the supreme court.\\nDr. Carroll. In case verdict of death is decided upon, what is the\\nnext proceeding?\\nMr. Silva. In all sentences the prisoner has the right of appeal,\\nbut in such a grave sentence as that of death, whether the prisoner\\nappeals or not, the law implies that the prisoner appeals, and the case\\nproceeds as if appeal had been made.\\nDr. Carroll. In the trial of a case are there rules governing the\\nfiscal or lawyers for the defense in raising points of law?\\nMr. Silva. Yes; they can only call as witnesses those whom they\\nhave named in their previous documents. Under the old system they\\nused to be able to call witnesses at will and could spread the case out\\nto any length by saying they had new witnesses to call.\\nDr. Carroll. The method of criminal procedure in the United\\nStates is very different from this, and I will give you a brief outline\\nof it. Perhaps you are already familiar with it.\\nMr. Silva. No; I do not know the jury system of the United States,\\nbut I know the jury system of Spain.\\nDr. Carroll. In cases of the commission of a crime the matter is\\nbrought to the attention of a justice of the peace. Unless the prisoner\\nwaives a hearing, he proceeds to give a hearing at a date determined\\nupon. The prisoner usually has counsel from the time he is put under\\narrest, and this counsel may waive all proceedings before the justice\\nof the peace, knowing that the case must come before the grand jury.\\nMr. Silva. That is the same system as in Spain.\\nDr. Carroll. In case it is a bailable offense, the offender may be\\nreleased by furnishing proper bonds to await the action of the grand\\njury. In a more serious case of crime the offender is held in prison.\\nThe grand jury is composed of from twenty to twenty-four men. The\\ncase goes from the justice of the peace before the grand jury, being\\npresented to the grand jury by the fiscal, or prosecuting attorney. The\\nprosecuting attorney names the witnesses he has, and the grand jury\\nmay allow him to examine them or they may proceed to examine them\\nthemselves. After they have heard all the witnesses who are witnesses\\nfor the accusation, as it is an entirely ex parte proceeding, they pro-\\nceed, by vote of the majority, to determine whether there is probable\\nguilt or not. Then, if they vote that there is probable guilt, the prose-\\ncuting attorney proceeds to draw up a formal indictment, in which the\\noffense or offenses are stated in legal terms. The foreman of the\\ngrand jury then presents this indictment to the court which instructed\\nit. The judge then causes the prisoner to be brought before him.\\n1125\u00e2\u0080\u009420", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0315.jp2"}, "316": {"fulltext": "306\\nThe charges in the indictment are stated to the prisoner, and he is\\nasked to plead guilty or not guilty. He usually does so through his\\ncounsel. Then the prosecuting attorney moves that a date be set for\\nthe trial of the case. This may be agreed to by the counsel for the\\ndefense or they may ask for a longer time for preparation. Before the\\ncase comes to trial the counsel for the defense umy present a demurrer\\nto the indictment, alleging that it is defective and moving to quash\\nthe indictment. On a day appointed the court hears arguments for\\nand against that motion, the prosecuting attorne} 7 representing the\\npeople. If the judge decides that the indictment is good, a day for\\nthe trial is set and the commissioner of juries is notified to have a\\nnumber of persons qualified to sit as jurors present on the trial day.\\nFrom the persons present they proceed to select jurymen, putting\\nit to each man whether he is a relative of the accused or an enemy or\\nin any way interested or biased in the case. If it appears from this\\nor any other reasons that any person can not give a fair verdict in the\\ncase according to the testimony, the judge tells him to step aside. In\\naddition to this, the law allows a certain number of absolute chal-\\nlenges, both by the counsel for the defense and b3 r the prosecuting\\nattorney. The jury duly impaneled and sworn, the prosecuting\\nattorney proceeds to state his case, giving a history of it, and he then\\nproceeds to call his witnesses, whom he examines himself. Then the\\nwitnesses are turned over to the counsel for the defense, who have\\ngreat latitude in course of cross-examination. When a witness is\\nasked a question which the counsel on either side considers objection-\\nable, the counsel tells the witness not to answer, and appeals to the\\njudge, giving the grounds therefor. The counsel on each side insists\\nthat the judge shall keep in his own place, and if he asks too many\\nquestions, the probability is thej r will ask him whether he is inclined\\nto try the case as well as to judge it. After the witnesses for the\\nprosecution have been heard, the counsel for the defense opens with\\nan address, in which he reviews the evidence given by the prosecution\\nand indicates the theory that the defense will take in the case. Then,\\nwhen all the testimony is in, the lawyers on either side address the\\ncourt in support of the testimony that has been given. Then the judge\\ncharges the jury; that is, he instructs them in points of law, it being\\nunderstood that the province of the jury is to determine the facts\\naccording to the evidence, while they receive their instructions in the\\nlaw from the judge. The jury then retire to a room set apart for them,\\nin which they are free from all public interruption, and there they pro-\\nceed to consider what their verdict shall be. It requires a unanimous\\nverdict of guilt to establish guilt. There are many other incidental\\nsteps in a case of this kind. For example, before the case is tried\\nthere may be a writ of habeas corpus sued out before a law judge and\\nan inquiry held as to the process by which a prisoner is held. It is to\\nprevent imprisonment on false accusations. Does the Spanish jury\\nlaw correspond to this in any respect?\\nMr. Silva. There are a great many points of similarity. In such\\npoints as the right of challenge, the retiring of the jury, the right of\\nexamining jurymen before they are impaneled, and in several other\\npoints there is almost complete resemblance.\\nDr. Carroll. Is it your judgment that the jury system would work\\nwell in the trial of criminal cases in the island?\\nMr. Silva. Before replying to that I should have to think quite a\\ngood deal. The jury system is a great system, but if it is going to be\\ngiven to the people, it requires that the people who are going to dis-", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0316.jp2"}, "317": {"fulltext": "307\\npense justice thereby should have a considerable degree of culture and\\neducation.\\nDr. Carroll. That is not considered at all necessary in the United\\nStates. It is simply required that a man should have his natural fac-\\nulties, a fair mind, be able to weigh evidence, and be honest enough\\nto give his verdict on the side on which the weight of evidence inclines.\\nThe counsel on each side give a complete analysis of the testimony so\\nas to instruct the jury, and the judge presiding in the case gives a\\ncomplete explication of all points of law, and tells them that they\\nmust be governed by those instructions.\\nMr. Silva. I supposed that in the United States a juryman is required\\nto know how to read and write. According to what you require of the\\njuryman will be the success of the system. They are not required to\\nexamine documents.\\nDEFINITIONS OF CRIMES.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nHumacao, P. R. February 1, 1899.\\nMr. Salvador Fulladosa, judge of first instance and instruction:\\nDr. Carroll. I wish to ask you some questions about judicial mat-\\nters. What is your judicial district?\\nMr. Fulladosa. My district embraces Humacao, Fajardo, Naguabo,\\nVieques, Yabucoa, Juncos, and Piedras.\\nDr. Carroll. Your function, I suppose, is to prepare cases for the\\naudiencia?\\nMr. Fulladosa, As the judge of the district, I have subordinate\\njudges in each municipality. In civil cases matters not exceeding\\n$200 are settled by the municipal judge, with right of appeal to me as\\ndistrict judge. In criminal matters the municipal judge or alcalde\\nhas to prepare the case within a period of three days and send it to\\nme, and I have to see whether it is prepared right and that no neces-\\nsary parts of the case are missing. If the case is not fully prepared,\\nI cite witnesses before me and continue the preparation of the case\\nuntil I consider that it is fully drawn up. Then I sign it and send it\\nto the court in San Juan for trial. In civil cases I have jurisdiction\\nto any amount and give judgment here, besides my jurisdiction to\\nhear and determine cases on appeal from municipal judges.\\nDr. Carroll. Then your functions as judge are really confined to\\ncivil cases?\\nMr. Fulladosa. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. There is no reason in the world why you should not\\nbe judge in criminal cases also.\\nMr. Fulladosa. There existed here formerly a law by which judges\\nthroughout the island could sentence in criminal cases, but when oral\\ntrials were introduced that power was taken away.\\nDr. Carroll. In the United States a larger power is given to the\\nfiscals. The latter prepare the brief on the part of the people, while\\nthe attorney for the defense prepares the brief in behalf of the pris-\\noner.\\nMr. Fulladosa. It is most ridiculous that a man who steals a plate\\nshould have to be tried in San Juan. The system causes a block in\\nthe wheels of justice.\\nDr. Carroll. It is a judicial absurdity.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0317.jp2"}, "318": {"fulltext": "308\\nMr. Fulladosa. My function in criminal cases is merely that of\\npreparation, which is hardly the proper function of a judge. It is my\\nduty to classify crimes prepared by me for trial; to say whether the\\ncase should go up for trial under one heading or another, or whether\\nthe alleged offender should be set at liberty.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the existing law with respect to arrest of a\\nperson who, for example, is charged with being guilty of arson or rob-\\nbery? Can a person who sees him in the act arrest him without\\nprocess?\\nMr. Fulladosa. Yes everybody has that right, but not the legal\\nobligation to do so.\\nDr. Carroll. That is the law in the United States, but in all other\\ncases no one can be arrested except by process duly issued by a mag-\\nistrate.\\nMr. Fulladosa. Here it is the same a person can not be arrested\\nunless a judge issues an order for his arrest.\\nDr. Carroll. What justifies a judge in issuing a process of that\\nkind?\\nMr. Fulladosa. The judge can issue an order for imprisonment on\\nthe denuncia of any person. The person arrested is held provisionally\\nfor twenty-four hours, during which time the judge cites the person\\nmaking the charge to determine whether there is cause to hold the\\nperson for seventy-two hours as required by law.\\nDr. Carroll. Does the law require that the order of arrest shall\\nrecite the charge for which the person is arrested?\\nMr. Fulladosa. When the arrest is made by the marshal the\\norder says that such and such a person must present himself to\\nrespond to an accusation of such and such a person.\\nDr. Carroll. Is that shown to the person when he is arrested\\nMr. Fulladosa. The alleged offender is called to appear before the\\njudge, or is arrested under a warrant. It does not do to tell the per-\\nson why he is arrested, because he might prepare himself for a defense\\nbeforehand he might put himself in communication with persons for\\nthat purpose. They are very clever here.\\nDr. Carroll. It is an elementaiy factor of justice in the United\\nStates that a man should not be arrested without knowing why he is\\narrested.\\nMr. Fulladosa. I am speaking now of simple offenses, not of grave\\ncrimes. We presume that a person is guilty until he has proved him-\\nself innocent.\\nDr. Carroll. Then a person might be arrested here and not know\\nwhether he was arrested for disorder or assault or for murder?\\nMr. Fulladosa. Before he is put in prison he knows what he is\\narrested for. There are exceptional cases; for instance, a quarrel in\\na country district, where a comisario has to arrest all persons in the\\nneighborhood, who might turn out to be guilty.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there any such thing here as giving bail?\\nMr. Fulladosa. It is quite general. I am a great believer in bail.\\nDr. Carroll. What classes of cases are bailable?\\nMr. Fulladosa. Those punishable by imprisonment for three or\\nmore years, but not generally charges of a grave character such as\\nrobbery, homicide, and arson. Crimes and offenses are all classified.\\nFor example, there is robbery with violence and robbery without vio-\\nlence, and each classification has its appropriate bail within the class\\nof bailable crimes. A great 1 deal depends also on the judge and the\\nantecedents of the prisoner. The judge has a discretion in the\\nmatter.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0318.jp2"}, "319": {"fulltext": "309\\nDr. Carroll. In case a person is arrested in Vieques for theft,\\ndoes it require that the person making the charge and the thief be\\nbrought here before you?\\nMr. Fulladosa. The municipal judge in Vieques keeps the pris-\\noner in jail there three days while he is preparing the brief. The\\nbrief and the prisoner are then sent here. If he is to be liberated,\\nhe is liberated from here, as the judge there can not release a pris-\\noner after he has once put him in prison.\\nDr. Carroll. Is that true of small cases?\\nMr. Fulladosa. Of every case. That is the law, and it governs\\neven in a case where a man in Vieques is arrested for stealing a\\nchicken. There is only one exception to the rule, which I have stated\\nsomewhat too broadly, namely, in the class of cases called f altas, which\\nare tried by the municipal judge and are punishable by imprisonment\\nfor not more than thirty days. Where, for instance, a peon, passing\\nthrough a cane field, cuts a stalk of cane and sucks it and is caught\\nin the act, that would be a falta, punishable by imprisonment up to\\nthirty days without sending the man here to Humacao. If, however,\\nthe peon, after having eaten one stalk, should cut more and take it\\naway with him, then his offense would be larceny, and not a mere\\nfalta, the reason for the distinction being that in the first case the man,\\non the spur of the moment, and from a sense of immediate need, takes\\nthe cane and at once eats it, whereas in the second case the element\\nof immediate need is not present, but the peon appropriates the prop-\\nerty of another for his future use.\\nDr. Carroll. In case a man is brought over here from Vieques for\\nsome petty offense, who bears the expense of the trip?\\nMr. Fulladosa. All the municipalities comprising the district.\\nThis is the head of the prison district, and its expenses are paid by\\nthe municipalities in this judicial district, each paying a proportion.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you sit sometimes in the audiencia in particular\\ncases?\\nMr. Fulladosa. No.\\nDr. Carroll. In Mayaguez they sometimes ask judges of other\\ncourts to sit with them, and while I was there they had two of them\\nsitting with the regular judges to try a case of arson and robbery.\\nMr. Fulladosa. I could be called, but I have not been. They can\\nname me a judge in commission.\\nAMERICAN LAWYERS AND THE COURTS.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nSan Juan, P. R., February 10, 1899.\\nMr. F. H. Dexter, an American lawyer and agent of the Cuban\\nand Pan-American Express Company:\\nIn my judgment conditions do not now exist to justify American\\nlawyers in their hope of practicing in the courts of Porto Rico.\\nAccording to General Orders No. 1, issued by General Brooke upon\\nthe occupation of San Juan by the American forces, the laws then in\\nexistence which were not inconsistent with American institutions or\\nwhich had not been abrogated by orders of the military government\\nremain in force, and up to the present time no order has been issued\\nchanging the laws in Porto Rico covering the matter of judicial pro-\\ncedure and the regulation of practice in the courts of the island.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0319.jp2"}, "320": {"fulltext": "310\\nThe code in force in Porto Rico is the old civil code, or Roman code,\\nand is written in Spanish. This code is considered different from the\\npractice which obtains in all the States of the American Union, with\\nthe exception of the State of Louisiana. Very few American lawyers\\nhave studied this code beyond their college course outside of the\\nState of Louisiana. It seems to be the understanding of those in\\nauthority, justified by the necessities of the case, that the Porto Rican\\nlaws, so far as local matters are concerned, will remain in force for\\nsome time to come. While the American military government and\\nCongress will gradually promulgate orders and adopt legislation affect-\\ning matters of a general concern, such as those regarding the relations\\nbetween Porto Rico and the United States and foreign countries, such\\nas the regulation of shipping, navigation and tariff, exchange, and\\nsimilar questions, the body of municipal law, in my judgment, will be\\ngradually and slowly modified or abrogated. These municipal laws,\\nin addition to being a feature of the government of Spanish posses-\\nsions and having a traditional dignity, are perhaps better adapted to\\nthe wants and conditions of the people of this tropical country than\\nmany of our laws which are in force in the American Union. I do\\nnot mean by this to say that the American system of laws is not bet-\\nter than the system in force here; but in the exercise of sound judg-\\nment and wisdom it would appear to me that to change the system of\\nlaws which is so intimately ingrafted into the institutions and lives of\\nthe people here would be to create great confusion. In fact, it would\\nappear to be a physical impossibility.\\nSoon after the occupation of the capital of this island by the Amer-\\nican forces a number of intelligent lawyers of good standing came\\nhere from the United States with the idea of settling here and prac-\\nticing their profession. So far as I have been able to learn, none of\\nthese gentlemen know the Spanish laws or the code now in force here.\\nSome of these gentlemen desire to practice in the courts here, and\\nthey were refused this right by the then acting minister of justice,\\nSenor Hernandez Lopez, on account of what I have expressed hereto-\\nfore, namely, that they did not know the Spanish law or language.\\nThese gentlemen addressed a complaint to General Henry, who\\nreferred the matter again to Mr. Lopez, minister of justice, and desired\\nhim to state his reasons for this action. Mr. Lopez reported in due\\ntime to General Henry, and gave the following reasons: He stated\\nthat the laws governing Porto Rico at this time were still SjDanish laws;\\nthat according to the judicial procedure and the said code applicants\\nfor admission to practice in the courts of Porto Rico should pass an\\nexamination provided by the civil code relative to attorneys, and\\nshould have certain qualifications of residence and training, which it\\nappears these gentlemen did not possess. Upon the strength of this\\nrecommendation General Henry refused to permit the American law-\\nyers to practice in the courts of Porto Rico unless they could pass the\\nrequired examination which was demanded of native lawyers.\\nAlthough desirous myself of enjoying the privilege of practice in\\nthe courts of Porto Rico, I must admit the justice of this rule. A\\nlicense to practice law is not only an implied guaranty but an express\\ncertificate on the part of the authority granting the license that the\\nholder of it is familiar with the practice of the court in which he is\\nauthorized to practice and has complied with all the qualifications\\nand requirements demanded of those who practice in these courts.\\nIf an American lawyer, not conversant with its practice or the code\\nshould try to practice, injustice might be done.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0320.jp2"}, "321": {"fulltext": "311\\nREFORMS DEMANDED.\\n[Hearing before the United. States Commissioner.]\\nSan Juan, P. R., March 10, 1899.\\nAlfredo M. Aguayo (formerly judge of first instance in Ponce). It\\nis my opinion that the Spanish law relating to criminal cases ought to\\nbe reformed. It is contrary, in my opinion, to the Constitution of the\\nUnited States in that the Constitution guarantees to every man a fair\\nand impartial trial before a jury of his own countrymen.\\nDr. Carroll. I should be pleased to have you state the proceed-\\nings in detail which are had in a criminal case.\\nJudge Aguayo. As soon as the judge has information that a crime\\nhas been committed he sends for the accused and has him arrested\\nand takes his declaration in court secretly. Then he puts him imme-\\ndiately into a room where he is without communication with anyone.\\nThe judge then sends for all the witnesses who can give him infor-\\nmation in the matter. He receives them secretly, one by one, and\\ntakes their declarations and cross-questions them. Meanwhile the\\ndefendant does not know what is being done against him and can take\\nno steps whatever. He is absolutely in the dark. He does not know\\nat all what is going on. Within two or three days he is allowed to\\ncommunicate, but not until after the summary of the case against\\nhim is completed is he allowed this privilege or given any hint as to\\nwhat has been done. He can name his lawyer, but the lawj^er is not\\nallowed to present to the judge in this stage of the proceedings any\\nproof which the judge does not care to accept. This sumario (sum-\\nmary) usually occupies in its preparation from a month to a month\\nand a half. The reason of this delay is that everything is being done\\nin writing, and society and the world at large, which is also interested\\nin the case, knows nothing at all about it, and is naturally unwilling\\nthat this state of things should continue. Should the newspapers\\npublish a proof which has been adduced before the judge, its editor\\nwould be punished immediately. When all the proofs have been\\ngotten together, the judge of first instance declares the summary con-\\ncluded, and all the papers are passed on to the audiencia, where the\\noral proceedings are begun.\\nThe reasons why all the steps of the summary should be published\\nfrom its inception, in my opinion, are many. First, because the pub-\\nlicity would insure the cooperation of everybody, and all persons hav-\\ning proofs would bring them forward secondly, it would enable the\\ndefendant to produce all the proof on his side; third, it would consti-\\ntute a guaranty against the venality of judges, as the public would be\\nimmediately informed of all mistakes and infirmities committed by\\nthe judge; fourth, the secrecy of the summary produces in the public\\nconscience a sort of terror, and all witnesses, as a rule, have to be made\\nto testify by force, whereas if the hearings were public from the begin-\\nning a sort of civic dignity would induce persons to testify on their\\nown volition, and witnesses would see that what they testified to was\\naccepted as evidence and that their words had value. I think that\\nbefore any other steps are taken in the matter of changing the laws a\\ngeneral order should be issued directing that all judicial proceedings\\nfrom their inception be public and that the defendant be allowed to\\nname his lawyer and make use of his lawyer before the declaration is\\nmade.\\nDr. Carroll. In the United States secrecy is only observed when", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0321.jp2"}, "322": {"fulltext": "312\\nthe case is before the grand jury and it is proceeding to inquire\\nwhether an indictment may be had.\\nJudge Agtjayo. The difference between the American and the\\nSpanish, sj^stems is that the American is an accusatory system and\\nthe Spanish an inquisitorial system. Under the American system\\nthere can be no trial until after there is a specific charge made, but\\nunder the Spanish system there is a trial before the charge.\\nDr. Carroll. The Spanish idea is that when a man is charged\\nwith a crime he is guilty unless proved innocent, is it not?\\nJudge Agtjayo. No; not exactly. Their principle is that the judge\\nis charged to discover the crime and that he need not consult any-\\nbody. His business is to ferret out the crime. I think the attorney\\nshould be present at all the trials from their start to their finish.\\nDr. Carroll. It seems to me that the judge of first instance should\\nbe a judge of oyer and terminer to hear and determine cases, not\\nonly on the civil side but also on the criminal side.\\nJudge Agtjayo. I think that the jury system ought to be established\\nhere soon, and that the trial shoidd be oral and not in writing, as now.\\nCases can be concluded in one day by oral proceedings instead of\\nfrom eight days to a month and a half by written process. This is a\\nvery important matter.\\nDr. Carroll. It seems to me that the judge of first instance might\\nbe clothed with the power to hear and determine cases with an appeal\\nfrom him direct to the superior court, and that the audiencia territo-\\nrial of Ponce and Mayaguez might be abolished to simplify proceedings.\\nJudge Agtjayo. That is the way it used to be here before. It was\\nthe system here ten years ago.\\nDr. Carroll. Some of the cases could be prepared before the\\nmunicipal judge if necessary and sent up to the judge of first\\ninstance for trial.\\nJudge Agtjayo. That is the way they are prepared now. All\\nmunicipal judges should have greater amplitude in their powers.\\nDr. Carroll. I think so, too.\\nJudge Agtjayo. The principal thing is that all trials should be public\\nand should be oral instead of in writing, as a means of insuring speedy\\nand fair trials, and so that the whole country may know what is going\\non in their courts of justice.\\nDr. Carroll. It seems to me that the judge in the audiencia has\\ntoo large powers with reference to the trial of a case; that the func-\\ntion of the man who sits upon the bench ought to be to hear and\\ndetermine, and not in any way to question the witnesses with the\\nidea of bringing out testimony to fit his own theory of the case.\\nJudge Agtjayo. Yes; he has a great deal of power.\\nDr. Carroll. And he exercises his power arbitrarily sometimes to\\nshut off questions asked by the defendant s counsel. I noticed in the\\nproceedings in a case at May aguez that the court was very arbitrary\\nin refusing to permit a defendant to ask questions, which, in my\\njudgment, he had a perfect right to ask. As I understand it, a judge\\nof first instance is a judge in civil matters, but is not a judge in crim-\\ninal matters, but rather a district attorney, in that he prepares the\\ncase against the defendant.\\nJudge Agtjayo. In civil cases I have the right to give judgment,\\nbut not in criminal cases. In criminal cases I can only prepare the\\nsummary and pass it on to the audiencia.\\nDr. Carroll. Is that the system in Spain?\\nJudge Agtjayo. No; the criminal procedure here and in Spain are", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0322.jp2"}, "323": {"fulltext": "313\\nalike up to and including the preparation of the summary but after\\nfinishing the summary the case goes to the jury in Spain and the\\njury gives verdict.\\nDr. Carroll. How many jurymen do they have?\\nJudge Aguayo. Twelve.\\nDr. Carroll. Does it require unanimity to give verdict?\\nJudge Aguayo. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. The judges of the audiencia here make up the sen-\\ntences among themselves, do they not?\\nJudge Aguayo. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Secretly?\\nJudge Aguayo. Yes; and this secrecy is not only a bad thing, but\\na useless thing. I have been accused of revealing the secrets of the\\nsummary in this case against In every criminal case, as every\\nwitness goes out of the court and tells his friends what he has been\\ntestifying about, there is no such thing really as secrecy.\\nDr. Carroll. The congress that met here in San Juan in October\\ndrew up a scheme of reforms, and in it they demanded the public\\nvotation of sentences. What did they mean by that?\\nJudge Aguayo. They simply meant that instead of the judges retir-\\ning to consider their sentence secretly they should consider it publicly.\\nDr. Carroll. It does not seem tome that that is a necessary reform,\\nbecause the jury always retires for that purpose.\\nJudge Aguayo. No; it does not seem to me necessary, either.\\nDr. Carroll. I don t see why the judges should not retire to con-\\nsider what their verdict shall be. Do you distinguish in the Spanish\\nlaw between a verdict and a sentence?\\nJudge Aguayo. No. In our law the judge is a judge of fact and\\nlaw, and makes the verdict and sentence in one. He judges about the\\nfacts and applies the law.\\nDr. Carroll. I think those functions ought to be made distinct.\\nUnder our system the jury makes up the verdict on the facts and the\\nlaw is given by the judge. Then the judge, on the basis of the ver-\\ndict, pronounces the sentence.\\nVARIOUS REFORMS.\\nSTATEMENT OF ANTONIO SANCHEZ RUIZ.\\nAguada, P. R., November 12, 1898.\\nIn my opinion the most important of existing laws is the Civil Code,\\nwhich is a codification of all the laws of the class. On the other\\nhand, the laws of civil and criminal procedure and the Penal Code\\nappear somewhat deficient, judging by the questions which daily are\\nbrought before the tribunals, to which said laws are not adaptable.\\nNot feeling myself competent to consider in detail each and every\\none of them, I will point out only article 42 of the Civil Code, which,\\nwhile recognizing two forms of matrimonj^ the civil and canonical,\\nmakes it appear that the first form can be employed only by persons\\nnot professing the Catholic religion. The mere reading of this article\\nshows that it trespasses on the liberty of worship. There is in force\\na circular from the audiencia to the justices ordering them not to\\nperform the civil ceremony between contracting parties of the Catholic\\nfaith. This circular should be declared void and article 42 amended\\nas follows:\\nTwo forms of matrimony are recognized, civil and canonical; contracting parties,\\nwhether Catholics or non- Catholics, are free to choose either form.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0323.jp2"}, "324": {"fulltext": "314\\nIn the law of civil procedure it is very necessary to shorten the\\nperiod to the strictly necessary number of days for the notification\\nof decisions, which decisions should be considered in force the day\\nafter notification. There should also be a prudent reduction in the\\nappointed number of days allowed for appeal, and also in the pro-\\nceedings of judicial sales by auction, in orcler to put a stop to delays\\nprejudicial to litigants.\\nThe extension of the jurisdiction of municipal judges to cover the\\nhearing and decision of cases of eviction of tenants, even in cases of\\nprecarious property, also giving them the right to sit on cases not\\nexceeding $500 in dispute, is desirable.\\nIn criminal procedure there should be a shortening of the time of\\ndetention from seventy-two to twenty-four hours, and of provisional\\nimprisonment, to the least possible time. The charge should be pre-\\npared promptly, so as not to deprive an innocent person of liberty for\\nany length of time.\\nThe amount of bond should be regulated in proportion to the crime,\\nnot leaving it to the caprice of judges, as this often causes great\\nprejudice to the accused parties.\\nLet trial by jury be instituted as in other countries, and put an end\\nto the audiencias de lo criminal.\\nIn the Penal Code, proceed to abolish the death penalty, and also\\nthat of perpetual imprisonment, as being incompatible with the Ameri-\\ncan spirit of democracy.\\nSALARIES INSTEAD OF FEES.\\nSTATEMENT OF JOSE M. ORTIZ.\\nManuabo, P. R., February 2\u00c2\u00a3, 1899.\\n(1) Make committals to prison difficult; favor other classes of pun-\\nishment in place thereof.\\n(2) Any person suing, or entering suit, to give bonds previously\\nand in sufficient amount to enable him to be held responsible for the\\nconsequences of the suit in case it result adversely to him.\\n(3) Suppress or modify the present system of governmental pro-\\nceedings, by which it frequently happens that only the testimony of\\npersons wishing to injure the accused party is taken. The defense\\nallowed the accused under this system is very rudimentary.\\n(4) Clear and widely published tariff of fees allowed to lawyers,\\nnotaries, doctors, engineers, registrars of real estate, etc., and the\\napplication of serious and quick correctives for those who charge\\nmore than legal rates.\\n(5) Suppression in San Juan, Ponce, and Mayaguez of oral trials for\\nmisdemeanors. These are very troublesome and prejudicial to per-\\nsons of small means and annoying to persons of social standing, who\\nare obliged to appear in public court to prosecute or defend, for\\nwhich reason they prefer to leave unpunished many crimes and delin-\\nquencies, to the encouragement of thieves and bullies.\\n(6) The payment of a salary to municipal judges and their secre-\\ntaries; their failure to receive any is the cause of the existing immo-\\nrality, which is covered up.\\n(7) Lessening of the cost of citations, subpoenas, and judicial let-\\nters, and, above all, of the estimates for embargoes (attachments), so\\nterribly ruinous for debtors. Many small debtors owe their ruin to\\nthis scandalous judicial procedure.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0324.jp2"}, "325": {"fulltext": "315\\n(8) Imprisonment for those who can not produce means to cover\\ntheir due debts, unless they can show justifiable circumstances in\\nexcuse.\\n(9) Cheapen and simplify the costs and steps of mortgaging.\\n(10) Establishment of the right of divorce, with the right of remar-\\nriage, although both parties be living.\\n(11) Modification of the commercial code with respect to maritime\\ntraffic. In this particular shipowners and freighters are unduly\\nfavored, and importers are afforded but small protection.\\nREVISION OF METHODS OF PROCEDURE.\\nUtttado, January 17, 1899.\\nMr. Felix Santoni (lawyer). We think that the subject of laws\\nshould also have careful attention. We desire especially that the\\nPenal Code should be revised. The Civil Code also requires some cor-\\nrections; but as the Civil Code has been more or less an outcome of\\nthe wish of the people, we think that to a certain extent it should be\\nrespected. What is needed is a thorough revision of the methods of\\nprocedure, which under the Spanish Government were very badly\\napplied. Good laws on the statute books are not alone sufficient.\\nWe need to have a good administration of them. Italy, which in my\\njudgment has the finest set of laws of any nation, suffers more from\\nbad administration in the legal sense than any other country, as the\\nlaws are not administered as they are written.\\nAS TO CORONERS.\\nSTATEMENT OF DR. C. LOPEZ, OF FAJAKDO.\\nIt is very necessary to recognize the importance of the employment\\nof doctors for coroners who can give their whole time to their official\\nduties without having to spend any of it on other matters. In Porto\\nRico coroners are appointed only in San Juan, Ponce, and Mayaguez.\\nIn other points of the island doctors in private practice have to per-\\nform the important duties of coroner. Those named by the munici-\\npalities have no time to attend to such work as chemical analysis,\\nexpert testimony, etc., and it is anomalous for them to pretend that\\nthey are able to attend to other duties; but these doctors are fre-\\nquently obliged to attend on the audiencias to give expert testimony,\\ncalling for journeys of 5 leagues to 15 leagues over bad roads, crossing\\nswollen rivers, etc., so as not to fail of compliance with the official\\ncall under pain of being fined. The expenses of these journeys are\\nnot paid, nor are they indemnified in any way, and many times judg-\\nment is deferred for want of several witnesses, or for other causes,\\nand the doctor has to return to his town to await a new citation. The\\nfees set aside to compensate witnesses and doctors are $4 for the first\\nand $16 for the second. These amounts are seldom paid, sometimes\\nbecause they have not been claimed in time and frequently because\\nthe witnesses do not put in a claim, owing to the delay occasioned.\\nIn this latter instance there are always speculators who will buy up\\nthese claims for one-half of their value.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0325.jp2"}, "326": {"fulltext": "316\\nI myself have traveled from this city to the capital three times to give\\nexpert testimony, and I have not been able to collect a cent. The\\ndoctor has to hand in information and make the autopsy of deaths\\noccurring in quarrels, by wounds, suicides, sudden deaths by light-\\nning, poisoning, etc. This is very tedious work. In these cases the\\nState pays $17.50 for each post mortem, which sum it sometimes takes\\nthree or more years to collect. The last autopsies conducted in the\\nisland, for which about $20,000 are owing, will never be paid, because\\nthe Spanish Government surrendered sovereignty, and all attempts to\\ncollect these amounts before they left the island were fruitless.\\nIn cases of wounds and other matters calling for judicial attention the\\nlaw requires two titular doctors to participate in the inquiry, and in the\\ntowns where there is only one he must call the nearest doctor. The\\nfees received were only the actual out-of-pocket expenses of the jour-\\nney at the rate of $4 a league; that is to say, $2 for the journey and\\n$2 for the return, and it was frequently necessary to wait six or more\\nmonths if the municipality did not have the funds with which to make\\npayments. This is the naked truth about what takes place with\\nregard to titular doctors.\\nTRIAL OF SANTIAGO IGLESIA AND RAMON RIVERA ROSA.\\nThe commissioner deems it advisable to present the court records\\nof the trial of these two men, who are artisans and were engaged in\\nhelping on a strike when they were placed under arrest. The case\\nis important as showing the Spanish method of trial and the Spanish\\npolicy toward labor, though it occurred under military rule.\\nNote. This trial, in common with others coming within the prov-\\nince of the Penal Code, passed through two stages: The first (instruc-\\ncion), preliminary investigating proceedings before the judge of instruc-\\ntion in San Juan, and the second (juicio oral), oral trial before the\\nhigher criminal court of the same city (audiencia), with a bench of\\nthree judges. As an insult to a Government official was, and still is,\\nan offense under the Spanish law, which has not been repealed, it\\nwas only necessary to prove the authorship of the articles and that\\nthe judges should consider them insulting in order that the prose-\\ncuting attorney should win his case. Therefore the oral suit was not\\na court trial in our sense of the word. No witnesses were examined,\\nand the attorneys presented their cases to the court in writing. As\\nno shorthand notes are taken of court proceedings in Porto Rico, the\\nexpedientes filed as records of the trial contain only the official\\nsteps taken, attorneys pleadings (reduced to five arguments and five\\nrebuttals), and the verdict; that is to say, once the fact of the author-\\nship and publication being brought home to the accused, the question\\nwas merely whether the bench thought that the law in question was\\napplicable to the offense and whether the deed constituted such\\noffense.\\nThe expediente of the preliminary proceedings is a collection of\\npapers numbering 48 pages, most of which are printed official forms\\nfilled in.\\nTitle page: Names of both the accused, accusation, date, district,\\njudge, etc.\\nThen follows the first page of El Porvenir Social, the paper of which\\nRosa was editor, and the matter of which constituted the offense. A\\nbrief summary of the matter is given herewith.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0326.jp2"}, "327": {"fulltext": "317\\nTHE PERSECUTION OF SANTIAGO IGLESIAS CONTINUES.\\nAs soon as I was informed, that Tony intimate companion, S. Iglesias, had been\\nsent for by the secretary of government, 1 went in haste to ascertain the cause of\\nthe call, and finding him in his house, qiiestioned him, and here give the result in\\nthe form of an interview. At 4 o clock Iglesias was in his house with several\\nworkmen friends, when a policeman arrived and informed him that Munoz Rivera\\nwished to see him. He went to the office of the secretary.\\nINTERVIEW.\\nMunoz Rivera. Tell me, is there a workman s club in Sol street, 62?\\nSantiago Iglesias. The workmen have rented a house there with the object of\\nforming an association.\\nM. R. I understand that your meetings are with the object of inciting the peo-\\nple to illegal acts.\\nS. I. That is untrue. They meet to defend labor and uphold the Government\\nwhich came to Porto Rico to end despotism and robbery. Therefore, at our meet-\\nings we only attack the rogues who, under the Spanish Government, exploited us\\nworkmen.\\nM. R. Where is this club; and under what authority have you formed it; and\\ndo you hold meetings?\\nS. I. It is at 62 Sol street, and we meet under the guaranty of the great Republic,\\nwhich allows liberty of association and protects the lawful, rich and poor alike.\\nM. R. You are a foreigner and have no right to mix in politics or the defense of\\nany class. Under the Spaniards you were imprisoned and, owing to me, obtained\\nyour liberty, and I thought\\nS.I. (To himself.) That is false. It was you who had me imprisoned, where you\\nheld me for seven months. You made General Marin believe that 1 was an anarch-\\nist and propagandist of assassination of the Spaniards, and you did the same with\\nGeneral Brooke.\\nM. R. that on being released you would have other ideas. I counsel you to\\nleave the country. I speak in the name of the military government, and if you\\ndon t you will have a bad time.\\nS. I. (Rising indignantly.) In order to defend the working classes I will swear\\nallegiance to the United States, and will continue my labor as before. I shall not\\nleave.\\nThen follow editorial comments occupying the whole page, in which\\nboth Iglesias and Rosa revile the Spanish Government, and accuse\\nMunoz, who was secretary at the time of the invasion, of continuing\\nthe old practices. Strong language is used, in which the words thief 7\\nand similar terms occur.\\nNote from secretary of justice to judge of first instance saying that\\nhe had received the foregoing from Muiloz Rivera and asking that\\naction be taken if it lie.\\nNote from judge citing the accused to appear.\\nDocument establishing the authenticity of the newspaper and\\nauthorship of articles.\\nWritten copy of articles and editorial comments.\\nNote from police informing of seizure of the edition and returning-\\norder authorizing same.\\nDocument committing accused to imprisonment pending investiga-\\ntion, and printed documents of notification, seizure, receipt for pris-\\noners, and usual prison formalities.\\nSubpoenas of witnesses (persons testifying that paper was edited by\\nRosa and published, etc.).\\nNote asking for penal antecedents of accused.\\nReply that Rosa had been prosecuted for disorderly conduct.\\nDocument from judge stating that accused have no penal history\\nbearing on the present case.\\nDocument requisitioning baptismal certificates of accused for identi-\\nfication purposes.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0327.jp2"}, "328": {"fulltext": "318\\nDocument from accused naming Manuel Rossy as their lawyer.\\nIndex of documents and indorsement transmitting this summary to\\nthe audiencia for trial.\\nThis ends the sumario before the judge of instruction.\\nAUDIENCIA.\\nTitle page: Name of accused, date, names of judges, accusation,\\ndistrict, etc.\\nLetter from judge of instruction passing the case to the audiencia.\\nOrder of the secretary of the court to bring the case to trial in con-\\nformity with the law of criminal procedure.\\nOrder to pass the summary to prosecuting attorney for the period of\\nfive days.\\nDocument setting day for trial.\\nDocument from prosecuting attorney stating his case as follows:\\n1. That the articles published constitute an offense.\\n2. That S. Iglesias and R. Rivera Rosa are responsible for the\\narticles.\\n3. That their publication constitutes an aggravation of the offense.\\n4. That each should be imprisoned for the term of four months and\\none day.\\n5. That the accused do not incur an}- civil responsibility, [i. e.,\\ndamages can not be claimed by complainant.]\\nPROOFS OFFERED.\\nConfession of accused.\\nDocumentary evidence: Copy of the paper produced; identification\\nof accused by documents produced.\\nDocument giving the lawyer for the defense five days in which to\\nprepare rebuttal of above.\\nDocument of Manuel Rossy, lawyer for the defense, in rebuttal.\\n1. Accepts the relation of facts as stated.\\n2. Denies that the articles constitute an offense.\\n3. Does not accept the pleading that his clients are responsible\\neither civilly or criminally.\\n4. Denies that publication constituted an aggravation.\\n5. Accused should be acquitted without costs.\\nSentence (16 written pages) in substance: It having been proved\\nthat the accused were the authors of the articles (written in full) and\\nthat they published them, and that in view of the prosecuting attor-\\nney s charge not having been refuted in court to the satisfaction of\\nthe bench, an offense against the secretary of government was com-\\nmitted according to article 265 of the code, and that the publication\\nconstituted an aggravation thereof, as tending to publicly discredit a\\ngovernment official, we condemn the accused to imprisonment for the\\nterm of four months and one day, suspension from the right of hold-\\ning public office and loss of civil rights during that period, and the\\npaj^ment of half the costs. Imprisonment already suffered to be\\ndeducted from the term of the sentence. (Signed) Jose C. Hernan-\\ndez, Rafael A. Meto y Abeille, Angel Acosta.\\nIndorsement of attorney stating that in view of the decree of\\namnesty of May 15, 1899, action is to be stopped in this matter.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0328.jp2"}, "329": {"fulltext": "319\\nTHE MORTGAGE, NOTARIAL, AND REGISTRATION SYSTEMS.\\nDUTIES AND POWERS OF NOTARIES.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nSan Juan, P. R., October 26, 1899.\\nDr. Cakroll. What are the duties and powers of a notary?\\nMr. Mauricio Guerra (notary and lawyer). The formation of public\\ndocuments between private parties, attending to legal interests, mak-\\ning all wills, and all extrajudicial business. The duties of a notary\\nare to comply fully with his duties; to give bond for the faithful per-\\nformance of those duties, so that should any discrepancies occur\\nthrough carelessness or ignorance he can be held responsible.\\nDr. Carroll. How is a notary qualified for his work and how\\nappointed?\\nMr. Guerra. By competitive examination, before competent per-\\nsons judges of the high court.\\nDr. Carroll. Do they give a diploma?\\nMr. Guerra. Notaries receive a diploma direct from the King of\\nSpain. The college of examiners, which consists of all doctors of\\nlaw, gives notice that an examination is to be held. All persons hav-\\ning university titles can apply for examination. One person is\\nexamined at a time before the board of examiners. They have 100\\nballots, and they divide the subjects up into 10 and examine the\\ncandidates on the 10 subjects. If they pass in one subject they receive\\n10. At the end of the examination the candidate who has the greatest\\nnumber of votes comes out ahead. A report of the examination is\\nsent to Madrid, and the King issues a royal order conferring the title\\nof notary on the person who has gained it. In order to be notary a\\nperson must first possess the title of abogado (lawyer). The abogado\\nis a defending lawyer.\\nThere are no distinct titles for civil and criminal lawyers. The\\nduties of the notary lawyers include the searching of titles, drawing\\nup of deeds, etc. Thej 7 draw up, in fact, all kinds of documents;\\nevery kind of protest where it must be made formally and in writing,\\nsuch as a protest on a bill of exchange. The number of notaries\\nadmitted to practice in each of the principal towns of the island is two.\\nThese were granted their title after undergoing a competitive exam-\\nination, but were only admitted to practice on payment of a large fee\\nto the Spanish Government, which fee gave them the right to practice\\nfor life, and excluded other notaries from practicing until a vacancy\\noccurred in the ranks. My right to practice cost me 117,000, and\\nshould the monopoly be abolished by the American Government this\\namount will be a total loss to me. The sum paid for this right consti-\\ntutes an investment just as in the States when a man buys a seat in\\nthe stock exchange, which is transferable property. The notary here\\nwas allowed to offer a substitute for acceptance by the Government,\\nand was paid by this substitute usually the sum which he had himself\\nexpended or a greater one, according to the value of his practice.\\nDr. Carroll. Does the function of a notary include the taking of\\naffidavits?\\nMr. Guerra. If you wish to take an original affidavit you can do so\\nbefore the notary but for affidavits connected with legal work you\\nhave to take it before the audieneia.\\nDr. Carroll. Are there fees established by law for the various\\nkinds of work for the notary?", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0329.jp2"}, "330": {"fulltext": "320\\nMr. Guerra. Yes. On deeds drawn which can be valued it is so\\nmuch per cent of the value of the deed. It is 80 cents for every $1,000\\nup to $10,000. In deeds that can not be valued it is $3 per sheet of\\ndocument. It is the same in the case of contracts. If the notary must\\nleave his house and go outside the limits of the capital, he receives 14\\na sheet additional.\\nDr. Carroll. Are deeds recorded in full in the registers?\\nMr. Gi-UERRA. The original of the deed remains in the power and\\npossession of the notary. It is the copy which is registered.\\nDr. Carroll. Is it simply filed or is it written out in the book.\\nMr. Guerra. Only the extract is copied into the book, including\\nthe name of the persons authorizing the document, the amount in\\nquestion, the name of the notary who drew up the document, and\\nother essential points. In case the copy is lost a further copy can be\\ngiven at any time from the original in the notary s possession. This\\nonly applies in the case of immovable property, such as real estate.\\nThe copies are made on stamped paper and are called testimonies.\\nDr. Carroll. From what causes do titles to real estate become\\nclouded?\\nMr. Guerra. When once the title is registered, it can become\\ndefective by using fraud.\\nDr. Carroll. What about the use of stamped paper for documents?\\nMr. Guerra. They have to be made on stamped paper. Since\\nstamped paper and royal taxes were established here transactions\\ninvolving notarial work have diminished greatly, as people do not\\nwant to incur heavy expenses. These royal taxes are dues paid to\\nthe Crown on transfers of property by one party to another.\\nNOTARIAL REFORMS.\\nSTATEMENT OF VENTURA EIVAS.\\nSo as to better the public service of notarial matters, it is necessary\\nto establish at least two notarial offices in the head towns of districts,\\nsuch as Utuado, Arecibo, Humacao, and others of the island of impor-\\ntance, as at present exist in Ponce, Mayaguez, and the capital. The\\nnumber of inhabitants of each of these districts makes this necessary,\\nand the public would be saved two sources of injury one, the delay\\nin the drawing of deeds, especially when the only practicing notary is\\nabsent and the supplementary notary, who usually lives at a distance\\nand has to leave his own office and the affairs of his clients in sus-\\npense, must be waited for; and, secondly, to correct the monopoly\\ncaused by having one notary only, who is thus wont to charge higher\\nfees than permitted by the tariff, high enough already in some of its\\nitems. The change would assure to the public dispatch in the serv-\\nice and moderation in the fees.\\nIt is necessary, therefore, for the welfare of the public, and espe-\\ncially the owners of property, the persons who mostly pay notaries\\nfees, that notarial freedom be extended and that new posts be filled\\nby persons showing the proper diplomas and having more than ten\\nyears practice as protocolists, giving preference to those who have\\npracticed with notarial lawyers, as to-day in the island more than half\\nof the notaries have no other title than of the old-time escriba nos,\\nwith the experience they have since gained, and being confirmed in\\ntheir positions when the notarial college of Porto Rico was created.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0330.jp2"}, "331": {"fulltext": "321\\nThese reforms would facilitate the entering into contracts, somewhat\\nrestricted formerly also by the high price of stamped paper and royal\\ndues and notarial and registrars dues, now abolished.\\nIt should also be noted that Utuado, having been transferred to the\\njudicial district of Lares, Adjuntas, and Ciales, a new notarial district\\nincluding these places has sprung into existence according to law, and\\ntherefore this city should be provided with a registry of property.\\nThis concession was granted by the insular cabinet during the last\\ndays of Spanish domination, it being incongruous that notarial deeds\\ndrawn in Utuado, Adjuntas, Ciales, and Lares should continue being\\nregistered in the registries of Arecibo, Ponce, and Aguadilla, which\\nare situated in different judicial districts. With regard to Arecibo,\\nit is hereby stated that in virtue of steps taken by the notary of that\\nplace before the Spanish Government the notariats of Camuy and\\nHatillo have been included in his office, while a separate office should\\nexist in each place.\\nIt is confideutly expected that the Government in Washington will\\nbe pleased to favor the general interests of the country by instituting\\nthe reforms named, as, although the notaries now established may suf-\\nfer somewhat pecuniarily, the general welfare is above the good of\\na few.\\nUtuado, P. R., January 16, 1899.\\nREGISTRATION OF PROPERTY.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nSan German, P. R., January 26, 1899.\\nJoaquim Servera Silva, registrar and abogado:\\nDr. Carroll. Now, I would like to ask you a few questions with\\nregard to registration. I would like, if you please, an outline of the\\nsystem of registration.\\nMr. Silva. It is the way to acquire a legal right against a third\\nparty. If a man should sell property to one person and the day after-\\nwards sell it again to a second person, if the first sale should not be\\nregistered and the second sale should be, the second sale would hold\\ngood, but without prejudice against the first person to proceed against\\nthe seller civilly and criminally. The character of the register is two-\\nfold. It is public and special. It is public in the sense that it is\\nopen to everybody. Anybody who wants to find the condition of\\nanother man s property can examine the register. It is special in the\\nsense that a man who wishes to lend money to another man on prop-\\nerty which the borrower says he has no sort of mortgage or lien, by\\nmeans of the register he can find out whether mortgages have been\\nfiled on that property at any previous date. It is special in the sense\\nthat whereas old mortgages were granted generally on a man s whole\\nproperty without specifying what property it referred to, now mort-\\ngages have to cite specially what house or what field or what portion\\nof a man s property they affect. The act of registration in Porto\\nRico is a very important one, for when once the registrar has given\\ninscription to a document brought to him for registration it is not\\ncontestable except by a court of law.\\nDr. Carroll. Then does the registrar regard it as a part of his\\nduty to see that a mortgage which has been inscribed is the sole mort-\\ngage or is not interfered with by any other mortgage?\\n1125 21", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0331.jp2"}, "332": {"fulltext": "322\\nMr. Silva. He is responsible for the legality of the title that he\\ninscribes. He can take three steps refuse inscription, put it off until\\nfurther examination has warranted it, or inscribe it as it is. He is\\nheld responsible for it after inscription is made.\\nDr. Carroll. That is very different from the American system.\\nMortgages and deeds may be inscribed at the county clerk s office\\nwhich may prove afterwards to have no value in law. It is for the\\npurchaser there to ascertain, through an examiner, whether the prop-\\nerty he is purchasing he gets by a good and valid title. Does this\\nprovision as to the law of registration requiring you to satisfy yourself\\nthat the document offered is a valid document not often give rise to\\ngreat delay in transfers of title from one person to another?\\nMr. Silva. The hypothecary law requires the registrar to say within\\nfifteen days whether lie will or will not inscribe the property.\\nDr. Carroll. It has been stated to this commission that sometimes\\nwhen a document is offered for registration the registrar raises ques-\\ntions as to defects in the instrument and says that they must be cor-\\nrected, but that he will undertake to correct them on payment of a\\nfee, it being an abuse of the law.\\nMr. Silva. That grows out of the fact that the hypothecary law\\ngives the registrar the right to practice as a lawyer also, and he takes\\nadvantage of his position as a lawyer to settle such questions.\\nDr. Carroll. Is that not regarded as an abuse of the law of regis-\\ntration?\\nMr. Silva. That has its pros and cons. In a great many instances\\nregistrars have invented defects so as to be able to remedy them in\\ntheir own way.\\nDr. Carroll. I understand that in registering a document, as a\\ndeed or a will or a mortgage or a lien, you don t spread the document\\nin full upon the pages of your records, but only a part of it.\\nMr. Silva. They don t make a transcription, but an inscription.\\nThey only attend to certain points which the hypothecary law has\\nmade necessary.\\nDr. Carroll. In the United States they spread the whole docu-\\nment, whatever it rnay be, upon the records in full. Therefore in\\ncase a deed is lost a record of it will be at the county clerk s office.\\nMr. Silva. That is the notary s business. The notary who draws\\nup the deed, and is present at the signing of it, has to keep the origi-\\nnal. The document going to the party interested is therefore only a\\ncopy.\\nDr. Carroll. What fees are allowed to be charged by law for\\nregistry?\\nMr. Silva. There is a legal tariff for the mere inscription, not for\\nthe judging as to the validity of the inscription. The law also allows\\ncharges for searching the documents in the registrar s office.\\nDr. Carroll. Has most of the property in the district of San Ger-\\nman been registered?\\nMr. Silva. I have not been here a long time, but I think there is\\nmuch of it still unregistered.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the theory of the law regarding property\\nrights where the property is unregistered? Is it that the man in pos-\\nsession has a right to be in possession unless proof from records is\\ngiven to the contrary?\\nMr. Silva. When a person in possession of property which has not\\nbeen inscribed or to which he has no documentary title wishes to\\ninscribe it he applies to the judge for what is called a document of", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0332.jp2"}, "333": {"fulltext": "323\\npossession. The judge gets all the evidence on the question that he\\ncan, witnesses are examined, and on this testimony a document is\\nissued, and the person declared in the document to he the owner can\\nthen apply for inscription.\\nDr. Carroll. A person in possession of property can not be ousted,\\nI suppose, unless proof from records is given that he is not the real\\nowner?\\nMr. Silva. You can not remove anybody unless the person seeking\\nto oust the one in possession has a better title. The person in posses-\\nsion is presumed to be the owner.\\nDr. Carroll. How is public property held? This building, belong-\\ning to the municipality of San German is it inscribed in the register?\\nMr. Acosta. I think this particular house has been.\\nDr. Carroll. Is that true also of the cemeteries?\\nMr. Silva. No; they are not inscribed.\\nDr. Carroll. Are church titles usually inscribed also?\\nMr. Silva. No I know of no case where it is.\\nDr. Carroll. It is understood that the church building is the prop-\\nerty of the church, is it not, or the property of the municipality?\\nMr. Silva. It is understood that the churches belong to the parish\\nas a religious body.\\nDr. Carroll. The ground was contributed, I suppose, by the city;\\nthe furniture by private persons.\\nMr. Acosta. We have a hospital here which was built and given by\\nthe people. And the church has property; it has its own property.\\nDr. Carroll. Is it a matter of record that the hospital belongs to\\nthe municipality?\\nMr. Acosta. The archives will be found to contain evidence that\\nthe donations were given with that view by the people of the town.\\nMr. Quinones s family made large presents to San German.\\nA Gentleman present. Under the old administration, the clergy\\nhad the right of administering all charities, and they are trying to\\nestablish their right now to such administration, but not to the prop-\\nerty as property. No doubt the hospital belongs to the poor people,\\nas it was given to them; but the church, which tries to invade all\\nrights, has tried to invade the right of administering the hospital.\\nFEES FOR REGISTRATION OF PROPERTY.\\nSummary by Senor Joaquin Servera, Silva, registrar of San German.\\nPesos.\\n1. For the examination, recording presentation, marginal notes, or footnotes\\nof any title of five estates or less, whose inscription, annotation, or mar-\\nginal note may be solicited, excepting cancellations, and considering as\\none title the document or documents which may call for a record of pre-\\nsentation 0.75\\n2. If more than five properties are referred to, the following scale will be\\nobserved:\\nFrom 6 to 10.. 1.00\\nFrom 11 to 20 1.50\\nFrom 21 to 30 2.00\\nFrom 31 to 50 2.50\\nWhen this number is exceeded, the first 50 shall be charged as per above\\nscale; for all above 50 estates worth 300 pesos or more, 5 cents each; those\\nworth less, 2 cents each.\\n3. When the title to be examined by the registrar exceeds 50 folios, each\\nfolio in excess .02\\n4. When the value of the property or rights referred to in the title do not\\namount to 300 pesos, no matter what number of folios, properties, or\\nrights referred to... 25", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0333.jp2"}, "334": {"fulltext": "324\\nCANCELLATIONS.\\nPesos\\n5. For all operations of any class presented for cancellation or redemption\\nof mortgages, censos, or royal dues, including the entry of presenta-\\ntion, and marginal notes for each estate:\\nIf the estate or equity be of less value than 300 pesos 2. 00\\nFrom 300 to 1,000 2.50\\nFrom 1,000 up 3.75\\nIf the cancellation be refused or suspended, the previous numbers of the\\ntariff shall be charged.\\nSPECIAL NOTES, INSCRIPTION, AND ANNOTATION.\\n6. When the presentation does not call for inscription or annotation, but for\\nmarginal notes in the old or new registry, for each one .50\\nFor each note comprehended in article 24 of the respective laws, the same\\nsum.\\nMANIFESTATIONS OF ENTRY, CERTIFICATIONS, AND SEARCHING TITLES.\\n8. For manifestation of registry, for each property of whatever value .50\\n9. For the first page of literal certification (inscription), without reference\\nto the value of the property or equities referred to _ 1 00\\n10. For successive pages, one-half of the last fee.\\n11. For each entry of which a certified copy is granted:\\nEstates of less than 300 pesos value _.. .75\\nEstates value of 300 pesos or more 1.00\\nFor the relation in one certificate, although more than one property be\\nreferred to, only one charge shall be made.\\n12. When certificates contain statements or references that no entry of a\\ndetermined class of estates or royal dues exist:\\nEach estate or right of less than 300 pesos .35\\nEach estate 300 pesos or more ._ .50\\n14. For search in the old or new registry for personages, without reference\\nto estates or rights for each person or year .10\\nGENERAL RULES.\\n(1) In order to determine the fees, the value of estates is considered to be the\\namount they are transferred lor plus the amount of the mortgage when this latter\\nsubsists.\\n(2) The value of censos, pensions, or other liens of perpetual, temporary, or\\nredeemable nature shall not be added to the price of transfer.\\n(3) When this is effected under lucrative title it is understood that the value\\nof the estate be diminished by the amount of the liens of any nature which may\\nbear on it.\\n(4) With respect to the right of usufruct, use, and habitation, the value is con-\\nsidered as one-fourth of the estate, and with respect to new proprietorship, three-\\nfourths of same.\\n5 The collection of fees for contracts of renting shall be based on the amount\\nto be paid for the whole period of the contract. If no period is mentioned, twelve\\nyearly payments shall be taken as a basis.\\n(6) For the guidance of fees for inscription or annotation or marginal notes of\\nservice (slave), 5 per cent of the price denominated.\\n(7) So that the registrar may graduate his fees to conform to this tariff he must\\ncharge according to these headings, but may take advantage of the rights con-\\nceded him under article 461 of the Hypothecary Law and Rules of Cuba, and 440\\nof Porto Rico, not collecting when the title s liens are mentioned, which are exempt\\nfrom fees. When the title does not mention the value of an estate, the registrar\\nshall require the party presenting it to name the value on a slip of unstamped\\npaper, which shall be filed in the office. Should he refuse to do so, the registrar\\nmay collect under the maximum scale, or any he chooses.\\n(8) When for the purpose of fixing the value of any estate or equity or royal\\ndue to be transferred it may be necessary to compute any lien affecting it or any\\nother property whose special responsibility therefor be not determined, a note on", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0334.jp2"}, "335": {"fulltext": "325\\nunstamped paper must be presented, detailing all the properties subject to the\\nlien and the value of each one of them, so that the registrar may compute what\\namount of the lien corresponds to each, so that the one wishing inscription may\\nbear his pro rata share.\\n(9) Registrars should receive no fees whatsoever, unless the person paying be\\ngiven a receipt in detail, corresponding to the stub to be kept in the office, which\\nmust be signed by said party. If unable to write, a witness may sign for him at\\nhis request.\\nLAW OF FORECLOSURE OF MORTGAGES.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nUtuado, P. R., January 17, 1899.\\nMr. Felix Santoni:\\nDr. Carroll. I shall be glad to have from you a full explanation\\nof the law respecting the foreclosure of mortgages, how it is clone,\\nhow long it takes, and the whole method of procedure.\\nMr. Santoni. There are two ways of foreclosing a mortgage, namely,\\nthe proceeding which is called the executive proceeding and another\\nspecial proceeding which is governed by the hypothecary law. Nearly\\neveryone who brings an action prefers to proceed under the latter.\\nThe proceedings consist of presenting the application to the judge\\naccording to forms prescribed by the law, accompanied by a copy of\\nthe mortgage as it exists in the civil registry. The judge thereupon\\nissues an order to the debtor directing that he must pay the amount\\nof the mortgage debt within thirty days, or in default that his prop-\\nerty will be subjected to sale by public auction.\\nIf the debtor does not pay the estate is put up at public auction,\\npursuant to the direction of the judge, and the sale takes place with\\na view to realizing from it the amount of the debt. If at the first\\nauction sale an offer is made for two-thirds of the set price that is\\nadvertised in the Official Gazette, the estate is adjudged to the person\\nmaking the bid.\\nDr. Carroll. Then the amount of the debt is not the minimum\\namount of the sale?\\nMr. Santoni. The knockdown price is determined by a represen-\\ntative of the debtor and a representative of the creditor; but if in the\\nfirst auction sale there are no bidders, another sale is had, and the\\nprice is lowered until they get some one to bid. They take off 25 per\\ncent of the amount agreed upon by these representatives of the debtor\\nand the creditor after each order for a resale. That is, if when the\\nproperty is put up at auction there is no bid to the amount of two-\\nthirds of the agreed figure, they take off 25 per cent from the amount,\\nand put it up again at that price. Upon the payment of the mortgage,\\nthe debtor has to see that the debt is canceled in the civil registry.\\nIf he fails to do this an action still lies against him, and he is liable\\nto have the estate put up at auction, although he could bring, in such\\na case, a criminal action against the creditor.\\nDr. Carroll. When the estate is sold for less than the debt, and\\nthe amount is turned over to the creditor, is that considered a satis-\\nfaction of the debt, so that the creditor can not proceed against other\\nproperty?\\nMr. Santoni. The debtor still has the right of action for the balance,\\nunder the law of mortgage.\\nDr. Carroll. Have creditors been in the habit here of worrying\\ndebtors by the power they possess?", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0335.jp2"}, "336": {"fulltext": "326\\nMr. Santoni. Yes. There are now a great many processes on foot.\\nDr. Carroll. Merchants and bankers claim that they have lost a\\ngreat deal by lending monej^ to agriculturists.\\nMr. Santoni. Commerce here has always had its own way, and if\\nthey have lost anything they are to blame. The agriculturist sends\\nhis crops to the merchant, who will not fix the price at ouce if he thinks\\nprices are going to fall. Otherwise he fixes the price at once.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there an office here for the registration of titles?\\nMr. Santoni. The island is divided into different districts for regis-\\ntration purposes. This town registers in Arecibo. There are other\\ntowns in this judicial district which have their place for registration.\\nAdjuntas, for instance, registers in Ponce.\\nDr. Carroll. Is it convenient to have those offices distributed in\\nthat way? Would it not be convenient to have one here?\\nMr. Santoni. If it were possible to realize what we were talking of\\nlast night, municipal autonomy, it would be possible to have one in\\nevery municipality.\\nDr. Carroll. Is it costly to register property?\\nMr. Santoni. The present rate is sufficiently high. The registrars\\nreceive no salary, but collect fees for registration.\\nDr. Carroll. Would it not be better to allow a salary instead of\\nfees, to prevent the abuse of the law?\\nMr. Santoni. It would be much better.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you have much litigation over titles?\\nMr. Santoni. No; very little. The civil courts here are mostly\\ntaken up with commercial questions.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the proceeding in will cases here, where a\\nman leaves a will for the distribution of his property?\\nMr. Santoni. If there is a simple will in which a father constitutes\\nhis wife or sons owner of the property, all that is necessary to do is to\\nregister that will in the civil register, and that constitutes them own-\\ners of the property. If there is any difficulty over a will, the question\\nusually becomes a source of long litigation.\\nDr. Carroll. How is a will proved to be the last will and testament\\nof the deceased?\\nMr. Santoni. The registrar requires that the documents proving the\\nbirth and death of the person shall accompany the will.\\nDr. Carroll. Are there witnesses to the signature to the will?\\nMr. Santoni. I have been speaking on the supposition that the will\\nis made by a notary. The will is proved by the notarial stamp.\\nFORECLOSING ON RURAL ESTATES.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nUtuado, P. P., January 17, 1899.\\nMr. Francisco Pla y Tort. I am a coffee planter and a Spaniard.\\nMy estate is at Santa Isabel.\\nDr. Carroll. How large a plantation is it?\\nMr. Pla. Four hundred acres, with a production of 300 quintals of\\ncoffee. I owe between sixteen and eighteen thousand dollars. My\\nestate is worth from thirty to fifty thousand dollars. I pay 12 per\\ncent per annum interest. A portion of this debt falls due this year\\nand the rest next year.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0336.jp2"}, "337": {"fulltext": "327\\nDr. Carroll. Is it all in one mortgage?\\nMr. Pla. I owe two different people. One part of the money is dne\\nalready One of my creditors has already begun proceedings against\\nme and has put an attachment on the property, including some which\\nis not my own.\\nDr. Carroll. For what reason?\\nMr. Pla. Because he fears that, owing to the critical times through\\nwhich we are passing, I will not be able to pay the money I owe.\\nDr. Carroll. Does he propose to sell your crop at once?\\nMr. Pla. His idea is to put it up at auction.\\nDr. Carroll. At once?\\nMr. Pla. He will have to go through certain legal forms first. The\\nattachment is the first step.\\nDr. Carroll. Do your creditors propose to liquidate and get out of\\nthe country?\\nMr. Pla. I am not in a position to tell you that with certainty.\\nThe Alcalde. That is the general opinion here.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you kept the interest paid?\\nMr. Pla. I have paid my interest regularly every year. I have\\nalmost killed myself trying to meet my debts.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you pay once a year?\\nMr. Pla. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you appealed to the creditor to give you accom-\\nmodation until you shall have an opportunity to get the money else-\\nwhere or to pay it off?\\nMr. Pla. Yes; but he will not listen to me.\\n(Mr. Pla produced a letter from another creditor telling him that if\\nhe did not pay at once he would foreclose one of the mortgages, as\\ntheir own debts (those of the creditor firm) have to be attended to,\\nand they could sell his estate to one of their neighbors.)\\nDr. Carroll. How can they proceed, when the mortgage is not\\nyet due?\\nMr. Pla. One of the payments has fallen due, but not the whole of\\nit. I have written to them telling them that I am trying to get\\ntogether 20 or 25 quintals of coffee to pay off a part of the debt.\\nDr. Carroll. How much time do you need in order to be able to\\nsave yourself from foreclosure?\\nMr. Pla. To pay off my debts I want at least six years.\\nThe Alcalde. A year ought to enable you to look around to find a\\nbanker to take up these obligations.\\nDr. Carroll. If an order were issued postponing the bringing of\\nthese actions, it would be an extraordinary remedy, and the question\\nis for what time it would be necessary to postpone these mortgage\\nproceedings.\\nThe Alcalde. What we have to do is this We will have to get our\\nestates valued by experts, and then send to the United States to inter-\\nest the capitalists in our property. We have more than sufficient\\nproperty to guarantee the money covered by these debts. I think it\\nwould be necessary to postpone proceedings a year.\\nDr. Carroll. It is a serious question whether the cessation of\\nforeclosure proceedings for the term of one year should be ordered.\\nA Gentleman present. Then grant it for six months. The Spanish\\nGovernment itself had granted a year just before the war, recognizing\\nthe gravity of the situation.\\nDr. Carroll. In these same cases or in others?\\nA Gentleman present. As soon as war was declared the Spanish", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0337.jp2"}, "338": {"fulltext": "328\\nGovernment gave that period, but when the Americans came in the\\norder was recalled.\\nDr. Carroll. Was that order recalled at the time of the American\\noccupation or just before?\\nA Gentleman present. The Spanish Government before with-\\ndrawing its forces annulled the decree and let the creditors loose,\\nbecause they are their own people.\\nThe Alcalde. I will give you my own case. I am a merchant and\\nan agriculturist and owe $16,000. My- debtors owe me more than\\n$25,000. The same crisis which attacks everybody has prevented\\nthese debtors from paying me. I have not cared to take advantage\\nof my right to foreclose on the mortgages I hold, as I might do under\\nthe law, because I know the people are not in a position to pay. I\\nhave a property of 300 acres which at a very low valuation is worth\\n$30,000. To-day I am in a serious position for want of $5,000 which\\nhas fallen due, a part of the debt. Therefore, I, who have property\\nworth more than $60,000, may find myself in a ruined position for\\nwant of $5,000. If I had brought my debtors to the courts I could\\nhave collected from them by a forced sale of their properties, but I\\nshould have ruined them in so doing, and I would not do that.\\nDr. Carroll. What rate of interest do you pay?\\nThe Alcalde. Twelve per cent per annum. I pay the bank 9 per\\ncent. The 12 per cent I am paying to merchants here.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the crisis of which you speak that has caused\\nthis difficulty?\\nThe Alcalde. The war has brought about the crisis. The larger\\nmerchants have closed our credits completely. The wholesale mer-\\nchants are desiring to liquidate with a view of leaving the countiy.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you had just as good crops as usual?\\nThe Alcalde. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. And they bring the same price?\\nThe Alcalde. ISTo; prices are only half as high.\\nDr. Carroll. Is this same state of affairs true among the sugar\\nplanters?\\nThe Alcalde. The same thing.\\nDr. Carroll. They said nothing about it at Arecibo. I ask the\\nquestion because I want to know how general this condition may be.\\nThe Alcalde. Arecibo is the town that is pressing Utuado. It is\\nthe center of capital for this region. The house of Rosas, which owes\\neverything it has to the district of Utuado, has sent around notices\\nstating that it is liquidating, and demanding payment of all outstand-\\ning debts.\\nMr. Bartholome Mayol. They are actually putting under the ham-\\nmer an estate worth $107,000 for a debt amounting to $27,000. I have\\n600 acres of land. This estate owes $27,000 onby on mortgage. Besides\\nthis, they are selling other property of mine my mercantile house on\\nwhich they hold a second mortgage, and which will probably be sold\\nfor a very small part of its value. These proceedings have already\\nhad the effect of stopping my credit with other mercantile houses\\nwith which I have been doing business. I am in the same position as\\nthe alcalde. I am owed more than $60,000. All my debtors wish to\\npay me in land, but my creditors won t accept payment in that form,\\nso that it would be no object for me to force my debtors. I think that\\nwith the year of extension of time for which we ask I should be able\\nto find some financial institution that would help me out, because I\\nhave a large margin of guaranty to give for any loan they might make.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0338.jp2"}, "339": {"fulltext": "329\\nDr. Carroll. Is this condition general among the plantations of\\nthis district?\\nMr. Mayol. The condition is quite general. Four or five years ago\\nthis district was very far behindhand, hut great impulse has been\\ngiven in the years since then, and property has been made on bor-\\nrowed money. I know of an estate here worth 190,000 that is being-\\nsold for a debt of sixteen or eighteen thousand dollars.\\nMr. Sostenio Catalon. I have an estate which is worth $60,000,\\nand for which I was offered that amount a few years ago in cash. It\\nconsists of 180 acres all planted in coffee, and produces from 500 to\\n600 quintals. There are improvements on it in the shape of build-\\nings, etc., of the value of $16,000. They have put an attachment on\\nmy property for $1,000 which I owe.\\nDr. Carroll. Is that all you owe?\\nMr. Catalon. I owe about $8,000, but I should have got enough\\nfrom my estate this year to pay all my debts, covering everything.\\nIf things continue normally as they are now, I could collect every-\\nthing in a short time.\\nDr. Carroll. Would your creditor not accept coffee in payment?\\nMr. Catalon. He would not accept anything. He has commenced\\nattachment proceedings, and it is the kind which is called without\\ncontemplation that is, they won t contem plate any other course. The\\ncreditor is Juan Piza, at San Juan.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you anything further to say?\\nMr. Catalon. I wish to have the judicial proceedings held over a\\nwhile so as to give me a little time in which to turn around.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you been threatened before within a year with\\nthese proceedings?\\nMr. Catalon. I have never before had to be asked for the payment\\nof my debts. I have paid everything with the greatest faithfulness,\\nand this has come to me with great suddenness. During the eighteen\\nor twenty years I have been in this district I have never had niy name\\nin the judge s office for any sort of delay in payment, or, in fact, for\\nany cause whatever.\\nThe Alcalde. A representative of the house of Eduardo Rosa has\\ncome down here to-day from Arecibo and said to three of his debtors\\nI understand you are working for the suspension of judicial pro-\\nceedings. I have a proposition to make. I will give you an extension\\nof time if yoa will agree to pay me all in legal coin, in the money cur-\\nrent at the time of payment, dollar for dollar. If you do not, I will\\ninstitute proceedings against you, and as your obligations to me fall\\ndue before any steps can be taken by the American Government, you\\nsee I am master of the situation. He also said, My conscience\\ndoes not prick me at all in proffering this arrangement for the pay-\\nment in money current at the time the extended obligation would\\naccrue, because I have been to the priest and consulted him, and he\\nhas told me that I would be acting entirely within my rights in mak-\\ning the proposition.\\nMr. Felix Siejo (vice-mayor and coffee planter). I wish that you\\nwould appeal to President McKinley to allow the cessation of judicial\\nproceedings on mortgages for, say, one year, in order to enable the\\ncountry to get out of the crisis into which recent events have thrown\\nit. It frequently happens, for instance, that an agriculturist with an", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0339.jp2"}, "340": {"fulltext": "330\\nestate worth $16,000 owes, say, $2,000, and for want of ability to find\\nthat amount of money he is in danger of losing his estate. We have\\nno doubt that foreign capital will soon come in and advance us money\\nwhich will enable us to get a fresh start. The money would be safely\\ninvested, for, aside from the security which the lender would have in\\nthe estates here, no Porto Riean desires to keep anything which does\\nnot belong to him. The only thing that the country asks for just now\\nis that it be granted a small measure of protection, and with some\\nconsideration, too, shown toward it. We ask nothing else. This is\\na rich country and has immense wealth, and if given an opportunity\\nwe will be sure to win prosperity.\\nMr. Antonio Quinones, of Rio Bajo, municipal district of TJtuado.\\nI am a coffee planter and have an estate which is worth from forty to\\nforty-five thousand dollars. I owe about $5,000. My creditors are\\ntrying to get my estate from me. This has obliged me to present a\\npetition to the judge askiug for time. In my district there are a great\\nmany who are in the same position as myself. Therefore I beg, if it\\nis possible, that we may be assisted by a grant of time, as we all wish\\nto pay our debts, but do not wish to have our estates wrested from us\\nby our creditors.\\nDr. Carroll. What time do you think would be necessary? Would\\na year be sufficient?\\nMr. Quinones. We want more if we can get it, because this year\\nhas been a particularly bad one, and we have not been able to attend\\nto our estates for want of credit. We have to pay cash for everything\\nwe get now, and we don t expect to realize very much from the crops.\\nDr. Carroll. How much interest do you have to pay for the money\\nyou have borrowed?\\nMr. Quinones. Eighteen per cent. That has caused the ruin of the\\ncountry. Provisions are high, coffee is low, we have no credit, and\\nthe agriculturists are therefore in a hole.\\nDr. Carroll. This gentleman who has just testified says he has\\napplied to the court for leave to suspend foreclosure proceedings, and\\nI wish to inquire if there is a law that gives a judge the power to\\nsuspend?\\nMr. Felix Santoni. Yes; but the judge only enters into the mat-\\nter in this sense This man has called a meeting of his creditors, and\\nif three-fourths of the creditors, representing four-fifths of his debt,\\nconsent to give him an extension, the others are obliged by the law to\\nenter into the arrangement also, and then it is drawn up before the\\nnotary and becomes a debt of extension.\\nDr. Carroll. But that affords but a small margin of escape?\\nMr. Santoni. If he can not dispose of the big amount of the debt,\\nthere is no use calling together the creditors.\\nDr. Carroll. I want to ask also if there is any right to redeem\\nproperty which has been sold under mortgage provided the debtor is\\nready to pay the money in cash?\\nMr. Santoni. No; when once the public auction has been held and\\nthe creditor has obtained the property, his title is a clear one and he\\ncan sell it to anyone he wants. If the holders of mortgages should\\ntake part in the proceedings before the judge in a meeting of the\\ncreditors of the kind which you have referred to, they become parties\\nof the proceedings, but they do not have to attend the meeting in the\\nfirst instance. There is no law to compel them to do so.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there any means of prolonging the action?", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0340.jp2"}, "341": {"fulltext": "331\\nMr. Santoni. The debtor has no hearing at all in the proceedings.\\nAs yon may recall, I told yon there were two ways of collecting, one\\nby judicial proceeding and the other under the hypothecary law. If\\nthey proceed by the judicial or executive method, there are several\\ndelays which can be taken advantage of, but not of the other method\\nof procedure.\\nDr. Carroll. Who has the option? I presume the creditor.\\nMr. Santoni. Yes the creditor has the option.\\nMr. Casalduc. Commerce here is altogether in the hands of the\\nSpaniards, and they are attacking agricultural interests, as they are\\nclosing up their accounts to retire their capital in the country. They\\nare attacking the agricultural interests, and from now on are charging\\nagriculturists 18 per cent on what they are carrying; that is, they\\nclose up their accounts, and in cases where there is a balance they\\nare charging 18 per cent on the balance. Most agriculturists have\\npaid their debt over and over again in interest, but as the interest\\ncontinues running they never get free. There are only two ways of\\nsaving the country. One is the immediate institution of banking cor-\\nporations and the other an order giving the right to suspend payments\\non mortgages for a time.\\nDr. Carroll. How much time do you regard as necessary?\\nMr. Casalduc. I don t owe any money. The agriculturists want\\nfour or five years to get clear.\\nDr. Carroll. I don t think you understand me. I refer to the\\nlength of the time for suspending foreclosure of mortgages.\\nMr. Casalduc. I think a couple of years would be required. The\\nreason I say two years is because I don t think a definite civil govern-\\nment for the island will be settled on before that time, nor that banks\\nwill be here before the civil government is established.\\nMr. Lucas Amadeo. The law of Porto Rico as to mortgages is bad,\\nowing to the want of knowledge on the part of the persons who framed\\nit. We have assimilated laws from other countries which, though\\ngood in those countries, were not adapted to conditions existing here.\\nThose laws could be implanted in crystallized countries, where prop-\\nerty has a fixed and known value, which it has not here. In Germany,\\nfor instance, or France, property has a fixed vakie, and always has a\\npurchaser for a price slightly less than its value. But such is not the\\ncase here. Such a condition assists the commercial life of a country,\\nbecause it quickens transactions and enlarges credit and increases the\\namount of capital, for a man knowing that he can realize immediately\\non his property will buy more. In Brazil they have stretched the\\nmatter so far that it is almost impossible to enforce the collection of a\\nmortgage, and that is what has given stability to the wealth of Brazil.\\nDr. Carroll. But I should think they would have to pay more\\ninterest on their money in such cases.\\nMr. Amadeo. That is not so, because when a country has money\\nthe rate is forced down by the competition bet/ween the money lenders.\\nDr. Carroll. Yes; but if a man can not collect his money it\\nincreases the risk in lending it.\\nMr. Amadeo. I have seen an estate situated about ten minutes\\nwalk from Ponce, worth a million dollars, change hands in a crisis for\\nlack of 20,000 pesos. This is a frequent occurrence.\\nMr. Seijo. I will cite an instance of how the present crisis is affect-\\ning values here. A few months ago we had an offer for an estate for\\n$50,000 cash. To-day the owner can not get $30,000 for it on terms.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0341.jp2"}, "342": {"fulltext": "332\\nMr. Amadeo. That is not a condition peculiar to this country. It\\nhas occurred in every country where there has been a want of ready\\nmoney. For that reason to-day in all new colonizing schemes the\\nbanker always accompanies the frontiersmen. Instead of the chap-\\nlain, which the old colonizing parties took with them, they take now\\nthe banker. They may not leave the chaplain behind, but they do\\nnot regard him as so important.\\nSELLING OUT PLANTERS.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nAguadilla, P. R. January 21, 1899.\\nMr. Adrian Del Valle. As regards agriculture, the creation of\\nagricultural banks is very necessary. Agriculturists have no money\\nto attend to the cultivation of their crops. They have to come to the\\nmerchants for that money, and then it is given at high rates of inter-\\nest. They have to bind themselves to sell at less than the market\\nvalue, even to obtain money on these unfavorable terms.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there much distress among the agriculturists?\\nMr. Del Valle. Quite a great deal. They have nowhere to go to\\nobtain money to continue sowing their crops, and in this district espe-\\ncially, where large sugar crops used to be raised, they have had to\\nabandon raising cane for want of funds.\\nDr. Carroll. Are any of the planters suffering from proceedings\\nin the foreclosure of mortgages?\\nMr. Del Valle. We, as merchants, besides other merchants in this\\npart of the island, have really had to abstain from advancing money\\nto agriculturists because we were losing money. We saw that the\\nthing could not continue. I mean that the credit system has been\\ndiscontinued.\\nDr. Carroll. So there is no credit now extended to the agriculturist?\\nMr. Del Valle. Little by little the people have been losing their\\nestates. They have not been able to pay their taxes this year. They\\nhave had a small portion of their property sold off. Next j r ear they\\nwill have another part sold and so their estates will disappear, as\\nsome have already, and the merchants, seeing the bad condition of.\\nthings, have had to stop their credits. Quite a common thing here is\\nthe system of bossism. The boss would get together with the mayor,\\nand they would arrange to sell a man out whose estate was worth $200\\nan acre for something like $8 an acre, and the boss, who was always a\\nSpaniard, would divide up with the mayor.\\nDr. Carroll. Are any foreclosure proceedings now on foot owing\\nto merchants going out of business?\\nMr. Del Valle. I have heard, especially in Arecibo, that some\\nhouses there wish to increase the misery of the situation and are mak-\\ning use of these proceedings. There are some Spaniards who, with the\\nknowledge of their former bad conduct, knowing that they have made\\ntheir capital by illegal methods, are frightened, and they are making\\nefforts to obtain their money and get out of the country.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0342.jp2"}, "343": {"fulltext": "333\\nINTEREST ON MORTGAGES.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nAguadilla, P. R., January 21, 1899.\\nDr. Casselduc, mayor of Aguadilla:\\nDr. Carroll. Is there much distress here among plantation owners\\nfrom foreclosure proceedings?\\nDr. Casselduc. Yes, a great deal, because they can not get money.\\nAnybody who would come here with money, I think, could double it\\nin four or six years. In the States you can get money at 3 per cent\\nannually, and here you can get as high sometimes as 20 and 25 per\\ncent.\\nDr. Carroll. I don t see how they can pay so high an interest here\\nand thrive. I believe the bank rate is about 9 per cent.\\nDr. Casselduc. Yes, with security, and they can not get all they\\nwant from the bank at that; but the low price of coffee is going to ruin\\nthe island. Instead of selling for 25 and 30 pesos a quintal, they get.\\nonly about 14 or 15 pesos. In Paris you have to pay as much for\\nPorto Rican coffee as for Mocha. Our second-class coffee used to go\\nto Cuba, but we have lost that market. Our better grades go to\\nEurope, principally to Italy. We have great wealth here in this island,\\nrepresented by bananas, pineapples, oranges. They grow wild.\\nSUSPENSION OF THE LAW OF FORECLOSURE.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nSan Juan, P. R., March 10, 1899.\\nMr. Guzman Benitez. We have seen in the Gazette an order pro-\\nhibiting the sale of real estate to prevent the defaulting of creditors.\\nThis is the consequence of another order issued, formerly suspending\\nthe right of judicial proceedings for the foreclosure of mortgages. I\\nwant to suggest, respectfully, that the first order was issued in an\\nunpremeditated way, but the second order, which is intended to remedy\\nit, is a worse evil. This order impedes contracts of every description.\\nThe right of property holders is blocked by the order and nobody\\ncares to buy. Merchants can not make any transactions, lawyers\\nhave no work, and the order puts an end to real-estate business in\\ngeneral.\\nDr. Carroll. What objection have you against the order for the\\nsuspension of the foreclosure of mortgages\\nMr. Benitez. I have a great objection, namely, that agriculture in\\nthe island has been killed by means of supplies and loans from mer-\\nchants. Merchants have given credit to agriculturists under the only\\nguaranty which they can obtain in the island, that of mortgage. Mer-\\nchants on their part have liabilities to attend to the payment of their\\nbills in the United States and Europe, bills which never exceed ninety\\ndays in point of time. If a merchant can not collect his debt before\\nthe year from the agriculturist, he must necessarily fail.\\nDr. Carroll. But this order does not apply to contracts or ordinary\\ntransactions of a commercial character, but to the lending of money\\non mortgage.\\nMr. Benitez. Yes; but every mercantile transaction to-day in", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0343.jp2"}, "344": {"fulltext": "334\\nwhich credit forms a part has necessarily to be guaranteed by\\nmortgage.\\nDr. Carroll. Advantage was being taken of the summary method\\nof foreclosure by merchants and bankers who were liquidating their\\nbusiness in Porto Rico in order to withdraw and enjoy the proceeds\\nin foreign lands, and a great many estates were threatened with being\\ntaken away from their owners at a very small part of their value.\\nOf course a forced sale now is a sacrifice, because there are few per-\\nsons here in a position to buy, and if you ruin the agricultural inter-\\nests you ruin the prosperity of the island.\\nMr. Benitez. Yes; I think the order was conceived in a spirit of\\njustice. It is founded on eminently political and just social bases,\\nbut I think the mistake has been to leave in the hands of the debtors\\nthe crop of last year and the crop of the coming year, whereas this\\ncrop should have been turned over to the creditors.\\nDr. Carroll. If they don t pay their interest you can foreclose the\\nmortgage.\\nMr. Benitez. The order only says you can embargo or put a lien\\non the property.\\nDr. Carroll. No. The law suspending proceedings only applies\\nwhere interest is kept paid up. After the original was issued there\\nwas a supplementary order also.\\nMr. Benitez. As everybody does not get the Gazette, some of us\\nhave been badly informed. But be that as it may, the new order is a\\nbad one.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the practical effect, as you understand it, of\\nthe new order?\\nMr. Benitez. You can get two or three persons to testify falsely\\nthat you owe them money, and if you have sold your estate the sale\\nis held to be worthless and the estate is returned to you.\\nDr. Carroll. How can that be done?\\nMr. Benitez. By documents signed by the debtor to two or three\\npersons.\\nDr. Carroll. What would be the purpose of it? Why should a\\nman want his property returned after he has sold it?\\nMr. Benitez. There are three cases. Suppose I buy an estate\\nfrom Mr. Solomon in good faith and pay him $20,000 for it. I then,\\nwishing to do him an injury, proceed in the following way: I plan\\nwith two or three persons to give them notes in my signature bearing\\ndates prior to the date of sale. After I have put the $20,000 in a good\\nsafe place, these men with whom I have made the arrangement go\\nbefore the judge and complain that I have deprived them of their\\nrights, under the order in question, by selling m} T estate while I was\\nunder obligations to them.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you mean to say that you have people in Porto\\nRico as villainous as that?\\nMr. Benitez. Unfortunately, bad faith has been the general rule\\nin the business of the island.\\nDr. Carroll. Then I don t see how you can reach it by law, be-\\ncause it is easy to violate in that way any law. All law, to be effect-\\nive, must be based upon the good faith of the people, and if the people\\nas a whole are without good faith, the law is useless.\\nMr. Benitez. As a general principle I am with you, but in this\\nspecial instance 1 am not. Our law of mortgage is so stringent that\\na person doing business with an agriculturist and registering the", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0344.jp2"}, "345": {"fulltext": "335\\noperation in the register, under the law of mortgage, is so protected\\nthat no human power can cheat him out of his due.\\nDr. Carroll. It seems to me the creditor is entirely protected.\\nHe is protected at the risk of the debtor.\\nMr. Benitez. But the debtor when he makes the contract knows\\nexactly the contract he is making.\\nDr. Carroll. That is true, and yet it gives the creditor undue ad-\\nvantage, so that the creditor may institute proceedings for foreclosure\\nat the worst time of the year, and within thirty days may sell out the\\ndebtor s estate and deprive him of all his equity in it.\\nMr. Benitez. I was referring only to the substance of the law of\\nmortgage and not to the procedure. The law of mortgage is the only\\nmeans by which good faith can be enforced.\\nDr. Carroll. It is important that those who lend money on mort-\\ngage should be protected, and it is also important to those who wish\\nto borrow, because otherwise men would not lend. While we provide\\nfor the security of mortgage holders in the United States, the interests\\nof the debtor are also looked after, so that it requires very often from\\nsix months to a year, or even more, to foreclose a mortgage and sell an\\nestate in order to realize the amount of the debt. That gives the\\ndebtor an opportunity, if he is an honest man, to obtain the money\\nelsewhere and if he is not an honest man, the law steps in, brings\\nabout a sale, and satisfies the debt.\\nMr. Benitez. But if they wanted to lend money for a short time,\\nwhat would be the effect of a contract there?\\nDr. Carroll. Usually they lend it on a promissory note with col-\\nlateral security.\\nMr. Benitez. Here, as a note has really no value, and a man who\\nhas property to-day can sell it to-morrow, it has been customary to\\nsecure all loans of any size with a mortgage contract.\\nDr. Carroll. Even for short terms, such as a month or two?\\nMr. Benitez. I, as registrar of Ponce, have registered contracts\\ncovering loans of a month and a half.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you such a thing as a chattel mortgage a\\nmortgage on household goods or upon crops or cattle?\\nMr. Benitez. No; movable goods are not subject to mortgage; but\\nthere is an abuse of a kind which I will explain. Many money lenders,\\nnot thinking themselves fully protected by mortgage, exact from the\\nborrower a deed of sale of all their effects, and in case the money is\\nnot paid at maturity by just registering that deed they become the\\nowners of the property.\\nDr. Carroll. We have the same thing, which is called a bill of\\nsale. Are planters who borrow money generally men of bad faith?\\nDo they require a stringent law in order to protect the creditor?\\nMr. Benitez. I would not like to say they are people of bad faith;\\nbut I think the human heart is easily moved by circumstances when\\nit is not thoroughly educated in moral principles. Owing to the cir-\\ncumstances which the country is passing through, the economic crisis,\\nthere are persons who, though honest of heart, find it necessary to\\nsave their interests. I am quite certain that all of these men who have\\napparently sold their estates, if there had been sufficient banking insti-\\ntutions here, jvould have obtained loans and paid their debts; but they\\nhave been acting under force.\\nDr. Carroll. Of course this law for the suspension of foreclosure\\nwas an extraordinary measure. and grew out of the fact that an extra-\\nordinary situation existed in the island. It is not a measure without", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0345.jp2"}, "346": {"fulltext": "336\\nprecedent, however, for I understand that a year ago, under the last\\nGovernor-General, a similar order was prepared and authorized to be\\npublished, and was only withheld because of the breaking out of the\\nwar, and such suspension has also a precedent in other countries. For\\ninstance, in the United States at the close of the civil war the law of\\nthe foreclosure of mortage was suspended for two years in the south-\\nern part of the Union, which had been devastated by the war.\\nMr. Benitez. I protest against the period of two months allowed\\nthe debtors for the payment of interest.\\nDr. Carroll. That is, two months for the payment of interest in\\narrears?\\nMr. Benitez. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. That was not the form of the order. There was a\\nmistake in the order as first published. It was made to extend to all\\ndebts of every character as well as mortgage debts. That was never\\nintended in the original, but got in somehow by mistake and was\\nafterwards corrected by the supplementary order.\\nMr. Benitez. As soon as the debtor receives notice that he must\\npay his interest within two months he can sell his crops. He can not\\nbe held to be a legal depository of them because no suit was pending.\\nHe has two months, however. The time mortgages usually take into\\naccount more the value of the crops than of the estate, and the terms\\nin relation to the payment of interest are made with reference to the\\ntime when the crop will be gathered. Merchants here do not wish to\\ncollect their debts by taking over the estates; they want the crops.\\nDr. Carroll. A good many of them wanted the estates. I had a\\ngreat many instances presented to me where that was the case, and\\nthen they used the lever which they had in this proceeding to force\\nthe debtor to make some other arrangements that is, to make a con-\\ntract to pay principal and interest in gold, although the money had\\nbeen loaned in pesos, and in other cases to advance the rate of interest\\nto 18 and 20 per cent.\\nEMBARGOES ON ESTATES.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nCabo Rojo, P. R., January 27, 1899.\\nDr. Carroll. What has caused the failure of industries in Cabo\\nRojo?\\nMr. Ortiz (vice-alcalde). The fall in price of sugar has caused the\\nabandonment of many estates; inability to load our salt without\\nheavy charges has caused almost the abandonment of that industry,\\nand owing to heavy taxation generally. The Spanish Government\\nput such heavy taxes on everything that we could not go on. And\\nthe merchants of Mayaguez are the owners of nearly all the property\\nhere. Estates that have been worth from forty to fifty thousand dol-\\nlars have been given to satisfy debts of $10,000. I could give you\\nsome specific cases if you wish Abram Rodriguez, Federico Ronda,\\nand Federico Davila.\\nDr. Carroll. What were the values of the estates respectively\\nand the amounts of the debts due on them?\\nMr. Ortiz. In one case, that of Bellas, the amount of the debt was\\n$38,000. The machinery alone on the property is worth that amount,\\nand the estate is worth at least $80,000. Mr. Santos held the mortgage.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0346.jp2"}, "347": {"fulltext": "337\\nDr. Carroll. Was it put up at public auction?\\nMr. Ortiz. No; he had a mortgage and afterwards lie gave a small\\nsum of money. The matter was adjusted by an agreement, but the\\nagreement was really forced on the debtor.\\nDr. Carroll. Can you give* particulars in the other cases?\\nMr. Ortiz. The other foreclosures were made in Mayaguez and not\\nhere, and I am not sure of the amounts.\\nA Gentleman present. In the case of Abram Rodriguez the\\namount of the debt was $16,000, which was increased to $25,000 by\\nadding unpaid interest. The estate is worth about $50,000. In the\\ncase of Federico Ronda the debt was $11,000, with accrued interest,\\namounting, in all, to $20,000. The value of the estate is about $40,000.\\nDr. Carroll. Who held the mortgages in these two cases?\\nMr. Ortiz. A man by the name of Schultze. The mortgage on the\\nestate of Federico Davila is also held by Schultze. I don t know what\\nthe amount of the debt was, but the estate consists of fine valley lands\\nwith fine machinery. The final steps of these foreclosure proceedings\\nhave not been taken yet.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you know of the order of General Henry suspend-\\ning proceedings?\\nMr. Ortiz. Yes. Mr. Ronda went yesterday to prevent the creditors\\nfrom cutting his cane. The justice has just now taken off the embargo\\nfrom the estate.\\nDr. Carroll. Has this order operated to prevent the collection of\\nordinary debts?\\nMr. Ortiz. They have understood it in that way. It is well that\\nsomething should be published on the subject. Some people do not\\nwant to pay their municipal taxes because they understood the law to\\napply to them also.\\nDr. Carroll. Is the order well received here?\\nMr. Ortiz. Very well. It has been like winning the first prize in\\nthe lottery for Mr. Ronda.\\nDr. Carroll. The order was not intended to include anything but\\nmortgages. It was not intended to include ordinary debts.\\nMr. Ortiz. Are they under the obligation of paying the interest\\nalso?\\nDr. Carroll. Yes.\\nMr. Ortiz. If they owe interest at the rate of one, one and one-half\\nor more per month, will that accumulate?\\nDr. Carroll. I suppose whatever rate of interest was contracted\\nfor in the past would be due, but hereafter no more than 12 per cent\\ncould be charged; but that is a matter for the judges to decide. Have\\nthe planters usuall} 7 paid their interest?\\nMr. Ortiz. As a rule, no. Their crops have not even given them\\nenough to pay interest. They have had to turn their crops over to\\nthe creditors, who have usually credited them at much less than their\\nmarket value.\\nDr. Carroll. In order to take advantage of this order the} must\\npay up interest. What are the highest rates of interest paid here by\\nplanters?\\nMr. Ortiz. Four per cent a month.\\nDr. Carroll. During a year?\\nMr. Ortiz. The general rule is 1^ per cent a month.\\nDr. Carroll. I understand that, but I want to get at the highest\\nrate of interest paid a year.\\nMr. Ortiz. Thej^ charge compound interest. The highest rate is 18\\nper cent.\\n1125 22", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0347.jp2"}, "348": {"fulltext": "338\\nEXTENSION OF TIME FOR PAYMENT OF MORTGAGES.\\nMEMORIAL OF EMILIO CABRERA.\\nI believe that the only way to save the properties of agriculturists,\\ncommercial, and industrial business men in this country is to make\\nmore expansive the order of Gen. Guy V. Henry.\\nI honestty believe that this order should be general for all debts in\\nthe island for the agriculturists, merchants, and industrialists, with\\nan extension to three years, dividing the credits into three equal\\nparts, so to be paid annually with interest at 6 per cent annually, and\\nforbidding the sale for that period of time of property without being\\nadvertised to the public in the official gazette for one month.\\nThis would save everybody and the agricultural and commercial\\ndevelopment will be helped.\\nI humbly believe that the planters in the short period named in the\\npresent order will not be able to cover their debts, and at the end of\\nthe year the merchants will take possession of many properties and a\\ngreat number of families will be ruined.\\nLas Marias, P. R. January 25, 1899.\\nHOW ONE MORTGAGE WAS FORECLOSED.\\nMEMORIAL TO THE SPECIAL COMMISSIONER.\\nI beg to inclose the adjoined note giving you the full details by\\nwhich you can see how I was traitorousby and fraudulently deprived\\nof an estate, which I had honestly acquired by legal methods, by the\\nhouse of Fernandez Co. for an insignificant sum of money.\\nI beg you to study this document, so that you can resolve thereupon\\nthat which justice exacts.\\nAt the end of 1897 George Agostini bought of Cerefino Agostini an\\nestate under coffee in the barrio of Naranjales, of the jurisdiction of\\nMayaguez, valued at $10,000, of which he paid cash $6,500, the estate\\nremaining mortgaged for the remaining $3,500 plus $138 for interest.\\nThis mortgage was owned as to $2,625 by Antonio Blanco and as to\\n$875 by Fernandez Co., both merchants of Mayaguez, and the\\nterms of payments of the said mortgage were as follows, with interest:\\nPrinci-\\npal.\\nInterest.\\nOn December 31.1896. $300 S96\\nOn December 31, 1897.. 800 j 192\\nOn December 31. 189S 800 288\\nOn December 31. 1899 800 384\\nOn December 31. 1900... 800 420\\n3.500\\nThe first installment, with interest, was punctually paid.\\nThe second payment of $800, in the abnormal situation of the coun-\\ntry which began to make itself felt owing to the change from the\\nSpanish to the American Government, could not be met.\\nThe firm of Fernandez Co., taking advantage of this situation,\\nand unknown to George Agostini, lawful owner of the estate, entered\\naction against the old owner, Cerefino Agostini. You must know", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0348.jp2"}, "349": {"fulltext": "339\\nthat when this execution of mortgage was asked for, Cerefi.no Agostini\\nwas already defunct.\\nWhat was the surprise of George Agostini when the sheriff, armed\\nwith an order of the judge, dated September 13, 1898, presented him-\\nself the American forces being then in possession of this city\\ndemanding the immediate delivery of the estate to Fernandez Co.,\\nsaid estate having been sold at auction for $875 without the knowledge\\nof its owner, this being the sole amount the estate owed to that firm\\nPlainly speaking, Fernandez Co. got possession of an estate worth\\n$10,000, and for which $6,500 cash has been paid, for $875, which act\\nmust be considered as fraudulent, though protected by the corrupt\\nSpanish courts. All complaints of George Agostini and all steps on\\nhis part have been useless. No court would listen to his appeal. He\\nwas ordered to relinquish the property under pain of being proceeded\\nagainst criminally. It is worth noting that the mortgage contained\\nthe clause that if one installment was not paid when due, all remain-\\ning installments, with interest, should be considered as having fallen\\ndue.\\nJose George Agostini.\\nMayaguez, January 27, 1899.\\nTHE CIVIL DIVISIONS.\\nADMINISTRATIVE DEPARTMENTS.\\nSAN JUAN.\\nFirst department. San Juan, Bayamon, Carolina, Rio Piedras,\\nVega Baja, Corozal, Loiza, Toa Alta, Naranjito, Rio Grande, Vega\\nAlta, Trujillo Alto, Dorado, Toa Baja.\\nSecond department. Arecibo, Barceloneta, Ciales, Camuy, Hatillo,\\nManati, Morovis, Quebradillas, Utuado.\\nAGUADILLA.\\nThird department. Aguadilla, Aguada, Isabela, Moca, Rincon, San\\nSebastian.\\nPONCE.\\nFourth department. Ponce, Aibonito, Adjuntas, Barros, Barran-\\nquitas, Co amo, Guayanilla, Yauco, Juana Diaz, Penuelas, Santa\\nIsabel.\\nMAYAGUEZ.\\nFifth department. Mayaguez, Aiiasco, Cabo Rojo, Las Marias,\\nLajas, San German, Sabana Grande, Maricao.\\nGUAYAMA.\\nSixth department. Guayama, Arroyo, Aguas Buenas, Caguas,\\nCayey, Comerio, Cidra, Gurabo, San Lorenzo, Juncos, Salinas.\\nHUMACAO.\\nSeventh department. Humacao, Fajardo, Yabucoa, Maunabo,\\nNaguabo, Patillas, Piedras.\\nEighth department. Vieques, Culebra.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0349.jp2"}, "350": {"fulltext": "340\\nJUDICIAL DISTRICTS.\\nAUDIENCIA TERRITORIAL, CRIMINAL BRANCH, SAN JUAN DEPARTMENT.\\nDistrict.\\nMunicipalities.\\nDistrict.\\nMunicipalities.\\nSan Juan San Juan.\\nCarolina.\\nLoiza.\\nRio Grande.\\nRio Piedras.\\nTrujillo Alto.\\nCaguas Caguas.\\nAguas Buenas.\\nG-urabo.\\nSan Lorenzo.\\nComerio.\\nHumacao. Humacao.\\nFajardo.\\nHumacao\\nVega Baja\\nJuncos.\\nNaguabo.\\nPiedras.\\nVieques.\\nYabucoa.\\nVega Baja.\\nBayamou.\\nCorozal.\\nDorado.\\nNaranjito.\\nToa Alta.\\nToa Baja.\\nVega Alta.\\nAUDIENCIA CRIMINAL OF PONCE, PONCE DEPARTMENT.\\nBarros.\\nAibonito.\\nCoamo.\\nArroyo.\\nGuayanilla.\\nCidra.\\nJuana Diaz.\\nCayey.\\nPenuelas.\\nBaranquitas.\\nSanta Isabel.\\nMaunabo.\\nYauco.\\nPatillas.\\nSalinas.\\nAUDIENCIA CRIMINAL MAYAGUEZ, MAYAGUEZ DEPARTMENT.\\nMayaguez\\nArecibo\\nAguadilla\\nMayaguez.\\nAnasco.\\nLas Marias.\\nRincon.\\nArecibo.\\nBarceloneta.\\nCamuy.\\nHatillo.\\nManati.\\nMorovis.\\nAguadilla.\\nAguada.\\nMoca.\\nAguadilla\\nSan German\\nUtuado\\nQuebradillas.\\nSan Sebastian.\\nIsabela.\\nSan German.\\nCabo Rojo.\\nLajas.\\nMaricao.\\nSabana Grande.\\nUtuado.\\nAdjuntas.\\nCiales.\\nLares.\\nPOLITICAL PARTIES.\\nLIBERALS AND AUTONOMISTS.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nSan Juan, P. R., October 28, 1898.\\nDr. Jose C. Barbosa. When I came back from the United States\\nin 1880 we had here no liberty, no freedom, except on paper. We\\nat once set to work to acquire from Spain some degree of liberty for\\nthis country and formed a party called the Liberal party, also called\\nthe Reform party. Our object was to reform the laws of the island,\\nand most of the native Porto Ricans belonged to this party.\\nDr. Carroll. Was the Liberal party here in sympathy with the\\nLiberal party of Sagasta?\\nDr. Barbosa. No; no Spaniard supported us. The Spaniards sup-\\nported the Conservative party, to which also belonged some of the\\nnatives; but the natives who were identified with the Conservative\\nparty were of that class of people who always like to be associated", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0350.jp2"}, "351": {"fulltext": "341\\nwith the party in power, irrespective of the principles for which the\\nparty stands. Both Sagasta and Canovas were opposed to us and in\\nfavor of the Spanish party in the island. We had a great struggle\\nhere until 1887, when we asked for autonomy. In that year, seeing\\nthat the Spaniards here, no matter what shade of government might\\nbe introduced in the peninsula, would always adhere to Spain, in a\\npublic assembly we declared ourselves autonomists, our purpose being\\nto force the Spanish party in the island to declare themselves assimi-\\nlists. Previous to the assembly we had asked for the same laws here\\nthat were granted to the Spaniards in Spain. This was refused.\\nThen, when we declared ourselves autonomists, the Spaniards here\\nimmediately became assimilists and said, Give them what they asked\\nfor first that is, the laws in force in Spain, and that result was what\\nwe had sought and expected by our declaration in favor of autonomy.\\nOur demand for autonomy, however, was met by the fearful perse-\\ncutions of the year 1887, and the tortures which were inflicted caused\\nmany to cease calling themselves autonomists. Only a few had the\\ncourage to continue to do so. But a few of us continued to work on\\nthe same lines in spite of the arguments of many of our former adher-\\nents that we were pursuing a policy which could never meet with any\\nsuccess. Finally our party was reduced to about forty or fifty, and\\nthis small number continued working, assisted by Senor Labra, the\\nSpanish statesman. We continued calling meetings in the different\\ntowns of the island, trying to raise the spirits of the people who, dis-\\ncouraged by the failure of the form of government granted by Spain,\\ncame gradually over to our way of thinking.\\nAt this period we took advantage of the Cuban revolution to send\\na committee to Spain to ask the home Government for autonomy on\\nthe ground that the government it had granted was having only bad\\nresults and that unless autonomy were granted we feared we would\\nnot be able much longer to restrain the revolutionary spirit of the\\npeople.\\nWe sent this committee to Spain under orders to accept nothing but\\nautonomy. This committee had a conference with Sagasta, not yet\\nin power, who promised them that when he did come into power he\\nwould grant Porto Rico autonomy in the proper acceptation of the\\nword, but with the condition that the Autonomist party of the island\\nwas to form a part of Sagasta s Liberal party in Spain and be subject\\nto his orders. The first part of this promise was good, but the condi-\\ntion was bad. Our committee, was composed of five members, three\\nof whom were of republican and two of monarchical sympathies. Our\\nobject in placing the three republicans on the committee was that they\\nmight override the monarchical tendency of the other two members,\\nbut for some reason unknown to us one of the republicans went over\\nto the monarchicals, with the result that the committee accepted the\\noffer of Sagasta with its condition.\\nWhen the committee came back and reported to the assembly, only\\nthree or four accepted their report. The forty or fifty of us who had\\nbeen struggling so long to obtain our ends protested against the accept-\\nance of Sagasta s proposition. From that dates the split of the party.\\nThe reason we opposed Sagasta s plan was that we knew it was not\\npossible for an autonomist party, having for its object local self-\\ngovernment for the people, to be attached to a monarchical party which\\nwould have control over it and be in a position to forestall its action.\\nIt was clear enough that the purpose of Sagasta was only to destroy\\nour party here. We, the larger number, who had refused to accept", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0351.jp2"}, "352": {"fulltext": "342\\nthe Sagasta proposition, returned to our homes, hopeless but protest-\\ning, and the three or four who had accepted the offer directed their\\nattention to the matter of forming a new party, called the Liberal-\\nFusionist party.\\nShortly afterwards Sagasta came into power and began favoring the\\nleader of the new party, Munoz Rivera, giving him all the posts of the\\nisland and giving him power over the ballots; that is, he gave him\\nsuch power in elections that he could practically control them. Mr.\\nRivera began by offering official appointments to men who had never\\nthought of appointments before, and in that way created a large party\\nof men who were more interested in having a good position than in\\nstanding for a principle. Those who were opposed to the party of Mr.\\nRivera said: We have steadily opposed the Spaniards in that kind\\nof misgovernment, and we will not submit to it from natives.\\nWe began to pay special attention to international politics, and that\\ngave us hope, because we thought that if Mr. Woodford would ask for\\nthe freedom of Cuba, there was some reason to believe he might do the\\nsame thing for us. So we began to struggle harder than ever and\\nendeavored to let it be known in the United States that it was not\\ntrue, as Sagasta was trying to represent, that the people of Porto Rico\\nwere all contented with our government here. We never thought of\\nwar, but we thought the end we desired might be brought about by\\ndiplomacy. We thought that Spain would have to grant to Porto Rico\\nwhat she granted to Cuba. To a certain extent we achieved what we\\nwanted, because the Government, on account of the representations\\nbeing made by the United States and taking note of the fact that affairs\\nwere moving along anything but smoothly in Porto Rico, called the\\nleaders of our party together in a conference with them to unite us\\nwith the Liberal-Fusionist party and form a mixed government.\\nThis fusion, which we thought was prompted by sincere motives, was\\neffected, and, as a consequence, the united party took the name of the\\nUnion- Autonomist party.\\nOn the 12th of February of this year (1898) there was formed the first\\ninsular council, composed of three autonomists and three fusionists,\\nwhich lasted until the 17th of March, by which time we understood\\nthat we had been chosen only as figureheads to enable Spain to do\\nwhat she wanted with us. We therefore resigned, to take effect at\\nonce. The two parties then separated again. The Governor-General\\nwould not accept their resignations, because in the time of elections\\nthe law does not allow of their acceptance, and this was of itself\\nanother trick, because after we held official positions we were by law\\nprohibited from taking part in the elections, and the government, in\\nthe absence of our efforts in opposition, got in the persons it wanted.\\nThe secretary of the government here has charge of the post-office,\\ntelegraph service, police, and other municipal matters, and he took\\nadvantage of his position at the time of the elections to prevent letters\\nand telegrams from passing from San Juan to the other cities of the\\nisland, and stationed the civil guards at the election places. We were\\nnot permitted even to talk with people about the issues of the elec-\\ntion, and the result was that out of 32 elected 27 were the men whom\\nthe government desired in office. They allowed 5 of our party to be\\nelected, but these 5, because of the manner in which the election was\\nconducted, said it was beneath their dignity to accept the offices to\\nwhich they were elected, and refused to accept them. The} 7 wanted\\nto be elected by the favor of the people, not by the favor of the gov-\\nernment.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0352.jp2"}, "353": {"fulltext": "343\\nThe legislature was convened on the 17th day of July, the purpose\\nof convening it at that late day being merely a pretense on the part of\\nSpain that affairs in the island were proceeding in a normal manner\\nin spite of the war. The 27 members who accepted the offices to\\nwhich they had been nominally elected took their seats without oppo-\\nsition from the other 5 and proceeded to elect the present members\\nof the government, who are to-day in power, their official positions\\nhaving been confirmed by the military government.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the state of affairs to-day; are the political\\nparties united?\\nDr. Barbosa. No; the feeling is very bitter. The secretary of the\\ngovernment recommended 14 of our party for appointment as city\\ncouncilors in San Juan, including myself, but we refused to accept\\nthe positions under the present insular government. We can not\\nconsent to serve under officials who came into office in the manner\\nthey did.\\nDr. Carroll. Will the meeting to be held Sunday represent your\\nparty?\\nDr. Barbosa. Not my party only, but every party in the island.\\nThere is a party here which calls itself Partido Incondicionalmente\\nEspanol (Unconditionally Spaniards), and the natives who have hith-\\nerto adhered to that party will be present.\\nDr. Carroll. Is it your opinion that it would be good policy to\\nmake English the official language of Porto Rico?\\nDr. Barbosa. Yes; but not immediately. There should be teach-\\ners here for a couple of years to instruct the people in English first.\\nI should like very much to have schools for the teaching of English\\nhere such schools as you have in America. With such schools here\\nwe could in ten years bring up a generation of English-speaking peo-\\nple. I think, too, that a few kindergartens would be a great thing\\nfor the island.\\nCABINET DIVISIONS.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nSan Juan, P. R., November 4, 1898.\\nMr. Julian Y. Blanco (secretary of the treasury). I have been\\nanxious to give you some information regarding the government and\\nthe laws of the country.\\nDr. Carroll. I shall be glad to hear anything you may have the\\nkindness to present. My mission in the island is to get information.\\nMr. Blanco. What I desire to call your attention to specially is\\nthe lack of harmony which exists to-day between the secretaries of\\nthe insular government. The laws existing in this country when the\\nAmerican occupation commenced were those given to the country on\\nthe 25th of last November. By virtue of those laws the insular gov-\\nernment was constituted. In inaugurating that government different\\nparties in the island were given representation in the government. It\\nwas a sort of mixed government. I had belonged until then to one of\\nthe political parties known as the Orthodox party, and was placed as\\nsuch secretary to Mr. Quinones, the president. I soon saw that I\\ncould do nothing in that position, as none of the officials were in agree-\\nment with him. They did not occupy themselves in the public inter-\\nests, but gave themselves up to matters of personal politics. Conse-\\nquently I separated from both parties, the two parties being the Ortho-\\ndox and the Sagasta or Fusionist party.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0353.jp2"}, "354": {"fulltext": "344\\nDr. Carroll. By the Orthodox party do you moan the Conservative?\\nMr. Blanco. When the Liberal party split, two parties were formed,\\none of these being the Orthodox, the really genuine Liberal party, and\\nthe other merged with the party in Spain and called the Fusionists.\\nI remained subsecretary, but without being able to accomplish any-\\nthing. After the elections there was a change in the government.\\nThese elections were full of fraud. They took place in February last\\nand were won by the Sagasta or Liberal party. Both parties did some\\nthings that were wrong.\\nDr. Carroll. Please give me some idea what those abuses were\\nand how they were carried out.\\nMr. Blanco. Before the elections took place the leader of the\\nFusionist party got possession of all tho municipalities of the island,\\nchanging all the mayors to men of his own party, and I want to say\\nhere that the mayors of these towns should be named, according to\\nlaw, by vote of their common councils, instead of by appointment\\nfrom the central government. Most of the mayors, before the change\\nwas made by the leader of the Fusionist party, were members of the\\nConservative party, but those offices were all filled with men who\\nwould support the Sagasta faction. Also, in making up the census of\\nthose entitled to vote they took great care to see that all the different\\nelection boards were composed of men of the Sagasta party, so as to\\nhave everything in their hands, and when the time for election came\\neverything connected with it was under the management and control\\nof this party. The elections came, and as the Liberal party won the\\ngovernment called the leader of the Liberal party and asked him to\\nform a cabinet. He then called me in turn and told me he was anx-\\nious that I should be one of the cabinet and hold the office of secre-\\ntary of the treasury, because he believed me to be the most competent\\nperson to hold that post. I told him that T was willing in every way\\nto lend assistance in the establishment of the autonomistic govern-\\nment, but that I would not join his party; that I would assist as an\\nindependent man.\\nAll that I wanted was that the law should be complied with and\\nimpartially, and I said that I would assist if I were allowed to follow\\nthat course. The leader of the Liberal party said, yes, that was what\\nhe wanted; that all party feelings had ended. Already there were\\nsymptoms of war, but he set about to form the government of the\\nisland on the new basis. War was finally declared, and everything\\nwas interrupted. The country after that went along without much\\nfurther change, so far as the application of the autonomistic law of\\nthe municipalities of the island was concerned. After the American\\noccupation the common council sent a memorial to General Brooke,\\nasking him to concede to the common council of Ponce the right to\\nwhich they are entitled by law, the law providing that in purely local\\naffairs the common council shall have the right to name all its em-\\nployees necessary for the management of the city government, and\\nto attend to the various necessities of the municipal district. Article\\n52 of the autonomistic constitution says that all municipalities legally\\nconstituted or empowered to legislate regarding public instruction,\\nroads, maritime matters, sanitation, the assessment of taxes, shall\\nhave the power to name their employees.\\nArticle 55 says that municipalities as well as the province can\\nestablish means of income with which to meet their expenses without\\nany more limitations than is sufficient to make them conform to the\\ntributary system of the island.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0354.jp2"}, "355": {"fulltext": "345\\nArticle 50 says that the mayors and vice mayors shall be elected by\\nthe vote of the common council.\\nArticle 61 says that the municipal law in force in Porto Rico will\\ncontinue to be enforced as far as it will not interfere with the present\\ndecree, and that the modification established by the electoral law so\\nlong as the colonial parliament does not legislate about these matters,\\nbut article 62 says that no colonial law can deprive the municipalities\\nof the rights and privileges granted by the former articles. That\\nis to say, the power was granted to the insular assembly to modify\\nmunicipal laws, but without being able to alter the rights and privi-\\nleges of municipalities specified in the preceding articles. For\\nexample, it could never deny to the common council the right of\\nnaming mayors and vice mayors or making appointments to the other\\nposts which they are specially authorized to fill. This law has never\\nbeen complied with. The mayors continue to be named, as before, by\\nthe governor-general. They do not observe the law at all, but are\\ndenying a right which the island sought for many years in behalf of\\nmunicipal government.\\nDr. Carroll. According to the American system, mayors of towns\\nand cities are always elected by the people, who also elect the common\\ncouncils. Would it be well to have that system established in Porto\\nRico?\\nMr. Blanco. That is just what the country has wanted always, but\\nhas never been able to get. When we obtain that right everything\\nelse will come, for it is the foundation of local self-government. The\\nmemorial which has come from Ponce asks only for compliance with\\nthe law, by the grant of those rights to which they are entitled. Gen-\\neral Brooke called the council of secretaries and read the memorial\\nto them and asked them their opinion. The president of the council,\\nMr. Rivera, and Mr. Lopez gave their opinions against granting the\\nright demanded by the memorial, protesting at the same time that\\nthey had liberal ideas and were in sympathy with what the petition\\nfrom Ponce asked, but that it was not compatible with military occu-\\npation to grant the petition, and that no attempt should be made to\\nestablish municipal autonomy until after Congress met and legislated\\nin the matter. When it came my turn to speak I stated that I was\\nnot in conformity with Mr. Rivera and Mr. Lopez. These gentlemen\\npretended to show that the common council of Ponce was asking for\\nan amendment of the law, but I stated that they did not ask for an\\namendment, but were asking for compliance with the law. We had\\nquite a heated discussion in Spanish, but General Brooke was not able\\nto appreciate the arguments advanced on both sides, as he is not\\nacquainted with the Spanish language, but he understood perfectly\\nthat the secretaries were not in agreement. He advised us to recon-\\nsider the matter and arrange it among ourselves and he would then\\ncall us again together. We had a meeting for that purpose the same\\nevening and were unable to agree.\\nThey have tried to make General Brooke believe two great errors.\\nFirst, that the common council of Ponce was asking for a reformation\\nof the law, which they said was incompatible with the military estab-\\nlishment, and, second, that those articles which I have referred to\\ncould not be carried out until the provisional assembly should meet,\\nand as it had not got together, and very likely will not meet, they\\nwould have to wait until Congress resolves the matter. That is not\\nthe truth. The articles I have referred to are a part of the estab-\\nlished law of Porto Rico and should be carried out, and that law", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0355.jp2"}, "356": {"fulltext": "346\\nexpressly provides that the assembly shall not have power to change\\nthose articles; so what difference conld it make whether the assembly\\nmeets or not so far as these provisions are concerned. The rights of\\nthe council to elect their mayor and proceed under the articles\\nreferred to can not be abridged by the assembly. After this meet-\\ning, seeing that we could not agree, we decided that either Mr. Rivera\\nor Mr. Lop^z should make a proposal in writing, with a view to seeing\\nwhether or not we could patch up some sort of agreement. Last\\nSaturday quite late I was notified that a meeting of the council would\\nbe held at 8 o clock Sunday morning.\\nDr. Carroll. Who composed the council?\\nMr. Blanco. Luis Munoz Rivera, secretary of government; Her-\\nnandez Lopez, secretary of justice; Dr. Carbonell, secretary of\\nfomento, and myself. I did not assist at that meeting because I had\\nto go to Bayamon, but said in the afternoon I would be able to par-\\nticipate in a meeting. I went to the country, and they never communi-\\ncated to me anything of this meeting. The following day, in the\\nafternoon, I had to go to Mr. Rivera about other business, and then\\nhe told me that the whole thing had been resolved; that General\\nBrooke urged the matter so strongly that they were obliged to get\\ntogether and give him a decision. A few days ago another meeting\\nwas called by General Brooke, and an answer to the Ponce petition\\nwas submitted by General Brooke, in which he made it appear that\\nthe whole matter had been settled on his own initiation, and not that\\nhe had listened to this council. In this letter of General Brooke he\\nstated that the people of Ponce were asking for a reformation of the\\nlaw, which, as I have said, was not the case. At that same meeting\\nthere was another document of which General Brooke has taken\\nnotice. Dr. Carbonell indicated that he wished to name certain\\nschool-teachers for the different villages and towns. This brought on\\na heated discussion as to the authority of Dr. Carbonell to name\\nschool-teachers. I maintained that he had no such authority; that\\nthe only case in which the central government can intervene is where\\na district, in violation of the law, appoints a school-teacher who has\\nnot the proper title. General Brooke again advised the secretaries\\nto make an effort to get together.\\nI have given you all this account of the trouble in the ministry,\\nwhich is perhaps out of the line of what I came to talk to you about,\\nso that you may understand the great difficulties in the way of good\\ngovernment. I consider the matter of applying the autonomistic law\\nas very important to the interests of the island, and I am disposed to\\ntell my colleagues at the meeting of the council at 4 o clock this after-\\nnoon that if an agreement can not be reached I will resign. I can not\\ncontinue, because for over fifty years I have supported certain princi-\\nples, and I can not go back to them now. I believe that our mission\\nis to smooth over the present regimen and prepare to better ourselves,\\nand not to sow discord. I don t believe that the military force in the\\nisland requires to be strengthened. I am sure that it will displease\\nthe people of Ponce when they receive the decision of General Brooke.\\nIf they complied with the law, they would allow each municipality to\\nselect its own teachers and to carry out the autonomistic plan in all\\nits features.\\nDr. Carroll. Is that in accord with the autonomistic law and also\\nthe provincial law?\\nMr. Blanco. Before the government did what it pleased.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0356.jp2"}, "357": {"fulltext": "347\\nDr. Carroll. But was it not the law before that teachers, for\\ninstance, should be appointed by the central government?\\nMr. Blanco. Yes; but there were certain limitations.\\nDr. Carroll. I have been given to understand that the autono-\\nmistic regime was never fully established here and that it is not now\\nin operation, and I understand from Mr. Rivera that the autonomistic\\nsystem has never been more than a dead letter.\\nMr. Blanco. That is so, and the law has been violated has never\\nbeen complied with. The law is imperfect; nevertheless, if they car-\\nried it out it would have given very good results, bub they never\\ncarried it out.\\nDr. Carroll. I understand the military policy is to continue things\\nin status quo, not to make any changes, but to continue the govern-\\nment just as the Americans found it until Congress, on the recommen-\\ndation of the President, adopts a new system.\\nMr. Blanco. I understood that the policy of the United States would\\nbe to carry out the law of the countiy in so far as it affects the settle-\\nment of private rights of persons and property and as to the punish-\\nment of crime, and that the general provisions of law of the country\\nwould be in force. In that view of the case I don t understand why\\nthe measures referred to in the articles of the autonomistic constitu-\\ntion are not carried into effect. So long as the municipalities are not\\ngiven the rights accorded to them by that law there will be com-\\nplaints and any system of government that may be established will\\nbe unsettled.\\nPARTIES THE SAME IN FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nUtuado, P. R., January 17, 1899.\\nDr. Carroll. I would like to have you discuss, unless you have\\nsome good reason for not doing so, the form of government which\\nshould be established here. There are those who think a colonial form\\nof government is preferable, and there are some in the United States\\nwho are in favor of a Territorial government for the island. I should\\nlike to have the opinion of citizens here respecting the question.\\nMr. Lucas Amadeo. My opinion is in favor of the Territorial form,\\nwith a view to arriving, later on, to statehood, with the full enjoyment\\nof all that implies. I think that the military power should be as brief\\nas possible, because it is an abnormal condition of government, and\\nwhile the Territorial form of government remains to be settled I think\\nthere are certain questions of importance that should be treated of.\\nAmong others is that of immigration, and this is an important ques-\\ntion, because this country is marching onward to the complete predom-\\ninance of the white race. Should a heterogeneous emigration come\\nhere, we should arrive at a state of confusion in politics, because\\nmixed races precede mixed relations in politics.\\nIn the present period through which we are passing there are oppor-\\ntunities for cheapening the form of government that is, of removing\\na great many useless employees who are now being retained. Later,\\nthe Territorial form will provide for that; but I speak of the interim\\nperiod. To-day the country is divided into two parties which for-\\nmerly were united to claim advantages for the country. This differ-\\nence of opinion was not brought about by a difference of principles,\\nbut was brought about by the desire on the part of certain persons to", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0357.jp2"}, "358": {"fulltext": "348\\narrive at position and power. The party which is at present in power\\ngot into office for the sake of power. Pursuant to a contract which\\ntheir leader made with the Spanish Government, we were given a\\nso-called autonomy, and under that system, with the assistance of\\nSpain, the present people in office were elected. They are acting, and\\nhave done so since coming into power, as others did under the former\\nregime, and that state is what has caused the strained relation exist-\\ning between the parties to-day. The country is not satisfied with the\\nmen who are in power, and is restless under tliem. I think it would\\nbe a good thing if the various elements of the different parties would\\ncome together under the military government, and later under the\\nTerritorial government, and work in the interests of the people of\\nPorto Rico. This could be done if those in power to-day were generous\\nenough to step down and out of office.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there any difference between the parties in their\\nfundamental ideas?\\nMr. Amadeo. No. Both have made the same platform, but there\\nare differences between their methods. Both made the same affirma-\\ntions with regard to autonom}^ in the time of the Spanish Government.\\nBoth accepted the reforms which Spain at first offered. Later, when\\nthe division was brought about, the historical party asked for some-\\nthing else, but that was simply a proposition on which to base a plat-\\nform.\\nI don t belong to any party. I think they are limited companies\\norganized to exploit the people for their own benefit. I would never\\nsuffocate my conscience under a political party. Where I see a\\ngood idea, whoever gives birth to it, I accept it, and whoever gives\\nbirth to a bad idea, I exert my efforts against it. The country does\\nnot possess directive abilities. The people have been brought up on\\npersonal politics and do not know anything about the direction of the\\ncountry s affairs. Politics to-day is a science, and when unscientific-\\nally carried out its evil effects are very far reaching.\\nSUMMARY OF PLATFORM OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OF PORTO\\nRICO, ORGANIZED IN MARCH, 1899, BY RADICALS.\\nPreamble: Commends the able, patriotic, and manly spirit mani-\\nfested by the President in releasing Porto Rico from misrule of Spain,\\nand pledges faithfulness in adherence to the new principles of our new\\ncountry.\\nI. The name of the organization shall be the Republican party of\\nPorto Rico.\\nII. Declares sincere loyalty to the American flag and American\\nideas.\\nIII. Hails with pride the fact of annexation to the United States.\\nIV. Believes that the people of Porto Rico may be trusted with\\ncivil government of the island, but awaits the action of Congress on\\nthat subject, meantime asking that all civil offices shall be filled by\\nefficient and honest men of unquestioned loyalty to the Government\\nof the United States.\\nV. Promises devotion to the national Constitution and the rights\\nand liberties of all citizens to cast their ballots, and asks for effective\\nlegislation to secure the integrity and purity of elections.\\nVI. Opposes the introduction of foreign contract labor.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0358.jp2"}, "359": {"fulltext": "349\\nVII. Declares for liberty of thought, speech, and the press.\\nVIII. Favors the establishment of free, public, and unsectarian\\nschools sufficient to afford every child the opportunity of a good\\ncommon-school education, and recommends that the English language\\nhe introduced.\\nIX. Declares that the system of taxation is unequally applied and\\nshould be regulated on American principles of justice.\\nX. Commerce should be free between Porto Rico and the United\\nStates.\\nXI. Provincial money should be exchanged for the money of the\\nUnited States on a gold basis, and every dollar should be made as\\ngood as every other dollar.\\nXII. The burden of taxation falls too heavily under the present\\nsj T stem upon agriculture.\\nXIII. The American system of courts should be established and\\nspeedy trial granted to all.\\nXIV. Expresses gratification that Porto Ricans are now under the\\nAmerican flag, and pledges loyalty to American institutions, and\\ngives honor to the names of Washington, Lincoln, and McKinley,\\nwhich are household words.\\nPLATFORM OF THE FEDERAL PARTY.\\n[Translation.]\\n1 The men who formed the Liberal Puertorriqueno believe that their\\norganization, with a name which should embody their ideas and with\\na platform which defines and concretes them as a political force,\\nshould not be delayed.\\n2. The Federal party declares that it accepts and applauds the act\\nof annexation consummated after the war, believing that Porto Rico\\nwill be a prosperous and happy country under the shadow of the\\nAmerican flag and the shelter of American institutions.\\n3. The propositions of the Federal party are condensed in this\\nformula: Direct and efficient influence in the development of local\\ninterests by an administration intelligent and honorable; a firm and\\nresolute tendency toward absolute identity with the United States in\\nits laws and governmental methods.\\n4. The Federal party asks that Porto Rico may be shortly a Terri-\\ntory of the United States, with all the rights of a State except that of\\nsending Senators and Representatives to the Congress, in which it\\nshall have, in common with the other Territories, a Delegate with a\\nvoice, but without a vote.\\n5. The Federal party aspires that Porto Rico may in the future\\nbecome a State without any restrictions, as the others of the Federa-\\ntion.\\n6. The Federal party supports the complete autonomy of the munici-\\npalities in such manner as that the ayuntamientos may resolve their\\nlocal affairs, as quotas, budgets, instruction, police, sanitation, char-\\nity, public works, etc., without intervention from the central power.\\n7. The Federal party will maintain all private rights with pro-\\nfound respect and with enthusiastic devotion, and will favor the\\ngreatest amplitude of the suffrage without opposing the limitations\\nwhich the United States may esteem prudent, but making clear that\\nit desires the right to vote for all citizens resident in the island.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0359.jp2"}, "360": {"fulltext": "350\\n8. The Federal party understands that it is indispensable and\\njust to abolish the customs tariff and to establish free commerce be-\\ntween Porto Rico and the rest of the Union, unifying at the proper\\ntime the money and converting our circulating silver into American\\ndollars with the least possible loss to the holders of the metal.\\n9. It understands likewise that the development of the production\\nurgently requires that the greatest freedom be decreed for the bank-\\ning institutions, that the insular industries be protected in a positive\\nmanner, that public works be constructed without delay, and that\\ndirect imposts for the general expenses of the Territory be suppressed.\\n10. The Federal party concerns itself for the welfare of the labor-\\ning classes and the peasants; it contemplates with interest their\\nadvances in the public life and assists in every proposition of har-\\nmony between the resistance of capital and the requirements of labor,\\nand will persist in its desire to place in the elective bodies virtuous\\nand intelligent men, without respect to their occupation or race.\\n11. The Federal party will leave to the functions of the munici-\\npalities the creation, provisioning, and sustaining of their schools,\\ncommitting as a consequence primary instruction to the representa-\\ntives of the people, although conforming to the plan which the legis-\\nlature of the Territory may devise.\\n12. In respect to superior instruction, university and professional,\\nit will propose the restoration of all the necessary centers in order to\\narrive at a high plane in the arts and sciences, preferably those of\\npractical application, and striving without rest to procure the estab-\\nlishment of a university.\\n13. The Federal party will do away with everything routine and\\nwill found colleges in which women may receive serious and copious\\ninstruction, which may facilitate her in the exercise of the different\\nprofessions to which already she has consecrated her ingenuity and\\nability in the most advanced communities.\\n14. In general we believe that our legislation ought to tend to\\nidentity in methods between the Porto Rican and American schools,\\nbringing this about by a gradual and scientific adaptation.\\n15. In respect to the organization of the tribunals, the Federal party\\nbelieves that it is convenient to elect the functionaries by suffrage, to\\ndesignate them by the vote of the legislature, or to nominate them by\\ncompetition according to the nature of the offices, removing all polit-\\nical interest and placing the judges under conditions of salutary\\nindependence.\\n16. The Federal party inscribes among its cardinal principles the\\nestablishment of trial by jury.\\n17. The Federal party proposes the reform of our civil legislation,\\npenal and administrative, with profound regard to the moral and\\nmaterial interests of the society in which it operates, but in a sense\\npredominatingly democratic.\\n18. The Federal party finally affirms its faith in the traditions and\\nin the character of the American people, and in the confidence as\\nwell as in the effort of the insular people to make of Porto Rico an\\nemporium of wealth and of culture, over which the banner of the\\nUnited States may float forever.\\nSan Juan, October 1, 1899.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0360.jp2"}, "361": {"fulltext": "351\\nPOLITICS OF THE ISLAND.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nPonce P. R., March 7, 1899.\\nMr. Felici and a merchant from Ponce\\nDr. Carroll. A great many representations have gone to the\\nUnited States about the bitter political feelings in the island. Now,\\nwhat should I say about that?\\nA Merchant 6f Ponce. I think that politics here, as well as in\\nother countries, is in the hands of what we should call freebooters\\ngentlemen who have nothing. Their cries really mean that they want\\npositions, and the healthy, right-thinking part of the population look\\nupon them with disdain. If you will look closely into the matter, you\\nwill find that the number of respectable persons behind these politi-\\ncians is few. I am not speaking of one party, but of both. That is\\nthe case, at least, here.\\nDr. Carroll. Well, the leader of one of your parties will go to the\\nUnited States with pretty respectable support?\\nThe Same Merchant. I don t know, perhaps, what he calls respect-\\nable support.\\nDr. Carroll. I noticed in the Correspondencia two or three pages\\nof letters very highly appreciatory. I noticed in the paper here\\nto-night a column or two of names, and I should say, from a short\\nresidence here, that he is by far the most popular man in the island,\\nif not the idol of the people.\\nThe Same Merchant. I should not say that was quite correct. He\\nis a politician. I don t mean to say he is a bad man, but I don t\\nknow to what extent you can rely on those behind him. He would\\nhave some friends, of course, but not so many as there appear to be.\\nDr. Carroll. He is a very able man and, with the support he has\\nhere in the island, he is likely to make a strong impression on the\\nminds of the American people, and the question I would like to ask\\nis, Is he a representative man? Will he represent the feelings and\\nopinions of the Porto Ricans?\\nThe Same Merchant. In what respect do you mean?\\nDr. Carroll. In respect to the things of the island and the charac-\\nter of the people, and the future government of the island, and all\\nthose matters. Will he speak for you?\\nThe Same Merchant. No; I don t think he will.\\nMr. Felici. I am neither a Porto Rican nor a Spaniard. I don t\\nthink the majority of the country is right. Although there are a\\ngreat many signatures in the list printed in the paper here, I think\\ntwo-thirds of the signers are persons who aspire to some position in\\nthe public service.\\nDr. Carroll. Now, my own feeling about the party and party feel-\\ning here is that it is not at all a bad sign. I would a great deal rather\\nsee fierce contention between two parties than to see no parties at\\nall than to see a state of indifference; but what I would like to see\\nbetter than strife would be to have each of the parties take a position\\nwith reference to the needs of the island or its development and\\nfuture government, and indicate in platforms what they stand for.\\nIf your parties would divide on present questions and not over the\\nhistory of the past, it seems to me it would be an important thing to\\nhave parties. I believe in parties, and in countries where there is", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0361.jp2"}, "362": {"fulltext": "352\\nnot stagnation of opinion there will be parties, but I think that men\\nshould divide on principles and not on offices.\\nMr. Felici. As the great majority of the people here are annexa-\\ntionists, the man who declares frankly for annexation to the United\\nStates will cany the people with him. If Muiioz comes out frankly\\nbefore an y other parties do for annexation, he will doubtless carry the\\npeople with him, but it will have to be without any reservations. It\\nwill be the strong plank in the platform of an y party.\\nDr. Carroll. I think it important that the parties which are to\\nbid for public support here and which are to exercise influence with\\nthe United States to obtain what is needful for the island should\\ndeclare their principles, if they have any. Suppose I am asked in the\\nUnited States what is the difference between the Radicals and\\nLiberals?\\nMr. Felici. It is only personal.\\nDr. Carroll. All that I can say is that one is called the Liberal\\nand the other the Radical party.\\nMr. Felici. Tiiose distinctions were formed in the old da\\\\ s, but\\nthere is no reason for them to-day.\\nDr. Carroll. If I am asked whether one is annexationist and the\\nother opposed to it, I shall be forced to say that on not a single ques-\\ntion affecting the future of the island do I know the position of either\\nof your parties.\\nMr. Felici. And nobody here could tell you.\\nSUFFRAGE AND THE SYSTEM OF AUTONOMY.\\nTHE ELECTORAL LAW OF 1890.\\nThe provision of this law, as applied to Porto Rico, defining the\\nright of suffrage was as follows:\\nArticle I.\\nThe electors of councilors and provincial deputies in Porto Rico shall be all the\\nresidents whoarejheads of families, over 25 years of age, who have resided at least\\ntwo years in the municipal district and who have paid on their own property the\\namount of 25 pesetas or more as a tax on real estate, cultivation of the soil, and\\non cattle, or as industrial or commercial subsidy, for one year before the making\\nup of the electoral lists, or if they prove that they are civil employees of the State,\\nprovince, or municipality in active service, or suspended with pay on account of\\ntheir category, and suspended with pay or retired from the army or navy.\\nThe quota to which the preceding paragraph refers shall be calculated by adding\\nup that paid by the taxpayers within and without the town by reason of direct\\ntaxes of the State and for municipal surtaxes. Besides, the amountpaidfor taxes\\nimposed by the provincial deputation, by virtue of the new powers which are\\ngranted to it by the provincial law, modified by the decree of this date, shall be\\ncomputed for all electoral purposes as if they were levied by the State. Persons\\nwho are over 25 years of age and have resided for two years at least in the municipal\\ndistrict and who justify their professional or academic qualifications by means of\\nan official diploma shall also be electors.\\nIn towns with a population of less than 100 inhabitants all of them shall be\\nelectors without further exceptions than the general ones established by article 5\\nof this law.\\nArticle 2.\\nIn order to compute the taxes to be paid by the electors the following shall be\\nconsidered their own property:\\n(1) With regard to the husbands, all the property belonging to their wives dur-\\ning the continuation of the conjugal partnership.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0362.jp2"}, "363": {"fulltext": "353\\n(2) With regard to parents, that belonging to their children of which they are\\nthe legal administrators.\\n(3) With regard to children, their own property of which for any reason what-\\nsoever their mothers have the use.\\nArticle 5.\\nThe following can not be electors:\\n(1) Those who on account of final sentence are deprived of the exercise of polit-\\nical rights.\\n(2) Those who at the time of the elections are criminally indicted, if they have\\nbeen remanded to prison and have not instead furnished bail in the cases in which\\nit is admissible according to law.\\n(3) Those sentenced to corporeal or correctional punishments while they have\\nnot fulfilled their sentences nor secured their rehabilitation in cases in which it is\\nproper.\\n(4) Those who, lacking means of subsistence, receive the latter in charitable\\ninstitutions, and those who are recorded as mendicants and authorized by the\\nmunicipalities to beg public charity.\\nWhen the autonomistic system was projected, the electoral law was\\nmodified so as to remove all restrictions and establish universal suf-\\nfrage, as the law of 1890 had provided for Spain itself. Article 1\\nfollows\\nArticle 1.\\nAll .male Spaniards over 25 years of age who are in the full enjoyment of their\\ncivil rights and are residents of a municipality in which they have resided at least\\ntwo years are electors in the islands of Cuba and Porto Rico.\\nNoncommissioned officers and privates of the navy or army can not cast votes\\nwhile they are serving in the ranks.\\nThe same suspension is established with regard to those who are in similar cir-\\ncumstances in other corps or armed institutions under the orders of the State,\\nprovince, or municipality.\\nTHE LAW OF SUFFRAGE.\\nBy M. Zeno Gandia, M. D., Commissioner from Porto Rico to Washington.\\nThe Spanish law of sufragio universal (universal suffrage) had no\\nlimitation whatever. It was sufficient to be 25 years of age, which\\nconstitutes majority. After the year 1890 Porto Bicans and Cubans\\nlost, under protest, the extension of that law to Cuba and Porto Rico,\\nthe Spanish Government applying it to those islands with the limita-\\ntion of the right to vote to those citizens who w T ere 25 years of age and\\nbesides who paid a contribution of at least $5 in Cuba and 110 in Porto\\nRico. That law produced indignation in the Antilles, especially in\\nPorto Rico, whose citizens Spain regarded as inferior to the sons of\\nSpain and inferior before the law to the citizens of Cuba. That was\\none of the immediate causes of the Cuban war and produced in Porto\\nRico a discontent so great that even the few who had faith in Spain\\nlost it. In the law other prescriptions were ordered which rendered\\nit impossible that the people of the islands should ever triumph in the\\nelections. One consisted in what was called socios de ocasion,\\n(members of occasion). It was ordered that all who were members of\\nsocieties which paid taxes should have the right to vote, and in order\\nthat such members should acquire the right to vote it was only\\ndemanded that the principal member should manifest that those who\\nsolicited that right were its members, and this without demanding any\\ndocumentary proof from them. This was a burlesque.\\nThe societies were almost all Spanish firms, or servants paid by\\nthem, and from that prescription it resulted that the clerks, the rela-\\ntives, and even the servants of the principal member acquired the\\n1125 23", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0363.jp2"}, "364": {"fulltext": "354\\nright to vote, while many Porto Rieans did not possess it because they\\ndid not pay $10 tax. In the case of many Porto Rieans who paid\\ntaxes of 15, 12, or 11 pesos, they diminished those quotas in the\\nmunicipalities, collecting from them only 9.90 pesos or 9 pesos, and in\\nthat way left them without the right to vote. That was an infamy,\\nand the Radical party withdrew itself; that is, abandoned the false\\nright which they gave it and did not vote.\\nAfterwards, under the pressure of American diplomacy, the Spanish\\nGovernment resolved to implant autonomy, and then the Spanish law\\nof universal suffrage was extended to Porto Rico without any restric-\\ntion, except that the person should be 25 years of age. When the\\nAmericans occupied the island, that was the law of suffrage which\\nruled.\\nWhen the President asked us, Dr. Henna and myself, in April last,\\nthe class of suffrage which seemed to us convenient for Porto Rico,\\nwe answered universal suffrage; that people exercised that right\\nwith order and advantage in 1873 when the Spanish Republic con-\\nceded it.\\nThe Bourbon reaction of Alfonso XII took it away. Spain again\\nconceded it on account of the demand of the American Government,\\nwhich obliged it to bring tyranny in the islands to an end if it desired\\nto preserve them. That was a tardy measure. The war came, and\\nPorto Rico was ceded. To-day it is not possible to understand from\\nany standpoint why, after the concession to Porto Rico of universal\\nsuffrage by the action of the American Government, it should be\\ntaken away by that same Government from a country which has\\nalways defended it in its programme of liberties.\\nThus, then, in 1890, the law of suffrage demanding 25 years of age\\nand $10 tax and giving a vote to the socios de ocasion; after 1896\\n(during the Cuban war) the Spanish law of suffrage without restriction.\\nNew York, September 11, 1899.\\nTHE SUFFRAGE QUESTION.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nUtuado, P. R., January 18, 1899.\\nDr. Carroll. If you exclude from the suffrage all who can not\\nread, you will have a small number of voters at first, as I understand\\nthat the number of literates in the island is only about 12 per cent.\\nMr. Amadeo. Yes; but we have a great many who pay taxes. In\\nthe year 1870 we had that form of voting here when the electoral sys-\\ntem was introduced, and the result was satisfactory. It produced a\\nvery respectable and representative body of voters.\\nDr. Carroll. Would that not exclude the entire class of peons?\\nMr. Amadeo. I think they would be excluded, but I think they\\nshould be, because they have not a real knowledge of the subjects\\nabout which they are voting. It is better that they should not vote.\\nMr. Seijo. They would not really vote, because they would be con-\\ntrolled by their employers.\\nDr. Carroll. Then you can not have villages and townships as\\nwe have them in the United States.\\nMr. Amadeo. If these people have not the first elements of educa-\\ntion, it will be impossible for them to administer their own affairs.\\nDr. Carroll. In the United States it is thought that our township\\nand village government not only educates men, but dignifies men and", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0364.jp2"}, "365": {"fulltext": "355\\ngives them a desire to obtain a larger education for their children,\\nbecause they desire them to have a power of which they realize their\\nown lack.\\nMr. Amadeo. To-day universal suffrage is the most powerful weapon\\npossessed by professional politicians, who want to have it introduced\\neverywhere as affording them wider scope for their operations.\\nDr. Carroll. You mean they can lead the ignorant masses. It is\\nproposed in giving the Hawaiian Islands a form of government to\\nrestrict the suffrage somewhat. There is a property qualification\\nproposed.\\nMr. Amadeo. I would allow suffrage to anybody who pays taxes,\\nmunicipal or insular.\\nDr. Carroll. In a majority of the States there is no limitation on\\naccount of property. There was a property qualification in the older\\nStates, but that has been abolished.\\nMr. Amadeo. All this voting machinery is made very much easier\\nwhen you have wise men at the head of your Government, which you\\ngenerally have. The United States was fortunate when it set out on\\nits journey to have at its head a man of very great attainments, who\\nstarted it right. In countries where they have not had the good for-\\ntune to possess these guiding heads universal suffrage turns out to\\nbe a curse rather than a blessing. In France, for instance, it has\\ngiven rise to great disturbances.\\nDr. Carroll. But in England under the Gladstone regime it was\\nextended, and while the first result was the defeat, of the Liberal\\nparty, still I think it is generally recognized that that extension\\nwhich added something like a million voters to those who had the suf-\\nfrage has been on the whole decidedly beneficial.\\nMr. Amadeo. England has been 1,000 years educating its people;\\nthat is evolution. Universal suffrage is the arm of the Socialist, who\\nthinks he can by its use make everybody happy. The Socialist\\npreaches to the masses about the great boon of giving all a voice in the\\nmanagement of their own affairs. That is purely illusionary.\\nDr. Carroll. It is an illusion of a great many people that you can\\nget everything you want by a system of legislation, whereas such\\nthings depend largely upon the operation of natural laws.\\nMr. Amadeo. That is a mistake of the Socialists. They don t\\nunderstand that natural laws have to develop themselves, and that\\npeople must submit to that development, and can not legislate them-\\nselves out of it. This situation has given rise to so-called reformers\\nmen who present a platform and offer to ameliorate every unhappy\\ncondition. These men have been the cause of great disturbances in\\nall countries for a long time. I have been averse to universal suf-\\nfrage. Restricted suffrage, moreover, acts as a stimulation. A man\\nwho desires to take part in the administration of the government\\nmust either save money or educate himself.\\nDr. Carroll. The native congress that met in San Juan submitted\\na plan of reform to me. Among other things they proposed that there\\nshould be manhood suffrage for all above the age of 21 years, and that\\nat the expiration of two years all who could not prove that they could\\nread and write should lose that suffrage. I would like to ask whether\\nor not all should be allowed the right of suffrage at the beginning,\\nand say at the end of ten years that right should be restricted to per-\\nsons paying taxes or persons able to read and write?\\nMr. Amadeo. It would not be a bad thing to do what you say, but\\nyou must take into consideration the fact that the dissemination of", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0365.jp2"}, "366": {"fulltext": "356\\nthe population makes general education a hard thing to attend to in\\nthis country, and makes the inspection of education still more diffi-\\ncult; but I think the idea is a good one.\\nDr. Carroll. Those who have the suffrage naturally would wish\\nto retain it; they would be more anxious not to lose it, perhaps, than\\nto gain it. Two years would be entirely too short a time to allow\\nmen to qualify themselves.\\nMr. Amedeo. I do not consider that the elementary education which\\nis received in most countries of the world fits a man to take part in\\nthe government of his country. I believe that sound traditions among\\npeople who can not read and write does more in some countries to fit\\nthem for suffrage. As in Porto Rico concubinage is one of the curses\\nof the country, family traditions do not exist.\\n[This was changed somewhat by special decree for Porto Rico.]\\nAUTONOMIC CONSTITUTION.\\nTitle L*\\nGOVERNMENT AND CIVIL ADMINISTRATION IN THE ISLANDS OF CUBA\\nAND PORTO RICO.\\nArticle 1. The system of government and civil administration in\\nthe islands of Cuba and Porto Rico shall hereafter be carried on in\\nconformity with the following provisions:\\nArt. 2. Each island shall be governed by an insular parliament, con-\\nsisting of two chambers, and by the governor-general, representing\\nthe mother country, who shall exercise supreme authority.\\nTitle II.\\nTHE insular chambers.\\nArt. 3. The legislative power as to colonial matters in the shape\\nand manner prescribed by law shall be vested in the insular chambers\\nconjointly with the Governor-General.\\nExplanatory Note. To facilitate the understanding of this decree and to\\navoid confusion as to the legal value of the terms employed therein, the following\\ndefinitions are to be observed:\\nCentral executive power .The King, with his council of ministers.\\nThe Spanish Parliament The Cortes, with the King.\\nThe Spanish Chambers The Congress and the Senate.\\nThe central government The council of ministers of the Kingdom.\\nThe Colonial Parliament The. two chambers, with the Governor-\\nGeneral.\\nThe colonial chambers The council of administration and the\\nchamber of representatives.\\nColonial legislative assemblies The council of administration and the\\nchamber of representatives.\\nGovernor-General in council The Governor- General, with the secre-\\ntaries of his cabinet.\\nInstructions of the Govern or- General ...Those which he may have received when\\nnamed for his office.\\nStatute Colonial measure of a legislative char-\\nacter.\\nColonial statutes Colonial legislation.\\nLegislation or general laws .Legislation or laws of the Kingdom.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0366.jp2"}, "367": {"fulltext": "357\\nArt. 4. Insular representation shall consist of two bodies of equal\\npowers, which shall be known as chamber of representatives and\\ncouncil of administration.\\nTitle III.\\nCOUNCIL OF ADMINISTRATION.\\nArt. 5. The council shall be composed of thirty-five members, of\\nwhom eighteen shall be elected in the manner directed by the electoral\\nlaw and seventeen shall be appointed by the Governor-General acting\\nfor the Crown, from among such persons as have the qualifications\\nspecified in the following articles\\nArt. 6. To be entitled to sit in the council of administration it is\\nnecessary to be a Spanish subject; to have attained the age of thirty-\\nfive years; to have been born in the island, or to have had four years\\nconstant residence therein; not to be subject to any pending criminal\\nprosecution; to be in the full enjoyment of his political rights; to have\\nhis property free from attachment; to have had for two or more years\\nprevious an annual income of four thousand dollars to have no inter-\\nest in any contract Avith either the insular or the home Government.\\nThe shareholders of a stock company shall not be considered as\\nGovernment contractors, even if the company has a contract with\\nthe Government.\\nArt. 7. Persons are also qualified to serve as councilors who,\\nbesides the above-stated requirements, have any of the following\\nqualifications:\\n1. To be or to have been a senator of the Kingdom, or to possess\\nthe requirements for being a senator, in conformity with Article III of\\nthe constitution.\\n2. To have held for a period of two years any of the following\\noffices President, or prosecuting attorney of the pretorian court of\\nHavana; rector of the University of Havana; councilor of adminis-\\ntration in the council formerly thus designated; president of the\\nHavana Chamber of Commerce; president of the Economic Society\\nof Friends of the Country president of the Sugar Planters Associa-\\ntion; president of the Tobacco Manufacturers Union; president of the\\nMerchants, Tradesmens, and Agriculturalists League; dean of the\\nbar of Havana; mayor of Havana; president of the provincial assem-\\nbly of Havana during two terms or of any provincial assembly during\\nthree terms; dean of either of the chapters of the two cathedrals.\\n3. Likewise may be elected or appointed as councilor any property\\nowner from among the fifty taxpayers paying the highest taxes, either\\non real estate or on industries, commerce, arts, and the professions.\\nArt. 8. The councilors appointed by the Crown shall be appointed\\nby special decrees, stating the qualification entitling the appointee to\\nserve as councilor.\\nCouncilors thus appointed shall hold office for life.\\nOne-half the number of elective councilors shall be elected every\\nfive years, and the whole number shall be elected whenever the coun-\\ncil of administration shall be dissolved by the Governor-General.\\nArt. 9. The qualifications required in order to be appointed or\\nelected councilor of administration may be changed by a national\\nlaw, at the request or upon the proposition of the insular chambers.\\nArt. 10. No councilor shall, during the session of the council,\\naccept any civil office, promotion (unless it be strictly by seniority)", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0367.jp2"}, "368": {"fulltext": "358\\ntitle, or decoration; but any councilor may be appointed by either\\nthe local or the home government to anj^ commission within his own\\nprofession or category, whenever the public service shall require it.\\nThe secretaries of the insular government shall be excepted from\\nthe foregoing rule.\\nTitle IV.\\nTHE CHAMBER OF REPRESENTATIVES.\\nArt. 11. The chamber of representatives shall be composed of\\nmembers named by the electoral boards in the manner prescribed by\\nlaw and in the proportion of one for every twenty-five thousand\\ninhabitants.\\nArt. 12. To be elected as representative the candidate must have\\nthe following requirements: To be a Spanish citizen, to be a layman,\\nto have attained his majority, to be in full enjoyment of civil rights,\\nto have been born in the island or to have had four years constant\\nresidence therein, and not to be subject to any pending criminal\\nprosecution.\\nArt. 13. Representatives shall be elected every five years, and any\\nrepresentative may be reelected any number of times.\\nThe insular chamber shall determine what classes of offices are incom-\\npatible with the office of representative, as well as the cases governing\\nreelection.\\nArt. 14. Any representative upon whom either the local or home\\ngovernment shall confer a pension, or any employment, promotion\\n(unless it be by strict seniority), paid commission, title, or decoration\\nshall cease to be such without necessity of any declaration to that\\neffect, unless he shall within fifteen days of his appointment notify the\\nchamber of his having declined the favor.\\nThe provisions of the preceding paragraph shall not include the\\nrepresentatives who shall be appointed members of the cabinet.\\nTitle V.\\nPROCEEDINGS OF THE INSULAR CHAMBERS AND THEIR RELATIONS\\nTO EACH OTHER.\\nArt. 15. The chambers will meet every year. The King, the Gov-\\nernor-General acting in his name, shall convene, suspend, and adjourn\\nthe sessions and dissolve the chamber of representatives and the\\ncouncil of administration, either separately or simultaneously, under\\nthe obligation to call them together again or renew them within three\\nmonths.\\nArt. 16. Each of the two legislative bodies shall determine the\\nrules of their proceedings and shall be the judges of the qualifications\\nof their respective members and the legality of their election.\\nUntil the chamber and the council shall pass their own rules, they\\nshall be governed by the rules of the national house of representa-\\ntives and of the senate, respectively.\\nArt. 17. Each chamber shall choose its president, vice-president,\\nand secretaries.\\nArt. 18. Neither chamber shall sit unless the other be sitting also,\\nexcept when the council exercises judicial functions.\\nArt. 19. The two insular chambers shall not deliberate together\\nnor in the presence of the Governor-General.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0368.jp2"}, "369": {"fulltext": "359\\nThe sessions shall be public, but either chamber may hold secret\\nsessions whenever business of a private nature shall require it.\\nArt. 20. To the Governor- General, through his secretaries, as well\\nas to either of the two chambers, belongs the power to initiate and\\npropose colonial statutes.\\nArt. 21. All colonial statutes in regard to taxes and the public\\ncredit shall originate in the chamber of representatives.\\nArt. 22. Resolutions may be passed by either chamber by a plu-\\nrality of votes but in order to pass a measure of a legislative char-\\nacter a majority of all the members constituting the body must be\\npresent. Nevertheless, one-third of the members shall constitute a\\nquorum for deliberation.\\nArt. 23. No resolution or law shall be considered passed by the\\ninsular parliament unless it has had the concurrence of the chamber\\nof representatives and the council of administration.\\nArt. 24. Every colonial statute, as soon as it has been approved in\\nthe form prescribed in the preceding article, shall be presented to the\\nGovernor-General by the officers of both chambers for his sanction and\\nproclamation of the same.\\nArt. 25. Members of the council and the chamber of representa-\\ntives shall have immunity for any speech or vote in either chamber.\\nArt. 26. No councilor of administration shall be indicted or arrested\\nwithout a previous resolution of the council, unless he shall be found\\nin fragranti or the council shall not be in session but in every ease\\nnotice shall be given to that body as soon as possible, that it may deter-\\nmine what should be done. Nor shall the representatives be indicted\\nor arrested during the sessions without the permission of the chamber\\nunless they are found in fragranti; but in this last case, or in case of\\nindictment or arrest when the chamber is not sitting, notice shall be\\ngiven as soon as possible to the chamber of representatives for its\\ninformation and action. All proceedings against councilors and repre-\\nsentatives shall be brought before the pretorian court at Havana in\\nthe cases and manner that shall be prescribed by colonial statutes.\\nArt. 27. The guaranties established in the foregoing section shall\\nnot apply to a councilor or representative who shall himself admit that\\nhe is the author of any article, book, pamphlet, or printed matter\\nwherein military sedition is incited or invoked, or the Govern or- General\\nis insulted and maligned, or national sovereignty is assailed.\\nArt. 28. The relations between the two chambers shall be governed,\\nuntil otherwise provided, by the act of July 19, 1837, regulating the\\nrelations between the two legislative houses of the Cortes.\\nArt. 29. Besides the power of enacting laws for the colony, the insu-\\nlar chambers shall have power\\n1. To receive the oath of the Governor- General to preserve the con-\\nstitution and the laws which guarantee the autonomy of the colony.\\n2. To enforce the responsibility of the secretaries of the executive,\\nwho shall be tried by the council, whenever impeached by the chamber\\nof representatives.\\n3. To address the home Government through the Governor- General,\\nproposing the abrogation or modification of existing laws of the King-\\ndom; to invite the home Government to present bills as to particular\\nmatters, or to ask a decision of an executive character on matters\\nwhich interest the colony.\\nArt. 30. The Governor-General shall communicate to the home\\nGovernment, before presenting to the insular parliament any bill\\noriginating in the executive government of the island, whenever, in", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0369.jp2"}, "370": {"fulltext": "360\\nhis judgment, said bill may affect national interests. Should any\\nsuch bill originate in the insular parliament, the government of the\\nisland shall ask for a postponement of the debate until the home\\nGovernment shall have given its opinion.\\nIn either case the correspondence passing between the two govern-\\nments shall be laid before the chambers and published in the official\\nGazette.\\nArt. 31. All differences of jurisdiction between the several munici-\\npal, provincial, and insular assemblies, or between any of them and\\nthe executive, which by their nature may not be referred to the home\\nGovernment, shall be submitted to the courts of justice in accordance\\nwith the rules herein prescribed.\\nTitle VI.\\nPOWERS VESTED IN THE INSULAR PARLIAMENT.\\nArt. 32. The insular chambers shall have power to pass upon all\\nmatters not specially and expressly reserved to the Cortes of the King-\\ndom or to the central Government as herein provided, or as may be\\nprovided hereafter, in accordance with the prescription set forth in\\nadditional article 2.\\nIn this manner, and without implying that the following enumera-\\ntion presupposes any limitation of their power to legislate on other\\nsubjects, they shall have power to legislate on all matters and sub-\\njects concerning the departments of justice, interior, treasury, public\\nworks, education, and agriculture.\\nThey shall likewise have exclusive cognizauce of all matters of a\\npurely local nature which may principally affect the colonial territory;\\nand to this end they shall have power to legislate on civil administra-\\ntion; on provincial, municipal, or judicial apportionment; on public\\nhealth, by land or sea, and on public credit, banks, and the monetary\\nsystem.\\nThis power, however, shall not impair the powers vested in the\\ncolonial executive according to the laws in connection with the mat-\\nters above mentioned.\\nArt. 33. It shall be incumbent upon the colonial parliament to\\nmake regulations under such national laws as may be passed by the\\nCortes and expressly intrusted to it. Especially among such meas-\\nures, parliament shall, legislate, and may do so at the first sitting, for\\nthe purpose of regulating the elections, the taking of the electoral\\ncensus, qualifying electors, and exercising the right of suffrage but\\nin no event shall these dispositions affect the rights of the citizens\\nas established by the electoral laws.\\nArt. 34. Notwithstanding that the laws governing the judiciary\\nand the administration of justice are of a national character, and\\ntherefore obligatory for the colony, the insular parliament may,\\nwithin the provisions of said laws, make rules or propose to the home\\nGovernment such measures as shall render easier the admission, con-\\ntinuance, or promotion in the local courts of lawyers, natives of the\\nisland, or practicing therein.\\nThe Governor-General in council shall have, as far as the island of\\nCuba is concerned, the same power that has been vested heretofore in\\nthe minister for the colonies for the appointment of the functionaries\\nand subordinate and auxiliary officers of the judicial order and as to\\nthe other matters connected with the administration of justice.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0370.jp2"}, "371": {"fulltext": "361\\nArt. 35. The insular parliament shall have exclusive power to\\nframe the local budget of expenditures and revenues, including the\\nrevenue corresponding to the island as her quota of the national\\nbudget.\\nTo this end the Governor-General shall present to the chambers\\nevery year before the month of January the budget for the next fiscal\\nyear, divided in two parts, as follows The first part shall state the\\nrevenues needed to defray the expenses of sovereignty, and the sec-\\nond part shall state the revenues and expenditures estimated for the\\nmaintenance of the colonial administration.\\nNeither chamber shall take up the budget of the colonial govern-\\nment without having finally voted the part for the maintenance of\\nsovereignty.\\nArt. 36. The Cortes of the Kingdom shall determine what expendi-\\ntures are to be considered by reason of their nature as obligatory\\nexpenses inherent to sovereignty, and shall fix the amount every three\\nyears and the revenue needed to defray the same, the Cortes reserving\\nthe right to alter this rule.\\nArt. 37. All treaties of commerce affecting the island of Cuba, be\\nthey suggested by the insular or by the home Government, shall be\\nmade by the latter with the cooperation of special delegates duly\\nauthorized by the colonial government, whose concurrence shall be\\nacknowledged upon submitting the treaties to the Cortes.\\nSaid treaties, when approved by the Cortes, shall be proclaimed as\\nlaws of the Kingdom and as such shall obtain in the colony.\\nArt. 38. Notice shall be given to the insular government of any\\ncommercial treaties made without its participation as soon as said\\ntreaties shall become laws, to the end that, within a period of three\\nmonths, it may declare its acceptance or nonacceptance of their stipu-\\nlations. In case of acceptance the Governor-General shall cause the\\ntreaty to be published in the Gazette as a colonial statute.\\nArt. 39. The insular parliament shall also haA r e power to frame the\\ntariff and fix the duties to be paid on merchandise as well for its\\nimportation into the territory of the island as for the exportation\\nthereof.\\nArt. 40. As a transition from the old regime to the new constitution,,\\nand until the home and insular governments may otherwise conjointly\\ndetermine hereafter, the commercial relations between the island and\\nthe metropolis shall be governed by the following rules:\\n1. No differential duty, whether fiscal or otherwise, either on imports\\nor exports, shall be imposed to the detriment of either insular or pen-\\ninsular production.\\n2. The two governments shall make a schedule of articles of direct\\nnational origin to which shall be allowed by common consent prefer-\\nential duty over similar foreign products.\\nIn another schedule, made in like manner, shall be determined such\\narticles of direct insular production as shall be entitled to privileged\\ntreatment on their importation into the Peninsula and the amount of\\npreferential duties thereon.\\nIn neither case shall the preferential duty exceed 35 per cent.\\nShould the home and the colonial government agree upon the sched-\\nules and the preferential duties, they shall be considered final and\\nshall be enforced at once. In case of disagreement the point in dis-\\npute shall be submitted to a committee of representatives of the\\nCortes, consisting of an equal number of Cubans and Peninsulars.\\nThe committee shall appoint its chairman, and in case of disagree-", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0371.jp2"}, "372": {"fulltext": "362\\nmerit the eldest member shall preside. The chairman shall have the\\ncasting vote.\\n3. The valuation tables concerning the articles in the schedules\\nabove mentioned shall be fixed by mutual agreement and shall be\\nrevised, after discussion, every two years. The modifications which\\nmay thereupon become necessary in the tariff duties shall be carried\\nout at once by the respective governments.\\nTitle VII.\\nTHE GOVERNOR-GENERAL.\\nArt. 41. The supreme authority of the colony shall be vested in a\\nGovernor-General appointed by the King on the nomination of the\\ncouncil of ministers. In his capacity he shall have as viceroyal patron\\nthe power inherent in the patronate of the Indies; he shall have com-\\nmand of all military and naval forces in the island he shall act as dele-\\ngate of the departments of state, war, navy, and the colonies all other\\nauthorities in the island shall be subordinate to his, and he shall be\\nresponsible for the preservation of order and the safety of the colony.\\nThe Governor-General shall, before taking possession of his office,\\ntake an oath in the presence of the King to discharge his duties faith-\\nfully and loyally.\\nArt. 42. The Governor-General, representing the nation, will dis-\\ncharge by himself and with the aid of his secretaries all the functions\\nindicated in the preceding articles and such others as may devolve\\nupon him as direct delegate of the King in matters of a national\\ncharacter.\\nIt shall be incumbent upon the Governor-General, as representing the\\nhome Government:\\n1. To appoint without restriction the secretaries of his cabinet.\\n2. To proclaim, execute, and cause to be executed in the island all\\nlaws, decrees, treaties, international covenants, and all other acts\\nemanating from the legislative branch of the Government, as well as\\nall decrees, royal commands, and other measures emanating from the\\nexecutive which shall be communicated to him by the departments of\\nwhich he acts as delegate.\\nWhenever in his judgment and in that of his secretaries he con-\\nsiders the resolutions of the home government as liable to injure the\\ngeneral interests of the nation or the special interests of the island he\\nshall have power to suspend the publication and execution thereof,\\nand shall so notify the respective department, stating the reasons for\\nhis action.\\n3. To grant pardons in the name of the King, within the limitations\\nspecially prescribed to him in his instructions from the Government,\\nand to stay the execution of a death sentence whenever the gravity of\\nthe circumstances shall so demand or the urgency of the case shall\\nallow of no time to solicit and obtain His Majesty s pardon; but in\\neither case he shall hear the counsel of his secretaries.\\n4. To suspend the guarantees set forth in articles 3, 5, 6, and 9, and\\nin the first, second, and third paragraphs of article 13 of the consti-\\ntution; to enforce legislation in regard to public order, and to take\\nall measures which he may deem necessary to preserve the peace\\nwithin and the safety without for the territory entrusted to him after\\nhearing the counsel of his cabinet.\\n5. To take care that in the colony justice be promptly and fully", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0372.jp2"}, "373": {"fulltext": "363\\nadministered, and that it shall always be administered in the name of\\nthe King.\\n6. To hold direct communication on foreign affairs with the ministers,\\ndiplomatic agents, and consuls of Spain throughout America.\\nA full copy of such correspondence shall be simultaneously forwarded\\nto the home Department of State.\\nArt. 43. It behooves the Governor-General, as the superior authority\\nin the colony and head of its administration\\n1. To take care that the rights, powers, and privileges now vested\\nor that may henceforth be vested in the colonial administration be\\nrespected and protected.\\n2. To sanction and proclaim the acts of the insular parliament, which\\nshall be submitted to him by the president and secretaries of the\\nrespective chambers.\\nWhenever, in the judgment of the Governor-General, an act of the\\ninsular parliament goes beyond its powers or impairs the rights of the\\ncitizens as set forth in Article I of the constitution, or curtails the guar-\\nantees prescribed by law for the exercise of said rights, or jeopards the\\ninterest of the colony or of the nation, he shall forward the act to the\\ncouncil of ministers of the Kingdom, which, within a period that shall\\nnot exceed two months, shall either assent to it or return it to the\\nGovernor-General with the objections to its sanction and proclamation.\\nThe insular parliament may, in view of the objections, reconsider or\\nmodify the act if it deems fit without a special proposition.\\nIf two months shall elapse without the central government giving\\nany opinion as to a measure agreed upon by the chambers which has\\nbeen transmitted to it by the Governor-General, the latter shall sanc-\\ntion and proclaim the same.\\n3. To appoint, suspend, and discharge the employees of the colonial\\nadministration, upon the suggestion of the secretaries of the depart-\\nments and in accordance with the laws.\\n4. To appoint and remove, without restriction, the secretaries of his\\ncabinet.\\nArt. 44. No executive order of the Governor-General, acting as\\nrepresentative and chief of the colony, shall take effect unless counter-\\nsigned by a secretary of the cabinet, who by this act alone shall make\\nhimself responsible for the same.\\nArt. 45. There shall be five secretaries of department, to wit:\\nGrace and justice and interior; finance; public education, public\\nworks and posts and telegraphs; agriculture, industry, and commerce.\\nThe Governor- General shall appoint the president of the cabinet\\nfrom among the secretaries, and shall also have power to appoint a\\npresident without a secretaryship.\\nThe power to increase or diminish the number of secretaries com-\\nposing the colonial cabinet, and to determine the scope of each depart-\\nment, is vested in the insular parliament.\\nArt. 46. The secretaries of the cabinet may be members of either\\nthe chamber of representatives or the council of administration and\\ntake part in the debates of either chamber, but a secretary shall only\\nvote in the chamber of which he is a member.\\nArt. 47. The secretaries of the cabinet shall be responsible to the\\ninsular parliament.\\nArt. 48. The Governor-General shall not modify or abrogate his own\\norders after they are assented to by the home government, or when\\nthey shall declare some rights, or when a sentence by a judicial court", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0373.jp2"}, "374": {"fulltext": "364\\nor administrative tribunal shall have been based upon said orders, or\\nwhen they shall deal with his own competency.\\nArt. 49. The Governor- General shall not turn over his office when\\nleaving the island except by special command from the home govern-\\nment. In case of absence from the seat of government which prevents\\nhis discharging the duties of his office or of disability to perform such\\nduties, he can appoint one or more persons to take his place, provided\\nthe home government has not previously done so or the method of\\nsubstitution shall not be stated in his instructions.\\nArt. 50. The supreme court shall have the sole power to try the\\nGovernor- General when impeached for his responsibilities as defined\\nby the Penal Code.\\nThe council of ministers shall take cognizance of his other responsi-\\nbilities.\\nArt. 51 The Governor-General shall have the power, in spite of the\\nprovisions of the different articles of this decree, to act upon his own\\nresponsibility, without consulting his secretaries, in the following-\\ncases\\n1. When forwarding to the home Government a bill passed by the\\ninsular parliament, especially when, in his opinion, it shall abridge the\\nrights set forth in article 1 of the constitution of the monarchy or the\\nguaranties for the exercise thereof vouchsafed by the laws.\\n2. When it shall be necessary to enforce the law or public order,\\nespecially if there be no time or possibility to consult the home Gov-\\nernment.\\n3. When enforcing the national laws that shall have been approved\\nby the Crown and made applicable to all of the Spanish or to the\\ncolony under his government.\\nThe proceedings and means of action which the Governor-General\\nshall employ in the above cases shall be determined by a special law.\\nTitle VIII.\\nMUNICIPAL AND PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT.\\nArt. 52. Municipal organization shall be compulsory for every group\\nof population of more than one thousand inhabitants.\\nGroups of less number of inhabitants may organize the service of\\ntheir community by special covenants.\\nEvery legally constituted municipality shall have power to frame its\\nown laws regarding public education; highways by land, river, and\\nsea; public health; municipal finances; as well as to freely appoint\\nand remove its own employees.\\nArt. 53. At the head of each province there shall be an assembly,\\nwhich shall be elected in the manner provided for by the colonial\\nstatutes, and shall be composed of a number of members in proportion\\nto the population.\\nArt. 54. The provincial assembly shall be autonomous as regards\\nthe creation and maintenance of public schools and colleges; charitable\\ninstitutions and provincial roads and ways by land, river, or sea; also\\nas regards their own budgets and the appointment and removal of\\ntheir respective employees.\\nArt. 55. The municipalities, as well as the provincial assemblies,\\nshall have power to freely raise the necessary revenue to cover their\\nexpenditures, with no other limitation than to make the means adopted", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0374.jp2"}, "375": {"fulltext": "365\\ncompatible with the general system of taxation which shall obtain in\\nthe island.\\nThe resources for provincial appropriations shall be independent of\\nmunicipal resources.\\nArt. 56. The mayors and presidents of boards of aldermen shall be\\nchosen by their respective boards from among their members.\\nArt. 57. The mayors shall discharge without limitation the active\\nduties of the municipal administration, as executors of the resolutions\\nof the board of aldermen or their representatives.\\nArt. 58. The aldermen and the provincial assemblymen shall be civ-\\nilly responsible for the damages caused by their acts.\\nTheir responsibility shall be exacted before the ordinary courts of\\njustice.\\nArt. 59. The provincial assemblies shall freely choose their respec-\\ntive presidents.\\nArt. 60. The elections of aldermen and assemblymen shall be con-\\nducted in such manner as to allow for a legitimate representation of\\nthe minorities.\\nArt. 61. The provincial and municipal laws now obtaining in the\\nisland shall continue in vogue, wherever not in conflict with the provi-\\nsions of this decree, until the insular parliament shall legislate upon\\nthe matter.\\nArt. 62. No colonial statute shall abridge the powers vested by the\\npreceding articles in the municipalities and the provincial assemblies.\\nTitle IX.\\nAS TO THE GUARANTIES FOR THE FULFILLMENT OF THE COLONIAL\\nCONSTITUTION.\\nArt. 63. Whenever a citizen shall consider that his rights have been\\nviolated or his interests injured by the action of a municipality or a\\nprovincial assembly he shall have the right to apply to the courts of\\njustice for redress.\\nThe department of justice shall, if so required by the agents of the\\nexecutive government of the colony, prosecute before the courts the\\nboards of aldermen or provincial assemblies charged with breaking\\nthe laws or abusing their power.\\nArt. 64. In the cases referred to in the preceding article the follow-\\ning courts shall have jurisdiction The territorial audiencia shall try\\nall claims against municipalities, and the pretorian court of Havana\\nshall try all claims against provincial assemblies.\\nSaid courts, when the charges against any of the above-mentioned\\ncorporations shall be for abuse of power, shall render their decisions\\nby a full bench. From the decision of the territorial audiencia an\\nappeal shall be allowed to the pretorian court of Havana, and from the\\ndecisions of the latter an appeal shall be allowed to the supreme court\\nof the Kingdom.\\nArt. 65. The redress of grievances which article 62 grants to any\\ncitizen can also be had collectively by means of public action, by\\nappointing an attorney or representative claimant.\\nArt. 66. Without in any way impairing the powers vested in the\\nGovernor-General by Title V of the present decree, he may, whenever\\nhe deems fit, appear before the pretorian court of Havana in his capacity\\nas chief of the executive government of the colony, to the end that said\\ncourt shall finally decide any conflict of jurisdiction between the execu-\\ntive power and the legislative chambers of the colony.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0375.jp2"}, "376": {"fulltext": "366\\nArt. 67. Should any question of jurisdiction be raised between the\\ninsular parliament and the Governor-General in his capacity as repre-\\nsentative of the home Government, which shall not have been sub-\\nmitted to the council of ministers of the Kingdom by petition of the\\ninsular parliament, either party shall have power to bring the matter\\nbefore the supreme court of the Kingdom, which shall render its deci-\\nsion by a full bench and in the first instance.\\nArt. QS. The decisions rendered in all cases provided for in the pre-\\nceding articles shall be published in the collection of colonial statutes\\nand shall form part of the insular legislation.\\nArt. G9. Every municipal measure for the purpose of contracting a\\nloan or a municipal debt shall be without effect, unless it be assented\\nto by a majority of the townspeople whenever one-third of the number\\nof aldermen shall so demand.\\nThe amount of the loan or debt which, according to the number of\\ninhabitants of a township, shall make the referendum proceeding nec-\\nessary shall be determined by special statute.\\nArt. 70. All legislative acts originating in the insular parliament\\nor the Cortes shall be compiled under the title of colonial statutes in a\\nlegislative collection, the formation and publication of which shall be\\nintrusted to the Governor- General as chief of the colonial executive.\\nTHE SYSTEM OP TAXATION.\\nTHE CONSUMPTION TAX.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nSan Juan, P. R., October SI, 1898.\\nMr. Crosas. I have been engaged in business here for twenty years,\\ndealing mostly in produce. Planters consign to me and I sell on orders\\nfrom the United States.\\nDr. Cajrroll. Can you give me some information in regard to the\\nconsumption tax?\\nMr. Crosas. That is a tax levied on all goods, according to the Spanish\\nlaw, to eat, to drink, or to burn; not on dry goods, not on trinkets or\\njewelry only on the most necessary articles of consumption, such as\\nwines, maize, rice, lard, sugar, flour, milk, charcoal which is used\\nfor cooking purposes, and other articles. When this law was passed\\nit would seem that there must have been among the representatives\\nat Madrid a majority who were dry goods merchants, because it favors\\nthe dry goods men as against the provision merchants.\\nEventually this tax has produced a serious effect upon the stomachs\\nof the poor people. We have been selling sugar at $3 a hundred\\npounds, Spanish the Spanish pound being a little heavier than the\\npound of the United States. Added to that was the consumption tax\\nof 2 cents a pound, and then the grocer wanted to get a profit out of\\nit and he had the expense of clerk hire, etc., so that the sugar which\\nmight have sold for 4 cents a pound was sold for G cents, and the poor\\npeople were the ones that suffered. Take flour, $2.50 per sack of 200\\npounds; take rice, 2 cents a pound, and at this rate it can be seen\\nthat the burden fell directly upon the poor, because the very things\\nwhich they required were the things which were taxed. They have\\ncomplained about it; they say that they are becoming anemic for", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0376.jp2"}, "377": {"fulltext": "367\\nwant of proper food because they are unable to buy the necessaries\\nof life with their small wages.\\nDr. Carroll. How long has it been since the tax was first levied?\\nMr. Crosas. I do not remember just how long. I remember how I\\nopposed it, but there was a smart lawyer, who thought he knew it all,\\nin the council, and he said it was scientific; that France had it, and\\nthat it would be a good thing here. I told him that France had a heavy\\ndebt and everything had to pay there, but that we did not have that\\nhere. However, my objection went for naught.\\nDr. Carroll. Is the tax general throughout the island?\\nMr. Crosas. As soon as the tax was instituted here every little town\\nthroughout the island did the same thing. They even had a tax on\\nDr. Carroll. Do they have a tax on eggs and chickens?\\nMr. Crosas. No; it was taken off, but we have it on rum, rice, wine,\\nbeer, Spanish pease, meat, charcoal, milk, etc. The tax should be\\nabolished immediately. Taxes generally through the country have\\nbeen levied according to the party you belonged to. If you were a\\nConservative, you got off pretty well; but if you were a native or a\\nforeigner or a Liberal, they would put the screws on you by chang-\\ning the valuation. I remember that there was a farm rented by a\\nSpaniard and he was obliged to pay the taxes on that farm, the whole\\nof which amounted to about $80 a year. The owner of the land owed\\nme considerable money and I had to take this property, and when it\\nbecame my property they increased the taxes on it to $400.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there a tax, municipal or provincial, on store-\\nkeepers?\\nMr. Crosas. We have what is called here patente that is, the pat-\\nent or privilege of opening your doors as a store. They have four\\nclasses; I was in the first class as an importer. The Government\\nlevied the tax on me for the national treasury, amounting to $700.\\nThen the municipal authorities levied a tax of 7-g- per cent, amounting\\nto $1,050. Consequently I was paying to Her Majesty annually $1,750\\nunder Spanish administration. But finally, seeing how things were\\ngoing, I placed myself in the second class and they have imposed on\\nme a Government tax of $421, and the city council wants to charge 12-J\\nper cent ($1,050), but I refused to pay it. The Government taxes you\\non your profits 5 per cent, but they appraise the profits a great deal\\nmore than they really are. The municipality taxes the storekeeper\\naccording to its necessities 7 per cent or more this year 7-J- per cent.\\nI don t know where the municipality got its authority from to con-\\ntribute so many thousand dollars to the national Government.\\nABUSES IN TAXATION.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nGobo, P. R., January 15, 1899.\\nDr. Carroll. How many miles is it from here to the city of Arecibo?\\nMr. Leopold Strube. About 16 miles, and from here to Utuado, 6\\nor 7 miles.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you have to pay as much taxes as though you\\nlived in Arecibo?\\nMr. Strube. We have to pay only one tax here. That was a tax\\non property according to the income no, not even according to the", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0377.jp2"}, "378": {"fulltext": "368\\nincome, but according to the character of the plantation and the tax\\nis not large. This property is valued at 18,000 pesos, and we pay only\\nabout 150 pesos a year in Arecibo, and about 60 or 70 pesos in Utuado.\\nThis is not a large tax, but it is not equally divided between the two\\nmunicipal districts, because I have four parts of my land in Arecibo,\\nand pay 150 pesos there, and one part in Utuado, where I pay nearly\\none-half what I pay in Arecibo.\\nDr. Carroll. Don t you pay any insular taxes for the General Gov-\\nernment in San Juan?\\nMr. Strube. That tax covers both. About 50 pesos would go to the\\ninsular treasury and 100 to the municipal.\\nDr. Carroll. How do they get at the amount of that tax?\\nMr. Strube. It is based on what we declare. That is another thing.\\nAt first I had to pay more money than anybody else. Then one big\\nplantation here, which raises about five times as much coffee as I,\\npaid only $20 more than I paid. When I noticed that, I went to the\\nsecretary and arranged it with him in Arecibo. In Utuado I never\\ncould get to see the secretary. When it came time to make state-\\nments for taxes in Arecibo, I went there and made a claim and said\\nI could not pay so much when others were paying less. Then they\\nreduced my taxes $30. Afterwards the secretary of the municipality\\ncame to me and said that I must give him $15 because he had had my\\ntaxes reduced $30. I said, No, you did not do it. I protested in\\nthe usual way and got my right in public. But I knew that if I did\\nnot pay him $15 I would lose, the benefit of the reduction, because he\\nwould put the assessment back again to what it was before. I said\\nto him, I will give you $15 if you will reduce my taxes another $30,\\nand he did that, and since then I have been paying him $15 a year,\\nand he has kept my assessment down.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you think he divided with others?\\nMr. Strube. No; the Spaniards did not pay to him, because they had\\ntheir ways of getting their rights, but this secretary had all the for-\\neigners. It was like a personal tax we had to pay him.\\nDr. Carroll. The poor man did not get that rebate?\\nMr. Strube. No; but the Spaniards did not tax the poor man,\\nbecause they knew he had nothing. They said, We will tax the\\nother fellow more and make up the difference.\\nSTATE TAXES ONEROUS.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nAguadilla, P. R., January 21, 1899.\\nMr. Adrian Del Valle (of Del Valle, Coppich Co.). Mr. Tor-\\nregrosa and I defend the same ideas and principles. I was mayor of\\nthe town, elected by popular vote. I have a commission house and\\ncoffee-cleaning establishment.\\nIn the name of Porto Rieans generally I thank you for the good\\nopinions you have formed of the island, as I have seen it stated in the\\npress. I have a brother in the States, and all the family of my part-\\nner are being educated in the United States. Owing to my position\\nas a taxpayer for twenty-five or thirty years I have always had a\\nvoice in the municipality, and I do not preach anything but that\\nwhich will benefit the district in which I live.\\nOne of our necessities is roads, especially that from here to Lares.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0378.jp2"}, "379": {"fulltext": "369\\nThe deputation had this road under its charge and was planning to\\nmake such a road in former days, but the road was never completed.\\nThey were six years making 5 kilometers of this road, and that has\\nnever been paid for yet. Everything has been done here by what we\\ncall an expediente that is, you can not address anybody except by a\\ncertain form of writing on stamped paper; everything has to be done\\nby written documents. The country is ruined by the immense amount\\nof taxation levied on it.\\nOur business house had to pay $500 for state taxes. We had to pay\\none and one-half times that for municipal taxes. Then we had to\\npay besides indirect taxes. They used to say here that the state\\nhad a hand in one pocket and the province a hand in the other pocket\\nof poor Porto Rico but, in spite of this, the Government never allowed\\nus to take care of our own matters. We had nothing to say in the\\ngovernment of the country, because we were Porto Ricans. A mer-\\nchant, if he wished to live a quiet life, had to fall in with the plans of\\nrobbery and thieving from the Government that is practiced here. In\\ncustom-house dealings, for instance, it was impossible to conduct a\\nbusiness if the merchant did not fall in with the ways of the custom-\\nhouse people and bribe them for the purpose of smuggling in goods.\\nThe Spanish employees forced us to rob the Government or go out of\\nbusiness. Ten years ago, when I was in the United States, I liked the\\ncountry so much that I said to my friend, The only salvation for\\nPorto Rico is that it fall into the hands of the United States. We\\nwant new laws to be put in force here as soon as possible. It is not\\npossible to do very much under present conditions.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you refer now to any particular code, the penal\\nor the commercial code, or to the administration of affairs generally?\\nMr. Del Valle. The whole system has to be changed, especially\\nthat of instruction. Money is spent and nothing is seen for it.\\nTHE BASIS OF STATE TAXATION.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nMayaguez, P. R. January 24, 1899.\\nDr. Carroll. I should like to ask a few questions about the tax\\ndepartment. How are estimates upon property made?\\nMr. Manuel Balsac (secretary of municipality). They take as a\\nbasis the State taxation, and on that basis the municipality taxes so\\nmuch per cent that is, so much per cent of the amount taxed hj the\\nState.\\nDr. Carroll. Who determines the basis of State taxation?\\nSecretary Balsac. The taxpayers themselves. They themselves\\nform a committee of experts and prepare plans showing the amount\\nof property that they own, and they work upon that.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there no attempt to ascertain whether they have\\nproperty or income beyond that which they report?\\nSecretary Balsac. They have not done it up to the present, because\\nthe State has proceeded in the following manner: It merely says,\\nWe want so much money. Now, you divide it up among your-\\nselves. Usually this measure applies only to urban property, in\\nwhich usually the merchants and householders form committees. As\\nregards the suburban and agricultural property, a State board of\\n1125 24", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0379.jp2"}, "380": {"fulltext": "370\\nexperts was formed, and made application to the alcaldes for infor-\\nmation and returns, and on that they formed the tax rate.\\nDr. Carroll. I suppose it was expected that each gremio would see\\nthat every member paid his proper share?\\nSecretary Balsac. Among the merchants that did take place, but\\namong agricultural interests the vigilance exercised was not so effect-\\nive, and now and then they had complaints.\\nDr. Carroll. For the purpose of taxation how many gremios are\\nthere?\\nSecretary Balsac. I think there are about forty, every industry and\\nevery profession being represented.\\nDr. Carroll. How are the accounts divided as between the gre-\\nmios by representatives of those gremios?\\nSecretary Balsac. The basis of the taxation of each gremio is deter-\\nmined by the tariff established by law. For instance, lawyers pay\\n$40 each. If there were ten lawyers in the town, they would be taxed\\n$400. They would meet and apportion that among themselves. In\\npractice they all pay the same amount. There are several physicians,\\nand they all pay the same.\\nDr. Carroll. How about householders? Do they pay for the value\\nof the rental of the houses, or how do they pay, if not in that way?\\nMr. St. Laurent. Householders send in sworn returns of their\\nproperty during the year. .From these sworn returns as to rental\\n25 per cent is deducted as an allowance for expenses, and they pay 5\\nper cent on what remains.\\nDr. Carroll. Are household needs included in the estimates?\\nMr. St. Laurent. No; only rental value of the houses.\\nDr. Carroll. Suppose a house were unoccupied for a whole year,\\nwould there be a tax?\\nMr. St. Laurent. It pays just the same.\\nDr. Carroll. Suppose a farm is abandoned and brings in no\\nincome, does it pay the same tax?\\nMr. St. Laurent. In that case the owner would make it known to\\nthe authorities, and instead of paying a tax on his land as cultivated\\nland he would pay a tax on it as grazing land or pasture land.\\nDr. Carroll. Would it, in your judgment, be better to fix a dif-\\nferent plan of valuation, a certain percentage, say, on the valuation\\nof property, it being understood that as property increases or decreases\\nin value the rate of assessment is changed accordingly, and then to\\nlevy a rate at a certain per cent on the value of the lands and\\ntenements.\\nMr. St. Laurent. That is our desire here, but we are prevented\\nfrom doing it because we have not municipal autonomy.\\nDr. Carroll. I merely ask if you approve that method whether\\nthat method ought to be introduced when the new government is\\nintroduced into the island.\\nMr. St. Laurent. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. And whether it would be well to levy also a poll tax\\nof, say, 1 peso upon every voting citizen, apart from all his other\\ntaxes, so that not only those who have property should pay taxes, but\\nthose who have not property.\\nMr. St. Laurent. The collection of that would be very difficult.\\nMr. Cartagena. Do they have that system to-day in the United\\nStates?\\nDr. Carroll. In many of the States they do, and in those States\\nwhen a man comes to vote his vote may be challenged if he has not\\npaid his poll tax.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0380.jp2"}, "381": {"fulltext": "371\\nMr. St. Laurent. Later on, perhaps, I think we could introduce\\nthat, but at present it would be attended with great difficulty.\\nDr. Carroll. Is it not a sound principle that every male citizen\\nshould contribute to the government whose pi otection he enjoys?\\nMr. St. Laurent. As a general principle it is as good a plan as you\\ncould advise, but the difficulty would be to put it in practice.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the special difficulty about the inaugura-\\ntion of it? You have had a system of passports for which you have\\npaid more than this amount of tax.\\nMr. St. Laurent. The passive resistance of individuals against it.\\nThe cedulas were divided into different classes. The laborer paid 12\\ncents only. Then there was a cedula of 20 cents, and so on up to $25,\\naccording to the position of the person who paid.\\nDr. Carroll. It might be that a lesser amount should be named.\\nI named the peso because generally the amount in the United States\\nis $1.\\nMr. St. Laurent. Would you make the amount the same for every-\\nbody?\\nDr. Carroll. Yes.\\nMr. St. Laurent. The poor men would have to pay an equal amount\\nthen with the rich men.\\nDr. Carroll. But the rich men would have to pay several hundred\\ndollars in other ways, while the poor man would pay only one tax.\\nSecretary Balsac. The municipal law provides for the collection\\nof a head tax, but the difficulty of collecting has been so great that\\nwe have given it up.\\nDr. Carroll. Perhaps you have not had any penalty attached to\\nit, such as denying the right of suffrage to those who do not pay the tax.\\nMr. St. Laurent. Nobody has that right.\\nDr. Carroll. Under the autonomistic regime a voting privilege\\nwas allowed.\\nSecretary Balsac. Under the law of suffrage granted the head tax\\nwas $5.\\nDr. Carroll. Under the autonomistic regime?\\nA Physician present. There was universal suffrage in that system.\\nTHE NEW LAND TAX.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nIsland of Vieques, P. R. January SI, 1899.\\nMr. L. F. Wolfe. There is another thing we wish to speak of, and\\nthat is the new tax on land. Our land can not be classed with the\\nland of Porto Rico as 1, 2, and 3, the cultivation of sugar paying from\\n50 cents to $1 and the cultivation of grass for cattle paying one-half\\nthat. The $1 charge is exorbitant. The tax on hills that we do not\\nuse at all is also excessive, because we must leave them wooded in\\norder to attract the rain, as we have no rivers here. If we cut down\\nthe trees on them, we would be ruined.\\nDr. Carroll. Your objection is to the rates and not to the classifi-\\ncation?\\nMr. Wolfe. That is it. Porto Rico can stand those rates. We\\nare paying also a great deal in customs. We pay to the capital also,\\nand I fear that with all these taxes we shall have to leave the island.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0381.jp2"}, "382": {"fulltext": "372\\nVieques has been badly treated by Porto Rico. We used to pay the\\ncity $25,000 for prisons. Then we used to have to pay for roads,\\nalthough we never got roads. Our roads would not have been built\\nat all if we had not done something for them.\\nTHE MUNICIPAL TAX.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nHumacao, P. R. February 1, 1899.\\nMr. Antonio Ortiz, a retail dealer of Humacao, and others:\\nMr. Ortiz. Under the Spanish Government we had to pay very\\nheavy taxes, and still have to pay them. I want to ask if the present\\ngovernment can not reduce them-.\\nDr. Carroll. I understand that the tax was very small under the\\nSpanish law; that you could open your store for something like $15 a\\nyear.\\nMr. Ortiz. The state charges $16; we pay 400 per cent of that to\\nthe municipality, and on top of that $60 for a liquor license.\\nDr. Carroll. Are you in the first, second, or third class of liquor\\ndealers?\\nM.v. Ortiz. In the seventh class.\\nMr. Antonio Roig. We have only two classes first and second.\\nDr. Carroll. Then you haven t followed out the new order, which\\nmakes a further division.\\nMr. Ortiz. The order makes no further distinction the only dis-\\ntinction is as to the population of the town in which we do business\\nthose in some towns paying more than those in others, according to\\nthe number of inhabitants in the towns. The tax of $60 on liquors\\nand $60 on tobacco are in addition to the old tax, to make up for the\\nconsumption tax, which was in part abolished.\\nDr. Carroll. Does the council only make two classes in applying\\nthe new order?\\nMr. Ortiz. Yes; only into wholesale and retail. I don t complain\\nabout the new liquor tax, but about the municipal tax of $64. It is\\ntoo large an amount as compared with the money I have invested in\\nmy business.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you made representation to the alcalde and\\ncouncil with reference to this matter?\\nMr. Ortiz. The whole of the merchants of this district made a com-\\nplaint to General Henry. Some time ago the collector of taxes went\\naround town from store to store and told them they were not paying\\nin the class to which they belonged. I was put from the eighth class\\ninto the seventh, so that I am paying more than I did before. I don t\\nknow why they raised my class. I have been around to all the mer-\\nchants and they all complain that their status has been changed.\\nA Councilman. They have no complaint to make on that score,\\nbecause formerly they were pajdng in a class to which they did not\\nbelong, owing to the favoritism of the custom-house officials, who placed\\nthem in their respective classes. They now have their proper legal\\nstatus, so they can not make any representation to General Henry.\\nDr. Carroll. Yes, they can, because that will present a reason for\\na new classification. A man who has a capital of only $200 can not\\nafford to pay nearly $200 to start business.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0382.jp2"}, "383": {"fulltext": "373\\nOBJECTIONS TO THE NEW LAND TAX.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nGuayama, P. R. February 3, 1899.\\nMr. Juan I. Capo. I am a property owner, and I think I can say\\nthat the people, as a whole, are not pleased with the new tax pub-\\nlished a few days ago, because it is not a just one. In characterizing\\nit as unjust I can give data which will uphold my statement. This\\ndata will be given in a written statement which I will send to you at\\nthe capital.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there any other gentleman who wishes to speak\\non the new land tax?\\nMr. Modesto Bird (property owner). I consider that the tax on\\ncane lands is a just one, but I consider the tax on pasture lands too\\nhigh. I am an owner of cane lands, and can, therefore, speak with-\\nout prejudice.\\nDr. Carroll. Will you please give your reasons?\\nMr. Bird. There are pasture lands which should pay a dollar,\\nbecause they are worth it but others should not pay a dollar, because\\ntheir condition does not warrant it. There are some lands up on the\\nmountains, on which the owners raise small fruits, which will have to\\npay $200, although the land itself is not worth more than $800. I think\\ncane lands will be benefited by the tax, but lands growing small\\nfruits can not pay the tax.\\nDr. Belondte. The owners of pasture lands are not all on the same\\nfooting. You have to take into account what land produces, what it\\ncan be rented for, and what it can be sold for. For instance, in\\nGuayama, where we suffer six months in the year for want of rain,\\nwe require 4 acres to pasture the same number of cattle that can be\\npastured on 1 acre in Yabncoa; and when I say Yabucoa, I mean\\nother districts under the same conditions.\\nDr. Carroll. That seems to be reasonable.\\nDr. Belondte. If you rent an acre of pasture land here you can\\nnot get more than $2 for it, whereas if you rent an acre of cane land\\nyou can get $8 and more. The same applies to selling. If you sell\\nan acre of pasture land you get $15, but in the case of sugar or coffee\\nland you get $100 or more.\\nINEQUALITY OF THE NEW LAND TAX.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nArroyo, P. R. February 3, 1899.\\nMr. Verges (of Arroyo). One of the questions that are causing a\\ngreat deal of discussion is the new land tax, which I think perhaps is\\nnot rightly understood. Certainly the old system was very defective,\\nand this is an improvement, if it can only be established in the correct\\nway.\\nDr. Carroll. What would be your idea as to the inauguration of it?\\nMr. Verges. It is difficult to say. I think, however, that a com-\\nmission should study the matter before it is implanted, because there\\nare cane lands, for example, which easily give 4 or 5 hogsheads a cuerda,\\nwhile others give no more than 2, and yet under this law each must\\npay the same.\\nDr. Carroll. Are they not classified in three classes?", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0383.jp2"}, "384": {"fulltext": "374\\nMr. Verges. No in two classes and I think that the greatest losers\\nwill be the poorer people those who will he treated most harshly.\\nDr. Carroll. Those who will have to pay 25 centavos a cuerda?\\nMr. Verges. Yes; that is too high. People who have very poor\\nland can not afford to pay that.\\nDr. Carroll. I have heard the criticism that you make now made\\nbefore as to small proprietors.\\nMr. Verges. In places like Arroyo and Maunabo I think the yield,\\nunder the conditions that we have here, will hardly exceed 2 hogs-\\nheads a cuerda. Formerly lands were more productive, more verdant\\nthan they are to-day, and the yield was considerably more. Our lands\\nare becoming worn out. If we can establish irrigation here and prop-\\nerly renew the land, I have no doubt the yield could be augmented a\\ngood deal.\\nMr. Verges. Returning to the tax, I think there should be a fourth\\nclass. The first class pays $1; that is 1 per cent for land worth $100;\\nbut 25 per cent is too high, because there are lands here you can\\nget for $12.\\nI think there should really be five classes. There are some lands\\nfar away from the roads which are of very little value, some of which\\nanimals can not work, but the idea of the system is good. It puts a\\ncertain tax on our lands, whereas formerly taxation was a source of\\ngreat injustice. People who have been so placed that ihej could\\nwork everything to their own interests, without regard to the interest\\nof others, have taken advantage of it. Certainly there should be a\\nlow tax in behalf of the very poor people.\\nDr. Carroll. My own belief is that the property tax best for this\\nisland is the system which is based on valuation, the tax being a cer-\\ntain per cent on the valuation. It seems to me that that system is a\\nreally just one.\\nMr. Verges. My idea would be to assess the land at a certain val-\\nuation, and let the same per cent rule in the whole district.\\nDr. Carroll. That is the system we have in the United States,\\nand while open to abuse, as any system is, I think on the whole it is\\nthe most equitable. The only difficulty is to put land into the right\\nclassification. You can generally arrive at an idea of what land is\\nworth an acre and let it be assessed in that way.\\nMr. Verges. But we will know better what our lands are worth\\nwhen we know under what conditions we are working. If we are\\nworking as United States citizens and are granted the large measure\\nof freedom enjoyed in the mother country, the situation will be dif-\\nferent from what it has been up to this time. There has been no\\nfixed valuation to any property in the island.\\nDr. Carroll. I don t think it is possible for the old system to\\ncontinue.\\nMr. Verges. We hoped not, but up to the present it has continued.\\nI have seen properties which have cost their owners $250,000 practi-\\ncally given away for $50,000 or 175,000. You can not go out into the\\ncountry and say this property is worth so much. It has no fixed mar-\\nket value. If you want the property, you will give for it what the\\nparticular circumstances of the case may make it worth to you. When\\nwe know under what conditions we are working, then, of course, it\\nwill be different.\\nMr. Luis Bosselo. I wish to inform you of a case of injustice of a\\nkind which frequently occurs in this island. I started a coffee plan-\\ntation in Patillo, and the ayuntamiento, instead of helping me, imposed", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0384.jp2"}, "385": {"fulltext": "375\\non me a maximum tax, as if it were in bearing, whereas it has just\\nbeen planted. That is against the law, as under the Spanish law\\nestates which are newly planted are exempt for ten years from taxation.\\nDr. Carroll. If they are working against the law, you have a\\nremedy.\\nMr. Bosselo. No; they pay no attention to petitions or representa-\\ntions. My estate yielded this year 120 pounds of coffee, and they\\ncharged me $100.\\nMr. Juan P. Giovani. I produced on my estate 320 pounds and\\npaid $160 in Patillo.\\nTHE NEW TAX LAW IN CITIES.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nPonce, P. R., March 4, 1899.\\nDr. Stephen Vidal (a physician). The laws with regard to house\\nrent are defective and tend to depreciate the value of city real estate.\\nProperty is not so valuable if there is no facility for collecting rents.\\nThere is a very important question in reference to the city building\\nlots. City lands within the last few years have increased greatly in\\nvalue and have been much built up. I don t think the government\\nhas any right to complain of the holders of town lots, but they have\\njust put a tax of 5 cents per meter on town lots, and I find that tax\\nvery heavy. I have been trying to make arrangements to build on\\nsome of them, but this tax will prevent. It is a precipitous measure\\nand uncalled for.\\nDr. CarrolL. Do you refer to the last order of General Henry?\\nDr. Vidal. Yes; there was absolutely no need for that measure.\\nMr. Cortado. I consider it a very unjust tax, because it is not pos-\\nsible to build up our city in a day. Everything you see here has been\\nthe result of our own initiative. We have never had protection from\\nthe government. Under the administration of Daban I was in the\\ncouncil of Aguadilla, and he issued an order against putting up of\\nwooden houses.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the size of city lots?\\nDr. Vidal. There is no limit to them.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the tax per year?\\nDr. Vidal. The tax is 5 cents a meter.\\nDr. Carroll. Is that square measure?\\nDr. Vidal. Yes; and I think the measure must have been devised\\nby persons who have no property at all.\\nDr. Carroll. That would be about $55 a year on a lot 100 foot\\nfront\u00e2\u0080\u0094 about what would it be in the United States.\\nDr. Vidal. In the United States the inhabitants of a town are in a\\nbetter position. There are more people in a position to pay, whereas\\nhere nearly all are poor.\\nA Gentleman present. I have people on my property too poor to\\npay the tax. If they consider my suburban property as within the\\nlimits of the city for the purpose of this tax, it will not be possible to\\npay it. Some poor people living in my houses can not even pay $1 a\\nmonth, and I can not sell the property, because there are no buyers.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you get any income from your land?\\nA Gentleman present. No; absolutely none.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you furnish the houses for them to live in?\\nA Gentleman present. There are houses built on them which cost", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0385.jp2"}, "386": {"fulltext": "376\\nvery little. If they are considered as standing on building lots, within\\nthe meaning of the tax, I don t know what will he the outcome.\\nDr. Carroll. What are you holding the land for?\\nA Gentleman present. They were formerly grazing lands.\\nDr. Carroll. Is all of it occupied now b}^ the poor people?\\nA Gentleman present. The greater part of it is.\\nDr. Carroll. Is it not likely that such lands will be considered as\\nlands outside of the city and be taxed so much per cuerda?\\nA Gentleman present. That may be, but as lands have not been\\nclassified yet I am not sure about it. They adjoin the city limits. We\\nfear the municipality will abuse this power and consider such lands\\nas city property.\\nDr. Carroll. General Heniy said that his reason for taxing poor\\nmen s property at 25 cents per cuerda was to force them to cultivate\\nthe lands and make more out of them. I presume his system of tax-\\ning building lands is for the purpose of inducing the owners of them\\nto make improvements on them or to build on them.\\nA Gentleman present. We don t require a stimulus of that kind.\\nIf under the Spanish Government we could produce what we have,\\nyou can imagine that under the present Government we will build up\\nthe lands without any such coercion. You can be sure there are mer-\\nchants here who, as soon as they can see that there are any profits to\\nbe made out of building, will build.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you think there should be no tax on these build-\\ning lots?\\nA Gentleman present. A proper way to stimulate building would\\nbe to better the law in relation to landlord and tenant so as to enable\\nthe landlord to collect.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the difficulty about that law uoav?\\nDr. Vidal. There are a great many difficulties. I will make you a\\nlist of them and send it to you.\\nDr. Carroll. Before you pass from that point, unless you are going\\nto talk further, I want to ask a few questions. I was informed by the\\nalcalde yesterday that the result of the new tax scheme for city prop-\\nerty would be that this municipality would not have much more than\\none-half the income that it has previously had from taxation that the\\ntax will be very much reduced upon improved property.\\nA Gentleman present. Formerly, under the Spanish law, unim-\\nproved building lots paid nothing.\\nDr. Carroll. But I am speaking of improved property. The alcalde\\nsays that the new system has greatly reduced taxation on improved\\nproperty. Is that true?\\nMr. Vidal. The municipality does not need to have so much. The\\nmunicipality has too many unnecessary expenses.\\nDr. Carroll. I understand that, according to the preceding system,\\nabout 7i per cent of the taxes went to the municipality and about\\n5 per cent went to the insular government, and under the new arrange-\\nment there will be an even division of the proceeds as between the\\nmunicipality and the insular government. And the alcalde states that\\ninstead of $300,000 or $360,000 the municipality ought to have at least\\n$500,000 for its expenditures.\\nA Gentleman present. We can not be frank in speaking of this\\nalcalde or. any other, because we don t wish to appear to slander any-\\nbody. I understand the reason for the shortage in the municipality\\nis that many importing merchants took their names off the importing\\nlist when the war was started. I think the Government has been too", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0386.jp2"}, "387": {"fulltext": "377\\nkind in removing the licenses on lawyers and doctors. I am a doctor\\nmyself but I think as such I ought to pay.\\nDr. Carroll. Don t you think a just and fair system of taxation\\non assessed valuation of all property is a better system than taxation\\non incomes?\\nA Gentleman present. The system is a good one, but it would\\ntake a great while to value property.\\nDr. Carroll. General Henry s idea is that the present system is a\\nstep in that direction.\\nMr. Cortado. I think that the deficit could be made up by a small\\nduty on articles imported. Ponce imports 50,000 barrels of flour, and\\nI don t think a tax of 25 per cent would hurt anybody, and in that\\nway they could make up their deficits. Flour in the United States\\ncan not possibly be cheaper than the quotations of yesterday $3.15\\nper barrel.\\nDr. CarrOll. If Porto Rico is to become a Territory of the United\\nStates, all customs duties between the two countries may be abolished.\\nMr. Cortado. We have to get our municipal expenses from some-\\nwhere.\\nMr. Casals. This country is purely an agricultural country, and\\nhas no industries of any sort. Instead of taxing agriculture it should\\nbe protected, because you see the terrible condition it is in now.\\nDr. Carroll. I don t think agriculture should be taxed heavier\\nthan it is now.\\nA Gentleman present. I have been in this country for many years,\\nand I believe that it is the desire of everybody to have a Territorial\\nform of government and to secure free trade with the United States.\\nThese gentlemen, I believe, will tell you the same thing. It is an\\nerroneous opinion on the part of the people in Washington that we\\nwant a colonial form of government.\\nDr. Carroll. An important financial question is involved, and that\\nis whether without the receipts from customs, you can raise money\\nenough to meet your expenses.\\nMr. R. Casals. We all wish to have a Territorial form of govern-\\nment, and we believe that the island will be able to raise money\\nenough to attend to it, but the form in which taxes are collected must\\nbe changed. The present system is too onerous and is not justly\\ncarried out. The assessor may be your enemy, and in that case he\\nwill assess you larger than he ought. The custom-houses should be\\nconstituted as tax collectors, doing away with the assessors and col-\\nlectors, who are guilty of immoral transactions.\\nDr. Vidal. As I am a doctor, have lived all iny life in Porto Rico,\\nand necessarily mingled with the people, I can say that everybody\\nwould be well satisfied to see a Territorial form of government estab-\\nlished here. The great mass of the people do not fall in line with the\\nview of our seeking something else.\\nA Gentleman present. The Spanish Government used to collect\\ninternal revenue and also customs. Now, Mr. Casals means to say\\nthat the officials in the custom-house named by the Federal Govern-\\nment should pay the taxes to the insular government and not trust\\nthe insular agents.\\nMr. Cortado. The proof that we must have customs of some sort\\nis that municipalities have never been able to meet their expenses\\nwithout a consumption tax.\\nDr. Carroll. But the island has had larger expenses than it will\\nhave hereafter. You won t have to pay $200,000 to the church; you", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0387.jp2"}, "388": {"fulltext": "378\\nwon t have to pay $2,500,000 for the army and navy; and so there will\\nbe a big reduction in the expenses.\\nDr. Vidal. I think that by economizing in the municipalities and\\nlevying an equitable tax we could fully cover our expenses.\\nDr. Carroll. I think if you had the right system of taxation you\\ncould raise all the money you need without putting a burden on any-\\nbody.\\nMr. Cortado. You must understand that this country is dead. In\\nits interior everybody owes money and no one can pay.\\nDr. Carroll. Is not it altogether probable that the system of tax-\\nation has been very unequal and unjust?\\nMr. Cortado. The people are afraid that the same system will be\\ncontinued here.\\nREFORMS IN TAXES.\\nSTATEMENT OF JOSE M. ORTIZ.\\nMaunabo, P. R., February 84, 1899.\\n1. Suppression of the provincial deputation and the enormous dis-\\nbursements it occasions.\\n2. Collect no taxes from newly established industries for at least\\nthree years. Impose light duties only on the crude material they may\\nimport.\\n3. Extensive liberty for mercantile traffic and opening of all the\\nports to coasting trade. Allow no measures making this illusory or\\nfavoring the absorbent pretensions of the heads of maritime depart-\\nments.\\n4. The prohibition of the payment of gratuities, fees, and traveling\\nallowances (apart from expenses) to employees of custom-houses and\\npublic treasury inspectors when on journeys of inspection.\\n5. Suppression of the sale of meat in the cities by auction, and\\ncomplete liberty for anyone to engage in the sale of that article.\\nThe slaughter of cattle in public abattoirs under rigid inspection, and\\nthe payment of the taxes imposed by the state or municipality.\\nSuppression of direct taxation of the wholesale and retail supplier.\\n(6) A better system of registry tax on cattle or its complete sup-\\npression. There are owners of 200 oxen who only have 10 registries,\\nand some of 5 or 6 oxen who have no registries, whereas many cattle\\ndealers possess hundreds of registries of imaginary oxen, which illegal\\nstate of affairs is the cause of much immorality.\\n(Note by translator. This probably refers to the ownership of\\nregistered brands.\\n(7) Suppression of stamped paper, poll .tax (cedula), royal dues on\\ntransfer of real estate, and the fines which these dues give rise to.\\n(8) Less rigor and complexity in the custom-house regulations, so\\nthat they shall not contain so many impossible and vexatious requi-\\nsites, almost impossible of compliance by the importers, who have to\\nbuy, in many cases, the employees laxity in their observation.\\n(9) Exaction of responsibility of administrative and public servants\\nwhen their acts or habits prejudice the moral or material interests of\\ncitizens. Complete indemnization for persons thus prejudiced.\\n(10) All, or at least the greater part, of these imposts should be\\ncollected through the custom-house in the form of duties.\\n(11) To collect no direct taxes from property owners owning less\\nthan 20 cuerdas (about 1 acre to a cuerda) of high mountain lands.\\n(12) Suppression of the consumption tax.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0388.jp2"}, "389": {"fulltext": "379\\nUNEQUAL ASSESSMENTS.\\nSTATEMENT OF TQMAS VASANEZ, M. D.\\nMayagttez, P. R. November 10, 1898.\\nTo assess for municipal taxation it is the custom to name a commis-\\nsion, called reparticlores (dividers), composed of two principal men\\namong the agriculturists, manufacturers, and commerce. Naturally\\nthese gentlemen try to lighten their tax burden by increasing\\nthat of the rest. This occasions the occultation of public wealth.\\nThe cattle raiser I could give names if necessary possessing 6,000\\nhead of cattle declares only 1,000 or 500; another possessing 1,000\\ndeclares 100, and another possessing 100 declares 20 only. I know\\npersonally ranchers who with 1,000 head of beeves pay only $300 tax,\\nor not more than is paid by those owning one-fourth the number. The\\nsame things take place with sugar and coffee planters. The coffee\\nplanter harvesting 500 hundredweight declares only 80, etc., whereas\\nthe very small producer, with but a few head of cattle or a few acres\\nof land, has to pay the whole of the tax, which under these conditions\\nis excessive and enormous.\\nPorto Rico does not pay as much as she could pay, and therefore\\ndoes not attend to public improvements. What she does collect is\\nbadly distributed, and it may be said that the rich pay no taxes,\\nwhich fall entirely on the small proprietor, overwhelming and ruin-\\ning him.\\nA remedj^, in my opinion, would be the introduction of the registra-\\ntion of property for the purpose of taxation. In a small country like\\nthis it would be relatively easy, would give an exact knowledge of\\nproperties, and would allow of a just assessment for taxation, together\\nwith a larsrer taxable area.\\nOPPOSITION TO THE NEVS TAX SYSTE31.\\nSTATEMENT OF MANY CITIZENS.\\nIsabela, P. R., February 15, 1899.\\nAbout taxes decided on by the Government When the country was\\nexpecting that the Government would fulfill its promise of freeing\\nagriculture and commerce from taxation in order to raise them from\\na state of prostration, the general order referring to taxation, accom-\\npanied by the famous letter of the secretary of the treasury to the\\npresident of the council announcing that the island would furnish\\nhalf a million to the insular treasury and an equal sum for the munici-\\npalities by the new plan, showed the island that the ruinous taxation\\nof old times which has ruined our island was to be continued, and\\nthat the municipalities were to be shorn of their legitimate right of\\nvoting and collecting the necessary imposts required by their local obli-\\ngations. We think it would be praiseworthy of the secretary of the\\ntreasury to try by every means in his power to make taxation equitable\\nand acceptable for all. The limiting the tributation of the munici-\\npalities to $500,000 when their requirements are $3,000,000 makes us\\nlose hope of the country s regeneration.\\nWe think that if it is desired that Porto Rico become a country of\\nfreedom and happiness, the Government must with a firm hand abol-\\nish all beaurocratic centers, which only desire to create a privileged\\nclass and live at the expense of an unhappy people long groaning\\nunder a system of exploitation.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0389.jp2"}, "390": {"fulltext": "380\\nTHE NEW SYSTEM OF LAND TAXATION.\\nBy a general order issued by General Henry, military commander,\\ndated January 19, 1899, the following system, devised by the secretary\\nof the treasury, Senor Coll y Toste, was adopted in place of the former\\nmethod of assessment according to income. But one tax on land is\\nassessed under the new regulations, and the proceeds are divided\\nequally between the insular and municipal treasuries.\\n1. The assessment of taxes upon lands will hereafter be made in accordance\\nwith the various cultivations existing in the island and the quality of the land\\ntaxed.\\n2. In accordance with the various cultivations, there will be taxes on cane lands,\\ncoffee lands, tobacco lands, pasture lands, minor produce lands, and forest lands.\\n3. In accordance with the quality of the land there will be taxes of the first,\\nsecond, and third classes; the first class comprising the best lands, the second class\\nthe next best, and the third class the poorest.\\n4. On all lands of the first class there will be a tax of 1 peso per cuerda, on all\\nlands of the second class a tax of 0.50 peso per cuerda, on all lands of the third\\nclass a tax of 0.25 peso per cuerda.\\n5. Each municipal corporation will appoint a classifying commission which will\\nselect subcommissions in the different districts of each township, these subcom-\\nmissions to report to the classifying commissions on the class of lands in their\\nrespective districts.\\n6. These commissions will be guided by the following instructions:\\n(a) First-class cane lands are plains and valleys and other alluvial lands lying\\nnear settled communities, highways, railroads, and seaports, and the lands of\\ndrained lagoons and mangrove marshes.\\n(a 1 Second-class cane lands are the highland plains, generally surcharged with\\noxides of iron and known in the country as clayish lands.\\nFirst-class coffee lands are valley lands and hills abounding in organic\\ndetritus.\\n(6 1 Second-class coffee lands are highlands having a calcareous or limy forma-\\ntion.\\n(c) First-class tobacco lands are valley lands watered by rivers.\\n(c 1 Second-class tobacco lands axe loamy highlands mixed with clay and sand.\\n(c 2 Third-class tobacco lands are sandy lands along the coast and calcareous\\nlands among the hills.\\n(d) First-class pasture lauds are valleys, lagoons, and glens where grow rnalo-\\njilla and Guinea grass.\\n(d 1 Third-class pasture lands are those along the coast and limy hills where\\ngrow only brush, rat-tail, sweet grass, etc.\\n(e) First-class minor-produce lands are valley lands.\\n(V) Second-class minor-produce lands are highlands.\\n(e 2 Third-class minor-produce lands are sandy and limy lands.\\nFirst-class forest lands are those growing virgin forests whose timber can\\nsupply building and cabinet woods, e. g., aceitillo, cedar, capa, ausubo, etc.\\nSecond-class forest lands are lands with a rocky and calcareous soil, grow-\\ning only bushes available for fuel.\\n7. Taxes on lands whose owners reside abroad will be increased by 50 per cent.\\n8. All ordinances or decrees conflicting with the provisions of this order are hereby\\nrevoked and rendered null and void.\\nURBAN TAXATION TOO HEAVY.\\nSTATEMENT OF MAYOR EUSTOQUIO TORRES.\\nGuayanilla, P. R., November 8, 1898.\\nThe principal sources of income of the State, apart from royal dues,\\ncustoms, stamped paper, and poll tax, are thy taxes on territorial\\nwealth. Until a short time since these were divided into three head-\\nings, called agricultural, urban, and commercial, which were subdi-\\nvided into cane, coffee, tobacco, grazing lands, small crops, mountain\\nbrush, urban, etc.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0390.jp2"}, "391": {"fulltext": "381\\nThese are taxed by an impost of 5 per cent on their net products,\\nafter deducting for working expenses 75 per cent in the case of sugar;\\n35 per cent in the case of coffee, small crops, tobacco, and mountain\\nbrush; 10 per cent in the case of other subdivisions.\\nAlthough this system of subdivisions has its defenders, it is certain\\nthat it was devised only to protect cane growers, as can at once be\\nseen by the disproportionate reduction they are allowed, to the preju-\\ndice of other branches. These, therefore, had to declare a net produc-\\ntion much greater than the reality in order to be able to cover their\\nproportion of the impost, levied without any regard for the real prod-\\nuct of the agriculturist. Experience has shown that the old style of\\nthree divisions was more easy and less complicated, more equitable\\nand approximate to true assessment. It also prevented assessors\\nfrom doing what was frequently done under the new divisional plan\\nthat is, adding to the number of acres said to be under cultivation an\\narbitrary quantity, for fear the original amount was understated, thus\\nfrequently making it appear that twice the number of acres were\\nunder cultivation that in reality were.\\nIt has been stated that the new government proposes to suppress\\nterritorial taxes and to substitute for it urban taxation. Although\\nthis might give results in a few cities, such as San Juan, Ponce, and\\nMayaguez, it would be ridiculous if applied to other towns of the\\nisland, whose houses, small in number aud importance (owing to the\\nfact that the principal property owners live on their country estates),\\ncould not support a tribute so excessive.\\nOwing to the aforesaid reasons and the fact that this country is\\nessentially agricultural, urban taxation should be decreased rather\\nthan increased. Besides, if the collection of the municipal taxes be\\ngoverned by the territorial tax, as is the rule in force to-day, the result\\nwould be that persons living in one district in which they had built\\ntheir houses would not be called on to pay anything in the municipal-\\nities in which they might have the bulk of their fortune in land.\\nThe Spanish Government decreed the general enumeration and\\nassessment of property, which work was well advanced, and returns\\nwere sent in from almost all the towns to the superior centers, where\\nthey were pigeonholed, owing to the influence of persons who would\\nhave been injured by the adoption of this registry.\\nIt is therefore of great importance that the country be left its sys-\\ntem of territorial taxation, even if the rate on sugar be reduced to a\\nlevel with or a little more than that of coffee.\\nPLEA FOR LOWER TAXES.\\nPatillas, P. R., March, 1899.\\nSenor Jose Amadeo, M. D. If the expenses of the budget are not\\nreduced, neither can the taxes be. In all well-administered countries\\nwhen the products decrease taxes also decrease. This is a law of\\npolitical economy which everybody knows. We have not before us\\nthe precise data to be able to judge of what each town produces, but\\nthe complaints regarding present taxes are numerous, and nobody is\\nsurprised at it, as our tributary system has produced the same effects\\nin all countries where it has been tried. We keep on lamenting.\\nNonconformity with assessment can be regulated by the efforts of tax-\\npayers by awakening little by little individual and collective con-\\nscience, which will bring with it equity and justice. We do not have", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0391.jp2"}, "392": {"fulltext": "382\\na State assessment and valuation of property, the most solid and cer-\\ntain means of being able to assess taxation. Meanwhile the munici-\\npalities, with good alcaldes at their head, administering well and\\ninspired by highty patriotic sentiments, can do much for the general\\nwelfare. Sugar cane, which grows as a most flourishing agricultural\\nproduct, can not possibly support further imposts until the markets\\nof the United States are opened to us. Sugars are struggling against\\nbonuses and foreign competition, which reduced the price to an extreme\\nlimit, so that profits will always be very low. Coffee is just beginning\\nand, instead of exactions, requires assistance to enable it to succeed, as\\nit is the most costly and difficult of all crops raised in Porto Rico.\\nWe may say nothing of minor agriculture, which for some time has\\nbeen decayed and requires a great stimulus. Under such circum-\\nstances of poor protection municipal expenses should be reduced and\\nthe government should be requested to suppress or reduce the amount\\ncollected for account of the state. This is the only way the munici-\\npalities can get out of their difficulties during this period of terri-\\nble crisis, until prosperity increases in the country. An appropriation\\nfor education alone should be allowed to stand, it being impossible to\\ndo without it. It amounts to $3,303. The state collects 85,010, which,\\nif it releases the district from, would be of an immense assistance to\\nit during these days of difficulties. We must say something as regards\\nthe condonation of unpaid taxes, dating back two or three years ago\\nunder the Spanish rule. This would prevent sales of property and\\nforeclosure proceedings, which dishearten the agriculturist and ruin\\nthe small producer.\\nTHE TAX ON INDUSTRY.\\nSTATEMENT OF HARTMANN CO.\\nArroyo, P. R., November 7, 1898.\\nWe think this strange Spanish system of taxing industry should be\\nabolished. For example, compelling a merchant to pay the state\\ntreasury, without counting municipal rates, $400 to $800, according\\nto the importance of the town in which he is established, for the priv-\\nilege of doing commercial transactions. The state taxes should be\\nraised by inland revenue on alcohol, wines, rum, tobacco, etc., and\\nby duties, custom-house entries, and by the 5 per cent tax on net\\nincomes.\\nTHE TRANSFER TAX.\\nSTATEMENT OF MAYOR CELESHNO DOMINGUEZ.\\nG-UAYAMA, P. R., January, 1899.\\nFortunately, stamped paper has been abolished. This was one of\\nthe greatest scourges of property which the island was laboring under.\\nI will not dwell on this subject, as you will already have learned of\\nthe heavy burden this tax constituted. There were stamps that cost\\n125, and one class, called state pajmients, which cost as high as $50.\\nAnother of our calamities was the transfer tax levied on transfer of\\nany class of property, through the custom-houses, which has also been\\nabolished. This tax was so onerous that the island is full of deeds", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0392.jp2"}, "393": {"fulltext": "383\\nwhich have been held in hopes of better times and have not yet paid\\nthis tax, thus making the titles inoperative. Poor people have been\\nspecial sufferers by this impost. One of the matters requiring the\\nimmediate attention of the Government is the property registry offices,\\nwhose employees have enjoyed a sinecure. These offices have been a\\nhindrance to the transfer of real estate. The registrars, although sub-\\njected to a tariff of fees, pay no attention to this, but charge whatever\\nthey think fit.\\nTransfers of property worth 1300 have had to pay as high as $12\\nregistration fee. Those who wanted their de eds registered were obliged\\nto accede to the demands of the registrars; otherwise their documents\\nwere held up. The history of the employees of the government in\\nPorto Rico is full of the names of men who, with no other capital than\\ntheir pens, their titles of lawyers, and a government employment, have\\namassed enormous fortunes. The registries of Ponce, Mayaguez, San\\nJuan, and Arecibo are mines of gold for the fortunate holders. A\\nsingle employee in each municipality could easily attend to the work.\\nAnother impost was that of commercial licenses, invented by the\\nSpanish Government to protect merchants who are nearly all penin-\\nsular Spaniards and follow Spanish politics. This tax was based on\\nthe declaration of the interested parties, and the insular government\\ncould neither raise nor lower it even in cases of real necessity. In\\nsome towns this tax was so low that merchants whose business reached\\nhundreds of thousands of dollars yearly, as in Guayama, paid only\\n$2,000. Manufacturing, which is here insignificant, was also sub-\\njected to this tax.\\nFrom time immemorial almost all the island has suffered under the\\nodious consume tax on articles of food, drink, and fuel. As alcalde\\nof this town I wished to suppress it, but as I am not allowed to sur-\\ncharge the taxes of the merchants, I should have been obliged to\\nimpose an extra tax to balance the deficiency on other interests, which\\nwould be a further protection for the commercial monopoly, both irri-\\ntating and unjust, and would further burden the poor classes in a\\ncountry already impoverished. For the present, therefore, I have\\nhad to abandon the idea. Besides the taxes already mentioned, there\\nis the direct territorial tax, consisting of 5 per cent of the sworn\\ndeclared gross returns of property made yearly, from which are\\nreduced the following amounts allowed for working expenses Sugar\\nestates, 75 per cent; other crops, 35 per cent; urban property, 25 per\\ncent; pasture lands, 10 per cent.\\nMunicipalities can also impose a direct tax, taking as a basis the\\nstate assessment, but raising it as high as their needs require, except\\nin the case of commerce, manufacturing, and professions, which can\\nnot be raised more than 20 per cent.\\nREDUCTION OF TAXES.\\nSTATEMENT OF JOSE V. CINTRON, PLANTER.\\nYabucoa, P. R., February 1899.\\nReduction in the estimates of expenditures to a point enabling\\nthem to be met by the custom-house receipts. This can be done by\\nreducing the higher salaries, suppressing the unnecessary posts, and\\nreducing the custom-house and collectorships to four, viz: Capital,\\nPonce, Mayaguez, and Humaeao, but declaring all the ports of the", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0393.jp2"}, "394": {"fulltext": "384\\nisland open for the purpose of import and export under the super-\\nvision of the nearest custom-house.\\nDeclare free from duties tools and machinery for industries and\\nagriculture, also coal, and place a heavy duty on rice to stimulate its\\nproduction in this country, so as to harvest enough for local use, the\\nquantity consumed being of extraordinary proportions.\\nThe substitution of the system of taxation of landed property by\\nthe plan proposed to the military government by the secretary of the\\ntreasury fills a long- felt want. The same order might be made\\nextensive to house property by charging an annual tax equivalent to\\nthe half of one month s rental. The taxation of industries and com-\\nmerce by a system of just and reasonable licensing would complete in\\na satisfactory manner the total reform of the present system of\\ntaxation.\\nThe total amount of the direct and internal taxes to be divided in\\nhalves, assigning one-half to the municipalities for local disburse-\\nments and the other to a special fund for education under the charge\\nof the state or department. This would realize the ideal of efficacious\\ngeneralization of education.\\nWork out a vast plan of education, making it gratuitous and obli-\\ngatory, and attending to roads and railroads (the most pressing need\\nof the island to-day), whose pitiful condition is showing the lament-\\nable state of backwardness and calling for the serious consideration\\nof all concerned.\\nIt is not strange that the country has been reduced to the condition\\nof poverty now overshadowing us, owing to its system of taxation, both\\nabsurd and absorbing, which only fell short of taxing light and air.\\nBut, thank God, its credit has been spared; there is no public debt,\\nand the solvency of the treasury and the good purposes of the new\\ngovernment may open the way by means of loans to the construction\\nof roads and railroads, which are the arteries through which the wealth\\nand progress of a country flow.\\nThe cane grower and sugar maker are so related that the one is\\nnearly always the other, and the division of labor does not therefore\\nexist. The depreciation of the sugar product during the last few\\nyears, the competition which it has had to sustain with the beet\\nproduct, a competition at once unequal and desperate, owing to the\\nfact that manufacturers in Europe are able to employ the latest\\nmachinery and best methods, capital and science, and above all the\\nexport bonus giving government protection all that has here been\\nlacking. The government here protected inversely.\\nThe ravages of usury, on the other hand, taking what the tax-\\ngatherers left, make it appear impossible that anything could be left\\nof the industrjr.\\nIt is natural that these causes should have produced a correspond-\\ning effect, and that some estates should have passed into the mort-\\ngagor s hands, and others have ceased to exist, while most of them\\nfollow a course of misery unsustainable.\\nTHE CONSVMO TAX.\\nSTATEMENT OF DR. FRANCISCO DEL VALLE, MAYOR OF SAN JUAN.\\nSince the year 1883 this municipality has collected the consumo tax.\\nIn that year the only articles taxed under this law were wheat flour,\\ncoal, and charcoal. In successive years the tax has been levied on", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0394.jp2"}, "395": {"fulltext": "385\\nvarious articles, and at the present date is collected on the following\\nthings\\nMeats of the following animals Ox, hog, sheep, goat, including their\\nfats, which brings in monthly about $3,500; coke, $510; wheat flour,\\n$1,523; milk, $1,381; sugar, $811; spirits, $569;. beer, $118; wines,\\n$209; rice, $395; Spanish beans, $382; imported lard, $302; cigarettes,\\n$510. In the fiscal year 1895-96 the total amount collected from these\\narticles was $164,456. 90; in the year 1896-97 the amount was $163, 786. 10;\\nin the year 1897-98 the amount was $165,515.13; and for 1898-99 the\\nestimate is $135,569.47.\\nIt may be observed that these sums constitute one of the principal\\nresources of the municipality of San Juan with which to cover its esti-\\nmated expenses, amounting in the present fiscal year to the consider-\\nable sum of $336,428.55.\\nNovember 1, 1898.\\nSTAMPED PAPER.\\nThis was a means employed by the Spanish Government to raise\\nmoney. The stamped paper was made at Madrid. The prices were\\naccording to the following scale for various documents\\nFrom $1 to $20 $0.15\\nFrom $20 to $40. 25\\nFrom $40 to $100 .40\\nFrom $100 to $200 .60\\nFrom $200 to $300 80\\nFrom $300 to $400 1.00\\nFrom $400 to $500 2.00\\nFrom $500 to $1,000 3.00\\nFrom $1,000 to $1,500 5.00\\nFrom $1,500 to $2,000. 10.00\\nFrom $2,000 to $4.000 15.00\\nFrom $4,000 to $10.000 20.00\\nFrom $10,000 upward 25.00\\nNotarial acts .50\\nPower of attorney 2. 00\\nDocuments whose value could not be determined 4. 00\\nFor state payments 50.00\\nTHE PORTO RICAN TARIFF.\\nPRELIMINARY REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER, MADE IN DECEM-\\nBER, 1898.\\nThe tariff at present in force in Porto Rico is the old Spanish tariff,\\nslightly modified so as to abolish discriminations against the United\\nStates and other countries, to subject imports from Spain to the same\\nduties as similar articles from the rest of the world, and to collect\\ntonnage dues on a new basis. Tonnage dues were formerly collected\\nat the rate of $1 per ton cargo. They are now collected at the rate of\\n20 cents per ton measurement. Formerly a vessel of 2,000 tons\\nmeasurement bringing a cargo of 50 tons to San Juan would pay $50\\nnow she would j)ay $40 for the same cargo, or for 1 ton, and $20 if\\nin ballast. The change chiefly affects vessels coming in ballast for\\n1125 25", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0395.jp2"}, "396": {"fulltext": "386\\norders. A later order exempts vessels of American registry plying\\nbetween ports of the island or between ports of the island and ports\\nof the United States from these dues.\\nThe Spanish tariff, like all other Spanish methods of raising money,\\nwas designed to secure the revenue needed with the least possible\\ndisadvantage to Spain. It was, of course, natural and proper that\\nSpanish imports should be favored and that the productions of other\\nnations should bear the chief burden. Consequent!} 7 the rate paid\\non goods from the Peninsula averaged about 10 per cent, while the\\ncharges on those from other countries were high, in some instances so\\nhigh as to be practically prohibitive. When prohibitive duties are\\nlevied, it is usually for the purpose of excluding undesirable goods or\\nof protecting home products. Prohibitive duties do not, of course,\\nyield revenue, and if revenue is sacrificed it must be in order that\\nsome other object deemed more important may be gained. But the\\nPorto Rican tariff was so levied as to suppress, or at least repress,\\nPorto Rican industries, and in some instances without benefiting\\nthose of the mother country. There seems to have been an utter dis-\\nregard of insular interests. If Spanish producers were not affected,\\nthe framers of the tariff showed little concern as to how high or low\\nthe rates were put.\\nAs between Spanish and Porto Rican producers and manufacturers\\nthe latter had no chance. Nor were the needs of Porto Rican con-\\nsumers, however urgent they might appear from the insular point of\\nview, treated as worthy of serious attention. Indispensable articles\\nof food not produced in the island had to come in a roundabout way\\nthrough the hands of the merchants in Spain or pay enormous duties\\nif imported direct from other countries. The Porto Ricans thought\\nthat some of the man} 7 streams of the island might well furnish power\\nto mills to grind wheat from the United States or Canada into flour;\\nbut the Government at Madrid punished these aspirations by making\\nthe duty on wheat almost as high as that on flour. Flour paid 64 per\\nsack of 92 kilos (about 200 pounds), and wheat $3.15, and flour paid\\nalso, for municipal purposes, a consumption tax of $2.30. There were\\nmills in Spain, and by importing wheat for them from the United\\nStates they could be kept going. The millers of Spain profited; the\\npeople of Porto Rico suffered.\\nAttempts were made in the island to manufacture soup paste and\\ncrackers. The result is graphically described in the report of the\\nmanufacturers of Ponce, drawn up in 1898 for the use of the colonial\\nministry at Madrid, and presented to the commissioner of the United\\nStates, without change, as the best statement possible of the needs of\\nthe island. The cracker manufacturers had to pay the high duties\\non flour and compete with crackers from the peninsula entered free\\nof all duty. Those who invested largely in the manufacture of soup\\npaste saw their business killed in the same way. Their petition to\\nthe Liberal ministry, from which they hoped so much, is pathetic in\\nits pleadings for simple justice. Appeal after appeal was made, they\\nsay, but all sleep the sleep of the just (are pigeonholed), for if\\never a minister intended to cast a pitying glance upon such injustice\\nand relieve so much misfortune by some saving measure, this inten-\\ntion never materialized, but was strangled in its birth by the influences\\nbrought to bear by Spanish manufacturers. All they got was prom-\\nises and manana never came. The advent of the Liberal ministry\\nkindled new hopes. We are emerging from the tutelage of ex-", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0396.jp2"}, "397": {"fulltext": "387\\nploiters, they said; but Sagasta never had full opportunity to show\\nhow he would meet the appeals for relief.\\nThe shoe manufacturers have the same story to tell Shoes imported\\nfree from Spain, shoes of the poorest quality pasteboard soles,\\nbadly made, unsightly, coarse, and without durability while\\nPorto Rican manufacturers were heavily taxed for the raw materials.\\nOf course, shoes are costly, and 700,000 out of the 900,000 population\\ngo barefoot. It was the opinion of industrialists that they could\\nmake better shoes and furnish them more cheaply than the Balearic\\nIsland manufacturers, but they were not given the chance. They\\nbelieved that the result of home manufacture would be to lower\\nprices, as in other instances, but competition with Spanish producers\\nwhen the latter had both the home and the insular market was impos-\\nsible. There are salt mines at Cabo Rojo, but salt from Spain is free,\\nand vessels loading with salt had to clear at Mayaguez, increasing the\\nexpenses of shipments, because the port of Cabo Rojo had been closed;\\nso the salt industry Avas crippled.\\nThose interested, or who would be glad to be interested in the manu-\\nfacture of soap, show that while soap from Barcelona paid only the\\ntransitory duty of 10 per cent at the ports of the island, amounting\\nto $15 for every hundred boxes of 1 hundredweight each, the insular\\nindustry is compelled to pay $32.52 in duties for the raw materials to\\nmake that quantity of soap. No wonder they ask in despair: What\\nbusiness can succeed under such circumstances?\\nIt is not strange that though the Porto Rican tariff is high, too high\\nby about 50 per cent, it did not tend to develop Porto Rican indus-\\ntries. It was evidently framed so as not to promote such a develop-\\nment.\\nThe representations of the industrial leaders of Ponce, not origi-\\nnally intended for the United States, but for Spain, indicate that\\nthey not only desired to introduce new business enterprises, but that\\nthey knew that the only possible way of doing so was under the pro-\\ntection of judicious tariff schedules. The arguments in support of\\ntheir appeal are such as we have long been familiar with in the United\\nStates. Countries, they say, which have no industries of their own\\ncan never advance to the front rank. Manufacturing countries are\\nthe richest and most powerful. They have the largest resources, the\\nnecessaries of life are within the reach of all, and the lower classes\\nare better off. Manufacturing is the source, they add, of progress,\\nbecause it contributes to the general education and to the general\\nwealth; of well being, because it cheapens prices and enlarges the\\nrange of things accessible to the poor; of morality, because It gives\\nwork, stimulates to good habits, and opens to woman a wide field of\\nusefulness. It improves social relations, lessens indigence and vice,\\nand converts vagrants into prosperous workingmen.\\nThey point to England, Germany, France, and the United States as\\nobject lessons, showing what manufactures can do to make nations\\ngreat, prosperous, intelligent, and contented. It is impossible, how-\\never, they contend to have thriving industries without positive pro-\\ntection. A government anxious for wealth and social prestige would\\nnot leave its industries to take care of themselves, but would stimu-\\nlate them by removing or lowering the duties on raw materials, by\\nimposing high duties on competitive goods, and by making all pos-\\nsible concessions to them. If such a course might seem to shut out\\naltogether foreign competition, they argaie that it would stimulate\\nhome competition and give the people better goods and cheaper goods.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0397.jp2"}, "398": {"fulltext": "388\\nThey conclude their appeal to the Sagasta government at Madrid\\nwith these words, using reiteration to add emphasis\\nProtection! protection! and protection, in every sense of the word, in all its\\nforms, and in every measure this is what the industries of Porto Rico need.\\nIt is not possible to visit Porto Rico and investigate, however inad-\\nequately, its industrial condition without a feeling of sympatic for\\nthe industrialists of Ponce in their aspirations. The existing indus-\\ntries are few and weak. Capital is needed to develop them and to add\\nto their number. Capital can of course only be had when better con-\\nditions than those which the Spanish Government allowed are made\\npossible. An equitable and judicious customs system is needed,\\nwhich should neither be prohibitive on the one hand nor unmindful\\nof local interests on the other. The desire for protection is very gen-\\neral, not only among manufacturers and capitalists, but also among\\nthe workingmen. At an interview held at the office of the commis-\\nsioner, November 4, with the heads of the various gremios, or unions,\\nof the artisians of San Juan, Santiago Iglesias, head of the greniio of\\ncarpenters, and president of the federation of workingmen, expressed\\nthe opinion that protective duties on all manufactured articles\\nshould be imposed so as to protect the embryonic industries which\\nexist here for at least a certain number of years. After\\nthey are able to look after themselves, the competition of other markets\\ncould be admitted. Of course the multiplication of industries means\\nmore work, more kinds of work, and therefore, better wages and steadier\\nemployment. The report of the manufacturers and capitalists of\\nPonce indicates a number of enterprises which might be made profit-\\nable. No doubt others could be introduced.\\nThe rates on machinery seem to have been levied with the purpose\\nof allowing as little of it to be introduced as possible. If the framers\\nof the tariff wanted to encourage railroads in the islands, why did\\nthey tax locomotives to the point of prohibition? If they thought it\\nwell that the sugar cane should be ground where it Avas grown, why\\ndid they put so much duty on boilers, cane crushers, vats, and other\\nmachinery for the mills? When it was necessary to import detached\\nparts of agricultural and industrial machines, the duty was increased\\nsevenfold. For four-seated coaches the importer had to pay $350, a\\nfull hundred dollars more than was collected at the custom-houses in\\nCuba, and Cuba had an enormous debt and a war, while Porto Rico\\nhad no debt and was at peace. Railway carriages had to pay $8 per\\n100 kilograms in the smaller, but only $4. 80 in the larger island. The\\nrate on carts and handcarts was $3.80 in Cuba; in Porto Rico it was $6.\\nPorto Ricians might well say that only a capitalist could afford to\\nimport machinery. There was another difficulty manufacturers were\\nsubjected to. In order to import machinery they had to pay an\\nimporter s tax. This was no light burden. Mr. Andres Crosas, an\\nAmerican citizen, long engaged in the importing business in San Juan,\\nstates that he paid as tax on his business $700 to the insular and $1,050\\nto the municipal government. That was the tax which importers and\\nmerchants of the first class paid. Later he placed himself in the\\nsecond class and paid $420 government tax, besides the municipal\\nlevy. Of course, this unnecessary burden will be removed when the\\ntax system of the island is reformed.\\nThe duties on food stuffs are very high, and while all bear the bur-\\ntden of increased prices of indispensable articles of sustenance, it rests", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0398.jp2"}, "399": {"fulltext": "389\\nwith crushing weight on the shoulders of the poor, who are very nu-\\nmerous. The farm hand and laborer may go without shoes for him-\\nself and his family, he may make out with a few coarse garments, but\\nhe can not get along without food. Chickens and eggs bring too much\\nin the market to retain for his own use; fresh meat is far beyond his\\nmeans. A diet of bananas and native vegetables is not sufficient to\\nkeep him in good condition as a worker. He needs something more\\nsubstantial. The food stuffs which are most largely imported are\\nArticles.\\nValue of\\nimporta-\\ntion in 1897.\\n$2,481,631\\nCodfish\\n1,461,751\\n1, 394, 935\\nFlour.- _.-\\n969, 642\\nThese four articles constituted, in value, more than 34 per cent of\\nthe total ($17,858,063) of importations in 1897, or $6,307,959. The\\nchange made by the United States by which articles from Spain pay\\nthe same rates as those from other countries raises, of course, the\\nprices or did the Spanish exporter get the benefit of the difference in\\nduty?\\nThere can be no question that the duties on these articles, except-\\ning codfish, should be reduced. Codfish pays only 90 cents, while in\\nthe old Cuban tariff it paid $2.50, and the Ponce committee think it\\nmight remain unchanged. The committee add to the three articles\\nabove enumerated four more as deserving preference in the cutting-\\ndown process, viz., jerked beef, olive oil and olives, cheese, and butter.\\nFor some unexplained reason the imports of jerked beef, chiefly from\\nSouth America, increased in 1896 over those of 1895 enormously, but\\nfell off in 1897 more than was gained in 1896. The quantity imported\\nin 1895 was 1,030,676 kilograms; in 1896, 3,524,116; in 1897, 774,392,\\nvalued at $108,415. The value of the olive oil imported in 1897 was\\n$172,178; of cheese,. $202,789. Butter came in to the value of $60,178,\\nchiefly from Spain, the United States, Germany, and Denmark.\\nThe propriety of reducing the duties on the chief articles of food\\ncan hardly be questioned from any point of view. It is favored by\\nall Porto Ricans. A congress of 208 representatives of all classes,\\nfrom various parts of the island, held in San Juan, October 30, recom-\\nmended that no customs or consumption taxes should be levied on\\narticles of food, drink, and fuel. They would have them come in\\nfree. Some of the merchants suggest that low duties on necessary\\narticles from Spain, such as Spanish rice, onions, garlic, olive oil,\\nbeans, pease, potatoes, raisins, wines, and certain kinds of dry goods\\nwould be in the interest of the people at large.\\nThere is a very strong demand that raw materials, so called, used\\nin the manufacture of various articles of commerce should have con-\\nsideration in the reform of the tariff. The reasonableness of the\\ndemand does not need to be argued. If manufactures are to be\\nencouraged, low duties on materials needed for them are a legitimate\\nconcession of the state. Of course it is to be remembered that what\\nthe manufacturer calls raw materials may be to the farmer or woods-\\nman or miner finished products. Regard must be had, therefore, in\\ndetermining rates on this class of imports to the interests of home", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0399.jp2"}, "400": {"fulltext": "390\\nproducers, to the needs of the treasury, to the importance of the enter-\\nprise asking relief, and to the character and extent of its output.\\nAmong the manufacturers of Ponce those interested in the making of\\nshoes ask to have leather introduced free of duty and to have raw\\nhides pay a heavier rate. On the other hand, the tanners say an\\nexport tax ought to be put on the native production of raw hides.\\nThey complain that they have to pay too much for the raw materials\\nfor their tanneries. The shoe manufacturers not only want raw mate-\\nrials free, but they want the rates on imports of boots and shoes trebled.\\nThis would be practically prohibitive. The carriage manufacturers\\nask to have the raw materials used in their factories put on the free\\nlist various kinds of leather, wooden articles, such as fellies, spokes,\\npaints, varnishes, etc. At the same time they ask that the duty on\\ncarriages be made higher. As carriages already pay from $120 to \u00c2\u00a7350\\nat the custom-houses, this last request seems both unnecessary and\\nunreasonable. If with the very low wages prevailing in Porto Rico\\ncarriages can not be made profitably on the wide margin of the present\\nimposts, it must be due to lack of skill and management. It would\\nseem that the duties on these and other articles ought to be lowered\\nand encouragement given to manufactures in other forms.\\nThose who ship coffee, tobacco, and lumber, which pay export\\nduties, ask that these taxes on native products, which fall entirely\\nupon the producers, be abolished. Imposts of this class, which can\\nhardly be justified except by exigency of the treasury, are burden-\\nsome. In the case of Porto Rico, which has no debt, it is doubtful if\\nthey are necessary, and, together with the cargo or transit duties on\\nexports, which extend also to sugar, molasses, salt, and other prod-\\nucts, might properly be remitted altogether or gradually removed.\\nAgriculturists, who pay 12| per cent of their net revenues in the way\\nof taxes, might well be excused from paying double duties on their\\nproducts duties to get them out of their own country and duties to\\nget them into another. A great saving has already been accomplished\\nin the abolition of the useless provincial deputation, in the stoppage\\nof payments to the Government at Madrid, and for pensions, and in\\nthe cessation of allowances for the support of the church. Other\\neconomies can be made without in the least imperiling the effieiencj*\\nof government.\\nThe question of absolute free trade between the United States and\\nPorto Rico suggests points which can not be fully settled just now.\\nThe matter is one for discussion in connection with the form of govern-\\nment to be given to the island after the treaty recently signed in Paris\\nshall have been ratified and Congress is ready to take it up. It is\\nproper here to say that Porto Ricans of all classes are united in urging\\nthat the markets of the United States and Porto Rico shall be as free,\\nreciprocally, as those of New York and Jersey City, or Philadelphia\\nand Camden, or Alaska and Oregon. They look to the markets of the\\nUnited States as the natural markets in which they shall sell their\\nexports and buy their imports. They say they want American food\\nstuffs, American dry goods, American hardware, machinery, clothing,\\nAmerican wines and canned goods, and an American marine to carry\\nthem. They will take these, with American institutions and civiliza-\\ntion, and aspire to no higher destiny than to become an integral part of\\nthe great American nation.\\nThe classification of the Porto Rican tariff is similar to that of the\\nCuban. There are 13 schedules, with various groups under each. The", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0400.jp2"}, "401": {"fulltext": "391\\nfollowing table shows for the year 1897 the value of the importations\\nunder the several schedules and the duties collected\\nSchedules.\\nI. Stones, earths, minerals, etc\\nII. Metals and manufactures of\\nIII. Chemicals, etc\\nIV. Cotton and manufactures of\\nV. Vegetable fibers and manufactures of\\nVI. Wool and manufactures of\\nVII. Silk and manufactures of\\nVIII. Paper\\nIX. Wood...\\nX. Animals and animal products..\\nXI. Machinery, etc\\nXII. Foodstuffs\\nXIII. Miscellaneous\\nSpecial imports\\nValues.\\nDuties.\\nPesos.\\nPesos.\\n691,834.86\\n69,772.91\\n675,647.58\\n124,431.13\\n651, 947. 78\\n66, 696. 36\\n2,540,293.87\\n180, 725. 36\\n512,094.46\\n66,389.01\\n128,464.25\\n12,661.16\\n50,581.84\\n5,871.54\\n368,211.55\\n22,449.92\\n818,952.71\\n78,176.26\\n1,196,377.39\\n28,046.46\\n401,156.76\\n35,739.06\\n8,984,808.41\\n1,750,856.54\\n189,557.83\\n27, 185. 98\\n648,044.00\\n12,960.88\\nThe schedules most productive of duties are, in order of amounts\\nof revenue, those relating to food stuffs, cotton goods, and manu-\\nfactures of metals. These three produce nearly four-fifths of the\\nentire revenue. The silk schedule yields very small returns. It is\\nsuggested that the duties are too high and that, under lax adminis-\\ntration of the customs, smuggling has been encouraged. While the\\nduties on luxuries, among which silks are classed, may be high for\\nthe purpose of revenue, they may be so high as to defeat this purpose.\\nIt is the opinion of some Porto Ricans that those on silks are too high.\\nThey are considerably higher than in the old Cuban tariff.\\nThe duties paid by the various countries, in amounts exceeding\\n$10,000, are indicated by the following table:\\n1. United States $945,677.88\\n2. Germany 431,507.02\\n3. Englishlndia 352,023.08\\n4. England 299,477.90\\n5. English possessions 108, 070. 92\\n6. Spain 106,943.14\\n7. France 54,000.66\\n8. Denmark 43,081.22\\n9. Belgium... 41,663.71\\n10. Holland 40,566.53\\n11. Argentina.... _ _\u00e2\u0080\u00a2 12,480.49\\n12. Cuba.... 10,624.47\\nThe value of imports by countries, for amounts above $100,000, is\\nshown by the following:\\nCountries.\\nChief item.\\nValue.\\n1. Spain\\n.2. United States\\n3. England\\n4. English possessions\\n5. Germany\\n6. Englishlndia..\\n7. Cuba\\n8. Prance\\n9. Belgium\\n10. Holland..\\n11. Denmark\\nCotton goods\\nPork\\nWrought-iron sheets.\\nCodfish\\nRice\\ndo\\nTobacco\\nCotton goods\\nRice\\nCheese\\nRice\\n$7,152,016\\n3,741,815\\n1,755,755\\n1,445,601\\n1,314,603\\n913,069\\n692,780\\n215,474\\n163,675\\n155,363\\n124,406\\nA comparison of these two tables will show that Spain furnished\\nover 40 per cent of the imports, according to value, and paid less", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0401.jp2"}, "402": {"fulltext": "than 4 per cent of the customs collected; the United States furnished\\n21 per cent of the imports, according to value, and paid 38 per cent\\nof the customs collected. As Spanish imports now pay duties at the\\nsame rates as those from other countries, an increase of revenue is to\\nbe expected.\\nThere are many requests for reduction in the duties on wines and\\nbeers, on the ground that they are now so high that the majority of\\nthe people can not afford to buy them. Wines formerly came in from\\nSpain at a low duty, about 3 centavos. Now they pay, including the\\nconsumption tax, 30 centavos. The Ponce committee propose that\\nthe duties on alcohol and brandy should be increased and those on\\nwines and beers be reduced, and that the consumption tax on all liquors\\nbe abolished. The manufacturers of liquors do not ask for additional\\nprotection, but oppose the removal of the consumption tax. They\\nspeak of brandy and alcohol as the raw materials of their industry.\\nIf I am correctly informed, wine is manufactured from these strong\\nliquors. Such, at least, is the report made to me by an attache of\\nthis commission who visited a distillery which produces 200 gallons of\\nalcohol per day. Most of this is made into wine by the help of sugar\\nand of raisins from Spain. It would seem to be better to lower the\\nduties on wines made from grapes, for the benefit of the people, even\\nthough it be at the expense of this particular industry of local wine\\nmaking.\\nThe effect on the revenues of the reductions proposed by Porto\\nRicans it is difficult to estimate. The belief is quite general that an\\nimproved administration of the customs system would save a con-\\nsiderable amount of income; that many of the reductions proposed\\nwould add to the revenue through increased importations, and that,\\non the whole, a judicious revision of the schedules would lead to\\nlarger rather than smaller results. It is also to be considered that\\nthe great volume of imports from Spain will no longer be almost free.\\nThe difference between the sum which Spain paid in 1897 and that\\nwhich she would pay now is the difference between \u00c2\u00a7106,913 and\\n$1,788,000, on the basis of the duties paid by imports from the United\\nStates, or $1,681,057. If imports for the present year do not fall off\\nthere should be a substantial gain in receipts for the balance of the\\nfiscal year, on the basis of the old rates.\\nIt is hardly possible to estimate what can be expected for the treas-\\nury of the insular government from other sources or what its actual\\nneeds will be. The taxes need a complete readjustment. The main\\ndependence has been on the customs revenue, and must continue to\\nbe until the future government of the island is determined. The\\nestimates of receipts for the year ending June 30, 1898, amounted,\\nfor both the Government and the provincial deputation to So, 157, 200.\\nOf this there was expected from\\nCustoms $3,377,900\\nTaxes 1.051,200\\nMonopoly revenues 184. 200\\nPostage stamps 128. 000\\nLottery, etc 309,700\\nOther sources 106,200\\nTotal 5,157,200-\\nThe orders already issued, under the military control of the United", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0402.jp2"}, "403": {"fulltext": "393\\nStates, have cut off several sources of revenue. The amounts expected\\nfrom them in the fiscal year 1897-98 were as follows:\\nMonopoly revenues (stamped papers) $184, 200\\nLottery, etc .,_ 309,700\\nTaxes on transfer of property 148, 000\\nPassports 31,000\\nTotal 672,900\\nOn the other hand, reductions will he effected in expenditures.\\nThese items, which appeared in the estimates for 1897-98, disappear\\nfrom the accounts of the last half of the year\\nExpenses of colonial ministry at Madrid $498, 502\\nPublic worship 197,945\\nArmy 1,252,378\\nNavy \u00e2\u0080\u00a2\u00e2\u0080\u009e_ 222,668\\nProvincial deputation 71, 860\\nLottery 23,180\\nTotal.... 2,266,533\\nAccording to the judgment of Porto Bicans most competent to have\\nan opinion other reductions can be made for the good of the service.\\nIt must he remembered, however, that large sums will be needed\\nalmost immediately for the public schools .and for various internal\\nimprovements indispensable to the development of Porto Rico. For-\\ntunately there is no debt, so far as can be learned surpluses have\\nbeen the rule in the insular accounts, though they do not seem to\\nhave been carried over, but used for Spanish exigencies in Cuba and\\nelsewhere.\\nIt would seem to be prudent not to revise the Porto Rican tariff so\\nas very greatly to reduce the customs revenue, at least for the period\\nad interim.\\nI beg to make the following recommendations\\n(1) That export duties on coffee, wood, and tobacco be abolished.\\nThis measure of relief to the agriculturists of Porto Rico is recom-\\nmended in the elaborate reports of the Ponce merchants, manufacturers,\\nand agriculturists, and is highly desirable.\\n(2) That the consumption tax on beverages be abolished, provided\\nthe duties on distilled liquors be increased as recommended in obser-\\nvations on Schedule XII.\\n(3) That to the- free list be added plows, hoes, spades, hatchets,\\nmachetes, cane knives, and other agricultural tools, excepting agri-\\ncultural machinery.\\n(4) That scientific, literary, and artistic works not dangerous to pub-\\nlic order be admitted free, in the terms of the treaty between Spain\\nand the United States, which shall apply to such works whether from\\nSpain or any other country.\\n(5) That a separate schedule be made for tobacco, separating it\\nfrom the miscellaneous class and numbering it XIV, as in the Cuban\\ntariff.\\n(6) That, the conditions in Cuba and Porto Rico being similar, the\\nrevision of the Porto Rican tariff follow that of the Cuban, except in\\nspecific instances to be indicated in the observations which follow on\\nthe schedules severally.\\nSchedule I. Stones, Earth, etc.\\nUnder this schedule the value of the importations in 1897 was\\n$691,825; duties, $69,773\u00e2\u0080\u0094 nearly 10 per cent. No changes have been", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0403.jp2"}, "404": {"fulltext": "394\\nasked for in group 1. Some of the items are higher, others lower,\\nthan those in the Cuban tariff. I would suggest that none of the items\\nbe increased. Coal, for which free entry has been asked, should be\\ngrouped with bitumens and schists and reduced from 33 to 20 centavos.\\nAs to crude and refined petroleum, earnest representations have been\\nmade in favor of protection for an oil refinery at San Juan. As the\\nmargin is wide, I would suggest that an increase be made in item 8\\nfrom 55 to, say, 90 centavos, leaving item 9 at $3.10. The Cuban rate\\nfor item 7 is four times as great as the existing rate in the Porto Rican\\ntariff. I know of no reason for increase. In group 5 the Cuban clas-\\nsification might be adopted with the Cuban rates for mirrors; but as\\nreductions are desired in items 11, 12, and 15, and the Cuban rates\\nare higher, I would recommend that no increase be made. For group\\n6 Cuban rates and classification would be acceptable, I think. If\\nsurtaxes are to be retained, that of 75 per cent on painted or gilt por-\\ncelain should be reduced to 50 per cent.\\nSchedule II. Metals, Manufactures of, etc.\\nThe value of the imports under this schedule for the calendar year 1897\\nwas 1675,748, which paid #124,431 in duties (nearly 9 per cent), twice\\nas much as the first schedule, although the value of the importations\\nunder the latter were larger. For group 1, gold, silver, and platinum,\\nit would be well to substitute the classification and rates of the similar\\ngroup in the Cuban tariff. The same recommendation will apply to\\ngroup 2. The reductions in both cases will be acceptable to Porto\\nRicans. The adoption of the Cuban rates for group 3, wrought iron\\nand steel, will give the relief needed on various indispensable articles,\\nwhile the few instances of increased rates, as in firearms, will cause no\\nhardship. Encouragement is asked for the manufacture of tinware\\nin Porto Rico. The Ponce committee says that the countries of Latin\\nAmerica are very successful in this industry, and Porto Rico might\\nmake everything needed for home use if the raw materials were only\\nfree. These materials with the present rates of duty and with the\\nCuban rates are:\\ni Porto\\nItem. Bican\\nduty.\\nCuban\\nduty.\\n60. Unmanufactured tin S2. 10\\n80. Tin in ingots. 11.00\\n81. Bar zinc, rosin, etc 2.90\\n82. Zinc in sheets, nails, etc j 3.00\\nSI. 50\\n4.00\\n1.00\\n1.50\\nManufactures of tin plate pay $9. The Cuban rate is 84. Perhaps\\nthis would not give sufficient margin for the industry. If the Cuban\\nrates are adopted for 60, 80, 81, and 82, I would suggest that item 61\\nbe not reduced below $7 or $6.50. The reductions specially asked for\\nin articles entering into the manufacture of carriages and articles\\nknown as builders hardware seem to be fairly met in the proposed\\nCuban rates, and I recommend their adoption-.\\nSchedule III. Chemical and Pharmaceutical Articles.\\nUnder this schedule the importations in 1897 were valued at\\n$651,948, on which $66,696 in duties was collected, somewhat more", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0404.jp2"}, "405": {"fulltext": "395\\nthan 10 per cent. The committee at Ponce seem to have given the\\nsystem of classification a careful examination and make a number of\\nsuggestions of changes upon the value of which expert opinion is\\ndesirable. They are all in the interest of reductions, which the adop-\\ntion of the Cuban rates would accomplish perhaps sufficiently. That\\nin cod-liver oil would be especially welcome. Quinine should be\\nmade free. The soap makers ask for rosin and caustic soda free.\\nWhile this is not conceded, large reductions are made in these articles\\nin the Cuban rates.\\nSchedule IV. Cotton, and Manufactures of.\\nThis schedule produced in 1897 in duties $180,725, the importations\\nbeing valued at $2,540,294. Undoubtedly both the Cuban classifica-\\ntion and rates would be more satisfactory to the vast number of Porto\\nRicans interested in cotton goods than those of their own tariff. Cot-\\nton goods are used for clothing and household purposes almost exclu-\\nsively bj^ the great majority of the inhabitants of Porto Rico. The\\nimports under this schedule are nearly four times as great as those\\nunder the wool, linen, and silk schedules combined. It will be of\\nspecial benefit to the poorer classes to get their cotton goods cheaper,\\nand the Ponce tariff reformers have proposed lower rates in some cases\\nand higher in others. The Cuban schedule would answer for Porto\\nRico, except for item 128. The present rate for that item is 30 cents,\\nthe rate proposed by the Ponce committee 25 cents, and the Cuban\\n33 cents. I believe it would be well to make it 25 cents. It would be\\nof benefit to an industry in which many young girls are engaged, and\\nin which they are very skillful.\\nSchedule V. Hemp, Flax, etc., and Manufactures of.\\nNo one has asked that items 163 and 164 shall be free. The Ponce\\ntariff reform committee suggest that these items be dutiable at f 1 each,\\ncutting down one 65 cents and increasing the other 40 cents. So far\\nas appears there is no extensive rope factory or other industry using\\nthese materials in the making of fabrics. I would suggest that the\\nduties be fixed at $1 in each case. A reduction is asked in sewing-\\nthread. It now pays 16 cents per kilogram gross; the proposal is $8\\nper 100 kilos. Reductions are suggested from Ponce on various kinds\\nof tissues and increases on others. Probably the Cuban schedule\\nentire, with the exceptions noted, would be satisfactory.\\nSchedule VI. Wool, and Manufactures of.\\nThe importations of wool and woolen manufactures amounted to\\n$128,464 in 1897, paying duties of $12,661, or less than 10 per cent.\\nThe Cuban schedule levies 40 per cent. The Ponce committee pro-\\npose new rates, most of which are in the direction of increase. No\\nreasons are given for raising the rates. It is to be considered whether\\na fourfold advance on the average would not be too great, even allow-\\ning for the large imports which have hitherto come from Spain almost\\nfree. Tailors ask for an increase on ready-made clothing, and the\\nPonce committee propose that it be 50 per cent.\\nSchedule VII. Silk, and Manufactures of.\\nThe importations of silk and manufactures of silk are extremely\\nsmall, amounting to only $50,582 in 1897, yielding in duties $5,872,", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0405.jp2"}, "406": {"fulltext": "396\\nor somewhat more than 11 per cent. Intelligent Porto Ricans express\\nthe opinion that the rates are too high for revenue that there has\\nbeen a good deal of smuggling. With this in mind, perhaps, the\\nPonce committee proposes a radical reduction in some cases, as for\\nexample, from $6.10 to 11.25 in item 214; from $9J0 to $4 in item\\n216, and from $18 to $6 in item 218. An increase is suggested in\\nitems 219 and 220, and surtaxes for silk ribbons, ready-made clothing\\nof the materials of the schedule, and silk handkerchiefs. The Cuban\\nrate of 50 per cent ad valorem would, I fear, lessen rather than\\nincrease the income from this schedule. Silks must be cheap to find\\nmany buyers in Porto Rico.\\nSchedule VIII. Paper.\\nThe imports under this schedule in 1897 were valued at $368,212 and\\npaid $22,450 in duties. The Ponce reformers ask that pulp or paste\\nfor the manufacture of paper be free and that paper of all kinds be\\ngreatly reduced, because it is the essential basis of a thousand\\nmediums of intelligence and liberty. They also propose that books,\\nboth bound and unbound, go on the free list. As the treaty recently\\nnegotiated at Paris makes provision for free importation of Spanish\\nliterary, scientific, and artistic works, it would be only just to make\\nall such articles from each and every country free. In view of the\\nlarge reductions proposed by the Cuban tariff and its improved classi-\\nfication, I recommend that it be adopted entire, allowing paper pulp\\nto pay the small duty of 15 per cent instead of making it free. This\\nreduction amounts to 40 per cent.\\nSchedule IX. Wood.\\nThis is one of the more important schedules, yielding $78,176 in\\nduties on importations valued at $818,953. The Ponce committee say,\\nThere is no reason why lumber should not continue to pay the same\\nduties as at present. On the other hand, United States Consul Hanna\\nconsiders that cheapening the cost of materials for houses, and pre-\\nsumably of furniture also, would be a boon. Probably timber will be\\nrequired to build vessels, the need of which for transportation between\\nports of the island is greatly felt. Materials for casks, hogsheads, etc.,\\nmight, it is suggested, be allowed to come in at reduced rates. It\\nwould seem to be wise, therefore, to adopt the rates of the Cuban\\nschedule. The manufacturers of straw hats complain of the excessive\\nduties they have to pay on straw braids, and suggest that these be\\ntaken out of item 257 and incorporated in item 256 and that the braids\\nshould be classified as first, second, and third, the first class compris-\\ning braids from 3 to 5 millimeters in width, the second those from 6 to\\n8 millimeters, and the third those of 9 millimeters and over. This\\nwould avoid, they nay, the present inconsistencies by which the\\ncoarser straw pays more duty than the finer because it is heavier,\\nalthough it is far less valuable.\\nSchedule X. Animals and Animal Products.\\nIn value of imports this is the third schedule in importance, cotton\\nbeing second and food stuffs first. The imports in 1897 amounted to\\n$1,196,377, yielding $28,046 in duties. No reduction of duties is asked\\nfor in group 1 of animals. There has been no long, wasting Avar in", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0406.jp2"}, "407": {"fulltext": "397\\nPorto Rico to deplete the meat supply, as in Cuba. The Porto Rican\\ncattle are large and fine and make splendid draft animals, quite\\nsuperior to the native horses, which are small and only adapted to driv-\\ning and riding purposes. According to a property census, taken in\\n1896, there were in that year 303,612 cattle, 67,751 horses, 13,111 hogs,\\n5,799 goats, 4,167 mules, 2,055 sheep, and 717 asses. There are lands\\nwell adapted to cattle raising. It is not necessary, therefore, that any\\nof the animals in group 1 be put on the free list. Perhaps, however,\\nsome benefit would come to the people if the rate 25 per cent ad\\nvalorem were adopted. A comparison of group 2, hides, skins, and\\nleather ware, with that of the Cuban tariff will show no very wide\\ndifferences in the rates on manufactured articles. The new item in\\nthe Cuban schedule for children s shoes is provided for in the Porto\\nRican schedule by an allowance of a rebate of 50 per cent for shoes\\nthe inside soles of which do not measure more than 18 centimeters.\\nThat appears to be more favorable to this class of goods than the\\nCuban classification. It is very desirable that the use of shoes by\\nchildren shall be encouraged by low prices.\\nThe manufacturers of Ponce estimate that not more than 200,000\\npersons in Porto Rico wear shoes. Of these, 50,000 wear four pairs a\\nyear; 50,000, three pairs; 50,000, two pairs, and 50,000, one pair, mak-\\ning 500,000 pairs for a year s supply. Of these, 100,000 pairs are made\\nin the island, and they believe that all that are needed can be sup-\\nplied by the native industry if only sufficient encouragement be given.\\nThis encouragement consists in admitting sheepskins and calfskins,\\ntanned and patent leather free; but strangely enough they ask for a\\nhigher rate on raw skins, saying that the increased demand for leather\\nwill compensate the tanners. On the other hand, the tanners repre-\\nsent that tan bark costs too much, and that the premium offered on\\nraw hides in Hamburg and Havre puts the native production beyond\\ntheir reach. They ask that an export duty be put on raw hides. It\\nwould seem more equitable to allow the tanners to import hides at a\\nreduced rate, say two-tenths of one per cent, as in the Cuban schedule.\\nThe shoe manufacturers also ask that shoes for men and women, under\\nitems 276 and 277, shall pay three times the duty now in force, or $7. 65\\nand $6. 75 instead of $2. 75 and $2. 25. They would probably now agree\\nthat this is unnecessary in view of the fact that shoes from Spain have\\nceased to come in practically free of duty. The Balearic Island shoes,\\nwhich were so poor, now pay the same duties as similar shoes from other\\ncountries. The tanners are helped by lower duties on tan bark and\\non hides, and the shoe manufacturers get protection against the\\ncoarse, unsightly Balearic Island shoes, with pasteboard soles.\\nThe adoption of the Cuban rates is therefore recommended.\\nSchedule XL Instruments, Machinery, etc.\\nOn articles in this class $35,739 in duties was paid in 1897 on imports\\nvalued at $401,157. There is a general call for lower duties on.articles\\nin this list, particularly on agricultural machinery, which many think\\nought to be free. It was formerly free, but in view of the proposal to\\nabolish export duties, to admit agricultural implements free, and other\\nconcessions to the interests represented, a reduction, such as the new\\nCuban rates would give, willprobably be reasonably satisfactory. It\\nis to be hoped that the importer s license or tax which agriculturists\\nhave to pay for importing machineiy will be abolished. The adoption\\nof ad valorem rates will avoid excessive duties on cheap machines and", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0407.jp2"}, "408": {"fulltext": "398\\ndistribute the burdens more equally. Especially to be commended\\nis the provision of the Cuban schedule making detached parts of\\nmachines dutiable at the same rates as the machines themselves. I\\nrecommend the adoption also of the Cuban rates for the other groups.\\nMusical instruments, watches, etc., may properly pay a duty of 50 per\\ncent ad valorem. This will lessen the cost of pianos and organs, the\\nrates on which are higher than were the Spanish rates in Cuba.\\nAppeals have been made for reductions of from 20 to 50 per cent or\\nmore, particularly for small practice pianos of four octaves or less,\\nalso for hand organs.\\nIn the interests of carriage making the Ponce committee asks for\\nan increase in the duty on carriages, in addition to lower duties on\\nthe leather, wooden, and metallic materials used in the construction\\nof them. Carriages now pay from $120 to $350. The last figure is a\\nfull $100 more than the highest rate in the original Cuban tariff $250.\\nThis was reduced at Santiago to $100. It would seem that the Porto\\nRicaii rates ought, in the interests of the people, to be lowered. A\\nduty of 50 per cent ad valorem ought to be sufficiently protective to\\ncarriage makers, who are to get their raw materials cheaper. The\\nrates on vessels are high. There is great need of sailing and steam\\ncraft for island navigation. The ad valorem rates of the Cuban tariff\\nare recommended for adoption.\\nSchedule XII Alimentary Substances.\\nThe rates in this schedule affect directly more people in Porto Rico\\nthan those of any other class. The importations in 1897 amounted to\\n$8,984,808, which was more than 50 per cent of the total for all the\\nschedules. The duties collected were $1,750,857, or upward of 70\\nper cent of the aggregate. Those interested in the condition of the\\npeasant and laborer of the island are anxious that duties shall be\\nlower on all classes of foods, particularly rice, which leads the entire\\nlist of imported foodstuffs in quantity and value, and meats.\\nThe rates in group 1, meat and fish, butter and preserves, are far\\nlower than those of the old Cuban tariff, and are lower even than\\nthose of the new schedule. Codfish, for example, which is second\\nonly to rice in the value of imports, is rated at 90 cents, while in the\\nold Cuban tariff it was $2.50 and in the new $2. I am informed that\\nthe present rate on codfish is satisfactory. I would suggest that all\\nthe articles in group 1, except codfish and jerked beef, be reduced 10\\nper cent. The new Cuban rates in group 2, for cereals, if adopted for\\nPorto Rico, would allow a reduction for rice, which now pays $1.95 in\\nthe husk and $2.70 without the husk. The Cuban rate is $1.50 for\\nboth. The reduction in wheat flour and wheat will also be a great\\nboon, but the proposed classification for corn, rye, oats, and barley\\nmakes reductions far beyond what is necessary or desired in Porto\\nRico. Corn is an important crop in the island and can be grown\\nprofitably to a larger extent, if the duty is not lowered too much.\\nThe present duty is $3.15. I would recommend that the rates be\\nfixed as follows\\nCorn $1.30 I Barley $1.50\\nRye 1.40 I Oats 1.40\\nAnd that flour of corn be $1.50. Items 316 and 347 should be incor-\\nporated in group 3, garden produce, and the Cuban classification and\\nrates be substituted.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0408.jp2"}, "409": {"fulltext": "399\\nIn group 4 a redaction in the duties of cocoa is desired by the Ponce\\nand San Juan chocolate makers; also an increase of duty on choco-\\nlate. The best chocolate made in San Juan commands a price of $1 a\\npound. Asked why it was so high, the maker said it was because the\\nduty on cocoa was so heavy. Cocoa is grown in Porto Rico, and, the\\nPonce committee say, in sufficient quantity, the product augment-\\ning daily. But they want lower duties on the raw material and higher\\non the finished product. On the latter the rate is 30 cents. On the\\nformer $13. Of course no reduction is asked for in the rate on coffee.\\nNo reduction should be made in the rate on tea, which is half the old\\nCuban duty. It would be well if heavier rates could be assessed on\\ninferior chocolates, which contain little cocoa, such as come from\\nSpain. This would be a measure of protection to the home manufac-\\nturers. Large reductions are requested in the rates on olive oil and\\non beers and wines in group 5. These are articles in very general\\ndemand. Good wines have almost been driven out of use by the\\nprices. Artificial wines made in the island and the products of the\\ndistilleries have taken the place of the lighter drinks. Mr. Casals,\\npresident of the Industrial Club of Ponce, expressed the opinion that\\nnative rum is doing great harm to the people and that the adoption of\\nthe internal-revenue excise system of the United States would be of\\nadvantage. With this opinion the congress of Porto Ricans, held in\\nSan Juan October 30 last, agrees in its conclusions, recommending\\nthe imposition of a heavy tax on alcoholic drinks and the abso-\\nlute prohibition of harmful drinks. Of course native producers\\nthink otherwise and would like to have insular taxes lowered and\\nhigher duties levied on distilled liquors. They say if the consump-\\ntion tax is taken off the duties should be increased in compensation.\\nIt seems wise to encourage importation of grape wines and beers\\nrather than distilled liquors. The rates recommended for the latter\\nfrom Ponce are higher than those of the present tariff and considera-\\nbly higher than those of the new Cuban tariff. It would seem to be\\ndesirable that the duties should not be greatly reduced, if at all.\\nItem 372 should be incorporated in group 4. The Cuban rates will be\\nsatisfactory for articles in group 7. The manufacturers of soup paste\\nwant the duty on that article increased fivefold but the reductions\\non flour and grease will make increase unnecessary.\\nSchedule XIII. Miscellaneous.\\nThere was imported under this class in 1897 $189,558, which yielded\\n$27,186 in duties. A special plea has been made in the report of the\\nPonce tariff reformers for all possible reduction in toys, as they are\\na moralizing factor among children and a mental stimulus.\\nThey suggest a reduction from $35 to $20. The Cuban rate is $10,\\nwhich will be heartily approved. They also asked for lower rates for\\ntrinkets. Their views are met by the Cuban rate. Too great a reduc-\\ntion should not be made in matches. There are several match fac-\\ntories in Porto Rico. The reduction should not exceed 50 per cent,\\nprobably.\\nAn increase is suggested by the Ponce committee on umbrellas and\\nparasols, but no reason is assigned. Instead of 40 cents and 20 cents,\\nthey ask for 60 cents and 25 cents. The Cuban rates are 10 cents\\nand 5 cents. This is perhaps a larger reduction than would be advisa-\\nble. With respect to straw hats many changes are requested, mainly\\nin the interest of native manufacture. They want straw braids, now", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0409.jp2"}, "410": {"fulltext": "400\\nimported under item 257, Class IX, to be differently classified and be\\nsubject to greatly reduced duties*. Straw hats, they think, should\\npay heavier rates. Item 402 they would increase from 37 centavas to\\n$2; item 403, from $1.60 to 16, while they would reduce item 404 from\\n$2.35 to $1; item 405, from $5 to $2; item 400, from $9.50 to $2.50,\\nand item 407, from $34 to $5. If the classification and rates suggested\\nfor straw braids in Schedule IX be made, perhaps the Cuban rates\\nfor the above items ought to be adopted. The Ponce manufacturers\\nsay, concerning felt hats\\nMost of the felt hats imported in the island are woolen. The value of the\\nforms for the manufacture of one dozen of these hats is 1 peso, more or less: the\\nimport duty on the same is 1 peso 25 centavos plus the 10 per cent transitory tax,\\nmaking a total of 137+ per cent. Besides, there is a duty on the ribbons, bands,\\nlinings, and other materials, such as stiffenings and dyes, which raise the price\\nto 1 peso 75 centavos per dozen: adding this to the 137+ centavos for the forms\\nmakes a total of 3 pesos 12+ centavos that is to say, 312+ per cent on the value of\\nthe forms.\\nThe value of the finished hats is from 3 to 6 pesos a dozen, an average of about\\n4+ pesos per dozen. The import duty, under item 409, is 3 pesos plus 10 per cent\\ntransitory duties, \u00c2\u00a73.30, making a total tax of from 73 to 74 per cent on their\\nvalue.\\nProposed Schedule XIV. Tobacco.\\nThis is an important industry in Porto Rico. The value of the\\nproduct exported in 1897 was $1,194,318. The Ponce committee esti-\\nmate that there are 250,000 smokers in the island 50,000 who smoke\\ncigars and 200,000 who smoke cigarettes; that the consumption of\\ncigarettes is 200,000 daily, or 73,000,000 annually; that a large pro-\\nportion of this total comes from Cuba, the value of the imports approx-\\nimating $1,500,000 annually, and that all the tobacco consumed could\\nbe manufactured in Porto Rico and employment thus be given to\\n8,000 men if there were more protection. They say new methods of\\ncultivation are employed with better results and that more skill has\\nbeen introduced in the manufacture of the weed. They complain\\nthat while Porto Rico tobacco was practically excluded from Cuba, the\\nCuban manufactures were admitted to Porto Rico free from all duty\\nexcept the 10 per cent transitory tax. The Porto Rican article also\\npaid an export tax of 32 cents, including the transitory tax. There\\nare five tobacco factories in Ponce alone, besides those in Caguas and\\nother places thirty or more in all. The industry has improved in\\nthe past few years, and it is expected that it will be greatly extended.\\nNo rates are suggested, but those of the new Cuban tariff would\\nundoubtedly give necessary protection, particularly if the export\\nduties are removed.\\nRespectfully submitted.\\nHenry K. Carroll, Commissioner.\\nhow the tariff should be revised.\\nViews of Ponce Merchants.\\nThe two accompanying papers on tariff reform were presented to\\nthe Commissioner at San Juan, November 8, 1898, by Seilors D. Felici,\\nE. Torres, and A. Casals, chosen by the representatives of the com-\\nmercial, agricultural, and industrial classes of the district of Ponce.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0410.jp2"}, "411": {"fulltext": "401\\nThe deputation presented to the Commissioner the following resolu-\\ntions hearing on the tariff:\\nFirst. That a banker, an agriculturist, and the president of the Club de Indus-\\ntrials shall be selected to call on Mr. H. K. Carroll at his office in San Juan.\\nSecond. That, it not being possible in such a short time to prepare a special\\nwork or information to offer to Mr. Carroll, the commission elected shall present\\nhim with an exact copy of the extensive and. laborious work that was successfully\\naccomplished by the Club de Industriales and the Chamber of Commerce of the\\ncity of Ponce. This work comprises a good many statistical details and logical\\narguments, all tending to show the modifications that should be made in the\\ncustom-house regulations and tariff, in order to protect the development of the\\nindustries and to demonstrate also the reason why agriculture in Porto Rico is in\\nsuch a decadent condition.\\nThird. Said work, made by seven different commissions, was ordered by the\\nSpanish Government with the object of making the necessary alterations in the\\ncustom-house tariff and of using it as a guide to make commercial treaties with\\nthe United States and Canada; but when the work was finished and ready to be\\nsent the war broke out and the Club de Industriales did not send it.\\nFourth. It is our opinion that if the translation of said work into the English\\nlanguage were ordered by Mr. Carroll, a good many important details would be\\nfound that could aid considerably his present investigation. He will, of course,\\nhave to set aside all that was intended for the special use of the Spanish Govern-\\nment.\\nFifth. We wish now to call his attention to the most vital, urgent, and neces-\\nsary measure that should be taken in Porto Rico, if the ruin of this rich island is\\nto be prevented. This measure is the free importation in the island of the products\\nof the United States, and vice versa.\\nReport of the Manufacturers of Ponce.\\n[Commission: Don Juan Cabrer, Don Julio E. Prats. Don Arturo Idrach, Don Alfredo Casals,\\nDon Luis Aguerrevere, Don Roberto G-raham.]\\nTo the President and Members of the Official Chamber of Commerce\\nand the Manufacturers Club of Ponce:\\nIn compliance with the request made by the honorable secretary of\\nagriculture, manufactures, and commerce for information in regard\\nto the modifications which may be introduced into the custom-house\\ntariff, in view of the opening industries of Porto Rico, the under-\\nsigned commission, appointed by the above-named officers to make a\\nreport upon the same, has endeavored to fulfill its mission conscien-\\ntiously, not only by analyzing the obstacles opposed to industrial\\ndevelopment, but also the means necessary to promote activity in\\nthese branches, so that they may develop in Porto Rico, to the increase\\nof public prosperity and the welfare of the country.\\nWith this object in view, and in order to cooperate the better with\\nthe laudable autonomic system just initiated for our government, all\\nthe manufacturers of Ponce have been invited to make a detailed\\nreport of the requirements of their respective industries, and at the\\nsame time to offer such suggestions as, in their opinion, are advisable\\nfor the development of such industry.\\nThe result of these various reports, all tending to one end, is\\nembodied in the accompanying report. Satisfied and proud we will be\\nif it sheds any light upon the plausible work which it is intended to\\nrealize and open to our beloved country new and extensive fields of\\nwealth, work, and life.\\nREPORT ON THE INDUSTRIES OF PORTO RICO.\\nIf our century is remarkable for one above other things it is for the\\nimmense impulse to manufactures and industries.\\n1125\u00e2\u0080\u009426", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0411.jp2"}, "412": {"fulltext": "402\\nCountries which have no industries of their own, or have them only\\nin limited scale, are lacking in self-support, and are therefore subject\\nto the tutelage of those which have acquired great development in\\nthis branch of human employment.\\nIt should be observed that manufacturing countries are, par excel-\\nlence, the richest and most powerful England, Germany, France,\\nand the United States of America.\\nIt must be observed, too, that in these countries, and in them only,\\nthe necessaries of life are easily procured; there are greater resources\\nfor persons of all capacities, and the condition of the lower class is\\nfar better than in other places.\\nIn all the countries of the world manufacture is the source of prog-\\nress, well-being, and morality. Of progress, because it contributes\\nin the highest degree to general education as well as to general\\nwealth; it educates the people in the performance of work, cultivates\\ntheir mechanical aptitudes, and elevates them in the social scale. In\\nmanufactories the proletariat is converted into a Workman. Well-\\nbeing, because it affords employment and the means for supplying\\nthe material needs and enjoyments of life to the poor by lowering the\\nrevenue taxes, which bear heavily upon the contributors, and it\\nreduces the price of the necessaries of life. Of morality, because of\\nthe numerous opportunities it affords for work it does away with\\nvagrancy and the evils of vice; it educates mankind in the practice\\nof good habits, and especially elevates and dignifies woman, to whom\\nit opens a wider field than that of ordinary labor as a domestic, and\\nenables her to turn away from the inducements offered by houses of\\nill fame.\\nThe foregoing ideas are based upon facts and practical observations\\nmade in the workshops and in the social relations.\\nThe few manufactures of our island have declined in price.\\nNumbers of indigent poor who were subjected to daily want have\\nbeen converted into useful workmen, doubling and trebling their\\nmeans of subsistence. Hundreds of women take the fruit of their\\nlabor to their homes, thanks to the factory which has saved them from\\nthe wages of sin.\\nOf the facts of these details the hat factory, tanneiy, and cigar fac-\\ntories of Ponce will bear evidence.\\nIn order that these experiments may take root, develop, and multi-\\nply in our province, offering solid guaranties to the capital invested\\nin the various enterprises, it is necessary, in order to obtain the best\\nresults in the various manufactures, that we follow the course employed\\nby those nations which are in the vanguard of the contemporaneous\\nindustrial movement.\\nThis is nothing other than a positive, unfettered protection to the\\nindustries of the country, or what we would call, referring to Porto\\nRico, a system of colonial protection. To attempt the development\\nof industries without openly protecting them is to attempt an impos-\\nsibility.\\nA government anxious for wealth and local prestige would not leave\\nits industries to take care of themselves, but would help and stimulate\\nthem by suppressing or lowering the customs duties on materials\\nimported for use in manufactories. It would impose prohibitive\\nduties imported upon goods which made competition, and would con-\\ncede all possible facilities to the industry in order that all manufac-\\ntures may redound to the general prosperity. All that does not go to\\nfurther these interests will be a lamentable loss of time and labor and", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0412.jp2"}, "413": {"fulltext": "403\\nendanger the complete loss of the capital invested in unprofitable\\nbusiness.\\nNor should it be urged that countries lacking the raw materials for\\nmanufacture can not become manufacturing centers. There are many\\nexamples to the contrary.\\nThe fine manufactory of candles and soap of Rocamora, in Bar-\\ncelona, imports the grease and resins used in its business. The piano\\nfactories established in the same city also import from foreign coun-\\ntries the strings, pegs, keys, and other accessories of their business.\\nThe weaving mills of different places in Catalonia obtain their flax\\nand cotton from England and America. Many other like examples\\nmight be cited which do not occur to us at this time.\\nAnd can the industrial importance of Catalonia be doubted?\\nIn the same manner many industries in Porto Rico might be fostered\\nwithout taking into account that not a few of the raw materials neces-\\nsary can be found in the country.\\nTo this end we propose the following general bases, susceptible of\\ngreat amplification:\\nFirst. Declares free from duty all raw material and machine^ from\\nwhatever source.\\nSecond. Authorize the manufacturers doing business or those\\nlicensed to manufacture to make a declaration before the custom-\\nhouses of the raw materials and machinery which they import for their\\nrespective industries.\\nThird. Impose an additional tax of 30 per cent upon all goods simi-\\nlar to those manufactured or which may be manufactured in this\\nisland, from whatever country they may be imported.\\nFourth. Exempt from duties, taxes, or other burdens, for the space\\nof five years, the new industries which may be established here.\\nFifth. Stimulate industrial enterprise by offering premiums of some\\nvalue, to be awarded each year, to those who have made most progress\\nin their respective industries.\\nThese are, in our opinion, the only means really practicable to favor\\nin a substantial manner the development of the industries of Porto\\nRico.\\nWe do not care for monopoly; we are the first to condemn unjust\\nprivileges; but the insular industries should obtain a margin of pro-\\ntection under the tariff in force, for, according to an old adage, Char-\\nity, well understood, begins at home. Furthermore, if protection is\\nample and is based upon fair measures, monopoly could not exist.\\nAny industry that attempted it would find itself at once mistaken,\\nbecause, by virtue of the ample protection afforded, other similar indus-\\ntries would be established for the purpose of competition.\\nIn proof of our assertion we will refer to the case of the match fac-\\ntory of Bolivar, in San Juan de Porto Rico, and to the ice manufac-\\ntories in the capital and in Ponce. Their abuses brought to them a\\nnon-productive result.\\nProtection, protection, and protection in every sense of the word,\\nin all its forms and in every measure this is what the industries of\\nPorto Rico need.\\nHaving made the foregoing statements upon industries in general,\\nwe will proceed to describe, in detail, three of the most important in\\nPorto Rico shoe factories, cigar and cigarette factories, and salt\\nmines.\\nWe do not refer to the other industries, because each has its special\\nreport accompanying this.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0413.jp2"}, "414": {"fulltext": "404\\nSHOE FACTORY.\\nOf the 1,000,000 inhabitants of the island it is calculated that only\\n150,000 wear shoes regularly and 50,000 use them occasionally. Of\\nthese\\n50,000 wear 4 pairs per year _ 200, 000\\n50,000 wear 3 pairs per year 150, 000\\n50,000 wear 2 pairs per year __ 100,000\\n50,000 wear 1 pair per year 50, 000\\nTotal 500,000\\nDeducting the shoes made in the country, which may be estimated\\nat about the fifth part of the number used, or 100,000, there remains\\nas imported, 400,000 pairs of shoes, of which seven-eighths are from\\nthe Balearic Islands and from Catalonia and the remainder from\\nFrance, England, and the United States of America.\\nCalculating that the 400,000 pairs of shoes imported cost in the fac-\\ntory about 10 pesetas each, on an average, they yield in addition an\\nannual duty of 4,000,000 pesetas, or 800,000 pesos (dollars), which is\\nthe tribute we pay to the countries which supply us with these\\narticles.\\nAs will be seen Porto Rico contributes quite a respectable amount\\nto the morocco leather industry. Our market is, for the Balearic\\nIslands, a veritable mine of wealth. This should oblige them to send\\nto us their best; but notwithstanding our trade, only the commonest\\nkinds produced by those factories are sold here. Generally these\\nshoes are badly made, unsightly, coarse, and without durability; they\\nare made of the worst kind of materials, with pasteboard soles, and\\nare commonly called pacotilla (unwarranted).\\nAlthough the shoe industry in Porto Rico is hardly more than in\\nits infancy, the manufacturers have the firmest conviction, based\\nupon the balance of their accounts, that they will be able, success-\\nfully, to compete with the foreign goods in the home market. For\\nthis reason the enterprise has been established. Now is the time,\\nwhen we are emerging from the tutelage of exploiters, for us to look\\nabout for the means to establish a good shoe manufactory and place\\nthe Porto Rican shoe within the reach of everyone. Large shoe fac-\\ntories must be established in Porto Rico, supplied with all the modern\\nimprovements.\\nKeeping strictly to the foregoing calculations, which must serve as\\na basis for others if we could manufacture all the shoes used in the\\nisland, we would be obliged to increase the number of shoemakers\\nnow occupied in the trade by 1,323 additional for the manufacture of\\nthe 400,000 pairs of shoes annually, imported, supposing that each\\nshoemaker can make one pair of shoes daily. Another favorable\\nresult of home manufacture would be the saving on exchange which\\nnow amounts to the- value of the imported shoes this would be reduced\\none-third, more or less, being the value of the raw material imported\\nfor use in the manufactories.\\nIn view r of the reasons set forth, it seems to us that articles under\\nitems of the tariff numbered 270, 271, and 272, now in force should be\\nexempted from duty. These items refer to sheepskin, calfskin, patent\\nleather, and all similar goods of every class, which are the raw mate-\\nrials used in the maufacture of shoes and carriages.\\nOn the other hand, we think that an additional tax should be imposed\\nupon the articles under item 274, raw skins, because the shoemakers", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0414.jp2"}, "415": {"fulltext": "405\\nwill, in turn, protect the tanneries by creating a demand for leather\\nthrough greater consumption.\\nIn the same way an additional tax, amounting to three times the\\nduty now in force, should be imposed upon items under 276 and 277,\\nwhich comprise shoes for men and women, respectively. Up to the\\npresent time, shoes from the Peninsula have entered our ports free of\\nduty, whilst our shoe industries are heavily taxed for the raw material\\nimported.\\nIf the old slow methods of prohibition are pursued, there will be no\\nprogress made in the industries of Porto Rico.\\nTHE MANUFACTURE OF CIGARS.\\nConsidering that of the 1,000,000 inhabitants of Porto Rico one-\\nhalf are women and half of the other half are children and nonsmok-\\ners, we have still 250,000 smokers upon whom to base our calculations.\\nSuppose that of these smokers only 50,000 smoke cigars, there still\\nremains a body of 200,000 who smoke cigarettes and tobacco. Calcu-\\nlating the minimum of one package of cigarettes daily to each smoker,\\nwe have a daily consumption of 200,000 packages, 73,000,000 packages\\nper annum. These figures agree with the number of packages imported\\nfrom Havana if we deduct the consumption of cigarettes of home\\nmanufacture.\\nTaking as a basis 2,000 cigarettes manufactured daily by each work-\\nman, in order to manufacture 200.000 packages per day, 3,000,000\\ncigarettes, at 15 per package, it would be necessary to employ 1,500\\nworkmen who would be exclusively engaged in this branch of the\\ntobacco industry. To this calculation there must be added other\\nemployees\u00e2\u0080\u0094 say 5U0 more workmen, occupied in separating, chipping,\\nand preparing the tobacco, in boxing, packing, and in the other\\naccessory manipulations.\\nIt is necessary, therefore, for the manufacture of cigarettes in the\\ncountry, to employ dail} 7 2,000 workmen, which number might be\\nduplicated in the probability that there would be some exportation.\\nWe do not hide from ourselves the fact that machinery considerably\\ndiminishes the employment of manual labor. Rut this effect is not\\nsensibly experienced when we take into account that not all factories\\nare able to have machinery, and that the cigarette in use can only be\\nmanufactured by hand.\\nIn the manufacture of cigars a greater number, perhaps, of work-\\nmen are employed.\\nThere is no use to enter upon the details of this assertion, admitted\\nby everyone and proved by the facts. It is sufficient to say that in\\nthose factories where both articles are produced there are more per-\\nsons employed in the selection, preparation, and manufacture of\\ncigars than in factories where cigarettes only are made.\\nFrom this data it will be seen that with a little protection afforded\\nto this industry Porto Rico might decently maintain at least 8,000\\nworkmen employed in the manufacture of cigars. Thanks to such\\nprotection, the cultivation of tobacco would greatly increase and the\\nagricultural wealth of this product would receive notable encourage-\\nment.\\nFrom a careful examination of the foregoing you may assure your-\\nself, without danger of falling into error, that in the balance of our\\nagriculture the production of tobacco will have as much weight and", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0415.jp2"}, "416": {"fulltext": "406\\nimportance as that of coffee and sugar cane, which are now our most\\nvaluable agricultural products.\\nSALT MINES.\\nPorto Rico has a mine of wealth in its salt beds of Cabo Rojo.\\nThese salt mines cover, approximately, a surface of 1,200 cuerda, 1 of\\nwhich only one-tenth part is worked.. But neither the country nor\\nthe Government knows what the salt mines contain they are veritable\\ngold mines. The portion now being worked produces sufficient salt to\\nsupply the needs of the island and leave a surplus of 300,000 quintals, 2\\nand if they are properly developed they would produce salt enough to\\nsupply Cuba and the United States of America, which countries do\\nnot produce the article and are obliged to import the same. This\\nbranch of industry owes the basis of its prosperity to the consumption\\nin the island, and having this consumption guaranteed it would soon\\nbecome sufficiently strong and prosperous to supply salt to the afore-\\nnamed countries, which are near to our ports. If to-day these salt\\nmines are worth 350,000 pesos and afford employment to 200 laborers,\\nto-morrow they might be worth a million pesos and employ a thousand\\nmen.\\nThe causes of the actual decline of this industry may be summed\\nup as follows:\\nThe facility with which salt enters our ports from foreign countries\\nand the Peninsula.\\nThe enormous prohibitive duties in the United States and Canada,\\nwhich make it difficult for our salt to find a market in those countries.\\nThe fact that although we have good salt here, better and purer\\nthan that imported, the majority of the home consumers favor the\\nsalt from Spain. The low price of the article.\\nGenerally the merchant vessels which enter our waters bring salt\\nin ballast or to complete their cargo, and pay no import duties in vir-\\ntue of the sui generis existing between Porto Rico and the mother\\ncountry.\\nOn the other hand, Porto Rican salt pays a custom-house duty in\\nthe United States of. 6 cents, gold value, on each bushel a measure\\nequal to 70 pounds, more or less, resulting, therefore, in a tax of 9\\ncents per quintal (hundredweight). Under such a heavy burden it\\nwill be understood why our island is deprived of that important\\nmarket for our salt.\\nIt would be otherwise if there existed between Spain and the United\\nStates a broad and equitable commercial treaty, which would give an\\nopportunity for the easy output of the products of the Antilles.\\nAs a means of prosperity for the salt mines of Cabo Rojo and for\\nthe municipal district which depends upon them for its wealth, we\\npropose the following\\nFirst. Concessions in the commercial treaties with the United States\\nand Canada, upon a reciprocity basis, which would admit our salt free\\nof duty to those markets, or at least give it the maximum protection.\\nSecond. Impose dutj^ on salt from Spain equal to that of any other\\nforeign importation of the article, with a maximum duty of 35 per\\ncent fixed by the autonomic constitution.\\n1 Equal to 81 varas or Spanish yard measure.\\nA quintal is equal to 1 hundredweight.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0416.jp2"}, "417": {"fulltext": "407\\nThird. Open the port of Cabo Rojo, now closed.\\nFourth. Grant facilities to foreign and domestic ships to load with\\nsalt without compelling them to stop at Mayaguez before clearing.\\nFifth. Exemption from cargo duty of ships loading with salt.\\nThese are, in our opinion, the measures which will conduce to the\\nfreest development of which the salt industry of the country is capable.\\nWe will conclude this task by showing that in our humble opinion\\nif the tariff reform should protect in a decided and explicit manner\\nthe manufacturing industries which might exist in Porto Rico until\\nthe capital invested in them shall be guaranteed, there will be estab-\\nlished in the island as an immediate consequence of such reform\\npaper mills, breweries, cotton mills, and candle factories.\\nUpon these four industries studies and plans have been made, which\\nonly await the decisions of our governmental organizations for the\\nrequired protection to be given to the industries of this region in\\norder to be put into execution.\\nWe have no hesitation whatever in asking exemption from taxes\\nfor industries of such importance. The statistics demonstrate as an\\nirrefutable truth that little, very little, revenue accrues to our treas-\\nury from duties on raw material imported for manufacturing pur-\\nposes. Thejr also show that the sums derived from duties on imports\\non manufactured articles are insignificant, because the greater part\\nof these goods come from Spain and are exempt from all duty by rea-\\nson of their nationality.\\nTherefore to admit the importation of raw material free of duty\\nfor manufacturing purposes, and as a consequence of that concession\\ncease to import manufactured products from the peninsula, because\\nthey are manufactured in the island, would not make any marked\\ndifference in the actual revenue derived from this source; and even\\nthough the revenue should decline somewhat, the loss would not equal\\nthe enormous surplus which accrues to it every year.\\nBesides, we believe that from the moment that the Spanish products\\nhave no other protection than the 35 per cent levied upon foreign\\nproducts they would in turn contribute, as in justice they ought, to\\nthe revenues of the public treasury.\\nFor these reasons we believe that a resolution to protect the indus-\\ntries of Porto Rico would not result in serious injury to the provincial\\ntreasury.\\nWe have endeavored to fulfill the mission confided to us with the\\nstrictest impartiality, with the best desire to serve the material inter-\\nests of Porto Rico, and to combine with the justifiable project for\\nreform a demand for that of the tariff.\\nIf we have failed in our object, the failure is due to our inability,\\nbut not to a lack of the best intention nor of our intense love and ten-\\nderness toward the noble and generous soil, which returns with inter-\\nest the labor devoted to it.\\nA. Casals,\\nArturo Ldrach,\\nI. Agtterrevere,\\nJulio E. Prats,\\nJ. Cabrer,\\nCommissioners.\\nPonce, April 8, 1898.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0417.jp2"}, "418": {"fulltext": "408\\nMANUFACTURE OF SOUP PASTES, ETC.\\n[Presented by Messrs. Casals Besosa, of the city of Ponce, to the commission appointed to\\nsecure information for the projectors of a scheme to reform the tariff.]\\nThis industry was established in Ponee in 1881 The production,\\nat first very small, continued to increase from day to day, whilst the\\nmarket price declined.\\nFrom 1884 it increased rapidly. The products of the vermicelli fac-\\ntory at Ponce made such a creditable name for their superior quality\\nand cheapness that they almost completely superseded similar products\\nimported from Spain and foreign countries and supplied the necessi-\\nties of the island. Before that time the consumers in the island used\\nvery bad Catalan soup paste at 20 centavos a pound and 25 centavos\\nfor the Italian article. Since then the best quality of soup paste made\\nin the island is sold at 12-J and 15 centavos a pound; and herein was\\nthe first advantage derived by the inhabitants of Porto Rico from the\\nintroduction of this industry.\\nTo prove the excellent quality of the soup paste produced by the\\nmanufactory of Ponce it will be sufficient to state that at the famous\\ninternational exhibition in Chicago the Soup Paste Factory of Ponce\\ntook the first gold medal in competition with the other countries.\\nBesides it had other gold medals awarded to it in Porto Rico.\\nThis manufacture reached the height of its success in 1894, when\\nowing to the assistance of the laws then in force and the tariff guar-\\nanteed by the commercial treaty with the United States of America,\\nthe undersigned put up a large three-story building of stone and mor-\\ntar and supplied it with all the modern improvements. It has a\\ncapacity for manufacturing 600 boxes of soup paste daily a steam\\nengine of 24 horsepower, a furnace and registers, and all other mod-\\nern improvements known in 1894. This factory is the best and most\\nimportant of its kind existing in Spanish territory. None of the soup-\\npaste factories of Spain have the appliances that this has, nor can they\\nmanufacture 600 boxes of soup paste daily.\\nWho could have foretold that within four months after the opening\\nof this fine factory a decree would be issued denouncing the treaty\\nwith the United States of America and at the same time compassing\\nthe ruin and extermination of the soup-paste industry of Porto Rico?\\nWho could have said that there would be a depriving of work and\\nbread to hundreds of workmen? From that time forward the factory\\nhas barely sustained itself, suffering many losses in order not to\\nabandon completely the home market to foreign and Spanish specu-\\nlators and, besides, not to discharge the workmen who are expert in\\nthe practical knowledge which it requires niany years to attain.\\nSkilled workmen are not invented nor assembled when they are\\nneeded they are trained at the expense of years and years of appren-\\nticeship to labor.\\nWe will conclude this report by inclosing a copy of an appeal made\\nto the foreign minister, dated October 16, 1897, which we indorse in\\nall its points, and which, like many others, sleeps the sleep of the\\njust (is pigeonholed).\\nTo his Excellency tbe Minister of Foreign Affairs:\\nMessrs. Casals and Besosa, manufacturers of soup paste (thickening for soup),\\nestablished in the city of Ponce, island of Porto Rico, appear before your excel-\\nlency and respectfully submit the following:\\nIn February, 1894, under protection of the laws, they established a factory for\\nthe manufacture of soup paste, investing 40,000 pesos in building a factory three", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0418.jp2"}, "419": {"fulltext": "409\\nstories high, a photograph of which we herewith present, in order that an idea\\nmay be had of the said industrial establishment.\\nSupplied with all the necessaries for the manufacture of soup paste, with mod-\\nern steam machinery of 24 horsepower and all the modern apparatus used for this\\npurpose in the principal manufacturing centers, we have in consequence a manu-\\nfacturing establishment which does honor to Spain in the Antilles. There is none\\nother, neither here nor in all the Spanish peninsula, which can compare with it,\\nnot only for its importance, but for the superior quality of its manufactures, which\\nit has introduced into the market through several foreign and international expo-\\nsitions, in which it has been awarded for the excellent quality of its products,\\nand to the glory of the nation, first premiums in the shape of gold and silver\\nmedals.\\nThis factory, your honor, gave employment and bread to 100 laborers of both\\nsexes. It also sharpened the intelligence of these people by teaching them a new\\nindustry, before unknown to them; it gave occupation to coasting vessels trading\\nwith other parts of the island; it contributed to the State and municipality large\\nsums as taxes on manufactures and thousands of dollars in custom-house duties.\\nThe products of this factory acquired such fame for the quality and cheapness of\\nits manufactures that from that time this article of prime necessity has been fur-\\nnished to the consumer at almost half the price which it brought before the fac-\\ntory was established, and this is another benefit which this enterprise has brought\\nto the island.\\nBut how short was the satisfaction of seeing the progress of a West Indian\\nindustry!\\nFour months later, your honor, the annulment of the treaty with America\\nreduced to naught our apparently well-founded hopes of success. The industry\\nwas annihilated, and on the horizon appeared a picture of the dark future which\\nthreatened the success of the projectors of this industry and portrayed the want\\nand misery of the 100 unfortunate laborers who depended upon this industry for\\ntheir livelihood.\\nThe import duties on grease and American flour, which are the raw materials\\nused in the manufacture of soup paste, were increased from 1 peso per 100 kilos to\\n5 pesos for the same quantity, thus making an increase in our daily expenditures\\nof 80 pesos. And it was upon those raw materials that the manufacturers had\\nbased their hopes for profit from the business in which they had invested all of\\ntheir small capital. Later the duties were reduced to 4 pesos per 100 kilos, butnot\\neven with this reduction was it possible to earn a loaf of bread for our children.\\nThus a cloud settled over the smiling future which we had courted and the\\nbusiness in which we had invested our capital, believing ourselves under the pro-\\ntection of Spanish laws.\\nOn several occasions, and to every minister who has presided over the foreign\\noffice, we have made appeals for protection for this industry and for the laborers\\nwho are to-day without work and food. Finally the big factory had to close,\\nowing to the competition in the market of similar goods imported from foreign\\ncountries and from Spain; especially from the latter, from whence they enter our\\nisland free of all duties, while we have to pay heavy import duties on the grease\\nwhich we import.\\nAll the ministers and all the governors who have presided in turn over the\\nrespective offices, and to whom we have applied for a just compensation for our\\nlosses, have recognized our argument and our right to appeal for indemnity or\\nfor a tariff reduction which would put us in the position to sustain the competi-\\ntion of similar products imported into Porto Rico, but no one of them has con-\\nsidered himself sufficiently authorized to accomplish this act of justice.\\nThe admission free of duty of grease, wheat flour, and unfinished boxes as raw\\nmaterials for the manufacture of soup paste would justify, if necessary, an\\nimport duty on the soup paste, etc., imported from Spain which now enters free\\nof all duty, while we are paying an exorbitant duty upon all our raw materials.\\nAn additional tax of 25 per cent over the tax now paid by the foreign article\\nwould be the only means of restoring the vitality and energy which this industry\\nenjoyed before the rupture of the American treaty.\\nAnd while we are treating of an industry established and well known in the\\nisland, where two important factories exist, and are both closed, representing\\ninert capital, two ruined families, and 200 laborers without employment in a\\nword, ruin, desolation, poverty we would state that this condition arises from\\nthe little or no attention which has been paid to our just complaints, so often\\nmade to the officers of the Government. If ever a minister intended to cast a\\npitying glance upon such injustice and relieve so much misfortune by some saving\\nmeasure, this intention never materialized, but was strangled in its birth by the", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0419.jp2"}, "420": {"fulltext": "410\\ninfluences brought to bear by Spanish manufacturers, and only promises and\\nstill other promises of speedy relief reached us through our deputies.\\nNow that a liberal government presides over the destinies of Spain and a min-\\nister anxious to do us justice is seated in the foreign office, there is some guaranty\\nof success for those of us who are hungry and thirsty for justice, and we again\\nmake our everlasting complaint and beg for redress and justice.\\nTherefore, and by virtue of the arguments here set forth, we beseech 3 our excel-\\nlency to grant the appeal which we make for redress or for modifications in the\\ntariff such as in the opinion of your excellency may be deemed just and advisable,\\nand enable our industry to return to active life and compete without loss with\\nsimilar articles from foreign countries and Spain. These can be produced at home\\nfor less money, and there is no necessity for importing them, neither from Spain\\nnor from foreign countries.\\nFrom the well-known rectitude of your excellency, we hope to receive the con-\\nsideration and justice for which we make appeal from Ponce, October 16, 1897.\\nCasals Besosa.\\nE. Coetada.\\nHAT FACTORY.\\n[Presented by Senor Juan Cabrer, of the city of Ponce, to the commission appointed by the\\nindustrial club to secure information for the projected tariff reform relating to the manufac-\\nture of hats.\\nStraw braids for the manufacture of hats are classified under the\\ntariff as worked straw and pay a duty, under item 257, of 30 pesos\\nper 100 kilos and an additional transitory tax of 10 per cent, making\\na total of 33 pesos per 100 kilos. As the greater number of hats used\\nin Porto Rico are of coarse straw and heavy weight, we, the manufac-\\nturers of the island, are unable to compete with the imported hats, the\\nhigh duties on the raw material raising the price to such a figure as to\\nmake it impossible for us to compete with the imported article.\\nIn our opinion, these braids should be taxed, under item 256, at 3\\npesos 20 centavos per 100 kilos, as raw material for hats, and not as\\nmanufactured straw.\\nIt would be well if the braids were classified as first, second, and\\nthird class. First class would comprise braids of from 3 to 5 milli-\\nmeters in width; second class, braids of from 6 to 8 millimeters wide,\\nand third class, those of 9 millimeters and over. In this way each hat\\nwould pay a relative duty according to its value, and not as happens\\nat present that a hat of least value pays most duty, because it is\\nheavier than a finer one.\\nIn the classification of felt hats there is no provision for untrimmed\\nand unironed hats, which should be rated as felt in strips and pieces,\\nitem 194, paying 18 centavos per kilo, and not as unfinished hats, for\\nthe following reasons:\\nMost of the felt hats imported in the island are woolen. The value\\nof the forms for the manufacture of one dozen of these hats is 1 peso,\\nmore or less; the import duty on the same is 1 peso 25 centavos, plus\\nthe 10 per cent transitory tax, making a total of 137+ per cent. Besides,\\nthere is a duty on the ribbons, bands, linings, and other materials,\\nsuch as stiffenings and dyes, which raise the price to 1 peso 75 centa-\\nvos per dozen. Adding this to the 137+, centavos for the forms, makes\\na total of 3 pesos 12+ centavos that is to say, 312^ per cent of the\\nvalue of the forms.\\nThe value of the finished hats is from 3 to 6 pesos a dozen an aver-\\nage of about 4+ pesos per dozen. The import duty under item 409 is\\n3 pesos, plus 10 percent transitory duties $3.30 making a total tax\\nof from 73 to 74 per cent on their value.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0420.jp2"}, "421": {"fulltext": "411\\nThe name casco (form) given to unfinished hats is not applicable.\\nA casco is an untrimmed hat that is to say, a hat without lining, rib-\\nband, and binding. The cascos (forms) bought by the hatters from the\\nmanufacturers are called, in French, campana, and the houses which\\ndeal in these goods manufacture de cloches pour le chapellerie,\\nwhilst the hat factories are known by the same name which we use in\\nSpanish.\\nThe foregoing, we believe, will explain the causes of the nonsuccess\\nof the hat industry in the island, and we hope that the insular gov-\\nernment will amend the errors of the existing tariff.\\nJ. Cabrer.\\nPonce, P. R., March 27, 1898.\\nSOAP FACTORIES.\\nTo the President of the Industrial Club of Ponce:\\nHaving been asked to make a report enumerating the obstacles\\nwhich paralyze the industry in which we are engaged and to offer prac-\\ntical suggestions which may conduce to its development and prosperity,\\nwe have the honor to comply with pleasure and to offer the following\\nas the result of our experience through long years of labor\\nAlthough this industry seems to be of little importance, it is without\\ndoubt one to which the attention of the government officials should\\nbe called in order to protect the province from the enormous contri-\\nbutions it makes to the foreign manufacturers who supply us with this\\narticle.\\nThe consumption of soap in our country is immense, as is shown by\\nthe last statistics of imports.\\nIn the past year, 1897, Porto Rico imported from Barcelona 30,060\\nboxes of soap of 1 hundredweight each, for which it paid 20 pesetas a\\nbox, making a sum total of 601,200 pesetas, which we expend annually\\nthrough bills of exchange in order to procure this article for our neces-\\nsities. The soap made in the island is scarcely used, in spite of the\\ngreat economy exercised by the manufacturers in its production with\\na view of lowering the price and enabling our product to compete with\\nthe imported article. Notwithstanding these measures and the infe-\\nrior quality of the soap with which we endeavor to compete in price,\\nwe have not succeeded.\\nThe raw materials which we need in our manufacture are heavily\\ntaxed because similar manufactures coming from Barcelona enter\\nour markets free of all revenue taxes and subject only to a transitory\\ntax of 10 per cent, which is equal to about 15 centavos, more or less,\\nfor every 100 pounds or 15 pesos for every hundred boxes of soap of 1\\nhundredweight each.\\nMeantime the insular industry pays duties on the raw materials\\nwhich it requires in order to manufacture 100 boxes of soap of 1 hun-\\ndredweight each, as follows:\\n1,610 Mlos (35 quintals) grease, item 292, at $1.20 per 100 kilos $19.32\\n1,104 kilos (24 quintals) rosin, item 92, at 90 cents per 100 kilos 9. 93\\n92 kilos (2 quintals) caustic soda, item 107, at 65 cents per 100 kilos .59\\nTotal 29.84\\n10 per cent transitory tax 2.98\\nTotal 32.82", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0421.jp2"}, "422": {"fulltext": "412\\nIt is clearly seen that our soap industry pays for the raw material\\nto manufacture 100 boxes of soap of 1 hundredweight each more\\nthan double the amount paid by 100 boxes of the same article manu-\\nfactured in Barcelona.\\nWhat business can succeed under such circumstances? Who can\\nstand the competition?\\nNor should it be argued that we ought not to enter into this busi-\\nness because we have not the raw material. Rocamora and all the\\nother large soap factories of Catalonia import rosin from North\\nAmerica, rough tallow from the Argentine, and paraffin and stearine\\nfrom other foreign countries, and, notwithstanding, the soap industry\\nof Catalonia is rich and powerful.\\nIt is more economical to manufacture soap in connection with\\nstearine or tallow candles, and in almost all factories where the busi-\\nness is carried on these two manufactures appear together. The\\nsame might be done in Porto Rico if item 121 of the tariff relating to\\npacapua (animal fat), stearine, wax, and sperm oil were allowed\\nfree entry instead of paying a duty of 4 pesos 50 centavos per 100\\nkilos.\\nIf the. articles under this item, as well as those under items num-\\nbered 292, 92, and 107, respectively, were declared free of duty for\\nmanufacturing purposes, and an additional tax placed on imported\\ncandles and soap, from whatever source, the soap industry of Porto\\nRico might improve its products, cheapen its goods, and enjoy pros-\\nperity.\\nThe foregoing is the result of practical experience and careful study\\nof this industry through long years of labor.\\nManuel Hedilla.\\nAguerrevere Brothers.\\nPonce, P. R., April 9, 1898.\\nTINWARE.\\n[By representatives of the tinware industry, on the requirements of said industry.]\\nThe raw materials imported to give impulse to this industry are\\ndesignated under the four items of the existing tariff as follows\\nPer 100 kilos.\\nItem 60. Unmanufactured tin 82. 10\\nItem 80. Pig iron 11.00\\nItem 81. Bar zinc, rosin, etc _.- 2.90\\nItem 82. Sheet zinc, nails, and wires 3.00\\nIn the Latin republics of America this industry has achieved the\\ngreatest success to which it could attain. Everything in the way of\\ntinware is manufactured at home, and nothing of the kind is imported.\\nThis is due to the free importation of the raw material for manufac-\\ntures of all kinds, and amongst those which have had the greatest\\nsuccess is the tinware industry. In Central America it has made most\\nprogress, and large establishments have been founded there for the\\nmanufacture of this article.\\nIf Porto Rico enjo c yed free importation of raw materials for the car-\\nrying on of this branch of industry, no manufactured articles would\\nbe imported, but a preference given for the home products, in the\\nassurance that they would be as well finished as the imported goods.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0422.jp2"}, "423": {"fulltext": "413\\nRaw materials, free of duty, would be an advantageous commercial\\nconcession to importers who wish to manufacture them.\\nSeveral importing houses of this city received from abroad zinc bath\\ntubs and bracket oil lamps. Now they are supplied with the same\\narticles manufactured in the country, as good and as handsome as\\nthose from abroad.\\nAll utensils connected with this industry can be manufactured at\\nhome with the exception of one or two articles, which, on account of\\nthe lack of apparatus for the manufacture of the same, would not be\\nprofitable such, for instance, as frying pans, large bowls or basins,\\ntinned iron pots and saucepans, for the manufacture of which steam\\nmachinery is necessary.\\nIf a tin factory should be established, protected by the tariff, there\\nwould be no difficulty in suppressing the importation of all these\\narticles, and the necessary apparatus and machinery would be forth-\\ncoming.\\nFelix S. Rojas.\\nPonce, P. P., March 28, 1898.\\nThe undersigned, manufacturer of all kinds of chocolate, in the\\ncity of Ponce, invited by the Industrial Club to make a report upon\\nthe causes of the obstacles in the way of the progress of this industry,\\nexplains\\nMANUFACTURE OF CHOCOLATE.\\nThere are several chocolate factories of some importance in the\\nisland. They produce fine and delicious chocolates of various kinds\\nand prices. Some fail and others sustain themselves, but none pro-\\ngress. Why? Because chocolate menier, Swiss, and other foreign\\nchocolates, under the protection of the Peninsula, which is exempt\\nfrom the payment of duty, enter the island with very low duties, under\\nthe present tariff, whilst the chocolate manufacturers of Porto Rico\\nhave to pay 14 pesos for every 100 kilos of cocoa imported from Vene-\\nzuela or Trinidad.\\nBut even without this duty on raw material, very little of which is\\nimported, for Porto Rico produces a sufficient quantity of cocoa, and\\nthe product augments daily, the insular manufacture can not compete\\nwith the ordinary chocolate imported from the Peninsula, the greater\\npart of which is of inferior quality and contains very little cocoa. If\\nthe directors of the board of health should look into this matter and\\nanalyze the product they would doubtless find that much of it is com-\\nposed of cracker dust.\\nThis is the reason why such fine factories, well furnished with\\nmachinery such as that of Don E. Cortada, which has cost thousands\\nof pesos sleep the sleep of the just, hoping for the day when the\\nindustries of the country will be protected.\\nThis industry needs free entry for the raw materials used in this\\nbusiness, and an additional tax upon similar goods imported from\\nforeign countries as well as those coming from Spain.\\nAnd this is the petition made by the undersigned.\\nPablo E. Arroyo.\\nPonce, P. R., March 29, 1898.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0423.jp2"}, "424": {"fulltext": "414\\nThe undersigned, manufacturers of carriages in this city, present\\nthe following report to the Industrial Club, in order that it may for-\\nward the same to the secretary of agriculture, industry, and com-\\nmerce, so that in the discussion of the projected tariff reform the\\nrequirements of the carriage makers may be had in view:\\nCARRIAGE FACTORY.\\nThis industry has been much depressed since it was established in\\nPonce. Many years ago Mr. Hicks, founder of the same, was very\\npoor, but as his resources improved in Ponce he drew around him a\\nhundred workmen to whom he taught the trade.\\nThe annulment of the treaty with America in 1894, by virtue of\\nwhich the duties on carriages and coaches had been increased, put a\\nlittle life into this industry, and to-day there are two magnificent fac-\\ntories competing with each other in their superior workmanship of\\nvehicles, as well finished as those imported, and stronger.\\nA carriage built in either of these factories, it can not be denied,\\nis as elegant and as durable as any imported. Notwithstanding,\\nmany carriages are imported from the United States which ought not\\nto be imported when we have such perf ect and well-finished vehicles.\\nIf the importation of carriages could be curtailed, instead of\\nemploying only a little over a hundred workmen, sufficient now to\\nsupply the necessities of the factories, the number could be doubled.\\nThis is what the country needs workmen. Convert the laborers\\ninto artisans.\\nIf the raw materials for this industry were imported free of duty\\nwe might be better able to compete with the importations from foreign\\ncountries. This, and a higher duty on imported carriages, would\\nfavor our industry and place us in condition to build large factories,\\nto the honor and prestige of our island.\\nThe articles imported as raw materials for use in this industry are\\nas follows\\nShins. Buffalo, morocco, patent leather, rubber or oilcloth of dif-\\nferent kinds.\\nWooden articles. Felloes for wheels, spokes, shafts and poles for\\ncarriages, breeching hooks, splinter bars, crosspieces, linchpins for\\nwheels.\\nIron and steel. Spring braces, axles (iron and steel), screws of\\nvarious kinds, clamps, iron and steel tires.\\nNickel-plated. Compasses, lanterns, points for poles and splinter\\nbars, buttons of various kinds, rods (para ante pecho).\\nMolds, fans lined with j atent leather, fans (unlined), paints, and\\nvarnishes.\\nIt is very necessary, furthermore, that manufacturers should be\\nable to import the raw material which we need for our respective\\nindustries without paying tax as importers.\\nO. Florensan.\\nJulio M. Bernard.\\nPonce, P. R., April 3, 1898.\\nMANUFACTURE OF SOLE LEATHER.\\nMr. President:*\\nWe, the undersigned manufacturers of leather, established on the\\ncoast (playa) of this city, declare that the manufacture of sole", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0424.jp2"}, "425": {"fulltext": "415\\nleather, in which business we have been exclusively engaged for over\\nthirty years, instead of increasing as would be natural, diminishes\\nfrom year to year for the following reasons\\nFirst. The unpremeditated measure of monopolizing the mangrove\\ntrees of the province without any advantage to the revenue, thus\\nobliging us for the past twenty years to seek, outside of the country,\\na material so indispensable to the tanning of leather as is the bark\\nof the mangrove. It may be estimated that about 30,000 pesos at\\nleast have been expended by us, outside of the country, for the said\\nmaterial.\\nSecond. Since 1893 we have been taxed 50 cento ves of a peso for\\n100 kilos of tanning bark imported by us from abroad. This meas-\\nure has been greatly to the detriment of the manufacture of sole\\nleather already so costly.\\nThird. With our monetary system we have to struggle with the\\nspeculators in raw hides, as they get a premium of from 60 to 70 per\\ncent on goods in the markets of Havre and Hamburg, and from 20 to\\n30 per cent on those in the markets of the Peninsula, whilst we have to\\npay prices not in accord with the sales. There is not that valid and\\nlegitimate agreement which should exist between manufacturers in\\nthe island for the increase of price, because we are obliged to buy\\nthe raw materials such as mangrove bark and raw hides.\\nIn view of the foregoing, and in order not to witness the decline of\\nan industry so valuable to the country as is ours, we beg for use, free\\nfrom all tax, of the mangrove bark on the coast of the province, where\\nhundreds of laborers may earn their daily bread and sustenance for\\ntheir families. We also ask for the suppression of that item in the\\ntariff that taxes the mangrove bark which we import from Santo\\nDomingo and Venezuela; and whilst our present monetary system\\nobtains we think it logical that an export tax should be levied on\\nraw hides.\\nThis is the justice for which we plead.\\nBONGEOIS BOISSEN.\\nPonce, P. R., March 4, 1898.\\nMANUFACTURE OF LIQUORS.\\nTo the President of the Industrial Club:\\nThe undersigned subcommission, appointed to report on manufac-\\nture of liquors, with a view to the advisability of reforming the tariff\\nin force relating to the branch of industry which we represent, are of\\nthe opinion\\nFirst. That the industry has no present need of greater protection\\nunder the tariff than that it now enjoys, and does not, therefore, ask for\\nanything further than that the existing tariff shall remain in statu\\nquo, and that the transitory tax levied on the consumption of liquors,\\nnational and foreign, imported into the island shall remain in force.\\nThanks to the aforenamed duties, and especially to the last, that\\non the consumption of liquors, which is the only tax on the produc-\\ntions from the Peninsula, they being exempt from all others, we have\\nbeen enabled to develop the local industry in spite of the imports from\\nSpain, and to compete with her, notwithstanding the advantage which\\nshe enjoys over the foreign markets, on account of the comparatively\\nlow rate of bills of exchange drawn on Spain. This of itself consti-", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0425.jp2"}, "426": {"fulltext": "416\\ntutes at times a protective margin of from 40 to 50 per cent over\\nforeign products, and is a great advantage. Should any future modi-\\nfication in the tariff suppress the tax on consumption, it would be\\nimpossible in future to sustain this branch of our incipient industry.\\nFor this reason the subscribers believe it to be of the greatest\\nimportance that the taxes upon all classes of alcoholic drinks remain\\nin statu quo. Should the tax on consumption be suppressed, as pro-\\nposed, it would be necessary to augment the import tax to an amount\\nequivalent to that of the tax removed.\\nSecond. That for the purpose of further protecting their industry\\nthey beg to suggest the propriety of arousing the zeal of the custom-\\nhouse officers to prevent the introduction, under the denomination\\nof liquors, dutiable at a very low rate, of real alcoholic drinks and\\nbrandies which are subject to higher rates. This is done to evade the\\npayment of tax on the higher grade of goods and is in detriment not\\nonly to the local industry, the raw material of which is alcohol and\\nthe common brandy of the country, but it is also an injury to the\\nsugar-cane estates which produce these raw materials.\\nThird. That while no glass manufactories exist in the island, bot-\\ntles intended for use in this industry be imported free of duty, and\\nthat this exemption of tax extend to seeds and such other raw materials\\nas are used in the manufacture of liquors.\\nArturo Idrachs.\\nJ. M. Saavedra.\\nDuran y Coll.\\nNarciso Vilaro.\\nJulio E. Prats.\\nI. Charidox.\\nPonce, P. R., March 28, 1898.\\nSHOE FACTORY.\\nTo the President of the Industrial Club\\nThe undersigned, in compliance with the call inserted in the news-\\npapers of this locality for manufacturers to furnish data as they con-\\nsider advisable to satisfy the requirements of their respective indus-\\ntries, for the information of the projectors of a reform in the tariff,\\nhave the honor to submit:\\nThat there exists a great difference between the import duties on\\nshoes and the raw material for the manufacture of the same. The\\nresult of this is that shoes pay 100 per cent less than the raw mate-\\nrials, for which reason the manufactures of this country can not com-\\npete with the imported goods.\\nOpening the market free to the importation of raw materials, espe-\\ncially those from Germany, where the best class of goods at the low-\\nest prices is procured, there is no doubt but that this industry will be\\nput in condition to attract men of capital to invest money in it, build\\nfactories with machinery, and produce shoes which will compete in\\nstyle, price, and quality with the imported article, and at the same\\ntime give occupation to a greater number of workmen, which of itself\\nwould be a source of wealth to the country.\\nJaime Homar.\\nGabriel Ripoll.\\nJaime Oliver.\\nPonce, P. R. March SI, 1898.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0426.jp2"}, "427": {"fulltext": "417\\nMANUFACTURE OF CRACKERS.\\nReport made and presented by the undersigned, manufacturers of\\ncrackers in this city, to the commission of industries, appointed by\\nthe club to present a report relative to the needs of this industry in\\nreference to the customs tariff as relates to our manufacture of\\ncrackers.\\nThe causes which we justly believe are responsible for the languish-\\nment in the manufacture of all kinds of crackers in this country are\\nprincipally due to the high tariff on flour 4 pesos per 92 kilos, or\\na sack of flour of that weight. Besides this a local tax is levied on\\nthe consumption at the rate of 2 pesos 30 centavos on the same quantity.\\nWe would call attention to the duties imposed on crackers imported\\nfrom North America, which are out of all proportion to those levied\\nupon flour.\\nAs to crackers imported from the Peninsula, they pay no custom-\\nhouse duty whatever, but enter absolutely free of duty. These are\\nthe reasons why this industry has been prostrated to such extent that\\nit is not now able even to manufacture the most ordinary kinds of\\ncrackers, which were the only tolerable means of subsistence of some\\nlaborers.\\nThus, in order that this industry may prosper, it is necessary that\\nthe crackers imported from the Peninsula and foreign countries should\\npay an import duty in proportion to that of 6 pesos 30 centavos cus-\\ntoms duty and tax on consumption, levied on a sack of flour weighing\\n92 kilos.\\nBesosa Brothers.\\nAlrizu Arias.\\nBigas Brothers.\\nGarcia Colon.\\nPonce, P. R., March 23, 1898.\\nTAILORS AND SHIRT MAKERS.\\nTo the Commission Appointed by the Industrial Club\\nThe undersigned, tailors and shirt makers, present the following:\\nThe large importation of shirts and ready-made clothing from Europe\\nto this island, principally to Ponce and to the capital, is the reason\\nwhy our industry languishes and declines, more and more, in detri-\\nment to our interests.\\nNotwithstanding the subscribers pay into the municipal treasury\\nlarge amounts for the afore-named industry, the merchants pay very\\nlow duties upon shirts, ready-made clothing, collars, and cuffs, which\\nthey import from various points in Europe. This tariff regulation\\nenables these merchants to sell their goods at a much lower rate than\\nthose manufactured here.\\nOur shirts and ready-made clothing can compete, with advantage\\nas to quality and shape, with those imported, and for these and other\\nreasons our industries should be protected and favored in every pos-\\nsible manner. With such protection the demand would increase,\\nprices would be lower, and consequent gain would accrue to our manu-\\nfacturers and workmen.\\nIn order to obtain these results we beg that, in fixing the rates of\\nduty under a new tariff, there should be borne in mind the above\\n1125 27", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0427.jp2"}, "428": {"fulltext": "418\\nexplanation that import duties on all classes of shirts, collars, cuffs,\\nand ready-made clothing coming from foreign countries should be\\nincreased as much as possible.\\nWe do not doubt that the board, having in mind our best interests,\\nwill favorably consider the present appeal and accord us what we ask.\\nF. Alsina.\\nroql t e scarez.\\nSuccessors to Pbnzgl.\\ne. auffaut.\\nPonce, P. R., March 28, 1898.\\nCIGARS AND CIGARETTES.\\nTo the Commission of Manufacturers\\non the Projected Tariff Reform:\\nThis tobacco industry of Porto Rico until lately was in an abandoned\\ncondition, owing to great competition with similar products from Cuba\\nand because there is an erroneous idea that the tobacco of that\\ncountry is better than ours. But, as no error is lasting, our tobacco\\nindustry has arisen from its unjust prostration. This is due to the\\ndemand of our leaf tobacco from the sister island, where it is prepared\\nin their factories with the same results as obtain with Cuban tobacco.\\nThis, in conjunction with the improvement in making cigars and\\nthe practical skill introduced by Cuban and foreign cigar makers, has\\ncaused the tobacco industry of Porto Rico to emerge from its lament-\\nable illusion that our tobacco was inferior in quality to the Cuban.\\nUnder the new system of cultivation already adopted in some districts\\nof the island we have been able to prove that the tobacco of Porto\\nRico can attain equal excellence with that of Cuba and that our\\ncountry has a mine of wealth in the production of the weed as aro-\\nmatic, fine in texture, and as well colored as the best in the world; in\\nfine, that the tobacco industry of our country may reach at no distant\\ndate equal development, importance, and fame as that of our sister\\nisland.\\nThe importations to our island of cigars and cigarettes from Cuba\\napproximate 1,500,000 pesos per annum, an amount adequate to insure\\nthe prosperity of our factories if the consumption could be suppbed\\nby the home industiy. But the Cuban products enjoy free entry into\\nthe markets of Porto Rico, without the payment of any customs duty,\\nand are only mulcted in the 10 per cent transitory taxes, which amount\\nto 4 cents per kilo, while the sister island responds to those advan-\\nvantages afforded by our tariff by closing her ports against our\\ntobacco because it is to her advantage to do so.\\nThere are now five tobacco factories of more or less importance\\nmanufacturing cigars and cigarettes in Ponce. One of them, recently\\nestablished, is run by steam power and possesses machinery and appa-\\nratus of the most improved kind up to the present. Together they\\ngive employment to 250 workmen and niay be increased to thousands\\nwhen the home industiy is enabled to supply the consumption of the\\nisland and export its products with some advantage. This might be\\nattained through commercial treaties made by our Government with\\nforeign countries, above all with the United States of America and\\nCanada, where our tobacco, in leaf and manufactured, pays an import\\ntax almost prohibitive.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0428.jp2"}, "429": {"fulltext": "419\\nOur filling tobacco, crude, pays in the United States 35 centavos\\ngold per pound; the wrapper un worked, 1 peso 85 centavos gold per\\npound, and manufactured cigars and cigarettes 4 pesos 50 centavos\\ngold per pound, besides 25 per cent ad valorem.\\nThe whole island seconds the movement just initiated in the tobacco\\nindustry. In Mayaguez and San Juan there are factories which have\\nadopted the necessary improved methods, and there are over thirty\\nfactories of more or less importance, which are seeking industrial\\nprogress. Some of these are creditable establishments, known for the\\nexcellent quality of their manufactures. We estimate that there are\\nthousands of cigar makers who now earn their living by the tobacco\\nindustry of the island, and this number might be greatly increased if\\nunder judicious protection the industry should reach the summit of\\nsuccess.\\nThe more the tobacco industry of the country develops and does\\ncredit to itself the more advantage it will be to the farmer as a product\\nof the soil. He will have to depend less upon foreign markets and can\\nwith greater confidence invest his time and capital in the cultivation\\nof tobacco, feeling assured that he will be able to sell it in the island\\nat a remunerative price.\\nIt is our unanimous opinion, and we therefore waste no time in proofs,\\nthat in the production of tobacco, in leaf or manufactured, Porto Rico\\nmay aspire to a new source of wealth of great importance. It will give\\nemployment to thousands of laborers and cease to pay tribute to Cuba\\nof nearly 1,500,000 pesos.\\nThis will contribute to the decline in values of exchange in propor-\\ntion as the product is quoted in the export value.\\nBut in order that this flattering future should be realized and become\\na practical and evident fact it is necessary that all the protection\\nwhich its well-known importance merits should be given it.\\nTax the cigars and cigarettes imported from Cuba to our island in\\nsuch amount as to give some advantages to the product of Porto Rico.\\nIn making treaties with foreign countries bear in mind the advantage\\nof making concessions with such as will favor the importation of our\\ntobacco, in leaf and manufactured.\\nThese practical measures are, in our opinion, such as will be most\\nefficacious in securing the development of the tobacco industry in the\\nisland and will guarantee the capital invested.\\nAt the same time such tariff regulations as will encourage the culti-\\nvation of tobacco on a large scale will itself be a powerful factor in the\\nincrease of the agricultural wealth of the island.\\nJose M. Besosa.\\nF. Tort Co.\\nToro Co.\\nC. F. Vaillant.\\nPonce, P. R., April 6, 1898.\\nProposed Changes in Schedules.\\n[Committee: Don Javier Mariani, Don Olimpio Otero, Don Domingo Felici, Don Jose Trujillo\\nDon Antonio Piza, Don Ernesto Mormglane. Subcommittee: Don Ramon Gadea, Don Antonio\\nYumet.\\nOBSERVATIONS OF THE COMMITTEE.\\nThe undersigned, representing the dry goods committee on the pro-\\njected tariff reform, have the honor to present the accompanying\\nreport as the result of their labors concerning woven goods, perf umery,\\nhats, umbrellas and parasols, preserves, liquors, and sewing machines.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0429.jp2"}, "430": {"fulltext": "420\\n\u00e2\u0096\u00a0Nothing is farther from the thoughts of the committee than the\\nassumption of having completely fulfilled the difficult task confided\\nto them, when the importance of the work and the short space of time\\nin which they had to accomplish it is taken into consideration; but the\\nundersigned believe that they have done all in their power to fulfill\\nthe noble and patriotic desires of the association, which, having\\ngreater duties to perform, put into such inexperienced hands as ours\\n.so difficult a task.\\nIn the preparation of this modest work we have observed a tendency\\n1bo excessive grouping and an evident fear of multiplying the items.\\nThe latest statistics show that the importation of certain articles do\\nnot bear an adequate proportion to the number of similar articles in\\nconstant use in the island, and therefore many subdivisions, which\\n^complicate the tariff in force without advantage to the revenue, may\\nmay easily be done away.\\nAnother advantage of the mode of procedure adopted here is that in\\nthe future the doubts which now arrest every attempt made at the inter-\\npretation and appreciation of the tariff will not arise. These doubts\\noften put the merchant at the mercy of the officials, or vice versa, and\\nit frequently happens that the latter do not possess the quabfications\\nnecessary to fulfill conscientiously the duties for which they were\\n^appointed.\\nThe foregoing suggestions appear trifling and unimportant when,\\nfrom another standpoint, we think of the ease with which frauds are\\nperpetrated.\\nOn the verge of such an abyss for we can call it nothing less which\\nwe are bound to avoid at all hazards, it becomes necessary to remodel\\nthe tariff, as well as the actual necessities of the provincial treasury,\\nso that they will bear a just relation to each other and to the social\\ninfluence which every well-regulated tariff exercises upon the future\\nof the commonwealth.\\nThe products which are the subjects of our present investigation\\n*aa*e, doubtless, among the most fruitful sources of revenue to tne island.\\nIt therefore becomes necessary that the total amount of duties now\\n:fixed by the tariff should be collected but there are some reductions\\nabsolutely indispensable on goods which are of prime necessity to the\\npoorer classes, and which reductions would enable them to subsist\\noinder more advantageous circumstances.\\nWe will not examine here the statistics of the past few years. It\\nis sufficient to say that they show a flagrant contradiction of state-\\nments and figures with the actual facts relating to the import of\\ntextile goods and the intentions of those who framed the tariff in\\nforce.\\nThis contradiction, from the moral and material force of which no\\none can escape, is the veiy point which must be cleared with firm and\\nresolute hands. It is principally to this end that the authors of the\\nprojected tariff have given careful attention.\\nWithout entering into unnecessary details, the undersigned believe\\nthat they have accomplished this purpose by subdividing their work\\n_in the form adopted.\\nThey dare to affirm and to demonstrate clearly in the note given\\nherewith that the projected tariff scheme, as drafted, relating to those\\narticles which have been the object of their studies will give a larger\\nrevenue to the provincial treasury and that all classes of consumers\\nwill derive positive advantage therefrom.\\nThe first object of every well-organized government, having at heart", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0430.jp2"}, "431": {"fulltext": "421\\nthe welfare of its people, should be to have a wisely regulated tariff, so\\nthat the most perfect civilization would not advise its absolute sup-\\npression.\\nJ. Mariani.\\nF. A. Vendrell.\\nJose R. Gonzalez.\\nPonce, P. R., April 15, 1898.\\nNote. From the statistics for 1896 and the custom-house receipts^\\nof the island the importation of certain articles comprised in this-\\nreport is given, and estimates are made for future years in an equal\\namount. This estimate we have found to be erroneous, as our imports\\nare constantly increasing. If the native products were accorded the^\\nmaximum protection under the present autonomic constitution, there-\\nwould still result a difference in favor of our project of 387,843 pesos\\n89 centavos, which sum might be at once applied to a considerable\\nreduction of the enormous duties now imposed upon flour, rice, and:\\nother articles of large consumption.\\nREPORT ON DRY GOODS, FRUITS, LIQUORS, ETC.\\nItems.\\nArticles.\\nProposed;\\nduty.\\n133 and 134\\n137.\\n158\\n139\\n130\\n131\\n133\\n133\\n134.\\n135.\\n136\\nPERFUMERY.\\nThis item, gross weight, is valued at 73 centavos per kilogram. Sole\\nduty per kilograni-\\nCOTTOKT.\\nCotton, raw, cotton waste, and cotton twisted in wicks for can-\\ndles; valued at $15.50 100 kilograms, only rate, gross weight, per\\n100 kilograms\\nCotton yarn and thread, crochet cord and embroidery cotton, per\\ngross weight (value of 100 kilograms, $90) per kilogram.\\nCOTTON FABRICS.\\nCotton textures of all kinds, smooth or cross-barred, plain or fig-\\nured, white or colored, fine or medium fine, light and heavy, up\\nto 30 kilograms inclusive (approximate value per kilogram,\\n78 centavos) per kilogram\\nTextures of the above class over 30 kilograms (approximate value\\nper kilogram, $1.56) .per kilogram-\\nCotton fabrics, felt, quilts, towels, and bed spreads (approximate\\nvalue per kilogram, 91 centavos per kilogram\\nCotton fabrics, woven in counterpanes and the like, unbleached,\\nwhite, colored, figured, and all coverlets (approximate value\\nper kilogram, 58 cents) -per kilogram\\nCotton lace, edging, or simple sewing cotton in whatever article\\n(approximate value per kilogram, 70 cents) per kilogram.\\nFabrics of cotton lace with an edge, with double edge, or without\\nedge, on whatever kind of article (approximate value per kilo-\\ngram, $1.95).. per kilogram-\\nTulle and lace of all kinds, including cardboard and paper lace\\n(approximate value per kilogram, $3.75).-- ..per kilogram..\\nVelvets and velveteens and the like, in pieces, ribbons, and s,uit-\\nings per kilogram-\\nPesos.\\n0.2(5\\n2. so\\n.25-\\nREMARKS.\\nA. The fabrics under items 129 and 130, when figured, to pay a surtax of 25 per cent.\\nB. Embroidered goods, in pieces or strips, to pay an additional duty of 50 per cent.\\nC Handkerchiefs, hemmed or seamed, not hemstitched, to pay an additional tax, over that\\nlevied on the texture to which it belongs, of 25 per cent.\\nD. Readymade or partlymade clothing of materials comprised under items 139 to 136, to pay\\nsur-tax of 50 per cent.\\nE. Lace goods, under item 133, are held exclusively to mean such as are finished with a\\nscalloped edge.\\nP. Cotton goods mixed with silk exceeding 9 per cent, to pay an additional tax equal to the-\\nregular duty.\\nG. Hemstitched handkerchiefs, to pay an additional duty of 50 per cent.\\nH. Cotton tape, besides the prescribed duty, to pay an additional tax of 35 per cent.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0431.jp2"}, "432": {"fulltext": "422\\nItems.\\nArticles.\\nPro-\\nposed\\nduty.\\n163, 164\\n165....\\n169,170\\n171....\\n172,174\\n175,179\\n180,185\\n186....\\n187....\\nTEXTURES OF JUTE AND FLAX, ETC.\\nHemp, raw, hackled, or tow, abaca, manila hemp, aloe, jute, and\\nother vegetable fiber (approximate value per 100 kilograms,\\n$12.50) per 100 kilograms..\\nThread, pack thread, on spools, tackle and cordage of the same\\nmaterials, and hempen twine (approximate value per 100 kilo-\\ngrams, $31.80) per 100 kilograms..\\nTextiles as above, mixed or unmixed with cotton, unfinished,\\nsmooth or crossbarred, although they may have colored stripes,\\nsuch as pack cloths, hessian. empty sacks and similar goods, up\\nto 5 kilograms, inclusive (approximate value per kilogram, 15\\ncents) per kilogram..\\nFabrics as above, unbleached or partly bleached, with or without\\na mixture of cotton; smooth or twilled, such as nankeen, Irish\\nlinen, creas, osnaburg, drill, and other similar cloths, from 5 to\\n8 kilograms (approximate value per kilogram, 37 cents), per\\nkilogram _\\nFabrics as above, of more than 8 kilograms (approximate value\\nper kilogram, 98 cents).. per kilogram..\\nFabrics as above, white or colored, plain, such as creas, long-\\nlawn, and the like, up to 21 kilograms, inclusive: and all those\\ncrossbarred or twilled, such as German drill and the like (ap-\\nproximate value per kilogram, SI. 42) per kilogram.\\nFabrics as above: bleached, but over 21 kilograms (approximate\\nvalue per kilogram, S3. 12). per kilogram..\\nFabrics of linen lace or of linen and cotton, in all kinds of goods\\n(approximate value per kilogram, $6.75) per kilogram..\\nLace, edging, and netted goods of linen or mixed with cotton (ap-\\nproximate value per kilogram, $10.20) per kilogram.\\nPesos.\\n1.00\\n8.00\\n.04\\n.10\\n.25\\n.35\\n.75\\n1.50\\n3.00\\nREMARKS.\\nI. Fabrics under 169 and 170 ought to show the gross weight separately in order that they\\nshall not be confounded with those under the item next to them.\\nJ. Tape, linen, or linen and cotton mixed, to pay, besides the duty on the class of weave, an\\nadditional tax of 25 per cent.\\nItems.\\n188,190.\\n191\\n192,193\\n194-197\\n198,199\\n200-212\\n213....\\nArticles.\\nBristles, horsehair and other animal hair, human hair, manufac-\\ntured and unmanufactured, and raw wool, per gross weight, per\\n100 kilograms\\nWoolen yarns of all kinds, wool, white or dyed, spun or twisted\\n(approximate value, per kilogram, $1.45) per kilogram..\\nWOOLEN FABRICS.\\nCarpets and coverings of all kinds (approximate value, per kilo-\\ngram, 80 cents) per kilogram..\\nFelt textures and coverings or rugs and baize in all kinds of arti-\\ncles, although mixed with cotton, dyed or figured (approximate\\nvalue, per kilogram, 75 cents) per kilogram..\\nWoolen fabrics, mixed with cotton, whatever the weave (approxi-\\nmate value, per kilogram, \u00c2\u00a71.90) per kilogram.\\nSimilar tissues of pure wool (approximate value, per kilogram,\\n$3.70) per kilogram..\\nWoolen tissues of lace or netting, pure or mixed with cotton, in all\\nkinds of goods (approximate value, per kilogram, $3.40), per\\nkilogram\\nProposed\\nduty.\\nPesos.\\n10.00\\n.40\\n.30\\n.20\\n.50\\n1.00\\n1.00\\nREMARKS.\\nK. Ready-made clothing of wool, or of wool and cotton mixed, even though only half made, to\\npay, besides the duty levied on the weave, an additional tax of 50 per cent.\\nL. The fabrics should be examined and appraised by measuring from the center the width of\\nthe goods, not including the selvages.\\nM. The fabrics under items 175-185, when figured, to pay an additional tax of 50 per cent.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0432.jp2"}, "433": {"fulltext": "423\\nItems.\\nArticles.\\nPro-\\nposed\\nduty.\\n214,215\\n216,217\\n218....\\n219,220\\n221\\nSilk and waste silk, spun or twisted, in hanks and on reels, includ-\\ning the weight of the reels (approximate value per kilogram,\\n$3.75) per kilogram.\\nTextures of silk or with a mixture of other material, always when-\\never the proportion of silk is not inferior to that of the other\\nmaterial (approximate value per kilogram \u00c2\u00a711.80), per kilogram.\\nTextures of pure silk (approximate value per kilogram, \u00c2\u00a717.80),\\nper kilogram\\nLaces, edgings, blondes, tulles, and the like of pure silk or of silk\\nmixed with other material (approximate value per kilogram,\\n\u00c2\u00a719.80) per kilogram.\\nNetted tissues of pure silk or silk mixed with cotton or other ma-\\nterial (approximate value per kilogram, \u00c2\u00a727) per kilogram.\\nPesos.\\n1.25\\n4.00\\n6.00\\n8.00\\n10.00\\nREMARKS.\\nN. Silk ribbons or ribbons mixed with silk and other materials to pay, besides the tax on the\\nweave, a surtax of 50 per cent.\\nO. Clothing of all kinds made up with fabrics under the preceding items to pay a surtax of 100\\nper cent.\\nP. Handkerchiefs of silk or of silk mixed with other materials, besides the regular duty, to\\npay a surtax of 50 per cent when the handkerchiefs are hemmed or hemstitched.\\nItems.\\n311.\\n337\\n347.\\n357\\n358\\n359\\n360\\n361\\n362\\n363\\n364\\n365\\n366\\n367\\n368\\nArticles.\\nSEWING MACHINES.\\nSewing machines, gross weight 100 kilograms (approximate value\\nper kilogram, 20 cents)\\nCANNED GOODS AND LIQUORS.\\nPish and shellfish, in oil or in other forms, in cans, including the\\nweight of the immediate package, gross weight (approximate\\nvaltie per kilogram, 35 cents) per kilogram-\\nVegetables and garden products, pickles, preserves in vacuo, mush-\\nrooms, etc., including the weight of the immediate receptacles,\\ngross weight (approximate value per kilogram, 20 cents) per kilo-\\ngram..\\nOil in jugs or tins, gross weight ...per kilogram.\\nOil in glass bottles, boxed, gross weight do...\\nAlcohol and brandy .per liter\\nLiqueurs, cognac and other brandies in casks or in demijohns, per\\nliter\\nThe same in bottles per liter.\\nBeer and cider, natural or artificial, in casks do\\nThe same in bottles do\\nSweet wines of all kinds in casks. ...do\\nThe same in bottles do\\nSparkling wines of all kinds do\\nTable wines, red or white ..do\\nThe same in bottles do\\nPro-\\nposed\\nduty.\\nPesos.\\n5.00\\n.10\\n.02\\n2.50\\n.30\\n.15\\n.20\\n.02\\n.03\\n.10\\n.15\\n.50\\n.03\\n.15\\nREMARKS.\\nQ. The consumption tax on alcoholic liquors, sherry wines, beers and liqueurs should be\\nremoved.\\nR. The tax on receptacles containing the articles as above, whether of glass or of wood, to be\\nremoved.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0433.jp2"}, "434": {"fulltext": "424\\nItem.\\nArticles.\\nPro-\\nposed\\nduty.\\n371\\n374\\nPRESERVED ARTICLES.\\nAlimentary preserves, not otherwise mentioned per kilog..\\nChocolates and candied sweets, gross weight do\\nBONNETS AND CAPS.\\nHats, of yarey or straw of Italy, India, rice straw, and Spanish\\nstraw, finished or unfinished (approximate value, $3.75 to $4 per\\ndozen) per dozen.\\nSame, of jipijapa, Panama, or other similar straw do\\nSame, of felt, wool, trimmed or untrimmed and unfinished.. .do\\nSame, finished do\\nHats, of felt or haired felt, of cloth, cashmere, satin, or plush, un-\\nfinished _-_ _ per dozen..\\nSame, finished do\\nTRIMMED HATS.\\nHats, trimmed, for ladies and children, adorned with handwork,\\nplumes, flowers, tulle, etc each..\\nCaps and berrets of all kinds, for men and children per dozen.\\nUMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS.\\nUmbrellas and parasols, of silk or mixtures of same each..\\nSame, of other materials do\\nPesos.\\n0.10\\n.15\\n402\\n403\\n2.00\\n6.00\\n404\\n1.00\\n405\\n2.00\\n406\\n407\\n2.50\\n5.00\\n1.00\\n3.00\\n.60\\n.25\\nGLASS, PAPER, BOOKS, TOYS, ETC.\\nThe undersigned committee, having fulfilled with pleasure the com-\\nmission intrusted to it, has the honor to present its opinion. With\\nvery little previous knowledge of the subject, but with a will to accom-\\nplish the work, it has, as far as possible, endeavored to adjust the import\\nduties to the requirements of the insular budget.\\nAs will be seen, we have been able to follow an opportune and eco-\\nnomic course with respect to the importation of such raw materials as\\nare necessary to maintain the existing industries and facilitate the\\nestablishment of others. We have lowered the tariff on some articles\\nin common use, especially by the middle and poorer classes. We have\\ndecreased the duties on paper of all kinds and manufactures, because\\nit is the essential basis of a thousand mediums of intelligence and\\nliberty, and we have absolutely put on the free list printed books of\\nevery description for the same reasons, which it is unnecessary to\\nexplain.\\nWe have endeavored also to correct the classifications by reducing\\nthe number of items in order to avoid injurious and cumbersome com-\\nplications.\\nIn weights, in general, we have provided a greater allowance for tare,\\nguided by experience, which proves that in many cases great loss is\\nsuffered by neglect to protect the cargo, as well on steamers as on\\nlighters and wagons.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0434.jp2"}, "435": {"fulltext": "425\\nIn toys we have made all possible reductions, considering them for\\nthe most part as a stimulus to children and, when properly directed,\\nas a moralizing factor.\\nAllowance for tares on glass, porcelain, china, etc., has been in-\\ncreased, because we have observed that in many cases the breakage\\nis greater than the allowance for tare now in force.\\nOlimpio Obero.\\ne. g. moringlane.\\nAmadeo Gilot.\\nPonce, P. P., May SI, 1898.\\nArticles.\\nProposed\\nduty.\\nGLASS AND CRYSTAL.\\nCommon hollow glassware, flasks, uncut per 100 kilograms..\\nGlass, flatf or pavements and window panes, tare, 50 per cent.\\nGlass, packed in barrels, colored and flat, gross weight.\\nFor expediency we have made a larger average for tare, as\\nexperience has proved that there is greater loss by breakage\\nthan allowed for in the tariff.\\nQuicksilvered glass, large mirrors, including the frames, per 100\\nkilograms\\nSame, without frames... per 100 kilograms.\\nAllowance for tare, 50 per cent.\\nThe reduction made has for its object allowance for the cost\\nof packing.\\nSmall mirrors, of all kinds and shapes, ordinary per 100 kilograms\\nTare, 40 per cent.\\nGlass, for optical purposes, spectacles, statuettes, jars, flower\\nvases, and other similar articles for toilet purposes and house\\ndecorations per kilogram.\\nTare, 40 per cent.\\nWineglasses, goblets, and similar articles per kilogram...\\nGlass chandeliers with crystal ornaments do\\nGlass in wineglasses, goblets, and the like in all shapes for domes-\\ntic use, and lamps with glass stands per 100 kilograms\\nTare, 50 per cent.\\nUTENSILS OF CLAY, EARTHENWARE, AND PORCELAIN.\\nClay tiles for floors and roofs, fire brick, etc per 100 kilograms..\\nTare, SO per cent.\\nGlazed clay tiles, square, for paving. do\\nGlazed tiles for roofs, tare, SO per cent.\\nClay in manufactures, hollow, glazed, or imglazed, for cooking and\\ndomestic utensils. per 100 kilograms..\\nTare, 20 per cent.\\nFlintware, fine earthenware, and gypsum statuettes do\\nTare, 40 per cent.\\nNote.\u00e2\u0080\u0094 This reduction is made in order to encourage the use\\nWhite porcelain in all its applications per 100 kilograms.\\nTare, 40 per cent.\\nPainted or gilt china, a surtax of 50 per cent.\\nClay, faience, porcelain, and bisque in figures, jars, bas-relief,\\nflower vases, and ornaments for toilet tables, houses, and other\\nlike uses; liquor cases and dishes for sweets. .per 100 kilograms.\\nTare, 30 per cent.\\nPAPER AND ITS APPLICATIONS.\\nCardboard.\\nPulp or paste for the manufacture of paper\\nPrinting paper, white and colored, for typography or for stamp-\\ning per 100 kilograms.\\nWriting paper of all kinds, in reams and folded, including the en-\\nvelopes per 100 kilograms-\\nSurtax on envelopes, 50 per cent.\\nBooks, bound or unbound, those pointed in Spanish or other lan-\\nguages\\nStamped paper, forms for invoices, tickets, cards, and similar\\nobjects, printed, engraved, or lithographed, in one color, per\\nkilogram .._\\nPaper, stamps, maps, and drawings per kilogram\\nChromolithographs, oleographs, etc., in three or more colors, on\\ncards, tobacco packages, and other articles per kilogram-\\nWall paper on natural ground and printed on dull or glazed\\nground. per 100 kilograms\\nWith gold, silver, etc do\\nPesos.\\n2.00\\n17.50\\n8.00\\n8.00\\n.30\\n.30\\n.30\\n450\\n.45\\n.72\\n.90\\n2.50\\n4.50\\n.30\\nFree.\\n2.75\\n6.00\\nFree.\\n.20\\n.20\\n70\\n6.00\\n24.00", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0435.jp2"}, "436": {"fulltext": "426\\nItem.\\n235\\n236\\n337\\n239\\n240\\n82.\\n250-251\\n78\\n86\\n297....\\n298....\\n299....\\n300....\\n396\\n378\\n379\\n380\\n238\\n22..\\n381.\\n83\\n3S3\\n381\\n86\\n385\\nArticles.\\npaper and its applications\u00e2\u0080\u0094 continued.\\nCardboa rd\u00e2\u0080\u0094 Continued.\\nSandpaper, white and ordinary wrapping paper, straw paper,\\nblotting paper, thin yellow wrapping paper, parchment, per\\n100 kilograms\\nThin paper of common pulp for packing fruits per 100 kilograms\\nMusic paper, lamp and fire screens, drawing paper, and other\\npaper not in the tariff per 100 kilograms..\\nPasteboard and fine cardboard.\\nPasteboard and fine cardboard glazed and pressed in sheets,\\nper 100 kilograms\\nSame, cardboard in sheets, ordinary pasteboard articles, and those\\nof stone cardboard in unfinished articles per 100 kilograms..\\nSame, in finished articles per kilogram.\\nThin sheets of tin and lead per 100 kilograms..\\nNote.\u00e2\u0080\u0094 Paper in all its applications being a prime element to\\nfacilitate education, we have endeavored to lower the tariff.\\nCatalogues of all kinds, without commercial value\\nMUSICAL INSTRUMENTS AND APPARATUS.\\nViolins, violoncellos, double basses, viols, clarinets, fiddle bows,\\nmouthpieces, hautboys, flutes, fifes, terceolas, flageolets, etc.,\\nper 100 kilograms..\\nMusical instruments of brass, such as drums, trumpets, baritones,\\nhelicons, cornets, etc.. per kilogram..\\nThe same instruments nickle plated do\\nPianos, grand _ each..\\nOther pianos of from 5 to 8 octavos _._ -__.\u00e2\u0096\u00a0 do\\nSmall pianos for practice, up to 4 octavos do\\nHarmoniums and organs. per 100 kilograms.\\nHand organs do\\nMusical boxes do\\nMilitary musical instruments, drums, double basses, kettledrums,\\nand cymbals per kilogram..\\nAccordeons per 100 kilograms..\\nToys of all kinds, except those of tortoise shell, mother-of-pearl,\\nivory, gold, or silver, including mouth organs, .per 100 kilograms.\\nFans, with sticks of bamboo, cane, or wood per kilogram.\\nSame, with sticks of paste, bone, and horn.. do...\\nSame, mounted on tortoise shell, ivory, or mother-of-pearl. -.do.--\\nFans of palm leaf, pasteboard, with advertisements, per 100 kilo-\\ngrams.\\nJEWELRY.\\nOrnaments of gold, silver, platinum, in trinkets and .jewelry, even\\nif set with precious stones, pearls, and precious jewels andpassa-\\nmenterie of such metals, ad valorem\\nTrinkets and ornaments of all kinds in amber, jet, tortoise shell,\\ncoral, meerschaum, ivory, mother-of-pearl, and paste, and other\\nsimilar materials ._ per kilogram.\\nSame of whalebone, horn, gutta-percha, bone, paste, in imitation\\nof the preceding classifications, and of other metals, whether or\\nnot gilded or plated per kilogram.\\nNote. The materials used in the manufacture of these trink-\\nets are generally of such low price that they are excluded from\\ngroup 381.\\nAmber, horn, jet, whalebone, tortoise shell, coral, meerschaum,\\nivory, and paste, in the rough or cut, even in strips or sheets,\\nper kilogram _\\nThese are considered as raw materials.\\nAmber, jet, tortoise shell, coral, ivory, and mother-of-pearl, man-\\nufactured ..per kilogram.\\nHorn, whalebone, bone, and paste, manufactured, including tooth\\nbrushes per kilogram.\\nButtons of all kinds, except those of gold and silver do\\nWalking sticks and umbrella and parasol handles, per 100 kilo-\\ngrams", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0436.jp2"}, "437": {"fulltext": "427\\nHARDWARE, LEATHER GOODS, ETC.\\nThe committee appointed by the official chamber of commerce and\\nthe Industrial Clnb has the honor to propose the following reforms in\\nthe tariff of the island\\nGlass or crystal lamps or chandeliers, under item 15, ought to be\\ncombined with item 12, at 6 pesos 50 centavos, and not 52 centavos\\nper kilogram.\\nMachetes for agricultural purposes, of all kinds, should be appraised\\nunder item 307, at 1 peso 10 centavos per 100 kilograms, as agricul-\\ntural implements.\\nFiles, under item 48, should be appraised under item 58, at 3 pesos 75\\ncentavos.\\nFrench or screw nails, so called, should be appraised under item 47,\\nat 250 pesos.\\nIron shovels, appraised under item 56, at 4 pesos 10 centavos, should\\nbe incorporated with spades, under 307, at 1 peso 10 centavos per 100\\nkilograms.\\nIron hooks and hinges, which at manufacturers price cost 1 peso 75\\ncentavos per quintal, are appraised under item 56, at 4 pesos 10 cen-\\ntavos per 100 kilograms, and we think, therefore, that the duties\\nshould be reduced one-half.\\nIron locks for doors, under item 57, at 6 pesos per 100 kilograms,\\nshould be appraised under item 56, at 4 pesos 10 centavos, as ordinary\\nmanufactures.\\nCommon pins and hooks and eyes, appraised under item 62, at 1.50,\\nshould be appraised under item 78, as wrought iron, brass, at 30\\ncentavos.\\nScissors, under item 64, at 90 centavos, should be incorporated with\\nitem 48, at 11 centavos.\\nKnives and forks with handles of iron, whalebone, bone, or compo-\\nsition, appraised under item 55 at 40 centavos, this duty being more\\nthan the original cost, we beg that they be appraised under item 48,\\nat 11 centavos.\\nLinseed oil, under item 88, appraised at 9 pesos 70 centavos, should\\nbe appraised under item 87, the same as cocoanut and palm oil, at 5\\npesos, net weight only.\\nVarnishes, being of little cost and appraised under item 99, at 9\\npesos, we think that the tax should be reduced to one-half, paying\\nonly net weight.\\nPaints, in powder, prepared, and inks, appraised under 100 and 101,\\nshould be taxed, instead of 2 pesos 90 centavos and 5 pesos 95 centavos,\\nat 2 pesos 50 centavos per 100 kilograms, net weight.\\nWoven-wire bed springs, appraised under item 249, should be\\nappraised as spring or wire beds, under item 53, at 2 pesos 85 centavos\\nper 200 kilograms.\\nLeather belts for machinery, appraised under item 312 at $4.90, and\\nafterwards under item 288 at 47 centavos, we think that as those\\narticles are only applicable to machineiy used for sugar cane and\\ncoffee, they should only be appraised under 312 at $4.90.\\nSaddles, straps, stirrups, and the like articles, for harness manu-\\nfacture, not patent leather, should be appraised under 287 at 23 cen-\\ntavos, instead of under 288 at 47 centavos, because this duty is in\\nproportion to the cost.\\nTanned or dressed skins, patent leather, under item 272, at 80 cen-\\ntavos, should be appraised under item 271 at 45 centavos, because these", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0437.jp2"}, "438": {"fulltext": "428\\ngoods belong to the same class, and the fact of being varnished does\\nnot change the first cost.\\nWagon sidepieces and rods for poles, spokes, felloes, and hoops for\\ncarriages, uncovered, we think should be appraised under item 248,\\nat 12.14, because the hoops and poles are similar to broom handles or\\nclothes poles, and should be included under the same head, instead of\\nappraising them under item 249, at 19.50, which only applies to com-\\nmon furniture.\\nCarriage wheels, being of common wood, should be appraised under\\ncommon furniture, to which class we think they belong.\\nAll furniture of common wood, including wickerwork and bent wood,\\nnot veneered, though with cane seats and backs, should be appraised\\nunder item 249 as common furniture.\\nButtons of bone and metal, appraised under item 386, at 75 cen-\\ntavos, is altogether too high a rate, and such articles should be appraised\\nat 30 centavos per kilo.\\nThe tare allowed on hollow glass should be increased to 70 per cent\\nin place of 40 per cent.\\nJose Trujillo,\\nMariano Vidal.\\nPonce, P. R., April 6, 1898.\\nRULES, FINES, ETC.\\nThe committee appointed by the official chamber of commerce and\\nthe Industrial Club has the honor to propose the following reforms\\nin the customs tariff of the island\\nArticle 4-0. Omit exception in regulation 3 that textiles and\\nopium can not enter to order as other merchandise of lawful com-\\nmerce.\\nRegulations 10 and 11. Word in the following manner: If ship-\\nowners, supercargoes, or consignees notice on the countersigned\\nmanifest, presented by the captain, any error, they should notify the\\ncustoms collector of the port, who will receive and amend the mani-\\nfest within twenty-four hours after the arrival of the vessel.\\nArticle 1^8 Concludes as follows Unless said manifest shall have\\nbeen amended within twenty-four hours of the arrival of the ves-\\nsel. It should be edited to read: At the expiration of twenty-four\\nhours, more or less, after the arrival of the vessel, the captain must\\npresent a copy of the manifest, in Spanish, properly stamped, to the\\ncollector of customs, who will cancel said stamp by the affixture of a\\nseal. The fact that the twenty-four hours limit may expire on a\\nholiday shall be no hindrance to the presentation of the manifest.\\nThe captain of the vessel will also deliver, at the port of entry, the\\nmanifests of cargoes intended for other ports; these will be counter-\\nsigned bj 7 the collector of customs and returned to the captain upon\\nthe clearance of the vessel.\\nArticle 62. Add: When the fines and surtaxes imposed upon\\nthe captain shall exceed the value of the freight, the consignee will\\nhave the right to renounce the consignment and the custom-house\\nwill proceed against the vessel, by notifying the consul, if the vessel\\nis foreign, and proceed to recover the liabilities incurred by the cap-\\ntain.\\nArticle 63. The consignee, if he thinks proper, may present one", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0438.jp2"}, "439": {"fulltext": "429\\ndeclaration only to cover all the goods on the manifest, separating the\\nmerchandise to be forwarded to warehouses, and furniture or goods\\nto he deposited, and he may request an extension of three working\\ndays instead of forty-eight working hours.\\nArticle 65. Omit regulations 10 and 11 provided for in Article 40.\\nArticle 68. All merchandise of lawful commerce, whether or not\\nconsigned to order, may be declared in transit for another part of the\\nisland, or for some place not in the island. The consignee should\\napply, in writing, to the collector of customs for transit before declar-\\ning the merchandise for consumption. In such case the director\\nor collector will file in the office a list of the merchandise declared in\\ntransit for another port. Omit the rest of Article 68.\\nArticle 69. Vessels may begin to discharge the cargo as soon as the\\nconsignee makes the required application, which must not be delayed\\nlonger than forty-eight working hours from the time of the arrival of\\nthe vessel. The collector, in cases that seem to him justifiable, may\\nextend this time forty-eight hours longer.\\nArticle 75. Omit the last paragraph, referring to a vessel that has\\nstopped at some foreign port and from the cargo of which packages\\ncontaining opium and textiles are missing.\\nArticle 87. Section 4: The consignee shall ask for the opening and\\nexamination of packages of damaged goods, in order to judge of the\\nallowance to be made on the same, in the payment of duties.\\nArticle 101. Omit the second section, which reads: That the port\\nto which the goods are consigned shall not be the same from which it\\nsailed nor any of those at which it has stopped en route.\\nArticle 103. Transshipment will be allowed in all cases, even when\\nthe goods come consigned on the captain s manifest to some certain\\nperson.\\nArticle 106. Omit section 4 of case 6, which relates to the abandon-\\nment of prohibited merchandise.\\nFINES.\\nTotal receipts from fines imposed shall be covered into the treasury;\\none-half of the same to be used for repairs and improvements of\\ncustom-house buildings and offices.\\nArticle 149. Oasel: Lower the fine to 1100. Case 2: Lower the\\nfine to $5 for each. Case 3: Lower the fine to $10 for each. Case 4:\\nLower the fine to $10 for each. Case 5: Any difference found in the\\nweight, exceeding 10 per cent, more or less, of the gross weight, shall\\nbe fined double the amount of unloading duty, if the captain is found\\nto have disregarded the stipulations relating to the manifests. Case\\n6: Omit. Case 7: Fix the fine at 10 pesos. Cases 10, 11, and 12: Fix\\nthe fine at twice the duty. Case 13: Double duty. Case 14: Lower\\nthe fine to 300 pesos. Case 15 Lower the fine to 10 pesos per package.\\nCase 16 Double the duty in both cases. Case 17: Fix the fine at 300\\npesos. Case 19: Double the duty.\\nArticle 150.\u00e2\u0080\u0094 Case 1 Fix the fine at 25 pesos. In other cases double\\nthe duties.\\nArticle 151. The fine for the presentation of the manifest beyond\\nthe limit of time specified will be 2 per cent on the duties imposed for\\nthe first eight days and 4 per cent for further delay. In other cases\\nunder article 151 the fine will be double the duty.\\nArticle 153. Case 1 Double duties.\\nArticle 151/.. Cases 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5: Ten pesos fine.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0439.jp2"}, "440": {"fulltext": "430\\nArticle 156. Case 1: Ten pesos fine for each package. Case 2:\\nDouble duty.\\nArticle 157. Case 5: Ten pesos fine per package or double duty.\\nArticle 158. Double duty.\\nArticle 183. Claims for unintentional errors made in the assessment\\nof duties will be considered if presented before payment of the same;\\nand if found valid, the appraisement will be amended by a second\\nappraisement.\\nArticle 189. Omit the distribution of packages and turn the same\\nover to the treasury.\\nArticle 144- The president of the board of arbitration will be the\\nmunicipal alcalde. The president will have a casting vote in case of\\na tie.\\nWhen the merchant has failed to receive an invoice, he ma}* ask for\\nan examination of the goods, and in such case will pay 5 per cent\\nadditional duty.\\nE. Salazar.\\nC. Armstrong.\\nE. G. MORINGLANE.\\nDRUGS, MEDICINES, ETC.\\n[Report submitted by the committee on drugs and pharmacy for the consideration of the com-\\nmissioners appointed to advise on tariff reform.]\\nFirst. Medicinal elixirs, being pharmaceutical products, should not\\nhave a special item, and instead of appraising them under item 115\\nthey should be included in item 116, to which they belong.\\nSecond. It is neither just nor equitable that sugar candj*, as entered\\nin the tariff, should pay a duty which amounts to no less than 300 per\\ncent more than the original cost, and. we think that this article as\\nwell as sweet pastilles and gum drops, the principal ingredient of\\nwhich is not medicine, should form a separate item under which the\\nduty should be assessed at 6 pesos per 100 kilograms.\\nThird. Antipyrine, and other aromatic substances, being chemical\\nproducts, it is a mistake of our tariff to class them under item 105,\\nwhich included the alkaloids and their salts, with which the former\\nare not allied; therefore, antipyrine and other products of that class\\nshould be appraised under 117, to which they properly belong.\\nFourth. Item 88 should be included in 87, because the first cost\\nof the oils, to which both items refer, is at about the same market rate\\nas those appraised under 87.\\nFifth. There is little equity in the appraisement of pharmaceutical\\nproducts; on some articles the rate is as high as from 50 to 100 per\\ncent, while on others it is as low as 25 per cent on the first cost. It\\nfollows, therefore, that many articles of equal cost can not be sold for\\nthe same price, and it is unjust that the wrappers, packages, etc.,\\nshould be rated as high as the contents. As it is impossible to\\nrestrict the importation of specialties to which the public are accus-\\ntomed, we propose to amend item 116 in such manner that the high-\\nest rate will not exceed 25 centavos per kilogram, and, like the former\\ntariff, the products, to which said item refers, should be appraised at\\nnet weight.\\nSixth. Item 115 should be included in 116, because capsules, pills,", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0440.jp2"}, "441": {"fulltext": "431\\nand comfits are medicines which constitute first specialties, defined as\\nwine, tonics, or sirups, etc., mentioned in the second.\\nSeventh. Item 115 has been erroneously interpreted by some of the\\ncustoms employees. They have held that such articles as Pelletier\\ncapsules, from the mere fact that they are manufactured with an\\nalkaloid, should be rated as alkaloid. For this reason it is necessary\\nto give attention to the matter and show that the said capsules have\\na definite medicinal formula, that they belong under item 115, and\\nsuch interpretation of the item can not be justified. Now then, as in\\nthe preceding paragraph, we ask for the incorporation of items 115\\nand 116, and we think that Pelletier capsules should be appraised\\nunder the latter.\\nEighth. We consider the rate under 89, of 6 pesos per 100 kilograms\\non spirits of turpentine, as excessive. On account of the low price and\\nextensive use of the article we think it should not pay over 3 pesos\\nper 100 kilograms.\\nNinth. We beg the suppression of item 94, so that all seeds, roots,\\nand grains used in medicine may be rated under item 91.\\nTenth. The frequent use of aniline colors has caused a notable\\nreduction in the price of indigo blue and cochineal, for which reason\\nthese articles might be rated under item 98. We think, also, that\\narticles now overcharged under item 102 should be rated under 98.\\nEleventh. Alkaloids and their salts being overcharged in the ap-\\npraisement (12 pesos per kilogram), we ask that the rate be reduced\\none-half.\\nTwelfth. Glue, gelatin, glycerin, and sealing-wax, being articles\\nused in manufacture, and bearing in mind that all the protection\\nwhich can be afforded to industry redounds to the benefit of the coun-\\ntry, we think these articles should pay 3 pesos per 100 kilograms.\\nThirteenth. Abolish items 113 and 114 and let the articles embraced\\nin these items, along with borate of soda, be incorporated in item 107,\\nto which class they belong.\\nFourteenth. Perfumed vaseline should not be considered as per-\\nfumery it is a very cheap product, and we think it should be classed\\nunder item 8 when in packages of 1 pound and over.\\nFifteenth. Distilled waters, such as lettuce, lime, rose, etc., being\\nonly used in preparations put up in a pharmacy, should not be\\nappraised under 116, as at present; these waters are very cheap and\\nshould not jjay over 8 centavos per liter.\\nSixteenth. Cod-liver oil, purified, is an animal product used in\\nmedicine. If its price were lower it would be within the means of\\nmany persons who now are deprived of its healing properties, and we\\nthink, therefore, that it should not be rated under item 116, but under\\n95, to which it legitimately belongs.\\nSeventeenth. Fluid extracts, the use of which has become so gen-\\neral, are solutions of solids, and therefore should be appraised under\\nitem 116, which refers to such articles, unless a reduction is made in\\nthe tariff of from 50 to 70 per cent.\\nEighteenth. Essential oils, most used in pharmacy, are very heav-\\nily taxed under item 124, which also embraces fine perfumery. We\\nconsider this surtax unjust, and believe that a reduction of 50 per\\ncent should be made on the duties now paid.\\nAntonio Yumet.\\nRamon E. Gadea.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0441.jp2"}, "442": {"fulltext": "432\\nFOOD STUFFS, MACHINERY, ETC.\\nThe undersigned, having been requested to report upon the princi-\\npal articles of export embraced in the customs tariff of this island,\\nand also upon the principal imports, such as provisions, lumber, coal,\\ncement, machinery, etc., for the purpose of fixing a basis which, in\\ntheir opinion, should regulate the projected tariff rates, and to sug-\\ngest means of securing commercial treaties with certain countries,\\nhave concluded the duties accepted by them, and report\\nI. Export Duties.\\nThe principal articles of export produced in this island are as fol-\\nlows: Coffee, tobacco, sugar, and molasses; to which might be added\\nsalt, an excellent quality of which is produced in the salt mines of\\nCabo Rojo and Guanica. This last is an industry which is capable\\nof great development if placed under favorable circumstances.\\nProducts now exported through our custom-houses pay duties as\\nfollows, per 100 kilograms.\\nExport.\\nCargo.\\nTotal.\\n$1.00\\n.22\\n.15\\nFree.\\nFree.\\nFree.\\nFree.\\nSO. 10\\n.10\\n.10\\n.07*\\n.m\\n.10\\n.10\\n$0.10\\n.32\\n.25\\n.07i\\n.07*\\nSalt\\n.10\\n.10\\nThe committee is of opinion that export and cargo duties on the\\nproducts of the country should be entirely abolished; the more so\\nbecause real estate contributes to the State 5 per cent of its revenue\\nand to the municipality 7\u00c2\u00a3 per cent, making a total of 12% per cent.\\nIt follows, therefore, that all export duties collected are a great bur-\\nden to the producers, who in years when the crops are short and the\\nprices low find great difficulty in covering their expenses and paying\\nthe direct taxes.\\nExport duties are paid solely by the producer. The merchant,\\nagent, or exporter, knowing the market prices of export articles,\\nnaturally deducts from the price of the goods paid to the farmer the\\nexport duties and cargo dues, which logically should not be part of the\\nfirst cost.\\nThe export and cargo duties paid by the producers of said articles\\nin the year 1896 were as follows\\nCargo dues on sugar $44, 081. 00\\nExport duty on coffee \u00c2\u00a7266.621.94\\nCargo dues on coffee 26, 662. 06\\n293, 284. 00\\nLumber, both duties. _. 75. 15\\nTobacco, both, duties 3, 222. 25\\nMolasses, cargo duty 10,962.00\\n351,624.40\\nIf the present condition of the treasury of Porto Rico does not\\nadmit of the immediate abolishment of these duties, a gradual reduc-\\ntion might be made, beginning the first year after an agreement has\\nbeen had, by abolishing the duties on all grades of sugar, lumber,", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0442.jp2"}, "443": {"fulltext": "433\\ntobacco, molasses, salt, and other articles exported except coffee. In\\nthe second year the cargo duties on coffee ought to he abolished, and\\nin ten more years the export duties might be abolished on this product\\nat the rate of one-tenth part per annum.\\nII.\u00e2\u0080\u0094 Import Duties.\\nThe articles imported, to which our report refers, are:\\nPesos.\\nWheat flour: In 1896 there was imported kilograms 15,400,000 import\\nand unloading duties, at $4.10 per 100 kilograms 631,400.00\\nWheat: 318 kilograms, at $3.25 per 100 kilograms, both duties 10. 33\\nCorn: 50,000 kilograms, at $3.25 per 100 kilograms, both duties 1, 625. 00\\nCorn meal: 30,000 kilograms, at $4.10 per 100 kilograms, both duties ._ 1, 230. 00\\nPork and lard: 4,700,000 kilograms, at $4.60 per 100 kilograms, both\\nduties 212,200.00\\nRice (hulled): 32,000,000 kilograms, at $2.88 per 100 kilograms, both\\nduties 896,000.00\\nButter and beef suet (or grease): Of the 141,028 kilograms imported,\\n94,780 were from the peninsula. The total amount paid for duties on\\ncargo and imports was 3, 787. 00\\nJerked beef: 3,524,116 kilograms, at $2.45 per 100 kilograms\u00e2\u0080\u0094 cargo and\\nimport duties 86,341.00\\nCodfish and other salt fish: 86,369 kilograms, imported from Spain, ex-\\nempt from import duty; 728,714 kilograms, imported from the United\\nStates; 11,974,462 kilograms, from English possessions. The two\\nlatter paid import duties at the rate of 90 centavos per 100 kilograms,\\nwhich, with the unloading duty of 10 centavos per 100 kilograms,\\namounted to.,. 128,675.00\\nOlive oil in tin cans:\\n1,175,808 kilograms, imported from Spain, free from import duty:\\nunloading duty 1, 175. 80\\n1,660 kilograms from other countries, at the rate of $3.55 per 100\\nkilograms, both duties. 74. 04\\nOlive oil in bottles:\\n13,640 kilograms, imported from Spain, free from import duties;\\nunloading duty 13. 64\\n6,304 kilograms, from other countries, at the rate of $5.35 per 100\\nkilograms, both duties 337. 26\\nCheeses:\\n16,008 kilograms, from Spain, free of import duties; unloading\\nduty 16.00\\n311.872 kilograms, from other countries, at $15.10 per 100 kilo-\\ngrams, both duties 47,093.00\\nCasks and hogsheads (for sugar and molasses, set up or not): 3,170,000\\nkilograms, at 28 centavos per 100 kilograms, both duties 8, 876. 00\\nBarrels, made or unmade: 174,000 kilograms, at $2.24 per 100 kilo-\\ngrams, both duties 3, 723. 00\\nLumber, common, in boards and other pieces: 38,000 cubic meters, at\\n$1 per cubic meter, plus 10 centavos for each 100 kilograms (transi-\\ntory duty) 80,472.00\\nLumber, planed or dovetailed: 5,652 cubic meters, at $2.20 per cubic\\nmeter, plus 10 centavos per 100 kilograms 18,086.00\\nMineral coal: 32,561,151 kilograms; import duties only, at 33 centavos\\nper 100 kilograms 10,740.00\\nCement: 878.943 kilograms. Of this number of kilograms 241,393 came\\nfrom Spain, at 5 centavos per 100 kilograms, and 637,550 kilograms\\nfrom other countries, at 50 centavos; both duties _ _ 3, 627. 00\\nMachinery for the manufacture of sugar: 1,587,166 kilograms, at 75\\ncentavos per 100 kilograms; both duties 12, 905. 36\\nMachinery, apparatus, tools, and agricultural implements: 190,724 kilo-\\ngrams, at $120 per 100 kilograms; both duties 2,497.00\\nMotors, boilers, etc.: 152,325 kilograms, at $2.60 per 100 kilograms;\\nboth duties 4,106.25\\nCopper machinery and detached pieces: 12,490 kilograms, at $15.10 per\\n100 kilograms; both duties 1,780.00\\n1125 28", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0443.jp2"}, "444": {"fulltext": "434\\nWith regard to the articles above referred to, the committee are of\\nopinion:\\nFirst. Import duties should be collected only on the net weight,\\ndeducting the weight of the inner or outer covering, as follows:\\nMeat; lard; unhulled rice, wheat, corn, and flour of these grains;\\njerked beef and codfish; oil and olives; cheese and butter.\\nThe packing cases should only pay duties when they are likely to\\nbecome of commercial value when emptj 7 in which case these packing\\ncases should be subject to duty under their respective items of the\\ntariff. If the value of the packing case proves to be less than the duties\\nassessed, and the circumstances justify it, a reduction of 20 per cent\\non the actual value in the island of the packing case should be made\\nin the appraisement.\\nCasks, hogsheads, and barrels should pay duty per gross weight in\\nthe cases in which they come, according to the tariff.\\nAs to mineral coal, cement, and machinery, motors, and boilers of\\nall kinds, the committee think that, so far as the exigencies of the\\ntreasury of the island permit, the import duties should be reduced,\\nand on food products the reduction should be made as low as possible.\\nAs far as preference is concerned it should be given to the articles\\ncited by us as follows (1) Wheat flour; (2) unhulled rice; (3) jerked\\nbeef; (4) pork and lard; (5) olive oil and olives in all kinds of pack-\\nages; (6) cheese; (7) butter!\\nCodfish and other salt fish may continue to pay the same duties as\\nat present.\\nWe think that wheat and unhulled rice should pay half the amount\\nof duty assessed upon wheat flour and hulled rice.\\nCasks, hogsheads, and barrels might be reduced 5 per cent of the\\npresent duty.\\nThere is no reason why lumber and cement should not continue to\\npay the same duties as at present.\\nMachinery for sugar works and for other purposes, sugar estates\\nand farms, including copper machinery and the like for similar pur-\\nposes, ought in our opinion to be free from duties.\\nWe also think that the same exemption should be accorded to other\\nmachinery, apparatus, and agricultural implements, as well as to min-\\neral coal.\\nOn steam engines of all kinds and boilers for generating steam we\\nthink there should be a great reduction in the tariff; the import duties\\nshould be reduced to about 25 per cent of those now paid. If still\\ngreater reduction were possible, we would agree to have it made.\\nAs regards locomotives and material for railroads, we would reduce\\nthe duties to one-third of those now assessed.\\nWe would also reduce by one-third the duties on copper machines\\nand combinations not intended to improve agricultural products.\\n(For this purpose we have asked that such articles be put upon the\\nfree list.)\\nDetached pieces of machinery of all kinds should be appraised\\nunder the items, respectively, to which the completed article pertains.\\nIII. Treaty with the United States.\\nIf the North American Republic should concede a reduction of 20\\nper cent in duties on the importation of tobacco, sugar, molasses, and\\nsalt from Porto Rico, we might in turn concede to that country cer-\\ntain reductions in the tariff, so that the total amount would be approx-", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0444.jp2"}, "445": {"fulltext": "435\\nimately equivalent to the reductions made by the United States on\\nthe products of Porto Rico.\\nA proper estimate of the reductions to he made might he arrived at\\nby taking into account the difference in money values of the two coun-\\ntries, and a rate might be estimated and fixed until the standard is\\nchanged in some positive manner.\\nAn account will be kept of the amount reduced each year, and for\\neach dollar in gold of the sum total of duties reduced in the United\\nStates on the products of Porto Rico an allowance will be made here\\nof 1.76 pesos. That is to say, if the total reductions made in the\\nUnited States in one year on the imports from Porto Rico amounted\\nto 100,000 pesos, the amount of reductions in our country would be\\n176,000 pesos on the products of the United States imported into\\nPorto Rico.\\nA. This basis, referred to in the preceding paragraph, should be the\\ninitiatory work of the framers of the treaty, and every five years\\nthereafter the proper reciprocal estimates should be made.\\nB. If the average of exchange should appreciably and permanently\\nchange, the consequent changes would be made in the rates of exchange,\\nwithout loss of time, in order that the reciprocal arrangement might\\nbe effective and advantageous to both countries.\\nThe treaty may be annulled by giving notice three months in advance\\nof such intention, but during that time the tariff shall not be altered\\nto the injury of the products of either country.\\nUntil notice of annullment of the treaty be given the same shall\\ncontinue in force, although subject to the changes indicated in Para-\\ngraphs A and B.\\nPorto Rico will reserve the right to make similar treaties with other\\nnations, importing the products of the island, which will give it\\nequivalent advantages. Such treaties will be based upon the same\\nterms as those entered into with the United States.\\nIV. \u00e2\u0080\u0094Relations with the Peninsula.\\nThe reductions made in the tariff in Porto Rico on the products of\\nthe Peninsula should necessarily be compensated by proportionate\\nreductions made in Spain and the adjacent islands on the products of\\nPorto Rico imported by such places. The total reductions made by\\none country should equal or approximate those made by the other\\ncountry, always keeping in mind the difference in money values whilst\\nsuch difference exists.\\nThe total amount of reductions made in the island of Porto Rico in\\nfavor of the products of Spain should be made in Spain and the adja-\\ncent islands in favor of the products of Porto Rico such as on sugar,\\nmolasses, and coffee in such manner that the said concessions could\\nprove absolutely reciprocal. It would not be fair to continue our\\npresent rates, for whilst the products of Spain pay little or no import\\nduties here, those of Porto Rico are heavily taxed in the Peninsula to\\nthe extent of being almost prohibitive.\\nThere should be but one rate of customs duty for both countries,\\nand not as it happens, that, under the term consumption or other\\nsimilar terms, a surtax is levied upon the first import duties.\\nV. Dues on Loading and Unloading and the Customs Duty on Con-\\nsumption.\\nThe first two should be abolished and the third incorporated in the\\nimport duties.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0445.jp2"}, "446": {"fulltext": "436\\nWith the foregoing we close our report, which is based upon careful\\nand conscientious study of the points embraced in it. Nevertheless\\nwe are bound to consider the necessities of the public treasury if the\\ncircumstances demand certain modifications.\\nCarlos Armstrong.\\nJ. M. Mora.\\nP. J. Rosaly.\\nPonce, P. R., April U, 1898.\\nHOW TO HELP AGRICULTURE.\\nThe undersigned, commissioned to suggest measures which should,\\nin the interest of agriculture, serve as a guide for drafting a new\\ntariff and making commercial treaties to be celebrated with the United\\nStates and Canada, herewith submit to your judgment the following\\nconsiderations\\nThis committee believe that it would be advisable to reduce con-\\nsiderably the import duties paid on provisions coming from those two\\ncountries.\\nThe total imports from those two countries in 1894 amounted to the\\nvalue of 6,290,218 pesos 35 centavos; of this sum the value of food\\narticles was 4,376,257 pesos 73 centavos, or more than two-thirds of\\nthe whole amount. Based upon these figures, the reduction in the\\ntariff would have to be considerable in view of the necessity for lower-\\ning the price of living in the island and bettering the condition of the\\npoorer classes. But the subject is worthy of consideration, and the\\ncommittee believe that such purpose might be used as an argument\\nfor obtaining from the Governments of the United States and Canada\\nmarkets for such product of the island as sugar, coffee, tobacco,\\nhides, live stock, fruit, etc., under more favorable conditions than\\nthose existing.\\nThe committee also believe that, with the exception perhaps of the\\nPeninsula, the United States and Canada are the natural markets for\\nthe products of the island, and nothing should be left undone to\\nplace this island in the most advantageous position possible with\\nthose countries.\\nWith regard to tariff the undersigned believe that whatever tends\\nto facilitate the cultivation and improvement of the products of the\\ncountry, and the introduction of the same into foreign markets, with\\nthe least possible expense, should be exempt from duty. In this\\nclass would come agricultural implements, etc.\\nAt this time, when the production of cane sugar is brought into\\ncompetition with beet sugar, a product which enjoys a bounty of 1 peso\\n80 centavos, provincial money, for each 50 kilograms exported, and\\nnow that this bounty has so stimulated the production of. beet sugar\\nthat it has almost driven cane sugar from the markets of the world,\\nwith a consequent decline in price, it has become necessary to\\nretrench our expenses by investing less money in modern apparatus.\\nDuring fifteen years of high prices the production of coffee in the\\nworld has almost doubled; from year to year the price has declined,\\nand, from all appearances, will continue to decline year by year.\\nUnder these circumstances, the committee think that agriculture\\nought to be aided to sustain itself and should not be burdened with\\nduties which, besides being unjust, are suicidal. Satisfied with this", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0446.jp2"}, "447": {"fulltext": "437\\nview, the committee recommends the following as a basis for the\\ndrafting of a new tariff relating to these subjects:\\n(1) That machinery, spades, and mineral coal be exempt from duty,\\nas they were in the tariff of 1882.\\n(2) That the import duties now paid on sacks, staves, and wooden\\nhoops, from whatever source, be reduced 75 per cent.\\n(3) That loading and export duties paid on the products of the\\nisland should be abolished.\\nThe undersigned believe that if the suggestions submitted are\\nadopted, as well as those to be made by the other committees appointed\\nto consider other branches, they will tend materially to improve the\\nagricultural interests of Porto Rico, and, although perhaps not perti-\\nnent to the business in hand, the committee believe that they are in\\nduty bound to point out that the natural market for the products of\\nthe island is that of the peninsula, to which we are united by the ties\\nof history, race, religion, and customs, and that in order to bind still\\ncloser these ties of union between the mother country and this island\\na common interest should be encouraged.\\nIt is not sufficient that our products enter the peninsula free of\\nduty so long as taxes under the name of consumption are levied.\\nUnder this duty sugar pays 33^ pesetas plus 10 per cent and coffee 60\\npesetas per 100 kilograms.\\nSuch prohibitive duties place these articles beyond the means of the\\npoorer classes and have a fatal tendency to drive away the export com-\\nmerce of the island to other markets than Spain. This is shown by\\nthe following figures\\nTotal exports of coffee and sugar in 1894-\\nCoffee.\\nSugar.\\nTo Spain\\nTo foreign countries\\nTotal....\\nKilograms,\\n5, 568, 284\\n17,341,405\\nKilograms.\\n13,781,281\\n32, 839, 858\\n22,909,689\\n46,621,139\\nWe are all victims of this exorbitant tax. The people of Spain are,\\nfor the most part, deprived of one of the necessaries of life on account\\nof its artificial price. This island is deprived of its natural market\\nwhere, at least, it should be protected, and the treasury is deprived\\nof this source of revenue because the high prices caused by the tax\\ncurtail the importation and consumption of articles which, under a\\nmore liberal regime, would largely contribute to the finances.\\nThe committee are of the opinion that for the good of both the\\nmother country and Porto Rico the import duties on articles imported\\nfrom this island into Spain, if not abolished altogether, should at least\\nbe considerably reduced.\\nAnd, Mr. President, in spite of their inadequacy for the task, the\\ncommissioners believe that they have fulfilled their task as representa-\\ntives of the agricultural wealth of the country.\\nGusto Cabrera.\\nJose Serra.\\nE. Wellenkamp.\\nRafael Collazo.\\nFelix Jauri.\\nLuis Rubert.\\nPonce, P. R., April 5, 1898.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0447.jp2"}, "448": {"fulltext": "438\\nTHE TARIFF AND PORT CHARGES.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nSan Juan, P. R., October 26, 1898.\\nMr. T. G. J. Waymouth, of the house of J. T. Silva Co., San Juan,\\nP. R.:\\nDr. Carroll. I want to ask you about the customs. Do you under-\\nstand that the same customs are levied now, practically, as were levied\\nprevious to the occupation of the island b} r the Americans, except that\\nthe duties collected from goods coming from Spain are precisely the\\nsame as those from other countries?\\nMr. Waymouth. That is my understanding of it.\\nDr. Carroll. Formerly you collected a very small tariff on Spanish\\ngoods?\\nMr. Waymouth. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. I have had an intimation that the business men of\\nPorto Rico consider this tariff too high; that they would like a reduc-\\ntion of 50 per cent in it, and that that reduction ought to be made\\nimmediately also that there ought to be a removal of certain port\\ncharges which are now in the nature of an embargo. Do you regard\\nthe rates now charged too high and onerous to the merchants and\\npeople of Porto Rico?\\nMr. Waymouth. I consider all the duties on machinery double what\\nthey ought to be perhaps more than double.\\nDr. Carroll. Is that true of any other articles?\\nMr. Waymouth. Articles like flour pay too high a duty and I think\\nmost of them could be reduced without doing any harm to the island.\\nThere was formerly a heavy duty on American flour, so that practi-\\ncally it had to be shipped to Spain and from there reshipped to Porto\\nRico. Now, of course, it will come direct from the United States,\\nbut the dutjr is too high still. Formerly the duty was something like\\n$4 a bag; now I believe it is $2 a bag.\\nDr. Carroll. You get it as cheaply as under Spanish sovereignty?\\nMr. Waymouth. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you think of any other articles that ought to be\\nreduced?\\nMr. Waymouth. I don t think of any at the present moment. I\\nonly have in mind now those principal things flour, which is the\\nprincipal article of consumption imported into the island, and machin-\\nery, which we need in order to develop our industries. To import a\\npiece of machinery for grinding sugar or coffee you require to be\\nalmost a capitalist. It is very expensive, not only because of the\\nfreight charges, but because the duties are enormous.\\nDr. Carroll. Where has the island been getting its machinery\\nfrom chiefly?\\nMr. Waymouth. They are getting it from England and France;\\nalso from the United States, but not so much for sugar plantations.\\nThey seem to prefer here the English mills for grinding cane.\\nDr. Carroll. Is the English cheaper?\\nMr. Waymouth. Yes they get boilers from the United States also\\ntelephones and telegraphs. The bridges of the island have been\\nimported principally from Belgium. I think the tariff should be\\nreduced about 50 per cent all round. I believe the increased impor-\\ntation which would result would compensate for the loss of revenue\\nby the reduction.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0448.jp2"}, "449": {"fulltext": "439\\nDr. Carkoll. Yon have also a duty on exports. Is it desirable to\\ncontinue that?\\nMr. Waymouth. That is a question of calculation after you con-\\nsider the budget. You will figure that the administration of the island\\ncosts so much, and then you can select such means of revenue as may\\nseem most convenient and desirable to produce the amount required.\\nThe ambition of the people here is, however, that there should be free\\ntrade between the island and the United States.\\nDr. Carroll. Could you make up some of the necessary amount\\nfor purposes of administering the affairs of the island by some form\\nof internal revenue?\\nMr. Waymouth. No I think it would be unwise to have any more\\ninternal revenue.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you think any of the present internal taxes should\\nbe wiped out altogether?\\nMr. Waymouth. I do, and I believe that will be necessary to build-\\nup the country.\\nDr. Carroll. We have a successful system of revenue tax adopted\\nfor the purpose of paying war expenses. Under this system a stamp\\nis required to be put upon every telegram, bank check, deed, mort-\\ngage, contract, etc., which distributes the burden equally.\\nMr. Waymouth. That is just. Our internal-revenue law will have\\nto be looked into, because, up to the present, it has been very loose.\\nDr. Carroll. Who can give me the most accurate and full infor-\\nmation as to the stamp and other taxes that have been imposed,\\nlicenses, stamps on merchants books of account, etc.\\nMr. Waymouth. I will tell you how that is done. They generally\\ndivide the merchants into groups which they call gremios. The first\\ngremio includes the bankers and importers and exporters the second\\ngremio would be importers who are not also exporters; then there\\nwould be a gremio to take in the coffee houses. The Government says\\nwe require so many thousands of dollars. This amount is divided\\namong the various gremios, and each gremio is required to produce\\nthe amount assigned to it. The gremios call meetings and each\\ngremio adjusts the amount to be paid by each person included in it,\\nwhich amount is arrived at by taking the proportion of business that\\nis done.\\nDr. Carroll. Who apportions the several amounts to the gremios?\\nMr. Waymouth. The secretary of the treasury.\\nDr. Carroll. Is the amount, as between the gremios, equitably\\napportioned?\\nMr. Waymouth. Not generally. The Government is only concerned\\nwith getting the money and does not care whether the apportionment\\nis equitable or otherwise. The apportionment is changed from year\\nto year.\\nDr. Carroll. Was there any tendency on the part of the Govern-\\nment to discriminate?\\nMr. Waymouth. No; they got the money where they could, but\\nthere was a tendency among the gremios to squeeze each other.\\nDr. Carroll. How was the collection of the amounts made was\\nit farmed out?\\nMr. Waymouth. After agreeing upon the amounts in the gremios\\nthe collection was made by the Spanish Bank.\\nDr. Carroll. There were revenues that were farmed out.\\nMr. Waymouth. Yes; stamp revenues.\\nDr. Carroll. Is it not a fact that a tax is collected on all produce\\nf every kind brought into the city?", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0449.jp2"}, "450": {"fulltext": "440\\nMr. Waymouth. Yes; that was another tax. I would like to speak\\nof another matter. I refer to the port charges which are collected\\nhere under the new order of things. These charges are extremely\\nheavy. They collect at the rate of 20 cents on each net registered\\nton; that is, 20 cents on vessels arriving from a foreign port and 2\\ncents on vessels arriving from any other port of the island. Vessels\\ncoming here to take on cargo usually tramp vessels run all around\\nthe island wherever there is coffee, sugar, or other cargo, and pick it\\nup at the different ports. But if each vessel has to pay 20 cents a ton\\nat the first port and 2 cents a ton at the others they will not be able\\nto come to the island to look for cargo.\\nDr. Carroll. As a matter of fact, how do you ship your exports of\\ncoffee?\\nMr. Waymouth. There are several lines of steamers. There is a\\nGerman line, and there is also a French line, of which our firm are\\nagents here in Porto Rico. But these steamers won t be able to come\\nto Porto Rico if these duties continue. This port charge is new.\\nFormerly vessels arriving at any port in Porto Rico paid $1 a ton on\\nthe cargo discharged.\\nDr. Carroll. Was that too heavy a charge, in your judgment?\\nMr. Waymouth. That was not complained of. If a vessel dis-\\ncharged, say, 100 tons, the charge would be $100, but the steamship\\ncompanies generally protected themselves by laying that duty on the\\nimporter of the goods. Consequently the vessel did not really pay\\nthat duty. For instance, a French vessel seldom brings more than 50\\ntons for Porto Rico. That would mean $50 distributed among all\\nthe importers. But if a vessel of that kind had to pay 20 cents on its\\nnet tonnage which is usually about 3,000 tons the charge would be\\nexcessive. This 20-cent charge is new and is in substitution of the\\n$1 charge on cargo discharged.\\nDr. Carroll. Is it your opinion that there should be free trade\\nbetween Porto Rico and the United States?\\nMr. Waymouth. Yes, absolutely free. I am an Englishman and\\nam in favor of free trade altogether.\\nDr. Carroll. You believe that on principle; but aside from that\\ndo you regard it as proper and desirable that there should be no\\nimposts on exports or imports between the United States and its own\\npossessions? You are aware that Canada levies a duty on goods\\nreceived from England.\\nMr. Waymouth. That is the Canadian idea. They do it- in order\\nthat they may develop their industries side by side with the United\\nStates.\\nCHANGES DESIRED.\\nStatement by Senor Miguel L. Arsuaga, of the firm of Sobrinos\\nde Esquiga, San Juan.\\nThe customs tariff and regulations for ports in Porto Rico, issued\\nby order of the United States, contains this regulation\\nTrade between ports of the United States and all ports or places in Porto Rico\\nin control of the United States, and trade between ports and places in Porto Rico\\nin control of the United States, shall be carried on in registered vessels of the\\nUnited States and in no others.\\nFor every passenger transported and landed in violation of this regulation the\\ntransporting vessel shall be subject to a penalty of $800.\\nBy the Spanish regulations all foreign A r essels might take passen-\\ngers to all ports of the island, as in some periods few steamers pass", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0450.jp2"}, "451": {"fulltext": "441\\nby, and when rainy weather comes on the roads become almost impass-\\nable, making- traveling over land very difficult and troublesome. For\\nthis reason facilities for travel by sea are important.\\nENTRANCE AND CLEARANCE OF VESSELS.\\nShould any packages or articles named on the manifest be missing on the\\narrival of the vessel, the latter shall pay a penalty of $1 per ton measurement,\\nunless such deficiency shall be satisfactorily explained or accounted for.\\nIt is rather strange that a big vessel should pay more penalty than\\na small one for the same fault. I think it ought to be even. A large\\nship may get more freight than a small one, but the proportion of\\nmissing goods is larger. There is the same question about the deliv-\\nery of the manifests twenty-four hours after the arrival of the vessel.\\nTONNAGE DUES.\\nOn each entry of a vessel from a port or place, except from another port or\\nplace in Porto Rico in possession of the United States. 20 cents per net ton..\\nOn each entry of a vessel from another port or place in Porto Rico in possession\\nof the United States, 2 cents.\\nUnder this tariff all vessels have to pay according to their net reg-\\nistries, whether they bring much or little cargo. Formerly this charge\\nwas more reasonable. Then we paid $1 on each ton of merchandise\\nimported or exported, but now we have to pay generally or always\\nmore than what it should be, for vessels never discharge here half a\\ncargo nor take half a load.\\nBesides, most of the steamers, or nearly all of them, with cargo for\\nthe island of Porto Rico call first at San Juan. Therefore we have to\\npay always 20 cents, and only 2 cents at the other ports. This is not\\nequitable. We would be the losers if these regulations were carried\\nout for any length of time.\\nAlso some vessels come here in ballast for orders, they being cleared\\nin like manner for another place in the island. However, they have\\nto pay half of the said tariff, though they would have had nothing to\\npay under the old landing charges.\\nCUSTOMS TARIFF.\\nThis tariff is rather high in general, especially for a good many\\narticles which we were accustomed to receive at a very low rate of\\nduties, viz, 10 per cent for goods coming from Spain. This sudden\\nand extensive change will affect very much the prices of the articles\\nin the market and necessarily the consumers. A good many of them\\ncan not stand it very well, especially the poorer classes, and some of\\nthose a little better off. Most of the articles are necessary articles\\nhere, such as Spanish rice, onions, garlic, olive oil, beans and pease\\n(garbanzos), potatoes, chestnuts, nuts and filberts, fruits, water-\\nmelons, grapes, raisins, wines, cider, dry goods, hardware, etc., and\\nno doubt a reduction of the tariff by 50 per cent would have a very\\ngood effect on general trade and the people in the island. Otherwise\\nthey will suffer very severe consequences, for commerce is light and\\nliving will be high if goods must be sold at enormous prices. If we\\nhave to pay these high, duties, workmen will require more wages.\\nConsequently, it will make everything higher, contrary to the interest\\nof all concerned. Most of the articles imported here can not stand\\nan increase in price, for few people can paj r more; and our exports are", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0451.jp2"}, "452": {"fulltext": "442\\nso burdened with charges and meet so much competition in the mar-\\nkets that they can not bear anymore expenses of production. I refer\\nto sugar, coffee, tobacco, molasses, etc. On the contrary, it is recom-\\nmended that charges on the same be reduced, so that we may compete\\nfavorably in the produce markets abroad, instead of obtaining very\\nsmall profits or even suffering losses on most of the articles exported\\nfor consumxDtion in America and Europe.\\nTAXES COLLECTED BY THE CUSTOMS ADMINISTRATION.\\nCONSUMPTION TAX ON BEVERAGES.\\nThe consumption tax on beverages has been increased so much now\\nthat hardly anybody can take a drop of any liquid, especially of com-\\nmon wines, red or white, to which drink our people have been accus-\\ntomed at meal times, however small the quantity. In future they\\nwill be deprived of these drinks. Beer is high, so also are other\\nliquors, such as gin and hollands, cognac, brandy, etc.\\nFormerly the Spanish wines paid 10 per cent of the current duties,\\nand the consumption tax on Spanish beverages was smaller than now;\\nconsequently selling prices were low and equitable. As a rule there\\nis no excess committed in drinking in this island by any class of\\npeople.\\nExport tariff for the island of Porto Rico.\\nCoffee _ per 100 kilograms-. SI. 00\\nWood do .15\\nTobacco .do .22\\nThese articles and sugar are the principal productions of the colony,\\nbesides molasses, rum, etc., and though their exporting dues are not\\nheavy, still it would be convenient to reduce them as much as possible\\nor make them free, so that their exportation may be increased con-\\nsiderably, with great benefit to our agriculturists, tradesmen, etc.\\nMANUFACTORIES.\\nBesides the sugar, coffee, rum, and tobacco works, we have in the\\nisland some match factories, ice, electric-light, and gas works, etc. Also\\nwe have an oil refinery, which was built in 1890 and was very much\\nhelped by the Spanish tariff as an important industry in the country,\\nthe same as the match works, for it employs many workmen. All the\\nmaterials of this oil refinery have been imported from the United\\nStates of America, also the engineers for erecting same, besides the\\ncoal required every year about 1,000 tons all the crude oil, acids,\\nall necessaiy things for running the refinery, and thus giving employ-\\nment to American vessels. In landing and taking to the refinery\\nsome benefit is afforded to lighters and lighter men. Labor is also\\nrequired to ship the refined oil to the different ports of the island.\\nTherefore it would be well to pay particular attention to the welfare\\nof all these industries on which so many people live.\\nThis oil refinery is called the West India Oil Refining Company\\nand belongs to the Standard Oil Company, of New York City, where\\nall the capital invested is American. Consequently we hope it may\\ncontinue working under tariff protection as heretofore, viz, fourteen-\\nfif teenths of a cent (gold) per gallon on crude oil less than on refined oil.\\nIn case the refinery should be obliged to close for want of tariff pro-\\ntection very few refined-oil importing houses would be benefited by\\nit, and for each person benefited fifty would be the losers.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0452.jp2"}, "453": {"fulltext": "443\\nFormerly the prices of oil were higher, but owing to the erection of\\nthe refinery they went down, the consumers getting the benefit. It is\\nvery important to keep up the refinery.\\nPORTO RICO PRODUCE EXPORTS.\\nSUGAR.\\nIt is a very important question for our agriculturists that sugar,\\nmolasses, and rum should be admitted free of duties in the United\\nStates, for the prices obtained for these articles for some years past\\nhave been so poor, after deducting the dues, freight, and charges,\\nthat very little or no margin is left for the producer. Any help in\\nthis way would be very much appreciated by all parties concerned.\\nThe prospects of our coffee going to the States are poor, on account\\nof competition with the Brazilian grades, which are much inferior to\\nand cheaper than ours; therefore it is desirable to have some pro-\\ntection for our article in the United States against other foreign\\ncoffees.\\nPorto Rico has been in the habit of supplying the Cuban markets\\nwith various kinds of coffee, but especially with the common or\\ninferior qualities, and now we hear from Havana that they will be\\nunable to buy our low grades if prices are not lowered a great deal;\\notherwise they will import from the United States and Mexico.\\nOur molasses goes to the United States and Canada, but prices\\nobtained are not so good as they ought to be, considering the cost of\\nproduction and charges. The reduction of duty is solicited as a good\\nmeasure for this country.\\nSome bay rum is exported to the United States and other countries.\\nRUM.\\nNo white rum is exported to the United States. If customs dues\\nover there were not so high, it would be a good thing to make some\\nshipments, as it is produced in fair quantities, but nothing profitable\\ncan be done under the present tariff. Most of the good grades of\\nmolasses are exported from this island and the balance is kept here\\nfor rum-making purposes, for the consumption of the colony.\\nThe production of tobacco is an important industry. The leaf has\\nbeen exported until now to Spain, Cuba, and Germany. For the future\\nit is necessary to secure some good markets in order to avoid a heavy\\nloss to this territory.\\nMAIZE.\\nWe produce, too, a fair quantity of corn, which is sent to Cuba, the\\nbalance being used here for horses and mules. There are also some\\nother productions in the island of less importance.\\nCOASTING VESSELS.\\nIt would be well, we think, to change the registry of coasting ves-\\nsels and schooners from the Spanish to the American flag quite free,", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0453.jp2"}, "454": {"fulltext": "444\\nwithout having- to pay any customs duty for this change, as this island\\nhas become an American possession. For such an allowance by the\\nGovernment at Washington small shipowners here would be exceed-\\ningly obliged.\\nSPANISH TARIFF NOT BASED ON SOUND ECONOMIC PRINCIPLES.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nSan Juan, P. R., November 4, 1898.\\nMr. Manuel Fernandez Juncos, a resident of the island forty\\nyears\\nDr. Carroll. Have you any suggestions to offer regarding the\\ntariff?\\nMr. Juncos. It is very necessary to institute a new customs tariff.\\nThe present one does not follow any economic or scientific rule what-\\never. It puts a heavy duty on articles of food of the kind most required\\nfor the island s consumption and on the drugs most necessary in this\\nisland for the preservation of health. For example, the sulphate of\\nquinine without which 20 per cent of foreigners would die in this coun-\\ntry before a great while, and many of us also, it being the principal\\nmedicine here is subject to a duty of $12 per kilo, and other useful\\nmedicines pay duty in proportion. A larger dutj^ is levied on maps\\nand educational appliances than on playing cards, which are instru-\\nments of vice. This tariff, it is fair to say, is our old tariff, which\\nhas been adopted by the new government.\\nI think that articles of everyday consumption should be placed at\\na much lower rate than they are at present, and articles of luxury\\nshould have a correspondingly heavy rate of duty. Under the Spanish\\ntariff silk and diamonds paid a very heavy duty, but for seven years\\nnot a cent has been collected under these heads every piece has been\\nimported contraband. This also shows the unscientific provisions of\\nthe tariff. If the duty had been made reasonably low, people would\\nnot have been tempted to smuggle those articles, and their importa-\\ntion would have brought into the custom-house a substantial sum of\\nmoney each year.\\nSPANISH TARIFF DUTIES EXCESSIVE.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nSan Juan, P. R,, October 31, 1898.\\nMr. Andres Crosas, an American citizen, for many years engaged\\nin business in Porto Rico\\nDr. Carroll. Have you any fault to find with the present tariff\\nand the new port charges?\\nMr. Crosas. Yes. ^Ye are as bad off as in the time of the Spaniards\\nor worse, though I am positive that the Government of the United\\nStates will eventually fix the matter right. I have not lost hope. The\\nGovernment is situated like a man who has moved into a new house.\\nIt always takes a couple of months before eveiything can be put in\\norder.\\nIn the matter of dry goods, for instance, all of it that came here\\nfrom Spain paid little or no duty; the rest came from England and", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0454.jp2"}, "455": {"fulltext": "445\\nFrance. When I was a boy I commenced life here as a clerk. I used\\nto import American shoes here, and I was making money. When\\nthey found it out they put a high duty on American shoes.\\nYou can not heat a Spaniard in some things. He won t invent for\\nyou a telegraph or a sewing machine or an electric battery; but a\\nSpaniard will beat anybody inventing red tape to serve him in the\\naccomplishment of some end. Spaniards have a great deal of diplo-\\nmacy. When they really want to do a thing they will go over the\\nRocky Mountains to do it, and when they don t want to do it a little\\nstraw will stop their progress.\\nDr. Carroll. It has been suggested to me that about a 50 per cent\\nreduction of the tariff would be a wise thing as a present measure of\\nrelief.\\nMr. Crosas. I think it would be.\\nDr. Carroll. General Brooke said he thought such a reduction\\nmight greatly reduce the revenues; but would it not increase the\\namount imported?\\nMr. Crosas. It would greatly increase the imports, and so make up\\nthe deficiency, and at the same time be a benefit to American manu-\\nfacturers. I think, if we are admitted as a Territory, everything from\\nthe United States should be admitted, here as domestic goods. That\\nis another thing I happened to hear about that I want to mention to\\nyou. It appears that Nova Scotia has proposed to the United States\\nto allow American vessels to fish and bait in Nova Scotia waters if the\\nUnited States will allow the free introduction of her fish in Porto\\nRico. Well, allow me to inform you that the best market for codfish\\nis the island of Porto Rico, and the people of Nova Scotia don t want\\nto lose it. I can not but think it would be well to collect a small duty\\non Nova Scotia codfish, mackerel, and hake.\\nFAVORABLE TARIFF ON IMPORTS FROM THE UNITED STATES.\\nSTATEMENT OF SENOR ALKIZU, OF PONCE, P. E.\\nThe tariff on imports from the United States should be 25 per cent\\nof that levied on foreign imports. This measure is necessary in order\\nto provide cheap food for our laboring classes.\\nThe best producing lands of the island are taken by sugar and cof-\\nfee plantations, thus leaving the poor lands to raise corn and vegeta-\\nbles for home consumption. Until the country gets roads to the\\ninterior, which will afford means of transporting cheaply articles of\\nfood produced there to the coast cities, the laboring classes must\\ndepend on imports for their food supply. Therefore the reduction\\nrecommended is a just and politic measure.\\nA WORKINGMANS OPINION ON THE TARIFF.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nSan Juan, P. R., November 4, 1898.\\nMr. Santiago Iglesias. I think the Government should impose\\nheavy duties on all luxuries, such as wines, and everything conducive\\nto pleasure and vice, by way of recompense for low duties on food\\nproducts imported for the benefit of the working classes.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0455.jp2"}, "456": {"fulltext": "446\\nDr. Carroll. Do you include tobacco among the articles of luxury?\\nMr. Iglesias. Yes. I think the Government should impose pro-\\ntective duties on all manufactured articles so as to protect the embry-\\nonic industries which exist here at present for at least a certain term\\nof years. After these industries are in shape to look after them-\\nselves the} 7 could enter into competition with other markets. I think,\\nregarding custom-house matters, that the Government should allow\\nthe introduction of food stuffs at a very small duty to lower prices\\nfor the laboring man.\\nMEASURES PROPOSED.\\nSTATEMENT OF MERCHANTS AND BANKEES OF MAYAGUEZ.\\nTo abolish all export duties levied now on coffee and other products\\nof the island. (This refers especially to coffee, because the coffee\\nplanters will not be favored by the high duties existing in the United\\nStates on foreign sugar and tobacco; also, the only markets for the\\nlower classes of our coffeee, Spain and Cuba, are probably lost forever,\\nand any measures taken to support the coffee planters would certainly\\nbe highly appreciated.) To allow the manufacturers themselves to\\nimport their raw materials. (Under the Spanish law nobody could\\nimport unless he paid taxes to this effect, and the petition is made\\nthat all manufacturers shall be allowed to introduce raw materials,\\neven if they are not licensed as importers.\\nThe foregoing proposals represent the views of 32 firms of Maya-\\nguez, comprising all the large firms and most of the smaller ones.\\nLOWER DUTIES ON FOODSTUFFS.\\nSTATEMENT OF ENRIQUE DELGADO, SAN JTJAN.\\nThe tariff should receive careful study. It must be remembered\\nthat the custom-house still produces a large income here; but as the\\nbudget will be greatly reduced, the tariff should be made to corre-\\nspond so as not to burden the country uselessly. So as to cheapen\\nliving for the working classes, such articles as flour, lard, bacon, cod-\\nfish, and others should receive all the reduction possible. Spanish\\nproducts, such as are not produced in the United States, should also\\nhave consideration, as this would not prejudice commerce in the Union,\\nand large quantities of Spanish goods are consumed here. Wines\\nshould not pay so heavy a duty as imposed under the provisional\\ntariff, which imposes a heavy consumoduty as well as a duty of import.\\nThe consumo duty should be abolished and a duty imposed which\\nwould leave a margin of protection for the wines of the United States.\\nExport duties, which bear ultimately on agriculturists, who are in need\\nof help, should be totally abolished. On modifying the tariff to meet\\nrequirements of the budget it may be necessary to impose some dutj 7\\non articles of prime necessity, in which case products of Porto Rico\\nshould be allowed free entry into the United States; or, if that is impos-\\nsible, then sugar and tobacco should be favored as much as possible\\nand other produce and products of the island allowed free entry.\\nThe tonnage due of 20 cents on other than American ships is too\\nhigh, especially as there is a lack of bottoms, and foreign ships can", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0456.jp2"}, "457": {"fulltext": "447\\nnot carry freight or passengers from here to the States or Cuba. If\\nthere were sufficient American shipping this tax would be natural and\\nlogical, but as it is it is only a hindrance to commerce, which is free in\\nall countries, and especially in the American Union.\\nAttention should also be given to the heavy licenses under which\\nmerchants are suffering, which should be abolished. No other taxes\\nshould be imposed in the island but custom-house duties and taxes\\non urban and rural property.\\nTHE TARIFF REVISED.\\nThe Porto Rican tariff was revised by the Hon. Robert P. Porter,\\nspecial commissioner to Cuba and Porto Rico, in accordance with\\nthe preceding recommendations, and promulgated by an Executive\\norder issued January 20, 1899. Mr. Porter stated in his report accom-\\npanying the revision that the new rates were framed on a revenue-\\nyielding basis of 15 per cent ad valorem, although it must not be\\ninferred that all the schedules were uniformly 15 per cent.\\nSPECIAL REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER ON THE NEW TARIFF.\\nSan Juan, P. R. February 17, 1899.\\nThe Secretary of the Treasury.\\nSir: The reduced rates of the new tariff, Class XII, comprising\\nfood stuffs, are recognized as of great benefit to the poor people. Rice\\nand flour, two indispensable articles on every table, now pay low\\nduties compared with those levied heretofore. Rice, on the gold\\nbasis at the rate of $2 to $1, paid $1.85; it now pays 60 cents, a reduc-\\ntion of about 68 per cent. The old rate on flour, in gold, was $2; it\\nis now $1, a decrease of 50 per cent. Pork comes in at upward of\\n40 per cent less; cheese at 60 per cent less; beans and pease at 56\\nper cent less; lard at about 25 per cent less. On the other hand,\\nhams are increased from $1.85 to $3.50; bacon from $2.25 to $2.40,\\nand butter from $3.37 to $4.20. The increase in building materials\\nis a disappointment. It was hoped that a reduction would be made\\nin these articles in order that the building of good houses might\\nbe stimulated. Cement, which is a very necessary article here, pays\\n60 cents now where it paid 25 cents. Galvanized iron pays 20\\ncents more; cast iron, in ordinary manufactures, 65 cents more, and\\nother building materials have been slightly advanced, considering the\\nchange in the money rates. The removal of the duty of 55 centavos\\non native crude oil, and the increased duty on the refined oil from $1.55\\nto $4, calls forth some comment- It is believed, however, that the\\nprices of oil will not be advanced. On the contrary, the agency of\\nthe oil refinery here has issued a circular announcing a reduction in\\nprice of oil from 1 to 17 centavos on 8-gallon, of from 10 to 18 on 9-\\ngallon, and of from 20 to 40 on 10-gallon packages, according to qual-\\nity. It is said that the oil refined here is not as good as that imported.\\nThe reduction in cotton goods is especially welcome. The great\\nmajority of the people wear cotton fabrics of a cheap class, and the\\ndecrease in price will be a boon. Woolen and silk goods will prob-\\nably come more freely into use as the result of the cutting down of\\nduties on them.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0457.jp2"}, "458": {"fulltext": "448\\nFollowing is a translation of some observations in a mercantile bul-\\nletin, prepared by one of the leading importing houses here, on the\\nnew tariff:\\nBusiness is not moving with the rapidity desirable, and we do not think there\\nwill be any real improvement until military government ceases and until a civil\\nadministration shall give a stable government and the legislation so necessary to\\ninspire capital with confidence. The solution given to the money question,\\nalthough incomplete, improves the situation as tending to introduce the gold\\nstandard in private transactions, already existing in State transactions, and help-\\ning to give stability to exchange.\\nThe new tariff reducing, considering the duties on articles of prime necessity,\\nbetters the conditions of the poorer classes, who form the majority of our popula-\\ntion, and the cheapening augments the consumption, thus increasing the volume\\nof business.\\nThe suppression of export duties is another of the improvements of the new\\ntariff whose benefit requires no demonstration, and will relieve somewhat the\\nlosses suffered by the low price of coffee and the want of markets for our tobacco.\\nThe maritime traffic in our ports has increased somewhat lately, owing mainly\\nto the number of transports which enter and leave with troops and effects for the\\nGovernment more than to merchant shipping, the amount of which has been\\nreduced.\\nWe miss very much by the consumption of goods by the troops and civil employees\\nunder the last Government. These are now supplied by the United States and\\npay no duty whatever, establishing an improper competition with merchants to\\ntheir prejudice. For this reason the market is fully stocked.\\nHenry K. Carroll,\\nCommissioner.\\nFURTHER REVISION DESIRED.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nPonce, P. R., March 2, 1899.\\nMr. Doria (mayor). I have a lumber yard and wood-working fac-\\ntory. I am very much astonished to see that free entry has not been\\ngranted in the new tariff for machinery coming from the United States.\\nDr. Carroll. It was not asked that agricultural machinery be free.\\nWe reduced it a great deal. We did not make it free, but we made\\nagricultural implements free.\\nMr. Doria. Yes; but it is necessary that all kinds of machines\\nshould be free.\\nDr. Carroll. The duty on them has been reduced a good deal.\\nMr. Doria. This country especially needs to build up its industries.\\nDr. Carroll. The revision of the tariff was with that object par-\\nticularly in view, and also to favor the poor classes with cheaper food\\nstuffs and cheaper cotton goods, and of course we have had regard to\\nthe necessity of income from customs, so as not to cut off too much.\\nWe cut off the consumption tax; we cut off the export tax, the cargo\\ntax, and we reduced the duty on food stuffs and on most of the neces-\\nsaries of life; but we had to retain a tax on machinery and other\\nthings, enough for the necessary revenue.\\nMr. Doria. In my opinion and I don t wish to criticise the persons\\nwho drew up the tariff the best way to assist the poor is to allow fac-\\ntories to spring up, as they give employment to a large number of\\npeople.\\nDr. Carroll. There is no question about that.\\nMr. Doria. I have been studying the tariff, and I think some items\\nmight have been retained but on machinery the duty could have\\nbeen cut off. Some items pay more than they did before for instance,\\ncement, which is indispensable.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0458.jp2"}, "459": {"fulltext": "449\\nDr. Carroll. I made representation about cement. It was not\\naccording to my recommendation that it was increased, but we found\\nvarious conflicting interests to consider. For instance, the carriage\\nmakers wanted everything going into the construction of carriages\\nbrought in free, and at the same time they wanted the old duties on\\ncarriages increased, although the duty on berlins was $350. If we\\nhad done what they asked we would have given enormous advantage\\nto the carriage makers at the expense of the people. These things\\nmust be held in equilibrium.\\nMr. Doria. That is not protection. Protection means protecting\\nthe whole people.\\nDr. Carroll. The shoemakers and the carriage makers wanted us\\nto let in leather free of duty and levy an embargo on the exportation\\nof hides. You see they did not care anything about the interests of\\nthe tanners. So we had to decide between those conflicting interests.\\nMr. Doria. I have a shop in which there is considerable machinery,\\ncosting a great deal of money; and while it would not be an advan-\\ntage to me to have machinery brought in free, I nevertheless would\\nlike to see it brought in free to enable people to start industries.\\nTARIFF.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nPonce, P. R., March 7, 1899.\\nMr. Felici. There is a question in regard to the surcharges in the\\ntariff that I want to speak of. I refer to paragraphs 117 to 174.\\nUnder the old tariff white cloths or calicoes or muslins or, in fact, any\\ntextile fabric was charged by weight, with a surcharge for print of\\ncolors and for manufactured articles made from these textiles. Under\\nthe new tariff these goods are paying an ad valorem duty, and the value\\ntaken for the basis of imposing duty would include the matter of\\nprinted, colored, or manufactured textiles; the surcharge really is a\\ndouble charge and is not, therefore, proper.\\nDr. Carroll. Do they so rule in the custom-house on importations\\nof that kind, as a matter of fact?\\nMr. Felici. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Then you pay more for printed muslins than you did\\nbefore?\\nMr. Felici. The actual amount is less; but we pay a double sur-\\ncharge and too much in proportion for the printed textiles. I think\\nthat in the condition in which the country now is the duty on flour\\nshould be removed altogether on that one article only.\\nDr. Carroll. The price of bread has come down immensely; it is\\ndown to 4 cents in some parts of the islands where formerly it was 8\\nand 9 cents.\\nTHE MONEY QUESTION.\\nPRELIMINARY REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER.\\nIn submitting the accompanying papers and interviews, I must\\nexplain that they were gathered upon a somewhat brief visit to Porto\\nRico, during which several other very important subjects were inves-\\ntigated. Ail classes are represented.\\n1125 -29", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0459.jp2"}, "460": {"fulltext": "450\\nThe metallic money now in circulation, according to the estimate of\\nthe Spanish Bank of Porto Rico, consists of about 86,000,000. When\\nthe exchange of Mexicans for the colonial peso was made in 1895 the\\namount paid out was:\\nIn pesos $5,561,000\\nIn fractional silver _ 1,015,000\\nIn copper coins 70, 000\\nTotal 6,646,000\\nIt is estimated that upward of $600,000 in coin was taken to Spain\\nby Spanish soldiers when they left the island, the Government at\\nMadrid promising to receive these pesos at par.\\nThe fractional silver consists of 40, 20, 10, and 5 centavo pieces;\\nthe copper coins of 1 and 2 cent pieces.\\nThe volume of paper money in use it is difficult to ascertain. For-\\nmerly the Spanish Bank of Porto Rico, which has a monopoly in the\\nissuing of notes, had between $2,500,000 and $3,000,000 in circulation.\\nBut it is stated that recently the greater part of this has been retired.\\nIf $1,500,000 be taken as representing this form of currency, we have\\na total of $7,546,000 of native money in the island. It is impossible\\nto sajr how much American currency is in circulation. It is intimated\\nthat the old dies for the pesos and 40-centavo pieces have been\\nbrought into use, and that new coins of these denominations are being-\\nmanufactured and introduced as money. Evidently such a business\\nwould be profitable at the present price of silver bullion, with the\\npeso bringing about 60 cents American.\\nThe manner of exchanging the Mexican for the provincial system\\nin 1895 was this: The Government fixed upon a date in December\\nwhen it would receive at various convenient places in the island the\\nMexican dollars. The exchange was made by means of a billete de\\ncanje, or exchange note, pi-ovided by the colonial minister of Madrid.\\nTo these notes were attached coupons. Each note and coupon bore\\nthe same number. As many of the notes were given out as Mexican\\ndollars were offered, the coupons being retained. When these notes\\nwere presented they were paid with the new colonial pesos. A series\\n(in my possession) of these notes, with coupons attached, showing\\nthat they were never used, are variously numbered from 4,729,378 to\\n4,729,514. Evidently considerably less than five millions of these\\nnotes were required. So little did the Government know of the\\namount of money in circulation in the island in 1895 that it was sup-\\nposed that some $20,000,000 or $25,000,000 of new coins would be\\nrequired to make the exchange.\\nOpinions on the currency question in Porto Rico are naturally\\ndivided into two classes, those favoring a high valuation of the peso\\nand those favoring a low valuation. Tho se who have considerable\\namounts of cash or of credits feel it to be a matter of simple justice\\nthat the rate of exchange should not be fixed at a figure which would\\nrob them of their capital and at the same time reduce the volume of\\nmoney in circulation below the needs of the island. The managers of\\nthe Spanish Bank of Porto Rico, the only bank in the island permit-\\nted to issue paper money, asks for a high valuation for the peso, hold-\\ning that an American dollar is worth only 33^ per cent premium over\\nnative money, and that the peso should be valued at 75 cents.\\nThe Territorial and Agricultural Bank of Porto Rico, which loans\\nmoney on mortgages by issuing bonds, mainly to agriculturists,\\nagrees to this rate. As the peso is not redeemable in gold and is a", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0460.jp2"}, "461": {"fulltext": "451\\nlegal tender only in Porto Rico, and is therefore worth ultimately only\\nits value as silver bullion, which is at present less than 40 cents, this\\nproposition fixes its commercial rating at nearly twice its intrinsic\\nvalue, and fixes it higher, too, than the average rate of exchange for\\nthe seven years ending with 1897. The average for those years,\\naccording to the table given by the bank, was 45.45. This period, it\\nshould be noticed, included three years when the exchange was very\\nlow, at a lower point than it has touched since. In 1895, the last year\\nof the Mexican dollars, the average rate had risen from a little more\\nthan 21 in 1891 to nearly 68. Moreover, the colonial peso is of less\\nweight and fineness than the Mexican peso, which it superseded. It\\nwould seem, therefore, that 75 cents is an extreme value to place on\\nthe colonial money, even with the prospect of an early fall in exchange,\\nwhich is confidently predicted by some of the bankers.\\nIt will be observed that the bankers, merchants, and agriculturists\\nof Ponce and Mayaguez, large and prosperous cities on the south and\\nwest coast, have agreed with substantial unanimity on $1.50 for $1\\nAmerican as an equitable rate. They unquestionably represent exten-\\nsive money and business interests, though the capital is the financial\\ncenter of the island. They propose that the peso shall be received for\\nretirement at the value of 66f cents American.\\nThe borrowers, among whom the agriculturists must be considered\\nas the chief class, ask for a low valuation of the peso for various rea-\\nsons. The money they have borrowed has cost them dearly. The\\nrate of interest has been high, ranging from 9 up to 24 per cent, and\\nin many cases they have not really seen the money, but got the values\\nin machinery, stores, and credits on debts. Those who borrowed of\\nthe Agricultural Bank got bonds, or cedulas, which brought from 80\\nto 90 per cent of their face value. The way of the borrower has been\\nhard, unquestionably, particularly in the past two or three years. If,\\nfor example, he borrowed to pay for purchases made abroad, he not only\\npaid a high rate of interest and had to submit to a discount of 10 per\\ncent or more to get cash on his cedulas, but he had to pay a high rate\\nfor exchange. United States Consul Hanna refers to an instance\\nwhere, in June last, when exchange rates were phenomenally high,\\nowing to the war, a planter borrowed 10,000 pesos to save his estate.\\nHe agreed to pay 12 per cent interest on the mortgage, which is to run\\nfor five years. Mr. Hanna says that, according to the rate of exchange\\nat that time, he only received in value from the bank about $4,000.\\nThis is true, undoubtedly, if he was compelled to buy exchange;\\nbut if he used the sum to pay debts or make purchases in the island\\nthere could have been no such large percentage of loss, for insular\\nprices were not increased to any very great extent during the brief\\nwar. If the money was used to pay debts, it Avas as valuable as it\\nwould have been in the previous year, when exchange was considera-\\nbly less than half as high. If the money was used to pay for pur-\\nchases abroad, the transaction was a ruinous one and must be set\\ndown as one of the hardships which war imposes upon a people the\\nultimate value of whose silver currency in the markets of the world\\nis the price it will bring as bullion. The commercial value of the\\npeso in the business affairs of the island has, it is claimed, been rea-\\nsonably stable.\\nThose who ask that the peso be allowed a value of only 50 cents\\nemphasize the disadvantages under which the borrower labors as an\\nargument in support of their proposition. This disadvantage is due\\nin part to the small volume of money, in part to the extremely limited", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0461.jp2"}, "462": {"fulltext": "452\\nbanking facilities, and doubtless, also, in some degree, to the risks\\nwhich lenders assume in accommodating agriculturists. It would be\\nhardly fair to charge all these disadvantages to the lending class.\\nThe colonial money has an ascertainable value apart from these con-\\nsiderations. If, for example, a banker lends to-day 10,000 pesos, no\\nmatter what rate of interest he bargains for, is he not entitled to have\\nthe 10,000 pesos back when the mortgage falls due? Suppose this sum\\nto have been lent in 1896. The average rate then was SI. 56^ to $1.\\nMake it $2 to $1 now, and you take away from the lender 81,410. It\\ncan not be right to rob, under process of law, by way of correcting\\nabuses in private transactions. It is undoubtedly true that it would\\nbe unjust to compel those who have borrowed cheap pesos to pay in\\ndear dollars, but it would also be an injustice to compel lenders to\\nsubmit to the scaling-down process. The money of Porto Rico was\\nworth to Porto Ricans in 1896 or 1897, or any other year, just what\\nit would bring. On the one hand, the annual average of the peso\\nnever rose to $1 American; on the other, it never fell to 50 cents. It\\nwill not be possible to find any rate which will not do more or less\\ninjustice to individuals, but an average can be reached which will do\\nsubstantial justice to all classes.\\nThe following table shows the equivalent values in Porto Rican\\nand American money of the various rates proposed\\nEquiva-\\nPorto\\nlent of 1\\nRican\\nPorto\\npesos\\nPremium.\\nRican\\nfor SI\\npeso in\\nAmerican.\\nAmerican\\nmoney.\\nPer cen t.\\n2\\n100\\nSO. 50\\nIf\\n75\\n.57\\nIf\\n66f\\n.60\\nli\\n50\\n.66$\\nU\\n33i\\n.75\\nli\\n25\\n.80\\n1\\n1.00\\nThe effect of the several rates proposed on the volume of circula-\\ntion is indicated by this table, on the assumption that the amount of\\ncoin is $6,000,000:\\nRatio.\\nPercent-\\nage of\\nreduction.\\nVolume of\\nmoney.\\nLoss in\\nvolume of\\nmoney.\\nPorto\\nRican.\\nAmerican.\\n$2.00\\n1.75\\n1.66|\\n1.50\\n1.33J\\n1.25\\n1.00\\nSI. 00\\n1.00\\n1.00\\n1.00\\n1.00\\n1.00\\n1.00\\n50\\n43\\n40\\n33|\\n25\\n20\\nS3, 000, 000\\n3.420.000\\n3,600,000\\n4,000,000\\n4,500,000\\n4, 800. 000\\n6,000,000\\nS3, 000. 000\\n8,580,000\\n2, 400, 000\\n2,000,000\\n1,500,000\\n1,200,000\\nThe need of banking facilities, so as to bring borrowers in various\\nparts of the island into closer connection with the lenders, is a mani-\\nfest necessity. Capital is concentrated in San Juan, where the only\\ntwo banks in Porto Rico engaged in regular banking business are\\nestablished, and most of those who would borrow must make their\\nway thither. If a system of banks similar to those which exist in all", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0462.jp2"}, "463": {"fulltext": "453\\nparts of the United States could be introduced in the leading cities\\nand towns of Porto Rico, facilities for getting money would be afforded\\nto those compelled to borrow, the number of lenders would be\\nincreased, business transactions would be made easier, and money\\ncould be moved when and where it is needed with the least possible\\ndifficulty and delay. The use of drafts and checks and other forms\\nof financial paper would also lessen the inconveniences of the limited\\nvolume of monej in circulation.\\nRespectfully submitted.\\nHenry K. Carroll,\\nCommissioner.\\nWashington, December 25, 1898.\\nTHE CURRENCY OF PORTO RICO.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nSan Juan, P. R., October 26, 1898.\\nMr. T. G. J. Waymouth, of banking house of J. T. Silva Co.,\\nSan Juan:\\nDr. Carroll. Will you please state as clearly and succinctly as pos-\\nsible the condition of the currency question with special reference to\\nthe inconvenience and inconsistency of the two standards which at\\npresent exist in Porto Rico?\\nMr. Waymouth. Well, I think at present, owing to the introduction\\nof American specie into this country, the state of affairs in the respect\\nyou mention is bewildering.\\nDr. Carroll. By specie do you mean gold?\\nMr. Waymouth. I mean all the American currency which has been\\nimported and is continuing to be imported by American visitors to the\\ncountry. Former conditions were bad enough, but we could then\\nalways calculate our exchange by the business that was done in the\\nisland and the competition between the bankers; but now every vis-\\nitor is a banker, and if he can not sell his monej 7 at one price he sells\\nit at another, and inasmuch as they are selling specie in some places\\nat the rate of II, American currency, for $1.75, Porto Rican currency,\\nand in other places in the island $1, American currency, for $1.60 or\\neven $1.50, Porto Rican currency, it is impossible to calculate any\\nexchange.\\nDr. Carroll. The rates of exchange vary from day to day, do they\\nnot?\\nMr. Waymouth. Yes; and the change is against the American\\nmoney.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the cause of this change, in your opinion?\\nMr. Waymouth. I think it is caused by the fact that everywhere\\nthroughout the island Americans are offering their gold and other\\nAmerican currency in exchange for money of the country, so that the\\nrate of exchange is falling.\\nDr. Carroll. What will be the outcome of this condition in money\\nmatters if it is continued for some time without remedial legislation?\\nWill it drive the United States currency out of the market, on the princi-\\nple that where two kinds of money circulate side by side the cheaper\\nwill prevail and the more valuable be driven out of circulation?\\nMr. Waymouth. I think the general result will be that the bette\\nmoney will exclude the worse money. There is no doubt about it.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0463.jp2"}, "464": {"fulltext": "454\\nDr. Carroll. But it is an axiom of financiers in the United States\\nthat where two moneys are in circulation, of different values, the\\npoorer money will obtain the market, on the principle that the money\\nof greater value will be hoarded or go out of the country, while people\\nwho have debts to pay will pay in the cheaper money.\\nMr. Waymouth. That is true; but the conditions are peculiar here.\\nThis is an island. Americans are coming here and bringing their\\nmoney with them, so that the amount of American money in the island\\nis increasing constantly. The Porto Rican currency it must be taken\\ninto account can not be driven out of the island, for the reason that\\nit does not circulate anywhere else, unless it is given circulation in the\\nUnited States or in Spain. If given circulation in the United States\\nit will be remitted there, doubtless.\\nDr. Carroll. I will ask you if, in your opinion, it would not be\\nwell to have United States currency substituted for Porto Rican cur-\\nrency? You will be brought into closer relations with the United\\nStates in trade and otherwise, and would it not be convenient to have\\none medium of exchange only?\\nMr. Waymouth. I think so, decidedly.\\nDr. Carroll. Do j^ou believe that your trade relations and finan-\\ncial relations with Spain will be less and less important as time goes on?\\nMr. Waymouth. Yes; I think so.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you think that your merchants will be likely to\\nimport more and more from the United States?\\nMr. Waymouth. I think the United States will eventually be our\\nonly market for imports. There is no doubt about it. Everything will\\ncome from the United States except cloth, perhaps, and some kinds of\\ndry goods, which will continue to be imported from England; except\\nalso ribbons and haberdashery, which will likely be imported from\\nFrance. But the majority of articles for wear and food stuffs will all\\ncome from the United States.\\nDr. Carroll. The customs of your people here, the Porto Ricans,\\nare pretty well fixed and have been for centuries. Will they take\\nkindly to a different kind of goods coming from the United States or\\nwill it rather be the province of the merchants and manufacturers of\\nthe United States to produce the kind of goods that are used here?\\nMr. Waymouth. The law of fashion, as you know, has a great deal\\nto do with that. Americans come here and wear certain kinds of\\ngoods. That will set the style and everybody will want the same\\nkinds of goods in order to conform to the fashion. It is not the mer-\\nchant who puts the goods on the market; it is the people who deter-\\nmine what he will have for sale. When I first came to Porto Rico,\\nyears ago, I could not get a pair of boots here, and there were no hats\\nused bjT- the ladies. Instead of hats the ladies had 011I3- what are\\ncalled mantillas; but in course of time hats were introduced in the\\nisland, and that rule of change in styles holds good in everything.\\nDr. Carroll. Will you kindly describe the kinds and denomina-\\ntions of money you have?\\nMr. Waymouth. In Ponce they use a considerable amount of paper\\nmoney of the Caja de Ahorros (savings bank). They are not exactly\\nnotes; they are in the nature of bills payable at a certain date, with\\ncoupons paying interest, but they are received the same as notes by\\nmerchants and others. They do not circulate in other parts of the\\nisland, however, and are unknown except in Ponce. In the interior\\nof the island only silver and some copper are in circulation. The sil-\\nver is in the form of pesos, -40-cent pieces, 20-cent pieces, 10-cent pieces,", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0464.jp2"}, "465": {"fulltext": "455\\nand 5-cent pieces, and the copper is in the form of 2-cent pieces and\\n1-cent pieces.\\nI should explain that the bank here is not the same institution as\\nthe Bank of Spain in Madrid, but a different institution entirely.\\nThe Spanish Bank here has two branches, one in Mayaguez and one\\nin Ponce.\\nDr. Carroll. I have been informed that paper money circulates\\nonly here in San Juan and in places where the Spanish Bank has\\nestablished branches. Is that the case?\\nMr. Waymouth. No; paper money circulates, I think, all over the\\nisland, but it is not a legal tender. It is only good where a person is\\nwilling to receive it in payment.\\nDr.* Carroll. On what basis is that paper issued by the bank on\\nits assets, on its silver, or what?\\nMr. Waymouth. They have $2,500,000 in paper in circulation.\\nThey redeem that with silver. I think that their calculation is that\\nthey have in cash and bills payable (at not more than one hundred\\nand twenty days) an amount equal to the deposits and to the bills in\\ncirculation. I will get for you a copy of the balance sheet issued by\\nthe bank on October 1, which, as I recall, shows substantially the con-\\ndition of its finances respecting its paper money as I have stated it.\\nDr. Carroll. Suppose a merchant here had an account of 8500, for\\nexample, to settle with a merchant in Aibonito, would he send bank\\nnotes by post or would he ship the amount in silver?\\nMr. Waymouth. He would not do either. This capital is generally\\nthe bank of the whole island. People prefer, even in Ponce and\\nMayaguez, to have their money in San Juan, and the bulk of the large\\ntransactions is carried on by drafts at short sight, usually from three\\nto fifteen days. The coffee and tobacco crops of the island are large\\nand worth a great deal of money, and when the season comes on for\\nthe movement of these crops kegs of specie, each containing about\\n$5,000, are sent to different parts of the island where needed for that\\npurpose.\\nDr. Carroll. How is it shipped by express?\\nMr. Waymouth. No; we ship it by steamer in kegs, and there is\\nconsiderable money moved in that way. Formerly that is, up to\\n1895 we had Mexican silver, and it was the currency of Porto Rico.\\nThere were many different opinions prevailing here as to what was\\nthen necessary to be done, everybody asking to have that money\\nredeemed. They tried to change the Mexican money into gold, and\\nmy idea was that Spain would never give us a gold dollar for the\\nMexican dollar,, as she would lose about 50 per cent at that time, and\\nshe was not in a condition to lose that amount on this island. My\\nidea was to raise the exchange to the par value of the Mexican money,\\nwhich would have been sufficient to reduce the Mexican money to the\\nvalue of gold, because you could not induce these people to pay out\\na dollar for 50 cents. If in reality my pound sterling is worth in\\nLondon ten of the Mexican dollars, I would not be willing to sell it\\nhere for seven of them. Consequently, if the exchange were raised\\nto the par value of the Mexican dollar, an equilibrium would have\\nbeen established.\\nDr. Carroll. The ideal system, then, would be the system we have\\nin the United States, all money resting on a gold basis, which would\\nresult in bringing this market into close relations with all the gold\\ncountries of the world.\\nMr. Waymouth. That is my idea about it.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0465.jp2"}, "466": {"fulltext": "456\\nDr. Carroll. The great problem here is how to change the Porto\\nRican system to the basis of the United States so as to do justice as\\nnearly as possible to both debtors and creditors.\\nMr. Waymouth. Well, I think the best way is to take the middle\\ncourse that is, to take the figure in between the extremes of 2 for 1\\nand the least figure proposed. That would be about for 1. That\\nis what the people in the southern part of the island seem to desire.\\nDr. Carroll. If that figure were decided upon, what act or order\\ncould accomplish that purpose with the least difficulty? It is evident\\nthat the order which has been given to the collectors of customs does\\nnot settle the matter, and the process of introducing money of the\\nUnited States through visitors is going to be slow and will acid to the\\nconfusion as the rate of exchange rises and falls.\\nMr. Waymouth. I will state how the Spanish Government accom-\\nplished the change. When they retired the Mexican money, they\\nsent out a remittance of these dollars and named commissions all\\nover the island who were directed to make the exchange, commencing\\nat a certain day, 1 for 1; that is, to collect the Mexican and pay\\nout the provincial. Spain made a great deal by that operation. She\\ngave us an inferior money and deducted 5 per cent. We lost about\\n15 per cent of the purchasing value of the island s money.\\nDr. Carroll. Should the loss incident to the change be borne by\\nthe United States or in some way by the island? It would hardly be\\na matter of justice for the United States to have to bear it.\\nMr. Waymouth. Well, I don t think the loss would be great, because\\nthe amount of specie in the island is not very much. It was 6,000,000\\npesos, but much has been taken away by the Spanish troops, and I\\ndon t believe there is more than $5,000,000 of silver (Porto Rican cur-\\nrency) here now.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there much gold here?\\nMr. Waymouth. Very little. The little gold that is here consists\\nmainly of Spanish five-dollar pieces, but there is very little of that.\\nDr. Carroll. Would it be wise for the United States in converting\\nmoney to receive the pesos and subsidiary coin and stamp them so as\\nto correspond to the dollar and subsidiaiy coin of the United States?\\nMr. Waymouth. No; I don t think it should be stamped. It should\\nbe taken to the United States and deposited in the Treasuiy, and sil-\\nver certificates given just the same as if it came from California. I\\nthink that would be the best way. After all, there is not a great dif-\\nference between the Porto Rican and American dollars.\\nDr. Carroll. But the American dollar rests upon the gold basis,\\nwhich makes a great difference. Suppose we received your silver at\\nits intrinsic value and issued our money on that basis, would that be\\nsatisfactory to the people of the island?\\nMr. Waymouth. I think it would be unsatisfactory. That would\\nbe to commit the same error we committed with Spain.\\nDr. Carroll. How do you settle your balances with Spain?\\nMr. Waymouth. That varies. They would not receive our silver.\\nWe generally calculate exchange in such cases on the value of gold in\\nMadrid.\\nDr. Carroll. If you owed a balance to merchants in Spain, on\\nwhat basis would you settle it?\\nMr. Waymouth. On the basis of Spanish silver in Madrid, because,\\nin reality, Spain has no gold.\\nDr. Carroll. What about the value of silver in the two countries\\nSpain and Porto Rico are the values the same?", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0466.jp2"}, "467": {"fulltext": "457\\nMr. Waymouth. No; there is to-day a difference of 10 per cent,\\nand a fortnight ago it was 16 per cent. In that time, therefore, it has\\nfluctuated 6 per cent. The fluctuation was against Porto Rican\\nmoney.\\nDr. Carroll. Now as to savings banks. How many are there in\\nthe island?\\nMr. Waymouth. The only one is the one in Ponce, so far as I now\\nremember. I believe there is a small savings bank in this city among\\nthe common people, but I am not acquainted with it. They receive\\nsmall amounts on deposit and pay a small rate of interest, the same\\nas in the United States. I don t remember what the rate of interest\\nis which they pay. They issue a sort of paper currency I am refer-\\nring now to the one at Ponce. They issue notes payable in twenty\\nyears, for instance; they are a kind of bonds.\\nDr. Carroll (producing a paper peso). Will you please explain\\nwhen this paper was issued and for what purpose?\\nMr. Waymouth. This note was issued when the canje (exchange)\\nwas made by replacing the Mexican by the provincial money. This\\nwas a provisional uote and is worth nothing now. It was issued by\\nSpain and delivered here. It was never of value in Spain and was\\nnever in circulation. It was in the nature of a receipt which could\\nbe redeemed in Porto Rican money up to a certain date only. There\\nwere many who kept some of it as curiosities, but it has no other\\nvalue now. After the date fixed they refused to receive it.\\nTHE EXCHANGE OF THE CURRENCY.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nSan Juan, P. R., October 27, 1898.\\nSeiior Pedro J. Arsuaga, of the firm of Sobrinos de Esquiaga.\\nDr. Carroll. I understand that the really burning question here\\nnow is the currency question. It seems very inconsistent and incon-\\nvenient that there should be two standards of money, the relation of\\nwhich is constantly changing in value, and I want to ask what in\\nyour judgment would be the best, quickest, and fairest way of set-\\ntling this financial difficulty?\\nMr. Arsuaga. Having as a basis the provincial nioney, merchants\\nare much upset in their calculations, exchange rising and falling 10\\nand 15 points a day, and they are unable to reckon with any certainty.\\nThe change from the old system to the present system of coinage was\\nmade in 1895. The Spanish Government thought at that time that\\nthere was about $25,000,000 in circulation in the island, but they\\nfound on making the change that there was only about $6,000,000.\\nThe general opinion here is that the colonial currencj^ should be taken\\nout of circulation, although there are some who think otherwise. My\\nopinion is that to leave it in circulation would give rise to specula-\\ntive dealing in money and to the false coinage of money.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you think it should be retired as the Mexican\\nmoney was retired in 1895?\\nMr. Arsuaga. It could be done in two ways By emitting bills in the\\nform of certificates of deposit, which should afterwards be exchanged\\nfor gold or American silver coinage, or by bringing such currency\\nhere in anticipation and exchanging it, as the Spanish Government", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0467.jp2"}, "468": {"fulltext": "458\\ndid, through the custom-houses in the various districts assisted by the\\nSpanish Bank of Porto Rico. The greater part of the currency of the\\nisland is in this city (San Juan). There is some of it in the coast\\ntowns, but very little in the interior. As soon as money is taken to\\nthe interior for any purpose, it is usually brought back to the coast\\ntowns in payment of accounts with the merchants there.\\nDr. Carroll. In what shape is money taken to distant places; in\\nkegs, or is paper money sent?\\nMr. Arsuaga. It is usually sent in kegs containing $5,000 each.\\nDr. Carroll. How are these kegs shipped?\\nMr. Arsuaga. They are shipped by steamer to the nearest sea-\\nport, and from there the money is taken to the interior by carts or by\\nhorseback in small quantities as needed. The planters have their\\naccounts in the seaport town most convenient of access and deposit\\ntheir money there.\\nDr. Carroll. Is the cart in which the money is being transported\\nguarded?\\nMr. Arsuaga. There is no necessity for that. We have a sugar\\nestate in Carolina and send money to Cayey every Saturday to pay\\noff our men, and we send it openly in a coach without fear of robbery.\\nAs regards the actual rate of exchange at which the substitution of\\none coinage should be made for that of another, as the amount in\\ncirculation is small, it is unimportant whether it is a little higher or\\nlower. The importance of the question comes in with respect to out-\\nstanding liabilities. There are from forty to fifty millions of dollars\\nof liabilities to be settled under old contracts, and the rate at which\\nthe exchange shall be made will greatly affect the creditor or debtor\\nclass, and that is what most interests the merchants here.\\nDr. Carroll. The Secretary of the Treasury told me that the rate\\nthat had been most recommended to him from Porto Rico had been\\n2 to 1 and that those who proposed that rate said that, while it would\\ndo some injustice probably to both classes, it would be fair to the\\nlargest number.\\nMr. Arsuaga. That, I think, would be too unjust to the capitalist\\nand would be more than the debtor has a right to expect. On the\\nother hand, I do not agree with the proposition made by some of the\\nPonce newspapers that the exchange be made dollar for dollar.\\nDr. Carroll. What is your opinion as to a fair ratio? Would 1 to\\n1.75 or 1 to 1,50 be equitable?\\nMr. Arsuaga. I think it should be $1 gold for $1.33 of our cur-\\nrency.\\nDr. Carroll. Who constitute the debtor class mostly in this\\nisland?\\nMr. Arsuaga. The real debtor is the agriculturist, who is indebted\\nto the small storekeeper, who in turn is indebted to the larger mer-\\nchants. By the agriculturist I mean the farmer.\\nDr. Carroll. If the exchange were made at 11.50 or $1.75 would\\nit contract the currency so that it would not meet the needs of the\\nisland?\\nMr. Arsuaga. It certainly would contract the currency and the\\nlending power of all the capitalists, because they would only have a\\nproportionate amount of what they now have.\\nDr. Carroll. Has there been much fluctuation in the purchasing\\npower of silver here?\\nMr. Arsuaga. In the five years previous to 1S98 exchange averaged\\n45 per cent premium; in this year everything has gone up the prices\\nof merchandise and exchange.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0468.jp2"}, "469": {"fulltext": "459\\nDr. Carroll. Since the war?\\nMr. Arsuaga. Since the beginning of the war.\\nDr. Carroll. To what is that fluctuation due? Is it due to the\\nmarket price of silver as a commodity in the markets of the world, or\\nto what other possible cause?\\nMr. Arsuaga. Owing to peculiar local causes, and not to the fluc-\\ntuation of silver in the markets of the world. Imports lately have\\nbeen much in excess of our exports and people have been making use\\nof their credits, especially country storekeepers and the agriculturists.\\nConsequently the balance against the country has had to be settled,\\nand that has sent exchange up.\\nDr. Carroll. Does the money rest on anything else than its intrin-\\nsic value?\\nMr. Arsuaga. The money does not owe its fluctuations really to\\nany condition of the money market, because it is not guaranteed by\\nSpain and is not received in Spain, but is a purely local money imposed\\nby Spain, and circulates merely because we must have some medium\\nof exchange.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there much gold used in this country?\\nMr. Arsuaga. No except the gold being brought in by the Ameri-\\ncans.\\nDr. Carroll. How much paper money is issued, and who issues it?\\nMr. Arsuaga. The Spanish Bank of Porto Rico had the sole right\\nof emitting paper money. They had in circulation usually from\\n$2,500,000 to $3,000,000, but lately they have retired the greater part\\nof that.\\nDr. Carroll. Is that money accepted in all parts of the island?\\nMr. Arsuaga. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Would it not be convenient for merchants to remit\\nto different parts of the island in that form rather than in silver?\\nMr. Arsuaga. Yes; they have done so.\\nDr. Carroll. An English civil engineer, now in this city, says that\\nonly those notes which have Mayaguez stamped on them in red ink\\ncirculate in Mayaguez.\\nMr. Arsuaga. That grew out of special circumstances. The Spanish\\nBank of Porto Rico has a branch in Mayaguez. When the American\\nforces landed at Ponce, these bank notes went to the nearest point for\\nexchange, which was Mayaguez, and the bank there, finding that it\\nwould not have sufficient metal to take up these notes with, if there\\nwas a very heavy run on the bank, provided against it by stamping\\nsome of the notes and announcing that it would not accept any notes\\nnot bearing the stamp Mayoquez.\\nDr. Carroll. Would our fractional currency be convenient here?\\nMr. ARSUAGA. It would be perfectly convenient and very desirable,\\nespecially in paying the laborers in the interior.\\nDr. Carroll. Would it be well to fix upon some date when the ex-\\nchange shall be made in the money system that is, when it shall com-\\nmence and when it must be completed?\\nMr. Arsuaga. Twenty days were given for the last exchange. I\\nthink it highly important to fix a short term in which the exchange\\nshall be made. The Spanish Government fixed a date when no one\\nwas expecting it, so as to prevent speculation as far as possible.\\nDr. Carroll. Was there speculation in spite of that precaution?\\nMr. Arsuaga. There was speculation. The importation of Mexican\\ndollars was forbidden, but they were imported clandestinely.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0469.jp2"}, "470": {"fulltext": "460\\ni\\nDr. Carroll. Would the system of national banks which exists in\\nthe United States be suitable for this island?\\nMr. Arsuaga. I think it would be suitable and convenient, but I\\nam inclined to doubt whether large capitalists would come here. I\\nthink the chief difficulty, however, in establishing such a system here\\nis that, owing to the risk of loans in the island, which is much greater\\nthan that incident to loans in the United States, people would not be\\nsatisfied with the rate of interest which could be demanded under the\\nlaws of the United States. The Spanish Bank of Porto Rico last year\\npaid a dividend of 15 per cent, but the reason that this bank was able\\nto pay such a large dividend is that it has very little capital and issues\\nabout three times as much in notes as its capital. In other words, it\\noperates on fictitious capital.\\nDr. Carroll. I understand the Spanish Bank of Porto Rico has a\\nmonopoly here.\\nMr. Arsuaga. Yes; in the matter of issuing paper money. I id re-\\nsume under the new state of things that monopoly will cease. If the\\nGovernment does purpose bringing the monopoly to an end it should\\nnot hurry it; the bank should have a chance to call in its notes.\\nTHE MONEY OF PORTO RICO SINCE 1800.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.\\nSan Juan, P. R., October SI, 1898.\\nMr. Andres Crosas, an American citizen, long in business in Porto\\nRico:\\nDr. Carroll. I suppose you have definite ideas on the currency\\nquestion.\\nMr. Crosas. I have some ideas on that question; perhaps I am not\\nin the right. This country has been cursed by currency sj stems from\\ntime immemorial. It appears that the Spaniards introduced here in\\nthe year 1800 a regular Spanish silver dollar; but this would always be\\nremitted away from the island, resulting in a constant scarcity of\\nchange, until, in 1814, they established a paper currency. There was\\nnobody responsible for this currency, which was called small hand-\\nbills; and there was even a mutiny of the troops here because they\\nwere paid in this paper money, owing to which the captain-general\\nthen here promised to pay in regular Spanish silver, but very little of\\nit was ever paid. Finding that the difficulty caused by the exporta-\\ntion of this Spanish silver continued, they deposited here a coin used\\nin South America, made in a very rough way, and they made it oblig-\\natory by law to receive this coin, and at the custom-house they used\\nto receive half in Spanish money and half in this macuquino coin.\\nThat was all that circulated here. This state of things continued\\nuntil merchants and others got to be too smart. They would go to the\\nUnited States, counterfeit this macuquino coin, and import it here\\nthrough the custom-house as nails. I myself was a clerk in the custom-\\nhouse in 1855, and I remember one day handling a keg of nails\\nfrom the United States and the head of the keg broke out and out\\ncame the macuquino coin. It finally got to be so that people did not\\ncare much about collecting this money. It used to give them much\\ntrouble. Then there was an industry established by the jewelers here", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0470.jp2"}, "471": {"fulltext": "461\\nin connection with this coin. They used to shear it off so as to make\\na certain percentage, and when a person would come to collect and be\\ntendered some of these recently-trimmed coins he would say, Your\\ncoins are bleeding yet. This practice finally reached such a stage\\nthat merchants would rather accept a vale, which was a sort of\\npromissory note, for so many dollars, and they used to exchange paper\\nof this kind.\\nIn 1857, without any notice whatever, the Spanish Government sent\\nhere a man-of-war with $1,250,000 in gold and silver, and announced\\nthat within four days exchange had to be made at 12-^ per cent dis-\\ncount. Consequently the island lost by this operation one-eighth of\\nits capital. The exchange was made, but on the third day there was\\nnot sufficient Spanish money to change what remained, and then they\\nforced us to take any kind of foreign gold, giving us American five-dollar\\npieces, Mexican gold at $16, and pounds sterling at $5. I was at that\\ntime a young boy and I had to collect some rent. I was offered pay-\\nment in this money, and I said, No; that is not Spanish money. I\\nwas trying to collect from a lady; she was not a saintly lady, and she\\nhad considerable influence. She sued me in order to compel me to\\naccept the foreign money in which she wanted to pay the rent. I went\\nto the court and tried to defend the suit, but I could soon see that she\\nwas getting the better of the argument, and I made a saucy remark\\nto the effect that ladies gained all lawsuits, and the judge promptly\\ndecided in her favor, so that I had to accept what she wanted to pay\\nme. She paid me in American silver. As Spanish coin continued to\\ngo out of the country, American silver was being introduced, until\\nfinally the only coin current here was American silver with some Mex-\\nican and British gold no Mexican silver.\\nThe Spanish Government, which was always inventing some scheme\\nby which to make money, decided not to accept this foreign silver\\nexcept at a discount of 5 per cent. Consequently in paying the treas-\\nury an American silver dollar was worth only 95 cents.\\nThis continued, I believe, until the year 1879, when, seeing that\\nthere was money in it, they decreed that the Mexican silver should be\\nreceived here dollar for dollar for American silver, although I read\\nin the price current in New York that the Mexican silver was worth\\nonly 80 per cent. They introduced a lot of Mexican silver here and\\nexported the American silver, with the result that shortly American\\nsilver paid 1 per cent premium and gold from 2 per cent to 3 per cent.\\nMexican silver, which was nicknamed galvanized iron, continued\\nto come into the island until we got so much of it that it caused\\nexchange to rise. This went on for some time, without any measure\\nof relief being taken, until finally, all at once, the Government decreed\\nthe prohibition of the importation of any Mexican silver, contrary\\nto the provisions of the tariff. At the same time it was decreed that\\nall the silver in the island, in order to circulate here, must have a\\nfleur-de-lis stamped on it. The result of this was that a great many\\npeople here got fleur-de-lis stamps made and stamped their money.\\nI had a few dollars without the fleur-de-lis marked on them, and I\\nmentioned the fact to a friend one day, and he said, I have a die\\nand will fix them for you. There were many dollars stamped that\\nway. Then they passed a law that from and after that year I think\\nit was 1889 no coins of later date should be received, so that when a\\nperson collected a bill in Mexican dollars he would have to look at\\nthe date on each coin. It would take a person all day to collect,\\n$5,000.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0471.jp2"}, "472": {"fulltext": "462\\nThis state of things continued until, all at once, without consulting\\nthe people here, Spain decided to give us a new coin this coin we\\nhave here at present, called the provincial dollar at 5 per cent dis-\\ncount, although the provincial dollar is of less weight and fineness\\nthan the Mexican. There is now about $5,000,000 of this coin in the\\nisland.\\nIf this money is exchanged at a heavy discount, it will be a lash on\\nthose who have monej^. It would not make any difference to the\\nlaborer, because he will earn the same salary in gold and will buy on\\na gold basis; and it will make no difference to the property holder,\\nbecause. if he has a house renting for $50, for instance, he would pass\\nthrough one exchange, but the next month he would get $50 gold.\\nBut to a merchant who has $90,000 of this provincial money, as I\\nhave, an exchange at a heavy discount would be a severe lash. The\\nlast exchange in the money system here cost me $14,000. That was a\\nhard stroke.\\nI have thought of different ways in which the monej^ system here\\nmight be changed to that of the United States, and I am of the opinion\\nthat a way in which it would not be hard would be the creation of a\\nsinking debt. The exchange could be made dollar for dollar and then\\nlet the island pay annually interest on the difference between the value\\nof the provincial money as thus fixed and what it would really produce.\\nLet the people bear it as we have had to bear the expense of freeing\\nthe slaves here and manjr other things.\\nDr. Carroll-. It does not seem, from your recital of the monetary\\nhistory of the island, that Spain has lost very much from her\\ntransactions.\\nMr. Crosas. Spain had a nose that could always scent gold or silver.\\nIn the last exchange, in 1895, they made $1,200,000 between the min-\\nisters. We were bound hand and foot; it was useless to complain.\\nDr. Carroll. It has been suggested by some importers here that a\\nfair basis for the change in the currency here for that of the United\\nStates would be obtained by taking the average cost of exchange for\\nthe past eight or ten years; that is, about 66 per cent or 70 per cent.\\nMr. Crosas. But that would come pretty heavy on those who have\\nmoney. It would suit those who are in debt, who are anxious to get\\nout as well as possible. There are many who are in debt, and they\\nare all for a big discount.\\nDr. Carroll. Have the Americans not brought in a great deal of\\nmoney?\\nMr. Crosas. Yes, and I wish they had brought more enough to\\nswamp the provincial money; but it has not come in sufficient\\nquantity for that.\\nDr. Carroll. Are business interests suffering much now on account\\nof the fluctuations of the money standards?\\nMr. Crosas. Yes; in part because of these fluctuations, and in\\npart because we do not know what is to be the policy of the United\\nStates toward the island. The ambition of the whole country is to\\nbecome a Territory of the United States. They have no desire to be\\nindependent of the United States. They know well enough that they\\ncan not expand under a military government. They know that at\\npresent they can not be a sovereign State, and until they are far\\nenough advanced to petition to become a State, they want to be a\\nTerritory. They are making strides in learning English, and the\\nyoung people especially are all studying it.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0472.jp2"}, "473": {"fulltext": "463\\nIMPORTATION OF SPANISH COIN.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nSan Juan, P. R., November 1, 1898.\\nMr. Sasteria Francesa. I desire to make some suggestions in\\nregard to the money question. The whole money question depends\\nonly on two kinds of persons. The question would have been settled\\nlong ago if it were not for the agriculturists, who believed they would\\nlose an indirect premium by way of paying their laborers in silver\\nmoney, which is not guaranteed by gold reserve on the part of the\\ngovernment, and have to sell their products afterwards to New York\\nand Boston and Philadelphia for gold. Every merchant here and\\nevery private party wants the gold basis that is the only genuine way\\nfor straight business. Those from the sugar estates are indirectly\\nfomenting a genuine social movement here, because the Liberal party\\nof Porto Rico is pretty well upset with this 50 cents a day matter.\\nThese laborers are paid in silver; they have to pay it out in buying\\nwhat they want at gold rates they see that they can make no living\\nout of the money they earn, so they improve every opportunity for\\nrows. ISTow, if these sugar estates in defending the silver question\\nhere to keep the money just as it is made a profit and put in their\\npockets the difference between the silver they pay out and the gold\\nthey receive, there would be at least one reason for explaining the posi-\\ntion they take; but that is not the case, and the proof of it is simply\\nthis, that every time exchange has gone up here prices for refining\\nsugar in New York have gone down, and every time exchange has\\ngone down here prices for refining in New York have gone up. In\\nother words, the sugar-estate owners in fighting for the stay of the\\nunguaranteed silver are only doing a business profitable to the sugar\\ntrust in New York, which is the only one that profits by it, as its quo-\\ntations are always in relation to the exchange of the island, by which\\nmeans thej^ can keep the culture of cane in the island in a state between\\nliving and dying. That is one side of it.\\nTo make the money here a sound money, if the United States Gov-\\nernment should announce that on the 1st of May every dollar of Porto\\nRican money would be taken in exchange for an American dollar, the\\nexchange being paid up in installments of one-half American dollar a\\nyear for interest and principal by the island, all payments to be com-\\npleted in four years, the island would pay the cost of the exchange\\nfrom silver to gold without anyone suffering by it. The island has\\nno debt whatever. Moreover, $75,000, dedicated for many years to the\\npayment of the silver bonds, is still in the treasury, notwithstanding\\nthat the silver bonds were all redeemed over six years ago. Moreover,\\nthere is no legal rate of exchange now established here. It all depends on\\na dozen houses who are endeavoring to keep the exchange up as high as\\npossible, and if it were known that on a fixed day every dollar would\\nbe called in, exchange at New York would not exceed 25 per cent,\\nwhich proves that the exorbitant rates now quoted here on New York\\nare only fictitious and artificial.\\nThere should be, if this course is pursued, a prohibition laid on the\\nimportations of any Porto Rican coin into the island until the exchange\\nis made, this prohibition carrying with it a term of imprisonment and\\nfine. This would prevent smuggling of Porto Rican coin into the\\nisland. The Spanish silver dollar differs from the Porto Rican dol-\\nlar only in the words Porto Rico instead of Spain, and a close", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0473.jp2"}, "474": {"fulltext": "464\\nexamination would be required to distinguish them. And, of course,\\nif the Spanish dollar could be exchanged for the American dollar it\\nwould be a paying business. When the Spaniards were in control of\\nthe island and similar changes were made in the currency as is pro-\\nposed in the case of the United States, Spanish merchants who were\\nin favor with the Government could import prohibited coins with\\nimpunity. In fact, the Government here is said to have imported\\nlarge quantities, so that the Spanish prohibition in such cases was a\\ndead letter.\\nA PLEA FOR THE RATE OF 200 TO 100.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nSan Juan, P. R., November 1, 1898.\\nMr. Felix Matos Bernier, editor:\\nDr. Carroll. What should be the policy of the United States\\n\u00e2\u0096\u00a0respecting the currency question?\\nMr. Bernier. The money question is a very perplexing one, because\\never since the island was discovered its money system has been upside\\ndown and every aspect of it presents a vexed question.\\nRegarding the exchange of the present money for the money of the\\nUnited States, opinions vary very much. There are some who think\\nthe exchange should be effected at the rate of 2 for 1; others who\\nthink it should be made at a premium of 50 per cent or 60 per cent,\\nand others still who think that the colonial peso should be regarded\\nas merchandise and an arbitrary value put upon it by the American\\nGovernment. The merchants desire to give the colonial money as\\nhigh a value as possible. The agriculturists, on the other hand, are\\ndesirous of fixing as low a value as possible, and these are the two\\nchief classes who represent opposing interests in this matter of exchang-\\ning our colonial currency for that of the United States. My opinion\\nis that the exchange should be made at $2 colonial for $1 American,\\nand that is the opinion also prevailing among the agriculturists.\\nThis question of exchange derives its importance chiefly from the\\nconsideration that there is a large amount of outstanding debts which\\nwill have to be liquidated at a more or less remote period in the future.\\nI think that these ought to be settled at the rate I have suggested.\\nThe agriculturists, who constitute the debtor class, have been oppressed\\nfor years by the mercantile classes. The latter have already made\\ntheir profit out of the agriculturists, and if the agriculturists are forced\\nto pay their debts in gold which they have contracted in silver, as\\nsome have been suggesting, they will be completely ruined, and it will\\nbe years before the agricultural industry of the island can hold up its\\nhead again.\\nDr. Carroll. What proportion of the population of the island\\n900,000 do the agriculturists constitute?\\nMr. Bernier. I can not give you that in figures without first study-\\ning the matter, but they form an immense majority, as the land is\\ndivided among small owners.\\nDr. Carroll. The majority of the debts contracted in the island,\\nI suppose, have been contracted in the last ten years?\\nMr. Bernier. Yes; nearly all of them in that time.\\nDr. Carroll. Then, in making the exchange at 2 for 1, it would be\\ncharging a rate for exchange of about 100 per cent premium. Has", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0474.jp2"}, "475": {"fulltext": "465\\nthe rate of exchange, as a matter of fact, ever risen to that amount\\nsince these debts were contracted?\\nMr. Bernier. No.\\nDr. Carroll. Would it then be fair to the money class to make\\nhe exchange at that rate?\\nMr.. Bernier. I think it would be completely just, because these\\nmerchants have not made loans to the agriculturists in cash, but in\\nthe form of goods, machinery, etc., and the profits on these transac-\\ntions have been large, because the terms of credit in such cases have\\nalways been favorable to the merchants.\\nDr. Carroll. I do not ask these questions to express any opinion\\nof my own, but to get at the basis of your opinion. I have been\\ninformed that every change in the currency of the country of the last\\nhundred years has brought a heavy loss upon those who had money\\nin large amounts and large credits.\\nMr. Bernier. You have been badly informed. The capitalists of\\nthe country have never suffered; it has been apparent but not real.\\nDr. Carroll. Who suffered the loss when the Mexican pesos were\\nsubstituted by the provincial pesos? Spain is said to have made 5 per\\ncent; who lost that 5 per cent?\\nMr. Bernier. The merchants did not lose, because they had made\\ntheir preparations and made big speculations to offset the change.\\nThose who lost were the working classes.\\nDr. Carroll. How did the loss fall on them? Did they get less or\\ndid what they got buy less afterwards?\\nMr. Bernier. The* reason the poor classes suffered was because,\\nwhen the exchange was made of colonial for Mexican silver, provisions\\nrose in value. They earned the same salary, but that salary would\\nnot buy as much.\\nDr. Carroll. How was it that provisions rose?\\nMr. Bernier. Because the mercantile class has no conscience or\\nhonor. I do not feel competent to discuss that question, however, but\\nI will mention the following incident in order that you may appreci-\\nnething of the mercantile life in this island. When the Ameri-\\nook possession of Ponce I came over to Rio Piedras to await\\nhe fall of the capital. I found on my way across the island\\ni the district occupied by the Spaniards, where they had no\\nto outside markets, rice was selling at 14 cents a pound, while\\n;ice it was selling at 40 cents a pound. Kerosene oil and other\\nwere selling in the same proportion as compared with Ponce.\\nCarroll. During war times in our own country we frequently\\nlose tremendous fluctuations in prices. It seems to be human\\nthat men everywhere will get all they can for what they have\\n.ernier. The merchants here have always formed a sort of\\nrporation. There has never been any real competition in\\nind for that reason they have imposed the prices of their goods\\npeople.\\narroll. Whom do you include in the class of merchants\\nlo have retail stores as well as those who have wholesale?\\nernier. I refer to wholesale merchants only, because retail\\nits are only dependencies of the wholesale dealers.\\narroll. On what terms do retail merchants get their goods?\\nernier. Most of the retailers pay cash for their goods or buy\\ni time, seldom longer than four months credit being given.\\n_125 30", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0475.jp2"}, "476": {"fulltext": "466\\nSome have current accounts, but the longer terms are from retailers\\nto consumers.\\nDr. Carroll. Then retailers must have considerable capital with\\nwhich to carry on business?\\nMr. Bernier. Not necessarily; because the retail stores here carry\\nonly a small stock of goods and are not of great importance. They\\nare important as a class, but not individually.\\nDr. Carroll. Would that class of retail merchants not suffer by the\\nadoption of the ratio you propose, of 2 for 1?\\nMr. Bernier. I don t think so; because they are not people who\\nhold large amounts of money.\\nDr. Carroll. Then you think the class who would suffer most com-\\nprises the wholesale merchants, shippers, and bankers\\nMr. Bernier. I do not think they will have any ground for com-\\nplaint, because they can not expect that the nominal capital they have\\non their books will be changed into a capital good all over the world.\\nDr. Carroll. In the case of a man who has $10,000 in silver, with\\nwhich he can buy $8,000 in gold, if the Government makes the\\nexchange at the rate of 2 for 1, would he not lose $3,000 outright?\\nMr. Bernier. Out of that question springs another aspect. If the\\nGovernment should say, We do not recognize any money but our\\nnational money, what would the merchant do with his silver which\\ncirculates only here in the island?\\nDr. Carroll. I should say that silver is worth what it will bring.\\nIf it will bring so much gold, I should say it was worth that much.\\nMr. Bernier. But the colonial money to-day has no standing any-\\nwhere outside of this island; it belongs to no nationality, and I think\\nthe American Government has been generous to give it recognition as\\nmoney. They do not accept it even in Spain.\\nTHE AVERAGE OF EXCHANGE.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nSan Juan, P. R., November 8, 1898.\\nRamon B. Lopez, editor of the Correspondencia, a daily newspaper\\nof San Juan, P. R.\\nMr. Lopez. Turning to the money question, with your permission\\nI understand that the idea of the Americans is to establish the rat d\\nof exchange at 2 to 1 with the idea of ruining the Spaniards, who w ill\\nreceive, in that case, on one-half of their outstanding credits. I thimk\\nthat the rate of 2 to 1 would be unreasonable. A rate between 60- and\\n70 per cent premium would be a just medium. I am neither a creditor\\nnor a debtor, but let me add that this is a very important qu estion\\nand should have your first attention on arriving in Washington:. The\\npresent uncertainty has paralyzed business. Merchants are not plac-\\ning orders, because they don t know what they will have to paj^ uor\\ntheir goods.\\nDr. Carroll. Why do you suggest a rate between 1.60 and 1.70?\\nMr. Lopez. Because it corresponds to the average of exchange for\\nthe past ten years. I got the result by finding the actual average\\nfrom the data. I hope the United States will grant to the ports of", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0476.jp2"}, "477": {"fulltext": "467\\nthis island the same privileges as to domestic ports. This is very\\nimportant, as shown by the following considerations: Printing ink\\ncosts 5 cents a pound in New York, but with the freight and duty ii\\ncosts me over 20 cents a pound another item, printing paper costs in\\nthe United States about 2 cents a pound, at which rate a hundred\\nkilos would cost $4.30 or $4.40. That amount of paper in Spain costs\\n$9.60, and yet Spanish paper costs less laid down here than American\\npaper. Why was that? Because Spanish paper costs 36 cents per 100\\nkilos as against $3.75 for American paper.\\nDr. Carroll. You pay the same to-day on Spanish and American\\npaper.\\nMr. Lopez. To-day American paper is cheaper, laid down here,\\nthan Spanish paper, but if we had free trade with the United States\\nthe rate would be still more favorable.\\nTIME OF EFFECTING CHANGE IN THE CURRENCY.\\n[Hearing before the United States Conimissioner.]\\nSan Juan, P. R. November 5, 1898.\\nDr. Carroll. What is your opinion with regard to the currency,\\nand how it should be settled?\\nMr. Manuel Egozcue, vice-president provincial deputation. As\\nregards the financial question, I am not one of those who think the\\nexchange should be made at par; neither do I think at as high a rate\\nas some propose. I don t think it is just that the agriculturist and\\ncountry debtor should have to pay in gold the debts he has contracted\\nin silver. On the other hand, I do not think that those who are able\\nto collect their debts by reason of priority of the debts when they fall\\ndue should be in a better position than those who have to wait a longer\\ntime, and the due debts of whose outstanding accounts do not accrue\\nuntil after the exchange of standards. There is such a variety of\\nopinion in regard to the matter that it is difficult to arrive at a fixed\\nstatement. It is not so much a question of five or six million dollars\\nof currency in the island as of the sixty or seventy millions of out-\\nstanding liabilities due to us merchants by persons in the interior.\\nDr. Carroll. A number of persons here have fixed the amount of\\noutstanding liabilities at fifty millions.\\nMr. Egozcue. From fifty to sixty millions of dollars, perhaps, is\\nright.\\nDr. Carroll. Who are the debtors?\\nMr. Egozcue. The agriculturists.\\nDr. Carroll. And the creditors are the bankers?\\nMr. Egozcue. Largely, perhaps chiefly; the merchants and private\\nmoney lenders.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you think the money of the United States should\\nbe substituted for the colonial money? Do you consider the change\\nnecessary?\\nMr. Egozcue. I think it is necessary, but I think it should not be\\neffected until after the forthcoming crop has been gotten in. This\\nwill take place in February, March, and April.\\nDr. Carroll. Why do you think it should be postponed until that\\ntime? The majority of the people who have been here seem to regard\\nit as the most urgent question before the authorities at Washington", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0477.jp2"}, "478": {"fulltext": "468\\nand think it should be given immediate attention. I should like to\\nhave your reasons in detail for recommending a delay in the exchange.\\nMr. Egozcue. The reason I think the substitution of the currency\\nshould not be effected until the end of April is that the agricultural\\ninterests will be able to pay what they owe to the commercial interests\\nwithout any difficulty as matters now stand, but if the substitution is\\nmade before that time they will be in very great stress to make the\\npayments. Once that period is past, the American coinage can be\\nsafely introduced.\\nDr. Carroll. Then any time after February it would be safe to\\nmake this change?\\nMr. Egozcue. Yes because the accounts not collected then can not\\nbe collected until the next harvest.\\nDr. Carroll. Are these amounts large.\\nMr. Egozcue. Quite large relative to the small affairs of the island.\\nEXCHANGE AND FREE TRADE.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nArecibo, P. R., January lJf, 1899.\\nMr. Adolf Bahr and Mr. Bernardo Huicy, members of the\\nmunicipal council of Arecibo\\nMr. Huicy. I think that the question of the exchange should be\\nleft until it can be introduced at the same time with the question of\\nfree coasting trade.\\nDr. Carroll. I have a great many complaints that the two stand-\\nards of exchange are paratyzing all business, and that everything\\nwill be at a standstill until the money question is settled.\\nMr. Bahr. As regards the unstable value of the money, we have\\nbeen passing through that all our lives. The merchant does not\\nsuffer from it because he regulates the prices of goods according to\\nexchange. The difference is borne by the consumer, but the vital\\npoint is that the sugar and coffee producers who give employment to\\nmost of the laborers of the island would have to shut down if the\\nchange of money were effected without a free market in the United\\nStates being given at the same time.\\nDr. Carroll. How will it affect the coffee producers? They intro-\\nduce their coffee now free into the United States. I can see how the\\nsugar men would be benefited. The whole difficulty with the sugar\\nproducers, I understand, is that if the island goes to a gold basis\\nthey will have to pay their laboring men the same in gold as they\\nhave been paying in silver.\\nMr. Bahr. Not having free coasting trade with the United States,\\nthey will not be able to get their provisions and stores at a less price\\nthan they pay now.\\nDr. Carroll. But the tariff has been greatly reduced.\\nMr. Bahr. The planters can not count much on that. It will mean\\nvery little more than an increased margin for the merchant.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you think that you will not be able to induce\\n3^our peons to continue their work by explaining to them that they\\ncan buy as much with the gold as they could with the nominally\\nlaraer amount of silver?", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0478.jp2"}, "479": {"fulltext": "469\\nMr. Huicy. We will have to try it, but the chances are that it will\\nnot succeed and they will strike, and strikes mean fires. There have\\nbeen two instances here of that. On two estates they cut down wages\\n10 cents, and that same day the two estates were burned.\\nDr. Carroll. I can see the difficulty under which the sugar planters\\nlabor, and it is important because they employ more labor than any\\nother industry in the island.\\nMr. Bahr. Yes they use 75 per cent of the labor, and they spend\\ntheir money in the island.\\nDr. Carroll. What are the prices for sugar now?\\nMr. Bahr. Three dollars and seventy-five cents for 46 kilograms at\\nthe ports of shipment for centrifugal sugar, and from $2.90 to $3 for\\nmuscovado sugar. The duty on the centrifugal in the United States\\nis $1.65 for a hundredweight of 96 degrees test, and on the muscovado,\\n$1.44.\\nDr. Carroll. Then, if duty were taken off the sugar, you would\\nhave a margin which would enable you to pay your employees in gold\\nwhat you now pay them in silver?\\nMr. Bahr. Yes; exactly.\\nTHE INTERESTS AFFECTED.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nCoamo, P. R., February 6, 1899.\\nA Merchant. We think the form in which the exchange of money\\nhas been made is prejudicial.\\nDr. Carroll. To the planters, do you mean?\\nA Merchant. For the whole island.\\nA Planter. I don t think so.\\nDr. Carroll. Let us hear the merchant. Why do you think it\\nprejudicial for the island?\\nThe Merchant. I haven t facility for speaking.\\nColonel Santiago. I will answer, if you like. It is a question in which\\nthere are divided interests, and naturally there are divided opinions.\\nI understand it would be convenient for some coffee planters that the\\nrate should be as low as possible and also for some merchants, but I\\ndon t think it should be higher than from 60 to 70 per cent. I think\\nagriculture will be benefited by the exchange at that rate, but mer-\\nchants will suffer a certain amount of injury from it for the reason that\\nseveral years ago their capital was in gold, and now they are coming\\nback to gold again and will lose what they made in the meantime.\\nDr. Carroll. How do you make that out?\\nColonel Santiago. For instance, if a few years ago I had $50,000\\ngold, that gold was exchanged into $80,000 silver by edict of the Gov-\\nernment. To-day it is brought back to $50,000, and we have lost what\\nwe made meanwhile.\\nDr. Carroll. But the $80,000 only represented $50,000 gold.\\nColonel Santiago. The idea is that when I possessed the $50,000\\ngold some years ago silver was at a premium, and to obtain silver I\\nhad to let the gold go. The gold left the country, and silver remained\\nat par value with gold. But to-day gold is brought back and has a\\nhigher value. I am not blaming anybody; I am simply trying to\\nexplain why the merchant is the sufferer. The merchant is now bound\\nto buy back gold with a depreciated silver.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0479.jp2"}, "480": {"fulltext": "470\\nDr. Careoll. What do yon think the rate should be?\\nColonel Santiago. The lower the exchange is made in Porto Rico\\nthe less money there will be in Porto Rico, and consequently capital\\nwill be reduced in quantity.\\nDr. Carroll. There will be a less number of dollars, but more\\nmoney when the purchasing power is considered.\\nColonel Santiago. We have about $5,000,000 circulating medium.\\nI understand from what I have read that a country requires about $16\\nper head; that a dollar passes from hand to hand several times in a\\nday. Under the present circumstances capital will come from the\\noutside more to our prejudice than to our benefit.\\nDr. Carroll. What rate of interest did lenders of money get when\\nthe country was on a gold basis\\nColonel Santiago. The same as now.\\nDr. Carroll. At what rate?\\nColonel Santiago. I have never charged more than 1 per cent.\\nDr. Ca rroll. What was the average per cent on the gold basis?\\nColonel Santiago. One per cent.\\nDr. Carroll. That is, 12 per cent a year. What has been the\\naverage rate of interest since 1895?\\nColonel Santiago. I can only speak for mj^ house; we have charged\\nfrom 12 per cent down as low as 8 per cent.\\nDr. Carroll. I think a very large percentage of the debts of the\\nisland have paid about 18 per cent.\\nColonel Santiago. They are so careless here about money matters\\nthat if I wished to give out $100,000 in loans to-day, I could easily do\\nit at 2 per cent. I don t do it because my conscience won t allow me\\nto do it.\\nCHANGE OF THE MONEY SYSTEM.\\nOPINION OF THE SPANISH BANK OF POKTO RICO.\\nBy Senor Carlos M. Soler, Subgovernor of the Bank.\\nThe volume of metallic currency in Porto Rico is about 6,046,000\\npesos.\\nMortgages and private indebtedness amount to 16,000,000 to\\n18,000,000 pesos.\\nAcceptances, drafts, and other unpaid mercantile transactions reach\\n20,000,000 or 25,000,000 pesos. Aggregate, 36,000,000 to 43,000,000\\npesos; six to seven times the amount of currency in circulation.\\nThe peso has 1.730 more grams of silver of equal fineness than the\\nAmerican dollar, the important difference being that the latter rests\\non a gold basis.\\nThe commercial rather than the intrinsic value of the peso should\\nbe taken as the basis of settlement.\\nThe remarkable fluctuation in exchange has been due chiefly to the\\nlarge amounts of money sent to Spain, causing a mercantile balance\\nto appear against the island, notwithstanding the excess of exports\\nover imports.\\nThe average rate of exchange on New York in the last seven years\\nwas 45.45.\\nThe unusual rates of 1897 and 1898 will be followed by a consider-\\nable fall in prospect of large crops.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0480.jp2"}, "481": {"fulltext": "471\\nIn consideration of the interests of the island, which have suffered\\nmuch, and of the limited circulation, which can not stand further\\nreduction, the rate of exchange should be fixed at 75 cents American\\nfor the peso, or 33^ per cent premium.\\nThe change of currency should take place by December or January,\\nand the American dollar should be substituted for the peso.\\nThe retention of the peso at a fixed value in relation to the dollar\\nwould be inefficacious and dangerous, giving rise to variations between\\nthe official and commercial value and stimulating false coinage.\\nThe exchange should be made in a brief period to prevent specula-\\ntion, and the pesos should be retired, to be recoinedor demonetized.\\nWithout doubt one of the most difficult problems waiting for prompt\\nsolution is that of the change of the system of moneys in this island,\\nif, as is to be supposed, the American Government wishes to find a\\nsolution which will harmonize with the interests of Porto Rico and\\nthe new metropolis and will prevent at all hazards disturbance of the\\nequilibrium and economic arrangement sure to be brought about by\\nthe adoption of a hasty and ill-considered resolution.\\nThe problem is difficult because of the impossibility of resolving it\\nin such a manner as to satisfy the interests and aspirations of every-\\none. An exchange at par, for instance, of our money for the Ameri-\\ncan dollar would assuredly benefit capital (above all, capital in actual\\ncash) as represented by the creditor class, but would be prejudicial to\\nthe debtor class, who have contracted their liabilities in the money\\nnow circulating (represented mostly by the agriculturists), and would\\nfacilitate the removal of fortunes from the island, greatly to its detri-\\nment.\\nOn the other hand, an exchange effected at a low rate such as 30\\nor 40 cents American for a Porto Rican peso would benefit unduly\\nthe debtor class of the interior, to the grave and unjustifiable preju-\\ndice of capitalists and creditors. This benefit to debtors, at first sight\\nreal, would really be inoperative, as the loss suffered by capital would\\nnecessarily cause a great contraction of capital and would to a great\\nextent prevent the further granting of loans to the agriculturists, to\\nour incipient manufactories, and to commerce.\\nIf, then, a just and equitable solution be sought which will injure in\\nthe least possible degree vested interests, it becomes necessary to\\navoid extremes, such as a substitution at par or at a rate unpropor-\\ntionately low.\\nThe fact should not for a moment be lost sight of that the gravity\\nof the situation does not consist precisely in the exchange of the\\nactual stock of money in circulation, as our circulation is an extremely\\nlimited one, as was proved when the present peso in circulation was\\nbrought here to replace the Mexican dollar which formerly was the\\nmoney of the island. This fact was brought out when this introduc-\\ntion just referred to did not require a larger sum than $5,561,000 in\\nsilver peso pieces, $1,015,000 in fractional silver monej^, and $70,000\\nin bronze; a total sum of $6,646,000.\\nAs this sum must still further be reduced by about $600,000 pesos\\ntaken back to Spain by the Spanish troops, it will be readily under-\\nstood that the mere substitution of the sum remaining, $6,046,000,\\nwould not in itself constitute a serious difficulty in the resolution of\\nthe monetary problem. The difficulty of the question and the danger\\nof serious prejudices which might arise from the system that may be\\nfinally adopted lie chiefly in the fact that the rate to be decided on\\nwill have an immediate and necessary influence on pending obligations.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0481.jp2"}, "482": {"fulltext": "472\\nThe special conditions which have affected Porto Rico since the\\nbeginning of 1897 have had the effect of reducing credits on the island\\nitself, and although this fact and the special well-known events of\\nthe present year have not had a little influence in reducing the amount\\nof imports for 1898, we do not fear to state without exaggeration that\\nexisting mortgages and private indebtedness amount to sixteen to\\neighteen millions of pesos, besides twenty to twenty- five millions of\\npesos representing acceptances, drafts, and other unsatisfied mercan-\\ntile transactions. These sums, representing a large quantity in pro-\\nportion to the general wealth of the island, must not be lost sight of\\nin the settlement of the question under consideration, especially when\\nit is remembered that the disbursements they represent were made in\\ncolonial or Mexican money and, as regards the private and commer-\\ncial obligations, w r ere incurred during the last year or eighteen months,\\nwhile, as regards the mortgages, they date from eight, ten, fifteen, or\\nmore years back, when exchange on New York fluctuated between 20\\nto 70 per cent premium, but never higher.\\nHaving so far ascertained in what consist the difficulties of the prob-\\nlem, let us find how to resolve it.\\nThe Porto Rican peso is of the same weight and fineness as the\\nSpanish duro, according to the decree of December 6, 1895, and as\\nthe Spanish duro, according to decree of October 19, 1868, is of 25 grams\\nweight and 900 fineness, it results that the peso as silver bullion is\\nsuperior to the American standard dollar, which is of the same fine-\\nness, but only weighs 23.730 grams.\\nAs to intrinsic value, then, it is undeniable that the peso is worth\\nmore than the dollar. The real difference is that while the peso is\\nand represents silver only, the American dollar is a fiduciary coin,\\nbecause, being of silver only, it represents gold thanks to the dis-\\nposition ruling in the United States.\\nTo resolve the problem on this basis would perhaps be defensible,\\nbut in our opinion would not be just, because it must be granted that\\nthe legal value of money is largely a conventional matter, especially\\nwhen the greater part of the value depends on the stamp and not on\\nthe intrinsic value of the coin.\\nFor this reason, without pretending to state that the intrinsic value\\nof the money should not have some consideration, we consider that at\\nthe same time its mercantile value should be duly considered. And\\nin our opinion this commercial value should be taken as the basis for\\nthe settlement of the question, as by mutual concessions on the part\\nof debtors and creditors, capitalists, and agriculturists much could\\nbe done to effect a settlement without bringing on the island a\\nfrightful economic disturbance, which would result in the enrichment\\nof one class, with the unjust pauperizing or ruining of the others.\\nIt is true that Porto Rico has been an exceptional country with\\nregard to its experiences of exchange. It is hardly possible to\\nname any other land where oscillations so great and sudden have\\nalmost prevented foresight and calculation to such an extent that\\noperations in exchange have resembled gambling rather than banking\\ntransactions. But as economic laws are as undefinable as are natural\\nlaws, the abnormal condition must be in part attributed to, firstly,\\nthe Mexican coinage; secondly, the colonial currency; and always to\\nwhat may be termed absentee officialdom, which was represented by\\nsalaries, savings, and pensions, and which withdrew annually from the\\nisland in the form of bills of exchange a portion of the value of the\\nproduction of the island, causing the mercantile balance to be", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0482.jp2"}, "483": {"fulltext": "473\\nagainst us, when really it was in our favor, owing to the excess of\\nexportation over importation.\\nRates of exchange on Netv Yor~k.\\nMonth.\\nYear.\\n1891.\\n1892.\\n1893.\\n1894.\\n1895.\\n1896.\\n1897.\\nPesos. 1\\n21*\\n21*\\n20*\\n20\\n20*\\n31|\\n21*\\n31*\\n21*\\n21f\\nm\\n21*\\nPesos. 1\\n2L\\n33\\n33\\nm\\n25\\n36*\\n28\\n31\\n31i\\n32*\\n29\\n31\\nPesos. 1\\n30\\n28\\n28\\n32\\n33*.\\n40\\n42*\\n43\\n41*\\n41\\n43\\n42*\\nPesos. J\\n41\\n44\\n49\\n50J\\n49*\\n50*\\n52*\\n60\\n61\\n54*\\n55-1\\n56*\\nPesos. 1\\n57f\\n82\\n62\\n63\\n66*\\n71\\n72*\\n73\\n70*\\n71\\n66\\n58\\nPesos*\\n50\\n48\\n49\\n49\\n57\\n60\\n59\\n61\\n60*\\n57\\n61\\n63\\nPesos. 2\\n58*\\n61\\n63\\n69\\nMay\\n67\\n67\\n69\\n74\\n73\\n64\\n68\\n21*\\n26|\\n36|\\n52A\\n67H\\n56*\\n67\\n1 Mexican.\\n2\\nColonial.\\nIn this resume of rates of exchange those of 1898 have not been\\nincluded, as those rules from April to September were, owing to the\\nexistence of war, merely nominal and at the same time capricious\\nand arbitrary.\\nIt will here be seen that in the period of the last seven years the\\naverage rate of exchange never exceeded 67J per cent premium, and\\nthat in 1891 the rate did not exceed 21-^-, payable in Mexican dollars;\\nwithout going back many years, it will be seen that the rate dimin-\\nished by degrees, showing palpably how unjust it would be to fix the\\nexchange at 2 for 1, as some people claim should be done. To give\\n$1 American for 2 pesos would be as unjust in its way as to require\\n$1 American for 1 peso.\\nThe rate should therefore be found between these two extremes in\\norder to be just and reasonable. The value of our peso can neither\\nreach 100 cents American nor can it be worth less than 50 cents. In\\nseeking this just limit, it should be observed that the average rate of\\nexchange on New York was during the last seven years 45.45 per\\ncent premium, as shown by the above figures. It should also be\\nunderstood that the last year and the present one, owing to abnormal\\nexceptions, have caused the rate to be higher.\\nAccording to the statistics of our custom-houses, the imports have\\ndiminished considerably, and this, in conjunction with the fact that\\nthe promising appearance of large crops of coffee and sugar, our two\\nprincipal productions, makes it patent that our exchange market will\\nsoon be flooded by offerings of drafts on New York and London.\\nThese offerings not being counterbalanced, as in previous years, by\\nthe demand for drafts, the exchange market, following its natural\\ncourse, would not be long in falling to rates perhaps lower than those\\nof 1891 to 1897.\\nStill more. Always taking into account the statement made at the\\nbeginning of this volume, that the problem of the substitution of this\\nmoney is a very complex one, in the treatment of which neither extreme\\nshould be touched, it may be added that our stock of circulating\\nmedium is extremely small and that after the blow received when the\\nMexican coin was taken out of circulation at a discount of 5 per cent,\\nfor which the country has never seen any return, the country can not", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0483.jp2"}, "484": {"fulltext": "474\\nsee with indifference another change nor suffer another and more seri-\\nous mutilation of the capital in circulation.\\nFor this reason it was stated that if in the exchange our money were\\nreceived at too low a value, capital would receive a heavy blow, and\\nalthough for the moment debtors would appear to be favored in pro-\\nportion, this would be imaginary only simply the contraction of capi-\\ntal and lenders would no longer be able to continue loaning to agri-\\nculturists or business men to anything like the extent they had for-\\nmerly done. Although we have no doubt that later on capital from\\noutside will undoubtedly flow into the island and help reestablish our\\nequilibrium, we are not among those who think that this help will\\ncome immediately nor, much less, free from the evils which absentee-\\nism brings in its train.\\nFor these and other considerations this bank considers that the\\nvaluation of our peso at 75 cents American gold, which is equivalent\\nto a premium of 33^ per cent, is a rate harmonious to both interests,\\nand will be found conciliatory to the different elements of our\\neconomical local life.\\nOnce the rate fixed in a manner, to our way of thinking, precise and\\nclear, it remains for us to express an opinion as to how the operation\\nshould be carried into effect, without any intention on our part of\\nentering into details, the arrangement of which will be the duty of\\nthe Government.\\nIn this matter we declare ourselves frankly partisans of a change\\nquick and radical. We say immediate because of the damage to\\nbusiness caused by the paralyzation induced by the uncertainty of\\nthe present state of affairs, and to signify that in our judgment the\\nsettlement should not be delayed beyond December or January next,\\nthe period coincident with that of low-priced exchange, and radical\\nbecause we wish the real effective substitution for once and forever\\nof the American dollar for the colonial peso.\\nThis last observation was suggested by an article seen by us in a\\nNew York paper, which states that perhaps the United States Gov-\\nernment will limit itself to fixing an invariable relation of value\\nbetween the dollar and the peso, keeping the last named in circula-\\ntion at the prefixed rate. This solution, in our opinion, would be\\nboth inefficacious and dangerous inefficacious, because this fixed rate\\nwould after a time become official onty and conventional, and would\\nsoon be at variance with the commercial value of the rnone} 7 giving\\nrise to mercantile speculations; and dangerous, because as soon as\\nthe commercial and official rates differed, the latter being higher than\\nthe former, this difference would stimulate false coining even of\\npieces of the same weight and fineness.\\nWe, therefore, are of the opinion that this question should only be\\nsettled after the most careful study, but that study should not be put\\noff and delayed. Once the rate be settled, the exchange should be\\nimmediately effected; a short time only be given to retire from cir-\\nculation the nioney now in use, to be either recoined or entirely\\ndemonetized.\\nAs regards the effecting of the exchange by the simple means of\\nnever returning into circulation the pesos received through the custom-\\nhouses and other Government offices, the same being sent to the United\\nStates and substituted by American dollars, this plan would only\\nincrease our ills by diminishing our circulation and leaving uncared\\nfor the principal part of the problem, which is relative to the settle-\\nment of pending debits and credits.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0484.jp2"}, "485": {"fulltext": "475\\nSo absurd does this proceeding appear to us that we will not even\\ngive it the honor of study or refutation.\\nSan Juan, P. R., October 1898.\\nTHE MOST EQUITABLE PLAN.\\nBy L. M. Cintron, merchant and sugar planter.\\nFajardo, P. R., October 28, 1898.\\nIn view of the great discord existing between the various cities of\\nthis island as regards the value of American money, the premium on\\nwhich fluctuates from 50 per cent to 100 per cent, and the value con-\\nceded to colonial money by the custom-house, the want of equilibrium\\nconstitutes great prejudice for some merchants and is the basis of\\nenormous speculations by banking houses and importers of this island.\\nThe banking houses buy American money at 60 per cent and sell\\ntheir drafts at 75 per cent, whereas importers buy American money at\\nthe same price and have it accepted in the custom-house at 100 per\\ncent.\\nI think the most equitable and just plan which can be adopted is\\nthe following: Taking it for granted that existing obligations date\\nback about five years, and that the rate of exchange during that\\nperiod has fluctuated between 70 per cent and 125 per cent premium,\\nat which, and sometimes a greater, rate commerce has mostly made its\\ncalculations, it would be equitable to fix the rate of 75 per cent for\\nthe liquidation of pending obligations and for the exchange of the\\ncirculating provincial money.\\nAMOUNT OF SILVER IN PORTO RICO.\\nBy Carlos M. Soler, subgovernor of the Spanish Bank of Porto Rico.\\nThe amount of coin in circulation in this country is notoriously too\\nsmall in proportion to the number of its inhabitants and the amount\\nof business transacted. This shortage can, of course, not be remedied\\nartificially, but will tend to correct itself when the causes producing\\nit have been removed. In spite of the fact that exports from the\\nisland have been of greater amount than its imports, there has not\\nbeen the consequent influx of money which naturally might have\\nbeen expected. On the contrary, the opposite has always been the\\ncase. The amounts collected for royal dues (derechos reales) and\\nother forms of taxation have been remitted to the treasury in Spain.\\nA force of about 5,000 soldiers has been paid from amounts collected\\nin Porto Rico, and of these salaries a portion was always remitted\\nboth by soldiers and officers to their families in the Peninsula. Mer-\\nchants in Porto Rico, the great majority of whom are Spaniards,\\nhave almost invariably returned to their native country when suffi-\\nciently enriched, taking with them their entire fortunes. I consider\\nthat the new regime will tend naturally to alleviate the scarcity of\\ncirculating medium, but some years will elapse before a just equilibrium\\ncan be established.\\nWhen in 1895 the central Government decided to retire from circu-\\nlation in Porto Rico the Mexican dollar and substitute therefor the", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0485.jp2"}, "486": {"fulltext": "476\\ncolonial peso, which could only circulate in the island, it was estimated\\nthat at least ^30,01)0,000 would have to be coined to provide for the\\nsubstitution. The finances of Spain at that time were not in a position\\nto obtain and coin sufficient silver to effect the substitution, so a plan\\nwas decided on under which provisional certificates were issued against\\nMexican dollars paid in, which certificates should be redeemed as the\\ncolonial currency might be melted up and recoined. All importation\\nof Mexican dollars was from that date made contraband, but a large\\nquantity was smuggled in by prominent merchants. The exchange\\nwas effected at dollar for dollar, less 5 per cent on the Mexican dollar,\\nand to the great astonishment of everyone only about $7,000,000 were\\noffered for exchange, this being apparently the amount of coin in cir-\\nculation. The provisional certificates were therefore at once redeemed,\\nand the new currency became legal tender.\\nThe exact amounts of colonial silver employed in this operation were\\nas follows: $5,561,000 in dollar pieces, $1,015,000 in fractional silver,\\nin addition to which 170,000 in Spanish copper coin was introduced.\\nIt being cheaper to export this copper coin than to buy drafts, about\\n120,000 of it was at once remitted by merchants to Spain before the\\nauthorities became aware of the fact. To avoid the complete deple-\\ntion of the island of its copper currency, the remaining copper coins\\nwere punched, making them illegal tender in Spain, thus stopping\\ntheir exportation.\\nThe amount of coin has been further reduced by the estimated\\nquantity of $600,000, taken by the evacuating troops to Spain under\\nspecial permission of the Spanish Government which will redeem\\nthem at par for Spanish currency.\\nI estimate the amount owing by merchants in this island to their\\ncreditors in Europe at not more than $30,000,000. This is quite a\\nliberal estimate, and is much less than in former years.\\nAs regards rates of interest formerly prevailing, when this bank\\ntook over the business of its predecessors several years ago, the rate\\nwas 12 per cent minimum and 18 per cent maximum per annum. This\\nrate lasted until 1878, but even now is frequent among private money\\nlenders. Our official rate is now from 8 per cent to 9 per cent\\nannually and private bankers rates from 9 per cent to 10 per cent.\\nOur statutes allow us to advance money for terms of six months,\\nbut we have limited loans and discounts to a period of three months\\nduring these abnormal times.\\nI wish to press the following point, which should greatly influence\\nlegislation respecting the settlement of outstanding liabilities. Mer-\\ncantile credits for goods have been given for periods of as long as two\\nyears. Some private loans on mortgage will not fall due for four, six,\\nand even ten years.\\nThe Hypothecary Bank has loans which will not mature for ten,\\nfifteen, and twenty years.\\nSan Juan, P. R., October 28, 1898.\\nSan Juan, P. R., October 29, 1898.\\nSTATEMENT OF ME. KORBER, OF THE BANKING FIRM OF MtJLLENHOF KORBER.\\nThe substitution of United States coinage for the present colonial\\ncurrency should be effected at the rate of 66 cents gold for $1 Porto\\nRican. He bases his opinion on the average gold value of the colonial", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0486.jp2"}, "487": {"fulltext": "477\\npeso since its introduction in 1895, ascertained by consulting the rates\\nof exchange on the United States since that date until the beginning\\nof the war or shortly before. Immediately before the war exchange\\nrose violently, but that was caused by the lack of confidence of mer-\\nchants in local banks, and all who could remitted their money to\\nEurope, thus causing an immense demand for drafts. This fact should\\nhave no part in determining at what rate the money is to be exchanged\\nfor United States currency, being purely fortuitous and temporary.\\nHe thinks that existing obligations between debtor and creditor should\\nbe liquidated in gold, at the gold equivalent as shown by the rate of\\nexchange on the United States of the amount in pesos owing at the\\ndate of contracting the obligation. Thus the debtor would not be\\ncalled on to pay, neither would the creditor receive, a larger amount\\nin gold than could have been purchased with the amount of the obli-\\ngation at the date of incurring said obligation.\\nThe question of settling outstanding obligations is of far more impor-\\ntance than the mere exchange of the 5,000,000 pesos of circulating cur-\\nrency, as unliquidated obligations between debtor and creditor are\\ncertainly not less in amount than 30,000,000 pesos, and do not exceed\\n50,000,000 pesos.\\nThe substitution should be made as soon as possible, and, once deter-\\nmined on, only a short time should be allowed for the exchange to be\\nmade, to prevent speculation or hoarding of colonial money. Although\\nas a private individual I should like at least fifteen days notice before\\nthe exchange is intended to be made, and should also like to know in\\nanticipation at what rate this will be effected, I think perhaps it would\\nbe wiser not to make the rate known until the actual moment occurs\\nfor making the exchange, although it maybe said that everyone would\\nbe in receipt of the same information and theoretically no one would\\nbe favored thereby. On no account must any compromise in the\\ncharacter of the new coinage to be substituted be made no coin\\nwith one face, as in the States, and the reverse some special design,\\nbut straightout American money. Otherwise exchange on foreign\\nmarkets will continue a matter of speculation in the hands of bankers,\\nas the coin would not be acceptable in the markets of the world in\\nsettlements of balances. Neither do I consider it desirable to intro-\\nduce gold coin, as such w.ould be exported by merchants to Spain to\\ncover speculations in the rise and fall of that precious metal in the\\nPeninsula. The money introduced should be silver and bills, which\\nwould serve the purpose of establishing the gold basis of the United\\nStates in this island, and, having the same guaranty as enjoyed in\\nthe United States, would of course pass for their full value, while not\\nlending themselves conveniently for purposes of export specie specu-\\nlations. Also a certain amount of subsidiary copper money must be\\nintroduced for the purposes of small traders and purchasers.\\nIt is evident to every merchant here that exchange must soon fall\\ngreatly, thus appreciating the local and purchasing value of the peso\\nand making more necessary the prompt substitution of United States\\ncurrency. The reasons are threefold\\nFirst. Merchants do not owe as much money in Europe as in former\\nyears, their credits having been curtailed since difficulties began to\\nbe anticipated between Spain and the United States, and also owing\\nto the fact that they have been urged by their European creditors to\\ncover their liabilities as much as possible. This they have done, and\\nas a consequence are not such heavy buyers of exchange as formerly.\\nSecond. The amount of exchange offering will shortly be greatly", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0487.jp2"}, "488": {"fulltext": "478\\naugmented by drafts drawn against the sugar and coffee crops which\\nwill soon be harvested.\\nThird. The amount of merchandise imported has greatly decreased\\nduring 1898, owing to the war and its anticipation, making the balance\\nagainst the island much smaller than in other years, and furnishing\\nanother reason for the small demand for exchange.\\nPOINTS TO BE CONSIDERED.\\nSTATEMENT OF FRITZE, LUNDT CO., BANKERS, OF MAYAGTJEZ.\\nSince 1885, when the importation of Mexicans was prohibited,\\nexchange has been governed exclusively by the law of supply and\\ndemand.\\nThe substitution of provincial pesos in 1895 was followed by a rise\\nof exchange, due partly to a large issue of paper money and partly\\nto the Cuban war and war in the United States.\\nA table of exchange on New York for the past nine years shows an\\nincrease in the yearly average from 21 in 1891 to (38-J- in 1895.\\nThe average in 1896 was 52i; in 1897, 67\u00c2\u00a3; the highest, in-1898, was\\n125, in May.\\nThe outstanding debts were contracted at various times, some when\\nexchange was 10 to 20 per cent, and the latest when it was 40 to 60\\nper cent, scarcely any having been contracted at a higher rate than\\n60 per cent.\\nTo reach a just basis the average exchange of eight or ten years\\nshould be taken.\\nIf the change were made at 75 per cent or 100 per cent premium it\\nwould work the ruin of many firms and families.\\nAll sales of property, all mortgages, and all business transactions\\nhave been based on values ranging from 20 to 60 per cent.\\nThe currency in Porto Rico has been the Mexican dollar, with free\\nimport and export until 1885. In the said year import was positively\\nprohibited, owing to the depreciation of silver abroad and with the\\nintention of keeping exchange down. But the frequent and more or\\nless important attempts at smuggling alwaj T s influenced exchange to\\na certain extent. From this date our exchange was exclusively gov-\\nerned by demand or supply of money and drafts.\\nIn February, 1895, exchange rose suddenly and fully 30 per cent\\nwithin a few days, owing to the smuggling of 8600,000 Mexican silver;\\nbut it dropped down almost as fast when the momentary requirement\\nof drafts was covered.\\nIn December, 1895, our money was changed into the actual peso\\nprovincial or Porto Rico dollar, which is coined with the very same\\nweight and fineness as the Spanish dollar and in actual silver value is\\nworth about 1 cent less than the United States silver dollar.\\nThis dollar was made with the intention of giving it free admission\\nto Spain at a later date. It was not admitted at once, because it was\\nnot known what quantity of money existed in Porto Rico. Exagger-\\nated estimates were the cause of this resolution. The value of this\\ndollar for payments to the treasury, as compared with Spanish gold,\\nwas stipulated at 20 per cent.\\nAfter the Porto Rico money was put in circulation exchange con-\\ntinued very steady at about 50 per cent premium on New York, and", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0488.jp2"}, "489": {"fulltext": "479\\nthe scarcity of coined money justified the hope that exchange would\\ngradually go down to 20 per cent; but the Banco Espanol of Porto\\nRico commenced to issue an unreasonable amount of paper money,\\nwhich of course increased and deteriorated the actual money stock.\\nThe issue of this paper money, circulating with and not instead of\\nactual silver, amounted up to $2,580,000, and the silver to about five\\nand a half or six millions. Thus the increase of our money stock\\namounted to 50 or 60 per cent.\\nAnother reason for the upward tendency of our rates of exchange\\nwas the war in Cuba and the decrease of confidence resulting there-\\nfrom, culminating in a panic during the war with the United States.\\nAs soon as peace had been declared confidence returned, both in\\nSpain and Porto Rico, and furthermore, as the paper money will\\nprobably be withdrawn, its issue not being in harmony with American\\nlaws, our money will be much more solid, and exchange lower in con-\\nsequence.\\nThe following gives an exact statement of all quotations of exchange\\non the 1st of every month for sight drafts on New York since 1890\\nMonth.\\n1890.\\n1891.\\n1892.\\n1893.\\n1894.\\n1895.\\n1896.\\n1897.\\n1898.\\nPer ct.\\n31\\n24\\n23\\n24\\n27\\n28\\n26\\n20\\n14\\n16\\n16\\n18\\nPer ct.\\n21\\n20\\n30\\n19\\n30\\n21\\n23\\n23\\n23\\n32\\n31\\n20\\nPer ct.\\n33\\n23\\n23\\n23\\n254\\n27\\n28\\n32\\n32\\n33\\n29\\n31\\nPer ct.\\n31\\n284\\n284-\\n324\\n33\\n40\\n434;\\n43\\n42\\n41\\n42\\n42\\nPer ct.\\n43\\n43\\n49\\n52\\n62\\n51\\n53\\n54\\n64\\n61\\n53\\n56\\nPer ct.\\n58\\n83\\n64\\n64\\n67\\n72\\n73\\n73\\n71\\n71\\n67\\n58\\nPer ct.\\n51\\n49\\n50\\n49\\n484;\\n60\\n58\\n61\\n61\\n57\\n61\\n62\\nPer ct.\\n584;\\n61\\n63\\n69\\n67\\n67\\n69\\n75\\n74\\n72\\n64\\n68\\nPer ct.\\n72\\n71\\nMarch\\n76\\n79\\nMay\\nJune\\nJuly-..\\nAugust\\n125\\n119\\n119\\n115\\n80\\n75\\n66\\nDecember\\nAverage\\n21*\\n21\\n274,-\\n37J\\n534\\n684,\\n554\\n674;\\nNote.\u00e2\u0080\u0094 Mexican dollars, 1890-1895; provincial money, 1898-1898.\\nIt is almost unnecessary to add that the intrinsic value of a silver\\ndollar has nothing or very little to do with its trade value, the best\\nproof of this being a comparison between the United States dollar and\\nthe Spanish and ours. They are all of the same intrinsic value, but\\none is backed by a powerful nation and the others by a poor one.\\nThe question of the change, of course, not only affects the coined\\nmoney, but all floating debts, contracts, and mortgages are equally\\naffected and must be liquidated at the same rate when they become\\ndue. It may be taken as certain that a great number of these were\\nmade when exchange ranged from 10 to 20 per cent, some when it was\\n20 to 40 per cent, some, the latest, when it was 40 to 60 per cent, and\\nnone or almost none at a higher rate of exchange than 60 per cent.\\nAll those who owe large amounts claim the highest possible rate, in\\norder to reduce their debts accordingly, and those who possess money\\nor property of course wish to lose as little as possible and demand a\\nlow rate.\\nIt will be difficult to find a basis to satisfy all concerned, and in\\norder to prejudice as little as possible the interest of one and another\\nthe average of eight or ten years ought to be taken.\\nIf the change were made at 75 or 100 per cent premium, many firms\\nand families would be siniply ruined, and this would be a very sad\\ncommencement of American legislation in our country.\\nAll sales of property, mortgages, and business transactions are based", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0489.jp2"}, "490": {"fulltext": "480\\non the value of our money, ranging from 20 to 60 per cent. The rate of\\n100 per cent has never existed. Even during the war months almost\\nno transactions were made at this rate, and the financial position of a\\ncountry can not be judged by what occurs in the months of danger\\nand panic.\\nMayaguez, P. R., November 3, 1898.\\nTHE RATE SHOULD BE TWO FOR ONE.\\nBy the successors to A. J. Alcaide.\\nThis, we understand, is the most important of all questions, and the\\nchanging of our provincial silver currency for American currency\\nmust be done at once.\\nTill this is done everything will be in a state of disturbance com-\\nmercially, the value of gold quoted at any price.\\nWe propose that the change be made at 100 per cent premium\\nthat is to say, what is commonly called two for one; for every Porto\\nRican dollar the holder to be given fifty cents American coin.\\nFifty cents represents the average value between the intrinsic worth\\nof the coin and the value it has reached here in the commercial trans-\\nactions.\\nWe also propose this measure for the easiness of the operation,\\nwhich could be understood better by the working classes. It would\\nsettle the labor question, for bringing in this way the country to a\\ngold basis the high exchange disappears, and of course everything\\nwill be sold cheaper at almost half the prices of to-day for the nec-\\nessaries of life. Labor will naturally come down to its gold equivalent\\nfrom the silver rates of to-day.\\nAs between those who want the money to be taken only for its\\nintrinsic value and the others, who want it to be changed at higher\\nrates, we stand in the middle way, and recommend this solution of\\nchanging our currency for United States currency at what is com-\\nmonly called two for one.\\nThe operation of the exchange could be done in a week in all the\\nisland, and the difference resulting between the 50 cents value given\\nto our coin and the net sales result of the silver in the United States\\ncould be charged to our budget, to be paid in five years one-fifth each\\nyear.\\nWe believe 100 per cent is a just and equitable rate.\\nOur foreign exchange has fluctuated in the last five years between\\n50 and 140 per cent premium. You will plainly see that 100 per cent\\npremium is an average, and by it the solution of the problem is\\nclearer and easier, and for that reason we take the liberty to pro-\\npose it.\\nArroyo, P. R., November 4, 1898.\\nOPINION IN MAYAGUEZ.\\nPROPOSAL OF THE BANKERS, MERCHANTS, AND PROPRIETORS OF MAYAGUEZ, P. R.,\\nNOVEMBER 5, 1898, THIRTY-TWO FIRMS BEING REPRESENTED.\\nTo exchange our provincial money for American money at the pre-\\nmium of 50 per cent on same i. e. to give a value of 66f cents, United\\nStates currency, to 1 peso according to the resolution of the Creditoy", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0490.jp2"}, "491": {"fulltext": "481\\nAhorro Panceno. Against this proposal only voted Mr. Martinez and\\nMr. Primitivo and Pedro Grau, who are of the opinion that the change\\nshould be effected without any more loss to the holder of our money\\nthan the real expenses for melting, recoining, etc. We would there-\\nfore recommend that the greater amount of nioney be in gold and\\nsilver coin, because the great majority of the poor and laboring classes\\ncan not read, and besides, not being used in the interior to paper\\nmoney, great difficulty would arise, especially at the beginning.\\nOPINION IN PONCE.\\nThe bankers, merchants, and agriculturists of Ponce, at a meeting\\nheld November 5, b}^ a vote of 14 to 2, favored the adoption of the\\nrate of $1.50 to $1 in exchange of Porto Rican money for United States\\ncurrency, allowing the peso to be worth 66f cents American. One of\\nthe dissidents wanted the exchange made at par, the other at $2 for $1.\\nTHE AGRICULTURAL INTEREST.\\nSTATEMENT OF J. C. M CORMICK.\\nArroyo, P. R., November 7, 1898.\\nI have been for many years engaged in. mercantile pursuits in this\\npai*t of the island and have a thorough knowledge of what in reality\\nthe greater part of the inhabitants desire.\\nThe mainstay of this island is its agriculture, sugar, coffee, tobacco,\\nand cattle; and if a personal canvass were taken, you would find them\\nas a class opposed to the absurd propositions of half a dozen banks,\\nmoney brokers, and exchange and wholesale merchants regarding the\\nchange of our Porto Rico dollars.\\nThese parties, the holders of the Porto Rico dollars, are not peti-\\ntioning for the public good, but for their sole personal benefit, and\\nthere is as much reason to change dollar for dollar as to change, as\\nthey desire, at 85 cents gold for each Porto Rico dollar, or 70 cents\\ngold, or for any other rate that is not for its intrinsic value. Their\\nwish is that the difference between the intrinsic value and 85 cents,\\nthat they wish the money to be changed to, should be paid by a tax to\\nbe levied on the island. For what reason should the island be taxed\\nin order that two or three dozen men or mercantile firms who hold\\nthe Porto Rico dollars should be enriched? This would not be equi^\\ntable nor just. It can not be that the whole island should be taxed\\nand a burden laid on it in order that speculators who have worked\\nfor these ends should be enriched.\\nFor months before the United States Army arrived in Porto Rico\\nexchange on New York was from 100 per cent to 150 per cent premium.\\nThe sugar, coffee, tobacco, and cattle dealers, and, in fact, the whole\\nisland, bought their supplies on credit from the merchants at prices\\nwhich covered these rates of exchange and now that the coffee and\\nsugar crop is coming in, the merchants, brokers, and banks have com-\\nbined to depreciate exchange and get it down to as low a point as\\npossible, so as to get back from all these planters their nioney which\\n1125 31", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0491.jp2"}, "492": {"fulltext": "482\\nthey had put out at 100 per cent to 150 per cent; exchange at 50 per\\ncent and even 40 per cent.\\nThe greater part of the taxpayers in this island are the agricul-\\nturists, and it would be an outrage to change Porto Rico dollars at\\n85 cents or 70 cents United States currency and charge the loss to the\\nisland budget, as it would, in fact, make the agriculturist, who has\\npaid or bought his goods at 150 per cent, pay again the difference of\\nthose dollars from their intrinsic value to 85 cents or 70 cents United\\nStates currency.\\nAnother matter which should not be overlooked is that nothing is\\neasier for unscrupulous people than to coin in Spain or some other\\nforeign country the Porto Rico dollars, and what the profits would be\\nif these dollars are given a value above their intrinsic one can not be\\ncalculated. It is an open secret that firms in this island were engaged\\nin the smuggling of Mexican dollars when their importation was pro-\\nhibited in 1885. So if a higher value is given to the Porto Rico dollar\\nthan its intrinsic one, we run the risk of the island being flooded with\\nthem, to the profit of unscrupulous people.\\nLastly, it is against the principles of the United States Government\\nto give a false value to a base silver dollar unrecognized by any gov-\\nernment, and if Ave are Americans to-day we must be judged and\\ngoverned by American ways and laws, and no juggling should be\\npermitted with our Porto Rico dollars to the benefit of a clique.\\nEXCHANGE OF PORTO RIG AN MONEY.\\nBy Messrs. A. Hartman Co.\\nWe think it would be a most equitable course if the United States\\ntook up at once the Porto Rican currencj at the rate of 50 cents United\\nStates currency for the Porto Rican peso, for this represents the aver-\\nage value between the intrinsic value of the coin and the value it has\\nreached in commercial transactions. The loss entailed on the United\\nStates by this operation of giving 50 cents for a coin worth about 39\\ncents should be charged to the Porto Rican budget, payable in a cer-\\ntain number of years, say four years. This would also settle the labor\\nquestion, as the working classess would then know what they are get-\\nting, which at present they can not know, owing to the constant fluc-\\ntuations of the money markets. The peso should be taken up at once,\\nso as not to give time for operations, like those of 1886, when the impor-\\ntation of Mexican silver was prohibited and when it was smuggled into\\nthe island in large quantities. This would happen now if the United\\nStates recognized the Rorto Rican peso for anything over its actual\\nintrinsic value and did not take it out of circulation at once. The\\ndies for said coin still exist in Spain, and coinage is a very profitable\\nbusiness. Certainly the Spaniards have no love for the Americans\\nand thej 7 would not hesitate to coin large quantities of Porto Rican\\npesos, in full weight and fineness, when by that operation they would\\ngain 10 to 11 cents gold per peso. There are certainly lots of Spanish\\nfirms in the island that would help their friends to carry on such a\\nprofitable business.\\nArroyo, P. R., November 7, 1898.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0492.jp2"}, "493": {"fulltext": "483\\nTHE RATE OF EXCHANGE.\\nBy Eustoquio Torres, Mayor of Guayanilla.\\nOne of the problems most affecting the country s welfare is without\\ndoubt the money question.\\nAlthough everyone recognizes the necessity of changing the circu-\\nlating currency for another system which will remove the inconven-\\niences presented by the present system, the form or manner of the\\ncanje is the subject of much discussion. Many are the formulas\\npresented, Avhich claim not to satisfy one party at the expense of\\nanother, but up to date none has been accepted as satisfying all\\ninterests. The generality of agriculturists of medium means, which\\nclass is the most numerous, and the small cultivators, all of whom, with\\nbut rare exceptions, have lived on credit, are in debt for large amounts.\\nThese see that if the canje is to be made at par, and they have to\\nliquidate their obligations on this basis, they and the entire agricul-\\ntural interests would be ruined. This being the principal source of\\nwealth of the island, it is clear that its future should not be viewed\\nwith indifference, but should be well considered in the settlement of\\nthis most important problem.\\nAfter having heard and analyzed the different opinions offered on\\nthis subject, I think the solution most in harmony with all interests\\nwould be the exchange for gold at 70 per cent, demonetizing the\\nprovincial currency and recoining it with the American stamp and\\ndesign.\\nGuayanilla, P. R., November 8, 1898.\\nTHE AMERICAN DOLLAR FOR THE ISLAND.\\nSan JuAn, P. P., November 8, 1898.\\nSTATEMENT OF UNITED STATES CONSUL PHILIP C. HANNA.\\nIt is my opinion that as soon as possible the American dollar should\\nbe made the basis of trade for this group of islands. For years past\\nthe constant fluctuation of the monetary unit of this country has\\ngreatly interfered with all internal and foreign commercial transac-\\ntions among the merchants and people of Porto Rico. The peso, which\\nis now the basis of trade, is a very uncertain quantity, and as long\\nas the commerce of the island is builded upon so uncertain a founda-\\ntion no commercial enterprise can be considered solid or substantial.\\nThe wholesale merchant who buys his goods in the United States or\\nEurope and is compelled to pay for them in gold or the equivalent\\nthereof must sell these goods to the retail merchant for a much higher\\nprice than he could sell them for if there was a fixed and stable cur-\\nrency for the island. The term of credit has usually been six months\\nin buying goods in foreign countries. During those six months no\\ndealer can tell how much the peso will fluctuate. Since I have been\\nin Porto Rico I have known the peso within the period of six months\\nto have a value, as compared with American gold, of 74 cents and\\nalso of 37 cents that is, at one time within the six months 1.35 pesos\\nwould purchase an American dollar, and at another time within the\\nsix months 2.70 pesos were required to purchase the same dollar. It\\nis therefore plainly seen that merchants selling goods on long credits", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0493.jp2"}, "494": {"fulltext": "484\\nmust, in order to protect themselves against bankruptcy and ruin,\\nprovide for these great changes in the value of the peso. This\\ncountry can never become American in the true sense of the term\\nuntil the basis of trade is regular and fixed. It appears to be the\\nunanimous cry from every part of this group of islands and from all\\nclasses of people that the American dollar should be made the basis\\nof trade.\\nHowever, the old debts of the island must be taken into considera-\\ntion. All mortgages, notes, and debts of the past in other forms are\\nrepresented by pesos, and it would be an injustice to that class of\\npeople who are bearing the heavy burdens of debt which rest upon a\\nvery large part of the- sugar planters and estate owners of the island,\\nand who haVe borrowed cheap pesos, giving mortgages upon their\\nestates as security therefor, if, when these debts become due, they\\nwere compelled to cancel them with a more valuable money than they\\nreceived at the time the loan was made and the mortgage given. For\\ninstance, I have in mind a sugar planter who, in the month of June,\\nwas compelled to borrow 10,000 pesos in order to save his estate. The\\npeso at that time had a value of about 40 cents as compared with\\nAmerican gold. He gave a mortgage upon his plantation for 10,000\\npesos, payable in five years, at 12 per cent interest. It is plainly seen\\nthat the true value of what he received from the bank amounted to\\nonly about $4,000, American money. There is a desire and a scheme\\non foot among the bankers and money lenders of the island to compel\\nthese men who are in debt to pay their debts in dollars when their\\ndebts become due. In the case of this sugar planter, in addition to\\nhis paying 12 per cent for five years, he would be compelled at the\\nend of that period to pay 110,000 for the $4,000 he received, which\\nwould mean ruin to the planter and fatness to the banker.\\nI am of the opinion that the Government of the United States, in\\ndealing with the financial question of this island, should carefully\\ntake into consideration the average value of the peso and should\\ndetermine by law how much in American money a peso should repre-\\nsent as a debt-paying medium, and that all debts of the past which\\nhave been made in pesos should be canceled in pesos, even though\\npesos should not be continued to be coined and circulated hereafter.\\nA very large number of the plantation owners are in debt and it\\nwould be an utter impossibility for them to cancel their peso debts\\nwith the same number of dollars or even with the same number of\\npesos if the peso should be allowed to be exalted and have a fictitious\\nvalue of, say, from 85 cents to 95 cents American money, as the\\nbankers of the island are suggesting. Debts made at a time when\\nthe peso only represented 40 cents American money should be can-\\nceled with 40 cents American money. I do not believe it to be to the\\ninterest of the island or of the United States to pay more for the Porto\\nRican peso than its actual bullion value. The only class who would\\nreceive a benefit by the United States declaring the peso to be worth\\n80 or 90 cents or more would be the rich men of the island, who have\\nlarge amounts of money on deposit, and they are few in number and\\nconsist almost entirely of bankers Avho have grown rich in gambling\\nupon the fluctuation of Porto Rican money.\\nIf the United States should see fit to allow more than the actual\\nbullion value for these silver pesos of Porto Rico, it is highly impor-\\ntant that this coin be redeemed immediately, for should it become\\nknown that the United States had a purpose to pay more than the\\nactual bullion value for the silver of Porto Rico, I see no reason why", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0494.jp2"}, "495": {"fulltext": "485\\nmillions of Porto Rican pesos could not be coined and shipped to this\\ncountry from every part of the world; There are parties in Europe,\\nundoubtedly, in possession of the same dies and minting machinery,\\nand if they could sell these pesos in Porto Rico for 75 or 80 cents,\\nwhich contain less than 40 cents worth of silver, the temptation would\\nbe very great for them to engage in such a transaction. Similar\\nthings have occurred in South America with the coin of regular gov-\\nernments. At one time the Venezuelan peso, which circulated at par\\nwith Venezuelan gold and was considered the best silver coin of any of\\nthe South American republics, was counterfeited by European firms\\nand the whole West India Islands were filled with Venezuelan silver\\nmoney until the situation became so bad that the Venezuelan Gov-\\nernment had to pass a law refusing the importation of Venezuelan\\nsilver coin, and even the coin which had been minted at their own\\nmints was prohibited from entering the country. I apprehend that\\nthe temptation would be much greater in the case of Porto Rican coin,\\nwhich is not the coin of any nation, but a special coin for the island\\nof Porto Rico, and I doubt whether it would be held to be a crime for\\npersons to mint Porto Rican pesos, provided they contained the same\\namount of silver.\\nI believe that the United States could take up the silver coin of\\nPorto Rico, which at present appears to amount to less than 6,000,000\\npesos, and remit these pesos for the special use of the island. On\\none side of the coin let it read, One Porto Rican peso, and let that\\npeso stand good for the debts of the past contracted in pesos; then,\\nhaving determined the proper and true relation of this coin to Amer-\\nican money, stamp on the other side of the coin the number of cents\\nthat this coin is worth in the money of the United States. For exam-\\nple, United States of America, fortj -five cents, or fifty-five cents,\\nor whatever amount the Government sees fit to pay for the coin.\\nThis would fix the relation of the peso to the American dollar and\\nput a final stop, to the fluctuation of the peso, and, at the same time;\\nthere would be in existence a kind of money with which to pay the\\nold debts of the past.\\nFor the temporary relief of the island I believe it important that)\\nthe Government should order that all customs and other dues qf\\nwhatever nature be collectible in American money only. This will\\ngreatly add to the volume of circulation in the island and will raise\\nthe American dollar to the place which it rightfully should fill. At\\nthe present time duties are collected in Porto Rican money instead or\\nAmerican money, which has the effect of making Porto Rican money\\nfirst and American money second in the island. Since duties, under\\nthe existing order, must be paid in Porto Rican money, the supply of\\nwhich is limited, it becomes an easy matter for the bankers of the\\nisland to corner the money market and charge the merchants what-\\never they may feel disposed to demand. If our Government should\\norder that all duties be paid in American money, the supply of Amer-\\nican money being unlimited, the American money market could not\\nbe cornered by the bankers the American dollar would immediately\\nbe in demand, and there being no longer a special demand for the\\nPorto Rican peso, the bankers would cease tying it up in their vaults\\nand it would find its way into circulation and be employed in the\\nlocal business of the island at its proper value, and, in my opinion,\\nits rapid fluctuations would cease. This suggestion, however, is only\\nmade for temporary relief, my former suggestion being intended for\\npermanent relief.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0495.jp2"}, "496": {"fulltext": "486\\nPORTO RICAN MONEY SHOULD BE RECALLED.\\nSTATEMENT OF SENOR J. D. ABRIL.\\nAguadilla, P. R., November 10, 1898.\\nThere is one question of great interest for the country whose solu-\\ntion is eagerly awaited and which is producing great disturbance in\\ncommerce, the artery of life in the towns. I refer to the exchange of\\nour provincial money now in circulation, whose valuation with respect\\nto the United States coinage is a matter which should be promptly\\nsettled. The meeting held in San Juan the 30th of October purposely\\nabstained from passing resolutions on this matter, it being without\\ndoubt one of the most delicate questions, perhaps the most complex,\\namong those whose immediate solution is necessary for the existence\\nand future of Porto Rico. A sc rupulous analysis of the question\\nshould be made in order not to disregard the many interests and so as\\nnot to induce a general crisis which could envelop Porto Rico in\\nexternal bankruptcy, resulting not only to the grave prejudice of inter-\\nests here, but in the United States and Europe, wherever our commer-\\ncial relations extend.\\nThe complexity of the question is not only in the material exchange\\nof our six or seven millions of pesos now in circulation; if that were\\nall, the problem would be simple and practicable. The real difficulty\\nconsists in the fact that the rate fixed for the exchange will form the\\nbase of the liquidation of the floating debt, or obligations due or falling\\ndue, balances of accounts current, and other similar and analogous\\nacts and contracts which commerce and institutions of credit main-\\ntain with agriculturists and the people in general, and whose amount\\nis estimated at about seventy to eighty millions.\\nThe simple enunciation of these facts is sufficient to make under-\\nstood the antagonisms which will immediately arise between creditors\\nand debtors when the money question is broached. The first would\\nlike to see the exchange made at par or at a low rate, so as to leave\\nhis capital intact; the second would prefer the exchange to be made\\nat as great a discount, so as to see reduced their obligations and unpaid\\ncontracts. For this reason agricultural interests, generally in a state\\nof indebtedness and in numbers far exceeding the mercantile class,\\nare crying out for exchange at a very high rate, while towns, where\\ninterests are inverse, sustain the theory that it should be effected at\\npar or at a slight discount.\\nCongress in Washington should seek an equitable formula between\\nthese two antagonistic factions, so as to prevent discord and lawsuits.\\nWhen in 1879 Mexican dollars were imported here the gold basis\\nwas established ipso facto, and although that metal complete^ disap-\\npeared from circulation as a monetary unit, giving place to the Mexi-\\ncan dollar, all operations have been based on the gold standard. The\\ntwo social classes, agriculture and commerce, who are the chief han-\\ndlers of public wealth, have suffered or enjoyed equally the advan-\\ntages or losses produced by the system; and while the importing mer-\\nchant has had to pay his merchandise in Europe or in the United\\nStates at whatever rate of exchange was ruling, the agriculturist, on\\nselling his produce, has obtained the benefit of the higher or lower\\nrate quoted when making the sale. Therefore, neither of the two\\nclasses, to-day so antagonistic, can pretend to find in past rates of\\nexchange a reason justifying the establishment of a rate for the\\ncanje prejudicial to the other.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0496.jp2"}, "497": {"fulltext": "487\\nMost persons studying this important problem take their stand on\\nthe rates of exchange in Porto Rico which have been quoted for\\nAmerican money, and some have taken an average rate covering a\\ncertain number of years. We think that those commit a great error,\\nas the special nature of our money, which can only circulate in the\\nisland, prevents it being quoted in any of the markets of the United\\nStates or Europe, and it is clear that there can be no exact basis for\\ndetermining the difference of commercial value of our money with\\nthat of the American which has to take its place.\\nOn the other hand, the rates of exchange, former and present, for\\nUnited States money have never been based on the value of our colo-\\nnial money, but have obeyed only and solely the oscillations caused by\\ndemand and supply. Thus, for example, during the Spanish- American\\nwar, when our commercial relations were interrupted, exchange\\nreached 140 per cent; whereas to-day, in spite of there being no\\nexports to the United States and of the fact that the custom-houses\\nadmit American bank notes at 100 per cent for payment of import\\nduties, there are houses drawing exchange on New York and other\\nAmerican centers at 66 per cent. What influence, then, does our\\nmoney, which enjoys here a fixed and invariable commercial value,\\nexert? Doubtless none at all.\\nThe considerations above mentioned make it appear logical and\\njust to call in the Porto Rican money and replace it by United States\\nsilver money, charging the difference existing in the intrinsic value\\nof both to the general estimates of the island and adding likewise\\nthereto the cost of transport and coinage.\\nIt is certain that the antagonism existing between the two classes,\\ncreditors and debtors, would then disappear, as pending obligations\\nwould be liquidated at par without discount and without prejudice to\\nany of the classes holding public wealth. The danger of a crisis, which\\nan unconsidered solution, reducing by 50 per cent the value of our\\nmoney with all the losses such would occasion, and whose scope it is\\ndifficult to predict, would also be overcome.\\nTHE GOLD STANDARD.\\nSTATEMENT OF ESCOTASTICO PEREZ.\\nCidra, P. R., November 10, 1898.\\nThe system to be introduced should be that which, while not con-\\nflicting with the rights of the Union, should care for agricultural inter-\\nests. The gold standard has been our dream for a long time.\\nIt is very lamentable, especially among the agriculturists, owing to\\nwant of credit and means of support for their plantations [original\\nsays refaccion, which means the advances made by merchants to be\\npaid for at harvest] This shows the necessity for the establishment\\nof banks with branches in the departments to offer facilities to agri-\\nculture, the prime source of public wealth.\\nUnforeseen disasters of war and the death of credit make necessary\\nan extension of time for payment of debts by law, if not otherwise\\nobtainable in favor of country merchants, who were harder hit than\\nthose in the capital. This appears to be a measure of strict justice,\\nand I do not understand why the merchants in San Juan have not\\nalready taken initiative in the matter.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0497.jp2"}, "498": {"fulltext": "488\\nOPINION OF THE BOARD OF COMMERCE.\\nSan Juan, P. R., December 6, 1899.\\nRamon Garcia Saenz, secretary of the board of agriculture, manu-\\nfacture, and commerce of Porto Rico, certifies that at the session\\nheld on the 6th of December, 1898, with the object of studying the\\nbest methods of effecting the substitution of coinage in circulation\\nand the emitting of an opinion as regards the formation and applica-\\ntion of a new tariff, after a full and fair discussion it was unani-\\nmously voted that the gold standard should be introduced immediately\\nand a value of 75 Cents United States currency given to the colonial\\npeso, as that is the value of the coin, according to the opinion of this\\nboard. The substitution should be made without any charge what-\\never to the island.\\nThe secretary of the interior, Dr. Salvador Carbonell, dissented and\\nthought the value should be fixed at 65 per cent and the difference\\ncharged to the insular treasury, the difference being calculated on\\nthe bullion value Of the peso, or say 41 cents gold.\\nUNIFICATION OF THE MONEY SYSTEM.\\nSTATEMENT OF MAYOR CELESTINO DOMINGTJEZ.\\nGuayana, P. R., January, 1899.\\nThe first and perhaps the most important of the modifications to be\\nintroduced into Porto Rico is the unification of the money system with\\nthat of the new country by establishing the gold basis. As this is the\\nfoundation on which the prosperity of the island has to be built up,\\nit must be done immediately, after which other economic problems\\ncan easily be solved, as living will be cheapened by one-half, and nat-\\nurally the country will be freer to undertake all sorts of enterprises.\\nMany plans can be adopted for the purpose of carrying out this\\nchange, but it would be prolix to enumerate them. If it be taken\\ninto account that our provincial peso has, in commerce, a purchasing\\npower of 100 centavos and that the government offices have also given\\nit that value, it will be seen that its sudden reduction to the value of\\nbullion would severely punish holders of the coin and that the banks\\nwould suffer. It must be remembered that pur peso is equal in weight\\nto the silver coin of the United States and superior in fineness there-\\nfore it would not be just to make us accept the inferior coin at face\\nvalue and the superior one at bullion value. I do not think that the\\nnew Government will follow the example of the late one, as gr^at and\\nwise nations do not make a speculation of their possessions, neither\\nwill a generous nation like the United States add another misfortune\\nto our already long list.\\nMy opinion is that there being so small an amount in circulation\\nhere, the Government could recoin it and charge the difference and\\nexpense to the funds of the insular treasury. One drop of water does\\nnot increase the size of the ocean, so our insignificant coinage would\\nbe lost in the enormous mass of American money like that drop in the\\nocean.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0498.jp2"}, "499": {"fulltext": "489\\nTHE QUESTION OF EXCHANGE.\\nSTATEMENT OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE TERRITORIAL AND AGRICUL-\\nTURAL BANK.\\nSan Juan, P. R., October, 1899.\\nWhen the Spanish Government fixed the value of the Mexican dol-\\nlar in relation to that of the national money of Spain and changed it\\nfor the provincial peso, it incurred the obligation under the decree of\\n1895 of assimilating later on the colonial currencj^ into the national\\ncurrency. This obligation, made in good faith, could liot have been\\navoided. In virtue of this assimilation it would have been j ossible\\nat any time to convert the colonial currency into gold at a premium\\nof 25 per cent or 30 per cent under normal circumstances, and this was\\nthe original and natural solution of our monetary problem, to be given\\neffect later on. Having severed the relations with the old metropolis\\nand forming now part of another nation, making necessary constant\\nand important commercial relations, it is necessary to adopt one mon-\\netary system for both countries, so that business can be established\\nand carried on without let or hindrance.\\nThe necessity of the change of our monetary system being recog-\\nnized, it would be well to see under what conditions it could be\\neffected. If it were only necessary to make the material exchange of\\nthe small amount of money in circulation, we would advise that\\nAmerican money be substituted therefor, dollar for dollar, covering\\nthe resultant difference by means of paper money, which would enter\\ninto circulation at its full nominal value and would be taken up in a\\ncertain number Of years by a charge on the budget of the island. By\\nthis means the country would be saved from a diminution of its cir-\\nculating currency and would hold a greater amount of coinage with\\nwhich to attend to the almost numberless undertakings necessary for\\nthe growth of its riches.\\nBut besides the 4,500,000 or 5,000,000 pesos which exist in actual\\ncash there are perhaps 30,000,000 pesos Of debts, mortgages, etc.,\\nwhich have been contracted within the last ten years, and it would\\nnot be just to make the change at par, because this would oblige the\\ndebtor to pay in court the integral sum which he had received in sil-\\nver and which was worth less with relation to gold at that time. It\\nwould not be just, either, to lessen the fortune of those who are\\nholding actual cash, which would be done if the exchange were made as\\nthe intrinsic value of the peso, because this money, thanks to its special\\ncondition and the limited quantity of it coined, has always had a\\ncommercial value far above its intrinsic value as silver. With the\\nobject, then, of harmonizing the interests of the one with the interest\\nOf the other it appears just and equitable and convenient that the\\nvalue of provincial money should be fixed with relation to the Ameri-\\ncan money according to the commercial and not the intrinsic value\\nof the first named as ascertained during the last ten years by refer-\\nence to official exchange. The following will show the average rate\\nof premium of gold over silver in the last ten years\\nPer cent.\\nIn 1889 14\\nInl890 9\\nIn 1891 10\\nInl892. 17\\nIn 1893 27\\nPer cent.\\nIn 1894 43\\nIn 1895 57\\nIn 1896 _. 46\\nIn 1897... 56\\nIn 1898..... 63\\nWhich gives an average for the ten years of $34.20 for\\napproximate value Of the provincial dollar of 75 cents gold.\\nor an\\nIt should", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0499.jp2"}, "500": {"fulltext": "490\\nbe taken into account that exchange has been much higher since the\\nyear 1875, at which time the Cuban revolution broke out and when\\nmany fortunes were removed from this country, owing to the unsettled\\nstate of affairs. Once accept this rate for the exchange of American\\nfor Porto Rican money, and it should be carried out in the following\\nmanner:\\nThe 6,000,000 pesos in circulation to-day represent, at the rate of 75\\ncents gold, 4,500,000 American dollars. As at least 2,000,000 pesos of\\nsilver money is necessary for our small transactions, we would have this\\namount coined from the money at present in circulation, converting\\nit into American money. We would then be left with 4,000,000 pesos\\nto compensate for 3,000,000, which would have to be given in exchange\\nfor American gold. The 4,000,000 pesos sold at 40 cents would give\\n$1,600,000 gold. There would then be a deficit of 1,400,000 pesos, or,\\nsay, 1,500,000 pesos with the expense incurred in the operation.\\nThis sum might be covered by means of a loan to the treasury,\\nredeemable in a certain number of years. Outstanding debts would\\nhave a corresponding reduction made of 25 per cent of their value.\\nThe exchange should be made as soon as the Americans have posses-\\nsion of the country, for while this matter is left in abeyance business\\nwill be completely paralyzed, to the prejudice of everybody. The\\nAmerican Government should take note that any steps taken toward\\nthe settlement of the money questions of the island should be fol-\\nlowed by other measures protecting its agricultural interests, sugar\\nprincipally, which for many years has been suffering from a great\\ncrisis from artificial causes, which unfortunately will take a long time\\nto disappear, and owes its continuance in Porto Rico to the premium\\nput on its production by the silver currency, without which its culti-\\nvation could not have been carried on.\\nThe freedom from duty in the markets of the new metropolis, the\\nlimitation of local taxation, good banking organization, which will\\noffer the agricultural interests money at a moderate rate of interest\\nwhich measures, if adopted quickly, may still preserve the agricultural\\ninterests from ruin, which the change of coinage would otherwise\\nproduce.\\nUNIFORMITY OF MONEY SYSTEM.\\nSTATEMENT OF RTJCABADO CO.\\nCayey, P. R., November, 1898.\\nThe uniformity of the monetary system between this country and\\nthe metropolis is an urgent necessity. Perhaps, if there is a long\\ndelay in the substitution of money, we shall be subject to the intro-\\nduction of more silver of the same coinage which is to-day in circula-\\ntion, making much more difficult the operation which, under present\\ncircumstances, .owing to the small amount of money in circulation, is\\ncomparatively easy.\\nTHE AMERICAN DOLLAR PREFERRED.\\nBy SeSor Alrizu, of Pome, P. R.\\nThe legal tender of Porto Rico should be the American dollar. A\\nlaw should be enacted at once establishing this, and the peso should\\nbe exchanged at 2 for 1 in the treasury of each department. All", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0500.jp2"}, "501": {"fulltext": "491\\nexisting* debts should be settled at that ratio. The exchange should\\nbe made in one month at the chief custom-house of each department,\\nat the expiration of which time the circulation of the peso should be\\nprohibited.\\nRATES OF EXCHANGE ON LONDON FOR BILLS FOR NINETY DAYS.\\n[Furnished by Mullenhoff Korber, San Juan, P. R.]\\nMonth.\\n1896.\\n1897\\nJanuary _-.\\nFebruary\\nMarch\\nApril.\\nMay\\nJune\\nJuly\\nAugust\\nSeptember\\nOctober\\nNovember\\nDecember\\n$7.75, $7.30, $7.25\\n$7.25, $7,231, $7-37, $7.35\\n$7.371.\\n$7.25, $7.30, $7.331\\n$7.30\\n$7 70\\n$7! 75, $7 30, $7.731\\n$7.85, $7.90..\\n$7.77*, $7.60.\\n$7,573-, $7.70\\n$7,731, $7.60, $7.80, $7.85\\n$7.80, $7,771, $7.75, $7.70\\n$7.70, $7.67*, $7.65, $7.70, $7.80.\\n$7.70, $7.80, $7,871.\\n$7.90. $0.92*, $0.95, $8.00.\\n$8.07*, $8.10, $8.15.\\n$8.15, $8.10.\\n$8.10, $8,15.\\n$8.30.\\n$8.40, $8.50, $8.45, $8.40.\\nS8.40.\\n$8.20, $8.10,\\n$7\\n30, $8,371, $5\\n58.05.\\n.971, $7.80,\\n$0.80, $8.00.\\n.90, $7.95, $8.\\nD.831, $0,871,\\nFixed value,\\n.75 consequently equal to 55 per cent.\\nTHE FINANCIAL SITUATION.\\nBy Nine Residents op the Island of Vieques.\\n[Translation.]\\nThe financial state of the island is highly precarious. Porto Rico\\nhas passed through several severe economical crises, from which she\\nhas suffered most painfully.\\nThe monopoly exercised formerly, and still exercised by the whole-\\nsale merchants over the dawning agriculture of the country, has never\\npermitted its development and prosperity.\\nThese merchants, in their greed for lucre and insatiable avarice, mis-\\ntook the road they should have followed in order to obtain the positive\\ngains they wished, for.\\nAgriculture, which is our principal source of wealth and livelihood,\\nlanguished in the ratio that the merchant exploiters, absorbing and\\nweakening it in its growth, filled their coffers with large sums of\\nmoney, product of iniquitous speculations.\\nBut the moment arrives where, prostrated and played out, without\\nrecuperative force, it was no longer a profitable victim for commerce;\\nand then the crisis began to become more general.\\nVarious other causes of not less importance have helped to bring\\nthe country to its present condition of prostration and downfall\\nbefore all, the fatal administration of the Spanish Government, which\\ntaxed landowners and industries heavily, with the object of maintain-\\ning vicious bodies of unnecessary bureaucrats, who stifled all initiative\\nand stopped and impeded all generous and active impulses.\\nAgain, the substitution of Mexican currency by that sent us in an\\nevil hour by our old government a currency which had no commer-\\ncial value and is not current in anj^ foreign market.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0501.jp2"}, "502": {"fulltext": "492\\nAdd to this, among other causes which we omit, the heavy import\\nduties formerly and still paid by our most important products in our\\nprincipal market, the United States duties which did and still do\\ndiminish the narrow profits obtained by our poor industries.\\nTo better this afflicted situation a powerful lever is necessary\\nmoney; and above all, the establishment of banks.\\nThe Agricultural and Territorial Bank of Porto Rico does not,\\nneither can it, respond to the needs of the agricultural interests of the\\nisland, owing to want of funds. There is a need of banking estab-\\nlishments offering the guaranties and cash necessary to raise agricul-\\nture from its prostration and offering help to the agriculturists at a\\nmoderate interest. These banks, which would doubtless soon become\\nthe motive power of our wealth, would of a certainty earn large\\nprofits.\\nThe establishment of agricultural syndicates would be a splendid\\nhelp to the growth of the material interests of this country.\\nEstablish banks and syndicates, implant modern and scientific\\nmethods, and Porto Rico, with its natural gifts and fertile soil, will\\nbecome an emporium of wealth, offering a healthy livelihood to all\\nsocial classes.\\nOur concrete opinion about the change of Spanish colonial money\\nand substitution by United States currency is that it should be done\\nas soon as possible and at 100 per cent premium. The colonial cur-\\nrency now in circulation should be called in at once in order to stop\\nthe speculation caused by the rate of 2 for 1 officially exacted, and\\nthat rate capriciously established by merchants for the admission of\\nAmerican bills.\\nBut it is necessary to remember, as being of vital importance and\\ninterest, that the exchange of mone}^ systems and free coasting trade\\nshould be decreed at one and the same time by the American Govern-\\nment. The reason is simple. If the exchange preceded the free\\ncoasting trade, the small profits obtained by agriculture would disap-\\npear and the further ruin of this industry would follow.\\nLeopold Venega. A. V. Rieelsely.\\nRegalado Benitez. J. Benitez.\\nAntonio de Aldkey. Chas. Le Brun.\\nE. Benitez. (2 illegible names.)\\nIsland of Vieques, P. R., November IS, 1898.\\nOPINION OF AGRICULTURISTS.\\nSan Juan, P. R., November I, 1898.\\nWe, the undersigned, sugar and coffee growers, cattle raisers, capi-\\ntalists, agriculturists in general, owners of city property, merchants,\\nand workmen, respectfully set forth\\nThat at the time of the occupation of this territory by the United\\nStates Army, commanded by General Miles, on the glorious 28th of\\nJuly, the rate of exchange on New York was 150 per cent premium.\\nIn order to regulate administrative business the government issued\\nthe wise order that American currency should be admitted at the\\ncustom-house and in all official transactions at the rate of 2 for 1, or\\n100 per cent premium, with relation to the provincial money of Porto\\nRico, which rate of 100 per cent continues in force for all official\\ntransactions.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0502.jp2"}, "503": {"fulltext": "493\\nThe banking houses and merchant money lenders, with insatiable\\ngreed and with their accustomed system of exploitation, without con-\\nsidering the disturbances of every class which might occur, and which\\nunfortunately have occurred; without respecting the just indications\\nof General Miles, and ignoring the general welfare of the country, did\\nnot hesitate in getting together, with often rare and honorable excep-\\ntions, to force a fall in the rate df exchange, and succeeded in pro-\\nducing a disorderly drop, until in a general meeting of shareholders\\nof the Ponce Credit and Savings Bank, which institution is the mer-\\ncantile barometer of that district, besides influencing mercantile mat-\\nters in other districts of the island, they resolved, in connivance with\\nthe Spanish Bank and the Agricola Bank of San Juan, to impose the\\nrate of only 50 per cent premium as between the two moneys.\\nThis unjust and inequitable resolution, this disproportion between\\nthe rate established by commerce and that ruling in governmental\\noffices, the only tendency of which, at first, was to exploit the people\\nshamefully, produced the fatal effects feared, and has been the cause\\nof strikes, tumults, disorders, and several cases of conflict between\\nthe peasantry and some members of the troops, culminating in the\\nshameful spectacle of a part of the press, either from gross ignorance\\nor acting in accord with our eternal enemies, vilifjdng, unjustly, a\\nwhole army, toward which this country should feel nothing but eternal\\ngratitude.\\nThe wholesale merchants of Porto Rico, who, in miserable conniv-\\nance with the previous governors of this land, were accustomed by\\nevery means in their power to impose their exclusive views to the\\nprejudice of the producing classes, would like to follow the same\\npaths during the new era, introducing disturbances and having in\\nview solely the filling of their coffers. At this moment they have\\ntheir agents out buying American money at 55 or 60 per cent premium,\\nwith the object of paying it into the governmental offices when it is\\nreceived at 100 per cent.\\nThe wholesale trade, which does not possess sufficient circulating\\nmedium to move the crops of the country and has for many years had\\nrecourse to the system of depreciating its own drafts so as to crimi-\\nnally lower the value of exchange offered to agriculturists (every 10\\nper cent drop in exchange represents approximately a loss to the\\ncoffee planter of 12 per hundredweight, and to the sugar growers 37^-\\ncents per kilogram hundredweight), would not possess the vast out-\\nstandings which it does, but would rather appear as a debtor class if\\nthe number of years in which this accumulated loss has been pressing\\non the agriculturists (a debit not incurred in cash, but in supplies, sold\\nat exorbitant prices in some cases qualifiable only as usurious) were\\ntaken into account.\\nWhen the general economical disaster occasioned by speculative\\ncombinations, and not by the small amount of colonial currency in\\ncirculation, but by the iniquitous pretensions looking toward being\\npaid in American gold the sums advanced by them with such enor-\\nmous profits, aided, by the depreciation of the money in which they\\nshould be paid, this wholesale trade, we repeat, wishes to-day to\\nincline public opinion toward the change of provincial money for\\nAmerican gold, a currency which not three mdnths ago they were\\nclamoring to purchase at a 150 per cent premium.\\nBut the Government of the Union, and especially its enlightened\\nrepresentatives in this island, will not permit that the working classes\\nbe longer victimized nor sacrifice the noble army of occupation. It", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0503.jp2"}, "504": {"fulltext": "494\\nwill be necessary to take steps for salvation, and for this purpose we\\nsubmit the following solution for your consideration:\\nTo beg the Government at Washington by cable to declare demone-\\ntized the Spanish provincial coinage of Porto Rico, making obliga-\\ntory the payment of all official transactions, such as customs dues\\nand taxes of all descriptions, in the United States currency with a\\ncorresponding reduction, deferring the date for the liquidation of all\\nprivate debts incurred before the date of this decree until the Con-\\ngress of the United States shall fix the ratio which shall rule between\\nthe provincial money in which the debts were incurred and of the\\nlegal currency of the United States.\\nWe counsel the demonetization of this silver, as the laws of the\\nUnited States prohibit its Government from acquiring new stock of\\nthis metal, and the resolution which we propose is urgent, as delay in\\nthe settlement of this question until Congress can definitely settle it\\nwould occasion serious difficulties which might produce conflicts in\\nthe island.\\nIMPORTANCE OF IMMEDIATE ACTION.\\nBy Antonio Secola, Salinas, P. R.\\nThe monetary system of to-day should disappear at once, not only\\nas a measure of nationalization, but also because it is causing a pro-\\nfound disturbance in our economic life. The fluctuations of exchange\\nare such that no contracts for future liquidation can be attempted.\\nWithout this we can not obtain assistance in other markets, and our\\neconomic existence must be languid and dragging. It is expedient to\\nchange at once our money for American currencj r Everyone is agreed\\non this point, but all are not agreed on the rate at which the conver-\\nsion should be made. Different ideas born of different interests con-\\ntend, some for the change at par, others at 50 per cent. The gener-\\nosity of the American Government, without serious prejudice to its\\nTreasury, could adopt a mean conciliatory to all interests.\\nRATES OF EXCHANGE.\\nSenor Felipe Cuebas, collector of customs at Mayaguez, stated\\nthat although he was born in the island, he was an American citizen,\\nbecoming such in 1869. He was appointed to his present position by the\\ninsular government and was reappointed by General Brooke. He has\\na sugar estate near Mayaguez, called Hacienda Carmelita.\\nHe expressed the opinion that the change in the currency should be\\nmade as soon as possible, though, undoubtedly, there was merit in\\nthe argument that it should be postponed until March next to allow\\nthe crops to be gathered and the returns used to pay obligations. He\\nconsidered the rate of 2 to 1 too high; it would do injustice to the\\ncreditor and the capitalist classes. One and sixty-five one-hundredths\\nor 1.75 to 1 he deemed much more just; it would be fair both to debtors\\nand to creditors.\\nThere had always been trouble in the island with silver money, and\\nthe change from Mexican to colonial pesos did not solve the difficulty.\\nIt was necessary, in his opinion, to establish the currency on. the gold", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0504.jp2"}, "505": {"fulltext": "495\\nbasis. If sugar growers could get their sugar into the United States\\nmarket free of duty they could afford to pay the laborer the same on\\nthe gold basis as they now pay him on the silver basis. An increased\\ndemand for sugar would result in increased production, and increased\\nproduction would require more labor; the natural tendency of the\\nlaborer would be to demand his 50 cents a day on the new basis, and\\nMr. Cuebas believed that he would get it.\\nEXCHANGE ON THE BASIS OF INTRINSIC VALUE OF THE PESO.\\nSenor Enrique Delgado, San Juan:\\nThe country is suffering greatly by reason of its silver basis for\\ncoinage ruling since some years back. Each time a change was con-\\ntemplated formerly, opinions based on self-interest were heard, and\\nnothing practical was adopted, the change usually prejudicing every-\\nbody. Owing to the lack of disinterested advice the Spanish Govern-\\nment in perplexity ordered the introduction of the colonial coin, the\\nobject being doubtless to know exactly the amount of floating cur-\\nrency. The amount exchanged did not reach seven millions, which\\nshows that the national coin could have been introduced at once with-\\nout causing great disturbance. Now that about one and one-half\\nmillions have left the country, the stock is reduced to about five and\\none-half millions. Now, as always, everyone has a distinct opinion\\nas to the rate of exchange which should be adopted one party thinks\\nthat 100 per cent premium for gold is the right figure.\\nIt must be remembered that our exchange has never been in rela-\\ntion to the bullion value of the coin in circulation, but has been reg-\\nulated by the demand for gold with which to pay debts outside the\\nisland. When war was declared exchange rose and continued rising\\nas the blockade became effective and lasting, because we could not\\nexport our produce and merchants had to make their payments abroad\\neven by cable. When the war ended and things became normalized\\nagain exchange fell in spite of our limited exports, and when things\\nbecome really settled we shall see heavy fluctuations daily, and\\nexchange will continue falling. For this reason it would not be\\nright to give our peso its intrinsic value only. If the substitution is\\nto be made at once an average of exchange must be sought during the\\nlast ten years, and it will be found not to pass 40 per cent premium,\\nmaking a just rate of exchange 70 cents gold for 1 peso. The exchange\\ncan also be made by introducing American silver, which reduces the\\nquestion to one of recoinage only, by giving an American dollar for a\\nPorto Rican peso and charging the cost of coinage to the insular\\nbudget, to be paid in a period extending over five or ten years.\\nThis would still leave the difficult question of obligations incurred\\nto be dealt with. As some debts were incurred as far back as ten\\nyears, and others, such as agricultural mortgages, do not fall due\\nuntil fifteen years, if the rate fixed is 100 per cent this would be to\\nthe debtor s benefit and would put a premium on nonpayment,\\nwhereas exchange at par would be an injustice to debtors and the\\nworking classes. In my opinion the rate of 70 cents per peso, the\\naverage of the last ten years exchange, is the happy medium.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0505.jp2"}, "506": {"fulltext": "496\\nPRESIDENTS ORDER ON THE MONEY QUESTION.\\nExecutive Mansion, January 20, 1899.\\nIt is hereby ordered that on and after February 1, 18991, and until\\notherwise provided, all customs, taxes, public and postal dues in the\\nisland of Porto Rico shall be paid in United States money, or in for-\\neign gold coins, such as the Spanish alphonsinos (centen) and the\\nFrench louis, which will be accepted in payment of such customs,\\ntaxes, public and postal dues, at the following rates:\\nAlphonsinos (25-peseta piece) $4. 82\\nLouis (20-franc piece) 3.86\\nIt is further ordered that on and after Februaiy 1, 1899, and until\\nfurther provided, the following Porto Rican or Spanish silver coins\\nnow in circulation in the island of Porto Rico shall be received for\\ncustoms, taxes, public and postal dues, at the following fixed rates in\\nUnited States money:\\nThe peso \u00c2\u00a70.60\\nThe medio peso _. .30\\nThe peseta _ .12\\nThe real 06\\nThe medio real _ .03\\nIt is further ordered and directed that out of the Porto Rican coins\\nso received a convenient supply shall be retained and carried for\\nexchange for United States money at the rate hereinbefore enumer-\\nated, namety, $0.60 United States money for one Porto Rican silver\\npeso.\\nIt is further ordered that all existing contracts for the payment of!\\nmoney in the currency of Porto Rico may be discharged and paid in\\nthat money in accordance with the contracts, or in United States\\nmoney at the relative value set forth in the above table, namely, for\\neach $100 United States currency, 166f Porto Rican pesos.\\nBronze and copper coins now current in the island of Porto Rico\\nwill be received at their face value for fractional parts of a dollar, in\\na single payment to an amount not exceeding 12 cents (1 peseta).\\nWilliam McKinley.\\nEFFECT OF THE PRESIDENTS ORDER\u00e2\u0080\u0094 REPORT OF THE\\nCOMMISSIONER.\\nSan Juan, P. R., February 17, 1899.\\nThe Secretary of the Treasury.\\nSir: The order fixing the value of the coins of Porto Rico has now\\nbeen in operation long enough to indicate what its result is likely to\\nbe. The promise at first was that the hoarding of money, which had\\nmade it so difficult to borrow except on exorbitant rates of interest,\\nwould cease and exchange would vary little from the rate fixed in the\\norder, but there seem to be powerful influences at work to keep the\\nnative money locked up. Drafts on the United States, for which there\\nis always a demand, bring about $1.64, but United States currency\\ncan not be exchanged at a better rate than $1. 60 to $1. 62. This makes\\na large margin for the operations of money dealers. I am informed\\nat the custom-house here that very little of the native money is offered\\nin payment of duties. So far only about $300 in pesos has been paid\\nin. Captain Buchanan saj T s that importers purchase American cur-", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0506.jp2"}, "507": {"fulltext": "497\\nrency in the market at $1.60 to $1.62, Porto Rican, and make a con-\\nsiderable margin of profit. There is still speculation, therefore, but\\nthe range is much more limited.\\nThe small amount of money available for the uses of business is a\\nserious obstacle to enterprise. All sections of the islaud, except two\\nor three money centers, have an insufficient amount of cash. For\\nexample, it has been brought to my attention that a flourishing city\\nand port, commanding a good deal of wealth, is unable to raise $20,000\\nfor its needs, though it has no debt, and all the city property was\\noffered as security, together with the property of twenty of the\\nwealthiest men. The native money is hoarded; this is the statement\\neverybody makes.\\nOne explanation advanced is that the banks are drawing in their\\nnotes in preparation for liquidation. The Spanish Bank of Porto Rico\\nhas been gradually contracting its paper currency, having withdrawn\\nfrom circulation almost 50 per cent in the last six months. Formerly\\nit had between two and three millions in circulation. According to its\\nlast report, dated January 14, it then had less than $2,000,000. The\\ninsular treasury has a large surplus to its credit about $500,000 of\\nwhich not more than one-twentieth is in pesos. The fact of hoarding\\nis proved by the condition of the Savings Bank of Ponce, which has\\nsufficient in cash, mainly silver, to pay all its deposits.\\nThe continuation of the native money pleases the planters, espe-\\ncially those who raise sugar. They will use it to pay the peons as\\nbefore, and believe that the labor question will not trouble them, for\\nthe present at least. If they had to pay their men in gold what they\\nnow pay them in silver, they say that the result would be a heavy loss\\non the year s crop. They are more concerned than coffee or tobacco\\ngrowers because they are larger employers.\\nIt remains to be seen, however, whether the laborers will or will not\\ntake advantage of the situation to demand that their wages be paid in\\nUnited States money of the same amount. The peon has heard of the\\nstrike, and, under the freer conditions prevailing since American\\noccupation, may decide to see whether he can not use it to obtain larger\\nwages. He has been receiving from 50 to 75 centavos a day, the higher\\nprice being paid for the more important positions in the mills.\\nThe trades are everywhere overcrowded, and there are so many\\ncarpenters, masons, bakers, shoemakers, etc., that in some places\\nthey do not get more than six months work a year, and for skilled\\nlabor their wages are very low. There is not, however, a surplus of\\npeons, and planters often have to hold out inducements to keep men\\nenough on hand to plow the land, to sow and cultivate the cane, and\\nto harvest and grind it. Skilled workmen in the trades are forming\\nunions or gremios for the advancement of their interests; but the\\npeons do not seem to be ready for organization. They are more inde-\\npendent than the artisan class, for they live in the country, where\\nfruit is plentiful, where fewer clothes suffice, and where they can put\\nup bark houses on the lands of their employers or get them at very\\nlow rent.\\nSome of the coins described in the order fixing the rate of exchange\\nare not known in Porto Rico. There is no medio peso. In the daj^s\\nwhen United States and Mexican silver coins were in circulation\\nhere the half dollar was so designated. When the great depreciation\\nin silver began, these foreign coins disappeared and for some years\\nthere have been no 50-centavo pieces in Porto Rico. The peseta was\\nthe 25-cent Mexican or United States coin. The colonial 20-cent\\n1125 32", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0507.jp2"}, "508": {"fulltext": "498\\npieces are now known as pesetas. The real, valued at 12^ centavos,\\nis an imaginary coin, so far as Porto Rico is concerned. It is like the\\nNew York shilling. Even yet old merchants in that State quote prices\\nin shillings, though the coin long since passed out of actual use.\\nThe medio real, like the real, is a memory. The silver coins of the\\nisland are the peso, the 40, 20, 10, and 5 centavo pieces. As to gold\\npieces, there are only a very few, if any, in Porto Rico. They have\\nnot been used in recent years, except by money changers to sell to\\nthose wanting to go to Spain or France. When the Spanish Bank of\\nPorto Rico was founded, alfonsinos formed the basis of its capital.\\nAs rapidly as they found their way into circulation they were exported,\\nand gold is seldom or never seen here.\\nVery respectfully, Henry K. Carroll,\\nCo mrnssiioner.\\nBANKS AND BANKING.\\nTHE BANKS OF PORTO RICO.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nSan Juan, P. R., October 31, 1899.\\nRicardo Nadal, of Mayaguez\\nOne difficulty which the coffee planter has labored under here has\\nbeen the high rate of interest which he has been compelled to pay\\nin order to obtain a loan. This rate has generally run from 1 to 1^\\nper cent a month, and much of this money loaned has been devoted\\nto the purchase of new lands and the improvement of the machinery\\nand outhouses for the laborers. The Spanish Government has left us\\nwhat we call the Spanish Bank of Porto Rico, the Agricultural Bank,\\nin the city of San Juan; the Caja-de-Horra, in Ponce, and the savings\\nbank in Mayaguez, which afford very limited facilities to the agri-\\ncultural classes, and which confine themselves in their transactions\\nto the business community in the island. The Spanish banking law\\nin force allows the free establishment of currency-issuing banks, with\\nthe only restriction that such institutions shall be supervised by a\\ngovernor appointed by the Government, his compensation to be paid\\nby the institution, and that the issue of circulating notes shall not\\nexceed three times the amount of the paid-up capital. And yet,\\nunder such an enormous margin of profit, which permits the Spanish\\nBank, with a paid-up capital of $150,000, to have in circulation over\\n$2,000,000 of this paper, the rate of interest still keeps up at 1% cents\\na month. What a field for American capital and enterprise\\nThe banks in Ponce and Mayaguez above referred to ought to have\\nthe same right to issue circulating notes under the same general bank-\\ning law, but owing to the perpetual privilege always enjoyed by the\\nSpanish residents in this island and in violation of the general law\\nthe Spanish bank in San Juan has been the only bank allowed to issue\\nsuch notes. And it should be stated that the institution was estab-\\nlished with the stipulation in its charter that its cash capital was to\\nbe in Spanish gold, and yet nothing but Mexican silver was deposited\\nas the cash capital of the bank, postponing the rights of the French\\ninstitution, that was ready to establish a bank with $2,000,000 in gold\\nspecie, only to serve the interests of the privileged class of merchants\\nin San Juan. If this bank had lived up to its charter, the currency\\nof Porto Rico would lone; ago have been established on a erold basis", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0508.jp2"}, "509": {"fulltext": "499\\nand the present trouble would have been avoided. There is a great\\nmargin for enterprises of this kind, both as regards banks of issue\\nand trust and loan companies, for the benefit of the agricultural com-\\nmunity, if such banks were willing to lend money at a reasonable\\nrate of interest and at long periods, which is a necessary condition,\\nfor the improvement of present agricultural conditions. I believe the\\namount of outstanding liabilities covered by mortgage in the island\\nis somewhere near $45,000,000, which might easily be converted into\\nlong-period loans at easier rates of interest, greatly to the benefit both\\nof the American capitalist and the Porto Rican people. The moment\\nwe have abundance of capital, easy transportation, and good and sub-\\nstantial laws, necessarily to come from the United States, the future\\nof Porto Rico is assured.\\nTHE AGRICULTURAL AND TERRITORIAL BANK OF PORTO RICO.\\nBy Vicente Antonetti, manager.\\nThis bank was founded in September, 1894, on the model of the\\nCredit Foncier of France. Its nominal capital is $2,400,000, divided\\ninto four series of 6,000 shares of $100 each. Only the first series of\\nshares has been sold, and therefore the bank has realized only the\\nfourth of its nominal capital. This bank has the power to undertake\\nall classes of operation, but principally its business consists in mak-\\ning loans at long terms with guaranties of first mortgages on real\\nestate and emitting hypothecary bonds to represent these mortgages.\\nThese bonds are redeemable by yearly drawings, and those put into\\ncirculation up to this date have paid an interest of 7 per cent. The\\nbank is careful to have a scrupulous examination made of the values\\nof properties on which it lends money, and only advances up to 40 per\\ncent of their value, so that it may be said that the bonds in circula-\\ntion represent mortgages on assets which are two and one-half times\\nas much as their face value. If the bank were granted permission to\\nemit thirty times the amout of its paid-in capital of hypothecary bonds,\\nit could circulate bonds to the value of $18,000,000 on a paid-in capi-\\ntal of $600,000. This would be done gradually, as loans were effected.\\nUp to the present it has only emitted bonds to the extent of a million\\ndollars, but the fact must be taken into account that shortly after the\\ninstallation of this bank the Cuban revolution broke out and capital-\\nists of this country retired what small amounts they had and were not\\ncontent with 7 per cent, which these bonds offered, for which reason a\\nfree market was not created, and consequently the business of this\\nestablishment was simply paralyzed.\\nAs soon as our bonds shall obtain a favorable market in the United\\nStates, this establishment will be able to attend to all the business\\noffered to it which it may consider it convenient to undertake, and it\\nwill be a powerful help to the agriculturists of this country. These\\nbonds constitute a security of the first class, and this statement is\\nproven by the fact that, in spite of the crisis which this country has\\npassed through, the payment of the coupons and the redemption of\\nthe bonds has not been neglected for one moment, but to its credit it\\nmay even be said that the coupons have been paid in three months,\\nbefore they were due. The Spanish Government, understanding the\\nimportance of this institution as an aid to agriculture, and being con-\\nvinced of the absolute guaranty of its bonds, admitted these bonds", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0509.jp2"}, "510": {"fulltext": "500\\nas security for all classes of transactions. The American Government\\nwill doubtless confer upon this institution the same favor, allowing\\nthese bonds to be deposited as security against the emission of notes.\\nEstimating the present value of the property in Porto Rico at\\n$100,000,000 (it is really worth much more), the Agricultural Bank\\ncan attend to operations to the extent of $40,000,000.\\nThis establishment is without doubt one of the most important for\\nthe future of the island, and therefore the attention of American capi-\\ntalists should be called to its bonds. As a general rule, the bonds of\\nhypothecary banks rival in value those of the best state bonds.\\nSan Juan, P. R.\\nNEED OF BANKING FACILITIES.\\nSAN Juan, P. R., October 31, 1898.\\nDr. Carroll. What are the special difficulties under which the\\nagriculturists labor now in the island?\\nDr. Santiago Veve, of Fajardo. In the first place, they are almost\\nwithout means, except a few rich ones, to give impulse to their busi-\\nness. They need more capital, and they are therefore obliged to\\nincur liabilities secured by mortgages, and must pay high rates of\\ninterest on the money they borrow.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the minimum rate?\\nDr. Veve. From 7 X3er cent to Si- per cent annually. Private money\\nlenders charge sometimes as high as 12, 15, and 18 per cent annually.\\nI know of one mortgage which carries interest at 24 per cent per annum.\\nDr. Carroll. Why is it that capital commands so large a percent-\\nage? Is it due to the small amount of currency in the island or is it\\ndue to taking capital out of the country to Spain, or to what other\\npossible causes?\\nDr. Veve. The commercial houses here form guilds. Some of them\\ndevote their attention to advancing money on sugar estates, some on\\ncoffee, and some on cattle ranches, and it is an understood thing\\nbetween them, more or less, that such and such rates of interest shall\\nbe required. Owing to the lack of competition and the small amount\\nof capital available the agriculturists are completely at the mercy of\\nthese business houses.\\nDr. Carroll. Would the establishment of banks in most of the\\ncities and larger towns of the island distribute the capital more gen-\\nerally and therefore lower the rate of interest?\\nDr. Veve. Yes, naturally. Because at once there would be estab-\\nlished competition. There would be, also, an increase of capital,\\nbecause such banks would bring in new capital into the country.\\nThis would tend to enhance the values of the estates themselves,\\nbecause a loan secured by a mortgage on the estate would not be so\\nserious an encumbrance, owing to the smaller rate of interest.\\nDr. Carroll. Where a person desires to borrow money is it neces-\\nsary for him to go to San Juan to get it?\\nDr. Veve. With the exception of two or three towns, in which\\nbusiness houses have established themselves and do a banking busi-\\nness (which houses do not lend money to agriculturists whose credit\\nis not thoroughly established), the people of the island have to go to\\nSan Juan, borrow money from the banks or from the merchants, and\\nallow themselves to be bound down bv the onerous conditions of these", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0510.jp2"}, "511": {"fulltext": "501\\nlenders, who usually lend money at two or three months. Loans of\\nthis class are of practically no use to agriculturists, but they take\\nthem sometimes to tide them over temporary difficulties.\\nSAVINGS BANKS.\\nSan Juan, P. R., October 28, 1898.\\nDr. Carroll. I would like to ask you about savings banks. I\\nunderstand that savings banks issue notes payable at a certain date.\\nMr. Arsuaga, of Sobrinos de Esquiaga. Such a bank exists in Ponce,\\nbut it is a private affair and its notes are not obligatory, and they do\\nnot circulate outside of the city of Ponce and that neighborhood.\\nThe notes issued by this bank are called sestas.\\nThere has always been in Ponce a certain amount of antagonism\\nagainst the Spanish Bank of Porto Rico. They Avanted a branch\\nestablished in Ponce, but the bank did not see its way clear to estab-\\nlish one there, because several merchants were engaged in private\\nbanking business and they considered that their interests would not\\nbe sufficiently attended to to make it pay. Owing to the feeling engen-\\ndered by this refusal on the part of the bank to have a branch at\\nPonce, its notes have not had circulation there.\\nDr. Carroll. What is meant here by hypothecary banks?\\nMr. Arsuaga. It is an agricultural bank here in San Juan, and has\\nemployed in its operations from two to two and one-half millions of\\nmoney.\\nDr. Carroll. What kind of money?\\nMr. Arsuaga. The bank, when it made a loan to an agriculturist,\\npaid half in money and half in cedillas, which were hypothecary notes\\nissued by the bank on the security of the mortgage taken from the ag-\\nriculturist himself. Consequently, an agriculturist borrowing $20,000\\nwould get $10,000 in money and $10,000 in hypothecary notes. These\\nnotes he had to sell in the open market at the fluctuating price, which\\nwas usually about 90 per cent of their face value, so that on a loan of\\n$20,000 the agriculturist really receives only $19,000.\\nDr. Carroll. What are the different kinds of money in circulation\\nin the island?\\nMr. Arsuaga. In addition to the .silver, say about $6,000,000, there\\nare the bank *notes issued by the Spanish Bank of Porto Rico, the\\npromissory notes issued by the savings bank, and the cedulas issued\\nby the hypothecary banks. The hypothecary cedulas of the agricul-\\ntural bank do not circulate as money, however, and therefore have no\\neffect on the amount of money in circulation. They are simply bonds\\nsecured by mortgage on the estate whose owner borrows the money,\\nand they do not pass from hand to hand. These cedulas are wOrth\\nto-day from 80 to 85 per cent of their face value.\\nDr. Carroll. Have there been any abuses in connection with the\\noperation of such banks any losses suffered by those who have given\\nmortgages?\\nMr. Arsuaga. They opened accounts current with merchants and\\nused the money which was deposited in accounts current by making\\nloans at long periods, and when they were called on to settle their\\naccounts current they could not do so. The bank, however, was in a\\nsolvent condition and resumed operations by mortgaging its building,\\nand confidence is beginning to reappear. Its shares are going up\\nagain.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0511.jp2"}, "512": {"fulltext": "502\\nMORE BANKING FACILITIES NEEDED.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nArecibo, P. R., January lJf, 1899.\\nMr. Adolf Bahr and Mr. Bernardo Huicy, members of the\\nmunicipal council of Arecibo:\\nMr. Bernardo Huicy, councilman: Considering- that agriculture\\nis the principal source of our wealth, I think that if free coasting trade\\nis not given at the same time the money question is settled the agri-\\ncultural interests of the island will be ruined.\\nThe question of roads is a most important one, as there are estates\\nin the center of the island which have to pay as high as 75 or 80 cents\\na hundredweight over a distance of 20 miles.\\nDr. Carroll. Is that to the railroads or by the railroads\\nMr. Huicy. To the railroads. The agricultural interests are in a\\nvery precarious state. Most of them are under mortgage to merchants,\\nWho are not satisfied with collecting a heavy rate of interest at least\\nfrom 12 to 15 per cent per annum but stipulate in their mortgages that\\nthe owner of the estate shall sell to the money lender his produce at\\na price which is usually below the market price. It would be very\\nconvenient if an American syndicate should come here and take over\\nthese mortgages at a lower rate of interest. Their money would be\\nsafely invested, because the estates offer ample security, and they\\ncould grant longer terms than are being granted by the present money\\nlenders.\\nDr. Carroll. Does the Agricultural Bank at San Juan make such\\nstipulations?\\nMr. Huicy. The Agricultural Bank has no real capital that is worth\\nspeaking of. If you wish to make a loan through that bank, they\\ndon t give you a loan in cash, but require you to take what they call\\ncedulas, which have no fixed market value and have to be sold in\\nthe market at such a price that the interest resulting is still higher\\nthan that exacted bj T the money lenders.\\nI desire to urge the importance of some concession being granted\\nin the entrance of sugar into the United States. If we can not get\\nfree entry, we shoula at least have some rebate made, especially as the\\nsugar industry is the most important one and gives employment to\\nlabor from the 1st of January to the 31st of December. The sugar\\nplanters manage to exist to-day, owing to the premium on gold, but\\nif they have to pay their labor in gold they will be irretrievably\\nruined.\\nTHE KIND OF BANKS REQUIRED.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nUtuado, P. R., January 17, 1899.\\nDon Lucas Amadeo, planter:\\nA mere inspection of this country will show you that it is weak in\\neconomic forces, principally through want of means of communica-\\ntion. Its productions have not received the development that they\\nshould have received, owing to the want of credit establishments.\\nThe agriculture of the country dates from the beginning of this cen-\\ntury only, although the island has been colonized four hundred years.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0512.jp2"}, "513": {"fulltext": "503\\nIts development took rise from the granting of free commerce, which\\nwas denied before. Under the protection of these laws of free com-\\nmerce there came into the island some foreign and also some Spanish\\nhouses to undertake business enterprises. These houses had credits\\nin Europe, with which they were able to assist the agriculturists and\\naid in the extension of agricultural interests. Owing to the high\\nquality of our sugar, which is superior to the Cuban sugar, the trade\\nof this country had a big impulse and our sugar found in the United\\nStates a ready market, as a result of which the country went ahead\\nrapidly.\\nWhen the manufacture of sugar came to be better understood in\\nother countries in Cuba, and the United States itself our country lost-\\nits prestige, and the crisis began coincidently with that period. Since\\nthat time our country has lived from one crisis to another, and it has\\nrapidly gone down hill. Latterly, owing to the good intentions of cer-\\ntain people, a few banks have been founded. Of these banks the\\nSpanish Bank of Porto Rico in the last few years has assisted con-\\nsiderably the agriculture of this country. Later the Agricultural\\nBank, which institution is called upon to play an important part in\\nthis country, was established. This bank last named has not had the\\nresults that should have been obtained from it. As a bank of agri-\\nculture is not really a bank, but an institution which borrows money\\nfor the purpose of lending it, and that can only be carried into effect\\nwhen a perfect financial system exists in the country, and as such a\\ncondition did not exist as yet in the country when this bank emitted\\na certain portion of its cedulas and absorbed the small savings of the\\ncountry, it has to suspend its operations because there is no more\\nmoney in which to deal. With the Savings Bank of Ponce, it com-\\npletes the list of banking institutions in the country.\\nIt is to be understood that this country works with far too small a\\ncirculating medium for its needs. It is supposed that $6,000,000 is\\nthe amount of the circulation, but this is not the case, as private\\nhoards and money held in the vaults of the banks amount to more\\nthan $2,000,000, reducing the circulating medium to between three\\nand four million dollars. This scarcity of actual coin has given rise\\nto the barter system, transactions being represented more or less by\\ngoods, causing every little agriculturist to establish on his estate a\\nsmall store so that he can dispense with the need of money. The\\ncountry has been living in this condition since 1873, when foreign\\ncredit was retired from the island, and the natural result is that the\\nsmall benefit derived by the agriculturist from this system has been\\ngrowing smaller and more dearly purchased, owing to the fact that\\nthe merchants in the chief towns have to take into account the extra\\nrisk that they are running in acting as bankers as well as merchants.\\nThe low price of sugar has also contributed to the ruinous state of\\nour agriculture.\\nDr. Carroll. May I ask one question at this point? Why is it\\nthat the price of Porto Rican sugar has fallen, when Cuba, which pro-\\nduces so large an amount of sugar, has produced almost none during\\nthe last few years, owing to the war?\\nMr. Amadeo. The sugar crisis is a universal one. Europe has more\\nthan supplied the deficiency caused by the Cuban war.\\nAnother circumstance concurrent with the previous one is that a\\nseries of bad coffee crops has served to accentuate the crisis. This is\\nattributed to climatic changes which you well know are taking place", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0513.jp2"}, "514": {"fulltext": "504\\nall over the globe. Planters, drunk with the success of high prices\\nand large crops of former years, have doubled, trebled, or quadrupled\\ntheir plantings, but with the result that these estates, four times as\\nlarge as they previously were, have not given equal results to the\\nsmall estates.\\nDr. Carroll. The establishment of banks in different parts of the\\nisland would bring the borrower and lender together, and would make\\npossible the general use of checks, which would practically increase\\nthe circulating medium.\\nMr. Amadeo. I consider that the present banking laws of the United\\nStates are the reason why money has never been so cheap in the United\\nStates as in Europe. These laws curtail the power of the banks to\\nissue money. The banks there are not allowed to operate with a\\nlarger amount of money than their actual capital, which is not advan-\\ntageous.\\nDr. Carroll. There is not the elasticity in the system that there\\nshould be, but there are plans to remedy this lack.\\nMr. Amadeo. The want of elasticity you have used the right word\\nis what causes the frequent failures of the small banks of the United\\nStates.\\nDr. Carroll. We have not had many failures. When we have had\\nthem, they have been of a disastrous character; but there is no loss to\\nthose who hold the notes issued, because they are guaranteed.\\nMr. Amadeo. You should modify the system so as to increase\\nelasticity.\\nDr. Carroll. That is the opinion of our financiers in the Treasury\\nDepartment. More than one has called the attention of Congress to\\nthe necessity of it.\\nMr. Amadeo. If in the United States they think it necessary to\\nintroduce an improvement, where there is great capital and facility\\nfor obtaining money, how necessary it is to have a better system here.\\nI think the banks here should be allowed to circulate at least three\\ntimes the value of their capital.\\nDr. Carroll. Then how would you secure these notes?\\nMr. Amadeo. History has never given an instance where it has been\\nnecessary to redeem notes to an amount which crippled the banking\\ninstitution, except in one instance, namely, the Bank of Glasgow,\\nwhich was ruined through gross mismanagement. That could happen\\nanywhere.\\nDr. Carroll. But in the history of the United States, during and\\nbefore the civil war, when we had a system of State banks, there were\\nso many failures that it was hardly possible to circulate the notes of\\nany bank outside of the immediate neighborhood of that bank, and\\nevery merchant needed to keep a bank-note directory, so that he would\\nknow what banks had failed. The people of the United States are\\nvery much afraid to go back to anything like that.\\nMr. Amadeo. That can hardly be construed as an argument, because\\nit was an unusual time, because State bonds even were an uncertain\\nquantity. Greenbacks were worth nothing and State bonds were worth\\nbut little more.\\nDr. Carroll. There were no greenbacks then. They appeared\\nduring the war.\\nMr. Amadeo. History has shown us that the intervention of the state\\nin banking matters has, except for the purpose of merely protecting\\nthe people, met with no beneficial results. These matters ought to be", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0514.jp2"}, "515": {"fulltext": "505\\nleft to private initiation, with a certain amount of protection and regu-\\nlation by the Government. This country being one of paupers, I\\nthink banks should be allowed to increase their circulation beyond the\\npoint at which Federal banks are allowed to go. Before the establish-\\nment of the Federal banking system there was more freedom in the\\nbanking laws of the United States, and that system proved beneficial\\nto the country. The United States is still in need of banks. It needs\\nTerritorial and agricultural banks. There is one just starting in New\\nYork. This lends money in the shape of bonds quotable in all the\\nmoney markets, and such banks ought to be established in all the cities\\nof the Union. That has helped the development of Germany very\\nmuch. The economic condition of this country is very good, but the\\nfinancial system is bad. There are immense values in property, but\\nthere is little floating money to meet the debts which are owing there.\\nI consider that the Government of the United States ought to work to\\nget a place on the stock exchange for the cedulas which will represent\\nthe landed property in Porto Rico, that they make the cedulas a me-\\ndium of exchange, the same as money, and they would not be subject\\nto much fluctuation.\\nDr. Carroll. That seems to be hardly a matter for the Govern-\\nment, but rather a matter for private enterprise, because the stock\\nexchange has the right to list or not list stocks and bonds as it desires.\\nMr. Amadeo. I think there is just where the Government ought to\\ncome in. In its beginning it had to assist small States to prosperity,\\nand it should do the same for us by bringing such a proposition to the\\nattention of the proper parties: Before this country was given its\\nautonomy, before the war, I had prepared a financial plan, which was\\nto borrow money on values in the island, and to facilitate the placing\\nof the securities which should represent these values. A portion of\\nthem were to be placed with the banks here, so that they could assist\\nthe agriculturist, these banks to have their financial representative in\\nNew York, just as the French colonial banks have their agents in\\nParis. These agents could attend to the leasing of these cedulas, and\\nthe rest of the loan could be applied to the construction of roads all\\nover the island.\\nDr. Carroll. Both States and municipalities in the United States\\nare accustomed to go into the market to raise money when they need\\nit. Municipalities of the far West bring their bonds to the New\\nYork market and get what they can for them, and those bonds are\\ntaken notwithstanding the fact that there are few municipalities in\\nthe United States that have not already a heavy burden of debt.\\nMr. Amadeo. That is all right in the United States, where there is\\nmoney, but the Territorial Bank requires immediately the loan of\\n$1,000,000, and where is it going to get it?\\nDr. Carroll. When it becomes a part of the United States, why\\nshould it not go into the New York market the same as municipali-\\nties or States of the United States go into the market?\\nMr. Amadeo. Before that time comes about it will die of hunger.\\nDr. Carroll. I think there is a great deal of vitality in Porto\\nRico yet.\\nMr. Amadeo. Porto Rico, as you say, has considerable vitality,\\nbut I will compare it, with the permission of Dr. Cordova here, to a\\nyoung man who has lost much of his blood and is in a state of paresis.\\nSuppose this were a meeting of Porto Ricans who had got together to\\nraise a loan, we should find the situation would be this We would", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0515.jp2"}, "516": {"fulltext": "506\\nknow exactly what we wanted the loan for, but not one of us would\\nbe able to say how we were to get the money. The world to-day is\\nonly coming to understand the principles of cooperation, and what\\nPorto Rico needs is to bring into cooperation those forces and influ-\\nences and measures which shall supply the things that are needed for\\nour advancement.\\nOnce having realized the conversion of the money, money conditions\\nbeing properly regulated, and facility being given to the introduction\\nof capital here, judicial proceedings of foreclosure being suspended\\nfor one year so as to enable agriculturists to make use of the capital\\nwhich would flow into the country, it would even be in order to take\\ncertain measures, such as the assistance of the Agricultural Bank.\\nAnd if the Government should dispose of $1,000,000, more or less, col-\\nlected from the custom-house, I do not see any reason why it should\\nnot facilitate or assist the Agricultural Bank with its money. If it\\nshould do so, the bank would then be able to lend the agriculturists\\nsums of money up to the value of 40 per cent of their estates, and\\nestablish in the United States an agent who could attend to the\\nquoting and leasing of their stock.\\nDr. Carroll. Is 40 per. cent the limit set?\\nMr. Amadeo. Yes; 40 per cent is the rate, and forty years is the\\ntime. The Agricultural Bank, with another million dollars of capital,\\ncould undertake these operations and could make the cedulas of\\nquotable value in the markets of New York and Europe, and I think\\nthat the employment of public nionej^ in that direction would do the\\ncountry at this present moment more good than on roads, because it\\nwould fortify the production of the country, and this production would\\nbe the basis on which to levy for the construction of roads.\\nThe proceeding that I am advocating now is not in any way a new\\none. In the United States it has never been made use of, owing to the\\npowerful force of initiative which governs that country; but in Europe,\\nfrom the democratic Switzerland to the imperial Russia, the govern-\\nments have created agricultural banks and endowed them with large\\ncapital to carry on their business. I also see no reason why the Spanish\\nBank should not be equally assisted by allowing it to continue its note\\ncirculation.\\nDr. Carroll. Would you continue the Spanish Bank as a monopoly?\\nMr. Amadeo. No; I don t sanction any monopoly for any bank; but\\nit would be a good thing for the country, and until the arrival of new\\ncapital if the bank were allowed to emit notes up to the limit which it\\ndid previously some relief would be afforded.\\nDr. Carroll. Could it do that without embarrassing confidence in\\nits solvency?\\nMr. Amadeo. Up to the present the bank has always attended\\npunctually to the redemption of its notes. The circulation of paper\\ncurrency does not really depend upon the amount of money it repre-\\nsents. It depends upon the confidence with which the people accept\\nit, and as they have always accepted it up to the present, I see no\\nreason why it should not continue to be accepted with the same confi-\\ndence. These measures taken together would enable us to tide over\\npresent difficulties until new capital should come in but if it did not\\ncome, we would be able to go after it, because we would have some-\\nthing to offer for it. I recommend strongly that these measures be\\ntaken, because we are in a state of crisis, and not only so, but on the\\nbrink of a destructive liquidation.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0516.jp2"}, "517": {"fulltext": "507\\nAGRICULTURAL BANKS.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nUtuado, P. R., January 18, 1899.\\nMr. Justo A. Mandez Martinez and Mr. Juan Vivo, a delegation\\nfrom Lares, the former second assistant alcalde of Lares and the latter\\nvice- judge of the same district; both are coffee planters.\\nDr. Carroll. As you perhaps already know, I am visiting the\\nisland with the object of investigating the condition of agriculture,\\nof labor, and of the municipalities particularly, and I desire from you,\\nas representatives of Lares, such statements respecting the interests\\nof that city as you may feel inclined to make.\\nMr. Martinez. We thank you for your good intentions, and wish\\nfirst to tell you that our efforts are directed in the interests of agricul-\\nture; that we wish for the establishment of agricultural banks. In\\nthe next place, for the better working of our municipal governments,\\nwe desire the most ample municipal autonomy. We also desire modi-\\nfications of custom-house duties and the exchange of money.\\nWe wish to emphasize particularly that if agriculture is not assisted\\nand encouraged, agricultural commerce will fall and the arts and\\nindustries will suffer. Agriculture is the life of this country. We\\nwish you to understand also that we agriculturists who have our small\\ndebts are obliged to give our crops over to the merchants. There is\\nno competition among merchants, and they can put their own price\\non the crops; whereas we have to take the provisions we consume at\\nthe prices demanded by the merchants, as we can not go to the other\\ndistricts, not having credit there. In that respect also we are at the\\nmercy of the merchants. Therefore we earn almost nothing from our\\nlabor. The merchant is the one who makes the profit out of our work.\\nThis state of things would be prevented if we had agricultural banks\\nwhich could take upon themselves the business of lending money to\\nthe agriculturists. This would enable the agriculturist to sell his\\ncrops when the prices are highest.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you refer to the retail merchants in Lares or to\\nthe exporters in the coast cities?\\nMr. Martinez. We mean the exporters. If there were banks, we\\ncould go and buy where we could get provisions cheapest, and could\\nsell where we could get the best prices. We are completely in the\\nhands of the merchants, and that has brought agriculture to its\\npresent state of ruin to such a state of ruin that suspension of judi-\\ncial proceedings is necessary.\\nDr. Carroll. Are the planters being pressed by the merchants for\\ntheir debts, both mortgage and floating?\\nMr. Martinez. Yes and something must be done, because agricul-\\nture can not continue under present conditions. To take 1 hundred-\\nweight of codfish to our estate to give to our peons we have to pay 1\\\\\\nquintals of coffee. How is it possible for the agriculturist to do that\\npay 12 per cent per annum interest and pay off what he owes at the\\nsame time? If it is within your province, I think you ought to take\\nsome steps to suspend judicial proceedings before the agriculturists are\\nbrought to complete ruin. Owing to the ruinous state of the agricul-\\nturist the working classes are in a state of deprivation, with no hope\\nand no means of subsistence, and the day will come when they will\\ndeclare themselves in open revolt. I think, if possible, something\\nought to be done in the way of road building to give them employ-", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0517.jp2"}, "518": {"fulltext": "508\\nment. That would at least give them some little hope of earning a\\nlivelihood for the time being.\\nDr. Carroll. If the creditor takes possession of the estate, it will\\nbe worth nothing to him unless he works it, and in that case the new\\nowner would give work to the laborers.\\nMr. Martinez. Doubtless what you say is correct. A few years\\nago we were in a better position, owing to the high prices of coffee,\\nbut to-day we are utterly helpless to give work to our peons. We\\nhave hardly money enough to continue the working of our estates.\\nDr. Carroll. To what is the present low price of coffee due?\\nMr. Martinez. One of the reasons is that our largest market, Spain,\\nhas declared a heavy duty against us, considering us a foreign nation.\\nWe have not a single important market now.\\nDr. Carroll. How about Cuba?\\nMr. Martinez. Cuba affects more the tobacco market. We used\\nto send only about 5 per cent of our coffee crop to Cuba, and that the\\nworst grades.\\nDr. Carroll. What duty did Spain formerly charge on importa-\\ntions of coffee from Porto Rico?\\nMr. Martinez. I do not know exactly, but it was a very small\\namount.\\nDr. Carroll. It was very large on sugar.\\nMr. Martinez. That was to protect the sugar of Andalusia, in the\\nsouth of Spain. We pay to-day $10 per 100 pounds to get our coffee\\ninto Spain.\\nDr. Carroll. There is no duty on it in the United States.\\nMr. Martinez. Our coffee is not known there. There is no market\\nfor it. Within a couple of years we hope they will know it in the\\nUnited States.\\nDr. Carroll. You ought to endeavor to introduce it there, inas-\\nmuch as it is a free market.\\nBANKS, SAVINGS BANKS. AND FINANCIAL CORPORATIONS.\\nSTATEMENT OF JOSE AMADEO, M. D.\\nPatillas, P. R., March, 1899.\\nA few years ago the efforts of a few thinking men, headed by Julian\\nBlanco, founded the Banco Agricola, which was favored by the pleth-\\nora of Mexican silver. The retirement of this and the Cuban war,\\nwhich induced want of confidence, slowly undermined its usefulness,\\nand latterly the approach of the American fleet completed the work.\\nThe Spaniards, principal owners of the wealth of the country, with-\\ndrew their capital from circulation, refused loans which formerly\\nthey had proffered, exacted the immediate payment of loans, and\\nthus created a difficulty for the sale of securities which has been\\nhighly prejudicial. To this add the fall in the rental value of prop-\\nerty, want of assistance in moving the crops, and their consequent\\nloss. We know of a case where, for want of 8300 for cultivation, a\\nlandowner lost crops of the value of $4,000.\\nAnd worse still, we are foreseeing the foreclosure of obligations\\nwhich for want of circulating medium have not been liquidated. To\\nsuch an extent is there a shortage that in some districts the custom of\\nbarter has been had recourse to, as in primitive times.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0518.jp2"}, "519": {"fulltext": "509\\nIf no extension is granted, if unfortunately seizures and auction\\nsales become prevalent, many families will be ruined.\\nAs the invasion and change of government are the part cause of the\\neconomic disturbance, it is their duty to protect, with their laws and\\ncapital, this fertile region of the Tropics.\\nThe Spanish Bank and the Ponce Savings Bank, which only loan at\\nthree months, are of little service to farmers, although in their sphere\\nof action they have been of some use.\\nThere is great need, therefore, of facilitating the establishment of\\nbanks of emission and savings banks, mutual societies, cooperative\\nand insurance, and other similar corporations, which will assist in the\\nwelfare and aggrandizement of the country.\\nNo country can be prosperous without the existence of fiduciary\\nand personal credits, which assist the mobilization of securities and\\nconstitute an additional source of wealth for the use of the com-\\nmunity.\\nIf Spain had applied a portion of its useless war budget, since its\\ninitiation, to the work of assisting the productiveness of this island,\\nher flag would not have suffered such a sad fall.\\nA million people satisfied with their nationality and with natural\\ndefenses are invincible.\\nPOSTAL, TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE SERVICE.\\nTHE TELEGRAPH.\\nThere are about 400 miles of lines for telegraphic purposes in the\\nisland of. Porto Rico. The operators employed by the United States\\nare enlisted men of the Signal Service, under Lieut. Col. William A.\\nG-lassford, chief signal officer of the island\\nThe Morse system of transmission is made use of in place of the less\\neffective system that was employed y the Spanish postal service,\\nwhich combined the telegraph system with the postal system previous\\nto the occupation of the island by the United States October 18, 1898.\\nThe following is the list of the telegraphic stations in Porto Rico,\\nmade in July, 1899\\nAdjuntas.\\nAguadilla.\\nAibonito.\\nArecibo.\\nArroyo.\\nBaranquitas.\\nBarros.\\nBayarcion.\\nCaguas.\\nCarolina.\\nCayey.\\ndales.\\nCoamo.\\nCorozal.\\nFajardo.\\nFajardo Light. 1\\nGuayama.\\nHuinacao.\\nJuana Diaz.\\nLares.\\nLas Marias.\\nLos Banos.\\nManati.\\nMayaguez.\\nNaguabo.-\\nPonce.\\nPlaya de Ponce.\\nRio Piedras.\\nSan German.\\nSan Juan.\\nUtuado.\\nVieques.\\nYabucoa. 3\\nYauco.\\nAt all of the above towns operators from the Signal Corps of the\\nArmy are stationed. Commercial business thereat is handled at the\\nrate of 20 cents United States money for 10 words or less, and 2 cents\\nfor each additional word over 10; address and signature are included\\nin the count. Commercial business is transmitted by heliograph at\\nthe rate of 40 cents for 10 words or less, and 4 cents for each addi-\\ntional word over 10. Telegrams are sent between Fajardo and the\\n1 Substation of Fajardo.\\n2 Telephone substation of Humacao.\\n3 Substation of Humacao.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0519.jp2"}, "520": {"fulltext": "510\\nisle of Vieques by means of the heliograph. The French railway\\nmanagement have petitioned the Government for permission to open\\nits telegraph stations to the public.\\nCABLE.\\nThe West India Panama Cable Company now has four cables from\\nthe island of Porto Rico, one east and one west from both Ponce and\\nSan Juan. There are three persons emploj ed at the Ponce office and\\nfour in San Juan. There has been a gradual reduction of rates for\\nthese cables from $1.85 a word in January, 1898, to February 15, when\\nthe rate became 75 cents a word between San Juan and New York.\\nThe cable company works in connection with the military telegraph\\nlines for inland towns. The apparatus used is the mirror galvanom-\\neter. This company own a steamer for repair work, with a crew and\\nworking force of 53 men.\\nTHE TELEPHONE.\\nThere are three telephone exchanges in the island of Porto Rico,\\nnamely, at Ponce, San Juan, and Mayaguez, and there are but few\\nprivate telephone lines in use at other places. The exchange at San\\nJuan had in April, 1898, 292 subscribers and ernpk 3 T ed 9 persons.\\nRental on telephones for hotels is $10 per month for stores, $6 for\\nprivate residences, $4 in native money.\\nIn the Ponce exchange there are 200 subscribers, 8 persons are\\nemployed, and the cost per month of telephones is $6 in town and 50\\ncents additional for telephones out of town, in native money.\\nThe Mayaguez system comprises about 100 subscribers. The monthly\\nrent for telephones here is $5 for commercial houses and $4 for private\\nresidences. Five persons are employed.\\nGOVERNMENT CONTROL OF THE TELEGRAPH.\\nSTATEMENT OF MAYOR ETTSTOQUIO TORRES.\\nGuayanilla, P. R., November 7, 1898.\\nComunicaciones. 1 Under this heading are understood postal and\\ntelegraph service.\\nWhen the United States Government took possession of the island\\nand suppressed several of the stations formerly open to public service,\\ntheir absence was deeply felt. Owing to the want of good roads, the\\ntelegraph has come to be a principal factor in commerce and a means\\nof communication with foreign parts.\\nIt is thought that if this service is given over to a private corpora-\\ntion only the principal towns will be given the use of the wires, many\\ntowns, such as this, being left in isolation, as the expense would not\\ncover the maintenance of a station. It would be convenient, there-\\nfore, that the Government take charge of this important service in\\nthe form established before that is, in connection with the post-\\noffice. In this way, in most of the towns, one employee could easily\\ntake charge of both posts and the two services together would produce\\nfar more than the cost. Thus public funds would suffer no harm and\\nthe entire country would reap the benefit of this necessary institution.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0520.jp2"}, "521": {"fulltext": "511\\nTHE POSTAL SERVICE.\\nUnder Spanish rule there were approximately fifty post-offices in\\nthe island of Porto Rico. These were combined with the telegraph\\nsystem of the island, and were under the supervision of an official\\nhaving the title administrador general de comunicaciones, which\\nrepresented what would be termed postmaster- general. Senor\\nOdaviano de Herrera y Cisneros was the last occupant of this office.\\nThe post-office, now under the supervision of Mr. Elliott, who is\\nalso postal agent at Ponce, comprises twenty offices now in operation\\nat chief towns in the island, and in each instance under the manage-\\nment of an American postal agent; but in the larger offices, where\\nthere are numbers employed, the native post-office clerks are found\\nworking side by side with Americans.\\nOf the twenty post-offices now in operation there are ten offices which\\nare money-order post-offices. United States postage stamps are sold\\nthroughout the island, and the number of post-offices will increase, as\\nnew contracts are being perfected daily for carrying the mails. There\\nis a railway postal service, where railroads afford the possibility of\\nsuch a service, and the insular mails are running very smoothly but\\nthe mail service with the United States was for some months quite\\nirregular. There are all together about fifty persons employed in the\\npostal service of the island of Porto Rico, the several offices being\\nmade a part of the city post-office at Washington, D. C, being\\nsimply branches of the Washington office. This condition is, how-\\never, only temporary, and in time the service in the island will be a\\nregular service distinct from the present dependence upon Washington.\\nThe post-office at the capital, San Juan, was opened and went into\\nfull operation at noon of October 19, twenty-four hours after the for-\\nmal occupation of the island by the United States.\\nThe postal agent having direction at San Juan is H. K. Van Alstyne,\\nwho is assisted in his duties by sixteen clerks, a part of whom are native\\nPorto Ricans.\\nList of post-offices in\\nPorto Rico, April 1,\\n1899.\\nAdjuntas.\\nCornerio.\\nLas Marias.\\nRio Grande.\\nAibonito.\\nCanavanos.\\nLuquillo.\\nRincon.\\nArroyo.\\nCidra.\\nLoiza.\\nSan Juan.\\nAnasco.\\nCorozal.\\nMayaguez.\\nSanturce.\\nAguadilla.\\nCeiba.\\nMorovis.\\nSan Sebastian.\\nArecibo.\\nDorado.\\nManati.\\nSan German.\\nAguada.\\nFajardo.\\nMoca.\\nSalinas.\\nAguas Buenas.\\nFlorida.\\nMaunabo.\\nSan Lorenzo.\\nBayamon.\\nGuayarna.\\nMaricao.\\nSanta Isabel.\\nBarceloneta.\\nGuanica.\\nNaranjit\\nSabana Grande,\\nBarros.\\nGuayanilla.\\nNaguabo.\\nToa Baja.\\nBarranquitas.\\nGurabo.\\nPenuelas.\\nTallaboa.\\nCabo Rojo.\\nHurnacao.\\nPonce.\\nTrujillo Alto.\\nCarolina.\\nHatillo.\\nPlaya Naguabo.\\nUtuado.\\nCaguas.\\nIsabela.\\nPatillas.\\nVieques.\\nCoamo.\\nJuana Diaz.\\nPiedras.\\nVega Alta.\\nCayey.\\nJuncos.\\nPunta Santiago.\\nVega Baja.\\nCamuy.\\nLajas.\\nQuebradillas.\\nYabucoa.\\nCiales.\\nLares.\\nRio Piedras.\\nYauco.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0521.jp2"}, "522": {"fulltext": "512\\nMORE TELEGRAPHIC FACILITIES.\\n[Statement of Senor De Gastambiue.]\\nYATJCO, P. R., November 10, 1898.\\nPostal and telegraph stations should be established in every town\\nand village in the island without exception, and of an official nature,\\nwithout reference to private lines which may be granted concessions,\\nif it is thought convenient. Frequently one or two telegraph wires\\nare not sufficient to cope with the general service of the island. There\\nshould be a tendency to establish telephonic connection between all\\ntowns of any importance. To put an end to the abuses which have\\nbeen the subject of complaint, postal employees should be laborious\\nand honest.\\nPUBLIC LANDS AND MINES.\\nSan Juan, P. R., October 29, 1898.\\nDr. Carbonell (secretary of the interior). My department has\\njurisdiction over the granting of concessions and the sale of Crown\\nlands, and I wish to call your attention to the fact that the Spanish\\nGovernment in December last sold just outside the port here 9,000\\nsquare meters of land for $216\u00e2\u0080\u0094 land which is worth $180,000. Al-\\nthough that title is registered here, it can be set aside. The register\\nwho formerly held this office, and who held it at the time this land\\nwas sold, has gone to Spain, taking with him a fortune of $200,000.\\nDr. Carroll. Did he have control of the selling of the property?\\nDr. Carbonell. He registered the property wrongly and in contra-\\nvention of existing laws.\\nDr. Carroll. Why was the property sold for such an extremely\\nsmall amount? Was some official of the Government a beneficiary?\\nDr. Carbonell. The property was put up at public auction, but\\nno one knew anything about the auction but the man who bought it\\nin, and that was a business between the purchaser and the intendencia.\\nDr. Carroll. He must have paid more for. it privately.\\nDr. Carbonell. Yes; doubtless he did. According to the Spanish\\nlaw sales of public property can not be had without the approval of\\nthe board of military engineers, and that was not obtained, for which\\nreason the deed of the property so sold can be set aside and the United\\nStates take possession of the land in question.\\nDr. Carroll. Were these lands previously rented by the Govern-\\nment?\\nDr. Carbonell. No.\\nDr. Carroll. The Government got no income from them?\\nDr. Carbonell. I do not know as to that.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you know how much of Crown lands remain?\\nDr. Carbonell. That is a question impossible to answer, and made\\nimpossible by the express act of the retiring Government. There\\nexisted archives relating to the whole of the public lands, and these\\nhad indexes, but since the Spaniards have gone the indexes have\\ndisappeared.\\nDr. Carroll. Does the Government own the mines of the island?\\nDr. Carbonell. Yes; the State is the owner of the mines.\\nDr. Carroll. Does it rent them?", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0522.jp2"}, "523": {"fulltext": "513\\nDr. Carbonell. It cedes them to a person, and reserves so much\\nper ton of the ore. Placer mining is free for any person who desires\\nto work such mines.\\nDr. Carroll. Has a general survey been made of the mineral\\nresources under the direction of the Government?\\nDr. Carbonell. It has been completely abandoned it is not even\\nknown whether there exists gypsum ore.\\nDr. Carroll. Are there deposits of coal in the island?\\nDr. Carbonell. There is a very inferior class of lignites.\\nDr. Carroll. There are plenty of stone quarries?\\nDr. Carbonell. Yes; even marble. Native copper .has been dis-\\ncovered in a free state; also silver.\\nDr. Carroll. Then it is hardly known what the mountains really\\ncontain?\\nDr. Carbonell. No. It is the opinion of an intelligent geologist\\nhere that by following the River Luquillo you would arrive at the\\nvein which naturalists sa} r must exist before there can be washings.\\nDr., Carroll. Is it the law here in the island that where minerals\\nare found, whether under a man s house or elsewhere-, they belong to\\nthe State?\\nDr. Carbonell. The owner of the land has a right only to its\\nsuperficial soil.\\nDr. Carroll. Then, if there are large mineral resources, they might\\nbe developed and thereby greatly increase the revenues of the island?\\nDr. Carbonell. There is a very rich phosphate of lime deposit.\\nAt one time these deposits were worked and the product sent to Ger-\\nmany. They took it chiefly from the Mona Island, but even in this\\nisland there are very important deposits.\\nMINERAL RESOURCES.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nSan Juan, P. R., November 2, 1898.\\nMr. Francisco T. Sabat, deputy collector of customs at San Juan:\\nMr. Sabat. In the district of Cabo Rojo are saline deposits, both\\nnatural and artificial. By artificial I mean that in some cases the\\nebb of the sea water has been obstructed and the salt deposited by\\nevaporation. These are the property of the company which acquired\\nthem from the Spanish Government and which now works them.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there any coal produced in the island?\\nMr. Sabat. A vein of coal of a poor quality has been discovered,\\nsamples of which are in the engineers museum here, if they have not\\nbeen taken away by the Spaniards. There are copper mines in\\nNaguabo, iron mines on the top of Yunque Mountains, which have\\nnot been worked because, apparently, the product is not a desirable\\none from a commercial point of view. There is also placer mining in\\nthe river Corozal and in Luquillo. The mines in Luquillo were\\nworked under Isabel II and Maria Christina of Spain, but the parties\\nto whom the concession was made abandoned the mines because they\\ngot very little gold out of them.\\nDr. Carroll. What coal is used here?\\nMr. Sabat. The coal used here is brought from Philadelphia and\\nCardiff. It is bituminous coal.\\nDr. Carroll. What does it cost in the market here?\\nMr. Sabat. I do not know, but just before the war it went up to\\n$15 a ton. Only charcoal is used in private houses.\\n1125 33", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0523.jp2"}, "524": {"fulltext": "514\\nB3\\nCO\\n=1\\nti\\nfl\\no\\no\\ntfc-1\\nO\\ny. 6 6 o 6 6 }t- 6y, 6 6 6 6 6 c.% 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6^666\\nce S\\n\u00c2\u00a3o\\nRMS\\ncfi ni N _g\\n,\u00c2\u00a7S|.2\u00c2\u00a7\\n,3 6\\no^ \u00c2\u00b0M\\nS a\\ni3 fa as g\\nrj 03r- S 3\\n\u00e2\u0096\u00a0a -SPS\\nj St o\\nO cS cS O b\\nfjrh g Sh 02\\nS o\\nooooo ooooocco\u00c2\u00a9 Z S S 3\\nT3 C3 r 3 3 r o r di3 c;T3 r^sc 3 B 1 60 2 D*C\\nslS cs i\\nfla o\\nN 5?\\nS\\nrO s^ a s^3\\nos^ 03 cs o =e cs cs\\n03 S\\nO c3 CO\\nr. :I,\\n\u00c2\u00abo-3\\nO i :z\\\\\\nflS-\\no\\n3 S l3fo\\nSSOsifeaaOScJ\\ns\\n05\\nIt-I CS^ Or,-! 1\\nri\\n\u00e2\u0096\u00a0j -s\\nM\\nC\\nOJX p\\n\u00c2\u00ae,fa\\n00 m*g\\nOO\u00c2\u00ae\\ngOOOOOOO OrS 0 S-\u00c2\u00a3 OOO\\nCj C3\\n53 03\\no3\\n^\u00e2\u0096\u00a0r, *a 5^\\n1 cc g J3 1\\npq\\nr.\\nifcCW\\n\u00e2\u0096\u00a0So?\\nCO\\nC O w v\\nO\\n.OOOOOOOOOOC fa S OOOOOOCO\\n_U T3 Tj lj rjj T3 r-J r-j rjj rg ~j r^J g r^J qj -3 r^ rjj -3 r^J r^\\n5 s?\\nS3 os\\n3 1 ere) 03 S i\\nco\\n03\\nIlls\\ni I i\\n000000^ Cm *oo\\n3: D 1 1 1 IT\\nlies\\n-t Z\\\\ T -3 IT X ^XXMOO\\ncc o ^r -ji zc -jz cc x x x x x ao N\\nc: -f c: tr. -T- -e- r: i\\nMSlNJlN5!\u00c2\u00abHr-iHHHHrtrlriN5\\nlOn\u00c2\u00abHH*51rit\\n2-\\n03\\nS s\\ng\u00c2\u00bbd\\ncS c3\\nqfe 25\\nEg\\ncS\\n\u00c2\u00ae3\\nCD CD\\na cc\\n-t=l\\nc4 k y\\nJO\\nJ\\n--J1\\nfcfl\\n3oS.5ogc-S2^ SSS9 H i-\\no ce\\n!3sa\\na o e.a a S^ Ss s 5- \u00c2\u00a75 3", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0524.jp2"}, "525": {"fulltext": "515\\no o\\no o o\\noooooooodooo\\nQaaQQOQOOQQa\\no o o o o\\n3QQQQ\\no o o\\nOOP\\nooooooooooooooo\\nPPPPPPPPPPPPPQQ.\\ni\\n4\\nS\\nd\\n03\\n-d\\ni\\nS\\n5 Ifc\\n=8\\n\u00c2\u00a9,Q\\nB\\ngo\\na\\n-Q S P\\nk\\nojtfl CO\\nO JO o\\nc3 r\\n2-s\\ngo\\nfed\\nrt c3\\n\u00c2\u00a7-2 2\\no55\\nceo\\ng-d?*\\no -P\\nS3\\nos a\\na\\nrd;q\\nJ3 Ofe\\n~S p\\no g o a o o 0*3 a g o o\\n.o i a -a Pr-s\\nIK Jdi |P\u00c2\u00abi\u00c2\u00abJ\\n2^ o ob o\\ni a\\n05 MB\\na\\no3\\n\u00c2\u00a9,Q \u00c2\u00a9,D\\nMil SJ\\nh OoPh B P\\na 2 S 2\\n5 o3 d5P^3 tco\\n5 f-3,5 u\\nSligtnpH jfL,\\nb t\u00c2\u00ab\\nH\\nffi CO\\n2M\\nEos og o\u00c2\u00a3 o-5 SoSeoo\\np d otj w o p gjd d d\\na a i\\nm -sK\\nd d d *d\\nq i^iW^fc\\no3\\n03 o3 ra\\nf^r- N to\\nc8 Wig.*\\na o3 g\\nO^QJ WP\\nbS-3\\nfcr-i [r\\nodoS? u\\nffl\\no X P d\\nS\u00c2\u00ab\\n\u00c2\u00a9,2 Bl\\na\\nP r S\\nja i\u00e2\u0080\u0094 i Bi\u00e2\u0080\u0094 i\\ncvd o o HnrrirrtfT p\\non,\\nP~\\n03\\nP\\n:.s so\\nir|3\\nvd o o O O S d S/d d\\nW Jzi\\nDk 0\\nQ\u00c2\u00a7\u00c2\u00a33\\nso\\nad\\n3\\no a\\nOOPS\\na\u00e2\u0080\u0094\\npH C\\nrf\\nera ?-4\\nO c3\\npqofQ\\n3 h\\nCU. !d\\n3 s||\\no\\nMr\\no o\\ni2 c\\n5j\\nflo\\nrH OB\\n1 2 c\\na^S o 2 p 1\\noSfflW-g a\u00c2\u00abg a\\n60-S O 03 c8 ce\\n56 (3 fS\\n?S o O Os ioomoo\\npeg\\nSoMo\\na\\nO O O O O o3 \u00c2\u00b03\\nr d r d d r d r d pj pj OB\\n-d P.\u00c2\u00a9\\na o\\n+i\\nS OJ o3\\nO O c8 08 O^i\\nO jL\\no 2 5 05 5 5 o o\\nu d O g-- 3 p.grQ d o\\ng S 008 3-\u00c2\u00b0 is\\nO o3\\nfltJ OB P-\\nO 03 o\\npJOOOi\\na\u00c2\u00a7\\nCSO-Ht CO SO CO\\n(55 t^ CO rH C5 CJ5 CSJ^CR\\nOS ^tH\\nCM H51B1M\\nC3^H-^c:asi\u00e2\u0080\u0094 icr. rHC2~TH-*C} oi^cBjcRt-\\nt-N^OClOOOOQlBtQlOO\\nCCCO-^COCOCCCOCOCCCOCOJiCCClCO\\n03 08 ob fn c8\\nS- S?S 5\\nfl o3\\nofc\\n03 03\\n.2 I a :a :3^o\\n_ 5 a s fl hu ^t\\ntaoaoSfJci^^OrtoSoSCLi\\nH H B C C rJ/H P rJ V ri\\na c3 c3 e8 cS S- 3 S 03 c8\\n3-\u00c2\u00b0 S\\nSo \u00c2\u00a3P\\na\\no m\\nr* c8 c8 o3 o3\\n1 i_l M\\na a\\n2 so\\n.S g\\njjBp?\\nO c3 03\\nW02O\\no3 .5\\nOBrP\\n03 o3 03\\na \u00c2\u00a92\\nLlss-d-g^l\\n13\\n\u00c2\u00a9\u00e2\u0080\u00a2V c8\\nOB B h 1\\n2*2 a\\n.3^ go\\nOgcp\\nO* C3 OB\\n8 03", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0525.jp2"}, "526": {"fulltext": "516\\n03\\nq6666666o6\\nQCOCDQQQQ\\nPi\\nPI\\nO\\nO\\nSi\\ns\\n.2\\n:.d\\n;.h :os\\ng,o a g\\n1.2 S_o+3\\na 3-\u00c2\u00b0\\no.s grc JS-8 -,-8\\nfew o fl a grSOncc a\\n-k ,:S \u00c2\u00aba c S\\nt\u00c2\u00abCQ\\nSn3 3 o3 gWra\\nca o o a o 2.2\\n03 03 03\\nt^jr-^ 03 are\\nH 03-^ o S\\nSo\u00c2\u00abfiS\\nN a3 c3\\nS 2\\no3 oS J-\\nasSsr\\n2 ft\\n2 o\\no wo s a^ o3 a S\\n1-3\\nl", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0526.jp2"}, "527": {"fulltext": "517\\nMUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT.\\nMUNICIPAL DISTRICTS.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nSan Juan, P. R., October 28, 1898.\\nMr. Manuel F. Rossy, lawyer:\\nDr. Carroll. Do the districts here correspond to counties in the\\nUnited States?\\nMr. Rossy. No; a municipal district, as it is called here, consists\\nof a certain portion of territory in which there is included a certain\\nnumber of houses; that is the base of the municipality. There are\\n70 municipal districts in Porto Rico the largest of about 56,000\\ninhabitants and the smallest of about 4,000. These districts are quite\\ndistinct from what are called the judicial districts of which there are, I\\nthink, 11. Each of the 70 municipal districts has its municipal govern-\\nment, and these as a whole are subject to the provincial deputation.\\nBesides the division of the island into municipal and judicial dis-\\ntricts, it is also divided into 7 military districts, which are: San Juan,,\\nArecibo, Aguadilla, Maj^aguez, Ponce, Guayama, and Humacao, at the\\nhead of each of which there was a military commander.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the composition of the municipal govern-\\nment?\\nMr. Rossy. The actual state of affairs in municipal and provincial\\ngovernment is the old one. They did not have time to get down to\\nthat before the war brok*e out. They had elections in February and\\nMarch and war broke out in April, and municipal government remained\\nas it was under the old regime.\\nDr. Carroll. What was the former municipal government?\\nMr. Rossy. The old system, which is at present in force, has a.\\nmunicipal council elected by all persons residing in the municipality,\\nand is composed of members called councilors, varying in number\\nfrom 9 to 24, according to the importance of the municipality. Once\\nelected, they met and named their mayor, unless the Governor-General\\nshould wish to name the mayor, which he could do, but the person so\\nnamed by him had to be one of the councilors.\\nDr. Carroll. What was the term of the councilors and mayors?\\nMr. Rossy. The councilors remained in office four years, half of\\nthem being replaced every two years. The mayor held office for two\\nyears.\\nDr. Carroll. Is the mayor intrusted with large powers?\\nMr. Rossy. Mayors had a twofold official character. As delegates\\nof the Governor-General they received orders in regard to political\\ngovernment; as heads of the municipalities they executed the man-\\ndates of the councilors and had by virtue of their office certain\\npowers over priests, vigilantes, and other matters of a purely local\\ncharacter, which they exercised at discretion.\\nDr. Carroll. Are the highways controlled by the municipal gov-\\nernment or by the provincial?\\nMr. Rossy. Roads are divided into two classes one class called\\nmunicipal roads and streets, and the other called provincial roads.\\nThe former are those within the immediate limits of the municipality,\\nand provincial roads are those which connect the municipalities.\\nProvincial roads are under the jurisdiction of the provincial gov-\\nernment.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0527.jp2"}, "528": {"fulltext": "518\\nDr. Carroll. Can you inform me in regard to the schools of the\\nmunicipalities?\\nMr. Rossy. The schools are governed under a law promulgated by\\none of the captains-general, and also by the school law of the new\\nautonomous government. It is a provincial matter. The naming of\\nteachers is under the immediate jurisdiction of the secretary of\\nfomento. In respect to financial matters, such as payment of sala-\\nries, repairs of school buildings, etc., the schools depend upon the\\nmunicipality.\\nDr. Carroll. Do the mayors direct the municipal police, municipal\\nfire department, and similar municipal matters?\\nMr. Rossy. They have charge of the police. There are further\\nboards, called local boards, whose duties include the inspection of\\nschools and education generally. They are named by the mayors of\\neach municipality.\\nDr. Carroll. Who prescribes the text-books?\\nMr. Rossy. Formerly they were prescribed by the governor-general,\\nbut they are now prescribed by the secretary of fomento.\\nDr. Carroll. Have the mayors also powers of magistrates to hear\\nand determine cases of any kind?\\nMr. Rossy. Absolutely none.\\nTHE TAKING OF THE CENSUS.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nSan Juan, P. R., November 1, 1898.\\nDr. Francisco del Valle, mayor of San Juan\\nDr. Carroll. How was the general census of the island taken for\\nthe year 1897?\\nDr. Del Yalle. The census was taken in December of that year, in\\nthe following way: Printed statements were sent to each person con-\\ntaining instructions as to how to fill out the census blanks, but a\\ngreat many people in the interior did not understand these blanks and\\nhad no one to show them, besides which the native peasant always has\\nhad the idea that anything in the shape of printed paper from the\\nGovernment meant additional taxes. Most of them try in their\\nreturns to diminish the number of persons in their family, hoping\\nthus to diminish the anticipated tax. I hand you now a note as to the\\nnumber of inhabitants of this city in the years 1846, 1857, 1860, 1877,\\n1888, and 1897, and also a description thereof. Also a note as to the\\ninhabitants of the various departments, as taken the 22d of March,\\n1888.\\nDr. Carroll. Are there any schools or asylums for deaf and blind\\npersons here?\\nDr. Del Valle. No.\\nDr. Carroll. Are there any native insurance companies?\\nDr. Del Yalle. There was a native life insurance company, run on\\nthe assessment plan, but after being in existence for a short time it\\nfailed.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there any fire insurance company?\\nDr. Del Valle. Only foreign companies English and American.\\nDr. Carroll. Do people generally take out insurance on their\\nbuildings?", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0528.jp2"}, "529": {"fulltext": "519\\nDr. Del Valle. A good many do, but not so many as in the\\ncountry districts, because here the buildings are all brick, and in the\\ncountry they are of wood.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you often have serious fires in the city?\\nDr. Del Valle. As a general rule fires here are much less com-\\nmon than in other cities of the island. Those which have taken place\\nhave been usually in the neighborhood of the warehouses. There was\\none a short time ago in a warehouse in Tetuan street.\\nDr. Carroll. Are there any asylums or almshouses or other x^ro-\\nvisions made for the poor of the city\\nDr. Del Valle. There is one, the expense of which was borne by\\nthe municipality, for poor of both sexes, situated in Puerto de la Tierra,\\nand also one situated in the same suburb supported by a religious\\norder called the Sisters of the Poor.\\nDr. Carroll. About how many inmates are there?\\nDr. Del Valle. From 90 to 100.\\nDr. Carroll. Are orphaned children cared for by religious orders?\\nDr. Del Valle. There is only one building of that description,\\ncalled the Beneficiencia, which is a provincial building for the whole\\nisland. Other buildings of that class are absolutely necessary to take\\ncharge of children who are on the road to prostitution and perdition\\nbecause they are absolutely abandoned.\\nDr. Carroll. Is that the only one in the island?\\nDr. Del Valle. It is the only one. There is an institution con-\\nducted by the society called San Ilclef onso, but they take in only about\\n25. That is in San Juan.\\nDr. Carroll. Have the results of the census been tabulated?\\nDr. Del Valle. No; they have not.\\nDr. Carroll. Under whose direction was the census conducted?\\nDr. Del Valle. There was a very complicated arrangement. There\\nwas a central board formed, a provincial board, and a departmental\\nboard, each to look after its own work, but the work was interrupted\\nby the war.\\nDr. Carroll. Under whose direction is the census?\\nDr. Del Valle. The Secretary of Government.\\nDr. Carroll. What about the morality of the city of San Juan.\\nDr. Del Valle. As to that, this city must be considered as a large\\nplace in proportion to the other towns of the island. There is a fair\\namount of prostitution, but with regard to other vices not so large as\\nmight be expected. There is much drunkenness here, though; there\\nis a good deal of vagabondage, and, as I suggested before, a great aban-\\ndonment of children. Only to-day the police in their rounds have\\npicked up quite a number of children, who, when asked where they\\nsleep, answered, In any doorway we can find. When asked what\\nthey eat, said, Whatever we can get hold of.\\nDr. Carroll. What are the causes of the abandonment of children?\\nDr. Del Valle. They are usually illegitimate children, and when\\nthe mother dies they are left without a roof. They sometimes beg of\\na neighbor to take them in, and sleep wherever they can find a corner;\\nbut just as frequently they have no other shelter than what they can\\nfind, and as there are no asylums besides the one mentioned, these\\nchildren are rapidly becoming criminals.\\nDr. Carroll. Do parents abandon their children?\\nDr. Del Valle. Not in the sense that they cast them out, but\\nthey do in the sense that they don t educate them or care much for\\ntheir development.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0529.jp2"}, "530": {"fulltext": "520\\nDr. Carroll. Do they not love their children\\nDr. Del Valle. Yes; even to the extent of allowing them to mis-\\nbehave with impunity.\\nDr. Carroll. Then, is not the abandonment of which you speak\\ndue more to their ignorance than to any other cause?\\nDr. Del Valle. Yes; that is the cause.\\nTOO MANY MUNICIPALITIES.\\nSan Juan, P. R., November 2, 1898.\\nAndres Crosas, merchant:\\nMr. Crosas. The island of Porto Rico, small in size, has seventy-\\ntwo cities or municipalities, and every municipality has a mayor,\\nsecretary, and common council. It is a terrible expense to the island\\nto sustain this common council in every village. We can not stand\\nit. The result of it is that taxes are very heavy indeed. These\\nmunicipalities are patterned after those of Spain. In some of the\\nsmallest of them they have eight or nine persons in the council, which\\ncosts small villages like Dorado from $14,000 to $18,000 a year. I\\nsee that in the States they are divided into counties, and in the more\\ncentral villages you have the different authorities to attend to justice;\\nbut this island, being small, is divided into seven military districts, and\\nat the centrally located town, or town of most importance, we should\\nhave the seat of the court. About fifteen mayors would be sufficient\\nfor the whole island, instead of seventy-two, as we have now. I think\\nthat these departments, which are equivalent to counties, would be\\nsufficient. There is a ridge of mountains running through the center of\\nthe island from east to west, and I think it might be divided in such\\na way that the northern part should be divided into so many central\\nplaces, and then it would not be necessary for people to go over the\\nmountains. That would be convenient, in my estimation. The present\\ndivision into departments does not take into account counties at all.\\nSometimes they stretch over the counties.\\nThere are many buildings which belong to the province, and of\\ncourse in the municipalities there are buildings which are municipal\\nproperty; but this evacuation commission that has met here has had\\nno one to inform it properly regarding the properties and to whom\\nthey belong. In fact, the public does not know what has taken place.\\nIt has been as closed as the door of a lodge within the commission. It\\nis feared that the Spanish commissioners have made it appear that-\\ncertain property belonging to the State, or otherwise, was national\\nproperty. For instance, there is a military hospital that was a dona-\\ntion by a Good Rule we had here to the municipality, and the munici-\\npality kept it out. When they thought fit, the military pounced on\\nit, took it away from the municipality, and then extended it. But\\nthe original land belonged to the municipality. In the same way, there\\nis a hospital next to the palace Santa Catalina, called the Concepcion.\\nThat is a municipal hospital which was built by donations from the\\ncitizens here for the purpose of providing medical attention for poor\\nwomen. I fear that as that building is next to the palace it has\\nbeen made to appear that it was national property of Spain. That\\nwas not the case.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0530.jp2"}, "531": {"fulltext": "521\\nTHE AMERICAN PLAN.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nArecibo, P. Pi., January 14., 1899.\\nDr. Carroll. What are you most interested in? People here\\nspeak generally of the matters which most concern themselves.\\nDr. Guillermo Curbelo (physician). The question of general\\nadministration. The system here needs to be Americanized, and to\\ndo that properly the Spanish centralization system should be abol-\\nished. As it is now, the government is embodied in the secretaries,\\nwho try, by putting their own people in office, to prepare for the\\nfuture elections as they did before. Not only alcaldes, but judges\\nand members of the municipal councils are named by the secretaries\\nof the government. Even school teachers are appointed by them, and\\ncases are common in which those possessing influence have gone to\\nthe capital, and by bringing that influence to bear on the secretaries, or\\nthe friends of the secretaries, have secured positions which they were\\nin no way competent to hold.\\nAnother point is that we should be granted municipal autonomy as\\nyou have it in the United States.\\nAnother matter is that of the police, who are appointed by the\\nmayor and not by the judicial body, as in other countries. As the\\npolice are friendly with everybody and know everybody, they are not\\nable to comply with their duties. I think that the military author-\\nities should give us a military police administration and teach the\\npeople to obey the laws, as the Spanish system of He who has money\\nis able to do what he likes is apparently in force, and will likely\\ncontinue in force for some time. Naturally they should try to get\\npolicemen who can speak Spanish, or, if sufficient Americans who\\nspeak Spanish can not be had, put some natives on the police force.\\nAnother reform is needed in the management of the office of the\\nescribanos. Things go on in their offices pretty much as these func-\\ntionaries want them to. One man, for example, wounds another in\\nan unlawful attack upon him, the wound is perhaps cured in four or\\nfive days, still the intention of harm is there, but if the aggressor\\nstands well with the escribano of the court and makes his position\\nfirmer by a little greasing, he can get out, The escribanos all over\\nthe island are a lot of bandits.\\nDr. Carroll. How do they profit by this system?\\nDr. Curbelo. For instance, I wound a man and am arrested. I see\\nthe escribano, give him a sum of money, and the whole matter is dis-\\nposed of. Owing to the immense amount of work the judges have to\\ndo, they sign a paper without looking at it, depending upon a clerk\\nto present the papers requiring signature. The clerk puts in a paper\\nhe wants signed along with fifty or sixty others and the judge signs it\\nwithout knowing what it is.\\nThe schoolteachers are the same who held under Spanish rule,\\nwhen it was sufficient to have a recommendation from the Spanish\\nparty, without regard to competency, to obtain a position. We are in\\nthe same position to-day. The schools are very badly administered.\\nThe board of public instruction here, of which Mr. Jauregui is a mem-\\nber, held a public examination recently, and only one school was found\\nto be even passably fair. The children in the other schools seemed to\\nknow nothing at all.\\nDr. Carroll. Is the trouble due to the teachers?\\nDr. Curbelo. Yes; they don t trouble themselves about teaching.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0531.jp2"}, "532": {"fulltext": "522\\nDr. Carroll. Was it not generally true of the teachers, where they\\nwere Porto Ricans at least, that they were very faithful to their duties\\nand sometimes taught for months without receiving any money?\\nDr. Curbelo. That happened right through the Spanish administra-\\ntion. The Spanish authorities appointed them for their vote, and\\nhaving appointed them, seemed to think that that finished their obli-\\ngation to them. This municipality is bankrupt, the same as other\\nmunicipalities in the island to-day.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you mean that the municipality is in debt\\nDr. CtJRBELO. That it is both in debt and without funds. They\\npretend to make savings, but what they really do is to charge the\\nbusiness interests with heavier taxes in order to give more places to\\ntheir friends and adherents.\\nDr. Carroll. I understood that there was no insular debt and no\\nmunicipal debt in the island.\\nDr. Curbelo. The municipalities owe salaries to their employees\\nfor months back.\\nDr. Carroll. But they have no bonded debts, I suppose?\\nDr. Curbelo. This municipality has a contract debt for building\\nan aqueduct. A Spanish engineer said it would cost 160,000, but they\\nhave since found it would cost $90,000, and are unable to get the bal-\\nance with which to finish it.\\nDr. Carroll. Would it be a good thing to finish it?\\nDr. Curbelo. When that estimate was made the alcalde was one\\nof the partners of the house of Rosas Co., and is now in Spain.\\nThis alcalde, who was in partnership with the engineer of public\\nworks, agreed or found it necessary, or pretended to find it necessary,\\nto take the water for the aqueduct from a point which would require\\na turbine, whereas they could have taken it at a point lower down,\\nwhere no turbine would have been required. They did that because\\nthey had a plan for building an electric plant. They had the town\\nspend $20,000 for a dam which otherwise they would have had to\\nbuild for their own account. That was why the work resulted so\\nexpensively. Thej 7 wished to install the electric-light plant at the\\nexpense of the city. After they had the waterworks they could pro-\\nduce the electric-light plant for $8,000. The house of Rosas Co. here\\nis the sole cause of the poverty of this city. The members of the firm\\nare millionaires. Mr. Figaros is one of the partners, although he\\ngives it to be understood that he has only a power of attorney to man-\\nage the business of the firm here. He has a large capital, too, of his\\nown. This house earns more than any other in the island. It has a\\ncredit balance each year of between three and four hundred thousand\\ndollars. They have ruined this cit} by resorting to every means pos-\\nsible to prevent other merchants from going ahead.\\nDr. Carroll. Do they have trouble with their men on the plantations?\\nDr. Curbelo. They can do nothing to their men now, but in Spanish\\ntimes they were the absolute bosses of the whole district. Men did\\nnot dare lift their heads to complain. The\\\\ r are very good citizens\\nnow and very quiet oh, very good and quiet!\\nDr. Carroll. What are your reasons for desiring an enlargement\\nof the powers of municipal government?\\nDr. Curbelo. For the reason that as these alcaldes at present\\ndepend for their positions on the central power, they have to please\\nthose in office at the capital, and as they have a number of relatives\\nin all these districts, the mayors have to create offices for them and\\ntake them whether they want them or not. Another reason for auton-", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0532.jp2"}, "533": {"fulltext": "523\\nomy is that the municipalities can not incur certain expenses, while\\nthe secretary in San Juan has that power.\\nDr. Carroll. Has the secretary power to inaugurate works without\\nreference to the will and judgment of the municipality itself?\\nDr. Curbelo. Yes, practically. He sends the municipality a plan,\\nwith his indorsement, to the effect that it would be convenient, and\\nthe municipalities always adopt plans sent to them in that way.\\nDr. Carroll. I suppose that the secretary means by such indorse-\\nment that it must be done.\\nDr. Curbelo. That is the Spanish way of giving an order that\\nthe convenience of the political party requires that you do this and\\nthat.\\nDr. Carroll. I notice that the municipalities of Porto Rico are\\nvery much extended. For instance, this of Arecibo includes much more\\nthan the city proper. There is a larger population outside the city lim-\\nits and within the municipal district than in the city itself. I want to\\nraise the question whether it would not be in the interest of home rule\\nby the people to divide these municipal districts and have a number\\nof municipalities where there is now but one.\\nDr. Curbelo. I think not.\\nDr. Carroll. It is the policy of the United States to encourage the\\norganization of hamlets, towns, and villages, as well as cities, for sev-\\neral reasons. In the first place, in order to give home rule to small\\naggregations of people; second, to encourage people to take part in\\ntheir own government, so that they may, by participating in village\\ngovernment, come to have an intelligent understanding of the basal\\nprinciples of civil government.\\nDr. Curbelo. Please allow a question. Do you think that in a\\ncountry like this, where hardly anyone knows how to read and write,\\npeople would be able to govern themselves? And in this municipality\\nthere are probably not more than 12 men who know anything about\\ncity government.\\nDr. Carroll. That is a difficulty, no doubt, but it is a difficulty not\\nunknown in the United States. There are sections where the people\\nare illiterate, but it does not follow that because a man can not read\\nor write he is not intelligent and has not a large amount of civic virtue.\\nDr. Curbelo. That is in the United States, not here among Span-\\nish people.\\nDr. Carroll. I have known members of rural boards of school\\ntrustees who were themselves unable to read or write, and yet who\\nwere anxious that their children and other children over whom they\\nhad supervision should have the largest facilities for acquiring an\\neducation and who were public-spirited men.\\nDr. Curbelo. They were Americans.\\nDr. Carroll. A third reason for this in the United States is the\\nfact that a group of houses forming a small hamlet will have few pub-\\nlic requirements compared with a large collection of houses compactly\\nbuilt in the municipality, and the wants of the villagers will be so\\nfew that their officers will be few and their public expenditures will\\nbe small, so that their taxes will be extremely light.\\nDr. Curbelo. That is all right. The reasons are good, but that\\nis in the United States. Here you can not get the people to live even\\nin little villages, because the estates are large and the people will not\\ncome together. Some of them who own little parcels of land, not\\nlarge enough to get a living out of, yet do not want to go into a vil-\\nlage, because, they say, people quarrel when they get together.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0533.jp2"}, "534": {"fulltext": "524\\nDr. Carroll. That is also the condition in the United Slates. In\\nthe cases of persons living separately in that way they are formed\\ninto townships and have a very simple government, but they all take\\npart in it and are interested in it.\\nI am not making an argument for such a system here; I am simply\\ntrying to set out the advantages it has to American eyes, with a view\\nto getting your opinion as to whether such a system can be intro-\\nduced in a gradual way into Porto Rico.\\nDr. Curbelo. Conditions of life here are not the same as in the\\nUnited States. There are three classes of property holders here\\nthose who have large estates, those who have only small estates, and\\nthose who live on a borrowed piece of land on which they are work-\\ning, and who. the day they cease to work for the owner of it, take up\\ntheir household effects and depart. The latter class is the most\\nnumerous.\\nDr. Carroll. Then the vast majority of the population of the\\nisland consists of the peasant or laboring class?\\nDr. Curbelo. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. The middle class here, then, is very small.\\nDr. Curbelo. Very small and very poor, and even the people who\\nare called rich are not so in fact. A people numbering a million with\\na circulating medium of only 5,000,000 pesos can not be other than\\npoor.\\nMr. Jauregui (druggist). I am in favor of American institutions\\nin every sense of the word. I think that the sj^stem of township\\ngovernment you have described is worthy of trial.\\nDr. Curbelo. If it were done on the American plan, it would be\\nfeasible, but if on the Spanish plan, where everybody wants to create\\nposts, it will end in a fiasco. For instance, in Hormigueros, by a\\nvote of 32 to 2, the municipality was consolidated with that of\\nMayaguez, which shows that the people there at least do not want\\nto have a separate governmental existence.\\nDr. Carroll. Is it not true that the suddenness with which the\\npeople have been set at liberty has led them to wish to exercise it in\\nsome way or other, and may not the trial of plans which have worked\\nelsewhere lead to the settling upon some one that would be permanent\\nand satisfactory; that is, to reach permanency through experiments\\nof that kind, just as when a boy is thrown on his own resources he\\nhas to try for himself?\\nMr. Jauregui. Up to the present we have suffered from the mis-\\ntakes and vices of the Spaniards, but now that we belong to another\\nsystem, of greater freedom, we think we ought to have that S3 7 stem\\nhere. If we have to learn all over again, we will do so, but we can\\nnot learn without having the sj^stem introduced, and we will learn to\\nwalk as the child does, falling down many times, but persistently\\ntrying again until it learns to walk.\\nDr. Carroll. I think that every experiment with regard to the\\nmanagement of schools and municipal government that has ever\\nentered into the mind of man has been tried in the United States.\\nMr. Jauregui. We will have to do the same thing here.\\nDr. Curbelo. The first thing to do here is to teach the people to\\nrespect the law.\\nDr. Carroll. I am asking the questions -ttiiich I have put to you,\\ngentlemen, everywhere I go, because as the island is to have a new\\ngovernment it is a question whether it ought to have these other\\nthings also, or whether you should have a new insular government", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0534.jp2"}, "535": {"fulltext": "525\\nand continue the rest of the system practically as it is. I am asking\\nthese questions for light as to the opinions of the people of Porto\\nRico.\\nDr. Curbelo. I have spoken with persons of intelligence here, and\\nfind that they understand very little about the American system. I\\nhave told them of the American township system in which, when they\\nhave not money enough to pay for police, some volunteer to act as\\npolice, and when they have not money enough to furnish lights the\\npeople put out lights. People here can not understand how a little\\ntown can manage for itself. The centralization system of government\\nhere is fatal to any aspirations to self-government. I will cite you an\\ninstance which will show how accustomed the people are to being\\nbossed. When the Americans arrived an officer sent word to the\\nmayor of one of our towns and said he wanted the use of a hospital,\\nand directed the mayor to clear it. out ready for use. The mayor\\nstraightway, without raising any objection or making any explanation\\nas to the situation, removed all the patients from the hospital, although\\nsome were at the point of death. That would not have happened in\\nthe United States.\\nDr. Carroll. When I first came down here it was with the general\\nidea of maintaining things as I found them as much as possible, and,\\nwhile giving Porto Rico a new form of government, to use the system\\nas far as might be as it now exists; but the more I inquire about it,\\nthe deeper I go into the subject, the more does it appear to me that\\nwhen the government is changed for a new one there should be a\\npretty thorough change in the system; not, perhaps, a radical change,\\nbut the introduction of those features, at least, which the leading men\\nof the island think it worth while to try.\\nDr. Curbelo. The island requires a thorough change in its system\\nof government.\\nMUNICIPAL AUTONOMY.\\n[Hearing- before the United States Commissioner.]\\nITtuado, P. R., January 17, 1899.\\nSenor R. Martinez, alcalde of Utuado\\nDr. Carroll. I would like to have something from you as to what\\nmeasure of municipal autonomy municipalities in the island ought to\\nhave.\\nThe Alcalde. We think that it is of the greatest importance that\\nwe should have the right to dispose of our own money, to form our\\nown budgets, and to attend to our own roads, without the intervention\\nof anyone at the capital. It sometimes happens that we have dis-\\nturbances of the peace, when we find it necessarj T to appoint ten or\\ntwelve extra policemen. To do this we have to prepare a petition\\nand send it to headquarters, and it takes ten or twelve days to get\\nit approved. In the meantime we are unable to suppress a disorder,\\nwhich, if we could attend to it ourselves, we could vote on the increase\\nof the police force and suppress the disorder at once. We frequently\\nwant to make a road for instance, from here to Ciales. To do so we\\nhave to send in a long ocument, and it takes, perhaps, six months\\nbefore it is returned, and perhaps it is finally refused. There would\\nbe no danger in empowering the ayuntamiento to raise and appro-\\npriate monkey for these municipal needs. Should the ayuntamiento", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0535.jp2"}, "536": {"fulltext": "526\\nexceed its powers and attempt to do anything which would prejudice\\nthe interests of the taxpayers, they are on the spot and could make\\ntheir claims, and they would know where to go and get attention if\\nthey thought the municipality was going outside of its sphere. More-\\nover, as the council is composed of the high-rate payers, they would\\nnot be apt to do anything which would injure rate payers, as they\\nwould be the first to suffer by such an injury. You must also take\\ninto account that it is not the municipality that prepares the assess-\\nments and budgets. They call everybody in who has an interest in\\nthe matter, and they fix the rate between them. I think the whole\\ncountry would gain considerably by granting municipal autonomy.\\nDr. Carroll. In the United States the cities have self-government,\\nbut within certain limits. Their proceedings are usually under char-\\nters, which limit their power, for instance, to contract debt. I sup-\\npose that such a limitation would be practicable in the island of Porto\\nRico.\\nMr. Siejo. I think it convenient if such a charter should include\\nthe power to borrow money.\\nDr. Carroll. Yes, but within certain limits. Cities in the United\\nStates are allowed to borrow a certain per cent of their taxable\\nproperty.\\nMr. Siejo. They would not want to borrow 2 per cent on the value\\nof the property here.\\nDr. Carroll. Another provision that they have generally in the\\nUnited States lodges in the hands of the governor power of removal\\nof the mayor of a city when cause is shown therefor on trial before\\nthe governor or before a commission.\\nThe Alcalde. We have that also.\\nDr. Carroll. Sometimes also a veto power is given over the mayor s\\npower of removal of the head of the department of public works or of\\nthe fire department or the police department. That is simply to pre-\\nvent unjust removals for political or other reasons.\\nThe Mayor. I think it is a good measure. I think there should\\nalways be a certain brake in the hands of the governor to prevent\\nacts being taken from personal or political motives to the injury of\\npublic officials.\\nDr. Carroll. The subject of municipal autonomy is an important\\none.\\nMr. Lucas Amadeo. I am a radical in that. I aspire to municipal\\nautonomy as it exists in the United States. The question is hardly\\ndiscussable. There can be but one side to it. The principle is fun-\\ndamental.\\nDr. Carroll. There is no doubt in my mind if the people will go\\nto that extent.\\nMr. Amadeo. Everything that is fundamentally true in government\\nshould be instituted. The people are waiting and are ready to accept\\nanything that has had a trial.\\nDr. Carroll. I understand that the opinion of the island inclines\\nmore and more to the adoption of American institutions generally,\\nnot including the penal and civil codes, because the people seem to\\nthink that with a few changes those may stand but that in all other\\nmatters, including methods of judicial procedure, American institu-\\ntions should be introduced.\\nMr. Amadeo. In what we call substantive laws that is, laws which\\ndeclare the rights of people we have very good codes, but our second-\\nary laws, which govern the administration of the codes, are not in", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0536.jp2"}, "537": {"fulltext": "5*27\\nproper relation to the codes themselves. They do not work out the\\nhonest meaning of the codes.\\nDr. Carroll. And are too complex, are they not?\\nMr. Amadeo. Yes; and give rise to twisted meanings and bad faith\\nin their operation.\\n(Note. Dr. Carroll here explained at length the municipal system\\nof the United States.\\nMr. Amadeo. The system of subdivision of governmental powers,\\nwhich gives to every community the administration suitable to its\\nposition and requirements, is just what I iind so admirable in the\\nmunicipal life of the United States, serving as it does as a school in\\ngovernment, as these different degrees of self-government are par-\\nticipated in by the people.\\nDr. Carroll. You are using the same argument that I used in\\nArecibo to show them the value of our system, which they seemed to\\nregard as impracticable for this island.\\nMr. Amadeo. Everything that is good appears to me to be possible.\\nOnly the bad appears impossible. Our commercial code is splendid,\\nbut our hypothecary law is bad and errs on the side of too much\\nstringency on the debtor. Speaking of our laws, I have always said\\nthat they are founded on a scientific basis, and are, therefore, accept-\\nable; but there is a tremendous hiatus in the police laws. There is\\nno system of police laws covering municipalities. We may say that\\nwe live without municipal regulations of any description, and that is a\\nwide field for work, because, as you understand, the police come into\\ndaily contact with the people, and the influence of police and police\\nlaws over the people is one of very greatest importance. In the\\norganization of the courts there is also great room for improvement.\\nMunicipal judges in most of the municipalities are machines of public\\ndestruction, instead of being dispensers of justice. They are posts\\nsought for and solicited because of the illeg;al methods of those hold-\\ning them; they give larger returns than any business. In the courts\\nof first instance are nests of parasites. The country has suffered from\\na horde of shysters who live by trying to get property owners into\\nlitigation, and this despicable practice has been protected by the\\nignorance of the judges and their venality. I think that the position\\nof a judge should be made a responsible position, and that could be\\naccomplished in the first place by electing them to office.\\nDr. Carroll. Would you give them long terms?\\nMr. Amadeo. To-day the tenure of judges is considered a guaranty\\nof their independence. In England the greatest normality has been\\nobtained in this direction, but the judicial system there is too expen-\\nsive there is too much luxury about it. There they have striven to\\nprevent all possible corruption of the judges by giving them salaries\\nwhich put them beyond want. I think judges should be elected by\\nthe people, but not by universal suffrage. I am not a partisan of uni-\\nversal suffrage. Candidates should have their names posted and\\nshould be subjected to a prior criticism by the people at large.\\nDr. Carroll. In the United States we have a campaign between\\nthe nomination and election.\\nMr. Amadeo. In the United States are the judges named by the\\nexecutive power, or elected?\\nDr. Carroll. In some States they are appointed, and in some\\nothers elected. In the Federal courts they are appointed for life or\\ngood behavior.\\nMr. Amadeo. One thing you have to guard against to-day is atavism.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0537.jp2"}, "538": {"fulltext": "528\\nJudges have inherited Spanish ideas. IT is necessary also to pay\\nspecial attention in order to secure the honest and clear administra-\\ntion of justice, because without that the wealth of the country can not\\nincrease. That is the basis of everything. It is also the basis of\\npublic dignity.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you think that the introduction of the jury sys-\\ntem as we have it in the United States would be of advantage here?\\nMr. Amadeo. Yes; that is one of my fundamental principles.\\nDr. Carroll. What conditions would you lay down for the exer-\\ncise of the franchise.\\nMr. Amadeo. Those who know how to read and write or who are\\ntaxpayers.\\nREFORMS DESIRED IN LARES.\\nLHearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nUtuado, P. R., January 18, 1899.\\nMr. Justo A. Mandez Martinez and Mr. Juan Vivo, a delega-\\ntion from Lares, the former second assistant alcalde of Lares and the\\nlatter vice- judge of the same district.\\nMr. Martinez. We hope the government will supply municipalities\\nwith teachers who understand both Spanish and English, so that they\\nwill not have to bear the expense of supporting an English teacher.\\nDr. Carroll. It would be difficult to get such teachers at once. It\\nwould require time.\\nMr. Martinez. In the country there are a great many men who,\\nalthough they do not hold professors diplomas, understand both\\nlanguages, and would be very useful in that way. Although they\\nhave no diploma for teaching English, they can teach the language.\\nThe general wish is that children who have had no education should\\nbe sent to school and should be given an opportunity of learning\\nEnglish at the same time they learn other things.\\nDr. Carroll. Could peons send their children to school if free\\nschools were furnished?\\nMr. Martinez. The law should oblige them to do so.\\nDr. Carroll. I understand from statements made by representa-\\ntives of the laboring classes in Arecibo, that their rate of wages has\\nbeen so low that they have been compelled to put their children to\\nwork at as early an age as 8 years and could not send them to school\\nfor that reason.\\nMr. Martinez. The people of Lares desire the removal of all em-\\nployees who belonged to the armed forces of Spain; that is, to the\\nvolunteers. We have two very objectionable ones there at present.\\nWe also want more economy in the municipal budget. We have too\\nmany employees in the municipality and want the number cut down.\\nDr. Carroll. Can you particularize?\\nMr. Martinez. The necessary employees are a mayor, a secretary,\\nand a depositary of municipal funds. As it is they have a first clerk,\\nsecond clerk, third clerk, and from sixteen to twenty others, besides\\nthe necessary officers I have named. The population of Lares is 22,000\\nin the whole district. Eight employees is all they can possibly need\\nto carry on the whole municipal business.\\nDr. Carroll. You do not include in that the chief of police and of\\nthe fire department?", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0538.jp2"}, "539": {"fulltext": "529\\nMr. Martinez. I only refer to the employees in the office at the\\nalcaldia. I think we have too many policemen, however; we only\\nwant abont ten or twelve.\\nDr. Carroll. What do you pay the policemen?\\nMr. Martinez. We have thirty, to whom we pay $10,000 a year.\\nDr. Carroll. Has not the city power in itself to reduce the number\\nof policemen?\\nMr. Martinez. No; the approval of the central authorities is re-\\nquired.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you want any change in the methods of munic-\\nipal taxes?\\nMr. Vivo. As it is, taxes are unfairly distributed. We would pre-\\nfer an indirect tax, so that everybody would have to pay according to-\\nwhat he consumed. Some taxpayers are protected to the prejudice of\\nothers. They name the board of assessors according to the caprice of\\nthe alcalde or boss of the district, and he favors his own friends.\\nDr. Carroll. How many are there in the board of assessors?\\nMr. Martinez. Six. I think it would be to the great benefit of\\nthe country if all the alcaldes who were named by the Spanish Gov-\\nernment were removed and new ones elected by the people. At pres-\\nent the people are more inclined to occupy themselves with politics\\nthan with good government, because most of them are opposed to the\\npresent alcaldes.\\nDr. Carroll. When do the next elections occur for members of the\\ncommon councils?\\nMr. Martinez. Under the present law they should occur next\\nmonth.\\nDr. Carroll. General Henry proposes to grant municipal autoii;\\nomy and allow the councils elected by the people to choose their own\\nalcaldes; and if he does so, then you have the remedy in your own\\nhands.\\nMr. Martinez. We fear that if these elections take place things\\nwould be so manipulated by the alcaldes that we would remain as\\nwe are.\\nDr. Carroll. The thing to do is to organize to carry the elections\\nin the interest of good government.\\nMr. Martinez, if the law as it is now is enforced, it is all .right; but\\nif elastic, so that offenders will be allowed to escape, we will be in a\\nbad predicament. With regard to notarial fees and fees of the clerks\\nof the courts, I would say that that is another thing that contributes\\nto the ruin of the country.\\nDr. Carroll. Please explain.\\nMr. Martinez. Notaries have no tariff, or if they have, do not stick\\nto it in Lares. The other day, on a document involving $6,000, I had\\nto pay $200 to have it executed. The notaries will not give receipts\\nfor the amounts. they are paid; so they always have a legal way of\\nescape.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you only one notary in Lares?\\nMr. Martinez. Only one, who acts for two towns.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you made complaint to the government at San\\nJuan in reference to these matters?\\nMr. Martinez. No; we have never done so, because when we have\\nmade complaint the complaint has never been listened to.\\nDr. Carroll. Could you not make complaint before the judge of\\nfirst instance?\\n1125 31", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0539.jp2"}, "540": {"fulltext": "530\\nMr. Martinez. Up to the present we have never attempted to make\\na complaint, because it would have been useless to do so.\\nDr. Carroll. Is it not in the power of the court to compel notaries\\nwho have taken illegal fees to disgorge?\\nMr. Martinez. In bringing an action it would be necessary to prove\\nthe amount paid, but the notary does not give a receipt with which\\nthis could be done.\\nDr. Carroll. Why not pay in the presence of a witness and take\\nthe witness to court?\\nMr. Martinez. I think now we will take these matters more into\\nour own hands. Heretofore we have been unable to do so. The plan\\nof the city, showing the lands belonging to it, was lost bj~ accident.\\nCertain rich men there, who are favored by the central government\\nand by the alcalde, have taken possession of considerable property\\nand have closed up all but one of the means of entering the town.\\nIt is not possible to prove anything, because they have lost the plan.\\nOther people have asked permission to build houses on municipal\\nland, but as these rich men have built up their houses other people\\nhave been refused. In this municipality they give a man two months\\nto build, but in Lares they put a wire fence around the lot without\\nbuilding on it, and keep other people from doing so. Here in Utuado,\\nif the lots are not built up within two months, they are passed over to\\nsomebody else.\\nHOW ONE MUNICIPALITY IS CONDUCTED.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nCamuy, P. R., January 20, 1899.\\nJose de Jesus, owner of agricultural property and owner of a\\nstage line:\\nDr. Carroll. What do you wish to speak about particularly?\\nMr. de Jesus. The question of municipal administration. I wish\\nto speak only for the interest and good of the town. Here, as in all\\nthe towns, there are two parties. They are not both represented in\\nthe municipality. The result of that is that the persons holding\\npower are not persons to administer big offices in the way they should\\nbe administered. No question is ever put up for discussion. Every-\\nthing is approved unanimously, even when it is prejudicial to local\\ninterests. We lack the means for obtaining a state of government\\nwhich would tend to the progress of municipal affairs. There are too\\nmany employees. A town of this size can be well served by an alcalde,\\na secretary and a clerk. All the other employees are super-abundant.\\nDr. Carroll. How large is the district?\\nMr. de Jesus. From 11,000 to 12,000. Even in the Spanish times\\nwe never had more than three employees, and that was considered a\\nfull number, although, as you know, their business methods take a\\nvoluminous form of words.\\nDr. Carroll. Has this increase taken place since the American\\noccupation?\\nMr. de Jesus. When the Spanish left. It has not been the direct\\naction of the Americans, but these people were put in as soon as the\\nAmericans came. The alcalde has given emploj inent to all his fam-\\nily. Two nephews and a young man who is going to many a niece,\\nand they have raised the salaries more than 50 per cent. The alcalde", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0540.jp2"}, "541": {"fulltext": "531\\nreceived $70 before now he receives more than $100. His name is\\nLanrentino Estrella. The clerk before earned $25 now they have\\ntwo clerks, at $40 each. The depositary of public funds was paid\\nbefore 5 per cent of the amount collected; they pay him now $50 a\\nmonth without reference to what he collects. Before there were two\\npolicemen, at $25; now they have six for the city, earning $30 or $40,\\nand they are absolutely useless. They don t serve the town in any\\nway.\\nDr. Carroll. Who is responsible for the increase in the number\\nof employees and salaries\\nMr. de Jesus. You can not exact responsibility from anybody,\\nbecause the matter is brought before the municipality and approved\\nwith unanimity.\\nDr. Carroll. Is not the consent of the secretary of government\\nnecessary?\\nMr. de Jesus. They are approved by him before they are passed.\\nIt is by his instigation that those measures are taken. He does not\\ncare about the interests of the country, but only of the party which\\nhe holds together and increasing the number of places to give to his\\nfriends. And we to-day feel the weight of the burden on us, and\\ntherefore we complain. He simply lives on his salary and does not\\ncare about the sufferings of his countrymen. He does not have to\\ntake the plow in his hands as I do. That is all I have to say.\\nDr. Carroll. Are you a member of the council?\\nMr. de Jesus. No. They have been very careful not to admit me\\nto the council. They only take into the council persons who will\\nallow the alcalde to do what he likes.\\nDr. Carroll. Is anything being done here to carry out General\\nHenry s order to tax liquor and tobacco?\\nMr. de Jesus. Yes; and I have to make an observation about it.\\nThe order was to cover the deficit caused by the abolition of the con-\\nsumption tax. There was no consumption tax here. Every expense\\nwas covered in the ordinary way. They have raised this liquor and\\ntobacco tax higher than they should have done to cover an old deficit,\\nwhich was caused by maladministration and, worse than that, pecu-\\nlation. I would, be the first to applaud them if they would collect\\neven a larger amount than they required to build schoolhouses, but\\nthey have used this power to collect more money to cover some mal-\\nversations. They do not pay employees in money, but in vales, and\\nthey go and collect these vales in the mayor s store. The money\\nearned by employees should be given to them to spend wherever they\\nwish. The alcalde makes it appear that he does it to relieve the mis-\\nery of the people, but it means a percentage for him. The school-\\nteacher here is paid in vales also.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you know of anyone here who would like to be\\nheard?\\nMr. de Jesus. There are two people who represent the town here.\\nThe mayor represents the alcaldia, and I represent the rest of the\\npeople. You hear the alcalde and form your own judgment. You\\ncan believe according to impressions you form. I have said nothing\\nthat I can not prove. I bring no political passion to the discussion of\\nit. I am only a workingman. I am worth from $15,000 to $20,000,\\nand I have made it by my own efforts.\\nNote. A message was sent to the mayor s office advising him thai\\nthe commissioner was in the town and would be pleased to hear him.\\nThe messenger was informed that the mayor was not in town.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0541.jp2"}, "542": {"fulltext": "532\\nBAD MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nAguadilla, P. R., January 21, 1899.\\nAdrian Del Valle. The municipal administration in the island\\nto-day is of the worst description. Towns like this, for example, are\\nin a state of despondency even worse than that. They form a\\nbudget for $40,000, but there is no way of getting that amount, as the\\npeople have not that amount to pay. We wish the power granted us\\nto raise loans. We owe small amounts. For instance, this munici-\\npality owes only $16,000, which is small. We own property sufficient\\nto give good guaranties, and if we could borrow we could give good\\nsecurity and pay off these loans without great effort. Why should\\nwe not have the right to borrow money at per cent when they are\\nwilling to lend it at that rate in the United States?\\nDr. Carroll. Have not you power to raise a small loan for tempo-\\nrary use?\\nDr. Casselduc (the mayor). None whatever.\\nDr. Carroll. Would it be likely that if this power were granted\\nsome municipalities would overwhelm themselves in debt?\\nMr. Del Valle. First give the municipality proper power, and\\nthen honest and well-wishing men will be brought to the front. With\\nsuch men there would be no danger. Why should they have 20 indi-\\nviduals to form a council in this city? Ten would be quite sufficient.\\nDr. Carroll. Are there 20 or 24?\\nMr. Del Valle. There are 20 here. In some places they have 24\\nBy having a less number it would be possible to find men better fitted\\nfor the position. The people never make a mistake when they can\\nelect their representatives freely.\\nDr. Carroll. Now, about the roads. That has been mentioned as\\none of the most important subjects; and it seems to me to be one of\\nimportance to Aguadilla. Have you road experts here? Has a care-\\nful estimate been made at any time recently as to the making of a\\ngood road from here to Lares?\\nMr. Del Valle. Do you mean a broad road?\\nDr. Carroll. What kind of a road do you want?\\nMr. Del Valle. A broad road. The last contract let out by bids\\nfor making a road was for 116,000 a kilometer.\\nDr. Carroll. Can a good permanent road be made for that amount?\\nDr. Casselduc. Yes.\\nMr. Del Valle. Naturally on that contract the contractor would\\nmake a profit. Such contracts are put up at public auction, and the\\ncontract is awarded to the person bidding the lowest amount.\\nMr. secretary of the council; Mr. L. Torregrosa, a law-\\nyer, and Dr. Casselduc, mayor of the city.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you endeavored to carry out the order of Gen-\\neral Henry in respect to taxing wholesale liquor and tobacco dealers?\\nSecretary of the Council. We are occupying ourselves now\\nwith that question.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there any difficulty in imposiug the additional\\ntaxes proposed?\\nMr. Torregrosa. This municipality will have no difficulty.\\nDr. Carroll. In one or two municipalities they have said that this\\ntax was impracticable. Then you do not find it so here?\\nDr. Casselduc. No; I think the people will drink and smoke, no\\nmatter what the price may be.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0542.jp2"}, "543": {"fulltext": "533\\nDr. Carroll. Is this a large district?\\nDr. Casselduc. There are 13,000 or 14,000 in the entire district,\\nand about 8,000 in the city proper.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you think a municipality should include so large\\na rural territory under its jurisdiction?\\nDr. Casselduc Our plan here, I think, resembles much the plan\\nin the United States of dividing up the States into counties.\\nMr. Torregrosa. With regard to the system of public instruction,\\nthe centralization system is still in force, just as it used to be. Munici-\\npalities have absolutely no initiative in the matter of education. This\\ntown formerly supported three schools for males and three for females,\\nand one school in each of the rural districts. All three of the male\\nschools are to-day without teachers. One of them is being attended\\nto by an interim teacher. The ministry of fomento has not taken\\nany resolution on the question of naming teachers for the remaining\\nschools.\\nDr. Carroll. Why is that? Has it not teachers to appoint? Haven t\\nteachers been recommended to it from the municipality?\\nMr. Torregrosa. One of the teachers was taken from here and\\ngiven a school in San Juan. One of the teachers in Mayaguez changed\\nwith another teacher here. But although the one from here went to\\nMayaguez, the Mayaguez teacher would not come here, as he is a\\nSpaniard.\\nDr. Carroll. How long have these vacancies existed?\\nMr. Torregrosa. Six or seven months at least.\\nDr. Carroll. Were they brought promptly to the attention of the\\nsecretary of fomento?\\nMr. Torregrosa. He must have known about it, because he is the\\nperson who has charge of the subject. I do not know whether it is a\\nquestion of saving or simply a case of letting the matter drift that the\\nteachers have not been named. Unfortunately, the town council is\\ncomposed of nullities who do not know anything about municipal\\naffairs or anything connected with it. Last night they took measures\\namong themselves to get rid of the present alcalde, who is a man of\\nworth. To show you the extent of their ignorance, I will mention an\\ninstance. General Henry asked the mayors, when they met him in\\nconsultation, as to whether or not they were willing to have kinder-\\ngartens established in their district. Dr. Casselduc presented the\\nmatter to the council, and one of the members said, We have no\\ngardens here that could be used for any such purpose. The alcalde\\nhad to explain to them what it meant.\\nDr. Carroll. Were the members of the council elected or appointed?\\nMr. Torregrosa. You have to understand the politics of the coun-\\ntry to be able to comprehend how it is possible to form such a town\\ncouncil. The persons who belong to a certain political party are\\ninterested in naming the most ignorant persons, so as to have them as\\neasy tools, and persons of any degree of culture or education have to\\nrefrain from taking part in the citj^ government for that reason.\\nDr. Carroll. You need a reform, then, beginning from the top\\ndown.\\nMr. Torregrosa. When General Henry called the meeting of dele-\\ngates, I was one of those who attended, and I asked to have an inter-\\nview with him. General Henry requested a list of persons who would\\nbe suitable for the council, and I made out a list, giving him names\\nof persons of both shades of political opinion.\\nDr. Carroll. General Henry has the matter under consideration,", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0543.jp2"}, "544": {"fulltext": "534\\nand he desires to have the council divided politically, both in Agua-\\ndilla and elsewhere, but it takes a little time to make such reforms.\\nPractically, at present you have no schools here that amount to any-\\nthing.\\nMr. Torregrosa. We have none, and what is specially necessary\\nhere is a couple of schools taught by lady teachers for our children.\\nWe wish to introduce the teaching of the English language in the dis-\\ntrict, and as soon as the proper persons get into the municipal coun-\\ncil that will be the first thing the3 T will do. The municipality can\\nsupport schools if it wishes to.\\nMr. Robert Schnabel. One thing we want especially is a police\\nforce, particularly a country police. The country is full of marauders.\\nAfter they got tired of burning estates, they commenced assassination\\nand all sorts of mischief. Every now and then these things occur.\\nSome of those who went to the justice to make complaint were not\\nattended to because the greater part of the judges, as well as the\\nmayors, are in complicity with these lawless people, and it is hard to\\nsay, but it is true, the chief trouble is politics. Captain Mans-\\nfield can confirm this. At Pinas some of these outlaws took charge of\\nan estate and drove off the manager. He applied to the niayor, but\\nthe mayor would do nothing. The matter was then brought to the\\nattention of Captain Mansfield, who said the mayor must attend to it\\nand give protection, otherwise he, Captain Mansfield, would consider\\nhim an accomplice. You would naturally think that the mayor would\\nhave resigned then, but he did not. He yielded to Captain Mansfield\\nand sent the police. This town council is as bad as you can imagine,\\nand thej^ were all put in office by political preference. We applied\\nto General Brooke for protection against attacks of marauders, but he\\nsaid, You must defend yourselves, and that was all the consolation\\nwe got.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you think that there should be a considerable\\ndegree of liberty for the cities\\nMr. Schnabel. Not at present. The people are not educated suffi-\\nciently for that they have given proof of it. They got autonomy from\\nSpain, and there was fighting all around.\\nM UNICIPAL O O VERNMENT IN MA TAG UEZ.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nMayaguez, P. R., January 1899.\\nMr. Manuel Balsac, secretary of the council. since last Ma} T and\\nan employee of the office for twenty-five years, and Mr. St. Laurent,\\nmayor\\nDr. Carroll. I would like to ask a few questions further regard-\\ning the composition of the municipal government. I want to get an\\nidea of the constitution of a municipal government with all its bureaus.\\nIs there a department of wharves or department of the plaza?\\nSecretary Balsac. There used to be port works in the city over\\nwhich the niayor had jurisdiction, as a board of port works, but since\\nthat board was dissolved in May there is none, and nobody has juris-\\ndiction at present.\\nDr. Carroll. Do the titular doctors constitute a board or a sepa-\\nrate department?", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0544.jp2"}, "545": {"fulltext": "535\\nSecretaiy Balsac. The three titular doctors do not constitute a\\nseparate department, but report individually and directly to the sec-\\nretary. The two hospitals are under the department of charities.\\nThe house of refuge for the poor is also a part of public charities.\\nDr. Carroll. Is the care of prisons also under the municipality?\\nSecretaiy Balsac. There is a prison which is used for the purpose\\nof receiving prisoners from what is called the prison district, compris-\\ning several municipal districts. That is managed by a separate board,\\nof which it happens that the mayor is the head.\\nDr. Carroll. Then you have also a municipal jail?\\nMr. St. Laurent. In the police barracks we have a place of deten-\\ntion, but only for twenty-four hours. i\\nDr. Carroll. Are there committees for all these departments?\\nMr. St. Laurent. The council is divided into six committees, which\\ndivide up this among them, with the exception of the district prison,\\nwhich has a separate committee.\\nDr. Carroll. What are these six committees called?\\nSecretaiy Balsac. The first is the committee of estimates; then\\nthe committee of instruction, the committee of public works and\\nadornment, the committee on charities, the committee on health, and\\nthe committee of police.\\nDr. Carroll. I notice that there is a park down by the theater. Is\\nthat a public park?\\nMr. St. Laurent. That comes under the committee of public works\\nand adornment. There is another small one behind the custom-house.\\nDr. Carroll. Is it the intention to introduce trees in these parks\\nto afford shade, as is the custom in America?\\nMr. St. Laurent We have a project for making this street into a\\nboulevard, planting trees and making broad sidewalks, but have not\\nbeen able to carry it out for want of funds.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there any other city in the island that has a project\\nfor a park like that?\\nMr. St. Laurent. I think Ponce has. If Mayaguez could borrow\\nthe money it desires to, we could greatly embellish the cny. There is\\na space beyond the barracks which it is intended to use for a park.\\nDr. Carroll. How many members are there in the council?\\nMr. St. Laurent. Twenty-three, the mayor making twenty-four.\\nDr. Carroll. How often does the council meet?\\nMr. St. Laurent. Every Monday at 8 o clock. If a quorum is not\\npresent, a meeting is held on the Wednesday following.\\nDr. Carroll. Are the members of the council here general tax-\\npayers?\\nMr. St. Laurent. Yes. I should explain in reference to our meet-\\nings that on Monday a quorum consists of one-half the number of\\nmembers plus one, but if we do not get a quorum on Monday and\\nmust hold the meeting on Wednesday the quorum is whatever num-\\nber may be present.\\nDr. Carroll. I would now like to ask your opinion as to what\\nchanges are desirable in the matter of municipal administration to\\nmake it more effective?\\nMr. St. Laurent, mayor. Our aspiration is to have an ample munic-\\nipal autonomy, so that everything relating to local life can be attended\\nto by us without having recourse to the central government. It has\\nbeen our constant struggle with Spain to decentralize the government.\\nFor instance, the municipality of Mayaguez has not the power to name\\none of its own teachers. We nominate a teacher, but have to send", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0545.jp2"}, "546": {"fulltext": "536\\nthe name to headquarters. We think there would be no barm in a\\nprovision requiring municipalities to notify headquarters of the\\nappointment of a teacher, but not for the purpose of confirmation. I\\nthink taxation should be left to the municipal authorities. The cus-\\ntom is now under the Spanish law for the amount to be named at\\nheadquarters, and we have to procure that amount whether we are\\nable to or not.\\nDr. Carroll. You mean the state taxes?\\nMr. St. Laurent. I mean that each municipality should name the\\namount that it should pay to the state for the state government.\\nSecretary Balsac. The municipalities want to have their taxation\\nabsolutely free from state control; that the state should support its\\ngovernment by custom-house receipts and should have no right to\\nimpose on municipalities, as such, any direct taxation that the state\\nshould collect its taxes independently of municipalities.\\nDr. Carroll. Would it increase the effectiveness of municipal gov-\\nernment to divide the municipal districts so that the citj^ of Mayaguez,\\nfor instance, should have control simply over the city proper, leaving\\nthe rural districts to organize into various forms of rural government\\ninto villages, hamlets, as the case might be\\nSecretary Balsac. Mayaguez has no dependent villages. Outside\\nof the city proper this municipal district consists entirely of agricul-\\ntural holdings without any aggregations of population.\\nDr. Carroll. Would it not be proper, then, that the agricultural\\ninterests should form a rural government of its own, to be known as\\ntownships, as in the United States. These township organizations are\\nvery simple, and while they have the necessary functions their economy\\nof management is such that a very small rate of taxation is required\\nto meet their expenses.\\nMr. St. Laurent. How would the city sustain itself?\\nDr. Carroll. By its own inhabitants. By taxes upon the property\\nwithin its own limits.\\nMr. St. Laurent. A large number of those living in the country\\nhave the advantages of the city. I have my estate in the country,\\nbut I live in the city.\\nDr. Carroll. I don t see how that affects the matter. You are an\\nabsentee landlord.\\nMr. St. Laurent. The workingman pays absolutely nothing.\\nDr. Carroll. But there are planters who live on their estates, are\\nthere not Such a division would result in the decrease of the amount\\nthese would have to pay, because now they pay for the fire department,\\nfor the police department, and for streets, the advantages of which\\nare nothing to them.\\nMr. St. Laurent. They also pay for the hospital and for the\\nvicinage roads, in the benefits of which they do participate.\\nDr. Carroll. But they can have them for themselves and relieve\\nyou of that.\\nMr. St. Laurent. Later on. It appears to be a good idea, because\\nit is a very just one. The principal thing is to bring these people\\ntogether into groups.\\nDr. Carroll. In the United States we have rural districts, just as\\nyou have, where the house s are 2 miles or more apart, and yet in a\\ntownship 4 or 5 miles square there will be an aggregation of houses\\nwhich will form a government of simple form which will look after the\\nroads, after the elections, and after such matters as concern them. It\\nis said that people who have never exercised responsibility are not fit", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0546.jp2"}, "547": {"fulltext": "537\\nto exercise responsibility and that they will do very foolish and unwise\\nthings; but on the principle that after a child is burned it will avoid\\nthe fire such people will learn by their mistakes.\\nSecretary Balsac. I consider the idea a very fine one, but I don t see\\nhow it can be brought into practice without other improvements\\nbeing introduced.\\nDr. Carroll. I am not proposing an argument for it with a view\\nto imposing it upon the people of Porto Rico, but I am making the\\nstatement I do so that you may fully understand it, as I want to get\\nyour judgment as to whether this system, which has been used in the\\nUnited States, could be introduced gradually into Porto Rico for the\\nbenefit and gradual education of the whole people.\\nMr. St. Laurent. It could be implanted here, with certain modifi-\\ncations, until the people congregate more in the country districts.\\nDr. Carroll. I laid this idea before Don Lucas Amadeo, and he\\nthought it an excellent idea and one which ought to be implanted in\\nsome way in Porto Rico. He regarded it as an excellent educational\\nproject to instruct people in the manner and ways and principles of\\ncivil government.\\nMayaguez, P. R., January #4, 1899.\\nDon Genaro Cartagena:\\nDr. Carroll. You are president of the department of public works,\\nI understand.\\nDon Cartegena. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. What is included in that department?\\nDon Cartagena. Streets, roads, buildings, and the aqueduct.\\nDr. Carroll. What public buildings have you?\\nDon Cartagena. The alcaldia, the market, theater, slaughter-\\nhouse, and the plazas.\\nDr. Carroll. Not the custom-house?\\nDon Cartagena. No nor the office of the captain of the port.\\nDr. Carroll. No public school buildings?\\nDon Cartagena. No.\\nDr. Carroll. Not churches?\\nDon Cartagena. I don t know about that.\\nDr. Carroll. Nor a cemetery?\\nDon Cartagena. Yes; it cost $14,000, and 1 suppose it belongs to\\nus, because it was built with money of the municipality.\\nDr. Carroll. Any other public buildings?\\nDon Cartagena. I know of none.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the aqueduct of which you speak?\\nDon Cartagena. It is to bring water to the city; but is in a very\\nbad condition. There are four reservoirs.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the source of the water supply?\\nDon Cartagena. A river about 6 kilometers distant from the city.\\nIt is a very small river in the mountains.\\nDr. Carroll. How is the water gotten into the reservoirs? Is there\\nnatural descent?\\nDon Cartagena. There is a dam to hold back the water, and that\\ncauses it to flow into the reservoir.\\nDr. Carroll. How large are the reservoirs?\\nDon Cartagena. I don t know.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0547.jp2"}, "548": {"fulltext": "538\\nDr. Carroll. Is there any attempt made to filter the water?\\nDon Cartagena. Up to the present they don t filter the water. We\\nare considering now whether to build more reservoirs or to put in\\nfilters.\\nDr. Carroll. Is the water considered reasonably pure?\\nDon Cartagena. Not in the rainy season. Two clays after a rain\\nthe water gets turbid.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there any contamination, so far as you know, of\\nthe water supply in the river above?\\nDon Cartagena. No.\\nDr. Carroll. Are the reservoirs protected from contamination?\\nDon Cartagena. Two are open and two are closed. They take care\\nthat they are not contaminated.\\nMr. Federico Gatell, a member of the council and of the board\\nof health. It is in a bad condition in this respect, that the water d oes\\nnot bring down any foreign substances other than earthy matters.\\nThere are no foreign bodies thrown into the water. The last Ameri-\\ncan engineer who was here spoke of the matter and offered to make\\nfree plans for the establishment of a filter, and the municipality\\noffered $10,000 to carry it through; but he went to Ponce and nothing\\nhas since been heard from it. We have no good engineer in our own\\nin the city. We wish to better the condition of the aqueduct. We\\nunderstand that it is an absolute necessity for the town to have an\\nabundance of pure water.\\nDr. Carroll. Are the streets piped so as to carry water to all the\\nhouses?\\nMr. Gatell. Yes; but the water supply is not sufficient. When\\nwe water the streets the houses have not enough.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the size of the main?\\nMr. Cartagena. Those that come to the reservoirs are 12 inches\\nin diameter, and the others are 7 and 9. They are iron pipes.\\nDr. Carroll. Is any charge made to the residents for water, or is it\\nfree?\\nMr. Cartagena. Pipes leading from house to house of one-quarter\\ninch cost $4 a year; a half- inch pipe, $8, and 1-inch pipe for factories,\\n$100 a year.\\nDr. Carroll. In the rainy season there is plenty of water, I sup-\\npose.\\nMr. Gatell. There is never an absolute failure of water.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the dry season?\\nMr. Cartagena. From now until May. The rest of the year we\\nhave plenty of water.\\nDr. Carroll. What other sources are there?\\nMr. Cartagena. That is one of the questions we want, an engineer\\nto study.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there any waste of the water during the rainy sea-\\nson?\\nMr. Cartagena. No.\\nDr. Carroll. Some houses let the water run all the time. It seems\\nto me, if you have no other supply, you might economize by having\\nmeters and compelling people to pay by the amount of water that runs\\nthrough.\\nMr. Cartagena. All that is under consideration now.\\nDr. Carroll. I suppose it would cost a great deal, though, to put\\nin the meters.\\nMr. Cartagena. Yes.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0548.jp2"}, "549": {"fulltext": "539\\nDr. Carroll. Are there any sewers in the city?\\nMr. Cartagena. Very few.\\nDr. Carroll. Where do the sewers empty?\\nMr. Cartagena. In the river.\\nMr. Gatell. I have applied to the municipality for permission to\\npurchase a couple of odorless carts to remove waste matter. Mr.\\nEstenache, of Ponce, wishes to obtain the contract to sewer the city,\\nbut as that is a slow and expensive matter, I would like, to introduce\\nthese carts here to serve in the meantime.\\nDr. Carroll. The question I asked was about the sewerage.\\nMr. Gatell. Few houses for instance, this on the plaza have made\\ntheir own sewers, and their pipes discharged in one of the barrios.\\nThey have taken them down to a ravine, and everything falls into that.\\nDr. Carroll. I understand that the sewage is exposed. Is any-\\nthing done to deprive it of its noxious character?\\nMr. Cartagena. The water from the river washes the matter into\\nthe sea.\\nDr. Carroll. Is it communicated to the river?\\nMr. Cartagena. It is a gulch. It is not a river.\\nDr. Carroll. Of course that is below the water supply?\\nMr. Cartagena. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Are there any habitations in that neighborhood?\\nMr. Cartagena. None at all.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the condition of the health of the city?\\nMr. Gatell. Very good.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you have any epidemics here?\\nMr. Cartagena. In the year 1856 we had cholera.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you have yellow fever?\\nMr. Gatell. There used to be cases among the Spanish troops.\\nDr. Carroll. You have malarial fevers?\\nMr. Gatell. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Does smallpox ever become epidemic here?\\nMr. Cartagena. Very seldom. Such cases are removed far from\\nthe city. They are usually of a mild character.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there much mortality among children?\\nMr. Gatell. No. The civil registrar keeps record of the deaths,\\nand causes of deaths, and we will give you last year s record. This\\nyear has probably the greatest number of deaths of the century.\\nThese records will show also the ages.\\nDr. Carroll. I have asked no questions about the condition of the\\nstreets because I can see for myself that they are kept clean. I would\\nnow like to ask a few questions more of the president of the board of\\npublic works. How much money yearly is expended on the streets\\nand roads of the district?\\nMr. Cartagena. We have this year $5,000 for the streets and\\n$5,000 for the- roads which lead to the city, not including vicinage\\nroads. We have only been in control of these matters for a few\\nmonths.\\nDr. Carroll. What important roads lead out of Ma3^aguez?\\nMr. Cartagena. Two roads, one to Aguadilla and one to San Ger-\\nman. The macadamizing of the road to Anasco reaches only to the\\nRiver Anasco. We have nothing to do with that. The State pays\\nfor it.\\nDr. Carroll. Are the State roads in fair condition, or do they\\nrequire much to be done?\\nMr. Cartagena. They are in fairly good condition.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0549.jp2"}, "550": {"fulltext": "540\\nDr. Carroll. I would like to ask some questions of the mayor.\\nWhat departments are there in the city government of Mayaguez?\\nMr. St. Laurent. The alcalde s office, the secretary s office the\\nsecretary being the chief clerk the department of public instruction,\\nmunicipal taxes department, charities, police, hacienda, cattle brands,\\npublic library\u00e2\u0080\u0094 perhaps the best in the island municipal architecture,\\nand the accountant s office. In this office is the depositary of munici-\\npal funds.\\nDr. Carroll. Then, what is the hacienda\\nMr. St. Laurent. The hacienda is for the fixing of the rates and\\nthe collection of the taxes. We have an emergency hospital, which\\ncomes under public charities; police barracks, which belong to the\\ndepartment of police, and we have three titular doctors. These doc-\\ntors do not hold meetings, but are called upon when needed. We\\nhave also a fire department. The bureau of architecture is under\\npublic works. All the city councilors are divided into commissions,\\nand each commissioner undertakes the supervision of his respective\\nwork. They serve gratuitously. We have also a general hospital\\nand houses of refuge for the poor.\\nMr. Ricardo Rivera. The laboring class is in a very poor condition,\\nowing chiefly to the poverty of the agriculturist, who is not able to\\nassist him to rise. The country requires assistance, especially in the\\nmatter of the money exchange. The agriculturists of my district wish\\nthe exchange made at the rate of two for one. We would also like to\\nhave the municipalities of Las Marias and Maricao added to the munici-\\npal district of Mayaguez.\\nDr. Carroll. Why do you wish to have these municipalities added\\nto Mayaguez?\\nMr. Rivera. Because they are burdened with a horde of employees\\nwhose only work consists in collecting their salaries.\\nDr. Carroll. How would it do, instead of annexing these munici-\\npalities to Mayaguez, to dethrone these municipalities as such and\\nconstitute in their places simple governments by towns or villages,\\nwhich require very few employees and incur very few expenses? This\\nwould be a most economical way of conducting rural government.\\nMr. Rivera. That is just what I would wish to avoid. I believe in\\ncentralizing the government, as they have it in Spain. I think they\\nshould remove the officers from these small municipalities of Las\\nMarias and Maricao and bring these places under the municipality of\\nMayaguez. We want this because it would be very much better than\\nany other government, however simple.\\nDr. Carroll. You planters who live in rural districts, assuming\\nthat your district were annexed to this, would have to pay for the care\\nof these streets, for the lighting of these streets. You would have to\\npay for the fire department and for many of these things in the city,\\nthe benefits of which you do not enjoy. There are many things neces-\\nsary in a city which are not needed for scattered houses.\\nMr. FaJx\\\\rdo, of Hormigueros, stated that the people of that town\\napplied to General Henry for an opportunity to hold an election to\\ndecide whether they should be annexed to Mayaguez; that the elec-\\ntion was conducted under the superintendence of Major Cooper; that\\nit resulted in 198 in favor of annexation aud 2 against it; that in the\\nmunicipality there were 115 who could read and a somewhat larger\\nnumber who were taxpayers that the 2 who opposed annexation were\\nthe son of the alcalde and the son of the secretary; that the munici-\\npality had a large number of employees, and that its expenses amounted\\nto $12,000 a year.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0550.jp2"}, "551": {"fulltext": "541\\nMr. Manuel Badrena, ex-United States consul at Mayaguez:\\nDr. Carroll. Why is Mayaguez so much more thrifty, with wider\\nstreets and finer buildings, than other cities in the island?\\nMr. Badrena. At the time of the exchange of the Mexican money\\nthere were many rich men here and we have had good mayors.\\nDr. Carroll. Did the insular government discriminate against\\nMayaguez in any way because there were few Spanish houses here?\\nMr. Badrena. No.\\nDr. Carroll. They say in Aguadilla that it did there.\\nMr. Badrena. I do not believe it.\\nDr. Carroll. They say they never could get any money for the\\nroad to Lares, and that by reason of the failure of the government\\nto take action Arecibo was built up at the expense of Aguadilla.\\nMr. Badrena. That depended on who represented the municipality\\nin the Porto Rican congress. People are very fond of mixing politics\\nwith these matters. The Liberals are in power here in fact, every-\\nwhere in the island. They are in power because they know the tricks\\nand can cany the elections. They had to send four deputies to San\\nJuan from this district. These had to be elected on the same day and\\nat the same hour in six different towns. The Radicals were sure that\\nout of the four they would get one or two, but they published the\\nrecord of the election when they had arrived at the result in these\\ntowns. Thej^ left the town of Lares to level up the number of votes.\\nWhen they found the votes were against them, they made up false\\nreturns there, so as to make up the difference. That is what we call\\nin Spanish a political stew.\\nMUNICIPAL AFFAIRS IN SAN GERMAN\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nSan German, P. R. January 26, 1899.\\nDr. Carroll. How long have you been alcalde?\\nMr. Felix Acosta (mayor). Seven or eight months. I was the vice-\\nalcalde in the old days. I have virtually been alcalde for a year and\\na half.\\nDr. Carroll. How many councilmen are there?\\nMr. Acosta. Twenty-one. The number is not complete, but I have\\nseen in the papers that the others have been named. They are pro-\\nposed from here and named at the capital.\\nDr. Carroll. Have the ones that have been proposed been ap-\\npointed?\\nMr. Acosta. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Have the present councilmen been members very\\nlong?\\nMr. Acosta. A little more than a year.\\nDr. Carroll. Is any attention given in the choice of councilmen to\\nparty affiliations?\\nMr. Acosta. A month ago, in the captain s house (Captain Gold-\\nman, United States Army), we called eleven of one party and eleven\\nof another, and this delegation decided to set aside party differences.\\nThey took steps for a celebration and we held a big meeting in the\\ntheater, in which the whole town celebrated the disappearance of\\npolitical differences. There are six or seven Liberals, six or seven\\nRadicals, and six or seven of the old Unconditional party forming the\\npresent party.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0551.jp2"}, "552": {"fulltext": "542\\nDr. Carroll. Have you a good class of people in the council?\\nMr. Acosta. They try to pick the best men of the city and coun-\\ntry districts.\\nDr. Carroll. How many inhabitants are there in the city proper\\naccording to the last census\\nMr. Acosta. Nearly 5,000.\\nDr. Carroll. How many in the municipal district?\\nMr. Acosta. About 20,000.\\nDr. Carroll. What are the chief industries?\\nMr. Acosta. Sugar, some coffee, and tobacco.\\nDr. Carroll. Not much coffee?\\nMr. Acosta. Small coffee farms only.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the amount of your annual budget in the\\nmunicipality?\\nMr. Acosta. It was $52,000, but we have lowered it about 110,000,\\nso that it is now approximately $42,000. It has been lowered by rea-\\nson of the removal of the consumption tax.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you reduced your expenses any?\\nMr. Acosta. When I came here there were seven clerks. I have\\nonly allowed three to remain. We have reduced expenses.\\nDr. Carroll. Mr. Mayor, you said the budget was formerly $52,000,\\nbut has been reduced to $42,000.\\nMr. Acosta. I spoke then offhand. I have the budget here and\\nwant to give the exact figures. The total of the budget is $51,960 for\\nthe current year, from which is to be deducted $4,084 as not applying\\nto the municipality, but to prisons. In all, there has been a reduc-\\ntion of $10,000, and there is to be a further reduction.\\nDr. Carroll. How much of the total amount is for streets?\\nMr. Acosta. I will give you the items one by one\\nRepairs to the alcaldia and other municipal buildings _ $500\\nConstruction and care of roads, bridges, and cart roads _. 1, 500\\nTools for the road r 100\\nStreets, drains, and everything concerning streets 600\\nImplements for cemetery 13\\nPolice 3,160\\nSchools:\\nSalaries \u00e2\u0096\u00a0_ 5,640\\nMaterials 1 1,174\\nOne gratuity was made by the Spanish Government, which paid for\\nan assistant teacher. There are, in all, 13 teachers and 13 schools.\\nDr. Carroll. How much is spent on the fire department?\\nMr. Acosta. We have no fire department.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you any charities?\\nMr. Acosta. We pay $1,500 in salaries for the services of three\\ntitular doctors; $1,300 for material, such as alms for the poor, medi-\\ncines, and the sustaining of the poor and the hospitals. The amount\\nis insufficient for these purposes.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you a city hospital?\\nMr. Acosta. We have to pay for each sick person a half dollar in\\nthe hospital here.\\nDr. Carroll. What is meant by this item which appears here as\\nback royal dues of something over $2,000?\\nThe Depositary. This is an amount the municipality has been\\nowing for several years to the royal treasury of Spain, and it is being-\\nclaimed now. The treasury department in San Juan is still trying to\\nmake us pay it.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0552.jp2"}, "553": {"fulltext": "543\\nDr. Carroll. How was the debt contracted?\\nThe Depositary. The municipality was obliged in former years to\\ncollect the state taxes, and as there was difficulty in collecting them,\\nwhen the municipality remitted what it had collected the amount fell\\nshort of the total assessment, which was charged up against the munici-\\npality, although the municipality had no interest in these taxes and\\nderived no benefit from them.\\nDr. Carroll. For what purpose is the secretary of the treasury at\\nSan Juan claiming this amount?\\nThe Depositary. I don t know for what reason, but as he has to\\napprove this he wants the amount paid.\\nDr. Carroll. When was the demand for this first made?\\nMr. Acosta. Less than two months ago. Mr. Cuebas, of the Maya-\\nguez custom-house, acting under orders from the capital, made the\\ndemand.\\nThe Depositary. When the demand was made for this amount we\\nsaid that we did not see how we could owe this money, as it was a\\ndebt to the royal treasury of Spain. We have received no reply to\\nthat.\\nDr. Carroll. And you have not forwarded the money to them?\\nMr. Acosta. No most certainly not.\\nDr. Carroll. Does this municipality owe anything to the provin-\\ncial deputation in addition to this?\\nMr. Acosta. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Are the school expenses all paid up to date?\\nMr. Acosta. We owe only for the current month.\\nDr. Carroll. When was the last contribution paid for the support\\nof the church?\\nMr. Acosta. We never paid that. It was paid from the insular\\ntreasury.\\nDr. Carroll. How were these debts due to the provincial deputa-\\ntion contracted?\\nMr. Acosta. The amounts that were levied on the municipality\\nwere not always covered, and this is the sum of the deficiencies. All\\nthe municipalities together owe the deputation, perhaps, $100,000, but\\nit owns buildings worth, perhaps, $1,000,000, built from money con-\\ntributed by the municipalities, so that really the deputation is the\\ndebtor.\\nDr. Carroll. I notice that in some years the deaths exceed the\\nbirths.\\nMr. Acosta. We had two successive years an epidemic of smallpox\\nand typhoid.\\nA Gentleman present. Not all the births are inscribed.\\nMr. Acosta. All the marriages are.\\nDr. Carroll. What changes, if any, do you think should be made\\nin the municipal government to make it more effective?\\nMr. Acosta. Full municipal autonomy; liberty to name our own\\ncouncilmen and officers.\\nDr. Carroll. I find that that sentiment is unanimous; everywhere\\nthey say the same thing.\\nMr. Acosta. We don t want to have to submit our officers for\\napproval of the central government for everything..\\nDr. Carroll. Are there any complaints here about assessments for\\ntaxation?\\nThe Depositary. No.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you any suggestions to make with regard to the\\nmanagement of prisons?", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0553.jp2"}, "554": {"fulltext": "544\\nMr. Acosta. We have asked permission of the central government\\nto put the prisoners at work on the roads.\\nDr. Carroll. Are all prisoners put together in the same prison?\\nMr. Acosta. Yes; they all go together.\\nDr. Carroll. Is it not possible that those put in for first offenses\\nmight be inoculated by older criminals?\\nMr. Acosta. Very likely that is so; but as we have no other place,\\nwe have to put them there.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you any prisoners?\\nMr. Acosta. Forty-odd.\\nDr. Carroll. For what offenses, principally?\\nMr. Acosta. Assaults.\\nDr. Carroll. Many for petty thieving?\\nMr. Acosta. Yes; quite a number.\\nDr. Carroll. None for very serious crimes?\\nMr. Acosta. That kind does not come here, but to the capital, and\\nthere were four who committed murder and have been sent to the\\ncapital.\\nDr. Carroll. Are those arrested here for serious offenses impris-\\noned here until their trial?\\nMr. Acosta. Thej r remain here until they have been sentenced by\\nthe audiencia. When the audiencia sentences them the judges\\nthemselves designate the prisons where they are to serve out their\\nsentences.\\nMUNICIPAL FINANCES.\\n[.Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nCabo Rojo, P. R., January 27, 1899.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you anything to say, Mr. Mayor, with refer-\\nence to municipal government in the island?\\nThe Mayor. I think it would be preferable to allow the municipali-\\nties to act on their own authority and on their own responsibility,\\nwithout having to depend upon the permission of anybody outside of\\nthe city.\\n(The hearing was interrupted for a few moments, some hats being\\nbrought in for examination. The commissioner, desiring to buy one,\\noffered a $5 bill, which the hat owner was unable to change. On\\napplying to the alcalde, he said that there was not money enough in\\nthe city treasury to change that amount.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the matter, Mr. Mayor, with your city treas-,\\nury?\\nThe Mayor. This is one of the towns most punished by the war.\\nWe also had an epidemic of smallpox, and had to apply to the insular\\ngovernment for assistance.\\nDr. Carroll. It seems to me that this is not so well kept a town\\nas others I have seen. The streets are not clean, and things are not\\nin good order. Your vicinage road is not as good as others. I should\\nthink the city would suffer by leaving these affairs in such a condi-\\ntion.\\nThe Mayor. It is all due to the want of money. To economize this\\nyear it has reduced the amount for street cleaning and everything else\\nrelating to good municipal government. Consequently anybody in\\nthe mayor s chair has a difficult position to-day.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0554.jp2"}, "555": {"fulltext": "545\\nDr. Carroll. It seems to me it would be well to exercise your\\neconomy somewhere else and keepj r our streets in good order, because\\nthat indicates thrift, and makes strangers think there is some thrift\\nand some management.\\nThe Mayor. If I had money, I could put things in good condition.\\nAs it is I find myself with folded arms.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you done anything in this city to carry out\\nthe spirit of the order of General Henry removing the consumption\\ntax?\\nThe Mayor. The tax on meat and bread has been already taken\\noff. This city is the one, perhaps, in which meat is sold the cheapest\\nin the island. I think the price of bread will also fall.\\nDr. Carroll. When was the tax taken off?\\nThe Mayor. On the 5th of this month, when the circular was\\nissued.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you taken any steps to levy additional tax on\\ndealers, wholesale and retail, in liquors and tobacco?\\nThe Mayor. The adjustment and distribution of the tax is being-\\nattended to now.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you anticipate any difficulty in collecting that\\ntax?\\nThe Mayor. I don t think so. The people of the town are very\\ngood. No matter how much they object, they will pay.\\nDr. Carroll. How many retail dealers are there?\\nThe Mayor. There are fifty-five.\\nDr. Carroll. Are there many wholesale dealers here?\\nThe Mayor. No; we have dealers who will sell a sack or two of\\nrice, but I don t call that wholesale.\\nDr. Carroll. I refer to liquors.\\nThe Mayor. Only the cane growers, who sell rum by wholesale.\\nThere are eleven dealers in the municipal district of Cabo Rojo.\\nThere are thirteen wholesale dealers. There are twenty-two tobacco\\nworkers. By tobacco workers I mean to say the men who make the\\ntobacco into rolls for export. They will suffer loss caused by the\\ndifference between the internal-revenue tax and the consumption tax\\nof $4,200.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you reduced your budget?\\nThe Mayor. The budget was $29,000 we have reduced it to 124,000.\\nDr. Carroll. About how many clerks have you here?\\nThe Mayor. Our office force, in addition to the alcalde, is 1 sec-\\nretary, 2 clerks, 1 depositary of funds, 1 chief of police and 7 police-\\nmen, 2 employees to look after the consumption tax, 2 police for the\\nalcaldia, 1 for the municipal judge, 1 clerk for the municipal judge,\\n1 attendant at the hospital, 1 janitor for the alcaldia, and 1 watchman\\nfor the cemetery. We have a poor system of lighting and a poor\\nsystem of cleaning.\\nMr. Ramirez. I bring some information in writing.\\nMr. Pagan. I desire to say something to clear up an opinion that\\nmight be formed from the document o f Mr. Ramirez in reference to salt\\nthat although the poor people used to work the salt mines here, the\\nGovernment sold the salt mines to the present owners on public sale\\nfor $200,000. It was paid by the present owners.\\nDr. Carroll. How much tax is paid to the municipality and to the\\ninsular government by the salt works?\\nMr. Pagan. Up to the present we have enjoyed a right, granted\\nby the Madrid Government, that these mines should be free from\\n1125 35", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0555.jp2"}, "556": {"fulltext": "546\\ntaxes for ten years. This year $1,500 has been assigned by the mu-\\nnicipality; nothing to the insular government. We pay a mining\\nright every year of $60 to the insular government upon each mining\\nclaim.\\nDr. Carroll. How much was paid last year?\\nMr.. Pagan. I know that 77 pesos was paid as a municipal tax.\\nThis year it will be 1,500 pesos for the municipality.\\n(The official budget was subsequently produced, which showed that\\nthe amount of tax assessed against the salt industries was 1,200 pesos\\ninstead of 1,500 pesos, as stated by Mr. Pagan.)\\nDr. Carroll. How many inhabitants are there in the city of Cabo\\nRojo proper?\\nThe Mayor. About 3,000; the whole municipality contains 18,000.\\nDr. Carroll. What kind of road is there from here to the port?\\nThe Mayor. It is a second-class road.\\nDr. Carroll. Is it in as bad condition as the vicinage road out\\nhere?\\nMr. Ortiz. It is in a worse condition.\\nDr. Carroll. What would be the use, then, of having a port made\\nof Cabo Rojo if you can not get your products to the port?\\nThe Mayor. We would undertake that, because the owners of the\\nsalt mines would want to get it in good condition.\\nDr. Carroll. How much do you think it would take to put the\\nroad in good permanent condition?\\nThe Mayor. From $1,000 to $1,500. It is very short. Possibly it\\nwould require $2,000.\\nDr. Carroll. Is that a municipal or a state road?\\nThe Mayor. A municipal road, but it is considered as a cart road.\\nThe Spanish Government, however, never took any pains to make it\\nwhat they called it.\\nMUNICIPALITIES AND SCHOOLS.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nFajardo, P. R., January 31, 1899.\\nDr. Carroll. How many members are there in your council?\\nThe Mayor. Fifteen constituted the council, but there are three\\nvacancies.\\nMr. Bird. I think Fajardo has too many councilors.\\nDr. Carroll. You have municipalities within this municipality,\\nhave you not?\\nThe Mayor. We had, but they asked for annexation and now form\\nbut one. Before that they had separate administration.\\nDr. Carroll. They don t have an alcalde now?\\nThe Mayor. No.\\nDr. Carroll. Are there any other towns in this municipality\\nexcept Luquillo?\\nThe Mayor. Ceiba is here, although it is only a small collection of\\nhouses.\\nDr. Carroll. Are these towns represented in your council?\\nThe Mayor. Ceiba had three, and one of them resigned. Luquillo\\nhas not at present, but has named one who will probably be accepted.\\nDr. Carroll. About what is the amount of your annual budget?\\nThe Mayor. Thirty-seven thousand six hundred dollars. We owe a", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0556.jp2"}, "557": {"fulltext": "547\\nportion of that, $2,600, on account of the annexation of Ceiba, which\\nwas an old deficit that town had. We paid $2,600 toward the district\\nprison, which is atrocious; also a back debt of $900 to $1,000 to the\\nprovincial deputation; we have 15 schools, costing $7,255; to-day\\nthey cost more than $8,200.\\nDr. Carroll. Have yon sufficient accommodation for the children\\nof the municipality?\\nThe Mayor. If all the children went to school, we would not\\nhave.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there room for all who want to go?\\nThe Mayor. If it were a question of wanting to go to school, not\\none-tenth part of those who do go would attend school. They are\\ncompelled to go. There are many fathers of families who, although\\nthey might want to send their children to school, are unable to do so\\nbecause of the great distance and bad roads. The government should\\ntake some steps to bring into the cities, or nearer the cities, these\\npeople who are spread over the district, and it would then be easier to\\ncompel children to attend.\\nDr. Carroll. Are the schools provided with good teachers?\\nThe Mayor. According to the old law they are fully up to their\\nrequirements, but they do not measure up to modern ideas.\\nDr. Carroll. How much is annually appropriated for the police\\ndepartment?\\nThe Mayor. Five thousand eight hundred and thirty-four dollars.\\nA portion of this amount will be reduced, as this estimate covers the\\ncreation of a rural police which has not been created yet. This item\\nwas intended to cover any deficiency caused by the .removal of the\\ntroops, and as the colonial police are being formed we will be able to\\nreduce this amount. There are now 11 policemen altogether.\\nDr. Carroll. How much of the amount goes to streets?\\nThe Mayor. Fifty dollars only.\\nDr. Carroll. How much goes to the roads?\\nThe Mayor. Eight hundred dollars. Bridges and culverts, $100.\\nDr. Carroll. That is very insufficient, of course, both for streets\\nand roads.\\nThe Mayor. It is very little and insufficient owing to the fact that\\nthis locality is ruined by reason of the sugar crops and everything\\nelse failing to bring in the amount they should. We can not collect\\nsufficient money to attend to these things. The most eloquent data\\nthat can be given you at this point is that among the three towns of\\nCeiba, Luquillo, and Fajardo there used to be twenty-five cane mills;\\nto-day there are only twelve. Thirteen have died, and among them\\nthe richest in the municipality.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you any state road here?\\nThe Mayor. Yes; as far as Rio Grande. From Fajardo to Ceiba\\nthe road is in quite good condition, but municipalities like Rio Grande\\nnever take any care of roads.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you anything to say with regard to municipal\\ngovernment?\\nThe Mayor. I am satisfied with everything as it is because at the\\nhead of affairs in the capital we have men of great talent who know\\nthe needs of the country and are inclined to attend to them.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you think municipalities should continue as they\\nare, and that it is well to have the government at the capital revise\\nand supervise the acts of all municipalities throughout the island and\\napprove or disapprove as they like?", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0557.jp2"}, "558": {"fulltext": "548\\nThe Mayor. I think the municipalities should have their own sphere\\nof action and should be autonomous, and should be accountable for\\ntheir acts directly to the people of the municipality; but I think the\\nold government in the capital should continue.\\nDr. Carroll. It is not a question of the continuance of the insular\\ngovernment. The question I am trying to get at is the relation of the\\ninsular and municipal governments.\\nThe Mayor. I am in favor of municipalities being able to collect\\nand dispose of their funds as they want. I don t consider that the\\ninsular government has any right to impose on them the amount of\\nfunds they are to collect, or the number of schools, for instance, that\\nshall be established.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you think the municipality should have absolute\\ncontrol over the employment and dismissal of teachers, for example?\\nThe Mayor. That is my desire and the desire of all mj r councilors.\\nWe want complete power to remove and appoint our employees.\\nDr. Carroll. Then you want a measure of municipal autonomy?\\n(A recess was here taken until 2 o clock in the afternoon.\\nMr. Antonio Barcelo. As regards municipal autonomy, the insu-\\nlar government has already presented to General Henry a plan of\\nmunicipal autonomy with which the municipalities would very\\ngenerally be satisfied. As regards the schools, I don t think the munic-\\nipalities should have direct intervention, especially as no two munici-\\npalities agree exactly as to school systems, and there would be a want\\nof uniformity if they could all do as they pleased in the matter. All\\nexpenses occasioned by public instruction should be borne by the\\nstate, and not by the municipalities. These are the onh T two points\\non which I wish to make comment.\\nMr. Barcelo. There are some municipalities here so poor that they\\nwould not be able to attend to school matters as they should. I think\\nthat by having a central plan by which so many schools haye to be\\nprovided per so many inhabitants there would be uniformity, and\\nthe system would work better.\\nDr. Veva. I am with you completely in your suggestions, when once\\nthe Territorial law or other civil law may be granted us. Meanwhile,\\nunder the old Spanish laws, which have never been removed, but which\\nwith all their drawbacks are still in force, we can do nothing, because\\nthe state is in a condition of abject misery. One of the most important\\nand transcendental matters of the island is public instruction. That\\nwhich we have, and which comes from the old Spanish system, is bad.\\nIt never did and never will give good results. This -system is to be\\nremoved and replaced by another, but as this replacement means the\\nspending of large sums of money and the muncipalities, ruined as\\nthey are, will not be able to raise those sums, the money Avill have\\nto be found in some other quarter.\\nDr. Carroll. That is clear enough.\\nDr. Veva. To-day there is no money to be gotten anywhere. It is\\nimpossible to collect the $37,600 to-day which forms the budget of\\nthis town. It can only be collected by taking away the people s\\nproperty.\\nDr. Carroll. I understood that the budget was to be reduced.\\nThe Mayor. Even with that reduction it will not be possible to\\ncollect the amount, though during eight years of my mayoralty I\\nhave never had to execute against anyone, but I have had to col-\\nlect the 2 per cent fine for failure to paj^ taxes within the time pre-\\nscribed.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0558.jp2"}, "559": {"fulltext": "549\\nMUNICIPAL AFFAIRS IN VIEQUES.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nIsland of Vieques, P. R., January 31, 1899.\\nA Planter. We used to have a free port here in the time of the\\nSpaniards, because the customs receipts did not pay expenses and the\\nisland prospered very much. There is no importing here at all. We\\nbuy altogether from San Juan. In this island we have asked for trial\\nby jury, but have been told that it can not be given until it is gen-\\neral throughout Porto Rico. There is very little criminality here.\\nDr. Carroll. You will have to wait until the new government is\\nestablished. About what is the amount of your budget?\\nMr. Jacome. Twenty-one thousand four hundred and twelve dol-\\nlars.\\nDr. Carroll. The municipality includes the whole island, I pre-\\nsume?\\nMr. Jacome. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. How much of that $21,412 do you spend for police?\\nMr. Jacome. One thousand five hundred and sixty dollars.\\nDr. Carroll. How much for schools?\\nMr. Jacome. Three thousand nine hundred and eighty dollars.\\nThere are six schools.\\nDr. Carroll. Is that all you need?\\nMr. Wolfe. They are very poor schools and our system is a very\\nbad one.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there any money due the insular government for\\nback taxes?\\nThe Secretary. We don t know the amount, because the liquida-\\ntion committee of the deputation has not given us the balance\\nsheet yet.\\nDr. Carroll. How many members are there in your council?\\nMr. Jacome. It is constituted by thirteen, among which are three\\nvacancies. I consider that number excessive.\\nDr. Carroll. Is it difficult to get good men to serve at the council?\\nMr. Jacome. Very difficult.\\nMr. Wolfe. There are many foreigners here, mostly French and\\nEnglish. We have been obliged to take men who, under the law of\\nthe United States, should not sit in the council. Men without capacity.\\nThe Secretary. We have two members of the council who can not\\nread or write.\\nDr. Carroll. I understand, then, that it is difficult to get men for\\nthe council?\\nMr. Wolfe. If they would admit others, we have men here who\\nwould serve.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you mean men who are not citizens?\\nMr. Wolfe. Yes; but persons who are willing to become citizens.\\nA gentleman present. We want good schools here and better com-\\nmunication. We get our mail from Humacao. It should come from\\nFajardo. The mail is brought here in a sailing vessel, and as there is\\na trade wind between Fajardo and Vieques we always got the mail on\\ntime when it came from Fajardo. We want the American system of\\nschools here.\\nDr. Carroll. The way to get things is to continue to make repre-\\nsentations.\\nDr. Carroll. How about the health of this place?", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0559.jp2"}, "560": {"fulltext": "550\\nMr. Wolfe. Very good. The troops are all well and regret leaving\\nhere.\\nMr. Mouraille (a rich planter who has been thirty or forty years\\nin the island). We want free trade with the United States. With that\\nthe island would be very prosperous. We have nobody here who\\nunderstands law, and they have to send judges from outside. As to\\nadministration, we can settle with ours here.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you a system of registration here?\\nMr. Mouraille. No; we register at Humacao.\\nDr. Carroll. Is that not very inconvenient for you?\\nMr. Mouraille. Very inconvenient. We would like to have com-\\nplete separation from Humacao.\\nMr. Dutal (a druggist). The present system is very inconvenient.\\nThe Mayor. One of the needs here is municipal autonomy in all\\nquestions of administration. We ought to have also a different system\\nof judicial administration here. We find it difficult to get witnesses\\nto go to Humacao, because the expense is considerable, as well as the\\ninconvenience. We ought to have a certain amount of judicial inde-\\npendence here, except in cases of capital crimes. At least, we should\\nbe able to dispose of our own minor cases.\\nDr. Carroll, You have j^our own municipal judge have you not?\\nThe Mayor. Yes; but his jurisdiction is very limited. He has to\\ninform Humacao of every step he takes, and has to send all prison-\\ners to Humacao.\\nDr. Carroll. Is this a port of entry?\\nMr. Wolfe. It is now. It has been such for about a month.\\nDr. Carroll. Have any steps been taken to impose the liquor tax\\nof which General Henry dealt in an order in which a part of the con-\\nsumption tax was renewed.\\nThe Mayor. We had it already in our budget before the order\\ncame out. When the consumption tax was removed we had nothing\\nwith which to make up the deficiency and we have asked permission\\nto tax all prime necessities coming into the island at 5 per cent.\\nDr. Carroll. Are there any distilleries here?\\nMr. Wolfe. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. How will the planters feel about having internal\\nrevenue established here as it is in the States?\\nMr. Wolfe. All that is necessary they can support. I don t think\\nit is required, because I think the country can pay its own way if we\\ncan get the duty off of sugar.\\nTHE MUNICIPAL BUDGET OF HUMACAO.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nHumacao, P. R., February I, 1899.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the population of the q\\\\Xj of Humacao\\nproper?\\nMr. Joaquin Masferrer (mayor). Five thousand; the population\\nof the entire district is 15,000.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the amount of your annual budget?\\nMr. Masferrer. Fiftj^-four thousand dollars this year. The last\\none was $60,000.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you have much difficulty in collecting your taxes?", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0560.jp2"}, "561": {"fulltext": "551\\nMr. Masferrer. Yes, considerable; the situation of all the tax-\\npayers is a rather hard one.\\nDr. Carroll. Have jon taken any legal proceedings to collect\\ntaxes?\\nMr. Masferrer. Not yet.\\nDr. Carroll. What part of the $54,000 is set apart for schools?\\nMr. Masferrer. Eight thousand four hundred and seventy dol-\\nlars, distributed among eleven schools.\\nDr. Carroll. Are these schools fully equipped with teachers?\\nMr. Masferrer. Yes; some of the schools are being taught by\\ninterim teachers. This will continue until March, which is the month\\nfor the naming of permanent teachers.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the average salary paid each teacher?\\nMr. Masferrer. Five hundred and sixteen dollars.\\nDr. Carroll. Are teachers permitted to collect fees from scholars?\\nMr. Masferrer. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Do they make any report to the municipality of the\\namounts collected?\\nMr. Masferrer. No; these amounts are considered to be theirs.\\nDr. Carroll. Would it not be better to give them a sufficient sal-\\nary and abolish all fees?\\nMr. Masferrer. Very much better.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you have any difficulty here in getting good teach-\\ners through the fomento?\\nMr. Masferrer. The present plan for the selection of teachers is a\\nvery bad one.\\nDr. Carroll. Would it not be better to allow the secretary of\\nfomento or superintendent of public instruction to lay down the\\nqualifications to be required of those desiring to become teachers, to\\ngive proper certificates to persons possessing those qualifications, and\\nthen allow each municipality to select its own teachers and dismiss\\nthem whenever it found it necessary to do so?\\nMr. Masferrer. Such a plan is what the municipalities desire.\\nThey wish to avoid the influence and favoritism of the capital and be\\nable to select the teachers the} 7 know are suitable for the needs of the\\nmunicipalities.\\nDr. Carroll. What amount of the budget is set apart for streets?\\nMr. Masferrer. One thousand dollars.\\nDr. Carroll. How much for roads?\\nMr. Masferrer. Two thousand dollars for three roads.\\nDr. Carroll. That is not a large amount.\\nMr. Masferrer. It is not sufficient even for repairs. We spent\\nmore on that little piece of road we passed over between here and the\\nplaya.\\nDr. Carroll. Are your streets generally paved?\\nMr. Masferrer. No. v\\nDr. Carroll. In the United States, when it is desired to have the\\nstreets paved the city proposes to property owners along the line that\\nif they will raise a certain sum by subscription among themselves\\ntoward macadamizing the streets, the city will raise the rest. Usually\\nthe citizens have to raise in that way only about half the amount, and\\nthe system works very well.\\nMr. Masferrer. Persons here on building a house are obliged to\\nput down the sidewalk only the first time after that they have noth-\\ning to do with it; from that time on the municipality has to attend\\nto it.\\nDr. Carroll. In the United States property owners are required", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0561.jp2"}, "562": {"fulltext": "552\\nnot only to put down the first sidewalk, but to keep the sidewalk in\\ncondition, and that relieves the city of considerable expense. If the\\ncity is vigilant it secures thoroughly good sidewalks, and it is a just\\nmeasure.\\nMr. Masferrer. Here there are a great many poor people owning\\nproperty, and that measure would work great hardship. I tried it in\\none case and had to give them the material.\\nDr. Carroll. How much is set apart for police?\\nMr. Masferrer. Under the old rule the municipality had only fif-\\nteen policemen, but there were twenty orclen publicos and eight of the\\nGuardia Civil. But as these bodies have been done away with, the\\nmunicipality has had to replace them by twenty-five policemen. The\\namount set apart at present is 110,000.\\nDr. Carroll. That seems a large sum in proportion to the whole.\\nI presume there are some special reasons for it. Have you had many\\ndisorders in this district?\\nMr. Masferrer. Absolutely none.\\nDr. Carroll. Is that due to the vigilance of your police, to the\\ngood order of the people, or to what?\\nMr. Masferrer. To the good order of the people. The troops and\\nthe people have fraternized, and there has been no disorder of any\\nsort among them. I want to state that this municipality owes $6,766,\\nto its employees chiefly. For the purpose of raising this amount we\\nwere depending on the consumption tax, but this tax having been\\nabolished we have no means of paying this debt.\\nDr. Carroll. But you have now a tax on retail and wholesale\\ndealers in liquors and tobacco.\\nMr. Masferrer. That is not sufficient to recompense.\\nDr. Carroll. Haven t you a. great many retail dealers here? There\\nare in all other towns.\\nMr. Masferrer. There are not many here 28 only and they can\\nnot afford to pay more than we already impose. Some will cease to\\nsell because of the new tax. This debt of $6,766 has nothing to do\\nwith the present administration. We are managing to cover our\\nexpenses at present by our budget. When I took charge of the office\\nI found only $2 in the cash box.\\nDr. Carroll. Is any part of this debt owing to the Treasury at San\\nJuan?\\nMr. Masferrer. We still owe the provincial deputation $2,000.\\nDr. Carroll. What is included in this amount of $6,000 under the\\nhead of beneficencia?\\nMr. Masferrer. The salaries of two titular doctors and one stu-\\ndent, the subsistence of patients in the hospital, rental of the hospital\\nbuildings, and petty expenses, such as laundry, clothing, etc.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you more than one hospital?\\nMr. Masferrer. There is one hospital supported by the munici-\\npality and one house of charity supported by private ladies, who are\\ngranted a subvention of $400 by the municipality.\\nREDUCTION OF EXPENSES.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nYabucoa, P. R., February 2, 1899.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the annual amount of the budget in round\\nnumbers?\\nMr. Martorell (mayor). This year it is $31,000, but next year we", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0562.jp2"}, "563": {"fulltext": "553\\nwill reduce it to $21,000. We found it when we took possession of\\nthe alcaldia. We had a deficit of about $5,000 to cover.\\nDr. Carroll. Was that due to the provincial deputation?\\nMr. Martorell. No; it was on account of back taxes not col-\\nlected.\\nDr. Carroll. What do you owe to the deputation?\\nMr. Martorell. Nothing.\\nDr. Carroll. What are the other items of the budget?\\nMr. Martorell. Beneficencia, $3,893, which includes pay of doc-\\ntors, medicines, and supplies for hospital, besides general hospital\\nexpenses, and a subvention of $400 to a charitable society. The\\namount for police is $2,976; for public instruction, $5,033.\\nDr. Carroll. How many schools are there?\\nMr. Martorell. Eight. All are supplied with teachers, though\\nsome of them are interim teachers.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you believe that when the new government is\\nestablished for Porto Rico the powers of municipalities to govern\\nthemselves should be enlarged?\\nMr. Martorell. I believe in municipal autonomy.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there anything you would like to say in addition\\nto what is contained in the paper you present?\\nMr. Cintron. The question here which is of vital importance is that\\nof exchange of the money.\\nDr. Carroll. That has already been settled.\\nMr. Cintron. According to the rate at which the exchange is fixed\\nwill result the prosperity or ruin of the country, owing to the sugar\\nindustry.\\nDr. Carroll. The peso will be worth 60 cents, American, under the\\nrate decided upon.\\nMr. Cintron. Does it simply give the Porto Rican currency that\\nvalue, or does* it remove the Porto Rican money?\\nDr. Carroll. That has not been announced.\\nREDUCTION IN EXPENSES.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.\\nArroyo, P. R., February 3, 1899.\\nA gentleman from Maunabo\\nDr. Carroll. How large a place is Maunabo?\\nMr. A district of 5,000 or 6,000 only. It is one of the\\nsmallest municipalities in the island, both as to area and number of\\ninhabitants.\\nDr. Carroll. How many members have you in your council there?\\nMr. Twelve, including the mayor.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you get good men to serve in the council?\\nMr. We have too many members in our council. They\\nchange frequently, and I think they should be reduced to six seven\\nwith the mayor.\\nDr. Carroll. How many barrios are there?\\nMr. Six or seven.\\nDr. Carroll. Would it not be well to have one elected from each\\nbarrio?\\nMr. In some of these barrios of 500 people there is not one\\nperson who can read and write. So, naturally, if that system were\\nadopted, you would have a number of men in the council who could\\nnot read.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0563.jp2"}, "564": {"fulltext": "554\\nDr. Carroll. Would the majority of men selected be fit men?\\nMr. I understood you to suggest that there should be one\\nfrom each.\\nDr. Carroll. That was my suggestion. It seems to me that there\\nmust be some intelligent men in the barrios. I have known men in the\\nUnited States who could not read or write and yet who made excel-\\nlent public servants.\\nMr. Yes, I don t doubt that; and sometimes they are better\\ncitizens than those who can read and write.\\nDr. Carroll. Is it your idea that the mayor should be elected by\\nthe people and not by the council?\\nMr. No; I think that the town should elect the council and\\nthe council elect the mayor. I think in these small towns the mayor\\ncould be selected for two or three months from among the town coun-\\ncilors and change about and get no salary.\\nDr. Carroll. The experience in the United States is that it is well\\nto put the responsibility on one man; that where you have a council\\nof from six to a dozen men, it is difficult to fix responsibility, whereas\\nif you have a rnayor, and give him power, you can hold him respon-\\nsible. It seems to me that some such system here in Porto Rico would\\nbe good for the government of the municipality.\\nTHE MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS OF ARROYO.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nArroyo, P. R., February 3, 1899.\\nThe secretary of the Ayuntamiento of Arroyo produced an official\\ncop}^ of the municipal budget for the current fiscal year for the inspec-\\ntion of the commissioner. It showed the following:\\nTotal budget, $16,540. For police, $2,860; for public instruction,\\n$2,310, distributed among three schools materials for the hospital and\\ncare of the poor, $2, 300 administration expenses of the alcaldia, $3, 720\\nstreets and roads, $600. The municipality owes nothing to the provin-\\ncial deputation.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you a prison?\\nSecretary. We have a detention place only. Our prison is at\\nGuayama, and we pay $800 a year, as our contribution to the support\\nof that. We are now making complaint about the amount; we think\\nit exorbitant we only send five or six prisoners there a year.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you any municipal debt?\\nSecretary. One thousand dollars is owing to employees. Besides,\\nwe owe $2,700 additional to the prison.\\nDr. Carroll. Are you having any difficulty in collecting taxes this\\nyear?\\nFederico E. Virella (vice-alcalde). There are always some bad\\npayers, but we have no special difficulties; we do not have to proceed\\nagainst anybody.\\nDr. Carroll. Under what title is the public property of Arroyo\\nheld? Is it a matter of record in the books of registry?\\nMr. Virella. The only property we have is this house it has not\\nbeen registered yet, as we have not paid the last installment on it.\\nDr. Carroll. Is it not possible to register property until it is\\nentirely paid for?\\nMr. Virella. That depends on the arrangement made at the time of\\npurchase.\\n(One of the gentlemen present at the hearing refuted this state-", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0564.jp2"}, "565": {"fulltext": "555\\nment, claiming- that property could be registered always when pur-\\nchased, whether paid for in cash or by installments.)\\nDr. Carroll. What guaranty have you that you will get title when\\nall the payments are made?\\nMr. Virella. The receipts of payment which we have will consti-\\ntute a right.\\nThe municipal judge. The municipal judge and the secretary are\\nworking without salaries.\\nA gentleman present. Owing to the fact that they are not paid,\\nwe don t get the service we ought to have.\\nDr. Carroll. Do they receive no fees at all?\\nThe municipal judge. Yes; but they do not amount to $25 a\\nmonth.\\nDr. Carroll. That ought to be changed,\\nA gentleman present. An aspiration of Arroyo is to see military\\ngovernment disappear and civil government at once instituted.\\nDr. Carroll. Congress must first enact legislation with regard to\\nthe installment of a new civil government for Porto Rico, and Con-\\ngress will not be able to take action until next winter; but I hope the\\npeople of Arroyo and throughout the island will exercise a large\\ndegree of j)atieiice, assured that General Henry, who is now in com-\\nmand at San Juan, desires only the best interests of the people of\\nPorto Rico and is reforming the laws as rapidly as defects in them are\\nbrought to his attention.\\nA gentleman present. The whole island is satisfied with General\\nHenry. We think he is the right man in the right place.\\nNote. The last census of Arroyo showed 276 houses and 1,504\\ninhabitants.\\nDr. Carroll. Is the present method of municipal government\\nentirely satisfactory to the island, or do you think that when the new\\ngovernment shall be inaugurated from Washington, the system of\\nmunicipal government should be changed somewhat?\\nMr. Virella. I think it should be changed we should have munici-\\npal autonomy.\\nTHE MUNICIPAL DISTRICT OF GUAYAMA.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nGuayama, P. R., February 3, 1899.\\nAt the request of the commissioner, Mr. Celestino Dominguez, mayor\\nof Guayama, produced a copy of the municipal budget, which showed\\nthe following, among other items:\\nPesos.\\nTotal of the budget 59,500\\nSalaries for management of ayuntamiento:\\nMayor 1,300\\nSecretary... 1,000\\nAn employee 600\\n2 clerks, at $360 720\\n1 clerk !.._ 240\\n1 clerk 180\\n1 porter 240\\n1 accountant 420\\n1 depositary 900\\n1 clerk attendant 90\\nTotal 5,790\\nMunicipal police 3, 600\\nThere are 9 policemen, including officers.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0565.jp2"}, "566": {"fulltext": "556\\nPublic instruction:\\nSalaries 5, 360\\nMaterials 3, 696\\n9, 056\\nThere are 10 schools altogether, with an equal number of teachers.\\nBeneficencia (including 3 titular doctors. 1 student, 1 man in charge of\\nthe hospital, 1 veterinary, besides subventions and supplies) 6. 950.\\nStreets and roads:\\nVicinage roads 1 000\\nStreets 1,000\\nFor the repair of the church 50\\nDr. Carroll. Are you indebted to the provincial deputation?\\nMr. Dominguez. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Any arrears in royal dues?\\nMr. Dominguez. No; the amount I first gave as the total of the\\nbudget will be reduced. Several items have been removed which will\\nreduce it.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you a new budget formed?\\nMr. Dominguez. No.\\nDr. Carroll. What will the amount be for the year as reduced?\\nMr. Dominguez. For 1898-99, from July to June, #51,272. During\\nthe war the Spanish soldiers were quartered here to a considerable\\nextent; and as they had no money, the municipality had to attend to\\ntheir needs, which cost us about $100 a clay.\\nDr. Carroll. I suppose the $1,000 spent on roads hardly represents\\nyour needs.\\nThe Depositary. This municipality has to take care of only 8 kilo-\\nmeters of road, which are in perfect condition. The others are state\\nroads. We have plenty of rural roads, but they are not in very good\\ncondition.\\nDr. Carroll. How is it with the hospital? Is the city hospital\\nunder the control entirely of the municipality, or is it managed by the\\nchurch in part, as in some other cities?\\nMr. Dominguez. It is entirely under civil control.\\nDr. Carroll. Is it in good condition?\\nMr. Dominguez. It is in fair condition; it is a wooden, building,\\nlarge enough to take care of the people of the town. We have a proj-\\nect for a new hospital. A gentleman left $14,000 for a hospital, but\\nhe left the money to his wife for her life, and when she dies we will\\nuse the money for that purpose.\\nDr. Carroll. In San Juan I was told there were only two civil hos-\\npitals in all the island, but I find that nearly every town has one.\\nGuayama, I believe, is the seat of the judicial district, and you have\\nthe district jail here?\\nMr. Dominguez. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. How many prisoners are there in it?\\nMr. Dominguez. Forty-nine or Mty. The largest number we have\\nhad is 80.\\nDr. Carroll. How many of these are serving out sentences and\\nhow many are detained awaiting trial?\\nMr. Dominguez. Twenty-five are serving out sentences, and the rest\\nare awaiting trial.\\nDr. Carroll. At Arroyo to-day the municipal authorities made a\\ncomplaint about the amount assessed for the care of this prison that,\\nalthough they have on an average only four or five prisoners here,\\nthey are assessed about", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0566.jp2"}, "567": {"fulltext": "557\\nMr. Dominguez. You must uot believe that. That figures in their\\nbudget, but they haven t paid for several years. When the estimate\\nfor the prison is formed, they call -all the alcaldes from the different\\ntowns which have to contribute, and they agree as to what each shall\\npay, and when they go home they go home satisfied with the amount\\nassessed. They have been granted delay, and two representatives\\ncame up from Arroyo yesterday to ask a further stay of five years.\\nThey collect the tax for it, but it filters through their fingers some-\\nhow. What brought those gentlemen here yesterday was the fact\\nthat this city had an embargo laid on the municipal receipts of Arroyo,\\nand they came up to have it taken off. They have lost their credit\\nwith this municipal^, and yet they come asking for five years fur-\\nther time. Here is the petition that they brought us. [Mr. Dominguez\\nshowed the Commissioner a petition, purporting to come from the\\nauthorities at Arroyo, asking for a delay in the payment of the prison\\ndues.] The substance of it is that the undersigned councilors, com-\\nmissioned for this object, have the honor to submit to your consider-\\nation the following proposition for the payment of the debt for prison\\nexpenses up to the year 1898-99 The council of Arroyo undertakes to\\nmake payment to the prison board of its share of prison expenses in\\nfive terms in the form below, and goes on to propose five amounts of\\n$540, interest to run at the rate of 6 per cent.\\nDr. Carroll. What is their proportion per year, on an average?\\nMr. Dominguez. Arroyo pays $954. The other towns of the district\\npay as follows: Guayama, $2,144; Barranquitas, $692;Maunabo, $842;\\nPatillas, $1,034; Ciclra, $587; Cayey, $1,518; Salinas, $926; Aibonito,\\n$787; total, $9,584. We estimate on 90 prisoners daily. That is the\\nnumber we used to have under Spanish rule. When there was a\\npolitical row, we had as high as 500 in prison at one time, and that\\nwas quite frequent. The trouble wi,th Arroyo is that it has a large\\nstaff of employees and pays much more out than it can possibly get in.\\nDr. Carroll. Does the amount you have stated as the total for\\nprison expenses represent merely the cost of keeping the prisoners, or\\ndoes it include, as well, the expense of trial?\\nMr. Dominguez. It does not include the expense of trial, but only\\nthe cost of keeping them, and covers the items of food, medicines,\\nclothes, services of doctor and turnkeys, and everything connected\\nwith the prison. Every month we give the prisoners a change of\\nclothing.\\nDr. Carroll. In what condition is the prison here?\\nMr. Dominguez. There is no sickness in the prison now except\\nslight infirmities, such as colds. The sum of $2,000 is required to put\\nthe closets in a sanitary condition. They are a center of infection.\\nWe tried to get the towns of the district to contribute an amount for\\nthe purpose, but the only town that paid its contribution was Guayama.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you any accommodation for the separation of\\nprisoners? For instance, young prisoners that come in for minor\\noffenses and perhaps for the first time. Are they herded together\\nwith the old offenders?\\nMr. Dominguez. Yes. We have four cells in which we put the\\nprisoners convicted of serious crimes, but they are all practically\\ntogether. Of course, the women have a separate place.\\nDr. Carroll. The apartment assigned to women in the jail in\\nHumacao was horrible. They said they could not help themselves,\\nbecause they had no other place to put them.\\nMr. Dominguez. We have preferential apartments, which we sell to\\npersons able to pay for them.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0567.jp2"}, "568": {"fulltext": "558\\nDr. Carroll. Do you make an annual appropriation for the poor?\\nI did not notice that in the budget.\\nMr. Dominguez. No; we do not.\\nDr. Carroll. Have 3^011 any institution for the care of the insane?\\nMr. Dominguez. No; we send them to the madhouse at the capiial.\\nAbout every ten years we have a case. We are people of brains here.\\nDr. Carroll. Do the municipal judge and his clerk receive any\\nsalary?\\nMr. Dominguez. No.\\nDr. Carroll. Plow are they maintained?\\nMr. Dominguez. They live on what they collect from the litigants\\naccording to a tariff. The municipal judge here is a private gentle-\\nman who lends his services gratuitously and leaves his fees to his\\nclerk.\\nDr. Carroll. Won Id it not be better in all these cities to have a\\nmunicipal judge with a salary, and a clerk to be provided for in the\\nsame way, and fines and fees, if any, to be collected and paid into the\\nmunicipal treasury?\\nMr. Dominguez. That would be better. Then justice would not be\\nexposed to the spoliation which it now suffers in the island not here\\nin Guayama now, but in other cities of Porto Rico. The priests, since\\nthey have been denied state support, are making a practice of charg-\\ning as high fees as they can get. They charge $32, where they can\\nget it, for going to a house to perform a marriage.\\nMUNICIPAL AUTONOMY DESIRED.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nCoamo, P. R., February 6, 1899.\\nAt the request of the commissioner, Mr. Segundo Bernier produced\\na copy of the municipal budget of Coamo, which showed, among\\nother items, the following:\\nTotal amount of budget, 129,000, reduced by revised estimate to\\n$27,365; administration expenses, $5,169; police, 13,100; public in-\\nstruction, $4,766; other night schools and beneficiencia, 64,134; public\\nworks, $641. Of this amount $200 was for streets and $440 for roads.\\nDr. Carroll. Of what does the municipal property of Coamo\\nconsist?\\nThe Secretary. The cemeteiy, the slaughterhouse, the hospital,\\nand 200 cuerdas of land on which the city is built.\\nDr. Carroll. Then the municipality owns the site of the city?\\nMr. Bernier. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Is that all the property?\\nMr. Bernier. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Are there any changes you would desire in municipal\\ngovernment?\\nA Gentleman present. Yes; Ave should have self-government.\\nThe municipality should be as free as they are in the United States,\\nwithout any kind of supervision.\\nDr. Carroll. What do you mean by municipal autonomy?\\nA Gentleman present. A government of the people and y the\\npeople.\\nDr. Carroll. In what measure?\\nA Gentleman present. To the full extent.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0568.jp2"}, "569": {"fulltext": "559\\nDr. Carroll. Without any reference at all to the insular govern-\\nment?\\nA Gentleman present. Where civil supervision is proper it should\\nbe exercised.\\nDr. Carroll. For instance, would you give the cities unlimited\\npower to issue bonds and create debts\\nA Gentleman present. Yes giving also full power to determine\\nevery question within their spheres.\\nDr. Carroll. Then 3^011 would probably soon have a state of bank-\\nruptcy in all the cities of the island.\\nA Gentleman present. No. They would have to keep within the\\nrestrictions which the law would require.\\nDr. Carroll. Then you do want limitations?\\nA Gentleman present. Yes, certain limitations.\\nColonel Santiago. These gentlemen have already said more or less\\nwhat I wanted to say, but I will go into it a little more in detail. I\\nunderstand by your question and your suggestion that a state of bank-\\nruptcy might soon result from full autonomy; that the people to-day\\nare not in a condition to accept autonomy.\\nDr. Carroll. No, not at all; but in the United States and other\\ncountries municipal autonomy is generally coupled with a proviso in\\nthe charter to the effect that the city shall not contract indebtedness\\nbeyond a certain percentage of the value of the property of the city,\\nso that it shall not place itself too heavily in debt.\\nA Gentleman present. I think that the only way the people could\\nchoose their form of government would be by collecting together the\\nmen of the country and taking their vote.\\nMUNICIPAL PROPERTY.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nAibonito, P. R. February 6, 1899.\\nMr. Caballer (mayor). The total of the budget is $22,157; the esti-\\nmated receipts. 120,888. You will see there is an estimated deficit of\\n$1,269.\\nDr. Carroll. Are there no debts prior to the year 1898?\\nMr. Caballer. Yes, amounting to $5,504, which is due on the con-\\nstruction of barracks and the lodging of troops.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the amount devoted to school purposes?\\nMr. Caballer. Three thousand six hundred and seventy-two dol-\\nlars, including salaries and materials, There are six schools.\\nDr. Carroll. How much for police?\\nMr. Caballer. Seven hundred and eighty dollars.\\nDr. Carroll. How much for beneficencia?\\nMr. Caballer. Two thousand three hundred and ninety-eight dol-\\nlars.\\nDr. Carroll. How much for streets and roads?\\nMr. Caballer. Four hundred dollars for streets nothing for roads.\\nDr. Carroll. What city property is there?\\nMr. Caballer. A municipal house which is in a state of ruin, for\\nwhich reason it is to be offered at public auction; a butcher shop and\\nslaughterhouse.\\nDr. Carroll. Is the title of the public property entered upon the\\nrecords?", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0569.jp2"}, "570": {"fulltext": "560\\nMr. Caballer. No; it is not; and I don t think it can be, because\\nthe buildings stand on land which was given to the town by legacy.\\nThe municipality does not own the land; it only owns the public\\nbuildings standing on it. The land belongs to the people as a whole.\\nWe distinguish between the municipality and the people.\\nDr. Carroll. If you wanted to raise money on bonds, you would\\nhave to show title to the property, would you not?\\nMr. Caballer. We would register the property if we could.\\nThe Municipal Judge. I think the title could be registered, and\\nfrom a sale of the lands on which houses are built the municipality\\nwould be able to purchase a new municipal building. The city owns\\nthe entire land within the city limits. A benevolent person some time\\nago deeded 10 acres of land now occupied by the city, but somebody,\\nfor personal reasons, probably, put the deed in his pocket and it was\\nlost. The municipality, not having absolute title to this property,\\nmeasured off 10 acres of land and directed that anybody holding\\nproperty within those limits should be allowed to build houses on it,\\nbut that the land should remain the property of the city. The only\\nrestriction placed on the building of these houses was that they should\\nconform to certain architectural rules.\\nDr. Carroll. Then it is only a matter of tradition that this land\\nbelongs to the municipality?\\nMr. Caballer. Yes it is not founded upon any documents.\\nDr. Carroll. Can you prove that the land belongs to the munici-\\npality before a court of justice?\\nThe Municipal Judge. According to the Spanish law twenty years\\nof quiet possession constitutes title, and it is easy to prove that the\\nmunicipality has been in quiet possession for that time.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you a sufficient number of public schools to\\naccommodate all who wish to be educated?\\nMr. Caballer. No we have not. In the rural districts we have\\nonly two schools.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you not sufficient funds to inaugurate other\\nschools?\\nMr. Caballer. We are completely ruined. You can see by the\\nestimates that we have no money whatever.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you reduced your appropriations for schools\\nthis year?\\nMr. Caballer. No; we have not altered the amount for that object.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you generally good schools?\\nMr. Caballer. We have one elementary teacher, who is among the\\nbest in the island. We have another in the country district, who does\\nhonor to his profession. There is another whom I do not know about.\\nDr. Carroll. Are the expenses of the schools paid promptly?\\nMr. Caballer. We owe the lady teacher for three months of last\\nyear.\\nDr. Carroll. I suppose there is no possible way at present for\\nraising more school taxes.\\nMr. Caballer. It is impossible at present. We have a deficit of\\nmore than $4,000.\\nDr. Carroll. How has the modification of the consumption tax\\naffected the city s income?\\nMr. Caballer. We have covered the difference by taxing liquors.\\nDr. Carroll. Has there been any objection made on the part of\\nthe liquor sellers or tobacconists because of the tax?\\nMr. Caballer. At first some few of them complained a little, but", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0570.jp2"}, "571": {"fulltext": "561\\nthey have been able to convince themselves that it is best for the gen-\\neral interests.\\nDr. Carroll. Are many cigars manufactured here?\\nMr. Caballer. No; there is no cigar factory here.\\nLieutenant Gonzales. There were some here who made a living from\\ncigar making on a small scale. Now that there is a high tax, such\\nmen are out of work.\\nDr. Carroll. Are there many?\\nLieutenant Gonzales. I have met four or five.\\nDr. Carroll. Why do they not form themselves into a company\\nor association?\\nLieutenant Gonzales. I advised them to do that, but they have\\nnot wit enough to do it. Furthermore, on account of these men not\\nbeing able to manufacture tobacco, the producer comes to town and\\nhe can not sell his tobacco except to the big dealer, so that the pro-\\nducer loses and the small manufacturer loses. I have had a number\\nof talks with poor men and all have stated the same thing. I think it\\nwas poor policy to put on that tax. Besides, they say the big manu-\\nfacturers make their own price for labor, because there is so much\\nlabor in the country and so many men are out of work. I know the\\nSpanish language, and I hear a great deal. The big manufacturers\\nhave not raised the price of cigars in Cayey, while here they have\\nraised the price 1 and 2 cents. Of course this all goes to one man.\\nMr. Caballer. We wish you to take to the President of the United\\nStates our thanks for his idea of sending a commissioner to find out\\nthe needs of the country, and I wish to say also that you must not\\nthink the country is really an immoral one. In a large city a man\\nwalks in with a woman on his arm, and nobody knows whether she is\\nhis wife or not, but here everybody knows what is going on. This is\\na very peaceable country. Although we have not had in this district\\na rural court, there has not even been a case of chicken theft.\\nDr. Carroll. If you could have the present system of municipal\\ngovernment recast, in what form would you have it?\\nMr. Caballer. With the greatest amount of decentralization, so\\nthat the people here might enjoy the most ample autonomy it would\\nbe possible to give them. I believe that the basis of the liberty of a\\nnation lies in the autonomy of its towns.\\nDr. Carroll. Would it be well to reduce the number of members\\nin the council?\\nMr. Caballer. I don t think it necessary. The greater number of\\nintelligences which get together to legislate, I think, the better.\\nDr. Carroll. They claim in nearly all the cities I have visited\\nthat they can not get all the members of the council to come together.\\nMr. Caballer. That has been a general fault, not owing to the\\ncharacter of the Porto Ricans, but owing to the difficulties which the\\nformer government put in the way of gathering. Whatever course\\nthey might resolve on was contravened by the central powers at San\\nJuan.\\nDr. Carroll. You would have the mayor elected by the people,\\nwould you not?\\nMr. Caballer. I think so.\\nDr. Carroll. Would you make the term of the alcalde one or two\\nyears?\\nMr. Caballer. I think two years, as constant renewals bring party\\npassions into play.\\nDr. Carroll. Would it not be well to elect one councilman from\\neach barrio, so as to have general representation?\\n1125 36", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0571.jp2"}, "572": {"fulltext": "562\\nMr. Caballer. I think it would be difficult for that to be inau-\\ngurated, as some of the barrios are at a great distance, without any\\nroads at all, and councilmen would not be able to attend.\\nDr. Carroll. I suppose you will have roads under the new regime?\\nMr. Caballer. I think the ruined state of the country will render\\nit a long time before that could be brought about unless the American\\nGovernment, from its own Treasury, attends to it.\\nDr. Carroll. You already have a large amount of money in your\\ninsular treasury, and it is the purpose of General Henry to use much\\nof it in constructing and rebuilding roads. Don t you think it well\\nthat taxpayers, even though they live in the rural districts, should be\\nrepresented in the council, as they are taxed heavily?\\nMr. Caballer. I think so. They have representation. Every\\nbarrio has a representative here.\\nDr. Carroll. It would be well, then, to have one elected from\\neach barrio?\\nMr. Caballer. Yes.\\nMUNICIPAL BONDS AND ACCOUNTS.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nCaguas, P. R., February 27, 1899.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the public property here, Mr. Mayor?\\nMr. Sola. The municipal property consists of the municipal house\\nanother building we had built for a hospital, which the troops are now\\noccupying; the slaughterhouse, and a piece of land outside of the city\\nwhich can be used for a cemetery; the cemetery and the chapel,\\nwhich were both constructed by the muncipality; a house in which\\nthey sell meat; the church, which was constructed by the munici-\\npality, and the plaza.\\nDr. Carroll. Is title to this property recorded?\\nMr. Sola. No.\\nDr. Carroll. It is customary here, I believe, to register municipal\\nproperty.\\nMr. Sola. The town limits are inscribed.\\n(The municipal budget for the year 1898-99 was shown to the Com-\\nmissioner. It contained, among others, the following items: Total of\\nthe budget, $53,960.47; administration salaries, $5,608; materials,\\n$1,686; police, 13,780; schools (nine in number), $5,954; beneficiencia,\\nincluding two titular physicians, one assistant, and one veterinary,\\n$4,450; roads, $800; streets, $500; sidewalks, $200; plaza, $50; prison,\\n$9,950.)\\nDr. Carroll. There is an item here for interest, of $3,024,74.\\nMr. Sola. That is on a debt of $7,137.\\nDr. Cruz. As an honest man, I protest against that debt. The\\n$3,024.74 represents interest and a part of the debt.\\nDr. Carroll. How was the debt contracted, and for what purpose?\\nMr. Sola (brother of the alcalde). This is not a loan; it is an issue\\nof bonds. We have a portion of the bonds in our safe now.\\nDr. Cruz. I ask that the document relative to it be brought out,\\nthat you may know what it is.\\nMayor Sola. The money was not obtained from airybody. The\\nbonds Avhich were to be issued are in the safe.\\nDr. Carroll. Then why are you paying interest and a part of the\\nprincipal?", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0572.jp2"}, "573": {"fulltext": "563\\nDr. Cruz. They have recorded it illegally as money received, whereas\\nit is their own paper which they have.\\nMr. Sola. A portion of the bonds have been issned for salaries and\\nto creditors of the municipality. Really they are only in the form of\\npromissory notes.\\nMayor Sola. The amount of the debt was $7,137; $4,270 of that loan\\nhas been placed.\\nDr. Carroll. Was the money raised on those bonds used for mu-\\nnicipal purposes?\\nMayor Sola. This amount has not been sold, but has been given to\\ncreditors of the municipality. The municipality owed money and\\ngave these bonds.\\nDr. Carroll. When were they prepared?\\nMayor Sola. Nearly three years ago.\\nDr. Cruz. This loan was really made to cover a deficit in the treasury,\\nfor money badly spent.\\nDr. Carroll. Was it ordered to be issued by the ayuntamiento?\\nA Gentleman present. It was under the old regime, when every-\\nthing was done by favoritism from the capital.\\nDr. Carroll. Why do you not cancel the bonds you have not issued?\\nMayor Sola. They figure in the municipal accounts as money,\\nbecause they were put into the municipal safe as money. The people\\nwould not accept them, because they denied their legality.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there any power in the municipality to cancel those\\nin the safe which have not been issued?\\nMayor Sola. Only with the consent of the government.\\nDr. Carroll. Has the council asked the government to allow that\\nto be done?\\nMayor Sola. No; the reason they are in the safe is that they were\\ncreated to cover a deficiency and have to be considered as money.\\nDr. Carroll. You have here an estimate of three thousand and\\nsome odd dollars. Is that to cancel the bonds with?\\nMayor Sola. Yes; when we pay them we destroy the bonds.\\nDr. Cruz. I wish you would ask for the statement of the cash, in order\\nthat you may see how it is. It is all wrong. I have here a copy of a\\npetition I prepared to the municipality asking for correction of the\\naccounts. No attention has been given to it. One thing is this loan\\nwhich has been referred to. It is illegal.\\nDr. Carroll. Was it not ordered by the insular government?\\nDr. Cruz. It was ordered by the Spanish Government.\\nDr. Carroll. If it was ordered by the Spanish Government, was it\\nnot legal? Was it not ordered in proper form?\\nDr. Cruz. It was not ordered in proper form.\\nA Gentleman present. It was a muddle to cover up the beer that\\nGeneral Macias used to take.\\nDr. Cruz. Some other debts for which this loan was contracted have\\nalready been paid, and there is a voucher of their payment in the\\narchives of the municipality. They have been twice paid.\\nDr. Carroll. Mr. Mayor, is that true?\\nMayor Sola. My reply is that I have been two months here as alcalde,\\nand what took place before then is not my deed.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you looked into this debt?\\nMayor Sola. No. But I have protested against everything that\\nwas badly done.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you believe that that debt was illegally contracted?\\nMayor Sola. I believe that the expediente which was drawn up for\\ncontracting this loan was not legal.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0573.jp2"}, "574": {"fulltext": "564\\n(The secretary of theayuhtamiento handed the commissioner a state-\\nment of accounts which had been sent for by the mayor at the request\\nof Dr. Cruz.)\\nDr. Cruz. That is not the document that is called for.\\n(The secretary then brought another document, which Dr. Cruz\\nstated was the one he had referred to.\\nDr. Cruz. You will see from this account that there is a deficit of\\n$5,000.\\nThe Depositary. I am a new depositary. On taking possession I\\nmade a statement showing that there was a deficit of 85,062.25 money\\nthat I ought to have found in the municipal treasury, but which was\\nnot there.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you made an investigation in regard to it?\\nThe Depositary. Not yet.\\nDr. Carroll. Did you call on your predecessor for an explanation?\\nThe Depositary. It is not my duty to do that.\\nDr. Carroll. Has no attempt been made by the municipal council\\nto call upon the former depositary to explain the deficiency and, if it\\nis a real deficiency, to make it good?\\nMayor Sola. We called on him to do so and he said he required a\\ncertain time to make it good. We gave him the time he asked for,\\nbut he has not made it good yet.\\nDr. Carroll. Is the depositary under bonds for the faithful per-\\nformance of his duty?\\nMayor Sola. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. HaA^e the bonds been returned to you yet?\\nMayor Sola. The bond is not worth a cent.\\nDr. Carroll. In case there is not a bond, then criminal proceedings\\nwould lie, would they not, unless he could explain the accounts and\\nthe reason for the shortage?\\nMayor Sola. If he does not turn over the money which the munic-\\nipality placed in his hands to take care of for it, he is subject to an\\naction.\\nDr. Carroll. Does the ayuntamiento intend to take action in this\\ncase speedily?\\nMayor Sola. Yes he has promised the municipality to make pay-\\nment of the amount by a certain day, and the council is waiting to\\nsee whether he does or not.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the date?\\nMayor Sola. The date has already fallen due. I asked him to-day\\nif he had everything ready, and he said that he had not he would be\\nable to arrange the matter in about three days.\\nDr. Carroll. Has this been reported to the present secretary of\\nstate?\\nDr. Cruz. A memorial was sent to the old government about all of\\nthese accounts which are wrong, but up to the present nothing has\\nbeen done about them. There is another matter I wish you to take\\nnotice of. I wish to direct your attention to the amount which has\\nbeen added to the budget for the year 1898-99. You will see that\\n$26,475.14 must be added to the $53,960.47 to get the total of the cur-\\nrent budget. I would like to have you inquire in regard to this addi-\\ntional amount.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the explanation of this enormous addition\\nto the budget?\\nThe Secretary. It represents deficits and salaries which were not\\nmet by the old budget.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0574.jp2"}, "575": {"fulltext": "565\\nDr. Carroll. Why were they not inscribed in the old budget?\\nDr. Cruz. They are amounts they did not dare put in the old budget,\\nwhich they have put in the new.\\nDr. Carroll. I am not getting any explanation of this large addi-\\ntional budget. I would like to understand it.\\nA Gentleman present. These are amounts not paid.\\nDr. Carroll. Why were they not put in the other budget?\\n(No one offered any answer to this question.\\nDr. Carroll. When was the original budget made and adopted?\\nA Gentleman present. May 14, 1898.\\nDr. Carroll. When was the additional budget adopted?\\nA Gentleman present. February 17, 1899.\\nDr. Carroll. Now, why did you add all this before the end of the\\nyear when you had estimates amounting to over $50,000?\\nA Gentleman present. These were amounts from 1897-98 which\\nwere not paid.\\nDr. Carroll. Then why were they not put in here?\\nA Gentleman present. Because the present budget was made\\nbefore the end of the preceding fiscal year.\\nDr. Carroll. What was the amount of the budget in the previous\\nyear?\\nA Gentleman present. Forty-five thousand six hundred and forty-\\nsix dollars, of which $20,000 was not collected.\\n(The secretary produced a copy of the law and pointed out the\\nparagraph providing that unpaid amounts in the budget should form\\na part of a new budget to be prepared in the course of the following\\nyear.\\nDr. Carroll. Was the total budget $45,646 last year?\\nA Gentleman present. Yes; but there was an additional budget\\nof $9,282, making the total about $55,000.\\nDr. Carroll. Then not much more than half of that was collected?\\nA Gentleman present. The amount includes what was not col-\\nlected and what was not paid. In other words, whatever is unliqui-\\ndated is transferred to the new budget.\\nDr. Carroll. It is a very strange way of making an additional\\nbudget. That is more than half as large as the original budget. Do\\nyou expect, Mr. Mayor, to collect the whole budget, including the\\nadditional amount, this year?\\nMayor Sola. It is not possible to do so. The taxes are very heavy,\\nand taxpayers are almost ruined.\\nDr. Carroll. Is this not a bad method, increasing the debt in this\\nway? Last year the shortage was $9,000 and now it is $26,000.\\nMayor Sola. It is not only bad, it is ruinous.\\nDr. Carroll. What method of taxation would you propose instead\\nof this?\\nMayor Sola. That would be a question for the ayuntamiento to\\nstudy and prepare a plan for.\\nDr. Carroll. As nearly as I can understand, your shortage is\\nbetween $35,000 and $40,000?\\nMayor Sola. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Then the prospect is that you will have a very large\\ndebt at the end of the year?\\nMayor Sola. The taxpayers can not pay the taxes. Thej^ are too\\nheavy for them.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you tried to economize in the formation of the\\nadditional budget?", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0575.jp2"}, "576": {"fulltext": "566\\nMayor Sola. We have proposed economies aggregating between\\n$9,000 and $10,000.\\nDr. Cruz. One thing that tended to increase the budget this year\\nwas the war. The Spaniards hired carriages and quarters for the\\nsoldiers here, and there were various expenses connected with these.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you estimate that the new system of land taxes\\nwhich has been issued by General Henry will result in more or in less\\nreturns?\\nMayor Sola. I think it will give less.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you been able to make up what you lost on\\nthe consumption tax by the tax on liquor and tobacco?\\nMayor Sola. No; we have lost on that.\\nDr. Carroll. What suggestions would you make, Mr. Mayor, as\\nto amendments in the present form of municipal government? I\\nshould like to know whether you consider that the present system of\\nmunicipal government is entirely satisfactory, or whether you desire\\nchanges, and if so, of what character.\\nMayor Sola. I think they ought to have as much autonomj* as is\\nconsistent with justice.\\nDr. Carroll. What are the advantages and disadvantages in that\\nrespect of the present system?\\nMayor Sola. The municipalities at present can not form their\\nbudgets to meet their expenses. They are not free to make their\\nbudgets as they desire.\\nDr. Carroll. Are you constrained in that respect by the insular\\ngovernment?\\nMayor Sola. At present we make our budget under specific laws\\nwhich we have had to follow under the Spanish Government. Under\\nthe new government we think .matters are much improved.\\nDr. Carroll. Does the insular government require you to make a\\nbudget larger than the mayor and the council think necessary?\\nMayor Sola. No I consider the insular government has tried to\\nhave us send in our budgets as small as possible.\\nDr. Carroll. I understood you to say that you wished larger lib-\\nerty for the municipalities in the making of their budgets. For what\\nreason?\\nMayor Sola. We wish to have more power in the matter of assess-\\ning taxes, so as to make taxation fall fairly on all classes.\\nA Gentleman present. For twenty years this town has had a dis-\\nastrous administration. Each year the estimate grew larger and\\nlarger, owing to the mismanagement of the corporate body, which was\\ntoo small for our needs, and to the want of vigilance and allowing this\\nbody to do as it liked. When the moment arrived for the granting of\\nautonomy by the Spanish Government, this district was completely\\nshorn, being heavily in debt and without a cent in its treasury. Then\\nthe complications with the United States began, and things became\\ngraver by reason not only of the war, but also of the confusion which\\nprevented the municipality from attending to its own affairs. The\\nmunicipality had no time to collect its money. It was not proper that\\nthe municipality should have been saddled with expense connected\\nwith the war, but the Government put it on us. This is the reason of\\nthe critical position of the town to-day. The way to better the situa-\\ntion would be to obtain a loan and apply it to running purposes. In\\nthe meantime inquire into past accounts and put the responsibility\\nfor them where it is due. There exists a need of such responsibility\\nboth in the government offices and here in the city, and when the time\\ncomes to make use of it, it will be used.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0576.jp2"}, "577": {"fulltext": "567\\nMr. Sola. I as a councilor think that full local autonomy should be\\ngiven to the municipalities in all matters which do not conflict with\\nstate government.\\nDr. Cruz. I wish to know whether they understand by autonomy\\ndecentralization. We have autonomy already, but I want it decen-\\ntralized. If there is to be proper autonomy, the councilors should do\\ntheir work in a proper way. I beg that if legislation be taken on this\\nmatter and decentralization is granted, responsibility be exacted\\nfrom all the councilors for their acts. We are not so much in need\\nof laws as of good administration. I find that the municipal book-\\nkeeping is too complicated. There are ten or twelve books kept so\\nmany that if a person wants to find anything at a moment s notice it\\nis impossible to get it. I desire liberty, biit liberty in the right sense.\\nBesponsibility should be exacted from everyone, and I think that no\\ncitizen s rights should be trampled on.\\nDr. Carroll. Who is the bookkeeper?\\n(The bookkeeper who was present at the hearing stated in reply to\\nthe commissioner s question regarding the system of bookkeeping\\nin vogue that he kept the books by chapters and double entry. Every\\nchapter has its articles and every article has its account. For in-\\nstance, we credit the mayor with the whole amount of his salary and\\ndebit him as he draws.\\nDr. Carroll. This gentleman (Dr. Cruz) says there are so many\\nbooks that it is impossible for anyone to find out in a moment any-\\nthing about the accounts. He says there are ten or twelve books\\nkept.\\nThe Bookkeeper. There are five books.\\nThe Secretary. We are under another obnoxious law. Under\\nchapter 4, article 138, of the municipal law, bookkeeping for the\\nmunicipalities is the same as that adopted for the royal treasury.\\nDr. Carroll (to the bookkeeper). In your judgment are there\\nmore books kept than are necessary to keep the accounts straight?\\nThe Bookkeeper. I think only necessary books are kept. That\\nmay be because I am accustomed to the present system.\\nMr. Jose Julian Avarez, municipal judge\\n-Dr. Carroll. There is, I believe, no salary allowed to municipal\\njudges?\\nJudge Avarez. No.\\nDr. Carroll. What fees are allowed by law; or is it an entirely\\nhonorary office?\\nJudge Avarez. There is a tariff of fees, but it is so insignificant\\nthat the judges always leave it for their secretaries, who also have no\\nsalaries.\\nDr. Carroll. Are fees allowed for registering births, deaths, and\\nmarriages?\\nJudge Avarez. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Why are the births not fully reported?\\nJudge Avarez. The chief reason is that the mother or father has\\nto bring the child and ask for inscription, and he has to do this within\\nforty days after the birth occurs, and as the distances are sometimes\\nvery great, neither the mother nor the father frequently is able to\\ncome. I think anyone should be allowed to report a birth. For\\nexample, the doctor who officiates at the birth. It should not be con-\\nfined to the doctor, however, for, as a matter of fact, it is hardly ever\\nthat a doctor attends these country births.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0577.jp2"}, "578": {"fulltext": "568\\nDr. Carroll. Is there a penalty for failure, of the mother to have\\nthe child registered after forty days?\\nJudge Avarez. If it comes after forty days have expired, they have\\nto prepare an expediente, and there is a fine from 85 to 810.\\nDr. Carroll. Does not that prevent the inscription of many births\\nthat otherwise would be inscribed?\\nMr. Avarez. Yes that, together with the fact that the father or\\nmother is obliged to come to report it.\\nDr. Carroll. In your judgment, what would be a better system in\\norder to get full reports of births?\\nJudge Avarez. I think the first thing would be to send out circu-\\nlars to the commissioners; second, to enable inscription to be made on\\nthe report of any person duly authorized; and third, that the method\\nof inscription should be brief. The law requires that the inscription\\nbe put in in duplicate, and it is very long.\\nMUNICIPAL AUTONOMY DESIRED.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nCayey, P. R,, Februanj 28, 1899.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the population of Cayey?\\nMr. Manuel Munoz. The population of the entire district is\\nbetween 14,000 and 15,000. The population of the town itself is from\\n3,000 to 4,000.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the amount of your budget?\\nMr. Munoz. Thirty-six thousand dollars. The budget for next vear\\nwill not exceed $22,000 or $23,000.\\nDr. Carroll. Does that include the additional budget?\\nMr. Munoz. The additional will be from $2,000 to $3,000.\\nDr. Carroll. Is that made up of amounts not collected last year?\\nMr. Munoz. About $700 of extra expenses and nearly $3,000 of\\nuncollected amounts.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the amount for police?\\nMr. Munoz. One thousand five hundred dollars.\\nDr. Carroll. For public instruction?\\nMr. Munoz. From $8,000 to $9,000.\\nDr. Carroll. How much for streets?\\nMr. Munoz. From $600 to $700.\\nDr. Carroll. Does that include roads?\\nMr. Munoz. No.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you a fire department?\\nMr. Munoz. No.\\nDr. Carroll. How much is allotted to beneficencia?\\nMr. Munoz. Three thousand dollars.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you have a department prison here?\\nMr. Munoz. No, we send our prisoners to Guayama.\\nDr. Carroll. How much do you pay for the maintenance of pris-\\noners in Guayama?\\nMr. Munoz. One thousand five hundred dollars.\\nDr. Carroll. How many prisoners do you have there usually?\\nMr. Munoz. From sixteen to twenty.\\nDr. Carroll. Is that not a large amount?\\nMr. Munoz. No.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0578.jp2"}, "579": {"fulltext": "569\\nDr. Carroll. What city property have you?\\nMr. Munoz. The cemetery, the clock tower in front of the church,\\na house used by the parish priest, a slaughterhouse, and a butcher\\nshop in very bad condition.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you a plaza?\\nMr. Munoz. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. I want to ask you, in view of the future government\\nto be given to the island of Porto Rico by the United States, what\\nsystem of municipal government you would suggest, whether a sys-\\ntem having more autonomy than the present one, or whether the\\npresent system of municipal government is satisfactory?\\nMr. Munoz. We want complete decentralization.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you think each city should be given a constitu-\\ntion, or charter, within the limits of which it ought to be entirely free\\nto transact its business without any reference to the insular govern-\\nment?\\nMr. Munoz. I think so.\\nA Gentleman present. I don t agree with the mayor in that.\\nDr. Carroll. What is your reason for differing?\\nThe Gentleman who had dissented. The state of education is\\nnot sufficiently advanced for the people to understand their own rights.\\nMr. Luis Munoz. I believe that under a territorial or any other\\nform of government the municipality should be allowed all the decen-\\ntralization and liberty which the constitution of the government\\nallows. But, as to giving municipalities charters, either they would\\nall be alike, in which case it would not be necessary to give charters,\\nor they would be unlike, and in that case there would be conflicts\\nbetween the various municipalities.\\nDr. Carroll. It does not so work in the United States. We have\\ndifferent classes of cities and appropriate legislation for each. Cities\\nare autonomous there in that they have the right to decide how many\\npolicemen the} want, how many fire engines, whether they will have\\ntheir streets paved with blocks or whether they will have the asphalt\\nsystem, whether they will raise money by bonds for an aqueduct or\\nreservoir, and all that sort of thing, within certain limits, the consti-\\ntution of the city prescribing generally that they shall not contract a\\ndebt greater than a certain percentage of the taxable property within\\nthe limits of the city. They have the absolute right also, within\\ncertain limits, to make their own budgets.\\nMr. Luis Munoz. That is what we understand by municipal decen-\\ntralization, and that is what we all want. We want the greatest\\namount of power for the municipalities consistent with a connection\\nwith the insular government. But I think one municipal law or charter\\nfor the whole of the island would be well, in order that all the munici-\\npalities should be governed by the same charter.\\nDr. Carroll. Some have interests of one kind, and some of another.\\nWould one charter fit all of the municipalities?\\nMr. Luis Munoz. I think one law could be made to fit all, but\\nwhere there were differences they could make their own regulations.\\nDr. Carroll. For instance, San Juan has a council of 24 members.\\nIf you provide the same law for all the cities, Cabo Rojo and Vega\\nBaja would have to have the same number, and they probably could\\nnot get enough men to transact the public business.\\nMr. Luis Munoz. No the municipal law to-day provides for that.\\nIt is according to number of inhabitants.\\nDr. Carroll. Then you could not have one law for municipalities", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0579.jp2"}, "580": {"fulltext": "570\\nof all sizes. Do you have any trouble, Mr. Mayor, in collecting taxes\\nthis year?\\nMayor Munoz. Yes; much trouble.\\nDr. Carroll, What is that trouble due to?\\nMayor Munoz. Owing, in the first place, to the war; in the second\\nplace, to the low prices of products, and in the third place, to the\\nwant of markets. Our market for second-class coffee used to be\\nCuba, which has laid a heavy duty on coffee. Our first-class coffee\\nused to go to Spain, which has laid a prohibitive duty on it.\\nHOW A LARGE CITY IS MANAGED.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nPonce, P. R,, March 2, 1899.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the amount of the budget of Ponce for the\\neconomic year?\\nMr. Julio Rosich (municipal accountant) The total of the budget\\nis $287,624. The additional budget has not been made yet.\\nDr. Carroll. What does the additional budget amount to, gen-\\nerally?\\nMr. Rosich. The total comes to about $360,000, with the additional\\namount.\\nDr. Carroll. Will the additional budget be larger than usual by\\nreason of failure to collect taxes last year?\\nMr. Rosich. No. This year has been one of the best, but the addi-\\ntional amount belongs to last year. This budget is not closed until\\nthe 31st of December. We have not begun collecting taxes for this\\nyear at all, because the assessments were not approved at San Juan\\nuntil to-day.\\nDr. Carroll. Have the authorities at San Juan changed the figures\\nany?\\nMr. Rosich. No. They have approved the budget without change.\\nNote. The total for salaries is 123,620, of which the mayor receives\\n$3,500 and the secretary $2,000. There are three head clerks at $1,000\\neach.\\nDr. Carroll. The -municipal judge gets no salary, I suppose?\\nMr. Rosich. No; but the municipality furnishes the judge a house\\nand pays his clerk.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you only one municipal judge here?\\nMr. Rosich. Only one.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the difference between the two classes of\\npolicemen referred to in the budget?\\nMr. Rosich. One is what you would call detectives, and the other\\nthe police proper.\\nNote. The total for police is $31,048; for urban police, who attend\\nto municipal property, $5,580.\\nDr. Carroll. Have j t ou no rural police?\\nMr. Rosich. No.\\nNote.\u00e2\u0080\u0094 For the fire department, $7,400; for .public lighting, $20,000,\\npaid to the electric-light company; the playa, $25,000; cleaning and\\nwatering the streets, $12,500; public instruction (salaries), $22,970.\\nThere are 47 schools, including 3 kindergartens.\\nDr. Carroll. Who is the chairman of the school board?\\nMr. Rosich. The alcalde.\\nNote. The amount for library purposes, $750; beneficiencia,", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0580.jp2"}, "581": {"fulltext": "571\\n$42,930. This amount includes the expense for one municipal health\\nofficer, who receives $1,500; three doctors, who receive $1,000 each;\\none doctor for the playa, $1,200; one doctor for the emergency hos-\\npital, $1,000; besides, there are several assistants; for the Tricoche\\nHospital, $18,930.\\nDr. Carroll. Is that a civil hospital?\\nMr. Rosich. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Is that the one which was founded by private charity?\\nMr. Rosich. Yes; the man who left the money for the purpose bore\\nthe name of Tricoche.\\nDr. Carroll. How is that endowment administered?\\nThe Secretary. The money is employed in the aqueduct that is to\\nsay, the money was used in constructing the aqueduct, and the water\\nrates are employed by the municipality in keeping the hospital up.\\nDr. Carroll. Then this $18,913 is for keeping the hospital up?\\nMr. Rosich. The amount received from the aqueduct is in the other\\npart of the budget as income, and is a much smaller amount than that\\nwhich we allowed to the hospital. The ayuntamiento took the money\\nto construct a part of the waterworks, and at the same time under-\\ntook to sustain the hospital with whatever amount of money might be\\nneeded. I would like to have you go and see it. It is the best hospital\\nhere. The appropriation for the madhouse is $2,494.\\nDr. Carroll. How many inmates are there?\\nMr. Rosich. Fifteen or sixteen. This provision for the madhouse\\nis a matter which properly belongs to the insular government but the\\nmunicipality, seeing that the insular authorities did not attend to it,\\nhas taken it up itself\\nDr. Carroll. Is fifteen or sixteen about the average number of\\ninmates?\\nMr. Rosich. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there a resident physician?\\nMr. Rosich. No. It is a very poor institution and is poorly equipped.\\nDr. Carroll. Is that the only insane asylum in the island?\\nMr. Rosich. No; there is one in the hospital, which is a general\\none for the whole island. These people are waiting their turn to be\\nable to get in. There is also here a smallpox hospital, with an appro-\\npriation of $3,343. This hospital has no resident physician, either.\\nDr. Carroll. Are there many patients there now?\\nMr. Rosich. There are forty-nine.\\nDr. Carroll. Are they all from this municipal district?\\nMr. Rosich. Yes. They have been putting up some sheds for them,\\nas they have not sufficient accommodation.\\nDr. Carroll. Has the system of vaccination been used here?\\nMr. Rosich. Yes.\\nNote. Other items of the budget were as follows: Aggregate of\\namounts given to poor people who can not go to the hospital or take\\ntheir children there, $500; sundry amounts for charity, including\\nmedicines, vaccine virus, etc., $4,000; public works (architect), $1,500;\\none assistant, $480; one porter, $360; vicinage roads and bridges,\\n$3,230; springs, water pipes, and street watering, $1,000; streets and\\nplazas, $9,000; prisons, $32,818. Of this last amount $15,175 is for\\nthe construction of a new prison. The expenses of the city as a\\ndepartmental prison district are $17,343; sinking fund for the debt,\\n$9,000. This last debt is a municipal debt of $9,000, which they set\\naside for building the new prison, and now they are taking it back.\\nCensus expenses, $2,000.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0581.jp2"}, "582": {"fulltext": "572\\nDr. Carroll. When was that taken?\\nMr. Rosich. Last year.\\nDr. Carroll. Was it a municipal census or an insula) census?\\nMr. Rosich. Municipal.\\nDr. Carroll. What did that census show the population of this\\ndistrict to be?\\nMr. Rosich. Forty-nine thousand.\\nNote. A further item in the budget for various objects under the\\nname of subventions was $3,060.\\nDr. Carroll. Does this result of the census referred to correspond\\nto the insular census of 1897?\\nThe Secretary. It is the same thing.\\nMr. Rosich. We have an amount of $7,184 due to the provincial\\ndeputation. The expense of collecting the taxes is 86,000.\\nDr. Carroll. Has Ponce a sewerage system?\\nMr. Rosich. No. We have a system of pipes only from the Tri-\\ncoche Hospital and the prison, which join together and go on to a\\nhacienda near here.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the source of the water supply? Is it\\nartesian wells?\\nMr. Rosich. The River Portuguese.\\nDr. Carroll. You seem to have a good supply.\\nMr. Rosich. Yes; plenty.\\nDr. Carroll. Is it considered to be fairly pure water?\\nMr. Rosich. The aqueduct is not filtered, and the water comes\\ndown somewhat impure. When the river rises in the rainy season, it\\nbrings down turbid water, and each family filters for itself. We have a\\nproject already accepted for constructing a filter in the waterworks\\nDr. Carroll. How many fire engines are there?\\nMr. Rosich. We have no steam fire engines; we have three hand\\nengines.\\nDr. Carroll. You don t have many fires here, I understand.\\nMr. Rosich. We have quite a few; but the water comes down with\\na great deal of force, and we can put out a fire easily.\\nDr. Carroll. Are the firemen paid?\\nMr. Rosich. No.\\nDr. Carroll. The city furnishes all the apparatus and the houses,\\nI suppose?\\nMr. Rosich. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you a list of the municipal property?\\nMr. Rosich. We have no inventory of it.\\nDr. Carroll. I mean of the public buildings.\\nMr. Rosich. The municipal property consists of the cemetery,\\nwhich is also registered; the municipal building, registered; the aque-\\nduct, registered; a building lot on which we are building another\\nschool; the civil hospital, registered; the insane asylum, registered;\\na smallpox hospital, with the lot on which it stands, registered; an\\nasylum for beggars, for which the municipality gave the lot and which\\nis under the management of several ladies. We have also the mar-\\nket place, the slaughterhouse, the custom-house shed on the Playa, a\\nlot on which the cholera burying ground was established, the fire\\ndepartment building, the kiosk, the plaza, and 13 cuerdas of land,\\nwhere we are going to build the new prison. I think that completes\\nthe list.\\nDr. Carroll. This is the only city I have found where they have\\nany property registered. What are the sources of municipal income?", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0582.jp2"}, "583": {"fulltext": "573\\nThe Secretary of Municipality. Municipal lands, 1360; niches\\nin the cemetery, $1,000; aqueduct, $8,301; supplying water to shops,\\n$300; duty on tonnage discharged, $50,000; stands in the market,\\n$3,897; cattle brands, $400; permission for building in the city, $750;\\nlicenses for public balls, $10; for authorizing municipal documents,\\n$400; fines, $837; municipal tax on meats (has been abolished), $8,012;\\namount to take place of tax on meats, $8,012 (liquor tax); renting\\nbutcher stands, $4,626; from other municipalities on account of prison\\nexpense, $3,313; expenses for prisoners sent by the state to the Ponce\\nprison, paid by the state, $14,802; the commercial tax, $10,000.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the nature of that tax?\\nThe Secretary. It is the tax on those who did not appear as mer-\\nchants before, but since the formation of the budget have declared\\ntheir intention of opening stores. General tax, which is collected in\\nthe district, $174,625. This last is a tax on agriculture, on merchants,\\nand on manufacturing.\\nDr. Carroll. That is a tax on incomes?\\nThe Secretary. It is a direct tax. You will see that most of the\\ntaxes of this municipality are direct taxes. Under the new territorial\\ntax we have to give 50 per cent of that to the state. That will leave\\nus 50 per cent short.\\nDr. Carroll. Your income, however, will be larger, because it is\\non a different basis* and the insular and municipal taxes will be levied\\ntogether, whereas this represents only the municipal tax, and does\\nnot represent what the insular government raises by tax, as I under-\\nstand it.\\nThe Secretary. No. This will be reduced from $60,000 to $70,000,\\naccording to the new tariff.\\nDr. Carroll. Then the insular tax will also be reduced, will it not?\\nThe Secretary. That does not interest us. We have nothing to\\ndo with the insular tax.\\nDr. Carroll. Yes.; but in the other cities we have visited the pro-\\nportion has been 5 per cent for the insular government and 1\\\\ for the\\nmunicipal. Now it is share and share alike.\\nThe Secretary. The new law has fixed 8 per cent of the income as\\nthe maximum. We can tax up to 8 per cent\u00e2\u0080\u0094 4 for the state and 4 for\\nthe municipality. The amount given here represents 24 per cent that\\nis six times as much as the law allows us to collect.\\nDr. Carroll. How could the people stand that?\\nThe Secretary. The reason is, the returns they have made of their\\nproperty were not true returns.\\nDr. Carroll. How does General Henry s order in relation to the\\nland tax affect the municipality?\\nThe Secretary. It ruins the municipality.\\nDr. Carroll. Under that system you can calculate from the num-\\nber of cuerdas exactly what the revenue will be.\\nThe Secretary. In Porto Rico, especially in the district of Ponce,\\nan assessment has never really been made, and the returns made by\\ninterested parties are always incorrect.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you made an estimate yet as to how much will\\nbe received by the land tax?\\nThe Secretary. No.\\nDr. Carroll. The land will have to be classified first?\\nThe Secretary. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you receive 50 per cent of the income from the\\nland tax?", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0583.jp2"}, "584": {"fulltext": "574\\nThe Secretary. Yes. The new order is an injustice to the munici-\\npality. Under the old law it received 75 per cent of the direct tax.\\nNow it will receive only 50 per cent.\\nDr. Carroll. There has been an order issued recently with regard\\nto the taxation of houses in the cities?\\nThe Secretary. Yes; but the city gets only half of that.\\nDr. Carroll. Is that a reduced tax?\\nThe Secretary. Yes, it is much lower.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you think the land tax is a mistake?\\nThe Secretary. It is badly divided. The municipality should\\nhave at least 75 per cent. At the last session of the council we asked\\nGeneral Henry to allow us to receive the whole of the the tax on town\\nproperty. There has been no reply to that yet. I consider that this\\nbudget is much too high. It is an excessive budget. Direct taxes in\\nPorto Rico have never given a good result. The assessors have\\nassessed the tax badly. They have no stable basis for making the\\nassessment, and have assessed as they pleased.\\nDr. Carroll. Would it not be well to have taxes levied on land\\non the basis of its value, instead of income derived from it, so that\\nland that was bringing no income would contribute to the taxes?\\nThe Secretary. Yes; I think so.\\nDr. Carroll. Then, for state purposes, in order that there might\\nbe equal taxation, there might be a state board to decide whether the\\nassessments that had been made were equal in all districts, and if not\\nto equalize them?\\nThe Secretary. I think your idea is not only correct, but I believe\\nit is indispensable.\\nDr. Carroll. It is the system on which we levy and collect taxes\\nin the United States, and it works better than any other system.\\nThe Secretary. Here it would be even more satisfactory, because\\nit has been a practice here to hide wealth in every possible way, and\\nthe State for one hundred years has been laboring under the disad-\\nvantage of not knowing the value of property.\\nDr. Carroll. If there is going to be a great shortage in the ingresos,\\nyou will, of course, have a large deficit at the end of the year?\\nThe Secretary. Not in this year, but owing to the orders that\\nhave come from headquarters without any consecutive plan one\\nwithout reference to the others there is no ayuntamiento in the\\nisland that can make a budget with any certainty that will hold.\\nDr. Carroll. Will you receive enough from the liquor and tobacco\\ntaxes to make good the deficit caused by the removal of the consump-\\ntion tax on meat, flour, and bread?\\nThe Secretary. We will be able easily to collect as much if we do\\nnot get any orders from San Juan.\\nDr. Carroll. All the other municipalities have replied that they\\ncan not collect this liquor tax and said that it was onerous.\\nThe Secretary. Ponce has already collected nearly all of it and\\ndigested it.\\nDr. Carroll. You are on the safe side, then. When was the city\\nproperty registered?\\nThe Secretary. At different periods. Some of it still remains to\\nbe registered.\\nDr. Carroll. For what purpose was registry sought? Was it for\\nthe purpose of issuing bonds?\\nThe Secretary. Yes and so that it could not be taken away from us.\\nMr. Rosich. Ponce has several other properties; some, for instance,", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0584.jp2"}, "585": {"fulltext": "575\\nthat it has had to buy in at tax sales. We are gradually getting a\\nlist of these properties and registering them piece by piece.\\nDr. Carroll. Has the city of Ponce auy bonded debt?\\nMr. Rosich. Yes; we issued a loan, and a portion of it remains\\nunpaid, but we have all the bonds in our safe, because we have\\naccepted them as security for different purposes.\\nDr. Carroll. Are the bonds for official good behavior?\\nMr. Rosich. No; for the due discharge of contracts by contractors.\\nDr. Carroll. They will have to be paid back again when the con-\\ntracts are completed. What is the amount of the debt?\\nMr. Rosich. About 7,000 pesos.\\nDr. Carroll. I understand that other municipalities have no power\\nto contract a bonded debt.\\nMr. Rosich. The law allows all municipalities to issue loans if they\\nkeep within the statutes found in the municipal law and special\\ndecrees that have been issued.\\nDr. Carroll. Are these loans limited in amount?\\nMr. Rosich. The limit is the municipal capital with which they can\\nanswer for the payment of the debt. They had to get the Governor-\\nGeneral s permission, however. The special reason why we are regis-\\ntering our property is that we have a project to raise a new loan to\\ncomplete some of our public works. The waterworks are valued at\\n$200,000 and produce an income of $9,000 a year.\\nDr. Carroll. Above expenses?\\nMr. Rosich. Yes they sell the income by auction.\\nDr. Carroll What is the tax on the use of water?\\nMr. Rosich. It is so much per diameter of pipe. Five dollars per\\nyear for a fourth-inch pipe and $20 for a half -inch pipe.\\nDr. Carroll. Patrons can then use all the water they want?\\nMr. Rosich. Yes there is no sort of meter. Our object is to allow\\nthe whole town to use water.\\nMr. Luis Porrata Doria, mayor of Ponce\\nDr. Carroll. I wish to ask you, Mr. Mayor, some questions with\\nreference to municipal government and the changes j^ou would like to\\nhave made. It seems to me that this is an extremely important sub-\\nject for the future of the island, and I want to get all the information\\nI can upon it, and the opinion of those who occupy the mayor s chair,\\nas you do, as to the points in which the present system needs to be\\namended.\\nMr. Doria. The new orders being issued are going to place the\\nmunicipalities in a very difficult position as regards their receipts. A\\ngreat many taxes are being suppressed, and there are no other means\\nbeing furnished to enable them to cover the deficits thereby caused.\\nCommerce is complaining and crying out against the tax on unloading\\ninto the municipal warehouses, and we will have to remove that,\\nalthough it will mean a loss of $50,000.\\nDr. Carroll. That is not the 10 per cent tax, is it?\\nMr. Doria. No it is a special municipal tax. Whether the goods\\ngo into the warehouse or not, they have to pay the tax all the same.\\nThere is no reason for the tax; it was imposed with the consent of the\\nmerchants and is really illegal.\\nDr. Carroll. The consumption tax has been removed, and also the\\ncargo tax of 10 per cent in the revision of the tariff; that is a relief to\\nmerchants and importers.\\nMr. Doria. We would have to remove it. Several towns, like Yauco", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0585.jp2"}, "586": {"fulltext": "576\\nand Juana Diaz, imported through Ponce, and they will not pay it.\\nTo make up for these taxes suppressed, Ponce will have to get out of\\nliquor and tobacco about $200,000.\\nDr. Carroll. Perhaps you can reduce your expenses.\\nMr. Doria. Every day the expenses of the city are larger. In order\\nto clean the streets, to light them properly, to increase the police\\nforce we have only 50 men, which is not more than half enough\\nPonce should really have a budget of $500,000. Every day they are\\ntaking away our sources of income, and I don t know where we will\\nget the money from. To make Ponce a civilized city it requires a\\nsystem of drainage and sewerage, and we would require a loan of at\\nleast $1,500,000, and a sinking fund to pay interest would require an\\nincome of $100,000.\\nDr. Carroll. Why not lay down the pipes and charge the property\\nowners for each connection so much per annum?\\nMr. Doria. But we have to have the system before we can make\\nthose charges.\\nDr. Carroll. You can raise the money by bonds and the charges\\nto owners will pay the interest, and gradually you will pay off the\\nbonds.\\nMr. Doria. Nothing here is used for the purpose it was originally\\nbuilt for. For instance, the insane asylum was formerly the slaughter-\\nhouse. In this city hall we have a public library, the mayor s office,\\nthe emergency hospital, and have no offices fit for the purposes for\\nwhich they are employed. As regards the sewerage, we are laboring\\nunder the difficulty of not knowing how to dispose of the sewage.\\nThey would have to take it a long way, and that would greatly\\nincrease the expense.\\nDr. Carroll. Could you not take it out to sea?\\nMr. Doria. The municipal architect, who is a competent engineer,\\nand I are studying everything that is requisite to make Ponce a\\nmodern city. For instance, the leveling of the streets. The streets\\nare not level, and until they are level they can not be guttered. We\\nare going into every requirement for Ponce. We will put in the form\\nof a pamphlet our conclusions in the matter, and, when printed, I\\nwill send you a copy, and also a copy to General Henry.\\nDr. Carroll. What is your opinion as to autonomy in municipal\\ngovernment?\\nMr. Doria. It is necessary. It is the only way in which munici-\\npalities can attend to their necessities. It is an absolutely indis-\\npensable measure and must come soon. Municipal autonomy is a\\nsequence of individual liberty, and, as you know, the greatness of\\nthe United States is owing to the autonomy of its municipalities.\\nEach municipality knows its own requirements, and should be able\\nto attend to them without intervention of the central government.\\nDr. Carroll. I wish you would give me an idea, Mr. Mayor, of the\\ndisadvantages of the present system of municipal government.\\nMr. Doria. Up to the present we are still working under the old\\nmunicipal law, which is a very deficient one. Owing to the war and\\nlateness in granting autonomy, the insular congress was not able to\\nchange the legislation for the municipal government. I will give you\\na statement of a concrete case that presented itself to-day about the\\nslaughter of oxen for X3ublic food. Under the old legislation, preg-\\nnant cows were allowed to be slaughtered, and purveyors were com-\\nmitting abuses. As alcalde, I found myself in a very difficult position.\\nI did not know just how to bring these people to justice, because they", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0586.jp2"}, "587": {"fulltext": "577\\ndefended themselves by showing me the old law. I had to have\\nrecourse to the health board, which is to-day a military board.\\nFormerly it was a civil board, and the mayor was at the head of it.\\nThis board issued an order- that cattle in that condition should not be\\nslaughtered.\\nDr. Carroll. That was the question that caused the resignations\\nof the council in San Juan.\\nMr. Doria. I, with that experience before me, instead of looking\\nfor trouble, looked for a way of getting out of it. To-day the pur-\\nveyors came to me and complained about the board of health. I said,\\nGentlemen, I am very sorry, but this is an administrative board. In\\nthat case, if the municipality had been autonomous, it could have\\nresolved the matter without referring it to anybody. This is only\\none case in thousands which present themselves.\\nDr. Carroll. What I understand you want for the city govern-\\nment is the power to initiate and carry out, without reference to the\\nstate, those things which concern only the municipality, and do not\\nconflict with the state. If you wish to add, for example, ten police-\\nmen to your force for a month or two,, you want the power to do so\\nwithout referring the matter to San Juan?\\nMr. Doria. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. With regard to your council, you have 30 councilors,\\nI understand.\\nMr. Doria. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Is not that too many?\\nMr. Doria. Yes; not half of them come to the meetings. The\\nalcalde is always alone in the management of the municipality.\\nDr. Carroll. How many barrios are there in the district?\\nMr. Doria. There are many of them; I don t remember the number.\\nDr. Carroll. How many are there in the city?\\nMr. Doria. There are five.\\nDr. Carroll. Would it not be well for each barrio to have a rep-\\nresentative?\\nMr. Doria. Yes; that is the rule, but the alcalde has to do every-\\nthing himself.\\nDr. Carroll. Are any of the members of your council from the\\nrural districts?\\nMr. Doria. No; all are from the city. If they lived in the country,\\nthey would never come in to the meetings.\\nDr. Carroll. Would it or would it not be well to have the muni-\\ncipalities divided instead of having a rural district within a muni-\\ncipality, to have a rural government for the rural districts, separate\\nfrom the municipalities?\\nMr. Doria. In every barrio there is a representative of the alcalde,\\ncalled a comisario, who is a sort of police justice.\\nDr. Carroll. But a good many ordinances you make for the gov-\\nernment of the municipality itself have no reference to any needs in\\nthe rural district. Why would it not be well, therefore, to have a\\ndifferent kind of government for the municipal body? The farmers\\ndon t want any sewers or electric light.\\nMr. Doria. Yes; you are quite right in that. We make the coun-\\ntrymen pay for what they don t enjoy. That is one of the things we\\ncould arrange on an equitable basis if we had municipal autonomy.\\nBesides the ayuntamiento, we have what we call the municipal board,\\ncomposed of thirty members, who, together with the thirty members\\nof the ayuntamiento, form an assembly of sixty, which considers\\nmatters concerning the whole district.\\n1125 37", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0587.jp2"}, "588": {"fulltext": "578\\nDr. Carroll. Is that board composed of persons from the country\\nbarrios?\\nMr. Doria. From all over the district; they are picked by lot. One\\nof the duties of this board is to approve the budget.\\nDr. Carroll. Which they do, I suppose, merely as a matter of\\ncourse.\\nMr. Doria. Generally. The board can not remove any item from the\\nbudget formed by the ayuntamiento, but it can increase or decrease\\nthe amounts. It can not take away the amount entirely, in other\\nwords, but can only say that an amount is too large or too small.\\nDr. Carroll. If they can decrease it, can they not practically take\\nit all away?\\nMr. Doria. Yes; they can bring an amount down to such a small\\nsum that the item would be practically suppressed.\\nDr. Carroll. Are your barrios in the city about equal in popu-\\nlation?\\nMr. Doria. No; some of them are more populous than others.\\nDr. Carroll. Would it not be well to have members of the council\\nelected bj^ barrios that is, make the barrios as nearly equal in popu-\\nlation as possible and then have the members elected by them, instead\\nof the method now in vogue? That would be a representative system.\\nThat is the way it is in the United States. You would then have the\\nmayor elected by the whole municipality, and have the councilors\\nelected for a two year-term, and if there are 12 members, have half of\\nthem elected every year. Have the mayor elected for two or three\\nyears, unremovable except for cause, so that his responsibility shall\\nnot be to the council, but to the people of the whole district.\\nMr. Doria. At present the town elects these councilmen. The\\nwhole town has a voice in the matter. The council, from among its\\nnumber, elects the mayor.\\nDr. Carroll. That makes him responsible to the council, when he\\nought to be responsible to the people generally. Would it not be\\nbetter, in your judgment, that the mayor should be elected by the\\npeople, without any reference to the council, and let him serve as the\\nmayor of the whole district, and as the representative of the people\\ndirect, without election by the council?\\nMr. Doria. I think that would be better.\\nDr. Carroll. In what other respects would you amend the present\\nsystem?\\nMr. Doria. What has already been referred to embraces the essen-\\ntial things; other things are details.\\nDr. Carroll. In the United States municipal officers are elected\\ngenerally by the people; also municipal judges, district attorneys, or\\nfiscals, as you call them here, the city treasurer, and nearly all of the\\nchief officers of cities. In some cases they are appointed by the\\nmayor.\\nMr. Doria. I think that as everything emanates from the people\\nall public offices should be elective by the people.\\nDr. Carroll. In New York the council, president of the council,\\nthe judges of the various courts except of the police courts, the dis-\\ntrict attorney or fiscal, the commissioner of jurors, the city chamber-\\nlain, the city treasurer, the coroner, and the sheriff are all elected by\\nthe people, but the police justices, the chief of police, the commis-\\nsioners of various departments for instance, of public works, parks,\\netc. are appointed by the mayor.\\nMr. Doria. I am in accord with that. I will study the matter of", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0588.jp2"}, "589": {"fulltext": "579\\nmunicipal government, and see if there are not other points to give\\nyou.\\nThe Rev. Z. Vall-Spinosa. I hand you a book with reference to\\nprostitutes, showing the system by which they are licensed and exam-\\nined here. This book has the stamp of the United States upon it, and\\nI think it is a shame that such an institution should be given such\\nrecognition.\\nDIVISION OF MUNICIPAL DISTRICTS.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nYauco, P. R., March 6, 1899.\\nMr. Luis Cianchini, vice-mayor of Yauco, stated the object of the\\ncommissioner s visit to Porto Rico.\\nThe commissioner then called for a copy of the municipal budget.\\nAn official copy of the current budget was produced, showing the fol-\\nlowing estimates:\\nAdministrative expenses:\\nSalaries $9,096\\nMaterials 1,619\\nPolice 2,806\\nDetective force 210\\nPublic instruction:\\nSalaries (16 teachers) 6, 684\\nMaterials 3,374\\nBeneficencia:\\nOne doctor $1,800\\nOne janitor. 300\\nOne student ...l 240\\nMiscellaneous, including medicines, alms, etc 2, 800\\n5.140\\nRoads_.. 3,000\\nStreets 1,500\\nTotal for public works 7,400\\nPrison (prison district of Ponce) 1,316\\nThe municipal judge receives no salary, but is provided with a house or\\noffice.\\nFor new hospital which is being built here 3, 000\\nUncollected taxes for account of the State (being the sixth of ten yearly\\ninstallments) 1, 041\\nTotal of the budget of expenditures 62, 809\\nAdditional budget of expense 3.. 830\\nDr. Carroll. What public property have you?\\nMr. Cianchini. The city hall, the church, slaughterhouse, the\\nbutcher shop, the hospital, and all city lots; also all the land on\\nwhich the town of Guanica is built.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you get any rental from these lots?\\nMr. Jose G-. Torres (a councilman). The city grants the lots gratui-\\ntously to people who will build on them. The same is true of the lots\\nin Guanica. We have in project the sale of these lots.\\nDr. Carroll. Does the municipality own the market place in front\\nof the alcaldia?\\nMr. Torres. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. What about the cemetery?\\nMr. Torres. That is also municipal property.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you own a casa parochial?", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0589.jp2"}, "590": {"fulltext": "580\\nMr. Torres. No; the casa parochial here is a private house.\\nDr. Carroll. Is the city property registered?\\nMr. Torres. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Including the church?\\nMr. Torres. The land, the city hall, and the butcher shop are reg-\\nistered, hut the church is not registered.\\nMr. Me jia and Mr. Torres\\nDr. Carroll. I presume the city has no bonded debt.\\nMr. Mejia. It has none.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you have any difficulty in collecting the addi-\\ntional tax on liquors and tobacco authorized by the Governor- General\\nwhen. he removed the consumption tax?\\nMr. Torres. It produces less than the consumption tax.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there any complaint on the part of the merchants\\nagainst the imposition of this additional tax?\\nMr. Torres. On the contrary, they prefer to pay it on liquors and\\ntobacco rather than on articles of prime necessity.\\nDr. Carroll. Has it compelled any dealers to go out of business?\\nMr. Torres. No.\\nDr. Carroll. Are there any distilleries in this district?\\nMr. Torres. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Do they complain of the additional tax?\\nA Gentleman. They pay a license fee only, because they are all\\nagriculturists.\\nDr. Carroll. Mr. Mayor, what changes would you like to have\\nmade in the form of municipal government?\\nVice Alcalde of Yauco. We want to have municipal autonomy.\\nDr. Carroll. What measure of autonomy?\\nThe Vice-Alcalde. The free administration of our local matters,\\nsuch as building whatever municipal structures we wish to, making\\nour own budget, etc.\\nMr. Mejia. The tale is told of a king of France who went to a vil-\\nlage once and said What can I do for this village? And they said\\nThe best thing you can do is to let us alone.\\nDr. Carroll. You think that is what ought to be done for the\\ncities? Nevertheless you would consider it well that in the charter\\ngiven to municipalities there should be some limits placed upon their\\npowers?\\nMr. Mejia. Every town should have the same system. There\\nshould be administrative autonomy. For instance, we should have\\nthe right to form our own budget, which should be submitted to the\\ntaxpayers for approval and not to headquarters.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you think it well that the number of members in\\nthe council should be reduced in niany cases?\\nMr. Torres. I think that should be done. In Yauco, for instance,\\nmost of the wealthy men are foreigners and can not form part of the\\ncouncil, and it is difficult to get up a representative council outside\\nof these men unless the number is limited.\\nDr. Carroll. You would, of course, expect the people to elect the\\ncouncils?\\nThe Vice-Alcalde. Certainly.\\nDr. Carroll. How many barrios are there within the town proper\\nof Yauco?\\nThe Vice- Alcalde. Two only; the north and the south.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0590.jp2"}, "591": {"fulltext": "581\\nDr. Carroll. Do the districts or barrios outside of Yauco have\\nany representation in the council?\\nThe Vice- Alcalde. Some have.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you think it well that municipalities should be\\nlimited generally to the territory occupied by the population proper\\nand not take in large sections of the rural districts?\\nMr. Mejia. It can not be.\\nDr. Carroll. Is it not a fact that those who live in the rural dis-\\ntricts and have their interests there nevertheless have to pay taxes for\\nyour street lights, for your aqueduct,- for your fire department, for\\nyour police, in the maintenance of which they have no interest?\\nWould it not be fairer to organize a government for the rural districts\\nand have a separate government for the town?\\nMr. Torres. That could not be. At present there are barrios with\\n1,000 inhabitants, and we can not find a man fit to name as a comisario\\nwho can read or write.\\nDr. Carroll. That is a bad state of affairs, but in the United\\nStates we have different kinds of government adapted to the needs of\\ndifferent localities. The people who live in rural districts and do not\\nwant the things they have in the cities are not taxed as much. They\\nhave to raise money chiefly for the care of the roads and for the pub-\\nlic schools and have very few expenses beyond these. Consequently\\nthey have a government suited to their needs and also to their pocket-\\nbooks.\\nMr. Torres. Such a system would be impracticable here, owing to\\nthe want of education.\\nDr. Carroll. We find in the United States that the formation of\\nthese small rural governments acts as a school in politics, so that\\npeople in a small way learn the art of government, and especially of\\nself-government, and from administering these small affairs they come,\\nin time, when the community grows and the population reaches to a\\nconsiderable number, to be educated up to the point of having a\\nhigher form of government that of a town or city even and these\\nsmall rural governments are considered, therefore, excellent schools\\nin governmental matters.\\nThe Vice- Alcalde. In the United States everybody knows how to\\nread and write.\\nDr. Carroll. No; many do not.\\nThe Vice-Alcalde. But a large proportion.\\nDr. Carroll. We have many there who do not know how to read\\nand write, and yet we find by experience that they often make good\\npublic officials. I have known such men on school boards who have\\nmade efficient public servants. The first requisite of good citizenship\\nis that the man should have the public interest at heart, and if he is\\na good, honest man he can do service in some position. Furthermore,\\nif you have these rural governments men will have an aspiration to\\nfit themselves for such positions.\\nA Gentleman present. Not only are the people in the country towns\\nignorant about municipal government, but the people here in the city\\nare also, because we were never allowed to have a voice in municipal\\ngovernment. We are capable of taking a share in the government\\nbecause we have education, but I don t think rural governments\\nshould be started at once. There should first be started schools in\\nthe country.\\nDr. Carroll. It has been stated that there are barrios in which\\nno one can read or write.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0591.jp2"}, "592": {"fulltext": "582\\nMr. Torres. Yes; those who can read and write are foreigners.\\nDr. Carroll. How do they get comisarios in those barrios\\nMr. Torres. If they can find a man who can read and write, they\\nname him. Mr. Mejia, who lives in one of those barrios, can tell you\\nabout them and the condition of the peojde.\\nMr. Mejia. In the barrio where I live there are twenty or thirty who\\ncan read and write. It has about 1,000 inhabitants. They removed\\nfrom there the only school there was in the barrio and now nobody is\\nlearning.\\nDr. Carroll. Why did they close the school in that barrio?\\nMr. Torres. The municipality can only sustain six or eight rural\\nschools, and as there are twenty-four districts, they move the schools\\nabout.\\nDr. Carroll. Don t you think that if the district were divided up\\nso that the district of Yauco were limited, the country people would\\nsee to it that they had schools for their children? I think they would.\\nMr. Torres. I don t think so, because here it is necessaiy to force\\nthe parents to send their children to school, and if left to their own\\ninitiative I don t think they would take any steps at all.\\nDr. Carroll. Is the compulsory law enforced here? You have\\nnot accommodation for half the children of Yauco, have you, if they\\nall wanted to go to school at one time?\\nMr. Mejia. For that reason we have asked the state to take schools\\nunder its charge.\\nDr. Carroll. That is just my point. The compulsory law amounts\\nto nothing unless you have schools for the children to attend. I am\\nnot criticising the conditions here.\\nMr. Torris. In thfs district, or in some districts, there are some\\ntwo or three hundred children that ought to go to school.\\nDr. Carroll. I am not criticising the town at all for the provision\\nor lack of provision it makes for education. I am asking these ques-\\ntions to get at the facts. We have a compulsory law in our own\\ncountry, but if that law were enforced we would not have accommo-\\ndation for all the children in many cases. I think you must have\\nconsiderable help from the insular government in order to make your\\nschools what thej^ should be and in order to establish more schools;\\nbut it is my belief that a different system of government throughout\\nthe island would contribute to that result; that towns like this should\\nhave a government of their own and should be set off from the rural\\ncommunity; that rural communities should have a government of a\\nmuch simpler cast, that would cost much less. Now, with regard to\\nthe question whether the people of a barrio or several barrios together\\nin the country districts are capable of self-government. The same\\nquestion comes into view with regard to the people of the island, and\\nwhen I was asked this question in the United States I said the onby\\nway to determine whether people are capable of self-government is to\\nplace the responsibility upon them, and when the responsibility is\\nplaced upon them they usually rise to the emergency. I believe the\\npeople of this island are competent for self-government, and I believe\\nthat it is true of the people of your barrios in some measure.\\nMr. Mejia. I think the country people are not sufficient!}- educated\\nor instructed to conduct their own affairs.\\nMr. Torres. The few educated people who can govern would natu-\\nrally be chosen by the free vote to conduct the government.\\nDr. Carroll. If this system of government of which I am speaking\\nwere established, it would be in conjunction with what is known as", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0592.jp2"}, "593": {"fulltext": "583\\ncounty government in the United States. In the county are gathered\\na number of municipalities, towns, and townships, and the authori-\\nties* of the county government exercise supervision to a certain extent\\nover the governments which are under them and if such a system were\\nadopted here, it would be necessary to have this county government,\\nand the officials of the county government would instruct the officials\\nof the township government in the art of governing, so as to prevent\\nthem from making any serious mistakes.\\nMr. Mejia. I think that in each barrio a council could be formed\\nconsisting of the comisario and three or four members who can\\nadminister their local affairs under supervision of the head munici-\\npality.\\nDr. Cakroll. That is what we have in the United States in town-\\nship government under a different name.\\nMr. Torres. The powers of such districts would have to be very\\nlimited in that case.\\nDr. Carroll. Certainly; because their needs would be very limited.\\nMr. Torres. If they had to have a system of employees and book-\\nkeeping, such as this municipality has had, it would be impossible.\\nDr. Carroll. No; their needs would be very simple.\\nMr. Torres. Would they have to collect and apply their own taxes?\\nDr. Carroll. Yes; but under the supervision of the county board\\nof taxation.\\nMr. Torres. Then, what income would this municipality count on?\\nDr. Carroll. On the income from the property within its limits.\\nMr. Mejia. How would we pay our alcalde s salary, our titular\\ndoctor, our hospital, our police?\\nDr. Carroll. Ought not the people of the city pay for the things\\nwhich they enjoy exclusively?\\nMr. Torres. What would the barrios do if they had no titular\\ndoctor?\\nDr. Carroll. Have their own titular doctor.\\nMr. Torres. At present we have only two doctors for the entire\\njurisdiction.\\nDr. Carroll. Several of the barrios could join together and have\\none doctor between them. It is not necessary that every barrio should\\nbe changed to a township.\\nCONDITION OF MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT.\\nSTATEMENT OF MANY CITIZENS.\\nIsabela, P. R., February 15, 1899.\\nThe ayuntamientos drag on an ephemeral existence. They are nearly\\nall insolvent and can not cover their liabilities, being unable to ful-\\nfill their mission or comply with their duties as required by law. This\\ncondition, in our opinion, is owing to centralization in government, to\\nwhich they were subjected by the Spanish monarchical rulers.\\nThe government must put the municipalities in the way of govern-\\ning with complete liberty, allowing them to nominate or remove all\\nemployees paid out of municipal funds, and giving them free action\\nin matters relating to roads, schools, budgets, police, and everything\\naffecting local matters. With this freedom of action and without\\nhaving to submit voluminous documents for superior approval, which", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0593.jp2"}, "594": {"fulltext": "584\\nsystem has always prevented all initiative, both personal and col-\\nlective, the ayuntamientos will be able to attend to their duties and\\ncany on things as they should be done. For these reasons we think\\nthat the Government should declare in force for the whole island the\\nmemorial treating of ayuntamientos approved by General Henry, who\\nbegan his term of government by calling an assembly to inform him\\nabout the needs of the island, with the object of remedying them\\nin so far as possible.\\nPOPULAR ELECTIONS FOR MUNICIPAL OFFICERS.\\nSTATEMENT OF JOSE M. OETIZ.\\nMaunabo, P. R., February 1899.\\n(1) The immense majority of the municipalities of Porto Rico are\\nbankrupt and can not support the burdens weighing on them, and it\\nwould be well to relieve them of these so that taxpayers may note\\nthe benefits of a change of regime, which Avould act as a stimulus in\\nfomenting work.\\n(2) Autonomy for cities as a governmental basis, with the modifica-\\ntions suggested by persons of competent judgment in this country.\\n(3) Municipalities, municipal judges, and governmental bodies to\\nbe chosen by popular elections. Municipalities to name their alcalde\\nand president.\\n(4) That the maintenance of district prisons pass to the charge of\\nthe state.\\nFEWER MUNICIPAL DISTRICTS.\\nSTATEMENT OF DE GAZTAMBIDE.\\nYaitco, P. R., November 20, 1898.\\nCivil administration can be left in the hands of municipalities and\\nmunicipal boards, but the number should be reduced. To become an\\nalderman or member of a board the following qualifications should be\\nexacted: Two years residence; to be of age; knowledge of reading\\nand writing, and being a taxpayer, either governmental or municipal.\\nMunicipalities to be conceded complete autonomy in local matters,\\nand local boards to be chosen by popular election of all the persons in\\nthe district able to write and read and who pa} T taxes. Employees to\\nbe permanent, only to be removed for cause, and vacancies to be filled\\nby competition in which preferent rights be, first, for the most com-\\npetent; second, length of service.\\nA LIMITED SUFFRAGE.\\nSTATEMENT OF ESCOLASTICO PEEEZ.\\nCidra, P. R., November 10, 1898.\\nI think that mayors, judges, and municipal corporations should be\\nelected by all ratepayers, whatever quota be paid, and by those know-\\ning how to read and write, and no one else. Public offices, especially\\nin the schools, should be filled by competitive examination, in which", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0594.jp2"}, "595": {"fulltext": "585\\nvirtue and merit should be vigorously exacted. Municipal accounts\\nshould be clear and simple; the estimates should be drawn with\\neconomy, and taxation, with the exception of a few easity collected\\nitems, should be levied on one general article of assessment. There\\nshould be municipal autonomy.\\nMUNICIPAL AUTONOMY.\\nSTATEMENT OF TWENTY MERCHANTS AND PLANTERS.\\nYauco, P. R., March 6. 1899.\\nMunicipalities need complete autonomy in order to develop freely.\\nThey must be able to fix their own budgets of receipts and expendi-\\ntures according to their local needs and means without outside inter-\\nference of any sort, and with no other fiscalization than that of a board\\nof the largest taxpayers. They must also be allowed to undertake all\\nclasses of public works, making the necessary contracts for loans for\\nthat purpose.\\nIn this district we limit ourselves to asking for the opening of the\\nport of Guanica for export and import, as it is one of the best of the\\nisland and is the natural port of the largest coffee-producing district,\\nwhich exports 60,000 hundredweight of coffee and large quantities of\\nsugar, and would obtain the exports of the neighboring towns of\\nSabana Grande, Lajas, San German, and Guayanilla, and would\\nacquire the importance it is entitled to.\\nREFORMS IN MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT.\\nGuayanilla, P. R., November, 1899.\\nMunicipal administration needs a special study. Towns should be\\nallowed to participate in the control of their own interests. Until the\\npresent time the ayuntamientos have not really been the administra-\\ntors. Composed of an excessive number of members, almost entirely\\npolitical doctrinarians rather than public servants, they have con-\\nverted the administration into a field of battle, thus prostituting their\\nhigh office, and have given ear only to the initiative and pressure of\\nthe captain of the majority in this strange struggle. This captain,\\nbeing the most resolute and sagacious, has been elected president, and\\nhe himself fixes his salary, which he takes care shall be sufficient to\\nto enable him to live decorously and give his whole attention to his\\nobject, thus constituting him a political agent. It is customary to\\nbring into the body of these councils not the best class of persons of\\nthe locality, nor the persons whose prestige and attainments make\\nthem fit for the position, but political bosses, who can at any given\\nmoment bring the greatest amount of grist to the political mill.\\nThese personages, who in some cases can neither read nor write, and\\npay hardly any taxes, and have no practical experience of public\\naffairs, are usually the most active in political struggles and are well\\nin with the authorities of the district. These recommend or disap-\\nprove and pass on measures, enforcing obedience from the other mem-\\nbers, and at the end of the economic year are rewarded by having\\ntheir propertj 7 assessed at a low valuation. Between the alcalde and\\nhis employees there is generally a familiarity or secret understanding", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0595.jp2"}, "596": {"fulltext": "586\\nthat he shall be the head of the economic family and they his willing\\nagents.\\nMembers of a city council, which is everything but representative,\\nalways fall in with the alcalde s views on all important measures and\\ngive their votes as he directs. Notwithstanding this, there have been\\noccasions when alcaides have announced measures before a vote has\\nbeen taken on them and have fallen out with a member of the minority\\nwho has not countenanced the proceeding.\\nHow is it possible that the municipalities shall have prosperity in\\nsuch hands? Councilors in excess, ayuntamiento which does every-\\nthing but attend to public business, and alcalde who bosses the com-\\nmunity and manages everything his own way these are the three\\nprincipal spokes in the administrative wheel.\\nWe think that six or seven councilors are sufficient to manage the\\naffairs of a district like Guaj^anilla, with 8,000 inhabitants, but they\\nshould fill the conditions of prestige, morality, education, or capital,\\nand concern for public welfare. To name a greater number is to\\ninsure failure or to deprive other boards, such as those of education,\\nhealth, etc., of the needed members.\\nIf the alcaldes were nothing but presidents of the boards of alder-\\nmen, charged to carry out their motions, if the alcaldes were not poli-\\nticians, but gave their services gratuitously, as do the aldermen,\\ndoubtless we should see the positions filled by independent persons\\nof some standing, who would not be terrorized by the threat of re-\\nmoval, and who would attend to public affairs as if they were their\\nown business.\\nTo conclude, we want fewer members in the city council, men of\\nknown worth and unpaid alcaldes, and until this is provided the\\nplague spot will remain.\\nUp to the present the emplo3^ees have been named for one of two\\nreasons only political affinity or relationship or business convenience.\\nMerit has had to hold aloof. There should be a law to stop unjust\\nnominations and unjust removals. A law is needed which shall exact\\nmerit, honesty, and promotion by turn, and which would not set a pre-\\nmium on political adherence to one or the other party, and requiring\\na strict responsibility for the f ufillment of duty. At present it is not\\npossible to exact any of these conditions from emplo} 7 ees, as they are\\nnot sure of their positions nor of their daily bread. Up to now for\\nevery affair there has been named an employee; for each sheet of\\npaper a pen; all tending to waste public money.\\nReduce the number of public servants, divide and organize the\\nwork and offices, and it will be seen that few and good men, well paid,\\ncan do the work to-day neglected by an army of dissatisfied and ill-\\npaid clerks. Why should a small town like this need more than a sec-\\nretary at $2 daily and an assistant at $1 daily?\\nWho would be a better depositary than one of the council, by\\nmonthly turns?\\nThe question of police is the most important and should have your\\nattention. To be a public guardian, a policeman should be an honest,\\nfirm, and kindly man. Unfortunately, here we have as policemen\\nmen who have been in prison and are political servants of the maj^or,\\nand who carry out his orders in such a way that there seems no remedy\\nfor us but to emigrate, as some who have been constantly persecuted\\nhave already done. Let the police be well paid, but make them\\nresponsible for the least abuse or excess, and above all only name\\nmen of respectability and firmness for such important positions, who,", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0596.jp2"}, "597": {"fulltext": "587\\ninstead of terrorizing and becoming political instruments, will really be\\npublic protectors. Otherwise it would be better to emigrate than lose\\nall liberty of action or expose oneself to outrage and insult.\\nEverything that can be said about taxation is both irritating and\\nscandalous. As until now all taxation is based on the information\\nof the taxpayer himself as regards his income and rests on the good\\nfaith of his declarations, the result has been that the returns are\\nhypothetical. As the revising board is named by the alcalde and\\ncouncil, these, under the conditions aforenamed, constitute a family\\nparty. The poor peasant, who has to pay, falls a victim to the col-\\nlector, who sells his estate when he can not satisfy the excessive\\nquota assigned him. Working his farm, he has no time to attend to\\nthese matters and trusts in the alcalde to do hiin justice; but the\\nalcalde, together with his board, only sees that his henchmen are\\nprotected at the expense of the others. We even have known it to\\nhappen that when the experts named did not attend, the municipal\\nemployees have themselves acted as experts in valuation.\\nIf it is impossible to do away with direct taxation, then let the\\nproperty in each municipality be properly assessed for purposes of\\ntaxation. Until this is done there will be neither justice nor equality\\nin the application of taxation.\\nWe will also say a word about the officials who are appointed to\\ncollect overdue taxes by forced sales. They themselves name the\\nvaluers and lend themselves to all sorts of immorality in carrying out\\ntheir task.\\nThe government should, in the matter of education, look into, two\\nthings the teachers and the material used in schools. In the cities\\ninspection is possible. In rural districts, where population is scat-\\ntered, the teachers are obliged to become instruments of the domi-\\nnating power and to allow things to pass unquestioned that should be\\nsuppressed. The distance of one house from another makes the\\nattendance of pupils extremely difficult. Besides, the school mate-\\nrial used is far from perfect and is often entirely wanting.\\nThe situation of the poor in respect to sanitation is lamentable.\\nBadly fed, living on the ground in huts, without assistance in case of\\nsickness, the spectacle presented is moving. Only in the large towns\\nhave sums been set aside for charitable purposes, and only in them\\ncan the poor find a bed and medical assistance in case of need.\\nBut in small towns like ours, where large sums are voted for\\nemployees, feasts, extra allowances, etc., our poor pass their periods\\nof sickness in their huts, far from medical attendance, both owing to\\nthe causes named, their numbers, and the distance at which they live.\\nIs a remedy to be sought? In which case, less feasts, less politics,\\nfewer squandering municipalities, more economies, and a sum set aside\\neach year for charities and hospitals.\\nAs roads are the life of a town it is natural that ayuntamientos\\nshould give them some attention. As our country is essentially agri-\\ncultural, there is no doubt that if it were covered by a network of\\nroads it would become rich and flourishing. This town, for instance,\\nalthough traversed by a good central road, has no roads to its points\\nof production. The bad roads, or rather paths, are the cause of the\\nproduce seeking other outlets, depriving this locality of its legitimate\\nbenefits. It is therefore necessary that money should be furnished to\\nconstruct our vicinage roads, and that the ayuntamiento should vote\\nthe amounts required for their repairs.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0597.jp2"}, "598": {"fulltext": "588\\nWe will not close without stating that the late order of the govern-\\nment respecting the liquor tax lias been wrongly interpreted. Gen-\\neral Henry wished to diminish the vice of drunkenness, so common\\nin the country, but he did uot wish to lay a tax on the producer, who\\nalready pays taxes in the general scheme of land taxation. Why,\\nthen, have our authorities taxed both the producer and the retailer?\\nCan not our ayuntamiento understand that not having done this in\\nother towns, the producers of those districts are in a position to\\nundersell the producers of this district, and the retailers consequently\\nbuy their supplies outside, to the great prejudice of our locality?\\nIf it is wished to wipe out political rancor, to unite the Porto Ricans,\\nand finish once for all old enmities, it is logical that until the first\\nelections take place both elements be given equal voice and equal\\nbenefits in the regeneration. It is not logical to give the ayuntamien-\\ntos over to one party and to allow the other ingress only when some\\nvacancy occurs.\\nIs peace sought? Is politics to be exterminated? Then name an\\nequal number of both parties to the city councils and an American\\ndelegate with a voice, but no vote, as a representative of the Govern-\\nment, and it will be seen how quickly success will follow the step.\\nIf this is done, the naming of the new members of the councils\\nshould not be left to the present councilors, or they will do as they\\nhave done already name nonentities from among their political\\nopposites, men not able to oppose their selfish plans\\nGitayanilla, March, 1899.\\nPRISONS AND CHARITIES.\\nMUNICIPAL CHARITIES.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nSan Juan, P. R., November 1, 1898.\\nDr. Carroll. Do the municipalities have a poor fund?\\nMr. RoiG. There is always a hospital, sometimes an asylum, but\\nthat is in charge of private parties. There are asjdums in only a few\\nplaces. A custom here is to go around and beg.\\nDr. Carroll. Is not that bad policy? In the United States we have\\nasylums for the deserving poor.\\nMr. RoiG. Yes; we used to do that in Humacao. There is an asy-\\nlum in Ponce, one in San Juan, and one in Arecibo.\\nDr. Carroll. I have been told that when a young girl loses her\\nparents her relatives and friends will join together to take care of her.\\nOne furnishes her clothes, another supplies her food, and another edu-\\ncates her.\\nMr. Roio. That is usually done. The people here are not miserly.\\nThey do not care much for money. Many of the people who go about\\nbegging are idle people who could work just as well as not.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0598.jp2"}, "599": {"fulltext": "589\\nHOSPITAL IN SAN JUAN.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nSan Juan, P. R. November 4-, 1898.\\nDr. Carroll. Are there any civil hospitals here in addition to the\\nmilitary hospital?\\nMr. Zarate (secretary of the board of health). There are none.\\nThe military hospital was built by a former bishop here by the name\\nof Cos, who handed it over to the military authorities with the stipu-\\nlation that thirty beds should be reserved in it for civil patients. As\\ncan be imagined, this limited accommodation is insufficient, and the\\nbeds are the subject of much competition. Up near Morro Castle an\\nold shanty has been built for hospital purposes, but it does not deserve\\nthe name of a hospital. The building at present in use as a prison\\nwas originally constructed for a hospital, but sanitary experts decided\\nthat it was so placed that easterly winds would blow germs of infection\\nfrom it into the city, and hence it was not used for hospital purposes.\\nDr. Carroll. Do the military hospitals publish annual reports\\nshowing the number of deaths, the various causes of death, the num-\\nber of patients, etc.?\\nMr. Zarate. They do not publish anything.\\nDr. Carroll. I have a report for ten years, giving the number of\\npatients each year, the number having certain diseases, and the total\\nnumber of deaths, but it does not show what were the causes of the\\ndeaths.\\nMr. Zarate. They kept a record of the number of patients admitted\\nand certain data regarding the deaths, which became a part of the\\nmilitary record, but it was never published. The military authorities\\nof Spain took this record away with them, so that it is to-day impos-\\nsible to get the facts regarding the causes of the deaths in the military\\nhospital unless they can be obtained from the manager of the ceme-\\ntery, who would have to go over the record of deaths one by one.\\nHOSPITAL IN AGUADILLA.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nAguadilla, P. R., January 21, 1899.\\nDr. Casseldttc (mayor of Aguadilla). We have a civil hospital\\nhere of twelve beds. I have two American soldiers there now; one,\\nMr. O Connor, from Newark, 1SL J., who is very ill. At first he had\\ntyphoid fever, and then pneumonia, so that one of his lungs nearly\\ndisappeared, but now he is getting along and I hope to get him in\\nshape so that he can be sent back to the States. The hospital is a\\ngreat thing for the poor here, though it is difficult to maintain it.\\nPRISON REFORMS.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nAguadilla, P. R., January 21, 1899.\\nDr. Casselduc, mayor of Aguadilla, and Mr. Torregrosa:\\nDr. Casselduc. There is another very important question to be\\ntouched on that of prisons. The expense of keeping up the prisons", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0599.jp2"}, "600": {"fulltext": "590\\nis too high for municipalities. There should be State institutions.\\nThe system here in Porto Rico consists in having a prison in the chief\\ntown of the district, and these prisons receive the prisoners from all\\nthe small towns lying within the district. The result of this is that\\nthe number of prisoners lodged in these prisons is far greater than\\nthe capacity of the prison to receive them. The prison here that was\\nbuilt for 50 has 160 inmates. It is for the prison district, and other\\nmunicipal districts lying within it are supposed to send their contribu-\\ntions for its support, but they never send any.\\nDr. Carroll. Why do you not make a rule that when prisoners are\\nsent here you will not receive them unless the municipality from\\nwhich they came pays for them?\\nDr. Casselduc. When the judge says, You take this prisoner,\\nwe have to do it. The judge resides here, and they must be tried in\\nAguadilla, and then they go to the head court in Mayaguez.\\nDr. Carroll. I think one important reform for Porto Rico is to\\nhave the powers of the municipal judges enlarged so that many cases\\nwhich are now required to go to Mayaguez may be tried in the municipal\\ndistricts. Here in Porto Rico on some slight suspicion they put a man\\ninto prison. And when the man has stolen a few bananas or some little\\nthing, he is put in jail and kept there ten months, sometimes, without\\ntrial.\\nMr. Torregrosa. There are prisoners here who have been detained\\nthree or four months before trial, and when tried their offense was\\nproved to be a mere misdemeanor.\\nDr. Carroll. That must be remedied. When a man brings a false\\ncharge against another, he should be brought to justice for it.\\nMr. Torregrosa. One of two things must be done either the\\nmunicipalities must be given power to sustain their own prisons or\\nelse the 11 prison districts of the island must be sustained by the\\nState, and in that case collect the tax for their maintenance and not\\nleave it to the municipality.\\nDr. Carroll. That is right; but it seems to me that there ought to\\nbe common jails in every municipality for the detention of prisoners\\nfound guilty of misdemeanors, and in addition to that jails for the\\ndetention of prisoners guilty of more serious crimes.\\nDr. Casselduc. They have jails for such misdemeanors.\\nDr. Carroll. I mean that the powers of municipal courts should\\nbe enlarged to cover additional cases that are really too small to go to\\nthe criminal court. There would be fewer sent to Mayaguez and\\nother places where you have criminal courts, and then, instead of con-\\nfining the criminal courts to San Juan, Mayaguez, and Ponce, I think\\nthere should be one in each district, because your means of travel are\\nvery much restricted, and it is ia hardship for witnesses or for a man\\nwho is pressing a criminal charge against another to have to go such\\nlong distances as are now necessary, and not only pay his own way but\\nlose his time. For instance, a man living on the border of Arecibo,\\nat Gobo, told me of the case of a man who stole a horse from him. He\\nwent first into Arecibo, and there found that the case would have to\\ngo before the judge in Utuado, because the crime was committed in\\nthe district of Utuado, and the judge in Utuado had to prepare a brief\\nof the case to send to Mayaguez, where this man will have to go to press\\nthe charge. It ought to have been tried in Utuado.\\nMr. Torregrosa. The municipality spends at present from $25 to\\n$28 a day to give the prisoners food, and naturally at the end of the\\nmonth they have not money enough to pay their employees.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0600.jp2"}, "601": {"fulltext": "591\\nDr. Carroll. Is it true that the judge of first instance does not\\nhave trial powers?\\nMr. Torregrosa. He only has power to prepare a case, and for that\\nreason he is called judge of instruction.\\nDr. Carroll. Why not have a court of first instance to try the less\\nserious cases in the districts where they are comniitted?\\nMr. Torregrosa. That would be a fine thing for the town.\\nDr. Carroll. I do not see why it can not be, and allow an appeal.\\nYou don t need more judicial commissioners, it seems to me, but to\\nhave the powers better distributed or you might have a circuit court\\nfor trying these, as in the United States, where judges who have\\npower to hear and determine cases travel around and hold courts\\nperiodically and dispose of criminal cases. Is there any provision in\\nyour law for releasing on bail?\\nMr. Torregrosa. There is a system of allowing persons out on bail,\\nexcept for the gravest of crimes; but the system does not work, owing\\nto the venality of the clerks. The system is very much mixed up.\\nVery often a person is imprisoned for four or five months for a crime\\nof no consequence.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there no writ of habeas corpus?\\nMr. Torregrosa. No.\\nDr. Carroll. That is considered the palladium of American liberties.\\nMr. Torregrosa. The question of prisons should be attended to, as\\nit is one of great importance.\\nDr. Casselduc. It is a source of great misery here.\\nDr. Carroll. What provision would you make for the temporary\\nreform of it during the military regime?\\nMr. Torregrosa. Either of the two I have mentioned before,\\nnamely, that the state should take charge, or each municipality be\\nallowed to have its own prison and attend to it.\\nDr. Carroll. That would not be really a reform. Great injustice\\nis done by keeping people in prisons for two or three months without\\na hearing in cases of a trivial character.\\nMr. Torregrosa. I would recommend, then, simply to give the\\njudge of first instance power to take cognizance of small cases that\\nare not absolutely criminal.\\nDr. Carroll. What is done in the case of persons who are wit-\\nnesses and whose testimony is regarded as of great importance? How\\nare they detained and how is their presence secured when necessary\\nin a case?\\nMr. Torregrosa. That is another question of highest importance.\\nWhen the court at Mayaguez requires a witness, it cites him, and if\\nhe happens to be a poor man he naturally can not afford to undertake\\na journey from here to there, and he avoids it.\\nDr. Carroll. His expenses ought to be paid in such cases, together\\nwith his witness fee.\\nMr. Torregrosa. That should be done; but the state should do it,\\nfor the same reason it supports the judg-es and the high court.\\nDr. Carroll. Of course, if it is a state case; but in the police court\\nit should be done by the city.\\nMr. Torregrosa. I think the whole system of courts should be\\nunder state control. I consider that as the state to-day collects a\\ndirect tax for instance, as a pharmacist I pay $50 to the state in\\naddition to my municipal taxes the state ought to spend that money\\nfor state purposes or leave that amount to be spent by the municipal-\\nity. In the latter case, the municipality could attend to these matters.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0601.jp2"}, "602": {"fulltext": "592\\nthink that the custom-house tax and direct taxes should be collected\\nonh for federal purposes; that all other taxes should be used for the\\npurposes for which they are collected that is, the municipalities col-\\nlect for municipal purposes only.\\nGAMBLING.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commission.]\\nMayaguez, P. R., January 24, 1899.\\nDon Cartagena and Mr. St. Laurent, mayor.\\nNote. The following was read from the Penal Code, Title VI,\\narticles 354, 355, and 35G\\nThat bankers and owners of gambling houses in which enters luck or chance\\nshall be punished by major arrest and fined from 625 up to 6.250 pesetas, and in\\ncases of repetition by that of major arrest in its greatest degree to correctional\\nimprisonment in its minimum degree and double fine. The players who shall\\nmeet in such house shall be punished by major arrest in its minimum degree and\\nfined from 325 to 3.250 pesetas, and in cases of repetition with major arrest in its\\nminimum degree and double fine. The conductor and seller of lottery tickets or\\nunauthorized raffles shall be punished by major arrest in its minimum degree\\nand its medium degree, and a fine from 325 to 3,250 pesetas. Those who make\\nuse of fraudulent methods in play or in raffles to secure their winning shall be\\npunished as swindlers. Money or effects and instruments used in play or raffles\\nare to be confiscated.\\nDr. Carroll. Do they proceed against gamblers severely?\\nDon Cartegena. Yes; after the feast daj^s, if the police give infor-\\nmation about it.\\nDr. Carroll. There was a great deal of gambling going on last\\nnight in the market place. How long will that continue?\\nDon Cartegena. During the feast; it has been the custom through-\\nout the island for many years on feast days to do that.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you have any cockpits here?\\nMr. Cartagena. Yes; they are allowed by the city. There is no\\nlaw against them. They pay a tax.\\nDr. Carroll. How many have you in this city?\\nMr. Cartagena. Only one.\\nDr. Carroll. Is it the expectation that the council will continue\\nto license that?\\nMr. Cartagena. I don t know.\\nMr. St. Laurent. We are in a difficult position to-day neither one\\nthing nor the other. We are still under the Spanish law, and there\\nis nothing in that to prevent it.\\nDr. Carroll. Why do you permit gambling on feast days and not\\non others?\\nMr. St. Laurent. It is the custom to celebrate the feast in each\\ncity. As far back as anybody can remember it has been the custom\\nin these celebrations to allow small gambling, such as you saw here\\nlast night. The council determined this year to have nothing to do\\nwith the feast; but a committee of townspeople called on the council\\nand asked permission to carry it on as usual. I went to the colonel\\nin command here and explained the matter to him, in order to avoid\\nresponsibility. The colonel said to me, Let them do as they are\\naccustomed to do so long as there is no disorder. We do not intend\\nsuddenly to do away with old established customs. As long as order\\nis preserved the people may continue their old methods. Little by", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0602.jp2"}, "603": {"fulltext": "593\\nlittle the introduction of American customs here will show these peo-\\nple what they should do and what they should not do. I do not wish\\nto interfere in any way. The gamblers pay the expenses of the feast.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there any objection in your mind to this way of\\ncelebrating the feast day?\\nMr. St. Laurent. The council unanimously objected to it. It is\\ncomposed of men who do not gamble; but the townspeople this year\\nwere very much in favor of holding the traditional feast, and the\\ncouncilmen, wishing to bring some money into the city and wishing,\\nat the same time, to raise the spirits of the people a little, allowed the\\nfeast. The people have been very much depressed, owing to the pov-\\nerty that exists. I expect next year, when we shall have become a\\npart of the American Union, to take such steps as may be necessary\\nto compel the people to follow the usages of the American nation.\\nDr. Carroll. Is it the general feeling among Porto Rican people\\nthat these games are not on the whole objectionable?\\nMr. St. Laurent. They do not think, nor do I, that there is any\\nreal harm in raffles for a package of hairpins or a pot of pomade.\\nDr. Carroll. But all the games I saw last night were for money.\\nMr. Cartagena. It is our custom, which dates back hundreds of\\nyears. Last year they had a roulette table in the open plaza. This\\nyear they have moved it from the plaza. It is quite possible to pro-\\nhibit this thing, because if you tell these people there must be no\\ngambling of any description, there will be none. We have not opposed\\nthe feast this year, so as not to make ourselves unpopular. The whole\\ntown seems to desire it, and as we are here in office on uncertain ten-\\nure we did not wish to stop it. Besides, the country people bring in\\ntheir daughters to dances, and neighboring towns bring in a certain\\namount of business, and the merchants for that reason like the fad.\\nDr. Carroll. But no one objects to the dances.\\nMr. St. Laurent. Yes; but we can not have the dances without\\nthe gambling, because they are paid for by taxing the gamblers. The\\nband of the Fifth Cavalry has cost us 1300; the firemen s band\\nhas cost also $300 the fireworks have cost $500. A ball which they\\nare going to give in the theater will cost at least $500. The five balls\\nto be given will cost in all, $800. They will include a masked ball, a\\nchildren s ball, a people s ball, and a workmen s ball.\\nDr. Carroll. Has any attempt ever been made by the city authori-\\nties to prevent the school children from taking part in this gambling?\\nMr. St. Laurent. They have never taken any steps, because they\\ndo not consider that this gambling is vicious. Women also gamble,\\nbut after the period of the feast gambling is prevented altogether.\\nWhen once the feast is over there is absolutely no sort of gambling\\nallowed. We allow it now for two reasons: First, because the colonel\\ndid not oppose it; and secondly, because Ponce had held its feast and\\nthis city did not wish to be behind.\\nPRISON CONDITIONS IN HUMACAO.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nHumacao, P. R., F bruary 1, 1899.\\nMr. Joaquin Masferrer, mayor of Humacao\\nDr. Carroll. How many prisoners have you in your municipal jail?\\nMr. Masferrer. Eighty-odd. They belong to the judicial district,\\nor rather to the prison district; not alone to Humaco.\\n1125 38", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0603.jp2"}, "604": {"fulltext": "594\\nDr. Carroll. Have you an audiencia here?\\nMr. Masperrer. No; we go to San Juan.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you have to send prisoners up there for trial,\\ntogether with witnesses?\\nMr. Masferrer. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. You have a judge of first instance and instruction\\nhere?\\nMr. Masferrer. Yes. He will be present at the hearing today.\\nDr. Carroll. Does this municipal district have to pay all the ex-\\npenses of the prison or are they divided?\\nMr. Masferrer. All towns pay their proportion.\\nDr. Carroll. Are there any abuses of right or privilege or justice\\nin the arrest and imprisonment of persons?\\nMr. Masferrer. No.\\nDr. Carroll. Are persons allowed to be arrested on secret charges?\\nMr. Masferrer. No.\\nDr. Carroll. Then it is different in this district from what it is in\\nothers that I have visited. I have had testimony that persons have\\nbeen arrested on secret charges in other districts, the cause of the\\narrest not being communicated to them. I think it would be well\\nbefore arresting a person to inform him for what reason he is arrested.\\nMr. Masferrer. In the time of the Spaniards the abuse was very\\ncommon.\\nDr. Carroll. Are your prisoners all kept together without respect\\nto the nature of the offense committed by them?\\nMr. Masferrer. Yes; the only separation is according to sex,\\nexcept that we have a room, called a preference room, which is devoted\\nto prisoners who do not wish to be in the same quarters with the rest\\nand for which the prisoners have to pay.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you make any difference as to the age of the pris-\\noners keeping youthful offenders apart from older criminals?\\nMr. Masferrer. We haven t sufficient room in the prison to make\\nsuch a distinction.\\nDr. Carroll. You recognize the importance of keeping first offend-\\ners apart from old offenders in order that they should not be inocu-\\nlated by the vices of the older ones?\\nMr. Masferrer, Yes but we haven t the means of separating them.\\n(At the close of the hearing the commissioner inspected the prison,,\\nwhich is in the basement of the alcaldia and is the prison for the\\nentire prison district, comprising Humacao, Fajardo, Naguabo, Vie-\\nques, Yabucoa, Juncos, and Piedras. It contains three departments\\nthat for male prisoners, another for female prisoners, and a preference\\ndepartment, as it is called, for those who do not wish to be quartered\\nwith the others and can afford to pay for better quarters. There are\\nnow ninety, prisoners in all, among whom are three women. The\\nfemale quarters are dark, unhealthy, and totally unfit for human habi-\\ntation. The women are taken out daily for exercise. Those serving\\nsentence and those undergoing trial are all in prison together, and no\\ndifference is made between persons guilty of grave crimes and those\\nguilty of slight offenses and no distinction is made on account of age\\nold and young, hardened criminals and first offenders, all being shut\\nup together. The mayor claims that this is one of the best prisons in\\nthe island. The men s prison is in better condition, as to air and\\nspace, than the women s, but the drainage is defective, and the place\\nis filthy and the smell unbearable. No uniform dress is adopted, most\\nof the prisoners wearing the clothes they wore when arrested.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0604.jp2"}, "605": {"fulltext": "595\\nDr. Carroll. Are you familiar with the condition of the prison\\nhere, both the part for men and the part for women?\\nDr. Pablo Font. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you consider the prison in good sanitary condition?\\nDr. Font. No it is not in good condition.\\nDr. Carroll. Will you please state the condition in which you\\nfound the prison and your opinion of it?\\nDr. Font. There are too many prisoners for the room assigned them.\\nThey are huddled too closely together. There was a project to build\\na modern prison, but it was dropped for want of funds.\\nDr. Carroll. What is your opinion of the drainage in the men s\\ndepartment?\\nMr. Masferrer. Permit me to say that it is so bad that a few days\\nago I called in a competent person to see what could be done in the\\nmatter. He drew up plans for improving the drainage, but I have not\\nbeen able to carry them into effect for want of funds.\\nDr. Carroll. I would like to know if Dr. Font does not regard the\\neffluvium which comes from the prison dangerous not only to the\\nprisoners, but to the keepers and to the people of the town generally?\\nDr. Font. Naturally so; and for that reason the alcalde tried to\\ntake steps to better the condition of the prison.\\nDr. Carroll. Is not the air charged with germs that might develop\\ntyphoid fever or other diseases?\\nDr. Font. Yes that is also the case.\\nDr. Carroll. There seems to be no particular odor about the\\nwomen s department but is it not too dark and in other ways unfit for\\nthe incarceration of women?\\nDr. Font. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. What amount do you consider necessary to make the\\nprison sanitary?\\nMr. Masferrer. We have the lot, and we estimate that $12,000\\nwould be sufficient to put up a building that would be adequate.\\nThis sum was collected under the old government for that purpose,\\nbut the money has disappeared from the treasury.\\nPRISON CHARGES.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nAibonito, P. R, February 6, 1899.\\nMr. Manuel Caballer, mayor of Aibonito, and Mr. munic-\\nipal judge:\\nDr. Carroll. Where are the headquarters of this judicial district?\\nMr. Caballer. Guayama.\\nDr. Carroll. You send your prisoners to Guayama?\\nMr. Caballer. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. And- you pay for the support of the prisoners you\\nsend there?\\nMr. Caballer. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Are the charges large?\\nMr. Caballer. Yes. We pay much out of proportion to the num-\\nber of prisoners we have sent from here. With the amount we pay\\nwe could keep our prisoners in a hotel.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you looked into the matter to see why it costs\\nso much?", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0605.jp2"}, "606": {"fulltext": "59G\\nMr. Caballer. I have only been in office six days and have not\\nlooked into it.\\nDr. Carroll. Is it not the custom for the several alcaldes in the\\ndistrict to get together and agree as to the amount that shall be appor-\\ntioned to each municipality in the judicial district?\\nThe Municipal Judge. This district pays S3,000 state taxes, and\\non that amount they base the amount this district is to pay for prison\\nduties.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there no auditing of the accounts of the prison on\\nthe part of the municipalities which contribute?\\nThe Municipal Judge. I went there. They presented the account\\nand said: This contract was let at auction. Here is the amount;\\nand this, that, and the other thing were done, and here they appear,\\nand all the alcaldes could do was to say, All right.\\nDr. Carroll. It seems to me that the municipalities ought to look\\ninto it. They are spending large amounts for the keeping of a few\\nprisoners.\\nThe Municipal Judge. Beginning the 1st of July next, the state\\nwill take the prisoners under its charge; consequently there will be\\nno need for it.\\nPRISON AND HOSPITAL ACCOMMODATIONS.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nCoamo, P. R., February 6, 1899.\\nDr. Juan Trujillo, a physician of Coamo:\\nDr. Carroll. Is there a city hospital in this city?\\nDr. Trujillo. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the condition of it?\\nDr. Trujillo. Good.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you all the supplies and accommodations that\\nare needed?\\nDr. Trujillo. No; the town being a poor one, it is not able to keep\\nup more than a certain number of beds.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there a jail in the city?\\nDr. Trujillo. Yes; the municipal jail.\\nDr. Carroll. Is it a part of your duty to visit the jail?\\nDr. Trujillo. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the condition of the jail as to sanitation?\\nDr. Trujillo. It is not a prison possessing good hygienic conditions,\\nbut as few prisoners only are in it, the matter is not serious.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the general health of the city?\\nDr. Trujillo. Good.\\nDr. Carroll. What are the principal diseases?\\nDr. Trujillo. Intestinal diseases and a few cases of typhoid fever.\\nDr. Carroll. What are those intestinal diseases caused by?\\nDr. Trujillo. The chief reason is the heat; another reason is the\\nunhealthy condition of the town; but now that other measures are\\nbeing taken, I think an improvement will be felt.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you have any cases of smallpox?\\nDr. Trujillo. Up to the present we have had none.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you have consumption?\\nDr. Trujillo. Yes; it is a very common disease here.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0606.jp2"}, "607": {"fulltext": "597\\nDr. Carroll. What is the cause of that?\\nDr. Trujillo. Bad alimentation, the general misery of the poor,\\nand the irregular way of living.\\nThe Municipal Judge of Coamo\\nDr. Carroll. How many prisoners are there now in the municipal\\njail?\\nThe Municipal Judge. Two.\\nDr. Carroll. For what offenses are they imprisoned?\\nThe Municipal Judge. One is there for disrespect shown to the\\njudge and the police authorities, and the other for assault.\\nDr. Carroll. What was the case of disrespect?\\nThe Municipal Judge. I had a horse in my grounds, taking care\\nof it for a man in the country. Another man took it out and rode it\\nabout the town, and on undertaking to get the horse from him, he\\nused blasphemous words. The case will go to Ponce for trial.\\nMURDER OF AMERICAN SOLDIER.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nCaguas, P. R.., February 27, 1899.\\nDr. Carroll. I want to ask a question or two about the killing of\\nan American soldier here a few days ago.\\nDr. Jiminez Cruz. I don t believe that this affair in any way was\\ninduced by the people. I believe that the man who committed the\\nassassination is a criminal. I know him and know his character.\\nThe affair had nothing to do with politics. Several days before this\\nevent happened I heard certain people say that they were tired of the\\nconduct of some of the soldiers; that they had had enough of it, owing\\nto their drunkenness, but this happening has nothing whatever about\\nit which indicates any feeling against the Government.\\nMr. Sola. When the military proceedings were instituted, witnesses\\nstated that the soldier was invited into the Workmen s Club and that\\nthe assassin entered and killed hiin, treacherously, from behind. The\\nman who committed the crime was not a member of the club and had\\nnever been in there before.\\nDr. Carroll. Had he strong reason for bitter feeling against that\\nparticular soldier, or against any soldier here?\\nMr. Sola. It is not known whether he had any motive or not. He\\nis a man whose hand has been against everybody.\\nDr. Carroll. Has he been captured?\\nMr. Sola. We have done everything we could to catch him, but\\nhave not been able to do so.\\nDr. Carroll. I am not here to investigate that malter at all, but I\\nwanted to ask a few questions for my own satisfaction.\\nDr. Cruz. I wish to put on record that this deed does not in any\\nway represent the feeling of the people for the soldiers. The soldiers\\nand the townspeople have been very friendly and have mingled\\ntogether up to the present.\\nDr. Carroll. It seems to be a very strange affair, because your\\npeople are generally so peace loving. I hardly know how to find an\\nexplanation for it.\\nDr. Cruz. I have just been informed that the soldier who was\\nkilled was making love to the girl with whom this man who assassi-", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0607.jp2"}, "608": {"fulltext": "598\\nnated him was keeping company, and that the assassin had followed\\nhim until he got an opportunity to kill him. This assassin is a man\\nof bad conduct and has committed other felonious assaults. I have\\nattended, as a doctor, to the cure of persons whom he has assaulted\\nand shot with a revolver. It is a gain to society that he should dis-\\nappear.\\nDr. Carroll. Is he a white man?\\nDr. Cruz. He is a young mulatto and the son of a blacksmith.\\nHis antecedents are not good; his mother is half demented and a\\ndrinker.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you had aii3 T other murder here in recent years?\\nDr. Cruz. This was the first in many years. There have been\\nquarrels and wounds, but no murders.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the prevailing crime in Caguas?\\nDr. Cruz. Quarrels, abduction, and blows given in quarrels.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you mean the abduction of girls under age?\\nDr. Cruz. Yes; with the girl s consent.\\nJose Boada. president of the gremio of workmen of Caguas\\nMr. Boada. In the name of the club which I represent, I come to\\nrepeat the protest which I have already made to the colonel here, and\\nto offer our assistance, if necessary, and to make the government\\nunderstand that we did not wish to be impressed by what certain\\nSpanish persons here residing told us with regard to the troops, for\\nwhich reason these same Spaniards wish to make bad blood between\\nus and the American troops. The young man who committed this\\nmurder is not a workman; he is not of us, nor is he with us. I wish\\none of the witnesses to speak, because I was in the country at the\\ntime and am not personally acquainted with the facts.\\nMr. Juan Diaz, a member of the gremio of workmen:\\nDr. Carroll. Were you present when this affair occurred?\\nMr. Diaz. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Will you give an account of what you saw and heard?\\nMr. Diaz. There were six of the club there that night, around a\\ntable, reading our regulations. An American soldier came upstairs,\\nentered into the club, and asked permission to sit down there, which\\nwas granted, and he sat down. He asked what the place was, and we\\ntold him it was a club, and he took his hat off. One of the members\\nof the club, thinking the soldier came up under the influence of\\ndrink, went down to the street to look for an officer. The criminal\\ncame up the stairs, through the door, and committed the act.\\nDr. Carroll. While the man was absent looking for the officer?\\nMr. Diaz. Yes, while he was absent.\\nDr. Carroll. Then what did the criminal do; leave immediately?\\nMr. Diaz. Before the act was committed I got up and asked the\\ncriminal what he wanted, and he said, I have come here to stick a\\nknife into this soldier. I tried to prevent him, but I didn t have\\ntime.\\nMr. Carroll. Did the soldier know that he was there?\\nMr. Diaz. It seems to me that he did not know, because his back\\nwas turned the assassin stepped up behind him.\\nDr. Carroll. Did you try to arrest the man then?\\nMr. Diaz. Yes; I tried to catch him, but it was all the work of an\\ninstant. As soon as he did it he ran away.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0608.jp2"}, "609": {"fulltext": "599\\nDr. Carroll. Do you know the man; had you seen him before?\\nMr. Diaz. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. What was his trade, if any?\\nMr. Diaz. A coachman.\\nDr. Carroll. He was not a member of your club?\\nMr. Boada. No.\\nDr. Carroll. Was he in the habit of associating with members of\\nthe club?\\nMr. Boada. None of the townspeople associated with him; he was\\nnot the friend of anybody.\\nDr. Carroll. Who tries to connect the club with this act? Is it\\nany person you know of, or is it simply rumor?\\nMr. Boada. It is rumor, and is not directed against the club in par-\\nticular, but against the working people as a whole, and is started by\\nthose who are annoyed by the fact that we have a liberty we did not\\nhave before.\\nDr. Carroll. Is your club private?\\nMr. Boada. No; it is public.\\nDr. Carroll. I heard a report to-day on the street that this soldier\\nwas asked into the room of a secret club, and was stabbed by one of\\nthe members of the club. I am very sorry the deed should have\\noccurred where your club meets, but I don t see any fact connecting\\nthe club with the act, except the fact that the crime was committed\\nin the same place where your club meets.\\nLieutenant (Forty-seventh New York Volunteers). There\\nhad been a meeting there Wednesday night before. I immediately\\ngot their papers and made a thorough search. We took everything\\nthere. It is a casino of the better class of the workmen. It was\\nreported that he had been invited in there and had been seen with\\nthis man, but I know that the assassin s name was not on the roll of\\nthe club.\\nMr. Boada. We wish to have the effects of the club returned to us,\\nalthough after what has happened we do not mean to have ifc continue\\nin the same name nor in the same house.\\nPRISON CONDITIONS.\\nLHearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nPonce, P. R., March 2, 1899.\\nMr. Luis Porrata Doria, mayor of Ponce\\nDr. Carroll. I would like to see the prison this afternoon.\\nMr. Doria. There is a refrain here that says If anything is bad, it\\nis the prison.\\nDr. Carroll. I understand there is no division in the prison except\\nas between the sexes.\\nMr. Doria. It is anything but a prison. All the criminals are in\\ntogether, unless we get a dangerous person, and then we put him in a\\ncell. We have a plan for a new prison, but we lack the money to\\nbuild it.\\nDr. Carroll. Other municipalities in this judicial district will con-\\ntribute?\\nMr. Doria. They are required to contribute, but they do not do so.\\nDr. Carroll. At Arecibo they imprison the insane, I understand,\\nwith criminal offenders.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0609.jp2"}, "610": {"fulltext": "600\\nMr. Doria. Here we do not. Here we have an old slaughterhouse,\\nas I told you, which we turned into an insane asylum. Everything\\nhere has to be done over.\\nDr. Carroll. When you get autonomy you can undertake all these\\nreforms.\\nDISORDERS IN PORTO RICO.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nSan Juan, P. R., October 28, 1899.\\nMr. Manuel Reyes Ruiz, mayor of Quebradillas, called at the office\\nof the United States Special Commission for Porto Rico and was inter-\\nviewed by the special commissioner.\\nMr. Ruiz. There have been about fourteen burnings in my district\\nof houses belonging to Canary Islanders, owing to the fact that these\\ngentlemen during the Spanish rule tortured the people there and\\nimprisoned about thirty-five of them. In their business transactions\\nthe Spaniards robbed the Porto Ricans. For instance, if a Porto Rican\\nbought goods to the amount of $200, the Canary Islander would charge\\nit up as $300. Canary Islanders are ultra-Spanish. The result of\\nthis robbery was that the Canary Islanders gradually appropriated\\nthe propert3 r of the native Porto Ricans, so that while some of them\\narrived there with a hundred dollars, in a few years they became capi-\\ntalists. Prior to the war it was generally stated that these Spaniards\\nhad threatened in case war should be declared to tie us to the tails of\\ntheir horses and to drag us to the nearest port to get us out of the\\ncountry; they also threatened to tie us together by our mustaches\\nand use us as beasts of burden to draw them to the water when they\\nwished to take their baths.\\nAt election time they put the civil guard at all the entrances of the\\ntowns and made us produce our cedulas, or documents, and used every\\npossible means to prevent Porto Ricans from exercising their right of\\nsuffrage. They threatened the laboring classes that they would tor-\\nture and imprison them if the} dared to cast their votes. They sent\\nto my little town 150 troops to inspire the people with fright and\\nthereby prevent them from voting. That was the municipal election\\nbefore the installation of the autonomous government. Since the\\nautonomous government has been in effect elections have been with-\\nout a show of force.\\nDr. Carroll. What was the result of the election where force was\\nemployed?\\nMr. Ruiz. In spite of the soldiers and the threats my party refused\\nto be terrorized and carried the election, but in previous elections\\nthey absolutely desisted from voting, as the authorities made use of\\ndouble ballot boxes, pretended to take people to the voting room and\\ninstead took them to prison and made it appear that they had voted\\nby the substitution of false ballots, whereas they really had not\\ndone so.\\nDr. Carroll. I understand that they have one ballot box for one\\npurpose and a second box for another and that they had voters\\ndeposit their ballot in the wrong box in order that they might be\\ncounted out.\\nMr. Ruiz. There was in each booth onty one box, but this had a\\nfalse bottom. The Governor- General would direct the mayor as to\\nwhat persons should be elected, and the returns of the elections\\ninvariably conformed to this direction. This was accomplished by\\nfalse ballot boxes and terrorism.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0610.jp2"}, "611": {"fulltext": "601\\nDr. Carroll. How has it been since the American occupation?\\nMr. Ruiz. When the Spanish troops left after the occupation, ven-\\ngeance entered, and I believe that the only hope for the peace of this\\ncountry is to make the Spaniards clear out. Fourteen or fifteen of\\nthe worst ones have left Quebradillas and have gone to Aguadilla.\\nSeveral of them want to return, but the people of the village will not\\npermit them to do so. Those who behaved properly under the old\\nregime have not been molested in any way. Owing to the atrocious\\ntreatment the natives received from some of these men their desire\\nhas been to kill them and if they have not done so, it is because they\\nhave been unable to get hold of them. Since the occupation by the\\nAmericans things have quieted down in my section, and the American\\nsoldiers are welcomed as friends and saviors.\\nDr. Carroll. Has there been any trouble since the occupation?\\nMr. Ruiz. No; but I am not sure there will not be if the Spaniards\\nremain, as the people do not want them there.\\nDr. Carroll. Are they merchants?\\nMr. Ruiz. They are storekeepers and agriculturists, and all of them\\nwere volunteers of the Spanish army.\\nDr. Carroll. Are there any plantations in your vicinity?\\nMr. Ruiz. There is a little sugar, coffee, tobacco, and smaller pro-\\nductions.\\nDr. Carroll. Has there been any retaliation against the proprietors\\nof those plantations by the laborers?\\nMr. Ruiz. That has been the greater part of the trouble there.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the condition of the peons?\\nMr. Ruiz. They work twelve hours a day for 2^ reals, with rations,\\nwhich consist of salt codfish and plantain.\\nDr. Carroll. Do the proprietors take care of the families of their\\npeons?\\nMr. Ruiz. No only of the peons themselves.\\nDr. Carroll. Did they give them lodging?\\nMr. Ruiz. No.\\nDr. Carroll. Did they pay the peons by checks?\\nMr. Ruiz. Some of them gave half the wages in provisions out of\\ntheir stores; others gave all the wages in provisions, and still others\\ngave all in money.\\nDr. Carroll. Did the plantation owners have any power over the\\npeons to hold them?\\nMr. Ruiz. No.\\nDr. Carroll. There has been recently no system of slavery of\\nlaborers on account of debt?\\nMr. Ruiz. No; I know of none.\\nDr. Carroll. The peons were free to leave the proprietors at any\\ntime?\\nMr. Ruiz. Yes; they had that liberty. The laborer of this island is\\nby nature very humble, and besides that he has always been in fear\\nof the Spanish volunteers and the civil guard; consequently, he used\\nto go to work and at the end of the day or week, according to what\\narrangement he had made, would receive his pay, and would go back\\nthe next day to work for the same owner, partly because he could not\\nget more wages elsewhere and partly also because he feared that some\\ncomplaint might be made against him. There are both black and\\nwhite peons, but there are more white.\\nDi\\\\ Carroll. How many people are there under your jurisdiction?\\nMr. Ruiz. About 6,000. The so-called bandits are afraid of the\\nAmerican troops, and knowing there are troops in Camuy they will", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0611.jp2"}, "612": {"fulltext": "602\\nnot go there, and I am afraid they will come to Quebradillas. The\\nso-called bandits are Spaniards and a few native Porto Ricans who\\nare naturally bad; but the greater part are Spaniards who have\\ndeserted from the army and prisoners whom the Spanish released. I\\ncaught two of them a few days ago myself and put them in jail. I\\ncould take care of the bad natives if the Spaniards were not there.\\nRecently a party of 700 natives organized to burn some property in\\nniy district, and I personally was able to restrain them. All the dis-\\norderly acts which have occurred in that district were committed\\nbefore my election. I was elected by the people, and have been con-\\ntinued by the Americans in office.\\nSan Juan, P. R., November 9, 1898.\\nA delegation representing the banking, mercantile, industrial, and\\nother interests of the district of Ponce visited the office of the com-\\nmission to present the conclusions arrived at by a meeting of repre-\\nsentatives of those interests in Ponce. The delegation was instructed\\nto lay particular stress upon the following paragraph\\nBefore we close the present information we desire to state here that the condi-\\ntion of affairs in the interior of the island can not be tolerated any longer. Bands\\nof assassins that have been for the last two months burning and killing have\\ncaused such consternation in the country that it is now unsafe to travel, and the\\nbanks and merchants have practically closed business with the interior. If the\\npresent situation continues, there will soon be a complete paralysis of business,\\nwhich can not but be immensely detrimental to the credit and prosperity of the\\nisland. As no apparent steps have been taken to stop such vandalic acts, we\\nearnestly request you, in the name of the inhabitants of Porto Rico, to ask the\\nPresident, Mr. McKinley, to give immediate orders to stop it.\\nOn being questioned respecting these acts the members of the\\ndelegation declared that the refusal of the bankers to grant loans to\\nthe agriculturists in the interior was due to the destruction caused\\nby the marauders, and that the merchants for the same reason would\\nsell to country storekeepers for cash only.\\nOn being asked whether the condition of the currency was not in some\\nmeasure responsible for this stoppage of business the delegation\\nadmitted that it might have some effect, but insisted that the chief\\ncause Was the depredations committed by these midnight bands.\\nOn being urged to make representations to Maj. Gen. John R.\\nBrooke, military commander of the island, they said they had already\\ndone so some days previously, and General Brooke had said he would\\ndo what he could. They said his plan was to station troops at towns,\\nso that they could protect these centers of population; but, in their,\\nopinion, the towns were in no danger; it was the planters who were\\nsuffering, and the trouble was that by the time the troops could be\\nsecured from the towns, the marauders had made their attacks and\\nescaped. The delegation stated that they believed that travelers were\\nnot safe from these banditti. Before the Spaniards left the island\\nthey opened the doors of jails and let many prisoners loose. These\\nwere among the banditti, and probably also some farm laborers who\\nhold a grudge against their former employers. They said that the\\nfeeling at Ponce was that this matter was most urgent and should be\\nattended to at once.\\nDr. Manuel F. Rossy, a lawyer, and editor of El Pais, and a\\nprominent political leader in the island, in submitting the conclu-\\nsions of the congress of Porto Ricans, of which he was president, for", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0612.jp2"}, "613": {"fulltext": "603\\ntransmission to Washington, made the following statement at the\\noffice of the commission, November 9, 1898:\\nThere are towns where as many as twenty-two estates have been\\ndestroyed, and in many cases the coffee crop has been ruined. The\\nowner of a large coffee estate has sent his family to Mayaguez and\\nhas himself come to San Juan because of his fear of visitations from\\nthe banditti. In four days there have been seven murders. Three\\nof the victims were Spaniards, one a Frenchman, and the rest wealthy\\nPorto Ricans.\\nAt Yauco, in the southern part of the island, a mob visited a coffee\\nestate owned by a Spaniard from the Balearic Islands. They found\\nthe man in the parlor, and killed him in the presence of his wife and\\ndaughters, to whom, however, they offered no insult or injury.\\nLater they met his major-domo and cut- off his ear and nailed it to a\\ntree. These mobs seem to strike specially at Spaniards from the\\nBalearic and Canary Islands, who are very much hated.\\nIn the opinion of Dr. Rossy, those who commit these depredations\\nare in part of foreign and in part of native birth. Some of them are\\nFrenchmen, some Italians, a few Spaniards, and a large number\\nnatives. The Spaniards were mainly deserters from the Spanish\\narmy. A band of marauders captured near Arecibo was led by a\\nSpanish captain of the Alfonso regiment. He was a deserter from\\nthe Spanish army. The purpose of these bands, which in some cases\\nnumber almost a hundred, is loot and revenge. This is made clear\\nfrom the fact that they do not offer any indignity to women. They\\nare generally armed with revolvers, machetes, and clubs.\\nA mob took from one estate near Barceloneta over 100 head of cattle,\\nbut the owner got most of them back because the bandits could not\\nmake way with them. They killed two or three of them for imme-\\ndiate use and had to abandon the rest.\\nSome of those who do not want to work have joined these bands.\\nOne of those who surrendered had been a member of the guardia\\ncivil.\\nDr. Rossy had been informed that in the district of Camuy on the\\nnorth property had been destroyed worth $100,000.\\nAs Mr. Rossy is an editor, he was asked why he did not give the\\nparticulars of these crimes in his paper and why so little was found\\nconcerning them in other papers, particularly of the capital. He was\\ninformed that it was one of the chief functions of the press in the\\nUnited States to call repeated attention to abuses in order that a\\nremedy might be applied, and he was asked whether he did not think\\nthat if the details were given in the press of all these attacks on life\\nand property the authorities would be in a better position to cope\\nwith the difficulty. He stated in reply that he did not think it would\\ndo any good to publish these matters.\\nSan Juan, P. R., October 20, 1898.\\nFather Sherman, United States chaplain, stated to the special com-\\nmissioner for the United States to Porto Rico that he had been staying\\na short time previously with a friend on a hacienda between the lines\\nof the United States and Spanish troops. One night an attack was\\nmade on the estate. The proprietor, his son, and a number of others\\narmed themselves to defend the property. The proprietor was a Span-\\niard. Father Sherman did not believe that the men who made the\\nattack were bandits they were former laborers who took this oppor-", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0613.jp2"}, "614": {"fulltext": "604\\ntunity for revenge. They had worked hard for the proprietor for\\nyears and had been paid in brass cheeks which they had exchanged\\nfor goods at the company s store. They were almost starved, while\\nthe proprietor had saved out of the estate 630,000 a year. Those who\\nmade the attack were not bandits, but men who regarded themselves\\nas having been defrauded of the just income of their labor.\\nSehor Filipe Cuebas, collector of customs at Mayaguez, said that\\nacts of incendiarism reported from the interior of the island were\\nentirely new to Porto Rico, and he hoped and believed that the state\\nof terror reported as existing in some of the districts would not last\\nlong.\\nMr. A. Argueso, of Humacao, vice-mayor of that municipality, also\\nengaged in the mercantile business there, and an exporter of sugar,\\nmade a statement to the special commissioner for the United States\\nto Porto Rico on the 13th of November.\\nHe stated that the chief sufferers from the marauders in the island\\nare coffee planters, many of whom owe large amounts of money. In\\nsome cases where injuries amounted to $200 representation would be\\nmade by the owners of the estates to their creditors that their prop-\\nerty had been ruined, and on the basis of this statement an extension\\nof the time of payment would be asked and granted. There is not, in\\nthe opinion of Mr. Argueso, very much of real disorder. What there\\nis is instigated chiefly by desire for personal revenge. As a usual\\nthing it is the proprietor or manager who is attacked, while the prop-\\nerty is very little injured or not injured at all. There had been no\\ndisturbances at Ponce, none at Humacao, and none, in fact, in the\\neastern part of the island. There had been some at Yauco among the\\ncoffee planters and in the western portion of the island. He had no\\ndoubt that these disturbances could be easily put down.\\nComparison of criminality between Cuba and Porto Rico for 1862.\\nCuba (population\\n1,200,000).\\nPorto Rico (popula-\\ntion 600,000).\\nNumber.\\nProportion.\\nNumber.\\nProportion.\\n169\\n667\\n161\\n1,592\\n343\\n1 to 7,101\\n1 to 1. 799\\n1 to 7,453\\n1 to 753\\n1 to 3, 498\\n8\\n117\\n38\\n284\\n48\\nL to 75. 000\\n1 to 5. 120\\n1 to 15. 789\\nThefts\\nSuicides\\nlto 2.112\\n1 to 12. 500\\nCrimes in Porto Rico in 1S64 and 1SG5.\\nCrimes against religion\\nCrimes against public order\\nCrimes of falsehood\\nCrimes against the public health\\nGambling and raffles\\nCrimes of public servants in the course of their employment.\\nCrimes against the person\\nCrimes against honesty\\nCrimes against honor\\nCrimes against liberty and security\\nCrimes against property\\nActs not constituting crimes\\nTotal\\n1864. 1865\\n37\\n243\\n50\\n28\\n572\\n169\\n1,231\\n4\\n106\\n18\\n1\\n3\\n25\\n230\\n49\\n14\\n27\\n527\\n165\\n1,169", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0614.jp2"}, "615": {"fulltext": "605\\nPenalties imjwsed.\\n1864.\\n1865.\\nDeath by garrote\\nPenitentiary, without privilege of going out occasionally\\nPenitentiary and stripes, with privilege of going out occasionally\\nPenitentiary, without stripes, and with privilege of going out occasionally\\nImprisonment in the puntilla (San Juan) and stripes\\nImprisonment in the puntilla. without stripes\\nBanishment, not affecting offspring\\nBanishment\\nPenitentiary, correctional punishment\\nImprisonment in the jail\\nImprisonment in jail, with right to be ransomed\\nConfinement in the beneficencia\\nStripes\\nWarned against repetition of offense, and released\\nFined\\nReleased on ground of imprisonment suffered pending sentence\\nReleased with warning against repetition of offense\\nTemporary suspension of sentence\\nPinal suspension of sentence..\\nPardoned\\nFreely pardoned\\nTotal\\n392\\n10\\n85\\n111\\n1\\n12\\n15\\n56\\n132\\n22\\n231\\n231\\n167\\n136\\n1,641\\n1\\n1\\n3\\n25\\n7\\n312\\n1\\n2\\n2\\n11\\n19\\n5\\n17\\n136\\n16\\n247\\n114\\n146\\n114\\n1,340\\nDEPARTMENTAL JAILS OR PRISONS.\\nREPORTS FROM ALCAIDES, OR KEEPERS.\\nTHE DEPARTMENTAL JAIL AT SAN JUAN.\\nAt the end of the year we have 10 female prisoners, 2 of these sen-\\ntenced to cadena, or perpetual imprisonment, 1 for the crime of parri-\\ncide and the other for that of homicide, another to thirty-seven years\\nimprisonment for homicide and poisoning, another to fourteen years\\nfor infanticide, another to twelve years for homicide, another to three\\nyears for adultery, another to two years and four months for assault,\\nand 3 whose cases are pending 1 for double infanticide, another for\\nattempted infanticide, and the other for theft.\\nOf the men, 29 are sentenced to terms of minor imprisonment, rang-\\ning from four years to a month and a day, 13 for theft, 5 for robbery,\\n8 for assault, 3 for rape, and the remaining 117 are for pending causes\\nand are awaiting sentences for various crimes already mentioned.\\nThe penalty of death is imposed according to the existing code, and\\nin the various instances when it has been imposed it has occurred on\\nthe Campo del Morro, in this city, or in the town where the crime was\\ncommitted.\\nIn respect to the food which is furnished the prisoners, it is quite\\ngood. It is composed of pease and beans, alternately, with potatoes,\\nrice, bacon, butter, and meat, and four days in the week a half a pound\\nof bread, furnished by Juan Perez, all cooked and prepared for eat-\\ning, and a plate for each prisoner, for which is paid 18 cents. Clothes\\nare furnished the prisoners as they may need them; light, whitewash-\\ning, and painting of the building and other necessary matters the\\nauxiliary junta of the prison is charged with providing. It is composed\\nof individuals of the ayuntamiento, who are a vice-president, who\\nis always the alcaide, now Ramon Patron, besides four vocales, a\\nsecretary all without salary and a clerk, who receives 300 pesos\\na year. This junta prepares its budget annually, which it distributes\\nproportionately among .the towns which compose the district, such\\ntowns being the capital, Rio Piedras, Carolina, Loiza, and Rio Grande,", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0615.jp2"}, "616": {"fulltext": "606\\nbesides the prisoners from the audiencia, who come from the juris-\\ndictions of Humacao, Caguas, and Vega Baja, whose expenses were\\npaid until the present by the provincial deputation.\\nThere are at present employed on salary a first chief or director,\\nJose Perez y Gonzalez, who receives $800 a year; a second chief or\\ndirector, Jaime Alsina Gonzalez, who receives $400 a year; a Dr. Jose\\nMaria Cueto, who receives $420; an assistant doctor for the hospital,\\nLuis R. Cordova, at 480 pesos; a chaplain,. Jos6 Martinez Ortiz, at\\n360 pesos, and four turnkeys, at 300 pesos, besides a female turnkey,\\nat 300 pesos, which amount is satisfied from the budget already men-\\ntioned, as also the rent, which is paid to the municipality for the jail\\nbuilding, namely, 1,500 pesos annually.\\nThe jail building, which is the property of the municipality, was\\nconstructed for a hospital in the year 1877, the contract for its con-\\nstruction having been taken by Juan Bertoli for the sum of $149,800,\\nwhich contract he was unable to complete, for which reason various\\nrepairs were required to prepare it for a prison in the year 1889. Its\\ndimensions are 110 mefers front, 55 meters deep, and 16 meters high,\\nconsisting of two floors a lower and an upper and a subterranean\\ndepartment, fairly large, in the eastern side and two courts connected\\non the southern side, each of which measures 38 meters from north to\\nsouth and 32 meters from east to west.\\nThe building has been occupied as a jail since May, 1889, without\\npossessing suitable conditions for that purpose. The prisoners have\\ntheir departments, or galeras, on the upper floor, where they are dur-\\ning the day and night in want of space where they may be able to\\nbreathe the pure air or see the rays of the sun. On the lower floor\\nthere are large compartments for women on the eastern side, with the\\nhospital on the western side. The front is occupied for quarters of\\nthe employees. The parts occupied by the prisoners do not possess\\nconditions of safety, but, owing to the lack of good gratings and doors,\\nescapes of prisoners occur frequently. Neither do they possess\\nhygienic conditions, on account of lack of windows for ventilation and\\nbecause of the fact that the prisoners are constantly in their depart-\\nments, where they eat, sleep, wash their clothes, and have their closets.\\nIn respect to the capacity, if well arranged the building would\\naccommodate from eight hundred to a thousand prisoners, but with\\nthe bad distribution which exists there is no space for anything; so\\nthat in the year 1896 to 1897 there were constantly from 400 to 500\\nprisoners, all very much crowded on account of the bad distribution\\nof the departments which they occupied.\\nIn spite, of the poor hygiene there has been very little sickness,\\nwhich was attended to by the assistant doctor or student, under the\\ndirection of the titular doctor.\\nIn respect to the present system, the only thing I am able to say is,\\nthat if the rules should be fully complied with it would be fairly good,\\nbut as the} 7 are not fully, observed the manner of caring for the\\nprisoners leaves much to be desired. The prisoners occupy them-\\nselves absolutely with nothing, and do not seek distraction in work or\\namusement.\\nAll classes are together, those sentenced and those awaiting sen-\\ntence, and the} occupy themselves only in vice. It is supremely\\nimportant to have established industrial shops to give employment in\\nsomething which would improve them and teach industries, knowledge\\nof which a greater part of them lack. There should be a professor of", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0616.jp2"}, "617": {"fulltext": "607\\ninstruction, and they should be obliged to learn to read and write and\\nbe instructed morally, a respect in which they are quite, lacking. All\\nthese matters are provided in the prison regulations, but on various\\noccasions when it was desired to establish industries in this penal\\ninstitution they were suppressed in consequence of the criticism of\\nthe press of the country.\\nJose P. y Gonzalez, Alcaide.\\nSan Juan, P. R. January 1, 1899.\\nTHE VEGA BAJA JAIL.\\nThe jail of the village of Vega Baja was completed July 4, 1888.\\nThe cost of its construction was 4,600 pesos, and the annual expense\\nof maintaining it is about 1,400 pesos. The building measures 15\\nmeters front by 20 deep and 5 high, outside measurements. It is\\ndivided by a passageway 8 meters in length by 2 in width, having at\\nthe sides two rooms, one for the hall of justice and the other the\\npreference room. The hall of justice is 5-J meters in length by 5 in\\ndepth. There are, besides, 4 compartments for prisoners, 2 barto-\\nlinas (cells), 2 privies, and a court and algive in the interior. The\\ngaleras measure 6 square meters of floor and 4^ meters high the bar-\\ntolinas, 3 meters. All persons sentenced to greater or minor impris-\\nonment or to correctional imprisonment are confined in this j)rison.\\nThe total number of prisoners during the year 1898 was about 405,\\nand there are now remaining about 34. The employees of the prison\\ncomprise an alcaide, who receives 500 pesos annually; a turnkey, who\\nreceives 250 pesos; a nurse, 150 pesos; a doctor, 300 pesos, and 2\\nassistants, 24 pesos. The death penalty is never imposed here. The\\nmeals consist of rice, potatoes, beans, meat, and other articles.\\nP. Gimenez, Alcaide.\\nVega Baja, December 27, 1898.\\nTHE AEECIBO JAIL.\\nThe present jail of the district of Arecibo was completed for occu-\\npancy in 1867, and took the place of a former building of old con-\\nstruction. The jail occupies the greater part of the space under the\\nconsistorial house, so that it can not be ascertained what was the cost\\nof the part occupied for that purpose. The entire building cost\\n30,000 pesos. The average expense of maintaining the prison is 720\\npesos and its original capacity is over 90 prisoners.\\nAll persons are imprisoned here who are sentenced to penalties\\nranging from minor to correctional imprisonment. The number of\\nprisoners during the year 1898 was 777, and there are at present for\\nall offenses 163 prisoners. There are two employees who are badly\\npaid, an alcaide who receives 500 pesos, and a turnkey, 250. The\\ndeath penalty is not imposed in the jail.\\nThe food consists of coffee or ginger in the morning, two messes\\ndaily, one at 10 in the morning and another at 4 in the afternoon.\\nThe first mess is composed of 4 ounces of meat, 5 ounces of rice, with", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0617.jp2"}, "618": {"fulltext": "608\\nnecessary condiments, and a plantain, or its equivalent in similar\\nproducts of the country. The afternoon meal is similar, and these\\ntwo meals are varied from da} 7 to day with codfish, rice, beans, and\\nfood plants of the island.\\nThe condition of the jail is always good when there is not, as at\\npresent, an excess of prisoners, which is proved by the fact that no\\nepidemic has ever broken out in it.\\nGekardo Mendes y Martinez.\\nDecember 30, 1898.\\nTHE UTUADO JAIL.\\nThe jail of Utuado was founded the 9th of November, 1896, and took\\nthe place of the municipal depository (which existed formerly), when\\nthe judge of instruction was appointed to sit in this city. The build-\\ning which the jail occupies is private property, the annual rental of\\nwhich is 600 pesos, paid from the funds of this municipality. In the\\nbudget of expenses for tbe prison the sum of 3,000 pesos is assigned,\\nbut there is at present an expenditure of 20 to 26 pesos daily, due to\\nthe excessive number of prisoners, who are sustained at 20 cents each.\\nThe building is composed of two stories, with 5 compartments, 3\\nsmall rooms which serve as dungeons, 3 privies, and a corral, or court,\\nwhich measures 9 meters 3 centimeters in length by 7 meters 5 centi-\\nmeters in width, with a capacity for 140 prisoners. All persons are\\nimprisoned here who have a sentence to serve those who suffer pro-\\nvisional imprisonment and those sentenced governmentally. There\\nhave been imprisoned during the current year in this prison 856 per-\\nsons, and at present there remain 139 persons. There is an alcaide,\\nwith an annual salary of 500 pesos a turnkey, with 300 pesos 2 watch-\\nmen, with 240 pesos each; a barber with 96 pesos, and a servant, or\\npeon, to carry water to the prisoners, with 120 pesos annually. Since\\nthe creation of the jurisdiction of instruction in this city no proceed-\\ning whatever has been taken which would lead to the imposition of\\nthe death penalty.\\nThe meals which are furnished to the prisoners consist of coffee in\\nthe morning, a breakfast of rice, codfish, and plantain at 11, and at 5\\nin the evening a meal of rice and meat sometimes, and at other times\\nof rice and beans or pease.\\nTitular doctors are obliged to visit the prisoners, the medicine being\\nfurnished free, and there is also a barber to cut the imsoners hair.\\nNlCOMEDES YlRNET.\\nUtuado, December 28, 1898.\\nTHE MAYAGUEZ JAIL.\\nThe jail of the judicial district of Mayaguez was founded in the\\nyear 1879 and substituted a prior jail which existed in the street floor\\nunder the municipal building. The building at present occupied by\\nthe jail was formerly used as the slaughterhouse of this city, and its\\ntransformation for its present purposes cost a little over 9,000 pesos.\\nThe annual cost of maintaining the jail is on the average 8,180\\npesos, which includes, in addition to the usual expenses of the prison,", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0618.jp2"}, "619": {"fulltext": "609\\nthe cost of caring for sick prisoners in the hospital. The capacity of\\nthe prison is about 200 prisoners, hut owing to the recent burnings\\nand robberies in the country there is a larger number of prisoners\\nthan ever before seen here. All classes of prisoners prior to sentence\\nand those sentenced to greater and correctional imprisonment are\\nconfined here, and during the year 1898 the number of those impris-\\noned was 1,365. On the 31st of December of that year there were,\\nfor all offenses, 221 prisoners, which is an extraordinary number.\\nThe prison has 4 employees, the alcaide, who receives a salary of 60\\npesos a month; a subalcaide, who receives 40; a turnkey, receiving 30,\\nand an assistant, 20. The death penalty has never been imposed in\\nthis prison.\\nThe meals consist of coffee in the morning, a mess of meat, rice,\\npotatoes, bacon, and vegetables at 11 o clock, and another similar to\\nthis at 5 o clock in the afternoon. The fooil of the sick is regulated\\naccording to their condition and need.\\nThere are no printed prison regulations; there is only a manuscript\\ncopy, of which similar copies exist in other prisons. This prison has,\\nbesides the dungeons and bartolinas (cells), a hall of justice, a hos-\\npital accommodating 20 persons, a bathroom, a kitchen, two large\\ncourts, and two small ones. These two last belong the one to the\\ndepartment for women and the other to the department of preferences.\\nAccording to the opinion of persons capable of judging in the matter,\\nthis prison does not possess the necessary conditions for an establish-\\nment of this kind, and should be supplanted by a system of cells and\\none more in harmony with principles of hygiene and morality.\\nEduardo Texidor.\\nJanuary 5, 1899.\\nTHE SAN GERMAN JAIL.\\nThe construction of the jail of the district of San German was com-\\nmenced in 1837 and a building of two stories was completed in 1844,\\nthe upper floor being designed for the municipal corporation, and is\\nused to-dajr by the ayuntamiento and its dependencies; the lower floor\\nfor the jail and the residence of the employees.\\nIn 1872 the construction of an addition to the upper floor over the\\nlower space was undertaken. In this addition two rooms were set\\napart for prison purposes under the name of rooms of preference.\\nThese rooms are distinct, the daily sum of 25 cents being the esti-\\nmated receipts from these rooms as a prison income. The new build-\\ning was commenced and completed in 1844 and cost 16,300 pesos,\\naccording to the data found in the municipal archives. The amplifi-\\ncation of this was constructed in 1872, at a cost of 6,000 pesos. The\\npublic plot and tower over the upper establishment cost 3,000 pesos.\\nIn the year 1S97-98, from the 1st of July until the 30th of June, inclu-\\nsive, the cost of maintaining the prison amounted to about 2,495 pesos.\\nThe building measures in length 27 meters, in width 17 meters 15\\ncentimeters, and in height 14 meters 18 centimeters, according to\\ndata taken from the original expediente.\\nAll classes of prisoners are confined here, as is the case in other\\nprison departments. When once sentenced the governor of the prov-\\nince fixes the prison in which the sentence shall be served, and he\\ndesignates always for that purpose the prison of the department in\\n1125 39", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0619.jp2"}, "620": {"fulltext": "610\\nwhich the crime was committed. There is also in connection with the\\nprison the municipal depository for trifling misdemeanors. Where a\\nperson commits a crime of the serious character of those indicated in\\nthe code, meriting superior punishment, the sentence is served in the\\nprovincial presidio in the capital, without respect to the district in\\nwhich the crime was committed.\\nThe number of prisoners confined in this jail during the year 1898\\nfor all offenses was 420, and at present there remain in the prison 34.\\nThere are two employees of the prison, an alcaide and a turnkey, the\\nfirst receiving a monthly salary of 45 pesos and 5 for expenses, and\\nthe second 25 pesos. There are 4 pesos set apart for assistants as a\\nmonthly gratification, 1 peso for each. Owing to the fact that the\\nturnkey must be capable of taking the place of the alcaide in case of\\nhis sickness or absence, there should not be the difference in the two\\nsalaries which exists.\\nPrior to the year 1845, according to data, there were cases in which\\nthe tribunals imposed the penalty of death, some criminals being\\nexecuted by the garrote and others by the gibbet. In some cases the\\nsentences were executed by the military authorities in this place.\\nFrom 1845 to the present no data are known which show that the death\\npenalty in any form has ever been imposed.\\nThe food of the prisoners consists of rice, meat, cereals, potatoes,\\nwheat bread, or tubers. The supply of this food is let by contract\\nannually.\\nThe preference rooms, situated in the upper floor, are very close to\\nthe office wings of the ayuntaioiento. They are lacking in privies in\\ntheir interior, those imprisoned being obliged to go outside of the room,\\nbut within the same building. These circumstances and the form of\\nthe building make it possible for those imprisoned to be in continual\\nrelation with those employed and transient. Those of the lower floor\\nimprove the opportunity by means which those in the preference rooms\\nfacilitate. It is desirable to avoid these relations, to avoid also the\\nnecessity for the extraordinary vigilance of the employees of the jail.\\nThere should also be rooms for female prisoners with interior sub-\\ndivisions for cases of sickness. There should also be proper hospital\\nfacilities.\\nThe jail in the lower floor is subdivided into 12 rooms in the form\\nfollowing: Two for the office and sleeping room of the alcaide, 1 for\\nthe turnkey and a hall of justice, and 4 situated in the front of the\\nprison. In the rear, 8 rooms, 1 for the municipal depository, 1 used\\nas a storeroom, which is that to-day set apart for women, 3 for prison-\\ners of all classes who do not comply with the requirements for prefer-\\nence. Every hall contains 10, 14, or 18 individuals. Two rooms are\\nset apart for persons confined incomunidad and one for punishments\\nin the interior of the building. There is only one closet for the entire\\nbuilding.\\nDuring the day all prisoners are together in the court of the prison,\\nsituated in the middle of it, including those imprisoned for slight\\noffenses and for the first time and those for grave offenses who are\\nthere for the second or third time. For this reason, instead of the\\nprison being correctional, it causes bad ideas to be inculcated in undis-\\nciplined minds.\\nThere is a cistern for drinking water situated in the court of the\\nprison.\\nThere is in this prison a manuscript copy of regulations, the origi-\\nnal of which should be found in the jail of the capital at San Juan,", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0620.jp2"}, "621": {"fulltext": "611\\ndated the 20th of March, 1866, approved by Marchessi. According to\\nthe opinion of some learned persons, the regulations ruling in this\\nprison are not in conformity with present laws. For this reason arises\\na necessity of reforming it or substituting another for it.\\nSalvador Lugo,\\nInterim Alcaide.\\nSan German, December SI, 1898.\\nTHE GUAYAMA JAIL.\\nThe jail of the judicial district of Guayama was founded in 1870,\\nat a cost of 14,443 pesos. The expenses of maintaining the prisoners\\nduring the year reaches the sum of 5,748 pesos 75 centavos. It is 18\\nmeters in front, by 26 in depth, approximately. There are admitted\\nto this prison offenders who commit all classes of crimes and misde-\\nmeanors. Only those sentenced to greater arrest and correctional\\nimprisonment serve their sentence in it, and those against whom\\nslight penalties have been imposed by the municipal judge. During\\nthe present year there have entered into the prison for different\\ncrimes and misdemeanors 860 persons, counting both sexes, and at\\npresent there are 29 prisoners.\\nThe employees are the alcaide, who receives an annual salary of 500\\npesos; a turnkey, who receives 250; a doctor, who receives 300, and a\\nbarber, who receives 96.\\nThe death penalty is not imposed here.\\nThe meals which are furnished to the prisoners consist of meat,\\nbread, rice, codfish, beans, pease, and vegetable products, such as\\nplantains and other crops of the country, and coffee. The regula-\\ntions which govern this prison and which serve as a practical guide\\nof the alcaide in the discharge of his duties were made by the crimi-\\nnal audiencia of Ponce in 1877.\\nFrancisco Lopez.\\nGuayama, P. R., December SO, 1898.\\nthe humacao jail.\\nThe jail in the judicial district of Humacao was established in 1849,\\nat a cost of about 15,000 pesos, and the annual expense for its main-\\ntenance is 5,840 pesos. It accommodates 100 prisoners. All who com-\\nmit offenses in this city or district are imprisoned here, of whom,\\nduring the year ending to-day, according to the records, there were\\n1,143 persons, and there are to-day remaining 89 persons. There are\\nthree employees, namely, an alcaide, who receives 500 pesos annually;\\na subalcaide, who receives 400 pesos, and a turnkey, 300 pesos. The\\ndeath penalty is not imposed here. There is a project for enlarging\\nthe jail, as its capacity is too limited.\\nJ. Mariano Reges,\\nInterim Alcaide.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0621.jp2"}, "622": {"fulltext": "612\\nPRISON STATISTICS.\\nTable I.\u00e2\u0080\u0094 Penal population, census of 1897. 1\\nDepartment.\\nSan Juan..\\nArecibo\\nAguadilla\\nMayaguez\\nPonce\\nNumber\\nof pris-\\noners.\\n799\\n48\\n24\\n62\\n53\\nDepartment.\\nGuayama\\nHumacao..\\nTotal\\nNumber\\nof pris-\\noners.\\n1,101\\nEvidently the entire number of prisoners in all classes of prisons, including municipal jails.\\nTable II. Summary of crimes according to race Presidio at San Juan.\\nCrime.\\nRace.\\nWhite. Mixed. Black\\nTotal.\\nMurder\\nHomicide\\nRobbery\\nTheft\\nForgery\\nIncendiarism\\nSwindling\\nViolation\\nAbduction\\nOfensa de obras...\\nInsult to superior.\\nVarious crimes\\nTotal\\n131\\n131\\n46\\n4\\n113\\n111\\n57\\n2\\nTable III. Length of sentence by periods of years Presidio at San Juan.\\nPeriod.\\nRace.\\nTotal.\\nWhite.\\nMixed.\\nBlack.\\n25\\n41\\n42\\n13\\n5\\n2\\n38\\n33\\n38\\n14\\n5\\n2\\n10\\n13\\n16\\n6\\n1\\n73\\n87\\n96\\n33\\n20 to 30 years...\\n11\\n4\\nTotal\\n128\\n130\\n46\\n304\\nLess than 1 year or for life:\\n1\\n1\\n1\\n9 months\\n1\\n1\\ni\\nLife (22 years old)", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0622.jp2"}, "623": {"fulltext": "613\\nTable IV. \u00e2\u0080\u0094Departmental prison of San Juan.\\nPRISONERS DURING THE YEAR 1898.\\nReceived\\nor dis-\\ncharged\\nduring\\nmonth.\\nTotal.\\nJanuary 1. In prison.\\nReceived during month\\nDischarged during month\\nIncrease\\nFebruary 1. In prison\\nReceived during month\\nDischarged during month\\nDecrease\\nMarch 1. In prison\\nReceived during month\\nDischarged during month\\nDecrease.\\nApril 1. In prison\\nReceived during month\\nDischarged during month\\nIncrease\\nMay 1. In prison..\\nReceived during month\\nDischarged during month\\nDecrease\\nJunel. In prison\\nReceived during month\\nDischarged during month\\nIncrease\\nJuly 1. In prison\\nReceived during month\\nDischarged during month\\nDecrease\\nAugust 1. In prison.\\nReceived during month\\nDischarged during month.\\nDecrease.\\nSeptember 1. In prison\\nReceived during month\\nDischarged during month\\nDecrease\\nOctober 1. In prison\\nReceived during month\\nDischarged during month.\\nDecrease.\\nNovember 1. In prison\\nReceived during month\\nDischarged during month.\\nIncrease\\nDecember 1. In prison\\nReceived during month\\nDischarged during month\\nIncrease\\n107\\n102\\n106\\n81\\n78\\n94\\n114\\n35\\n248\\n257\\n29\\n228\\n14\\n214\\n25\\n12\\n248\\n18\\n230\\n17\\n213\\n20\\n193\\n54\\n139\\n10\\n149\\n7\\n156", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0623.jp2"}, "624": {"fulltext": "614\\nTable V. Inmates under sentence.\\nAGE AND RACE.\\nRace.\\n13 to 20.\\n30 to 25.\\n25 to 30.\\n30 to 35.\\n35 to 40.\\n40 to 50.\\n50 to 62.\\nTotal.\\nWhite\\nMixed\\n4\\n4\\n2\\n13\\n11\\n3\\n5\\n6\\n1\\n3\\n2\\n1\\n3\\n1\\n2\\n3\\n1\\n2\\n30\\n87\\nBlack\\n2\\n12\\nTotal\\n10\\n27\\n13\\n6\\n5\\n6\\n3\\nG9\\nTable VI\u00e2\u0080\u0094 CRIMES BY RACE.\\nWhite.\\nMixed.\\nBlack.\\nTotal.\\nTheft _\\n6\\n10\\n8\\n10\\n3\\n3\\n1\\n1\\n3\\n4\\n7\\n18\\n37\\n2\\n2\\n1\\n4\\n5\\n1\\n1\\n2\\n1\\n1\\n2\\nTotal _...\\n30\\n27\\n13\\n69\\nTable VII.\u00e2\u0080\u0094 LENGTH OF SENTENCE.\\nYears.\\n1.\\n2.\\n3.\\n4.\\n6.\\n7.\\n13. 1 Total.\\nWhite\\n3\\n5\\n8\\n6\\n2\\n3\\n1\\n2\\n1\\n2\\n1\\n.1\\n1\\n16\\nMixed\\n17\\nBlack\\n3\\nTotal\\n8\\n16\\n4\\n3\\n2\\n1\\n3 36\\nMonths.\\n1.\\n2.\\n3.\\n4.\\n5.\\n6.\\n7.\\nS. Total.\\nWhite\\n1\\n1\\n1\\n5\\n3\\n5\\n1\\n2\\n1\\n3\\n3\\n3\\n1\\ni 12\\n1\\n1\\n1 i 12\\nBlack\\n1\\n9\\nTotal\\n3\\n13\\n4\\n6\\n4\\n1\\n1\\n1 33\\nTable VIII.\u00e2\u0080\u0094 RACE AND AGE.\\nYears.\\nTotal\\n13 to 30.\\n30 to 25.\\n35 to 30.\\n30 to 35.\\n35 to 40.\\n40 to 50.\\n50 to 60.\\nWhite\\n8\\n6\\n8\\n14\\n36\\n5\\n14\\n31\\n1\\n11\\n3\\n3\\n5\\n5\\n4\\n2\\n1\\n8\\n2\\n56\\n77\\nBlack...\\n31\\nTotal\\n32\\n45\\n36\\n31\\n8\\n11\\n11\\n154\\nTable IX.\u00e2\u0080\u0094 SUMMARY OP PRISONERS.\\nUnder sentence.\\nAwait-\\ning\\ntrial.\\nTotal.\\nMonths.\\nYears.\\nWhite\\n13\\n12\\n9\\n16\\n17\\n3\\n56\\n77\\n31\\n84\\nMixed\\n106\\nBlack\\n33\\nTotal\\n33\\n36\\n154\\n233\\nMales\\nFemales\\n319\\n4\\nTotal 323", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0624.jp2"}, "625": {"fulltext": "615\\nTHE SYSTEM OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS.\\ni\\nTHE COLLEGIATE INSTITUTE.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nSan Juan, P. R., October 28, 1898.\\nMr. Antonio Rosell, director of the Collegiate Institute:\\nQ. When was collegiate education established in the island? A.\\nOn November 1, 1882.\\nQ. How was it supported? \u00e2\u0080\u0094A. By the government.\\nQ. What is the system of administration? A. It is under a director\\nand secretary of institute. The accounts are approved by the secre-\\ntary of the interior.\\nQ. What is the length of the terms? A. From October to June,\\nJune being occupied with examinations.\\nQ. Is the institute open to nonresidents? A. Yes; open to all.\\nQ. What is the character of entrance examinations? A. The sec-\\nond class of primary scholars are eligible.\\nQ. What are the courses of study? A. There are five successive\\ngroups, as follows: First group, Latin and Spanish (first course), uni-\\nversal geography, and English; second group, Latin and Spanish (sec-\\nond course), geography and history of the United States, and English;\\nthird group, arithmetic and algebra, general elements of literature,\\nuniversal history, and English; fourth group, geometry and trigonome-\\ntry, psychology, logic and moral philosophy, English, and French or\\nGerman (single course) fifth group, physics and chemistry, natural\\nhistory, agriculture, and English.\\nQ. What diplomas are given? A. Bachelor s degree (after the\\nFrench fashion).\\nQ. On what conditions are degrees granted? A. On completion of\\nthe course and a final examination.\\nQ. Is the institute open to both whites and negroes? A. It is open\\nfor any color or sex.\\nQ. What advantages are given graduates in government service?\\nA. Preference is given to graduates.\\nQ. What text-books are used? A. No selected text-books; instruc-\\ntion is given by lectures.\\nQ. What languages are taught? A. English, German, French,\\nLatin, and Spanish.\\nQ. Is music taught? A. No.\\nQ. Are religious exercises held? A. Not now. There is a course in\\nmoral philosophy.\\nQ. Is the library at the disposal of students? A. The library is at\\nthe disposal of the teachers.\\n(It was further stated that many of the books in the library are\\nFrench publications; that the pay of the teachers is $125 per month;\\nall, including the director and secretary, received an extra sum of $16\\nannually, termed a gratificacion that the ideas which enter into\\nthe management were adopted from the French that about 200 pupils\\nattended last year; that fees are charged as follows: Matriculation,\\n$10; tuition, $15 per year; diploma, $25; for the government, $25;\\nprinting, $2.50, and $4.25 for the stamp tax on the diploma.)", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0625.jp2"}, "626": {"fulltext": "616\\nSCHOOL IN SAN JUAN.\\nSan Juan, P. R., October 29, 1898.\\nThe Commissioner, accompanied by the interpreter and stenog-\\nrapher, visited the public school for small boys in Cristo street, San\\nJnan, and the following is a memorandum of the visit:\\nThe school consisted of one room, in which there were 29 small\\nboys, ranging in age from 8 to 13 years. The room was on the second\\nfloor, front. It was fitted up with a number of maps one showing\\nthe two hemispheres, two maps of Europe, one of Spain, one of Asia,\\none of Africa, another of North and South America, and a map of\\nPorto Rico. There were also charts for the purpose of teaching\\narithmetic, cases of insects, numerous moral maxims, a small desk\\nof primitive manufacture, and several tiers of rough benches for the\\nchildren. On two opposite walls were crucifixes.\\nWhen the Commissioner s party entered the school a blackboard\\nexercise was in progress, the pupils being instructed in the rules of\\nproportion, and the problem in this branch of arithmetic was being\\nworked out by a boy of 12 years of age.\\nTwo male teachers were in charge of the school.\\nThe room was about 16 by 20 feet, with a ceiling about 15 feet high.\\nThe children were all clothed.\\nDuring the visit a reading lesson was given in Spanish. Six boys\\nwere called before the teacher s desk, and each read in turn from a\\nreading book, the exercise read being selected by Mr. Solomon, the\\ninterpreter of the Commission.\\nDr. Carroll asked to whom Porto Rico belonged, and received a very\\nprompt and emphatic answer from the boys, who shouted, Estados\\nUnidos. He then requested those of the boys who could do so to\\npoint out the United States on a map which hung before them of\\nNorth and South America, having the political divisions indicated on\\nit, and very promptly the boys scampered to the map and. placed their\\nfingers triumphantly on the United States,\\nTHE -PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nSan Juan, P. R., October 29, 1898.\\nDr. Carroll. Will you kindly explain, Mr. Secretary, what your\\noffice is and what your duties are as secretary?\\nDr. Carbonell. I am secretary of the interior (fomento). The\\nsalary of my office is $8,000 a year.\\nDr. Carroll. How long have you been in this office?\\nDr. Carbonell. About three months.\\nDr. Carroll. Were you in the ministry previous to that time?\\nDr. Carbonell. No, sir.\\nDr. Carroll. Were you appointed by Captain-General Macias?\\nDr. Carbonell. Yes, sir.\\nDr. Carroll. Will you kindly state in outline the system of pub-\\nlic instruction here in Porto Rico, which I understand comes under\\nyour department?\\nDr. Carbonell. The previous sj^stem of instruction in this island\\ncould not have been worse. Since General Brooke has been in com-\\nmand here the secretary has asked permission to change somewhat", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0626.jp2"}, "627": {"fulltext": "617\\nthe system here, so as to bring it into conformity with the American\\nplan of education. We have three schools two of them being normal\\nschools, one for males and one for females and the institute, which\\nis for men. These schools grant the degree of bachelor.\\nDr. Carroll. I would like a general outline of the system and\\nwhen it was established.\\nDr. Carbonell. We have normal schools for ladies, and we have a\\nnormal school for men and have 551 public schools paid by the\\nmunicipalities that is, ought to be paid by the municipalities, but\\nusually ai*e not. The school system here is a very old one, except\\nthat the normal schools were introduced in 1894.\\nDr. Carroll. I would like first to get at the number and character\\nof the primary schools as they were established previous to the war;\\nthe part that the State took in the government of them as well as in\\nthe support of them.\\nDr. Carbonell. There were 551 they were paid by the munici-\\npality, but payment was frequently neglected. The municipalities\\nlately have dared to suppress several schools, which they have no\\nright to do, as they are still under the old Spanish law.\\nDr. Carroll. Did the old Spanish law require that a public school\\nshould be established in every community?\\nDr. Carbonell. Yes a school for every certain number of inhab-\\nitants was required under that law.\\nDr. Carroll. What were the terms of admission to that school?\\nDr. Carbonell. It was compulsory that the boys should go to the\\nboys school and the girls to the girls school.\\nDr. Carroll. What was the earliest age at which they entered the\\nschool?\\nDr. Carbonell. About 8 years.\\nDr. Carroll. Parents sent them at an earlier age if they wished\\nto, I presume?\\nDr. Carbonell. In San Juan and Ponce they had what they called\\nthe orphans school, where orphans as young as 4 years were taken\\nin and cared for and instructed.\\nDr. Carroll. As a matter of fact, what was the youngest age at\\nwhich children were accustomed to go to the public schools?\\nDr. Carbonell. The parents in better condition sent their children\\nwhen they were about 5 years old, but poor people very seldom sent\\nthem before 8 years of age.\\nDr. Carroll. In the United States the laws of the States differ,\\nbut generally the educational age is between 5 and 18, and in some\\ncases 21. If a person remains beyond the age of 18 or 21, in many\\nplaces he is expected to pay, and children below the age of 5 are not\\nreceived, except, perhaps, in kindergartens. Is there no provision here\\nfor a minimum and a maximum age?\\nDr. Carbonell. At 16 or 17 they have to leave.\\nDr. Carroll. Has the government provided buildings for these\\nschools?\\nDr. Carbonell. They have few very few and generally they\\nhave been only rented by the government.\\nDr. Carroll. How is the money for the support of the schools\\ngathered; by special tax, or is it paid from the revenues of the\\nprovince?\\nDr. Carbonell. The three superior schools are paid by the govern-\\nment out of the general budget, but the other schools are paid by the\\nmunicipalities in which they exist. As the municipalities are to-day\\nshort of money, they have suppressed some of the schools.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0627.jp2"}, "628": {"fulltext": "618\\nDr. Carroll. Did not the municipalities levy a special school tax?\\nDr. Carbonell. The municipalities also had their budget, and in\\nthat budget was included an amount for the payment of teachers, for\\nthe hire of buildings for school purposes, and for their school needs.\\nDr. Carroll. Are fees charged the parents under any circum-\\nstances?\\nDr. Carbonell. Fathers who were in a position to do so usually\\ngave something to the school-teachers, but that was absolutely a\\ngratuity. There are no fees established by law.\\nDr. Carroll. Are the children required to furnish their own school\\nsupplies, such as text-books, paper, pens, ink, etc.?\\nDr. Carbonell. It is obligatory on the municipality -to supply\\nbooks and all school materials and also the prizes given at the end of\\nthe school year, but they never do so, and frequently the school-\\nmaster is obliged to pay for these things out of his own pocket.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there a governing board in each municipality for\\nthe schools?\\nDr. Carbonell. There is a board of public instruction, of which\\nthe mayor is president.\\nDr. Carroll. How large is it, and how is it appointed, and for what\\nterm of years?\\nDr. Carbonell. It usually consists of the chief men of the villages,\\nsuch as the priests, the doctor, and the lawyer, but there is no special\\nlimit to the number. When one leaves another is appointed.\\nDr. Carroll. What are the special duties of this board?\\nDr. Carbonell. To attend to the complaints of the teachers of the\\nchildren, of the children as against the teachers, or the parents as\\nagainst the teachers; to be present at the examinations; attend to the\\nmethods of teaching in the schools (which they do not do), and to\\nmake a report to the secretary of instruction here at the capital (which\\nthey also do not do). There were during the Spanish rule also two\\ninspectors of education, whose duties required them to travel all over\\nthe island, looking into the general aspect of the schools. They also\\nhad the power of examining any school that they wished to, also the\\naccounts of the school. These posts have been abolished, and I am\\nnow awaiting orders from the American Government for their reestab-\\nlishment.\\nDr. Carroll. Who selects the buildings where the schools are\\nheld?\\nDr. Carbonell. This same board of education which I have re-\\nferred to.\\nDr. Carroll. What are the hours of the daily sessions of the\\nschool?\\nDr. Carbonell. From 8 to 11 and from 2 to 5, and during the hot\\nseason they have diminished the hours of the afternoon session.\\nDr. Carroll. How many days in the week?\\nDr. Carbonell. Every day except Sunday and feast days.\\nDr. Carroll. Are all the feast days excepted?\\nDr. Carbonell. At present the only feast days are those recog-\\nnized by the United States, together with the special feast day of the\\npatron saint of the town. Formerly all the feast days were observed.\\nThere were 40 of them in the year, the number of which was after-\\nwards reduced to about 16. There are also the vacations.\\nDr. Carroll. What are the vacations?\\nDr. Carbonell. The Christmas holidays, extending from the 23d\\nof December to about the 3d of January; the Easter holidays, holy", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0628.jp2"}, "629": {"fulltext": "619\\nweek from Wednesday to Saturday, the day of resurrection, and fifteen\\ndays in July after the examinations.\\nDr. Carroll. Then you have a school year of about eleven months.\\nIn the United States generally the months of July and August are\\nvacation months, and the term begins in most cities the first Monday\\nin September and ends the latter part of June, and then there is a holi-\\nday of about ten days at Christmas. Good Friday also is a holiday;\\nalso Washington s birthday, and in some cities Lincoln s birthday;\\nDecoration Day, Labor Day, and Thanksgiving Day, and there is -no\\nschool on Saturday.\\nDr. Carbonell. Professor Harrington, of the weather bureau here,\\nhas promised to give me an exact statement of the days observed as\\nholidays in the schools of the United States, and I intend to introduce\\nthem here.\\nDr. Carroll. In many places in the United States the. contract\\nwith the teachers is for two hundred school days in the year. Are\\nthere no rules respecting the minimum amount of clothing which\\nchildren should wear in order for admission to schools?\\nDr. Carbonell. No. In some places children go without clothes\\nabsolutely.\\nDr. Carroll. Are children of both colors admitted without dis-\\ntinction?\\nDr. Carbonell. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Do many of the colored children attend school?\\nDr. Carbonell. Yes. They have colored teachers for both sexes.\\nDr. Carroll. Are there separate schools?\\nDr. Carbonell. No.\\nDr. Carroll. Do parents raise objection to this?\\nDr. Carbonell. No; none whatever.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there generally one teacher to each school?\\nDr. Carbonell. Only one. In the superior schools there is fre-\\nquently an assistant to the schoolmaster, who is also a graduated\\nmaster or teacher.\\nDr. Carroll. Are there no woman teachers?\\nDr. Carbonell. Yes; both in the superior and elementary schools.\\nDr. Carroll. Are they eligible to appointment to any school, male\\nor female?\\nDr. Carbonell. No. The schools for boys have male teachers and\\nthe girls schools have lady teachers.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the curriculum of the primary schools?\\nDr. Carbonell. Reading, writing, arithmetic, very much religious\\nteaching, and history.\\nDr. Carroll. Is the religious instruction given by the teacher?\\nDr. Carbonell. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. I notice that the people here are very fine writers.\\nThere must be a great deal of attention given to that.\\nDr. Carbonell. Writing has received quite a large amount of\\nattention in our schools, but I have reduced it, as I regarded it\\nunnecessary to devote so much attention to handwriting. They used\\nto give three years to it, but I have changed that to one year.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the length of the curriculum in the primary\\nschools?\\nDr. Carbonell. There is no rule about that. Sometimes a child is\\nin the primary school because it happens to be the school nearest his\\nhome.\\nDr. Carroll. Are they promoted from the primary to the secondary\\nschools?", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0629.jp2"}, "630": {"fulltext": "620\\nDr. Carbonell. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the range of studies in the secondary schools?\\nDr. Carbonell. Arithmetic, algebra up to quadratic equations,\\ngeometry, elementary trigonometry, logarithms, elementary physics\\nand chemistry, elementary philosophy, general and Spanish history,\\nwhich I have changed into the history of the United States,, universal\\ngeography, and Spanish geography, which I have changed to the his-\\ntor} 7 of the United States.\\nDr. Carroll. Is it the purpose of the secondary schools to prepare\\nfor the institute and for college?\\nDr. Carbonell. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Does the institute here confer degrees?\\nDr. Carbonell. Only the bachelor degree, which is the degree\\nthat entitles a person to enter the universities.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you a university in the island?\\nDr. Carbonell. No our students ordinarily go to Spain or France,\\nsometimes to the United States.\\nDr. Carroll. Who prescribes the text-books in use in the primary\\nand secondary schools?\\nDr. Carbonell. Formerly the Captain-General. Now I do so.\\nDr. Carroll. What do you include in the higher schools?\\nDr. Carbonell. They include the institute and the normal schools.\\nThe normal schools are for the purpose of granting teachers diplomas,\\nentitling persons to teach in both elementary and higher schools.\\nDr. Carroll. How long a course is prescribed in the normal school?\\nDr. Carbonell. Four years.\\nDr. Carroll.. What else is taught besides pedagogy?\\nDr. Carbonell. Religion and morals, by a priest. But that has\\nbeen suppressed. That is a special course; it has a certain code\\nwhich forms the basis of instruction and is taught by the priest. A\\ncourse in moral philosophy has been substituted. Universal history\\nand Spanish history have also been included in the course, but I have\\nchanged that to United States history; the same with respect to geog-\\nraphy, the Spanish language, the English language, covering a term\\nof four years; also the French and the German languages. It is left\\nto the pupil to choose between French and German.\\nDr. Carroll. Is Greek or Latin taught?\\nDr. Carbonell. Yes in the institute.\\nDr. Carroll. Is this instruction to teachers furnished free?\\nDr. Carbonell. They have to pay an entrance fee $2.50 for each\\nsubject they take up.\\nDr. Carroll. They pay their own living expenses?\\nDr. Carbonell. They live outside not in the school.\\nDr. Carroll. Do they promise to teach in order to be admitted to\\nthe privileges of the school?\\nDr. Carbonell. No; teaching is not required from them. As a\\nrule, most pupils enter the normal schools with the idea of obtaining\\nthe diploma of the teacher, even if they do not desire to teach.\\nDr. Carroll. Where are the normal schools located?\\nDr. Carbonell. There are only two, and they are located in San\\nJuan.\\nDr. Carroll. How many pupils obtain diplomas annually, on an\\naverage?\\nDr. Carbonell. I can not give that information, as I have been\\nhere only three months.\\nDr. Carroll. Do some go to the university to qualify themselves\\nfurther?", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0630.jp2"}, "631": {"fulltext": "621\\nDr. Carbonell. Formerly teachers went to Spain to obtain the\\ndiploma of normal professor, but some do not. Spaniards come from\\nSpain with the title already competent to fill the post of professor here.\\nDr. Carroll. Is it required that every teacher in the public schools\\nshall have a diploma?\\nDr. Carbonell. That is absolutely required.\\nDr. Carroll. Is any subsequent examination held after they begin\\ntheir professional life?\\nDr. Carbonell. They are never subjected to any direct examina-\\ntion, except insomuch as the inspection of the schools is an examination\\nof the teachers at the same time. Spanish tyranny, unfortunately,\\nunder Captain-General Sanz, gave an order for the removal of all\\nnative teachers, male and female, and substituted soldiers and com-\\nmon women from Spain, about twenty-two years ago, and unhappily\\nthere are three of these women to-day in this city. They have not\\nresigned, because they have expressed their willingness to swear alle-\\ngiance to the United States.\\nDr. Carroll. How are teachers removed?\\nDr. Carbonell. In case of complaint against any teacher the\\nboard of education of each village prepares what is called a document,\\nin which it sets forth the merits of the case, and which goes to the\\nsecretary for final adjudication.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there any difficulty in maintaining discipline in\\nthe schools?\\nDr. Carbonell. We have no difficulty in that line.\\nDr. Carroll. The children are generally docile and very quick to\\nlearn?\\nDr. Carbonell. Yes; but generally, and more especially in the\\ncountry districts, children attend school very irregularly; sometimes\\nbecause of rain and sometimes because their parents keep them at\\nhome to work.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there no compulsory law respecting school attend-\\nance?\\nDr. Carbonell. There is no real compulsory law; that is, the\\nparents are not fined for not sending their children to school.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there accommodation for all the children?\\nDr. Carbonell. There would not be if they all went to school.\\nDr. Carroll. Are primary and secondary schools opened in the\\nmorning with religious exercises?\\nDr. Carbonell. In the primary schools they are opened with\\nprayer.\\nDr. Carroll. A written prayer?\\nDr. Carbonell. With Our Father, Ave Maria, and the Creed.\\nDr. Carroll. How is the religious instruction given by means of\\nthe catechism?\\nDr. Carbonell. Yes; the catechism used was written by Father\\nRapilda, in which they have modified the sixth commandment. Instead\\nof the words Do not commit adultery, they have Do not commit an\\nact opposed to morals.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the purpose of it?\\nDr. Carbonell. The idea is not to give the children ideas above\\ntheir years. Text-books vary here constant^. Sometimes the gov-\\nernment sends over a teacher who has written a book, and in order to\\ngive the book a sale an order is made that his book be used. The\\nprofessor of Latin in the institute wrote a book which is sold for $4, and\\nthe professor of philosophy the same, and these books had to be used", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0631.jp2"}, "632": {"fulltext": "622\\nby order of the government. Under my ministry I have recommended\\nthat there should be no text-books at all; that the instruction should\\nbe purely oral, and that the pupils should take notes from the teacher,\\nleaving the right in the pupil to buy any book he might desire.\\nDr. Carroll. Is it your idea that English should be introduced\\ninto all the schools at once?\\nDr. Carbonell. Yes. I would like to get permission to adopt the\\nplan used by the Germans in Alsace-Loraine that is, to bring here\\nlady teachers who do not speak a word of Spanish to teach small chil-\\ndren the English language in the schools. This plan worked very well\\nin Alsace-Loraine, and I believe it could be successfully employed\\nhere. If I am authorized to do that, I will bring teachers here.\\nDr. Carroll. Do your teachers generally understand English?\\nDr. Carbonell. They are all learning it now, but few speak it.\\nEverybody, in fact, is studying English.\\nDr. Carroll. It would seem to me that the first desideratum for\\nthe island in the matter of schools would be comfortable buildings,\\nbuilt purposely for schools, conveniently arranged and well ventilated.\\nDr. Carbonell. Our idea has been to build such schoolhouses in\\naccordance with modern ideas of convenience and sanitation. In\\nmany of the schools here there are no laboratories or closets.\\nDr. Carroll. Would it not be well also that in the normal schools\\nthe teachers should be taught the principles of hygiene?\\nDr. Carbonell. We are just about to name some new professors\\nand I shall include that branch in the two normal schools. I was\\npresident of the Society for the Protection of Intelligence, and we\\nbrought that institution up to\u00c2\u00ab a standard which has never been\\napproached in the island. We have graduated eminent teachers of\\nboth sexes. We taught according to the methods of the superior\\nschools qf France, where I myself was educated.\\nVIEWS OF A TEACHER.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nSan Juan, P. R., November 1, 1898.\\nPedro Carlos Timothee, a native of Naguabo, P. R., and edu-\\ncated in San Juan:\\nDr. Carroll. How long have you been a teacher?\\nMr. Timothee. Twelve years; in public and private schools.\\nDr. Carroll. Are you now in a primary or secondary school?\\nMr. Timothee. In a primary school; but besides, I have classes in\\nsecondary work privately.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the range of years for children in the pri-\\nmary schools? At what age do they normally pass into the secondary\\nclasses?\\nMr. Timothee. There is no fixed ago, but it is usually about 9 years\\nof age.\\nDr. Carroll. Are the children divided into grades in the primary\\nschools?\\nMr. Timothee. That is a matter which rests with the teacher. The\\npupils are usually divided into several sections, according to their\\nability, but that is arbitrary. The largest number of sections is three.\\nDr. Carroll. What are those three sections?", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0632.jp2"}, "633": {"fulltext": "623\\nMr. Timothee. They depend upon the age of the pupil and the\\nstate of the pupil s knowledge.\\nDr. Carroll. What studies would you include in the lowest grade?\\nMr. Timothee. They study the same in all three, but the quantity\\nvaries.\\nDr. Carroll. Then you have no graded system?\\nMr. Timothee. IsTo. Teachers in^Porto Rico have not had the lib-\\nerty of implanting modern methods, because school regulations have\\nprohibited that altogether.\\nDr. Carroll. Why do I find so many teachers imbued with the\\nidea of progress? Is it that they have got it from books from the\\nUnited States or France or other foreign systems, or how?\\nMr. Timothee. When they are going through their studies they are\\nmade acquainted with the methods used in foreign countries it forms\\na part of their studies but when they come to practice they find\\nthemselves so hedged in by arbitrary rules that they have no freedom\\nto pursue methods which they have learned.\\nDr. Carroll. Are the teachers as a class imbued with these pro-\\ngressive idea s?\\nMr. Timothee. The teachers living in the larger towns and those\\nwho have lately completed their studies are all imbued with ideas of\\nprogress, but those who have, been teaching for twenty years or so are\\nsomewhat more conservative and retroactive.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the first, most pressing need of the schools\\nof Porto Rico?\\nMr. Timothee. They have many urgent necessities, but the most\\nimportant is the creation of kindergartens in every town to prepare\\nchildren for elementary education later on.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you consider the provision of public buildings\\nlarge enough to accommodate all the children of the district, built com-\\nplete, with all sanitary appliances, an important need?\\nMr. Timothee. So urgent do I consider it that for three year si have\\nbeen advocating it in the press constantly. I consider also of urgent\\nimportance that the intervention of priests and Sisters of Charity\\nshould cease in the schools, as they do not benefit.\\nDr. Carroll. Have they interfered to any considerable degree with\\nthe teaching?\\nMr. Timothee. The state having granted them a protection which\\nit has not granted the school-teacher, they have been a hindrance to\\neducation, because they exercise a great deal of influence over the\\nwomen of the country, and that has always been used against the\\ninfluence of true education.\\nDr. Carroll. Have they been in the habit of coming into the school\\nand taking up much of the time of the school in catechising the chil-\\ndren?\\nMr. Timothee. As a rule the cure attached to the municipal board\\nof education in each town used to go to the schools and examine the\\nchildren. He was a superior officer as compared with the school-\\nteacher, and he and the teacher were nearly always in disaccord.\\nDr. Carrot.l. Do you consider that religious instruction in the\\nschools should be discontinued, and that the scholars should be simpty\\ninstructed in morals?\\nMr. Timothee. I think that religion should be removed from the\\nschools altogether, and lessons of pure morals instituted.\\nDr. Carroll. I visited recently a school of small boys in Cristo\\nstreet, where I saw a collection of moral maxims. Is that collection\\nstrictly moral, or is it also religious?", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0633.jp2"}, "634": {"fulltext": "624\\nMr. Timothee. Religion forms a part of some of the maxims.\\nDr. Carroll. To an objectionable extent, do you think?\\nMr. Timothee. Religion does not enter into them with much weight.\\nDr. Carroll. What other urgent needs do you think the public\\nschools have?\\nMr. Timothee. I will name them one by one. In the first place, the\\nestablishment of gymnasiums for the boys to exercise in; (2) the\\nestablishment in the country barrios of schools for girls or mixed\\nschools, where, up to the present, only schools for boys have been\\nestablished; (3) better methods for elementary instruction in draw-\\ning; (4) the salaries of the teachers should be in proportion to the\\namount of work they have to do in some schools teachers have as\\nmany as a hundred boys, and yet have no amount allowed them for\\nassistant teachers, with the result that they have to neglect their\\nwork; (5) the establishment of public libraries by the municipalities;\\n(6) the establishing of schools for adults in every city and town are\\nvery necessary; (7) the establishment of a school of fine arts; (8) the\\nestablishment of a business school, schools of agriculture and other\\ntechnical subjects; (9) while not within the province of the Govern-\\nment, perhaps, yet there should be formed in some way an organiza-\\ntion among the teachers, male and female, so that they can meet and\\nexchange ideas from time to time; (10) I think it very necessary to\\nestablish here a school for blind and deaf-mutes.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there such a school here?\\nMr. Timothee. No.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there an industrial school here?\\nMr. Timothee. No, except in one school, where there is some tech-\\nnical teaching of agriculture, but it amounts to very little. There is\\none school also which makes some pretensions to teach arts and\\nindustries. Formerly there were schools in the departmental prison,\\nall of which have been closed. It is not only necessary that they\\nshould be reopened, but that schools should be established in the pre-\\nsidio. The presidio is a prison in which prisoners are completing their\\nterms as distinguished from a carcel, in which prisoners are confined\\ntemporarily. It would be advisable that the government of the schools\\nshould not be too much centralized that municipalities should be able\\nto legislate on their own school matters and be accountable to the dis-\\ntrict supervisor, and these supervisors to the central committee at the\\ncapital. There were formerly two inspectors of public schools, who,\\nowing to the bad state of the roads, have not been able to make inspec-\\ntions of the schools. It would be well that there should be an inspec-\\ntor in each district or county. There is one other thing I would rec-\\nommend, and that is that all teaching should be done by professional\\nteachers. Teachers of technical subjects were not usually professional\\nteachers. Laymen do not take the same interest in their work, since\\nit is not their profession.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the tenth item in the second chapter in\\nthe estimates of the provincial deputation, called Society for the\\nProtection of Intelligence?\\nMr. Zarate, of the institute. This is a private society to which any-\\nbody may belong by paying a dollar a month, which has for its object\\nthe sending of promising youths to foreign countries for their educa-\\ntion. The municipality, thinking well of this society, made it a grant\\nof 1,000 pesos yearly, and there are to-day in Porto Rico manj r men\\nwith professions who owe their education to this worthy and useful\\nsociety.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0634.jp2"}, "635": {"fulltext": "625\\nEDUCATION ABROAD.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nSan Juan, P. R. November 4, 1898.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there any demand in Porto Rico for a university\\nfor the granting of degrees other than the degree of bachelor of arts?\\nMr. Zarate. I think Porto Rico is too small to support a univer-\\nsity. As a private individual I should be delighted to see one estab-\\nlished here, so that my son could be educated without being separated\\nfrom me.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you think young men will go to the United States\\nfor their education in science, medicine, and other professions?\\nMr. Zarate. It is natural that they should go there; for one reason,\\nthat the United States is so much nearer than Europe, and because\\nto-day the greater number of our doctors and engineers hold their\\ndiplomas from institutions in the United States.\\nSCHOOLS AND BAD ROADS.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nArecibo, P. R., January 14, 1899.\\nMr. Adolf Bahr and Mr. Bernardo Huicy, members of the\\nmunicipal council of Arecibo\\nMr. Huicy. As regards public instruction, owing to the bad state\\nof our roads and the difficulties which children have in reaching\\nschools situated at some distance from where they live, it is not pos-\\nsible to extend the benefits of public instruction to all the people. It\\nwould also be impossible for us to undertake to bring children into\\nthe centers to educate them, because we would then have to provide\\nthem with necessary subsistence, and we have not funds sufficient so\\nto do. It would be well if the United States should arrange some\\nplan by which the present state of things in our interior districts\\ncould be bettered as regards education. It may be said that only 14\\nper cent of Porto Ricans can read and write.\\nDr. Carroll. How many schools are there in this, municipal dis-\\ntrict outside of Arecibo proper?\\nMr. Huicy. Mne.\\nDr. Carroll. Are they pretty widely distributed, so as to afford\\naccommodation to most of the children?\\nMr. Bahr. They are very badly distributed. Our barrios are\\nsometimes very extensive. In a barrio there is only one school,which\\nmakes long distances for the children to go to school, and for that\\nreason some children are forbidden to go at all. In some cases\\nfathers, without excuse, do not send their children to school, and I\\nthink there should be a law making attendance in such cases com-\\npulsory.\\nDr. Carroll. How would it do to provide stages in these sparsely\\nsettled districts to take the children to school in the morning and\\nhome at night?\\nMr. Bahr. I think we could do it in a different way. Instead of\\none school establish five schools, and instead of placing in them what\\nare called here professors have young ladies, who, for a small salary,\\nsay, $20 or $30, would live among these people and be able to teach\\n1125 40", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0635.jp2"}, "636": {"fulltext": "626\\nat least reading and writing and the rudiments of arithmetic. That\\nwould he easier for the children, because they would have the school\\nnearer, and easier for the teachers as well. It is a question of dis-\\ntribution. Until now the government has required that our teachers\\nshould be persons with titles. That should not be obligatory; all we\\nneed is to get a person who knows enough to teach the elementary\\nsubjects.\\nDr. Carroll. How many would you have instead of nine?\\nMr. Bahr. We could have thirty.\\nMr. Huicv. We understand that perfectly; but twenty-five schools\\nmeans a large additional expense, and, although we have the wish,\\nwe haven t the means.\\nHOW TO IMPROVE THE SCHOOLS.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nArecibo, P. R., January H, 1899.\\nDr. Carroll. What is your opinion as to the best way to improve\\nthe system of education?\\nDr. Curbelo (a physician). It is, first, to oblige all the schools of\\nthe town to be in one building, instead of having several school build-\\nings, as they have here, where it is impossible to inspect and control\\nthe attendance of children. I think there should be one building for\\nboys and one for girls. That would make it possible to keep track of\\npupils better. I think that teachers for the schools should be brought\\nfrom the United States.\\nDr. Carroll. That would do, perhaps, for a compact city like\\nArecibo, but for Ponce I should think there would have to be more\\nschools. Would you have buildings made expressly for schools?\\nDr. Curbelo. Yes, that ought to be done.\\nDr. Carroll. It seems to me that that is about the first step to be\\ntaken.\\nDr. Curbelo. They should begin at once to teach English in the\\nschools.\\nDr. Carroll. There are plenty of teachers in the States who would\\nbe glad to come down here and introduce the system they have there\\nof teaching. It seems desirable, does it not, that there should be\\nestablished more than one normal school for the training of teachers?\\nDr. Curbelo. I think one would be sufficient in this city.\\nDr. Carroll. Yes, but there is at present only one in the island, I\\nunderstand.\\nDr. Curbelo. That was not really a normal school, although they\\ncalled it a normal school, because if the pupils were friends of the\\nprofessors they would get their titles whether they knew anything\\nor not.\\nDr. Carroll. Could that be said also of the collegiate institute?\\nDr. Curbelo. It could be said of any school with a Spanish teacher,\\nbecause it can be readily understood that a teacher with a high degree\\nof proficiency would not come to this country, leave his position in\\nSpain, and expose himself to the dangers of this climate for the poor\\nrecompense that is offered. Moreover, they are as backward in the\\nart of teaching in Spain as they are here.\\nDr. Carroll. A great many have spoken in favor of a compulsory\\nsystem of education to compel parents to send their children to school.\\nAccording to representations made here, a great many people are too", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0636.jp2"}, "637": {"fulltext": "627\\npoor to buy clothing for their children, and how in such a case could\\nthey send them to school, and how could they get along without the\\nwages which those children earn after they become 8 years of age?\\nDr. Curbelo. You must distinguish between education in the city\\nand education in the country districts two things quite different. In\\nthe city everybody, even if he has not sufficient to give his children\\nproper food, has at least enough to clothe them sufficiently well to\\nsend them to school. These little children, 7 or 8 years of age, whom\\nyou see on the streets selling dulces, should not be allowed to do that\\nat the expense of their education, but the old people should be granted\\nconcession to sell, and the children sent to school. The poor people,\\ninstead of asking for charity, should be selling these dulces.\\nDr. Carroll. What would you do with the blind and infirm?\\nWould there not have to be houses for them?\\nDr. Curbelo. These classes of people do not like to go into houses\\nof charity. They prefer to live with their relatives and to indulge in\\nvices which they can cover up in that way.\\nDr. Carroll. Are there asylums here for orphans, for the aged and\\ninfirm, for the blind and the crippled?\\nDr. Curbelo. There are two houses of that description in the island\\nand with regard to orphans, you must take into account that this is a\\nkindly disposed people. When a parent dies and leaves orphaned\\nchildren, there are always some who are ready to take the children\\nunder their care. As regards instruction in the country, that is a\\nproblem for which I can find no solution. They live so separate, one\\nfrom another, that I do not see any way of getting them to school.\\nDr. Carroll. A proprietor in San Juan told me that one of the\\ntroubles of the peons was that they were addicted to certain vices,\\nlargely due to their lack of intelligence. He said that one of these\\nwas gambling; that whatever the peons may have left Saturday night,\\nthey are in the habit of gambling away, and that they have certain\\nvices which he believed could be cured together with these. If he is\\nright in that, it becomes an important question how the children can\\nbe educated.\\nMr. Alfred Solomon. If you can prevail upon the owners of\\nestates to make the peons live on the estates, and not employ those\\nwho have to walk 3 or 4 miles to work, the owners would lose noth-\\ning, and the peons would become more sociable and form nuclei of\\nsmall villages, in which schools can be gradually established. If a\\nfew owners at a time could be induced to undertake this system,\\nothers would follow.\\nDr. Curbelo. There is such a system in Lares, where they have a\\nschool.\\nDr. Carroll. Does it work well there?\\nDr. Curbelo. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. What estate is that?\\nDr. Curbelo. The owner s name is Arana.\\nPRIMARY EDUCATION AND MORAL INSTRUCTION.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nUtuado, P. R., January 18, 1899.\\nMr. Lucas Amadeo. Now as to the subject of education and instruc-\\ntion. Really I have nothing to say about that, because the Ameri-\\ncans are past masters in education, and are the creators of great", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0637.jp2"}, "638": {"fulltext": "628\\neducational plans. Not being a master mind, I will leave the technical\\npart to those who understand it better, but I would insist on the fur-\\nther diffusion of elementary instruction I mean by that primary\\neducation and moral education showing the child what his rights are\\nand what his obligations are; also elements of rural and political and\\nagricultural economy. That would be my plan for the primary edu-\\ncation of this country, because it is suitable to the conditions exist-\\ning here. The fault of our system of secondary education is that it\\nproduces a horde of so-called writers, who use it for no better purpose\\nthan to consume ink. They are realty a plague to society. They\\nobtain a superficial knowledge of everything, but not a sufficient\\nknowledge of anything to earn a living. They take to politics and\\nwriting as a means of earning a livelihood and become a nuisance to\\nthe country; therefore we have a small army of politicians here whom\\nwe would be pleased to lend to any country that wants them. I\\nwould take measures to stop the further creation of these dainty lite-\\nrateurs, and turn education in the direction of useful arts. This\\ncountry is more in need of men who know some trade.\\nDr. Carroll. That is becoming, more and more the difficulty in the\\nUnited States. Those who become educated desire to go into what\\nthey regard as the dignified professions and leave the trades.\\nMr. Amadeo. Instruction must be modified. That is the Qnly remedy.\\nDr. Carroll. We have industrial schools, and we are teaching\\nmore and more various arts and industries.\\nMr. Amadeo. Make the term of the course from the liberal profes-\\nsions a harder one, so as to limit the output of professional men.\\nDr. Carroll. We are doing that.\\nMr. Amadeo. Bachelor s degrees have been conferred on men here\\nwho did not know how to write a letter.\\nSUPERFICIAL CHARACTER OF INSTRUCTION.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nMayaguez, P. R., January 23, 1899.\\nThe commissioner visited a school for young girls in the Mendez-\\nvigo street. A lady teacher was in charge of the school, who stated\\nthat she had 130 pupils, with one assistant teacher paid by the munic-\\nipality, and two other assistants, one of them her sister, whose remu-\\nneration she attends to herself; that there are two departments, the\\nprimary and the superior; that the school was intended to be a supe-\\nrior school, but as there were comparatively few scholars application\\nwas made to the board, which directed that children should not be\\nkept out on account of grade, so there are two grades in the school;\\nthat there are 96 poor children. The others pay for their tuition.\\nThe Teacher. By the 96 poor children .1 mean those who come in\\nby ticket from the municipality. Some of the others are poor, but\\nwere unable to get the ticket from the municipality, but I have let\\nthem come in anyway. It is a public school, but before children can\\nbe entered in it they have to go through certain forms, such as get-\\nting the cure s signature, and as it was very difficult, and permission\\nwas sometimes refused, I have taken some without that formality.\\nDr. Carroll. Then it is not a free school?\\nThe Teacher. They still have to go through the same steps to get in.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0638.jp2"}, "639": {"fulltext": "629\\nDr. Carroll. The secretary of fomento in San Juan told me that\\nthe schools were free that no fees were charged to scholars.\\nThe Teacher. We have authority to take pay pupils. I have to\\npay $60 for this house, and the municipality only gives me $40 and\\nsome odd cents for the rent.\\nDr. Carroll. Then you apply some of the money you receive from\\nthe pupils to the expenses?\\nThe Teacher. Yes and also for the purchasing of materials which\\nthe poor can not buy. As regards school furniture, we are completely\\nunprovided with it. For several years we have been trying to get it,\\nand they have been asking for numerous lists of what is needed, but\\nit has all ended there.\\nDr. Carroll. Are other schools similarly situated?\\nThe Teacher. It is the same in all the schools. I have to spend\\nsome money from my salary on school furniture, and I have told nry\\nsister that we can not go on in this way, as we will not have enough\\nleft out of the salary to live on.\\nDr. Carroll. How many months of school do you have in the year?\\nThe Teacher. There are fifteen days vacation twice a year.\\nDr. Carroll. Then you teach every month in the year?\\nThe Teacher. Yes. From 8 to 11 in the morning, and from 1 to 4\\non every day in the week except Sunday.\\nDr. Carroll. What do you teach, besides sewing, to the children in\\nthe superior department of the school?\\nThe Teacher. General and sacred history, grammar, arithmetic,\\ngeography, universal history, geometry, health, natural history, and\\ndrawing.\\nDr. Carroll. I should be glad if you would ask them simple ques-\\ntions in geography.\\nThe teacher called upon a class of 15 girls of the superior grade\\nand questioned them one after the other as follows:\\nThe Teacher. Into how many parts is the terrestrial globe divided?\\nAnswer. Five parts the five continents.\\nThe Teacher. Into what is geography divided?\\nAnswer. Into astronomical, physical, and political.\\nThe Teacher. What is the universe?\\nAnswer. The conjunction of bodies which forms infinite space.\\nThe Teacher. What do you understand by a star?\\nAnswer. Every one of the luminous points we see in the firmament.\\nThe Teacher. What are these stars divided into?\\nAnswer. Into fixed and moving stars.\\nThe Teacher. What do you understand by fixed stars?\\nAnswer. Those that have their own light and which appear to be always\\nstationary.\\nThe Teacher. Can you give me the name of any of the fixed stars?\\nAnswer. The sun.\\nThe Teacher. What do you call the sun with all its stars and other satellites?\\nAnswer. The solar system.\\nThe Teacher. Can you tell me the number of stars.\\nAnswer. It is unknown. To the unaided eye more than 5,000 are visible, but\\nto the telescope more than 100,000,000 are known.\\nThe Teacher. How are the fixed stars divided?\\nAnswer. Into sixteen magnitudes.\\nThe Teacher. Of these sixteen magnitudes how many are visible to the sight?\\nAnswer. Up to the seventh magnitude.\\nThe Teacher. How many are visible to the telescope?\\nAnswer. The rest of them.\\nThe commissioner here asked the privilege of putting what he regarded as sim-\\nple questions in geography to the class.\\nDr. Carroll. Where is Germany?\\nAnswer. In Europe. v", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0639.jp2"}, "640": {"fulltext": "630\\nDr. Carroll. What is the capital of Germany?\\nAnswer. Berlin. (The girl who answered was prompted by the one next to her.\\nDr. Carroll. Where is Spain?\\nAnswer. In Europe.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the capital of Spain?\\nAnswer. Madrid.\\nDr. Carroll. Where is Italy?\\nAnswer. In Europe.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the capital of Italy?\\nAnswer. Rome.\\nDr. Carroll. Where is the United States?\\nThe Teacher. The study of the United States belongs to a course which has\\nnot been taken yet. They have only studied the astronomical part of geography\\nand Europe.\\nDr. Carroll. Where is Turkey?\\nAnswer. In Europe.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the capital of Turkey?\\nAnswer. Constantinople.\\nDr. Carroll. Where is the capital of Turkey situated?\\n(Question not answered.)\\nDr. Carroll. Where is Austria?\\nAnswer. In central Europe.\\nDr. Carroll. What country is on the north of Austria?\\nAnswer. Germany.\\nDr. Carroll. What is on the south of Austria?\\nAnswer. Italy.\\nDr. Carroll. Where is Porto Rico?\\n(No answer.)\\nDr. Carroll. Is Porto Rico in Europe?\\n(No answer.\\nDr. Carroll. What country is north of Porto Rico?\\n(No answer.\\nDr. Carroll. What country is south of Porto Rico?\\n(No answer.)\\nDr. Carroll. What is Porto Rico?\\nAnswer. An island.\\nDr. Carroll. What is Porto Rico surrounded by?\\nAnswer. The Atlantic Ocean.\\nDr. Carroll. Is it surrounded on all sides by the Atlantic Ocean?\\n(No answer.)\\nDr. Carroll. Where is Cuba?\\n(No answer.)\\nDr. Carroll. Is it east or west of Porto Rico?\\n(No answer.)\\nDr. Carroll. To what country does Porto Rico belong?\\n(One little girl said New York, but others answered correctly.)\\nDr. Carroll. To what country did Porto Rico belong last year?\\nAnswer. Spain.\\nDr. Carroll. Will the teacher please ask a few questions in arith-\\nmetic? Tell the girls not to be afraid. I am not here to criticise\\nthem, but to ask them a few questions with a sympathetic interest in\\nthem.\\nThe Teacher. How do you reduce numbers to their prime factors?\\nAnswer. To reduce a number to its prime factors, you divide the given number\\nby one of its simple divisors. The quotient thus obtained is divided again by one\\nof the primary divisors. This is continued until a primary quotient results, which\\nis divided by itself.\\nThe Teacher. Take 98, for example. By what would you divide it to get the\\nprime factors?\\nAnswer. By two.\\nThe Teacher. Why by two?\\nAnswer. Because it terminates in an even number.\\nThe Teacher. That gives what result?\\nAnswer. 49.\\nThe Teacher. And then you divide by what?\\nAnswer. By 7 and then by 7 again.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0640.jp2"}, "641": {"fulltext": "631\\nThe Teacher. Now 36. By what do you divide that?\\nAnswer. First by 2, then by 2, then by 9.\\nThe Teacher. How do yon find the greatest common divisor by means of the\\ndecomposition into simple factors?\\nAnswer. After dividing the number into its common factors, the sum of all the\\ncommon factors is taken.\\nThe Teacher. What is the common factor there [referring to the prime factors\\nof 98 and 36]?\\nAnswer. Two.\\nThe Teacher. Which is the greatest common factor?\\nAnswer. Two.\\nThe Teacher. I have $20. Some poor people come to us, among whom we\\ndivide $8\u00c2\u00a3 What amotmt remains of the $20?\\n(This example was worked out on the board, the 20 and 8f being reduced to\\nfractions with common denominators, subtracted in that form, and the result\\nchanged to a mixed number.\\nDr. Carroll. I want to ask a few questions in simple addition, and would like\\nto have the pupils answer them quickly. How much is 5 and 5; 15 and 12; 13 and\\n13; 27 and 27; 30 and 19; 3 and 12; 19 and 6; 18 and 17?\\n(Correct answers were given, but not as rapidly as is usual with pupils who have\\nbeen well trained in mental arithmetic.)\\nTHE SCHOOLS OF MAYAGUEZ.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nMayaguez, P. R. January 24, 1899.\\nDr. Carroll. What municipal moneys have been expended the\\npast year for schools in this municipal district?\\nSecretary Balsac. Twenty-three thousand dollars, approximately.\\nDr. Carroll. How is that amount divided? How much for teachers?\\nSecretary Balsac. Sixteen thousand dollars, and $7,000 for rents,\\nbooks, materials, and other supplies.\\nDr. Carroll. How many schools are there in the city itself?\\nSecretary Balsac. Seven.\\nDr. Carroll. How many are there in the municipal district?\\nSecretary Balsac. Twenty-four.\\nDr. Carroll. How many teachers are employed in these schools?\\nSecretary Balsac. There are 24 professors 1 for each school and\\n5 assistants, making 29 in all.\\nDr. Carroll. They receive, then, on an average, $551 a year for\\neach teacher. Some get more than that, do they not?\\nSecretary Balsac. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the minimum salary?\\nSecretary Balsac. The minimum salary is $300. Such low salaries\\nare paid usually to rural teachers.\\nDr. Carroll. Are there any arrears of payment of teachers in this\\ndistrict?\\nMr. St. Laurent. ISTo.\\nDr. Carroll. How many days are usually occupied by the scholars\\nin a year?\\nSecretary Balsac. The whole year, with the exception of two periods,\\none after the examinations in August of about twenty days, and one\\nafter New Year s of an equal length, and the 52 Sundays. During\\nthe warm season the sessions are only held during the morning.\\nDr. Carroll. Are any fees collected of parents?\\nMr. St. Laurent. All who can do so pay.\\nDr. Carroll. Is that- collected by the teachers?", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0641.jp2"}, "642": {"fulltext": "632\\nMr. St. Laurent. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Is the professor in such cases required to report the\\namount collected?\\nMr. St. Laurent. No.\\nDr. Carroll. Is the professor allowed to expend that nionej- as he\\nsees fit?\\nMr. St. Laurent. Yes; absolutely. It is his own property. The\\nmoney they receive from the municipality is supposed to be for the\\nteaching of poor children only.\\nDr. Carroll. Then it is only regarded as part salary?\\nMr. St. Laurent. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Would it be well, in your opinion, that the schools\\nshould receive much larger appropriations and that all this should be\\nabolished?\\nMr. St. Laurent. I think that should be done.\\nDr. Carroll. Is it your opinion that it would be well to have sep-\\narate buildings for the schools, built purposely to have the natural\\nconveniences that schools have in the United States and elsewhere?\\nMr. St. Laurent. I think so. We have building lots for that pur-\\npose, but not having funds we have been unable to construct them.\\nWe think the number of school buildings should be diminished and\\nthe schools centralized in a few buildings.\\nDr. Carroll. Does the school board exercise any jurisdiction over\\nthe employment of teachers?\\nMr. St. Laurent. No; the council does.\\nDr. Carroll. Does the council have the right to employ and dis-\\ncharge teachers, or does it simply have the right to nominate to the\\nsecretary of fomento?\\nMr. St. Laurent. It simply nominates.\\nDr. Carroll. Ought there not to be a school board in every city,\\nwho should have entire control of all these matters, without the\\nnecessity of applying to the secretary of fomento for permission to\\nemploy or discharge teachers?\\nMr. St. Laurent. Yes; there should be. As Mayaguez was taken\\nbj^ the Americans before the capital, we took advantage of that to\\nname our own teachers, because we had Spanish teachers we did not\\nwant. The secretary of fomento subsequently confirmed these.\\nDr. Carroll. Should there be in every municipal district a super-\\nintendent of instruction, whose business it should be to visit con-\\nstantly the schools in each district to see that the school laws are\\napplied; that proper instruction is given the children, and proper\\nfacilities and to supervise in a general way the duties of the teachers\\nand the conduct of the teachers?\\nMr. St. Laurent. Yes. I consider that a very correct measure to\\ntake, and we have already considered the matter among ourselves.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you think it would be well that proper facilities\\nshould be afforded for the instruction of children; that it should be\\nmade obligatory for them to attend a minimum number of daj T s every\\nschool year?\\nMr. St. Laurent. That is the law already, but you have to take\\ninto account that the peasants live so isolated that it is quite impos-\\nsible to make them conform to the regulations.\\nDr. Carroll. I suppose the rural schools for that reason are not\\nkept open as many days in the year as the city schools.\\nMr. St. Laurent. That is probably the case. The schools are open\\nevery day, but they don t have a full attendance.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0642.jp2"}, "643": {"fulltext": "633\\nVISIT TO ANOTHER SCHOOL.\\nMayaguez, P. R., January 1899.\\nThe commissioner visited an elementary school for girls, called the\\nSchool of the Divine Providence. The ages of the pupils ranged from\\n6 to 14 years.\\nDr. Carroll. We visited a superior school yesterday, but it also\\nhad primary scholars. Why are these two schools so close together?\\nThe Teacher. The reason this is so near is that the other is a\\nsuperior, while this is an elementary school. The pupils from this\\nschool pass to the other.\\nDr. Carroll. But the other has more elementary scholars than\\nsuperior scholars.\\nThe Teacher. In my opinion it is a very bad arrangement. The\\nelementary scholars ought to come here first. Any elementary pupil\\ncan get into this school if she has the necessary ticket from the alcalde.\\nThis ticket gives the name of the scholar, her address, etc.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there any fee charged here?\\nThe Teacher. Not in this school, but there is in the school you\\nvisited yesterday.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the reason for the distinction?\\nThe Teacher. Wealthy persons generally send their children there\\nand pay for their tuition. I sometimes have children of wealthy\\nparents who pay.\\nDr. Carroll. Do they pay at their own option, or do they receive\\nadditional facilities for their children?\\nThe Teacher. None at all. The reason that some parents send\\ntheir children and pay for their instruction is that they don t care to\\nhave their children mingle with children of color.\\nDr. Carroll. Where were you educated?\\nThe Teacher. I was born in Italy, but was educated here.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you been in the normal school in the capital?\\nThe Teacher. Yes. My diploma is that of the superior school. I\\nhave taught school fifteen years.\\nDr. Carroll. What do you teach the smallest of these children?\\nThe Teacher. The alphabet; how to write figures and syllables.\\nWe are in absolute need of all kinds of supplies.\\nDr. Carroll. Will you give the pupils an exercise in reading?\\nThe reading lesson was given from a small primer. In the course\\nof the reading lesson the word arbolus occurred, and the commis-\\nsioner asked the little girl who read it what its meaning is. She was\\nunable to answer. The commissioner interrupted another of the\\npupils to ask the meaning of the word cinco and was told in reply\\nthat it meant cinco pesos. A similar question was put by the com-\\nmissioner as to the word canario, and he was told correctly that it\\nwas a bird, and a further question as to its color was answered cor-\\nrectly.\\nThe school consisted of 18 very small children, whose average age\\nwas perhaps 7, and 26 larger ones, whose average age was somewhat\\nhigher. The room in which the school was held was square and about\\n15 feet long, its ceiling about 10 feet high. The older children are\\ntaught doctrine, aud when the commissioner inquired regarding this\\nstudy the teacher said that she was at a loss to know whether the\\nstudy was obligatory or not. The further exercise was conducted as\\nfollows\\nThe Teacher. What is a verb?\\nAnswer. A word which denotes action.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0643.jp2"}, "644": {"fulltext": "634\\nThe Teacher. What are the stages of the verb?\\nAnswer. Five voice, mode, tense, number, and person.\\nThe Teacher. What is meant by the voice of a verb?\\nAnswer. There are two voices, active and passive. One denotes action and one\\ndenotes being acted upon. In Spanish there is no passive voice.\\nThe Teacher. What is mode?\\nAnswer. The general manner in which the classification of verbs is expressed.\\nThe Teacher. What is conjugation? Give to the verbs their designations and\\nthe changes which they undergo.\\nAnswer. We have three conjugations in Spanish, which are: the first terminat-\\ning in ar, the second in er, and the third in ir.\\nThe commissioner pointed to a sentence in the primer and asked\\none of the pupils to indicate a verb. The article el was pointed\\nout. On asking a second pupil the adverb pronto was pointed\\nout. A third pupil was then asked to point out a noun, which was\\ndone correctly. The commissioner then asked that a vowel be indi-\\ncated, which was also correctly done. In like manner an adjective\\nwas correctly pointed out. Still another of the pupils was asked to\\npoint out a preposition in the sentence, I have put a basket of\\napples on the table. She answered, a basket of apples. Another\\npupil answered the question correctly. A sentence was pointed out\\nby the Commissioner commencing with the words la nina and he\\nasked that a noun be pointed out. One of the pupils answered that\\nthe noun was la nina. When further asked which of the two words\\nla and nina was the noun, she replied la.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you drill the pupils in the parts of speech with\\na view to teaching them the value of verbs, adjectives, etc.?\\nThe Teacher. Yes; but in the fifteen years I have never become\\naccustomed to visitors, and always get nervous, and my nervousness\\nseems to be transmitted to the pupils.\\nDr. Carroll. I understand that perfectly. I have very seldom\\nknown teachers who did not get a little nervous when visitors came\\nin, for fear the pupils would not do as well as they desired them to.\\nIf I had any criticism to make, it would be the criticism I have to make\\non all schools in the island that is, too much attention is given to\\ntheoretical education and too little to the practical.\\nThe Teacher. The first misfortune of our schools is that the school-\\nteacher is treated without any consideration. They have no moral\\npower with the pupils.\\nDr. Carroll. Have they any power over the pupils to discipline\\nthem?\\nThe Teacher. None at all. If I should impose any punishment on\\na child, the father would go at once to the ayuntamiento and I would\\nvery promptly receive a document from that body about it. The\\nchild would know all about that and I lose all influence over the child.\\nThat is what always happens.\\nDr. Carroll. What do you do with incorrigible children?\\nThe Teacher. I write the parents not to send them. I really have\\nno power to do that, but I do it.\\nDr. Carroll. Who has power to do that?\\nThe Teacher. The junta (school board).\\nDr. Carroll. Does the board ever exercise it?\\nThe Teacher. However, I can not complain. The girls here are\\nvery good girls.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0644.jp2"}, "645": {"fulltext": "635\\nFAVORITISM.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nCabo Rojo, P. R., January 27, 1899.\\nMr. Rodrigo Ramirez (a clerk in a business house). Education is\\ncompletely abandoned here. Most of the teachers have no titles.\\nWe want titled school-teachers.\\nMr. Pagan. As a member of the board of instruction, I wish to rec-\\ntify that statement. Two of the schools having become vacant, the\\nboard of education, by virtue of the powers conferred upon it, nomi-\\nnated two persons whom they considered competent to fill the places\\nuntil the minister of instruction should open the examination for two\\nteachers to be sent from the capital.\\nMr. Ramirez. This gentleman [pointing to a person who was pres-\\nent at the hearing], who possesses a title, has tried to get a school for\\nquite a long while, but without success. They have given it to a man\\nwho had no title. The gentleman to whom the school has been given\\nis a relative of the alcalde, and that is the reason it was given to him.\\nThis gentleman has a title and is in a better position to fill the place.\\n(The teacher who had been referred to said For forty- two years\\nI have had a title, and they won t give me a school.\\nMr. Ramirez. Mr. Pagan is also a relative of the alcalde.\\nMr. Pagan. Although I am a relative of the alcalde, that does not\\nprevent me from speaking the truth. I am a member of the board of\\neducation, and I have no knowledge that this gentleman (the teacher\\npreviously referred to in the hearing) ever applied for a school. The\\nclerk just now informs me that his petition was put in a few days ago\\nand immediately sent to the capital for action.\\nThe Teacher. I have here a receipt of a petition dated January\\n4, 1899.\\nDr. Carroll. When were these places filled by substitutes?\\nMr. Pagan. Three or four months ago.\\nDr. Carroll. When did this gentleman make application for a\\nschool?\\nThe Teacher. The 4th of January.\\nA Second TeacHer present. I had a school temporarily, but they\\ntook it from me and put in a person who has no title at alb\\nDr. Carroll. What was the reason for the change?\\nMr. Pagan. The law exacts that a teacher shall have a knowledge\\nof universal geography, and in spite of this gentleman s title we did\\nnot consider that he had a sufficient knowledge. The gentleman we\\nput in his place has a title of bachelor, though not a schoolmaster s\\ntitle, and we considered him better fitted to fill the position.\\nDr. Carroll. Is the present teacher a native of this place?\\nMr. Pagan. Both gentlemen are.\\nThe Second Teacher. Although I may not have the capacity which\\nthis gentleman says I have not, I have opened a private school and\\nhave 57 pupils of the best families of the town. Having been so\\nmany years a school-teacher and possessing the proper title, to be\\nremoved from my position and replaced by a mere boy without titles\\nof the profession is a proof that there has been favoritism and per-\\nsonal considerations in the matter.\\nMr. Ramirez. I would like to take you around from house to house\\nto prove that every position given here has been given by a clique.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0645.jp2"}, "646": {"fulltext": "636\\nDr. Carroll. I would like to ask Mr. Pagan if these applications\\nhave been sent to the minister of instruction for approval?\\nThe Second Teacher. I asked for the position of schoolmaster,\\nand the council gave it to me, but the board of education turned me\\ndown for personal reasons. The former teacher was a Spaniard, and\\nI was put in as an interim instructor.\\nEDUCATION FOR GIRLS.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nFajardo, P. R., January 31, 1899.\\nMr. George Bird (ex-consul of the United States at Fajardo). I\\nthink that the schools in Porto Rico ought to educate the women. The\\nreason Porto Rico is so far behind is that native women from the\\ncountry have not been educated, and of course have not had impressed\\nupon them the necessity of giving education to their children. I think\\nthe rural schools should be served by women instead of men. The\\npeople in the rural districts live scattered in the mountains, and there\\nwill have to be small schools at frequent intervals which will accommo-\\ndate the few children. You can get women to work for a smaller sum\\nthan men, and women can take both sexes, whereas parents will not\\nsend their girls to school and trust them to male teachers.\\nDr. Carroll. How much would they require?\\nMr. Bird. I think if you teach them only elementary subjects arith-\\nmetic, geography, and grammar you could get women in the island\\nwho would do it for $15 or $20 a month.\\nDr. Carroll. What do you pay male teachers?\\nMr. Bird. Twenty-five dollars. For that amount you can not get\\na competent man, and that is why the schools do not give any result.\\nNot receiving much salary, the teachers could be allowed to live in the\\nschoolhouses.\\nDr. Carroll. Don t you think that the first thing in order to put\\nthe schools on a proper foundation is to provide proper buildings for\\nthem?\\nMr. Bird. Yes, in the cities; but in the country it is not possible,\\nbecause the rural population is scattered.\\nDr. Carroll. But you will have to have some place for the chil-\\ndren, and while you won t have such a costly one as in the town, you\\nought to have public buildings for your public schools. I think that\\nis a fundamental principle.\\nA SCHOOL IN ARROYO.\\nThe commissioner attended a session of the Collegio de San Ber-\\nnardo, a public school in Arroyo, February 3, 1899. The principal\\nteacher of the school, Mr. Henry Huyke, conducted exercises in geogra-\\nphy, grammar, and arithmetic.\\nThe first exercise was one in geography. He drew a rough outline\\nof the northern coast of South America, and questioned the children,\\nall of whom were boys ranging in age from 8 to 15, as to the geo-\\ngraphical features of the continent of South America. The questions,\\nall of which were asked and answered in the English lano-ua^e, called", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0646.jp2"}, "647": {"fulltext": "637\\nfor the capes, rivers, political divisions, location of countries and cities\\nrelatively to each other, comparative sizes of the countries, etc. The\\nteacher then extended the map, adding Cuba, Porto Rico, and a gen-\\neral outline of the United States. Questions were asked about Porto\\nRico, its capital, and principal productions, and then about Cuba in\\nlike manner. The names of the States of the Union were then given\\nby groups, together with the names of their capitals and their loca-\\ntions, the names of the principal cities, which were stated to be New\\nYork, Philadelphia, Chicago, St. Louis, Boston, and Buffalo, and their\\nlocations, respectively. Boundaries of various States were given\\nrapidly, as called for, and one boy stepped to the blackboard on which\\nwas drawn the map used in the exercise, and, beginning with the\\ncapes on the coast of Maine, named all the capes on the coast line of\\nthe United States, indicating with a chalk mark the location of each\\nand naming, at the same time, the State on whose coast the cape was\\nlocated. The book used in teaching geography was prepared by Pro-\\nfessor Huyke himself, in three parts, written in Spanish and English\\nand used by the professor in manuscript.\\nAn exercise in arithmetic and grammar then followed. Professor\\nHuyke wrote upon the blackboard the following:\\nI has buy 37^ quintals of sugar in $149. What ist the price of 54| quintals?\\nThe professor asked if the sentence as written was correct gram-\\nmatically. He was promptly told by one of the boys that N it was\\nincorrect. Another boy stepped to the board and changed has to\\nhave and stated the reason for the change another stated the\\nprincipal parts of the verb to have, told what kind of a verb it is,\\nand explained the use of auxiliary verbs. It was then asked whether,\\nwith the change made, the sentence was correct. A chorus of voices\\nsaid no, and the word buy was changed to bought and the rea-\\nson for the correction stated. The word at was then substituted\\nfor in and the word is for ist, and reasons given in like\\nmanner. The principal parts of a large number of verbs were then\\ncalled for in rapid succession, and were correctly given. An exercise\\nthen followed showing that all the boys had been thoroughly trained\\nin the use of nouns. Many nouns were named and parsed and gram-\\nmatical rules stated with facility. An exercise was given in the for-\\nmation of plurals of nouns by means of the blackboard. General\\nrules were called for as to various classes of nouns and illustrated by\\nexamples. Exceptions to the general rule for the formation of plurals\\nwere written by the professor on the blackboard in such a way as to\\nmake it appear that they followed the rule; these, such as man,\\nwhich was written mans; goose, which was written gooses;\\nmouse, which was written mouses; and penny, which was writ-\\nten pennys, were promptly corrected and stated to be exceptions.\\nAn exercise followed in the use of the indefinite article, distinguish-\\ning between cases where the article a should be used, and when\\nan should be used. Reasons were given for the use of a before\\nknife, an before hour, a before useful, and numerous\\nother illustrations.\\nThe example in arithmetic was then solved by the boys in four dif-\\nferent ways on slates, and correct answers very promptly given.\\nThe entire exercise given before the commissioner was characterized\\nby great eagerness on the part of the boys to answer questions, and\\nwhen given an opportunity responded with evident pride and satis-\\nfaction in their knowledge of the subject at hand and their ability to\\ntell about it, and all about it, in the English language.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0647.jp2"}, "648": {"fulltext": "638\\nMORE SCHOOLS NEEDED.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nCOAMO, P. R., February 6 1899.\\nMr. Herminio Santella. The number of schools here is very insuf-\\nficient. This is not only true of Coamo, hut of the whole island.\\nDr. Carroll. I would like to have you speak for Coamo only.\\nMr. Santella. In this district of from 12,000 to 14,000 people there\\nis only one school for girls, and in the town only one for boys. I\\nthink mixed schools should be established, to be taught indiscrim-\\ninately by male or female teachers. The town is too poor to attend\\nto this matter and will not be able to charge its budget with the nec-\\nessary amount to keep up the schools. I think, therefore, the gov-\\nernment should intervene in the matter. It would be advisable to\\nhave here a male and a female teacher for the teaching of English,\\nin order that the language may be more widely spoken. Since the\\nAmericans took possession of this town, I and several friends have\\ngotten together to try to bring here an English teacher, but have not\\nbeen able to get one. The school where I teach I have an attendance\\nof 80 pupils a day. We have only 10 square varas in which to seat\\nthe pupils. All of our buildings where we have schools are deficient\\nin hygienic conditions. It would be advisable to have only one school\\nbuilding in the town at which two or three hundred children could\\nattend, and have the classes taught by several professors or lady\\nteachers, instead of having several small schools.\\nDr. Carroll. I think these school matters will very shortly be\\nattended to. You won t be able to get all the reforms you want all\\nat once, but they will come very soon and in a gradual way.\\nEDUCATION AND MORALS.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nSan Juan, P. R., February 9, 1899.\\nRev. A. J. McKim (agent of the American Bible Society). In meet-\\ning the difficuties which surround the education of the children and\\nthe moral education of the people, we are constantly met with denials\\nof their immorality and assertions of a comparatively elevated con-\\ndition in the capital. That is certainly true if reference is made\\nonly to the wealthy classes, but it was the poor to whom our Saviour\\npreached the gospel, and our laws are made to protect and develop\\nthe resources of the poor, since the rich are well able to care for\\nthemselves. School facilities are scarcely adequate for a population\\nso large as that of San Juan. The conveniences for education are\\nextremely limited, no suitable houses having been provided, but only\\ntenement houses being adapted to this purpose. Since the coming of\\nGeneral Eaton the schools have taken on a new life, and on the 6th of\\nFebruary, with American flags, they assembled in the principal square\\nof the city to swear allegiance to our country. Let us hope that they\\nmay in due time be prepared to appreciate the value and dignity of\\nAmerican citizenship.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0648.jp2"}, "649": {"fulltext": "639\\nPOOR PAY FOR TEACHERS.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nPonce, P. R., March 3, 1899.\\nJuan Cuevas Aboy (a school-teacher for eighteen years). School-\\nmasters are badly paid here. I earn $60 and house rent. This bad pay-\\nment of the schoolmasters causes them to be looked on as social infe-\\nriors. The}^ do not hold the social position they should. Any other\\nemployment is thought more of than that of the schoolmaster. They\\nhave to teach from 50 to 60 children, which is too many for one man.\\nWe wish to have the number of pupils limited by law, as in the United\\nStates. It is also very necessary that education shall be gratuitous\\nand obligatory. In short, we wish the status of the schoolmaster to\\nbe improved, and in that way the Government can improve the status\\nof the citizen. We were not paid for month before last until the 14th\\nof last month, and up to the present we have not been paid for the\\nmonth of February. Out of the $60 I receive I have to pay an assist-\\nant 115 a month.\\nRURAL SCHOOLS.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nPonce, P. R., March 2, 1899.\\nDr. Carroll. I suppose the schools are about equally divided\\nbetween boys and girls?\\nMr. Rosich. They are very unequally divided. A great defect is\\nthat in all the rural districts there are no schools for girls.\\nDr. Carroll. Are there no girls that want to be educated?\\nMr. Rosich. That is where the great defect is. There are fourteen\\nrural schools, but none for girls. This year we have started three\\ngirls schools as against fourteen boys schools.\\nThe Secretary. The difficulty is with the teachers. The low\\nsalaries do not admit of a lady teacher going out, because if she is\\nsingle she has to take her family and live out there, whereas a man\\ncan go alone.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the salarj^ paid a lady teacher in the country?\\nMr. Rosich. Twenty-five pesos a month, and 6 pesos for a house,\\nand a peso or a peso and a half for office expenses.\\nDr. Carroll. That is very small, is it not?\\nMr. Rosich. It is hard to see how they can live at all on that amount.\\nThe rural teachers have not the same sources of income as the town\\nteachers have. The town teachers get fees from rich people, but in\\nthe rural districts there are no rich people.\\nDr. Carroll. Is it against the law or custom for men to teach girls?\\nMr. Rosich. So much so that it would be very severely criticised.\\nThe law of public instruction contains a statement to the effect that\\nit is not allowed but nothing is thought of a professor going to a\\nhouse and giving private lessons.\\nDr. Carroll. You have only one school building, I believe, that\\nthe city owns.\\nMr. Rosich. One, and one being constructed.\\nDr. Carroll. Is the one you have a large one?\\nMr. Rosich. Yes.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0649.jp2"}, "650": {"fulltext": "640\\nDr. Carroll. Is the whole of it occupied for school purposes\\nexclusively?\\nMr. RosiCH. The teacher lives there.\\nDr. Carroll. How many superior schools have you?\\nMr. Rosich. One for each sex.\\nDr. Carroll. You have no normal school?\\nMr. Rosich. No.\\nDr. Carroll. Are there any superior classes in some of the other\\nschools?\\nMr. Rosich. Only in the private schools. The system of superior\\ninstruction has not given results here, and the press and the public\\nare always crying out for its abolition.\\nThe Secretary. The poor people only want a mere elementary\\neducation for their children, and then want to send them to work.\\nThe rich people send their children to the institute.\\nDr. Carroll. Does the municipality encourage and support to any\\nextent private schools?\\nMr. Rosich. Occasionally subventions have been given to private\\nschools in order to enable them to give secondary instruction to some\\nof the pupils.\\nDr. Carroll. Can you tell me how many scholars there are in the\\npublic schools of the district?\\nMr. Rosich. We get a report every three months, which I will\\nsend for.\\nDr. Carroll. What have you to say as to the capacity of the teach-\\ners? Are they generally good teachers?\\nMr. Rosich. In the rural schools they are quite poor, but you can\\nnot get any better teachers for the salary paid, which is the salary of\\nworkingmen only.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you think it would be well that the city should\\nentirely control the schools within its limits, that a larger amount of\\nmoney should be appropriated to their support, and that the fee system\\nshould be abolished and suitable salaries given to teachers?\\nMr. Rosich. I have always been in favor of the proposition that\\nwhen education is made obligatory it ought to be entirely gratuitous.\\nDr. Carroll. It seems to me that there might be a larger appropri-\\nation made from the insular treasury to the public schools and that\\nthe hiring and dismissal of teachers, the hiring of houses, and that\\nwhich pertains to the management of the schools should be in the\\nhands of the municipality.\\nMr. Rosich. Yes; your idea is a very good one.\\nDr. Carroll. Of course there would be a general supervision on the\\npart of the board of public instruction in the department of fomento.\\nFor example, the board ought to give certificates to teachers as to their\\nqualifications, and after teachers get these certificates they ought to\\ndepend upon the municipalities for their employment and the terms\\nof their employment.\\nMr. Rosich. Yes; if the municipality had certain limits imposed,\\nupon them, such as not being allowed to name a teacher who had not\\na title and, when once employed, not allowed to remove the teacher\\nwithout cause.\\nDr. Carroll. That is according to the rules which prevail in the\\nUnited States. Teachers there are hired for the school year and can\\nnot be discharged before the end of the school year except for cause.\\nThey may be reengaged or not for another year. In other words,\\ntheir contract is by the year.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0650.jp2"}, "651": {"fulltext": "641\\nMr. Rosich. At the end of the year what happens? Are they with-\\nout employment?\\nDr. Carroll. They are generally reengaged; hut if not efficient,\\nthey are not reappointed, and they go to other schools of less impor-\\ntance, where perhaps the salary is less, so that they are seldom without\\nemployment.\\n(The report on attendance sent for by Mr. Rosich was brought to\\nthe attention of the commissioner at this point.)\\nMr. Rosich. This is the December report, and shows a total of 2,543\\npupils of both sexes.\\nDr. Carroll. Is this the average attendance or the number on the\\nroll?\\nMr. Rosich. This is the number who are entered on the roll. The\\nreport shows an attendance of 1,646. There are schools where there\\nare 60 on the rolls and only 20 attended.\\nREFORMS SUGGESTED.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nPonce, P. R., March 3, 1899.\\nMr. Edwardo Neumann. The municipalities here have large sums\\nin their budgets for the purpose of renting schoolhouses. It would be\\nwise for them to contract with building societies in the United States\\nto construct a suitable schoolhouse in each district, and the sums set\\naside in the budgets for renting could be applied to the payment of\\nthe interest on these loans and could be reduced considerably. Sev-\\neral of the country schools are very badly conducted, owing to the fact\\nthat the teachers do not possess a sufficient degree of intelligence or\\nmorality to enable them to carry out their work as it should be done.\\nThese masters, as a rule, accept their positions as a means of liveli-\\nhood, not as a vocation. They were the favorites of the Spanish Govern-\\nment, which gave the positions in exchange for votes and not because\\nof fitness for the places. This point deserves the close attention of\\nthe Federal Government, because of the 900,000 inhabitants of Porto\\nRico, 600,000 live in the country and are scattered; and if they do not\\nreceive proper education, the work of civilization will be very much\\nretarded. The scattered way in which the people live is one of the\\nreasons why education is not as widespread as it should be. I think\\nthat the Government should construct extensive schools in all the dis-\\ntricts in which to take a certain number of pupils as boarders, to pre-\\nvent the children from being employed as they are at present; that\\nis, the teachers send them out to get coffee and tobacco and make use\\nof them as workers instead of attending to their education. If they\\ncould not take all the children in, they could take some in for a year\\nand then let them give place to others they could all then get some\\nof the benefit. In towns like San Juan, Mayaguez, and Ponce they\\nshould also add a department of trades and arts, teaching the chil-\\ndren also the elements of agriculture how to cure tobacco and how\\nto cultivate coffee, giving them a knowledge which will be useful to\\nthem in the struggle for existence later on.\\nAs regards secondary education, the concentric system should also\\nbe employed, although, under the American system, the schools will\\ntake another form. It would also be convenient to extend night\\nschools for adults, in which they could be taught subjects useful to\\n1125 41", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0651.jp2"}, "652": {"fulltext": "642\\nthem in their daily life, such as drawing, geometry, and other tech-\\nnical subjects. The present boards of education should be abolished.\\nThey are usually composed of storekeepers and men who know noth-\\ning about education. In their place boards should be constituted\\nfrom teachers and professors, people who understand teaching, and\\nall matters of education should be referred to them. The present\\nboards are useless. There should also be an inspector-general .for the\\nwhole island, and under him department inspectors who would report\\nto him.\\nI have been teacher for more than twenty years. I understand the\\nsystem of education in the United States, which is a mixed one, being\\nderived from the French and German systems. I have also read the\\nworks of pedagogy of great masters, principally the works of Man-\\nning. What this country is suffering from to-day is the confusion in\\nthe plan of education, the want of uniformity. The different grades\\nof education are not perfectly marked out. One of the disadvantages\\nof the system is that there are too many pupils to a school there should\\nnot be more than 25 or 30. With, regard to the teaching of orphans,\\nit has been in the hands of Sisters of Charity. I think, however pious\\nand good and useful they may be in the hospitals, they do not possess\\nthe necessary educational faculties. I think it would be very wise to\\nestablish kindergarten schools here, in San Juan, and in Mayaguez for\\nthe present, these three being the chief towns. There should be a\\ngood school of this description in each of these cities.\\nFrom that I will now pass on to elementary schools. Since the year\\n1880, when General Despujols issued a decree, education in this town\\nhas improved somewhat, although it has not arrived at a satisfactory\\nbasis yet, notwithstanding that the teachers think it has. One of the\\ngreatest obstacles to proper educational service is the fact that from\\n80 to 100 pupils are frequently crowded into one school, which is against\\nall rules of pedagogy. The plan of the studies is more theoretical\\nthan practical, and the schools are not held in buildings adequate for\\ntheir needs, and instruction up to the present has been based upon\\nthe Catholic religion, which should disappear entirely from the schools.\\nThese could be substituted by Sunday schools, under charge of the\\nvarious fathers of families or of the priests connected with these\\nchurches.\\nA limited number of schools, under the direction of competent\\nteachers from the United States, should be established for the teach-\\ning of the English language, so that the pupils themselves in a few\\nyears would be able to give instruction in that language.\\nThe text-books used are quite deficient according to modern ideas\\nand methods. They consist of questions and answers. The text-books\\nnow used in the United States could be translated into Spanish and\\nbrought here for general use. These books are written after the\\nComenius system or the concentric system, very much in vogue at\\npresent in Germany. The Comenius system is Austrian.\\nElementary instruction should be divided into three classes, and\\nchildren should know how to read easily before being admitted into\\nelementary schools. Children going into the elementary schools are\\nclassified wrongly here. They are made to take up the whole of the\\nprogramme at once, whereas by classifying elementary instruction in\\nthree grades, they could be taught the simplest course first, a little\\nhigher course next, and the third still more amplified until they had\\ngone over the entire elementary course. I am not going to make a\\nprogramme for education now, but I think that only practical sub-", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0652.jp2"}, "653": {"fulltext": "643\\njects should be taught in elementary schools, and this opinion is in\\naccord with what Mr. Spencer, the great sociologist, has written.\\nSuperior schools have given very poor results in this country. They\\nare not really superior schools, but only amplifications of elementary\\nschools. These schools should be replaced by the magnificent system\\nemployed in the city of Boston at present. High schools are also\\nvery deficient. It is the custom here to confer the bachelor s degree\\non a pupil who, when he leaves the schools, can hardly write a letter.\\nMORAL EDUCATION.\\nSTATEMENT OF MR. P. SANTISTEBAN Y CHARIVARRI, SPANISH MERCHANT.\\nSan Juan, P. R., October- 28, 1898.\\nCivil administration is a branch most difficult to deal with satis-\\nfactorily .in a country whose social customs have not yet arrived at\\nthe acquisition of a complete moral education. Nevertheless this\\ncan be taken in hand with some hope of success if it is possible\\nto bring into communities people who are now living isolated in the\\nmountains, following the immoralities induced by their uncivilized\\ncondition of living and the vices of vagabondage, gambling, etc.\\nThere should be established primary schools and workshops where\\nthe poor might learn a trade and acquire the habit of industry.\\nFor civil and judicial positions only the most industrious and honest\\ncitizens should be chosen. These, at the same time, should be in an\\nindependent position so as to be able to exercise their duties with a\\ngreater degree of independence. The civil government should have\\na confidential delegate whose duty should be to preside over the\\nmunicipalities if these are to be granted universal suffrage as dis-\\ntinguished from a limited suffrage.\\nTo conclude, this country, which has owned slaves, requires per-\\nhaps more than any other that its inhabitants should be given some\\nsort of education to enable them to understand their duties to each\\nother and to themselves. The principles of domestic economy and of\\nmoral public and private life should be taught.\\nCOMPULSOR Y ED UOA TION.\\nSTATEMENT OF CELESTINO MORALES.\\nG-urabo, P. R., November 7, 1898.\\nEducation in this island is obligatory and free for the poor classes,\\nwho take advantage of it in relatively small numbers. The govern-\\nment? which to-day rules us would exercise a paternal role over the\\nmoral and intellectual progress of this people by applying the form\\nand means used in the United States for the same object, justifying\\nthus the granting to us of all the favors extended to its citizens there.\\nGiven the case here of a mother of a family who, having no means of\\nsupport or method of gaining food for herself or her children, uses the\\nlabor of these for that purpose to the prejudice of their education, the\\ndoubt arises in the mind of the inspector, who should apply the law,\\nwhether the education be of greater importance than food. There is\\ngreat need of workshops where those being educated may learn a\\ntrade, so as. to provide them with the means of earning a livelihood\\nfor themselves and their families. There are many schools conse-\\ncrated to the teaching of the Roman Catholic religion to the prejudice\\nof other schools. This evil should be prevented by the establishment\\nof free worship.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0653.jp2"}, "654": {"fulltext": "644\\nSECULAR EDUCATION.\\nSTATEMENT OF ANTONIO SANCHEZ RUIZ.\\nAguada, P. R., November 12, 1898.\\nWorthy of consideration above all other points is that of schools,\\nif it be considered that good habits and morals are synonymous with\\ngood education and social culture and that the absence of institu-\\ntions of instruction would in a short time disrupt that society. There-\\nfore I opine that schools should be instituted even in the most hidden\\ncorners of the province, dividing among the rich and poor the bread\\nof intelligence so as to form worthy and illustrious citizens who one\\nday would help to create the material happiness of the country. I\\nthink that to this end instruction should be entirely lay and desti-\\ntute of all religious flavor; that the obligation of education shall\\nnot continue, as now, a pure formula, but that infractions by persons\\nobliged by law to guard the moral and material well-being of child-\\nhood be punished. Taking into account the delicate mission of the\\nteacher, exemplary conduct, polite morals, and morals above sus-\\npicion should be exacted from him, so as to fit him to instill his pupils\\nwith respect for law, authority, and their superiors and making\\nthem understand their reciprocal duties and rights. On the other\\nhand, the charges bearing on the municipalities are so heavy that it\\nwould be well for the state to take care of institutes and superior and\\nelementary schools, leaving to the municipalities the care of auxiliary\\nand rural schools only. Owing to the lack of funds, these munici-\\npalities frequently can not settle their accounts with the teachers, and\\nthis is a motive for the noncompliance of many of these function-\\naries with their duties.\\nThe system of education should be absolutely nonclerical and obli-\\ngatory. Morality and good habits should be exacted from teachers.\\nVILLAGE ORGANIZATION.\\nSTATEMENT OF MAYOR CELESTINO D0MINGUEZ.\\nGuayama, P. R., January, 1899.\\nAs 80 per cent of the people of Porto Rico do not know how to read\\nor write, and as education does not seem to have got out of the towns,\\nwhile the greatest number of inhabitants live disseminated in the\\nmountains, making the teacher s task a difficult one, it seems to me\\nthat the government should form nuclei of villages in each precinct\\n(barrio), assisting the peasants to remove their dwellings and group-\\ning them around a central building to be built on a chosen site. This\\nbuilding should have boys and girls schools and schools for adults after\\nworking hours. The same teachers can instruct both adults and chil-\\ndren. Unless the government makes education free and obligatory and\\nsees that attendance is strictly enforced, it is sure to fail, owing to the\\nindifference of the peasantry. It must appoint inspectors to attend\\nto these matters and establish fines for their noncompliance. The\\npeasantry of Porto Rico is intelligent, sober, and will respond to the\\nefforts of the government. If they have been called lazy, the accu-\\nsation is an unjust one. A walk through the country will show them\\nworking on the cane fields, coffee plantations, and roads. Hardly an\\nacre of land is to be seen uncultivated. Besides, a small island like this,", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0654.jp2"}, "655": {"fulltext": "645\\nwhich has paid a budget of five millions, and perhaps double the\\namount, for municipal taxes, can not have other than an industrious\\npopulation. The greater number of families living on the highlands\\neat no meat, but live exclusively on vegetable diet. This has pro-\\nduced the disease called anaemia, which is almost universal, and\\nwhich makes them appear lazy a title by no means deserved. As\\nregards the town schools, the laws ruling in the United States should\\nbe applied, and attendance be made compulsory.\\nSCHOOL REFORMS.\\nSTATEMENT OF JOSE M. OETIZ.\\nMaunabo, P. R., February 24., 1899.\\n(1) The contracting of loans by the island if its resources permit\\npayable by sinking fund and for long periods, for the construction of\\nschools, hospitals, and other public buildings in all the towns of the\\nisland, modern methods to be employed in their construction, form,\\ndistribution, and sanitary conditions.\\n(2) Prohibiting teachers and their families from living in school\\nbuildings. Among other evils resulting from the practice is that of\\nthe families taking for their private use the best rooms set apart for\\nteaching.\\n(3) Gratuitous and compulsory system of education. More pains\\nin its diffusion, especially in rural districts, and better attention to\\nthe needs of education of females, until now much neglected. The\\ncreation of schools of arts and trades, with teachers of intelligence at\\nthe head of each department.\\n(4) Installation of a polytechnic school in the capital of the island.\\n(5) Careful revision of the course for bachelor of arts, the suppres-\\nsion of the Latin course, and in its place the introduction of three or\\nfour terms of some living language also a course in sociology.\\nAMERICAN SCHOOLS.\\nSTATEMENT OF MANY CITIZENS.\\nIsabbla, P. R., February 19, 1899.\\nPublic education is, in this country, expensive and deficient. If in\\nsome towns the schools are well served, in the majority they do not\\nrecompense the towns for the immense sacrifices they impose on the\\nratepayers. Education in Porto Rico is still submitted to the slavery\\nof religious fanaticism, which makes it necessary to forbid religious\\nteaching, substituting for it moral teaching and physical develop-\\nment in a word, all the reforms called for by modern progress. It\\nwould be an act of justice to oblige the municipalities to pay the\\nteachers salaries, leaving them the right of naming or removing the\\nteachers when not complying with their duties. As the lamentable\\nfinancial state of the municipalities does not allow of their duly\\nextending and attending to the schools, it would be well if the Gov-\\nernment would take under its charge all the elementary schools until\\nthe municipalities have got onto a satisfactory footing again. This\\nwould give the Government an opportunity to constitute the schools", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0655.jp2"}, "656": {"fulltext": "646\\non the basis of the American system, which has produced such bene-\\nficial, moral, and material results. Rural schools should disappear, as\\nthey have not given any results nor have they compensated the monej 7\\nspent on them. Education should be declared free, and the munic-\\nipalities should offer premiums to the teachers who make the best\\nshowing at the year s end.\\nTable I. Schools of Porto Rico.\\n[By the secretary of the interior.]\\nSchools of the North district:\\nPublic 258\\nPrivate. 25\\nTotal 283\\nSchools of the South district:\\nPublic 252\\nPrivate 16\\nTotal.... 268\\nTotal in the island 551\\nScholars attending schools of the North district:\\nBoys 9,942\\nGirls 4,657\\nTotal 14,599\\nScholars attending schools of the South district:\\nBoys 9,132\\nGirls 4,207\\nTotal r 13,339\\nTotal of the island. 27,937\\nAnnual expenditure for schools of North district $167, 347\\nAnnual expenditure for schools of South district 164, 020\\nTotal annual expenditure 331, 367\\nSCHOOL POPULATION OF THE ISLAND.\\nNorth district:\\nBoys 31.141\\nGirls 29,649\\nTotal.. 60.790\\nSouth district:\\nBoys 34,224\\nGirls 30,681\\nTotal 64.905\\nTotal of the island 125, 695\\nChildren of school age 125.695\\nAttending school 27, 938\\nTotal not attending school _ 97, 757\\nSan Juan, P. R., November 1, 1S9S.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0656.jp2"}, "657": {"fulltext": "647\\nO O KB O Q O Q O O O Q O SO Q O O O Q O Q Q Q Q Q O\\noooi-ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo\u00c2\u00a9\\ndododQioddiodoiodajQP^QpdioiodioddwdocwoQddifflod\\ny\\nJOOJOOOO\\nS$2\\n02 *n 0)\\n\u00c2\u00a9OOOOQO\u00c2\u00a9Q\\nJ 55 so to ei \u00c2\u00abc \u00c2\u00abo\\nlie as 00 r- 1 t- oo xo\\noooooooo\\nr- (OOOOCD-^OOCCt HiOCOiDOSO\\n\u00c2\u00a9OQOO\u00c2\u00a9\\noo\u00c2\u00a9c\\nCO SO SO c_\\nN-* IN Oil\\nCOCOCOOIN\\nCC Nfr-(Si\\nOOQOOC\\n00 H HI\\nt-OT\u00c2\u00bbl01S OHONOlClO\\nT\u00e2\u0080\u0094 I 00 CO i\u00e2\u0080\u0094 t-Oi^lOOO\\n\u00c2\u00a9\u00c2\u00abfsm-*its-*04t-o oos\u00c2\u00a9\u00c2\u00abONt-.\\n\u00c2\u00ab5-*-*TjHt-coi-H-*05t--* o ooeo\\ni-O3Ql0-*t0lOH00O\\nCO^H\\nIff VJ\\nIMHfH\\n\u00c2\u00a9ioc\u00c2\u00bbot--oot--*oo\u00c2\u00a9\u00c2\u00a9co-i!c i\u00c2\u00a9m\u00c2\u00aboa5inrococo\u00c2\u00a9coc5iMirao(M-*cocoou3-*\\ni-l HHrtNHNCO CI IN t-l t-H\\nH CO Oi \u00c2\u00bbC t- CO r\\nIt- 1 IN i\u00e2\u0080\u0094 I i-l CO i-(\\nOOTJtOllONffl^^COOHOH^MMCOCS^NOmOS-JJMCCHOOOOVHH^tOffli-\\n-r U\\nt--*l .\u00c2\u00a9iOOOCNtCOCOCOi -\u00c2\u00a910l002 ^^X COOOCO\u00c2\u00abOOi\u00c2\u00bbOCDOSCOCi ^^\u00c2\u00a9\u00c2\u00bbC050 HCCO\\n1\u00e2\u0080\u0094 l^^b-HCOlOaOlflr- Mr- ICO\u00c2\u00a9W(Ni -\u00c2\u00a9eO(Nr-r:OC0t~-*Tlinin\u00c2\u00a9-^T--l00^\u00c2\u00a9lO-HT-l\u00c2\u00a9\\nT-H\u00c2\u00a90Q\u00c2\u00a9Oi\u00c2\u00a9^\u00c2\u00a9lO-^\u00c2\u00bbO^ X lO(M\u00c2\u00bbOt-COt-\u00c2\u00a900 ^00CC\u00c2\u00a9ai^-^lO^COCOC0Oi^HrH00\u00c2\u00a9\\nlO N CO rH T-H 55 1\u00e2\u0080\u0094 I r\u00e2\u0080\u0094 INr- It- 1 1\u00e2\u0080\u0094 ItHt-It- I CSJ Nt tH CO T-l N CO CONHH Hr- I CO IN CO N (M CO OS\\n!\u00c2\u00a9U5lO\\nCO iMrt\\noooooc\\nJOOOOOOlOOOiOOOOOtDOOOOOO\\nioioirjooBt-aoNt- a Oisio-*ooO *ao\\nH i\u00e2\u0080\u0094 It\u00e2\u0080\u0094 HHW HmHH T\u00e2\u0080\u0094 I\\n\u00c2\u00a9o\u00c2\u00a9o\u00c2\u00a9m\\nco\u00c2\u00bboooin\u00c2\u00a9t-\\nINCBi^C0C !00\u00c2\u00a9IN^^\u00c2\u00a900a0\u00c2\u00a9\u00c2\u00a9\u00c2\u00a900^INO\u00c2\u00a9^-* NtD\u00c2\u00a9lffl *l\u00c2\u00a9l\u00c2\u00bb N N-*\\noodhqdowoojjoq-tOi- i: c k MtNf^cot\u00e2\u0080\u0094 icoe5i .C4oofc-i r c co-^ct:ct:\\n\u00c2\u00bbx|H^NC0\u00c2\u00a9^^C\u00c2\u00bb^CX!\u00c2\u00a9C0N^M^^-*C0lOT--IIOL -.\u00c2\u00a9\u00c2\u00a9lC\u00c2\u00bbC(N\u00c2\u00a9\u00c2\u00a9r(H-*t-CONi--5O\\nW fH\\nSOINtf2T- -*COC0-*INCCcM C^OSCOt\u00e2\u0080\u0094 I^COCO^NW5^t-I N-^iC0INt\u00e2\u0080\u0094 ICOCO-^iraiNCO^t-CO\\nrf -iHIM\\nh\\n\u00c2\u00a35\\nisSp^o\\n03 H\\no_.\\n\u00c2\u00a75\\n^,S 6Jj\u00c2\u00ab ottfl CJTO ra n cS to C.2S DS O S li litiO OgSS 5,3=^,2 S =S c\u00c2\u00ab c3\\n^^MCQfqfqoOOQOOODOOOOfeiid3i3WpHMWHbbi-lJJ", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0657.jp2"}, "658": {"fulltext": "648\\nCO H\\nSou*\\nj|3 CD\\nSSSSSSSsSSSc\\n;S83c\\nO 3 O 3 Q 3 3 O 3 3 3 3 3 O CT; CT. 3 i.O 3 3COQSOC\\nrH rH |H|- SS r-1\\n3303303\\niq 3\\n55 01 -f 55 O\\n-*?tHrt\\n3 !13iHH N\\n00 3 5 H S 3\\n3 3 3 3 3 3 O 3 3 3 CM 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 C\\ncmcocm\\nOJ CO Ol H CM 01 i-l i-l CM 01 CO CM i-l i-l rH CM CM r* i-l r* CO iH CM i- rH 1-1 CO rH CO C CO 3\\nla\\nloiSHioooiacoinaHcoosoaoocoHi f cm so n -e so 3 t- 02 up co\\n\u00e2\u0096\u00a0*H-*HICOram^C\u00c2\u00bb35r-IOCO:iC!iC 3 LCL\u00e2\u0080\u0094 (HlLOOHi 3 0!C!CM-H3 3 3 3\\nrH 3 -H tO H -IrtriM -t\\noo-#oo(-OHiooiocoioo\u00c2\u00abiciooino5\u00c2\u00bbio- HOJM?;ffi\u00c2\u00bb-*\u00c2\u00ab\\nC5 0HIC:5molN\u00c2\u00ae10a3COiCOHO;N^3iNOOHHXXNXOHNW\\nHrHCMCM 1O1\\nCO I\u00e2\u0080\u0094 O 3 3 CM rH t- CM 3 3 3 3 rH 3 *Jl CM 3 CO t- 3 3 3 tH O I\u00e2\u0080\u0094 t- b- 3 lO\\nSO t- tO 3 lO 3 0 i\u00e2\u0080\u0094 I CO iC t- CM CO Ol CO 3 rH 3 3 3 3 CO lO CO IO 3 ICC 3\\nHID rHi\u00e2\u0080\u0094 ICO rHCMrHt- rH t\u00e2\u0080\u0094 rH -r CM\\n533lOO-#CO OOOrHCOCOt-OCOCMt-i-rHO !3 3-+ -HCOCOCOO !I.Ot- #CM!\\n~t 3 Ot rH CO Oi 3 3 3 rH CO CO 3 r-H 3 3 3 3 CO CO 3 b~ rH -H 3 CM 3 t-H CM rH\\nt CO CO rH CM rH rH rH rH rH CO rH rH rH CO CM CO rH C- O} nHHHNHNH\u00c2\u00ablO\\n\u00c2\u00abjoooooooooooooosao5iooooo-*aeoooooc\\nOS 3 3 3 3 3 3 CO IO lO 3 CM to CO CM to rH 3 3 3 3 3 tO t- rH 3 lO 3 3\\nHNtDHHH CM HOH rH rH rH rH rH i\u00e2\u0080\u0094 fi-H CO rH CM-*\\n00-#!OOSl-| \u00c2\u00ab0 OOOOCH-*ICHIOS5CCJHIH OC;XNOiOO\\ntOiOtOCMCOrHCM!\u00e2\u0080\u0094 ICM333\\n3 3 01\\nCMb-rH\\nOI-*3CMCQCO~Ht~CMtOCO-*rHi---*-*iO\\nH\u00c2\u00ab;5\\nhH 0\\nOCOOHI^HUDKHONHIOOOOOSHlOCOOMOOCOOSHHOHi\\nCO 3 CM 3 CO r-l r-H lO to lO 3 CO 3CNO 3 CO 0 CM ^r c5 0 CO i- b- CO CM\\nCO 4 COCMCOCMlOCMOtOQOCMCOcMCM^r^rotOrrCM^iOCMCOCM-* CD-*XQD\\nCO-*-*T-H-*^oiCMrHC03CO\\nCM CO CO-*-* CO\\n3 -H -H CM rH CM CO iCOb-\\nHHCOHH\\nCOrHrHrHrHrH\\n\u00c2\u00a7a\\nrHrH-HCM\\nSa\\n4J 6X)c5\\no3 cS cS B\\nci g3 t3 c3\\na 213\\nT3\\nco CD 9 cd\\n03-d S h\\nc3_S\\nc?cc\\ns a is ri|.e s\\nM s 1 Sfa a -S JsoopIc as a s s a a boai^ a\\nv2i2iiHt5t5 o =3-2 a-a.-.s \u00c2\u00a31$ 5 a g o o \u00c2\u00ae.S ca es\\nside", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0658.jp2"}, "659": {"fulltext": "888SS8\\n,0%* rH h CO -jH\\nlO rH,\u00e2\u0080\u0094 I CNJ\\n649\\ncoco o\u00c2\u00bb\\nosS I cc\\ni-Tso I oo\\nC0-H\\nbccS\\n.sa\\n95\\nH c3\\nOJOrrJ rH\\nO J2 J3 eSid\\no 9 =3 i*\\n_ Sh t, S. Sh\\n500000\\nCB CM C M 4-1 CM 4_|\\n$H CO CO CD CO CO\\nO CD CD CP CD CD\\nCH CO CO CO CO CO\\na; flfl fl S3 fl\\n-|S CD CD CD CD CD\\ncd M M M K M\\nKHHBqaW\\nt--** cooo IftOS (N *l CMlO 1\\n-*eo una ioco 53 ei\\n^CQCOcDCQCOCDcOCQfHCOCQ COCO\\n^i O-ih w O-i-i S 0 \u00c2\u00abS O-ih,\u00e2\u0080\u0094 1 Oth\\n\u00c2\u00aeMc\u00c2\u00b15-\u00c2\u00a3M\u00c2\u00a3 gfqcS-qMCS gffltj\\ns m cd 3 5\\n02 fe 02 Ph\\nmi", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0659.jp2"}, "660": {"fulltext": "650\\nTable III. Additional summary.\\nNumber of primary schools 516\\nPrivate schools in addition 26\\nIn the coming academic year there will be in this form:\\nPrincipal 28\\nFirst grade. 76\\nSecond grade 194\\nRural 317\\n615\\nDistricts with schools (among which there are some with one school for girls\\nand another for boys) 273\\nAcademies, seminaries, and other educational institutions:\\nSeminary for the priesthood 1\\nProvincial institute of secondary education 1\\nProvincial institute R. R. Escolapios (Reverend Escolapian Fathers) 1\\nCollege of MM. del Corazon de Jesus (Mothers of the Heart of Jesus) 1\\nInfants School 1\\nCollege of San Ildefonse 1\\nSchool of Arts and Industries 1\\nPrivate Academy of Drawing 1\\nNormal School of Girls 1\\n(This is in the capital. In the other towns there are some infant\\nschools. There is also a kindergarten in the capital and another in\\nPonce. In the capital there is a pedagogic museum which is now\\nbeing formed.\\nNumber of children attending the schools 19,000\\nPublic-school teachers in active service 516\\nTeachers retired on pensions... 12\\nFunds for education in the bank $5, 164. 29\\nTo be collected 40,000.00\\nThe Spaniards took away _ 34, 147. 30\\nSum of money for schools for the year 1899 213,630.00\\nNo school has modern supplies. The furniture is only medium, where the school\\nis furnished, but there are some which are in want of everything.\\nNumber of schoolhouses. Only four or six towns have schoolhouses.\\nGraduate or collegiate teachers. If this means teachers with titles, there are 800\\nmore or less.\\nTechnical schools. There are none.\\nNote. To the funds for education, which are in the bank, should be added the\\nsum received to-day from the municipality of San Juan ($340.87, American\\ncurrency).\\nBureau of Education,\\nPorto Rico, June 7, 1899.\\nPrivate instruction.\\nMunicipal districts.\\nFirst elemen-\\ntary.\\nSecond ele-\\nmentary.\\nAttendance.\\nOfficial appro-\\npriation for\\nBoys. Girls.\\nBoys.\\nGirls.\\nBoys.\\nGirls.\\nPer-\\nsonnel.\\nMate-\\nrial.\\n1\\n1\\n1\\n7\\n29\\n20\\n49\\n58\\n180\\n1\\n600\\n1\\n1\\n37\\n1\\n1\\n1\\n1\\n20\\n105\\n42\\n16\\n28\\n300\\n168-\\ni\\nl\\n38\\n1\\n1\\n4\\n5\\n103\\n189\\n79\\n18\\n64\\nl\\n1\\n28\\n1\\n1\\no\\nl\\nl\\n14\\n21\\n240\\n300\\nTotal\\n1\\n3\\n13\\n6\\n3\\n697\\n273\\n1,620\\n168", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0660.jp2"}, "661": {"fulltext": "651\\nSUMMARY.\\nFirst elementary schools:\\nFor boys J\\nFor girls\\nSecond elementary schools:\\nFor boys 13\\nFor girls\\nAuxiliary schools:\\nFor boys j\u00c2\u00bb\\nFor girls\\nTotal schools 36\\nOfficial appropriation:\\nFor personnel ?2q\\nFor materials 168\\nTotal 1,788\\nAverage attendance\\nBoys 697\\nGirls. 373\\nTotal 970\\nBureau of Education, San Juan, P. B., March 17, 1899.\\nTEXT-BOOKS GENERALLY IN USE.\\nGrammar: Real Academia Espanola.\\nArithmetic: Martinez Garcia, Monclova, Emiliano Diaz, Ollero, Comas.\\nGeography: Paluzie (Universal), Corton, and Janer (Porto Rico).\\nReading: Juanito, Fabulas, Manuscrito.\\nChristian doctrine: Gil Esteves.\\nHistory: Fleury, Calonge.\\nGeometry: Vallin and Bustillo.\\nAgriculture, industry, and commerce: Regulez.\\nHistory of Spain: Ibo Alfaro.\\nWriting: Sistema Garnierd.\\nHygiene: Del Valle Atiles.\\nElements of physics: Julian Lopez Catalan.\\nElements of natural history: Julian Lopez Catalan.\\nBureau of Education,\\nSan Juan, P. R., November 1, 1899.\\nTHE CHURCH AND CHURCH PROPERTY.\\nTHE CHURCH AND THE STATE.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nSan Juan, P. R., October 27, 1898.\\nFather Juan Perpina e Pibernat, ecclesiastical governor and\\ncapitular vicar of Porto Rico. I begin by stating that the expenses of\\nthe church have been borne by the state and the people of this island\\nsince the discovery of the same. Part of these expenses were formerly\\nmet by tithes and the first fruits under the old Israelitish plan. What\\nwas further necessary in case these tithes did not meet the expenses\\nof the church was supplied by the government. In addition to this,\\nmunicipalities gave $25 a month to each priest in their immediate\\njurisdiction. This state of affairs continued until the royal cedula of\\n1858, which decree, I think, though I am not sure, was given for the\\ndistrict of the Cathedral and San German, and was later extended to\\nall the districts. By this royal order and subsequent dispensation\\ngifts were created for the chapters and the parishes. This royal decree\\nof 1858 abolished tithes and first fruits and made the government take", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0661.jp2"}, "662": {"fulltext": "652\\nunder its charge the entire pay of the clergy. When I came here in\\n1860 the bishop was in receipt of either $18,000 or $20,000 per year, I am\\nnot sure which. The last bishop, who recently left the island, had a\\nsalary of about $10,000, that amount being arrived at by gradual\\ndiminution from the amount first mentioned. The ecclesiastical judge\\nattached to the bishop s court is in possession of, or was in possession\\nof, $2,500 per year, and the fiscal officer attached to the bishop s court\\nwas in receipt of $3,000 annually. The bishop s secretary has never\\nreceived anything, but the bishop rewarded him by other means in his\\npower, such as appointment as a prebend. This is in contradistinc-\\ntion to the custom adopted in France, where these officers get salaries.\\nIn virtue of Article VIII of the royal decree previously referred to, the\\ndean of the chapter is paid annually $3,000. The dignitaries of the\\nchurch (a special class) have received $2,500 each annually.\\nDr. Carroll. Who are included in the class of dignitaries?\\nFather Perpina. There are three cathedrals or bishoprics one is\\nin Cuba, one is in Santiago, and one is here. None of them are in\\npossession of a full complement of dignitaries or members of the\\nchapter.\\nDr. Carroll. Are Porto Rico and Cuba in the same ecclesiastical\\nprovince?\\nFather Perpina. No; Santiago de Cuba is a metropolis in church\\nmatters.\\nDr. Carroll. With what province is Porto Rico connected?\\nFather Perpina. With none.\\nDr. Carroll. Is Santiago the metropolitan see of this ecclesiastical\\nprovince?\\nFather Perpina. Santiago is the headquarters to which all ecclesi-\\nastical matters are referred as the metropolitan of this island. The\\nnumber of church dignitaries here is three. I should add here that\\nSantiago has an archbishopric. The three dignitaries are the dean,\\nthe archdean, and the canon (chantre) it is he who attends to the\\nsinging. Canons receive $2,000. There are five canons two who are\\nelected without competitive examination and three who are elected\\nby competitive examination. The competitive canons are the peni-\\ntentiary, who attends to punishments; the lectoral, whose duty is to\\nexplain the holy writings, and the magistrado, who has under his\\ncharge matters concerning preaching. The penitentiary has charge\\nof confessions and all matters pertaining thereto, with special powers\\nof confession conferred upon him by the bishopric and the Pope that\\nis, he has higher powers of absolution than any other priest. The\\nexaminations for these posts are very severe.\\nThe racioneros and half racioneros that is to say, priests who have\\nnot canonical rights, but are only concerned in the administration of\\ncanonical matters receive the salary of $1,500 a year each. There\\nare four of them. The half racioneros get $1,200 each.\\nThe parishes are divided into entrado, which means entrance;\\nascenso, which means ascendance, and termino. The parishes of\\ntermino are usually vicarages that is to say, the priests in charge of\\nthem have charge over other priests in the vicinity. The termino\\nvicars are all paid $125 a month in pesos. The ascenso parishes were\\npaid 75 pesos a month and the entrado 50 pesos a month.\\nDr. Carroll. Did they have houses also?\\nFather Perpina. I will speak of that later.\\nThere are a great many parishes which have their own parish houses,\\npaid for by the people of the parish and which belong exclusively to", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0662.jp2"}, "663": {"fulltext": "653\\nthe parish, and I wish here to prefer a complaint to the representa-\\ntive of the United States with reference to the town of Dorado. A\\nrich man there by the name of Lopez built a church and a parish\\nhouse and presented them to the parish, which facts can be proved\\nand are generally known by everybody. The mayor placed there by\\nthe American forces has taken possession of the house and turned out\\nthe priest in charge.\\nDr. Carroll. Out of the church and house?\\nFather Perpina. From the house alone but you will understand\\nthat this is private property and no one has the right to turn the priest\\nout of it, and I protest against the same. My protest has already been\\nmade to the priest himself at Dorado, but not to the central power\\nhere.\\nDr. Carroll. I have no administrative powers here in the island\\nwhatever. I think it would be well for you to call the matter to the\\nattention of General Brooke, who has full authority to attend to the\\nmatter.\\nFather Perpina. The royal cedula referred to has become, by rea-\\nson of existing circumstances, a fatal thing to the church that is, the\\npresent occupation of the Americans has made the working of that\\ncedula fatal, and I will give you the reason. As has been shown, this\\nroyal cedula deprives the clergy of their tithes and first fruits and\\nother small means of income which they had from the mayors of the\\ndifferent towns, and also took away from them the right of collection\\nof fees for the administration of sacraments, and they are now abso-\\nlutely without means of income of any kind whatever. The fact of\\nthe United States absolutely not recognizing the clergy, and wishing\\nto establish immediately the separation of the church and the state,\\nhas left the clergy without any means of support. The people of the\\ndifferent parishes all over the country, having been accustomed to\\nregard the priests not as ministers of God but as employees of the\\nGovernment, are not now disposed to make them payments for the\\nadministration of their office, and this state of affairs leaves them with-\\nout bread.\\nI, as head of the church, would have advised the United States to\\nestablish a separation between the church and state, because that is its\\nConstitution, but not immediately and suddenly as it has done. The\\nCatholic Church is destined to take care of the morals and the good\\nconduct of the people of this island, and if their means of subsistence\\nis taken away suddenly, I will have no clergy to look after the spirit-\\nual welfare of the people, and I consider that such a state of affairs\\nwill result in the moral degeneration of the people of the island. I, as\\nhead of the church, wish to beg of the commissioner that he recommend\\nthat the payment of the clergy be continued until such a time as a bishop\\ncould be brought here to the church and the church constituted under\\nnew auspices. This payment need not take the form of salary, but\\ncould be made as a sort of gratuity. I propose a plan under which that\\ncan be done, namely: That the municipalities take the place of the\\nstate and they pay out of their funds such salaries or gratuities as the\\nGovernment may desire the clergy to receive that in case the munici-\\npalities do not care to do this, the state can take it upon itself to do\\nso this measure being only temporary, as before stated. I am\\ninclined to fear that if the municipalties are asked to contribute to\\nthe church they will refuse to do so. I respect the Constitution of\\nthe United States because Catholics have to respect the reigning\\npower, but I think a plan might be arranged until a. permanent eccle-", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0663.jp2"}, "664": {"fulltext": "654\\nsiastical government could be introduced here. I, as head of the\\nchurch, will not consent that the municipalities, if they should make\\ndonations to the clergy, make them in the form of salary. We will\\naccept them only in the form of gratuities; the church does not want to\\nbe dependent upon the municipalities. I think it is unnecessary to\\nsay that church property, including the buildings and the land, will\\nremain the property of the church. I take that as an understood thing.\\nFrom time immemorial the propeily of the church has belonged to the\\nchurch. In most cases the churches have been built by the x^eople,\\nthough now and then the state has helped in the erection of church\\nbuildings, but I understand that such property will be respected.\\nDr. Carroll. I understand from Father Sherman that the property\\nis not held by the church, but is vested in the municipality, and that\\nthere is no way by which it can be confirmed to the church.\\nFather Perpina. Father Sherman is mistaken such is not the case.\\nDr. Carroll. How then is the title to church and parochial houses\\nheld by trustees or otherwise?\\nFather Perpina. The church has no title in the sense of documents\\nit has always been an understood thing that these properties belong\\nto the church.\\nDr. Carroll. Was not the property bought of some one?\\nFather Perpina. Most of the lands held by the church were gifts,\\nand the people who gave them did not bother about giving written\\ntitles. Most of the churches in the island were built on ground granted\\nby the government. The government would say to a church, on the\\nestablishment of a new town, We will give you such and such a plot\\nof ground in the middle of the town and you build a church.\\nDr. Carroll. Would not such a proposition, or decree, on the\\npart of the governor be evidenced by some writing?\\nFather Perpina. Much of this property has been held by the\\nchurch for several hundred years, and a paper lasts a hundred years\\nand is then dust. Moreover, everything in the way of gifts to the\\nchurch has been done in good faith without documentation.\\nDr. Carroll. Then is not the title to some of the church property\\nstill in the original donors as a matter of record?\\nFather Perpina. I do not know anything more about the question\\nthan this A pious man would say, Here is a piece of land I make\\nyou a present of it; build a church. There may still exist some\\ndocuments, but who knows where to find them?\\nDr. Carroll. I apprehend no difficulty in the confirmation to the\\nchurch of the property given to it, unless some of the heirs of the\\ndonors should make a legal claim, in which case it would be a matter\\nfor the courts. It would seem to be advisable that the church should\\ninquire into its title so far as possible with the view of having it con-\\nfirmed in a legal way. It will not be the purpose of the United States\\nto confiscate, for an} 7 purpose, property which rightfully belongs to\\nthe church.\\nFather Perpina. I will leave that matter for the bishop who comes\\nhere to attend to. I could not undertake it without launching myself\\ninto an overwhelming sea of perplexities; moreover, such a work\\nwould require the services of a secretary, and I have no money with\\nwhich to pay one.\\nDr. Carroll. Are the municipalities likely to lay claim to these\\nbuildings as municipal property?\\nFather Perpina. I have no fear of that at all, unless some persons", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0664.jp2"}, "665": {"fulltext": "655\\nfrom wrong motives look for opportunity to open unjust suits against\\nthe church. I do not anticipate such troubles, however.\\nDr. Carroll. Why have the municipalities ceased to pay the\\namounts you have referred to to the clergy?\\nFather Perpina. That was a payment made before the royal cedula\\nwas published. That decree wiped out all payments of that kind\\nand salaries were then paid out of the custom-house receipts of each\\ndistrict. The island is divided into a certain number of districts and\\nthe clergy have been paid from the custom-house of the district.\\nDr. Carroll. Do the clergy receive fees, matrimonial and others?\\nFather Perpina. They are not allowed to receive anyl)y law, but\\nthere have been abuses. Where these abuses have become known\\nthe clergy have been punished.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there no matrimonial fee?\\nFather Perpina. Yes, but it is very small any report to the contrary\\nis false. When people have come to ask the sacrament of marriage\\nor baptism and said they were unable to pay for it, the same has been\\nperformed gratuitously, at least in my time, and as far as I know.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there a considerable number of civil marriages\\nhere?\\nFather Perpina. All marriages are solemnized by the church.\\nWe do not recognize anything as marriage which is performed in any\\nother way. A person who is a Catholic is married always by the\\nchurch; if not married by the church he is not married at all, as we\\nview it.\\nDr. Carroll. Are many persons living here in the relation of mar-\\nriage between whom the church ceremony has never taken place?\\nFather Perpina. Many, many, many.\\nDr. Carroll. Are they generally negroes?\\nFather Perpina. Yes they are generally negroes. There are also\\nmarried people who have two wives and live together like Moors.\\nThis is a very immoral country.\\nDr. Carroll. Are those persons outside the pale of the church?\\nFather Perpina. Yes the church would not bury such a person in\\nconsecrated ground.\\nDr. Carroll. Does the church have parochial schools?\\nFather Perpina. No; previously in some small parishes where\\nthere were no schools the government allowed the clergy to establish\\nparochial schools, but since the introduction of general education the\\nschools have been taken out of their hands. They have only their\\nsystem of schools for the education of young men for the priesthood.\\nDr. Carroll. Has it been the policy of the church to raise up a\\nnative priesthood?\\nFather Perpina. The tendency of the bishop has always been to\\nform the clergy from among the people themselves.\\nDr. Carroll. Are many of the present clergy natives of the island?\\nFather Perpina. Before the coming of the Americans to the island\\nthe priests were nearly all from Spain, for the reason that the natives\\nappear to have no desire to take up clerical matters. It would be\\ngreatly to the interest of the bishops if they should educate their priests\\nfrom natives, because foreign priests are always desiring to go back\\nto the Peninsula.\\nDr. Carroll. Are there colored priests?\\nFather Perpina. That is forbidden.\\nDr. Carroll. Forbidden by whom?\\nFather Perpina. By the clerical constitution of Spain. There are,", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0665.jp2"}, "666": {"fulltext": "656\\nhowever, some persons who have colored blood in their veins who are\\nin the priesthood, but they are persons who pass as white.\\nDr. Carroll. Are the colored people allowed the benefits of the\\nsacraments on the same basis as the whites?\\nFather Perpina. In that respect there is perfect equality.\\nDr. Carroll. What was the reason for the discrimination against\\ncolored men in the priesthood?\\nFather Perpina. I do not know the reason, but for myself I do not\\nconsider it desirable to see colored men with priestly robes adminis-\\ntering the sacraments, and if I were a bishop I would never ordain a\\ncolored man.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there a race prejudice that would prevent it?\\nFather Perpina. There is none. There has always been, though,\\na breach between the colored and the whites since the emancipation\\nof the slaves in the island. I think the colored people have been con-\\nceded many more liberties than they should have received, and what\\nthey have not been conceded they have taken.\\nDr. Carroll. How many services are held in the parish churches?\\nAre they held only on Sundays, and if only on Sundays, how many\\nservices a day?\\nFather Perpina. That is a question that can not be answered in the\\nway it is asked. The church is open every day. On Sunday there is\\nonly one mass, but anyone desiring a special mass can have it cele-\\nbrated by paying for it. On week days there are two masses; the\\nmass on Sunday, however, is a more solemn mass. The church is\\nopen all day.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there a sermon every day?\\nFather Perpina. There is no rule about that sermons are not\\npreached as a matter of course. The magistrado preaches the lenten\\nsermon. Sometimes a man provides in his will for certain services\\nfor a particular church, and that money is invested to pay the priest\\nfor the purpose named. San Francisco Church has several such pro-\\nvisions for services, and consequently has more sermons than others.\\nDr. Carroll. What are the principal ecclesiastical days of the\\nyear?\\nFather Perpina. Our ecclesiastical days are not peculiar to the\\nisland, but are the same as those indicated in Catholic books every-\\nwhere. I think they are the same precisely as those observed in the\\nUnited States.\\nDr. Carroll. I have been told that the women were very faithful\\nto the church, but that the men seldom attended the sacraments or\\nthe confessionals.\\nFather Perpina. As is generally the case in other places for\\ninstance, in France and Spain, the woman is more generally religious\\nthan the man; but it is not true that the men of Porto Rico are\\nentirely indifferent to religion or that the women do not try to\\ninfluence the men in religious matters. There are men here who are\\nextremely pious and good Catholics.\\nDr. Carroll. What about the positions left vacant by those priests\\nwho have gone to Spain?\\nFather Perpina. As soon as it may become known that the clergy\\nwill be supported I can fill the parishes. The Spanish Government\\ntook from the Dominican and Franciscan monks, who were established\\nhere, in the year 1837 the property which they then held, and instead\\nof selling this property to private individuals they rented it and have\\nbeen receiving the rental or interest from those who hold the property", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0666.jp2"}, "667": {"fulltext": "657\\nI think that these rentals should no longer be paid to the Spanish\\nGovernment, but should be paid to the church to which they belong.\\nDr. Carroll. Are the properties extensive?\\nFather Perpina. Those sold outright were extensive, and as to them\\nthere is, of course, no remedy. I can not give the particulars of the\\nproperty nor the amounts that have been paid; all I know is that\\nthey are the property of the church. You should inquire for a list of\\nthe property which paid censo, formerly belonging to the Dominican\\nand Franciscan monks.\\nThe budget of worship for 1897-98,\\n[Collated by order of the Vicario Capitular.]\\nCATHEDRAL CLERGY.\\nPesos.\\n1 bishop 9,000\\n1 dean 1 3,000\\n1 archdeacon 1 2, 500\\n1 chantre (music) 2,500\\n1 penitenciario (discipline) 2, 000\\n1 secretary 2, 000\\n1 magistral 2,000\\n2 canons, at 2,000 pesos each 4,000\\n2 racioneros, at 1,500 pesos each 3,000\\n2 half racioneros, at 1,200 pesos each 2, 400\\nAssistant clergy j.\u00e2\u0080\u009e 6,000\\nFor music 4,000\\n42,400\\nPAROCHIAL CLERGY.\\n12 cures serving in parishes de termino, at 1,500 pesos each 18, 000\\n21 coadjutors perpetual for the same parishes, at 600 pesos each _ 12, 600\\n12 sacristans for the same parishes, at 150 pesos each 1, 800\\n17 cures for parishes de ascenso, at 1 ,000 pesos each 17, 000\\n17 coadjutors perpetual for the same parishes, at 600 pesos each 10, 200\\n17 sacristans for the same parishes, at 150 pesos each 2, 550\\n59 curas de ingreso, at 700 pesos each. 41, 300\\n13 coadjutors, at 600 pesos each 7, 800\\n59 sacristans for 59 parishes de ingreso, at 150 pesos each 8, 850\\n1 priest in pharge of the church of Santo Domingo in San Juan 480\\n1 coadjutor in San Juan 360\\n1 priest in charge of Our Lady of Balbanera 500\\n1 priest in charge of the Church of the Carmelite Mothers 600\\nMaintenance of congregation of missioners 6,000\\n128, 040\\nNote. The foregoing estimates are not an exact statement of expenses, as some\\nof the positions therein mentioned were always unoccupied, in which case the\\namounts not paid remained in the royal coffers.\\nECCLESIASTICAL JUDICIARY.\\nPesos\\n1 judge ..2,500\\n1 fiscal 1,700\\n4,200\\nNote. When either of the two officers above mentioned are in enjoyment of\\nother ecclesiastical salaries, they can only claim one-half of the salaries reserved\\nas above.\\n1125 42", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0667.jp2"}, "668": {"fulltext": "658\\nThe budget of worship for 1S97-9S\u00e2\u0080\u0094 Continued.\\nEXPENSE OF BULLS.\\nAppropriation to the commissary of indulgences 350\\nAppropriation to the notary 270\\n620\\nConciliar Seminary 3, 000\\nCATHEDRAL AND PARISHES MATERIAL.\\nAppropriation for expense of material for the cathedral 3, 000\\nAppropriation for 12 parishes de termino, at 300 pesos each 3, 600\\nAppropriation for 17 parishes de ascenso, at 250 pesos each 4, 250\\nAppropriation for 59 parishes de ingreso, at 200 pesos each. 11. 800\\nFor expense for the church of Santo Domingo _ 500\\nFor expense for the church of Carmelite Mothers 200\\n23, 350\\nECCLESIASTICAL JUDICIARY MATERIAL.\\nExpense of office:\\nSecretary for judge 75\\nSecretary for fiscal 60\\n135\\nSUMMARY.\\nAmount required to meet expenses of the clergy for one year, salaries and supplies:\\nPesos.\\nCathedral clergy 42,400\\nParochial clergy. ..-._. 128,040\\nEcclesiastical judiciary 4. 200\\nExpense of bulls 620\\nConciliar seminary 3. 000\\nCathedral and parishes material 23. 350\\nEcclesiastical judiciary material. 135\\n201,745\\nCLERICAL FEES.\\nSan Juan, P. R., October 28, 1S98.\\nPedro Piza, a Catholic priest, sought an interview with the com-\\nmissioner with the object of ascertaining how he could disclaim alle-\\ngiance to the Roman Catholic Church. He volunteered the following-\\nstatement\\nThe Catholic Church has been much neglected on the part of the\\nclergy. All the church property and buildings have been left in a\\nstate of poverty and disrepair. With respect to preaching, priests\\nhave not complied with their duties, and consequent indifference has\\nresulted on the people s part. To show that the people are not inher-\\nently indifferent to religious teaching, I can state that when I took\\nover the parish of Utuado a maximum attendance at the two daily\\nmasses was fifteen persons. When I left the parish, the minimum\\nattendance was a hundred persons.\\nIn spite of the law of 1858 the clergy has continued to collect heavy\\nfees for the celebration of sacraments, leading to their nonobservance", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0668.jp2"}, "669": {"fulltext": "659\\nby the country people in general. The fees collected have averaged\\nabout as follows:\\nMatrimony:\\nSimple service $10. 00\\nMore elaborate service .._ 16.00\\nBurial:\\nSimple service 14. 00\\nMore elaborate service 22.00\\nMasses 1 00\\nThese rates have been further increased, according to the ability of\\nthe person interested to pay.\\nSUBVENTIONS.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nSan Juan, P. R., November 4, 1898.\\nSenor Don Jose Lopez y Ortiz de Zarate, an official of the insti-\\ntute and secretary of the board of health\\nMr. Zarate. I have brought you a statement of what the state paid\\nto the clergy of the island. As regards the fees charged by the clergy,\\nit is impossible to give that. I paid a wedding fee of 16 pesos when I\\nwas married.\\nDr. Carroll. The secretary of the treasury, Mr. Blanco, stated\\nthat these fees had been abolished by law and that the priests had no\\nauthority for making such charges.\\nMr. Zarate. The fees are illegal. All functions of the church were\\nsupposed to be administered free of every charge, but many abuses\\nhave been committed, which have produced numerous complaints, but\\nthese complaints have been pigeonholed.\\nDr. Carroll. To whom were the complaints made?\\nMr. Zarate. To the central ecclesiastical authorities.\\nDr. Carroll. Can you give us any information regarding the prop-\\nerty of the church that property particularly which the church may\\nhave acquired by will or otherwise in recent years?\\nMr. Zarate. The church is the owner of a large amount of prop-\\nerty in this and other cities of the island. Several properties are still\\nunder obligation to pay what is called censo, which is a charge on the\\nproperty usually contracted by the free will of its original owner, who\\nwould leave- the property to his heirs subject to this annual charge.\\nThe clergy continue collecting this. The church also owned several\\nagricultural estates, notably in San German, where the church owned\\nan estate called the Porto Coeli but when the state took over the\\nresponsibility of maintaining the clergy, the lands belonging to this\\nestate were nearly all sold to private parties.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you any idea of the income that the church\\nreceives from its investments and the annual dues you have referred to?\\nMr. Zarate. I have not; but I will see the ecclesiastical collector\\nand try to get a statement of it.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you know what convents there are in the island?\\nMr. Zarate. There is only one to-day; it is under the charge of\\nthe Carmelite nuns and is situated in San Juan in front of the cathe-\\ndral.\\nDr. Carroll. How is that supported; by charity?\\nMr. Zarate. They are very poor; we may say they have hardly", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0669.jp2"}, "670": {"fulltext": "660\\nany funds. By an unforeseen accident the funds were carried off to\\nSpain.\\n(Dr. Carroll at this point directed the attention of Mr. Zarate to an\\nitem in the budget of the provincial deputation providing for the\\npayment of certain Sisters of Charity, and asked him to state the\\npurpose of it.\\nMr. Zarate. This is salary paid by the municipality to twenty-\\nthree Sisters of Charity, at 18 pesos a month each, for their services\\nin the beneficencia and the insane asylum.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the seventh article of the first chapter of\\nthe third division of fomento in the estimates of the provincial depu-\\ntation?\\nMr. Zarate. This is a pure business matter and a scandalous\\nrobbery. The amount of 12,940 pesos was paid to the Escolapian\\nFathers for the management of a college situated in the suburbs of\\nSan Juan, known as Santurce. In addition to this amount, each pupil\\npaid 25 pesos a month to the priests for instruction.\\nDr. Carroll. Why are they called Escolapian Fathers?\\nMr. Zarate. Because they belong to the order of San Jose de\\nCalasans, which founded this society of Escolapian Fathers.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the eighth item, called Secret Heart of\\nJesus?\\nMr. Zarate. It is an amount of 3,000 pesos paid by the municipality\\nof San Juan to uncloistered nuns who manage a girls school, in which\\neach pupil pays from 35 to 40 pesos a month for instruction also a\\npiece of robbery. The municipality was obliged, in case the number\\nof pupils did not come up to the regulation number, to pay out of its\\ntreasury such a sum as would complete the amount that they would\\notherwise have received.\\nDr. Carroll. Was this in pursuance of a contract that this amount\\nof 3,000 pesos should be paid?\\nMr. Zarate. Yes; the Government pledged it.\\nREAL ESTATE OF THE CHURCH.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nSan Juan, P. R., November 7, 1898.\\nMr. Manuel de Caneja (Canonigo Lectoral). I have been\\ndirected by the vicar-general, in view of my having been secretary of\\nthe bishopric for twenty-three years, to come here to answer questions\\nrelating to his office.\\nDr. Carroll. The information furnished by the vicar-general and\\nthis gentleman (Senor Zarate) has been so full that I have but few\\nadditional points to be covered. I asked Mr. Zarate the other day a\\nquestion which he preferred some one else should answer, respecting\\nwhat property the church has received by will and otherwise in the\\nlast few years.\\nMr. Caneja. Real estate is not possessed to-day by the church, with\\nthe exception of the church buildings and parish houses in the vari-\\nous parishes of the island. What real estate was possessed formerly\\nby the church was taken possession of by the government, and prop-\\nerty to-day owned by the church and dedicated to pay the interest on\\nholy works, such as charities, alms, etc., is in the form of censos, or\\nmortgages, on real estate.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0670.jp2"}, "671": {"fulltext": "661\\nDr. Carroll. Have you any idea as to the amount of income from\\nthese sources annually for the entire island?\\nMr. Caneja. I wish it to be thoroughly understood that the amount\\ncollected from these mortgages is not, strictly speaking, income for\\nthe general use of the church, but is in the form of legacies willed by\\npersons who have desired, for instance, to have certain masses cele-\\nbrated on anniversaries of their death, or sermons, or some form of\\nreligious celebration maintained. These amounts are collected sepa-\\nrately by each clerical district for instance, that of the cathedral,\\nperhaps amounting to $3,000. To give you the total amount I should\\nnave to refer to the documents of each clerical section, as most\\nchurches have their own income, although small, from these sources.\\nDr. Carroll. There is, then, no invested fund or property from\\nwhich the church receives income?\\nMr. Caneja. No. As I said before, there are parish houses which\\nin most cases belong to the parish church, but not in all cases.\\nThese are chiefly of stone, but sometimes of wood, and were built in\\nmost cases by subscription of their respective congregations, or by\\ngeneral donations, in which the municipalities sometimes lent a hand.\\nThe censo is the right of the church to collect a dividend on the\\nincome of certain houses. This, as I have said, has usually been\\nacquired by will and is a right which is a permanent charge upon the\\nproperty. The owner of the property subject to the censo, on the\\nsale of the same, sells the property subject to that charge. This is\\nperpetual unless the interested party wishes to redeem the same.\\nDr. Carroll. Which can be done, presumably, for a sum agreed\\nupon?\\nMr. Caneja. It must be for the exact amount which was deeded.\\nThis censo, although perpetual with regard to the church, is not per-\\npetual with regard to the owner of the property affected by it that\\nis to say, he can have it transferred from one property to another\\nand it is common for owners of houses subject to censo to apply to\\nthe bishop to have the tax removed from one property to another.\\nShould the property proposed constitute a due guaranty the church\\nnever refuses to make the transfer. When the amount of the censo\\nis accounted the church does not consider it is entitled to hold the\\nsum realized for its own uses, but has to invest it again in some form,\\nso that it will produce an income by which to respect the will of the\\ntestator.\\nDr. Carroll. I would like to ask in whom the titles of churches\\nand parochial houses is vested?\\nMr. Caneja. As the parish priests have lived continuously in the\\nparish houses since their construction without title, the title thereto\\ncan be considered one of possession only and not of documentation.\\nAs regards the churches, the hypothecary law of Spain in one of its\\nparagraphs expressly prohibits the inscription of churches; conse-\\nquently the title of these is also one of possession only.\\nDr. Carroll. I would like to ask what services are held regularly\\non Sunday? What are the usual services at the cathedral?\\nMr. Caneja. When the church was at its full enjoyment of powers\\nhere, with its various officials, the celebrations of the holy sacraments\\nwere conducted with full pomp and magnificence, and 12 masses were\\nsung every Sunday. Owing to the reduced number of the clergy now\\nofficiating, most of them having gone away on account of lack of\\nmeans of support, not more than three masses are celebrated, of\\nwhich only one is sung. To-day the solemn mass is sung accom-", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0671.jp2"}, "672": {"fulltext": "662\\npanied by the organ only. Formerly it was sung accompanied by\\nmusical instruments and a choir.\\nDr. Carroll. Do the people commune at the high mass or only at\\nthe two stated masses\\nMr. Caneja. They can partake of the sacraments at any of the\\nmasses they wish, but they usually prefer to do it at the early mass,\\nas the sacrament has to be celebrated while fasting, and no one cares\\nto fast longer than is necessary. We priests have to do it as a matter\\nof duty, except on Holy Thursday, when eveiybody participates in\\nthe sacrament at the holy mass held at 10 o clock.\\nDr. Carroll. About how many communicants are there under the\\npresent regime.\\nMr. Caneja. Communion is celebrated in various churches in San\\nJuan, the churches of Santa Ana, San Jose, San Francisco, the\\nchurch of the Carmelite Monks, the chapel of the San Franciscan\\nOrder, the chapel of the Beneficencia, the chapel of San Ildefonso,\\nthe chapel of the Orphanage, the chapel attached to the hospital used\\nby the order called Siervas de Maria, the chapel of the arsenal,\\nChrist Church, the Santa Rosa Chapel and Cemetery, the chapel of\\nthe cemetery, and the chapel of the prison. Those are the principal\\nones. It is impossible to give you an idea of the number of commu-\\nnicants of all of them.\\nDr. Carroll. I simply was inquiring about the number at the\\ncathedral.\\nMr. Caneja. There are from one to two hundred a month there,\\nbut a larger number in the churches of San Jose and Santa Ana,\\nbecause of the larger number of priests attached to them.\\nDr. Carroll. How often are confirmation services held?\\nMr. Caneja. We don t have them, because the bishop is not here.\\nWhen he was here he held confirmation services in a parish every\\nSunday, and as he paid his visits through the island, remaining four,\\nfive, or eight days in a town, he conducted those ceremonies.\\nDr. Carroll. I would like to ask about baptism. I suppose it is\\nuniversal in the island?\\nMr. Caneja. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Is it performed at the house where the child is born\\nor in the parochial houses?\\nMr. Caneja. In the churches. Under very strict laws it is com-\\npulsory for baptisms to be performed in the churches, the exceptions\\nbeing those of utmost necessity or the approach of death.\\nMARRIAGE FEES.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nAguadilla, P. R., January 21, 1809.\\nDr. Carroll. According to the returns I have received from the\\nmunicipalities, the number of illegitimate births is almost equal to\\nthat of legitimate births. How do you explain that?\\nMr. Torregrosa (a lawyer). That is of very remote origin. It\\ndates from the time of slavery. It is owing a great deal to the per-\\nnicious influence and example given by the slaveowners, who, when\\nthey saw a good-looking colored girl, would take her for their own\\npurposes and the people gradually imitated that. In the country\\ndistricts you will find that condition very general. Another reason", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0672.jp2"}, "673": {"fulltext": "663\\nis the apathy of \u00c2\u00a3he clergy, who never take journeys into the country,\\nwho never preach moral precepts to the people, and who never take\\nany interest in the home life of the people. The people could easily\\nhave been taught, as they are docile.\\nDr. Carroll. Do they ever hesitate to get married because of the\\nfees?\\nMr. Torregrosa. That was also one of the reasons.\\nDr. Carroll. What are those fees? I understand that they are all\\nillegal, but that the clergy have been accustomed to charge them in\\nspite of that fact.\\nMr. Torregrosa. They used to create difficulties on purpose to be\\nin a position to smooth over difficulties afterwards aud collect more\\nfor the marriage.\\nDr. Carroll. In Utuado they told me the fees generally charged\\nwere about $6 seldom less than that.\\nMr. Torregrosa. Here they charge as high as $16.\\nDr. Carroll. I suppose it is almost impossible for the poor to raise\\nthat amount?\\nMr. Torregrosa. Yes; quite impossible.\\nDr. Carroll. Are the people here generally interested in the church\\nare they quite faithful to their church duties?\\nMr. Torregrosa. Among the men of the country generally there is\\na state of almost complete indifference. The women, however, are\\nmore pious. In this city, especially, the women are noted for their\\npiety.\\nCHURCHES AND CEMETERIES.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nMayaguez, P. R., January 24, 1899.\\nDr. Carroll. Under whose control is the cemetery as to sepultures\\nto whom is application made?\\nDon Cartagena (president of board of public works). To the\\nmunicipal judge. If any person not a Catholic is buried there, the\\ncure opposes it.\\nDr. Carroll. Where does the priest want people who die outside\\nof the Catholic Church to be buried?\\nDon Cartagena. There is a separate part for Freemasons and\\nProtestants. It is a part of the cemetery, but it is not consecrated.\\nDr. Carroll. Does the priest oppose the burial of persons in ground\\nnot consecrated?\\nDon Cartagena. No. The part where the Protestants are buried\\nis in a very bad condition.\\nDr. Carroll. Has the municipality taken any steps looking to the\\nsecularization of the cemetery?\\nDon Cartagena. Not yet. They have not allowed Freemasons to\\nbe buried there, but in the cases of Masons who have left money, their\\nfriends have had them buried in the Catholic portion. Anything of\\nthat kind can be arranged with money.\\nDr. Carroll. How many churches are there in this city?\\nDon Cartagena. One here, and another being built by private per-\\nsons.\\nDr. Carroll. How many cures are there?\\nDon Cartagena. Four.\\nDr. Carroll. How are they supported now?", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0673.jp2"}, "674": {"fulltext": "6G4\\nDon Cartagena. I don t know.\\nDr. Carroll. Probably by voluntary support, as they get nothing\\nfrom the municipal budget.\\nDon Cartagena. Absolutely nothing.\\nDr. Carroll. What fees do they have?\\nDon Cartagena. They ask fees for marriage, burial, and other\\noffices.\\nDr. Carroll. When the cure gives a license for sepulture, does he\\ncharge for it?\\nDon Cartagena. He does not give the permission. The municipal\\njudge does that.\\nDr. Carroll. Does the license for burial cost anything?\\nDon Cartagena. Nothing.\\nCHURCH PROPERTY IN HUMACAO.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nHumacao, P. R., February 1, 1899.\\nDr. Carroll. How does the title of municipal property appear?\\nMr. Masperrer (mayor). It is registered as the property of the\\nmunicipality.\\nDr. Carroll. What appears as property of the municipality besides\\nthe alcaldia?\\nMr. Masferrer. The city hall, valued at $25,000. The church was\\nbuilt by the people, but was taken by the Spanish Government accord-\\ning to its custom. It is not registered, but belongs to the municipality.\\nThe same is true of the custom-house. It was built by private par-\\nties merchants and others and taken by the Government.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there any record of that?\\n(No one present could answer the question.)\\nMr. Masperrer. The church is valued at 145,000. The municipal-\\nity also owns the plaza principal, which cost $10,000; another build-\\ning, used as a meat market, valued at $8,000; another building, used\\nto-day as barracks for the American soldiers, valued at $20,000; also\\na building used as a slaughterhouse, valued at $3,000; a building-\\nused as a smallpox hospital, valued at $3,000; the cemetery, which\\nhas a wall around it and a deadhouse, valued at $5,000 (not regis-\\ntered) a building lot worth $300. That is all of the municipal prop-\\nerty.\\nDr. Carroll. How was the church built?\\nMr. Masferrer. The municipality in its annual budget would assign\\na sum in the nature of a special municipal tax, and all were required\\nto pay it.\\nDr. Carroll. Who owned the site of the church?\\nMr. Masferrer. It was municipal property. The whole of the city\\ndistrict was the gift of a lady, according to tradition, for the forma-\\ntion of the city. We have no documents to substantiate the tradi-\\ntion, but it has never been disputed.\\nDr. Carroll. Have the courts recognized that tradition in cases\\ninvolving questions of title?\\nMr. Masperrer. Yes for more than sixty years it has been an\\naccepted fact.\\nDr. Carroll. How long ago was the church built?\\nMr. Masferrer. About the year 1870.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0674.jp2"}, "675": {"fulltext": "665\\nDr. Carroll. Would there be any objection on the part of the peo-\\nple of this town to having the title of this property made over to the\\nchurch?\\nMr. Miguel Argueso. I think not. The building was erected for\\nuse as a Catholic church and should be used for that purpose.\\nMr. Antonio Roig. As the Catholic church in the island is rich\\nand the city of Humacao poor, I think the church should be sold to\\nthe ecclesiastical authorities.\\nMr. Argueso. If the ecclesiastical authorities should refuse to pur-\\nchase, we would be left with a church building on our hands with\\nnobody to attend to it, and so would lose the benefit of worship here.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you think it would be fair to the church to com-\\npel it to pay for a building constructed for its purposes exclusively\\nand which it has used without payment of rent for many years? I\\nwould like to have the general opinion here in regard to that.\\nJudge Fulladosa. The church here was built by the people and\\nfor the people, as Catholics, when there were no other religions here.\\nIt is not possible to transfer it, nor can it be used for any other\\npurpose.\\nDr. Carroll. I think a legal way can be found by the United\\nStates to settle this matter. It may be a cause of trouble. This\\nchurch building seems to be neither church property nor municipal\\nproperty. The control of it seems to be somewhat vague. It would\\nseem to me that all this class of cases should be settled. I am not a\\nRoman Catholic myself, but it is my opinion that the churches should\\nbe confirmed to the church, because they were built for the Catholic\\nChurch and for Catholic worship, and unless the title rests exclu-\\nsively in the municipality it ought to be confirmed to the church.\\nThat is my opinion in regard to the question.\\nMr. Roig. Who will attend to the repair of the church if it is trans-\\nferred?\\nDr. Carroll. That would be a matter for the church; if not repaired\\nit will fall down and the people can not use it. Of course, if the title\\nof the property is conceded to be in the municipality and it is not trans-\\nferred to the Catholic Church, the city ought to exact some responsi-\\nbility about its being kept in repair.\\nA Gentleman. The municipal council has no power in the premises\\nit can neither sell the property nor give it away.\\nJudge Fulladosa. The church was built for the Catholics, for their\\nuse, and I think they should attend to its repairs. After a while the\\ncouncil may change and a Protestant become a member of it, who might\\nobject to the municipality contributing to pay for repairs to the church.\\nAs to transferring the title, I do not think it could be transferred to\\nany society or corporate body.\\nDr. Carroll. What do you think ought to be done?\\nJudge Fulladosa. I think that Catholics ought to pay for the repairs\\nof the church, as I have said, and if they fail to do so the property will\\nhave to fall.\\nDr. Carroll. But the title of the property ought to be vested some-\\nwhere.\\nJudge Fulladosa. The building does not belong to the municipality\\nas a municipality, but to the municipality as a Catholic body, because\\nit was built under Catholic laws for Catholics.\\nMr. Thomas Ortero. The church belongs to the 15,000 people of\\nthe district and they only can resolve the question.\\nDr. Carroll. If the municipality bought it and paid for it by tax*es,", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0675.jp2"}, "676": {"fulltext": "666\\nI should say it belonged to the municipality. You can not distinguish\\nbetween a Catholic and a non-Catholic municipality.\\nA Gentleman. Those who helped to build the church did not do so\\nbecause they wanted to; the object of providing for Catholic worship\\ndid not enter into it at all. A tax was levied and all had to pay it.\\nJudge Fulladosa. My point is That when the church was built the\\npeople paid their assessments without protest; consequently they\\nacceded to the levy.\\nA Gentleman. With respect to the fact that there was no protest,\\nit would have been regarded little less than treasonable for anyone\\nto have protested.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there any casa parochial?\\nMr. Masferrer. No.\\nDr. Carroll. Is the title to the cemetery registered?\\nMr. Masferrer. No.\\nDr. Carroll. Who administers it?\\nMr. Masferrer. The municipality in conjunction with the priest.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you taken any measures to provide for the\\nburial of non-Catholics?\\nMr. Masferrer. The municipality has asked the authorities at San\\nJuan for the secularization of the cemetery. At present we have a\\nlittle ground apart from the cemetery in which we bury persons who\\nare not Catholics.\\nDr. Carroll. Is the consent of the cure necessary in order to bury\\na person in the cemetery proper?\\nMr. Masferrer. Yes; his permission is necessary.\\nCHURCH PROPERTY IN YABUCOA.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nYabtjcoa, February 2, 1899.\\nMr. Martorell, mayor of Yabucoa The title of the church prop-\\nerty in Yabucoa is not vested in the municipality but in the state.\\nThe property has always been used for public worship, and the church\\nshould be given the title of it, if possible. This can not be done by\\nthe municipality, but may be done by the state.\\nCHURCH PROPERTY IN GUAYAMA.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nGuayama, P. R., February 3, 1899.\\nFather Baldomero Montanes (the parish priest of Guayama)\\nDr. Carroll. As the special commissioner of the President of the\\nUnited States, it is important for me to inquire into the church ques-\\ntion, as into all other questions relating to the condition of the island,\\nbecause the church question, at present, is more or less complicated\\nwith the state question. Under the American idea church and state\\nare separate, but there is a property question involved here which is\\na very important one, and in every municipality to which I go I am\\ntaking testimony with reference to it. Have you been rector here a\\nnumber of years?", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0676.jp2"}, "677": {"fulltext": "667\\nFather Montanes. For twenty-one years I have been parish priest;\\nfive years parish priest here, and then I was transferred to another\\ndistrict, and this last time have been here four years. I have been\\nin Mayaguez, Cabo Rojo, Caguas, and Aguadilla.\\nDr. Carroll. You are familiar with the history of this building, I\\nsuppose?\\nFather Montanes. No because there is a great deficiency of data.\\nThis church dates its first construction back to the last century.\\nAfter that it was destiwed and was replaced by a provisional chapel\\nbuilt of wood. In the year 1872 this building was finished and dedi-\\ncated to public worship. The building is menaced with deterioration\\nowing to a leak in the roof, which should be repaired. I gave the\\napostolic delegate this information, which I sent him on request.\\nDr. Carroll. They told us at the city hall that money from the\\ncity treasury built the church and therefore they felt that the build-\\ning belonged to the municipality and not to the church.\\nFather Montanes. I do not claim that it belongs to us as a body,\\nbecause under the Spanish law church property belongs to nobody,\\nbut to religion. Under that law, even if a private man builds a\\nchurch, from the moment it is built and consecrated to Catholic wor-\\nship, he loses his ownership over it.\\nDr. Carroll. In what code is that found?\\nFather Montanes. I can not inform you where that law is found.\\nDr. Carroll. Is it in one of the codes, or is it part of the Spanish\\nreligious constitution?\\nFather Montanes It will be found in the canonical law, but in\\nSpain that law forms a part of the State law. A short time ago an\\nofficial in the capital gave certain instructions about the cemetery,\\nand he quoted the same law that I am speaking about as upholding\\nthe position. He even quotes foreign law and United States law to\\nmake good this principle. The capitular vicar, who is our chief to-day,\\ngave those instructions.\\nDr. Carroll. They didn t claim at the city hall that they wanted\\nto use the church for any other purpose, but that if they are to turn it\\nover to the church, while they would not want back all that they had\\nput into it, they would ask a portion of it.\\nFather Montanes. What is the municipality? It is a body repre-\\nsenting the people, and if the people are Catholics it represents\\nCatholics.\\nDr. Carroll. Under the Spanish law, but not under the law of the\\nUnited States.\\nFather Montanes. In the municipality are two or three enemies\\nof the church, beginning with the alcalde, who call themselves\\nCatholics.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the mayor s reason for enmity toward the\\nchurch?\\nFather Montanes. He is a freethinker. He likes liberty of thought\\nand boasts of it.\\nDr. Carroll. Is he in the communion of the church?\\nFather Montanes. He is considered a communicant of the church\\nuntil the church formally expels him, but as to his ideas he is not\\nreally a communicant. He and two or three other councillors origi-\\nnated the idea of renting the church and the cemetery. This town\\nis in exceptional circumstances, owing to the war. In this town more\\nsoldiers died than in any other, and per force of circumstances they\\nhad to bury them here, and the mayor was the person who gave the\\nauthority to bury them. If the Catholics of Guayama were what they", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0677.jp2"}, "678": {"fulltext": "668\\nought to be, they would already have taken other steps than they\\nhave taken.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you hold that the repairs of the church should\\nbe made by the municipalit}-?\\nFather Montanes. It should be paid for by the Catholics, and as\\nthe ayuntamiento represents Catholics, it should pay for the repairs.\\nDr. Carroll. No; the municipalities are now under the control\\nof the American Government, and the American idea with regard to\\nstate and church is now in force in this island.\\nFather Montanes. Haven t the ayuntamientos been elected by the\\npeople?\\nDr. Carroll. But what the people might do as Catholics and what\\nthey might do as municipalities are separate things under the present\\ngovernment.\\nFather Montanes. Suppose we, as Catholics, to-day got together to\\nelect a Catholic ayuntamiento. Whatever may happen from now on,\\nat least up to now everything has been Catholic. We can only guide\\nourselves by what has been. In that light we can only look upon the\\nproperty of the church as being Catholic.\\nDr. Carroll. But if the property belongs to the church and I am\\nnot in a position to discuss that it seems to me to be the duty of the\\nchurch to keep it in repair, and not the duty of the municipality.\\nFather Montanes. Yes; as soon as it is formally declared to be the\\nproperty of the church.\\nDr. Carroll. But in the meantime you are occupying it, and it is\\nto your interest to keep it in habitable condition.\\nFather Montanes. Are the ayuntamientos not able to subvention\\nthe church for repairs?\\nDr. Carroll. If they keep a church in repair, they would expect\\nto charge rent for it. It seems to me important that this church prop-\\nerty question should be settled now. In course of time there will be\\nan influx of Americans here; some Americans are Protestants and\\nsome are Catholics, and the population of this town will be a mixed\\npopulation, and if this question is not settled there will be heard voices\\nof objection to allowing the Catholics to occupy the church. You\\nstated, when we were in the church, that the average number of persons\\nat masses was 32. That, of course, is a very small number in a munici-\\npal district that embraces 15,000 people. How do you account for it?\\nFather Montanes. Although there is laxity, the fact that every\\nCatholic in the country, when he comes to die, wishes to receive the\\nCatholic sacrament, proves that they are not apostates. There is an\\nimmense amount of indifference and coolness, but, as I say, when it\\ncomes to the deathbed they always want the rites of the church.\\nEven the free thinkers themselves, when they are going to die, call\\nfor the priest.\\nAt the Alcaldia:\\nDr. Carroll. You speak of appropriating $50 for repairs to the\\nchurch. Is the church property in the name of the municipality?\\nMr. Dominguez (mayor). It is municipal property and is in the\\ninventory, but it is not registered, because it has not been customary\\nto register public property. The church was built in 1873.\\nDr. Carroll. Was it built by funds from the municipal treasury,\\nraised by assessment?\\nMr. Dominguez. The church was built by the surplus of the\\nmunicipal budget every year and the collection of old taxes which had\\nbeen considered uncollectible. The people were asked whether the", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0678.jp2"}, "679": {"fulltext": "669\\nsurplus should be used for church purposes and they agreed to use it.\\nin that way.\\nDr. Carroll. What is proposed now as to the settlement of the\\ntitle of church property? Are the people willing that the title should\\nbe made over to the Catholics?\\nMr. Dominguez. We have not taken that matter up yet, and I can\\nnot tell you what the feeling will be. I think when the matter is\\ntreated of in the council they will not consent to make a present of\\nthe church to the ecclesiastical body.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you regard this as distinctly municipal property,\\nor was it not turned over to the state, the state making appropria-\\ntions for the support of the church?\\nMr. Dominguez. I consider that the church belongs to the munici-\\nX ality as long as we have it in our inventory. The clergy have never\\nregistered it, and the hypothecary law says that until a better title is\\nshown, it is the property of the party having some form of title.\\nDr. Carroll. This church question will be an important one when\\nPorto Rico passes completely under the control of the United States,\\nwhich makes separation of church and state necessary, and I have\\nbeen inquiring as to what is the best way in which this question of\\nchurch property should be settled. As the churches were built, in all\\ninstances, for the Catholics and Catholic worship, and were intended\\nfor people who worship that way, it would seem that the buildings\\nshould belong to them. If the property is retained as municipal prop-\\nerty or under municipal management, as non-Catholics increase the\\nquestion may arise as to whether the church should be allowed to use\\nthe property, and it seems to me that the question should be settled\\nas soon as the new government is established.\\nMr. Dominguez. In that case, we will have to take the voice of the\\nmeeting and the vote of the council, and inscribe the property.\\nDr. Carroll. There is no question as to your right to hold the\\nbuilding or whatever belongs to you. The question might arise in the\\nfuture as to the use of the building or the amount of rental that should\\nbe charged, and non-Catholics might say that they have as good a\\nright to it, a part of the time, as the Catholics, and so a great deal of\\ncontention might arise.\\nMr. Dominguez. This is a Catholic country, and the municipality\\ndoes not wish to interfere, for the present, with the functions of the\\nCatholic priest; but we mean to assert our right to the property, and\\nwe want the right to mortgage it, if we so desire.\\nDr. Carroll. You make a very small appropriation for the church.\\nI suppose that is because it is a municipal building and you feel that\\nyou ought to do something for it but would it not be well, in carry-\\ning out the spirit of separation between church and state, to compel\\nthe occupants to pay that amount by way of rental?\\nMr. Dominguez. This budget was made while the Spaniards were\\nin possession, and next year there will be no amount. They will have\\nto attend to it next year.\\nDr. Carroll. How much would the municipality require to be will-\\ning to transfer the property to the Catholic Church? Would they\\nrequire all thej^ had put in it, or a nominal amount which would rep-\\nresent the interest of the city?\\nMr. Dominguez. I think they would dispose of it at a large reduc-\\ntion to settle the question. Thirty thousand dollars, I think, would\\nbe acceptable. It would be $30,000 we never reckoned on, and we\\ncould use it.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0679.jp2"}, "680": {"fulltext": "670\\nCHURCH PROPERTY IN ARROYO.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nArroyo, P. R., February 3, 1899.\\nFather Montaner, Mr. Virella, and others:\\nDr. Carroll. How is church property held in Arroyo?\\nMr. Virella. It was constructed by the people.\\nDr. Carroll. Is the title to it inscribed in the records?\\nMr. Virella. No; these buildings were all turned over to the state,\\nand the state has them under its charge.\\nDr. Carroll. Was it built by taxation?\\nMr. Virella. No; by popular subscription.\\n(The cure of Arroyo was present at the hearing, and Dr. Carroll\\nquestioned him as follows:)\\nDr. Carroll. With your permission, I would like to ask you a few\\nquestions. When was the church built?\\nFather Montaner. It was begun in 1852 and finished in 1856.\\nDr. Carroll. Who owned the lot on which it was built?\\nFather Montaner. Don Rafael Cintron.\\nDr. Carroll. Did he make it over to the municipality, or to the\\nstate, or to the church?\\nFather Montaner. He made the donation for church purposes.\\nThe whole history of it is in the archives.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you been asked by Archbishop La Chapelle for\\ninformation regarding the title of the church property?\\nFather Montaner. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. You say the property was transferred to the state.\\nWas that about the time of the royal decree abolishing tithes and\\nproviding for the support of the church from the state treasury?\\nFather Montaner. Yes the church passed to the state as a result\\nof that order.\\nDr. Carroll. Then the church really holds the title to the property?\\nFather Montaner. There is no title in the sense of a written title.\\nDr. Carroll. What has been the tradition with regard to the\\nownership of the church property? Was it regarded as belonging to\\nthe state, to be administered for the church, or was it otherwise?\\nFather Montaner. The tradition is that the lot was given to the\\npeople to build a church for Catholic worship for Catholic people in\\nthe island. The fact that the state took possession of it does not\\nmake any difference, as, when the state took possession, it bound\\nitself over to take the responsibility of sustaining the cult for which\\nthe church was built.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you understand it to be the general desire of the\\npeople of Arroyo that this property should be confirmed to the Catholic\\nChurch for its own purposes and uses?\\nMr. Virella. The wish of the people is that the church should be\\nconfirmed to the church for the purposes of Catholic worship.\\nDr. Carroll. If you leave it an open question, it will cause a great\\ndeal of difficult} in j^ears to come, when Protestants may settle here,\\nand, perhaps, become members of your city council. It seems to me\\nbetter that this church question should be settled at the same time that\\nthe new government is instituted. If it was intended for the Catholic\\nChurch, let it be confirmed to the Catholic Church. What I desire to\\nknow is whether there would be any very great objection among the\\npeople of this municipality to this course?", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0680.jp2"}, "681": {"fulltext": "671\\nA Gentleman present. I think that the church should be con-\\nfirmed to the Catholic people, not to the municipality, for the reason\\nyou have stated.\\nAnother Gentleman. What about repairs to the church property?\\nDr. Carroll. I think, if confirmed to the Catholic Church, it, the\\nchurch, will have to take care of repairs. If it does not, it will fall.\\nI don t think the municipality can assume any responsibility with\\nregard to the repairs of the church.\\nFather Montaner. If the people let it go to ruin, let it go to ruin.\\nSecretary op the Ayuntamiento. I wish to remark that the\\nclock in the church tower was bought by the municipality and not\\nby the church.\\nDr. Carroll. Then I would suggest that the church return it to\\nthe municipality, and let the church run on its own time and not on\\nthe time of the municipality. Have you two cemeteries here?\\nSecretary. We have only one, but it is divided into two parts\\none part for Catholics and the other for persons who are not Catholics.\\nThe cemetery was built by the municipality, and we wish it to be\\ncommon property for the burial of anybody and everybody, without\\nregard to religious matters.\\nDr. Carroll. But that would conflict with the Catholic idea con-\\ncerning the burial of people in consecrated ground, would it not?\\nSecretary. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Then they would consider it a desecration to have\\nnon-Catholics buried in consecrated ground.\\nFather Montaner. The cemetery has a great number of private\\ntombs; and if non- Catholics are buried there, these tombs will be ren-\\ndered useless, because, according to the idea of Catholics, to do that\\nwould be a desecration. The municipality has recently set apart a\\nportion of ground for non-Catholics.\\nDr. Carroll. Is that portion as desirable as the Catholic part?\\nMr. Virella. It is about the size of this room. It is too small; and\\nif they put up another mausoleum there, it will fill up the whole space.\\nDr. Carroll. I suppose the municipality can add to it?\\nMr. Virella. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Does the Catholic portion have a great deal of unused\\nspace now?\\nMr. Virella. No; it is all full.\\nCHURCH PROPERTY IN COAMO.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nCoamo, P. L, February 6, 1899.\\nDr. Carroll. Is the church also public property?\\nMr. Segundo Bernier. The church belongs to the state.\\nDr. Carroll. How was the church built?\\nA Gentleman present. The money was obtained from the city\\nestimates, but was raised by a levy, the same as any tax. Some of it\\nwas obtained by diverting money raised for the purpose of an\\naqueduct.\\nDr. Carroll. To whom did the land belong on which the church\\nwas built?\\nMr. Bernier. To the town.\\nDr. Carroll. How long has the church stood there?\\nA Gentleman present. Some years ago all the municipal docu-\\nments were destroyed, and we have no records now.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0681.jp2"}, "682": {"fulltext": "672\\nDr. Carroll. Is the municipal property registered?\\nMr. Bernier. No.\\nColonel Santiago. When I was mayor we prepared a document\\nfor the purpose of registering the municipal property, but the city\\nhall was burned and that document was burned with it.\\nDr. Carroll. Then, there is no title to the church property?\\nA Gentleman present. It was a legacy. The land was a legacy\\nfor the purpose of founding a city. The city has some documents on\\nwhich to found its title. The city has been owner of the land for two\\nhundred years and more. It was founded in 1616.\\nDr. Carroll. Does the city charge the occupants of the land rental?\\nA Gentleman present. The land is divided into three classes and\\nthe lots are put up at auction. Those who bid the highest rent them.\\nWhere houses are built on the lots the city charges no rental.\\nDr. Carroll. Then, those who have the houses and have title to\\nthe houses may hold the land forever?\\nA Gentleman present. Yes; but the municipality reserves the\\nright of taxing the land if it wishes.\\nDr. Carroll. The municipality would have the right to do that,\\nas a municipal corporation, whether it owned the land or not.\\nThe Mayor. That right never has been taken advantage of.\\nDr. Suarez. I do not think the facts regarding the legacy have\\nbeen accurately stated. Fifty acres comprise the legacy, and the\\nremaining 150 acres were purchased.\\nDr. Carroll. Is it the general desire of the people of this town\\nthat church property shall be confirmed to the church by the United\\nStates Government?\\nA Gentleman present. No; let it remain the property of the town.\\nDr. Carroll. There is a difficulty about that. Under the policy of\\nthe United States there is entire separation between church and state,\\nand while the people of Coamo are all of one way of thinking, per-\\nhaps, with regard to religion, it seems to me the question should be\\nsettled.\\nA Gentleman present. It being the property of the people, I don t\\nthink it should be given to the church, but should be reserved for\\nthe Catholics of this district.\\nColonel Santiago. That is a good idea.\\nDr. Carroll. How can the municipality hold church property?\\nIf it is the property of the municipality it is secularized, and you\\nmust be prepared to lend it not only to the Catholics but to anybody\\nelse who comes in, just as you do your theater.\\nMr. Manuel Betances. The church can belong to the municipality\\nthe same as any of its other buildings, with a right to lend it to the\\npriests for Catholic worship, charging a rent or not, as it sees fit. At\\nall events, the church belongs to the people and should remain the\\npropertj 7 of the people.\\nMr. Dassalacque. The great majority of people here would view\\nwith pleasure an income from the church property in the way of\\nrental or otherwise.\\nColonel Santiago. The church was built by the Catholics, and I\\nthink that constitutes a very good reason why it should belong to the\\nCatholics.\\nDr. Carroll. That is my own idea, but I think you will have to\\nsettle it now; otherwise it will become a bone of strife and contention\\nhere when your town comes to be settled by those of different faith or\\nof no faith. If the town continues to hold church propertj 7 or the", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0682.jp2"}, "683": {"fulltext": "673\\nchurch continues to he the property of the people, who will pay for\\nthe repairs made upon it?\\nA Gentleman present. In case it belongs to the municipality, the\\nmunicipality will pay for the repairs.\\nDr. Carroll. In case, the municipality does not get any rent for it,\\nwhat then?\\nColonel Santiago. I think the church should be vested in a society\\nor trustees, as they have in Europe. This society in Europe is called\\nsuccession of such and such a church.\\nDr. Carroll. In other words, it takes a private and voluntary basis?\\nColonel Santiago. Yes and such a society has always been formed\\nhere to look after the interests of the Catholic religion.\\nDr. Carroll. What object is to be obtained by reserving the title\\nof the property to the municipality?\\nA Gentleman present. None at all; and my opinion is that the\\nmunicipality should sell the church to the Catholic succession.\\nDr. Carroll. You would not expect in that case to get the full\\nvalue you have expended on it, would you?\\nA Gentleman present. We would try to get the most we could out\\nof the succession.\\nDr. Suarez. I don t think the municipality can remain owner of the\\nchurch, for in that case it would have to repair the church, and in\\nspending the public money it might be spending the money of some\\none who might not agree to such a use of the church.\\nA. Gentleman present. I think that as the church was built for\\nand has belonged to the Catholics for more than one hundred years,\\nit should be turned over to the church. By that I don t mean that it\\nshould be turned over to the Catholic priests. They have spent no\\nmoney on it, and done nothing for it. A priest may come to-day and\\ngo to-morrow, but the people remain, and the people should have the\\ntitle to the property. Moreover, I think it would be a profanation to\\nchurch property to make it a part of municipal property and charge\\nrental for it.\\nDr. Carroll. For the church to hold it as such it would be neces-\\nsary, of course, under your laws, for it to be incorporated.\\nColonel Santiago. The society I referred to is not legally consti-\\ntuted yet.\\nDr. Carroll. I understand that; but I understand that for a num-\\nber of people to hold property it is legally necessary for them to be\\nformed into a corporation.\\nA Gentleman present. The members of such a society would have\\nto draw up their rules and regulations, and have them approved by\\nthe government.\\nCHURCH PROPERTY IN AIBONITO.\\n[Hearing at the alcaldia before the United States Commissioner.]\\nAibonito, P. R., February 6, 1899.\\nMr. municipal judge, and Mr. Manuel Caballer, mayor\\nof Aibonito\\nDr. Carroll. By whom is the church property held?\\nThe Municipal Judge. In 1887 the Spanish captain-general\\nstarted a subscription here to which the town gave $15,000, and per-\\nsons from other districts also subscribed the state made up the dif-\\nference, and the church was finished two years ago.\\n1125 43", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0683.jp2"}, "684": {"fulltext": "674\\nDr. Carroll. Was the quota of the town raised by subscription or\\nby taxation?\\nMr. Caballer. The church cost $34,000, of which the state gave\\n$12,000 from the state treasury. The rest was raised by subscription.\\nDr. Carroll. Is the title to the property inscribed?\\nThe Municipal Judge. No; it is not.\\nDr. Carroll. Is it the general wish of the people of Aibouito that\\nthe property should be made over to the church?\\nMr. Caballer. I think it is, as the people have been brought up\\nCatholics, and are fervent Catholics.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there any dissent to that expression of view of\\nyour alcalde?\\n(There was no one present who dissented, and all appeared to be in\\naccord with the alcalde in that view.)\\nDr. Carroll. I think that ought to be done.\\nCHURCH PROPERTY IN PORTO RICO.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nSan Juan, P. R., February 10, 1899.\\nThe Very Rev. Father Juan Perpina e Pibernat, capitular vicar\\nof the diocese of Porto Rico\\nDr. Carroll. After having seen you before, I went to the United\\nStates and made a preliminary report to the President, in which I\\ntouched upon the question of church property here and recommended\\nthat unless a title of record was shown by municipal or other corpora-\\ntions, the church property of the island should be confirmed to the\\nRoman Catholic Church. I have, since my return, visited the leading\\nmunicipalities of the island, and in most cases I have inquired into\\nthe matter of church property.\\nFather Perpina. We have had from time immemorial the right of\\npossession that is, we have owned the church by possession, and that\\nis sufficient alone to confirm our claim.\\nDr. Carroll. I found that the claim of the municipalities to this\\nproperty rests on the money of the city that was put into its erection\\nand info the repairs of the church buildings. It was claimed in every\\ncase that the people of the town had built the church. It was admitted\\nthat it had been built for Catholic worship, and, as nearly as I could\\nunderstand the matter, when churches were built and dedicated they\\nwere turned over to the state, and the state allowed the church to use\\nthem for church purposes.\\nFather Perpina. Not to the state, but to the Catholic Church.\\nDr. Carroll. I did not understand that the title was made over to\\nthe state, but that the state and church being combined and the state\\nproviding for the care of the priests, the state exercised in that way a\\ncertain control over this church property.\\nFather Perpina. I have finished here, and I won t go into this mat-\\nter; you must go into it with the delegate. They have deceived you\\ncompletely. In one word, this is a matter for the delegate, and I wish\\nyou to argue it with him or to place it before him. My argument is\\nthe following: The churches were turned over to the Catholic Church;\\nthey have used them from time immemorial, and therefore they belong\\nto the church. I wouldn t credit the information of certain persons,\\n7", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0684.jp2"}, "685": {"fulltext": "675\\nbecause they have probably misinformed you, especially as the pres-\\nent ayuntamientos are bad. A Catholic Church from the moment it\\nis consecrated and blessed by the Catholic clergy belongs by that fact\\nalone to the church.\\nDr. Carroll. I told the alcaldes that I had recommended that the\\nproperty should be transferred, and asked them if they were willing\\nto have it transferred, and they said they were.\\nFather Perpina. It does not matter to me whether the ayuntamien-\\ntos are willing or not to turn over the churches. The moment the\\nchurches were blessed, that moment they became ours without the\\nright of anybody to intervene. The same is true of the cemeteries.\\nGeneral Henry recognizes the fact that the blessing of the cemeteries\\nmade them church property, and has turned them over to the church.\\nDr. Carroll. If the municipalities, which are the only corpora-\\ntions which claim the churches, are willing that they should be turned\\nover to the Catholic Church, it makes the way of the United States to\\nthe solution of this property question easier than it otherwise would be.\\nFather Perpina. There might be some bad municipalities that would\\nnot want to do that, and they have no claim whatever to assume\\nauthority to say yes or no. Why open this question at all? The\\ntreaty of peace confirms to the church all their property. From the\\nmoment the treatj^ was signed, we are by that fact owners of the\\nchurch property.\\nDr. Carroll. There are two views of that. There are those who\\nhold that what was the property of the state could not be the property\\nof the church at the same time, and that this is state property and not\\nchurch property.\\nFather Perpina. I advance two arguments. One is that the moment\\na building is consecrated bj^ a Catholic priest the building belongs to\\nthe church. Otherwise we would never want to have it consecrated.\\nWe have another argument, which is the law of possession. Who\\nwill take away our property, which we have held from time imme-\\nmorial? The titles of the cemeteries and churches are not registered\\nbecause the hypothecary law prohibits the registering of titles of any\\nchurch property and that with a view of exempting church property\\nfrom all classes of taxation. How could we register titles if it were\\ncontrary to law if the law prevented it?\\nDr. Carroll. Have you had no registration in the case of any\\nchurch property?\\nFather Perpina. No; no class. The mortgages on church prop-\\nerty the censos were registered because they were in the form of\\nmortgages on property. The law directed them to be registered.\\nDr. Carroll. Is that a provision of the civil law?\\nFather Perpina. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Under the head of registration of property?\\nFather Perpina. Yes.\\nCHURCH PROPERTY IN CAGUAS.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nCaguas, P. R., February 28, 1899.\\nDr. Carroll. Why do you include the church among the parcels\\nof municipal property?\\nMr. Sola. Because it was built by municipal funds.\\nDr. Carroll. When was the church built?", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0685.jp2"}, "686": {"fulltext": "676\\nMr. Sola. In the year 1830.\\nDr. Carroll. Has it always been considered as municipal properly?\\nMr. Sola. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you always paid for the expense of repairing-?\\nMr. Sola. Always.\\nDr. Carroll. When the concordat between the Pope and Spain\\nwent into effect, was this property not transferred to the state for\\nchurch purposes?\\nMr. Sola. I can not answer that.\\nDr. Carroll. I have understood that the church property gener-\\nally was regarded as belonging to the insular government, and that\\nthe church was allowed to use it for the purpose of public worship.\\nDr. Cruz. There is a provision of law by which the governments of\\nthe municipalities were ordered to take possession of the property out\\nof the hands of the priests.\\nDr. Carroll. Is it the desire of the people of this municipality to\\ncontrol the church property, or would you fall in with a proposition\\nto transfer to the Catholic Church all churches of the island?\\nDr. Cruz. No. The municipality should control it as municipal\\nproperty. That is the sentiment here.\\nDr. Carroll. Under the laws of the United States church and\\nstate are entirely separate, and it would hardly be proper for a munici-\\npality to control the church. It might rent it or it might sell it, but\\nin our country the church and state are kept entirely separate, and it\\nseems to me that as all these churches were built for Catholic worship\\nit would be well to transfer the property to the church, so as to separate\\nbetween church and state.\\nDr. Cruz. It could be rented.\\nA Gentleman present. I think it ought to be ceded, but we don t\\nwant the church to belong to the priests.\\nDr. Carroll. Would you be willing to have the church transferred\\nto a board of trustees to hold the church in this place for the purpose\\nof Catholic worship exclusively?\\n(This suggestion of the commissioner seemed to be received with\\ngeneral approval.\\nDr. Cruz. We don t want Rome to have a hand in it.\\nDr. Carroll. You see there is a difficulty about having a munici-\\npality continue to own and manage church property. The time may\\ncome when there may be people in the municipality opposed to Catho-\\nlic worship, and then a strife might arise as to the possession of the\\nchurch.\\nDr. Cruz. We are satisfied with your plan, but they have been try-\\ning to make the people believe that the treaty of peace will turn the\\nchurches over to Rome that is, Rome as represented by the priests.\\nBut we want it understood that the people built the churches and\\nthey should have the title to them. The same thing can be said with\\nregard to the cemeteries which have not been secularized, and con-\\nflicts are arising every day. They were built by the people and\\nought to belong to the people.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you a cemetery for non-Catholics?\\nDr. Cruz. No. The municipality should, establish one.\\nDr. Carroll. The cemetery ought to be secularized, in your\\njudgment?\\nDr. CRUZ. We want to invite your action in this direction.\\nDr. Carroll. I understood that General Henry has issued an order\\nthat none but Catholics shall be buried in consecrated ground, and I", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0686.jp2"}, "687": {"fulltext": "677\\nunderstand that all the ground within the walls of your eemeteiy is\\nconsecrated ground. Is that so?\\nDr. Cruz. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Then, if the cemetery were secularized, how would\\nyou satisfy the Catholic conscience, which would regard it as a dese-\\ncration to bury anyone in consecrated ground who did not die in the\\nCatholic faith?\\nDr. Cruz. The municipality should prepare another plot of land\\nand dedicate it for that purpose.\\nDr. Carroll. In the cemetery at San Juan they bury both Catho-\\nlics and Protestants in the same ground.\\nDr. Cruz. That should not be, because that gives rise to conflict.\\nDr. Carroll. How would it do to allow the Catholics to consecrate\\nthe grave of everyone who dies in the Catholic faith, and leaving the\\nrest as unconsecrated ground? That would meet the difficulty, would\\nit not?\\nDr. Cruz. If it would not give rise to conflict.\\nDr. Carroll. That is the rule in Mexico.\\nA Gentleman present. They can take a cemetery and divide it,\\nputting a door between the two parts.\\nDr. Carroll. The complaint is made in San Juan and other places\\nthat the provision made for non-Catholics is not at all satisfactory.\\nIn San Juan it is outside of the walls, and in a place where, it was\\nstated to me the other day, it was not fit to bury a dog. If this\\ncemetery were secularized, how would you administer it? Would you\\nrequire that a certificate from the priest, for example, be furnished in\\nthe case of persons who die in the Catholic faith, or how would you\\nproceed? How are you going to distinguish between the bodies? The\\npresent method is, as I understand it, for the municipal judge to give\\na certificate of burial, which is indorsed on the back Ecclesiastical\\nburial by the parish priest, if the deceased is a Catholic. Would\\nyou want to proceed in that way?\\nDr. Cruz. I do not think that would be necessary.\\nDr. Carroll. How, then, would you distinguish between Catholics\\nand non-Catholics?\\nDr. Cruz. I think the statement of the family would be sufficient.\\nThen if tluyy wanted to ask the priest to perform the ceremony, they\\ncould do so.\\nDr. Carroll. Then you would not inquire particularly whether a\\nman was a Catholic or not?\\nDr. Cruz. We are not fanatical, and while we are Catholics, we\\ndon t want to be controlled b}^ priests. The priests, instead of facili-\\ntating things, put every difficulty in the way of everything they can.\\nCHURCH PROPERTY IN CAYEY.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nCayey, P. R., February 28, 1899.\\nDr. Carroll. Who owns the church property?\\nMr. Munoz. The church was constructed by the municipality a\\ngreat many years ago.\\nDr. Carroll. Is it held by the church or the municipality, or by\\nneither?\\nMr. Munoz. It belongs to the religion.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0687.jp2"}, "688": {"fulltext": "678\\nDr. Carroll. Then the city does not claim it?\\nMr. Munoz. Yes; everybody is claiming it, but the parish priest\\nhas taken it.\\nDr. Carroll. Has he the title to it?\\nMr. Munoz. No; lie has no title.\\nDr. Carroll. Does it appear at all in the office of the register?\\nMr. Munoz. No.\\nDr. Carroll. Has the municipality been in the habit of appropri-\\nating money for the repairs of the church?\\nMr. Munoz. Yes; as can be proved by the minutes of the munici-\\npality.\\nDr. Carroll. Do the people of this municipality desire that this\\nproperty should be confirmed to the church, under the laws of the\\nUnited States?\\n(Several answered in chorus No it should be held by the people.\\nA voice. The cemetery, too.\\nDr. Carroll. You know that under the Constitution and laws of\\nthe United States church and state are entirely separate; and if the\\nmunicipality were to continue to hold and manage church property, it\\nmight give rise to dissension. I presume you are all of one faith now,\\nbut in course of time it may be that there may be among you those\\nwho are not Catholics, and there might arise, therefore, strife and con-\\ntention between the Catholics on the one hand and the non-Catholics\\non the other; and the non-Catholics might say, If it is public prop-\\nerty, we have a right to enjoy our share of it. 1 Wouldn t it be better\\nto have this question settled at once and have this property made over\\nto the church, if you like?\\nA Gentleman present. There are many here who are not Catho-\\nlics, and they have contributed the same as others to build the church.\\nAnother Gentleman. This question can not be settled in such an\\noffhand way; the. comparatively small number of persons at this hear-\\ning can not be presumed to represent the majority opinion in the town.\\nDr. Carroll. That is true; but I want to get an idea of the public\\nopinion, and I am asking these questions in every place I go. Inmost\\nplaces they say they are willing to have the property transferred to\\nthe church. It maj^ be, in some cases, that the people would like to\\nhave something paid by the, church for the church property.\\nA Gentleman present. At present the great majority of the people\\nare Catholics.\\nAnother Gentleman. You have to take into account that the\\nCatholic religion was a religion by force. It was not permitted not to\\nbe a Catholic, and there were a great many people who were Catholics\\nwho are now freethinkers; there are a great many freethinkers here\\nand a great many Free Masons also.\\nMr. Planellas. This is a matter in which there has been a mis-\\ntaken view taken; the subject is not one of belief, but one of right.\\nThe church was built for Catholic rites, and it must belong to the\\npriests.\\nMr. Luis Munoz Morales. I agree with Mr. Planellas that the\\nchurch was built for the Catholic clergy and should be turned over to\\nthe clergy, but I think that hereafter onty Catholics should be taxed\\nfor its repairs; to-day all are taxed.\\nDr. Carroll. I am clearly of the opinion that the municipality\\nought not to pay for repairs to the church unless it charges rental for\\nthe church. If church property is to be enjoyed exclusively by the\\nchurch, then let the church pay for repairs. I find in nearly all the", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0688.jp2"}, "689": {"fulltext": "679\\nmunicipalities which I have visited that they have stopped that\\nappropriation they no longer make an appropriation for the repairs\\nof the church.\\nMayor Munoz. The same is true here.\\nDr. Carroll. How is it about the cemetery?\\nMayor Munoz. We have made a claim that the cemetery should be\\ncontinued as municipal property.\\nDr. Carroll. In other words, you desire to have the cemetery\\nsecularized, so that everybody can be buried in it without regard to\\nwhat religion he ma}^ have professed?\\nMayor Munoz. Yes.\\nA Gentleman present. With the cemetery the question is differ-\\nent. It was built with municipal funds, representing the people,\\nwhereas the church was built by funds representing the Catholics.\\nDr. Carroll. Are persons of different faiths buried in the ceme-\\ntery at present?\\nMay or Munoz. Yes; we have a small plot in the cemeterj^ for\\npeople who die out of the Catholic faith.\\nDr. Carroll. Is it within the walls of the cemetery?\\nMayor Munoz. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. In San Juan, it is said, a great deal of complaint has\\nbeen made because non- Catholics are buried outside the walls of the\\ncemetery.\\nA Gentleman present. How about the tower, if the church is\\nturned over to the church?\\nDr. Carroll. Was it dedicated with the church?\\nA Gentleman present. As the priests bless everything, I don t\\nknow.\\nMayor Munoz. I wish to call attention to the fact that we had a\\nshutter made to keep the rains from injuring the clock, and the\\nparish priest has refused to let us put it up.\\nDr. Carroll. Then, evidently the parish priest considers that the\\ntower belongs to the building and the building to the church, and\\nnot to the city.\\nMayor Munoz. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Well, I rather think the claim of the priest is good;\\nthat is, at common law. I don t know how it would be under Spanish\\nlaw.\\nA Lawyer present. It i^ the same under the Spanish law.\\nDr. Carroll. How about the parish house?\\nMayor Munoz. The priests also claim that that is theirs.\\nDr. Carroll. How was it built?\\nMayor Munoz. With municipal funds.\\nDr. Carroll. Not by voluntary contribution?\\nMayor Munoz. No we have a document here which shows that it\\nwas bought outright with municipal funds.\\nDr. Carroll. Are you charging any rent for it?\\nMayor Munoz. No.\\nDr. Carroll. Who keeps it in repair?\\nMayor Munoz. I don t think it has ever needed any repairs the\\npriests have never asked for any.\\nDr. Carroll. Is the property inscribed in the records?\\nMayor Munoz. The municipality has no property inscribed.\\nDr. Carroll. What disposition is it proposed to make of that\\nproperty to sell it to the church?\\nMayor Munoz. The town generally wishes a school to be constructed\\nthere.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0689.jp2"}, "690": {"fulltext": "680\\nDr. Carroll. Was that building ever consecrated?\\nMayor Munoz. No.\\nDr. Carroll. I think, without doubt, it is the property of the\\nmunicipality.\\nA Gentleman present. There exists a note in the minutes thai,\\nthe municipality acquired the house for the purpose of allowing the\\npriest to live there, and the house has always been known as the\\nparochial house.\\nAnother Gentleman. You must also consider that the town has\\nbeen a Catholic town by force.\\nDr. Carroll. I would like an explanation of just how the funds\\nwere raised for the church?\\nMr. Luis Munoz (a lawyer and notary) Toward the end of the last\\ncentury the church was constructed with funds raised by public sub-\\nscription and gifts of materials. The tower was built in the same\\nway not by municipal funds. I think, as I said before, the church\\nproperty should be turned over to the church, and the tower, as form-\\ning a part of the church, should go, too, with the building itself. The\\nparish house was also built by subscription. Once there was some\\nquestion about it, and the city tried to obtain rent for it from the\\npriest, but private influence intervened and the rent was not paid.\\nDr. Carroll. It was stated here that the house was bought out-\\nright with funds from the municipal treasury, and not by subscription.\\nMayor Manuel Munoz. The house was bought with municipal\\nfunds.\\nDr. Carroll (to Mr. Luis Munoz). Do you agree with the mayor?\\nMr. Luis Munoz. Yes; I accept the correction. In that case the\\nmunicipality can retain the property as its property and resolve later\\nwhat it will do with it.\\nCHURCH PROPERTY IN PONCE.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nPonce, P. R., March .2, 1899.\\nMr. Luis Porrata Doria, mayor of Ponce:\\nDr. Carroll. One important question that must arise here under\\nthe Constitution of the United States, which requires separation of\\nchurch and state, is that of church property. I want to get all the\\nlight I can on that subject, so as to be able to solve the question.\\nThese churches were doubtless built for Catholic worship. This is\\nthe only place in the island, I find, where church property is registered\\nas municipal property. I had supposed that the best way to solve\\nthis question was to have the church property turned over to the\\nCatholics for occupancy and use. Would that, in your judgment, be\\nthe best method in order to prevent strife in the future, when the\\nmunicipalities come to have bodies divided in faith, between Catholic\\nand non-Catholic, and when the non-Catholics may say they have as\\ngood right to use the churches as the Catholics? Would it or would\\nit not be well to remove all contention and strife in the future by\\nturning over to the Catholic Church the churches in the island, thus\\nmaking the property Catholic property?\\nMr. Doria. I will say in the first place that I favor the absolute sep-\\naration of church and state. The actual building is the exclusive\\nproperty of the city of Ponce, and it has absolute right to require that\\nit be handed over to the municipality to do with it as it likes. For", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0690.jp2"}, "691": {"fulltext": "681\\nthat reason the municipality has had it inscribed but to-da*y we have\\nto meet the tenth clause of the treatj^ of peace, in which the United\\nStates binds itself to recognize the church and church property, and\\nthe Catholics to-day advance the theory that everything that has been\\nconsecrated by the church is church property. Certain members of\\nthe council have already tried to bring the matter up, but I have put\\nit aside so as not to give rise to dispute and trouble at present. If it\\nhad not been for the treaty, my first desire and wish would have been\\nto remove the church from where it is and with its materials pave the\\nstreets of Ponce, and that Catholics who desire to have a church of\\ntheir own should build one for that purpose. The municipality might\\ngive them a site on which to build it, or the3 r could find their own site.\\nI, as alcalde and president of the council, finding the church registered\\nas municipal property, will not hand it over to anybody.\\nDr. Carroll. Perhaps the council might vote to transfer it.\\nMr. Doria. That is a matter for them. As regards the cemetery,\\nwe are in the same situation. I have found the solution to that ques-\\ntion. I have charged the architect to find a site for a new cemetery,\\nand will close the old one as being unhealthy.\\nDr. Carroll. The municipality has the right to engage in the cem-\\netery business, but not in the church business.\\nMr. Doria. The church is claiming that the cemetery is theirs\\nbecause they threw a little holy water on it. Thej^ have no right to\\nthe one or the other.\\nDr. Carroll. If you construct a new cemetery, then, I suppose\\nyou would not have it consecrated?\\nMr. Doria. No; for if they threw holy water on it they would claim\\nthat, too.\\nDr. Carroll. They might consecrate Catholic graves; that would\\nbe all right.\\nMr. Doria. If anybody wants a grave consecrated, let him have it\\nconsecrated. If I have to give the church up, the land on which it\\nstands belongs to the municipality and the church will have to take\\nthe building somewhere else. I am not hostile to the church, because\\nit baptized me not with my permission, it is true, but it did baptize\\nme nevertheless. The church is an eyesore to the town.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there more than one church here?\\nMr. Rosich. There is one Catholic and one Protestant church.\\nThere are two chapels, one in the beggars asylum and one in the\\nTricoche Hospital, in both of which they have a daily mass.\\nDr. Carroll. Does the church dispute the title of the municipality\\nto the church?\\nMr. Rosich. Not at present, because it is registered.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the purpose of the municipality with refer-\\nence to that church? Is it to continue to own it?\\nMr. Rosich We have not taken any action on that. We allow the\\nchurch to use it free of rent.\\nDr. Carroll. Who pays for the repairs?\\nMr. Rosich. Before the municipality paid half and the state paid\\nhalf, but to-day nobody pays for it. I think the municipality has a\\nperfect right to say that the church must get out or pay rent:\\nDr. Carroll. I have understood from lawyers in San Juan that\\nunder the concordat of the Pope with Spain church property could not\\nbe inscribed.\\nMr. Rosich. The property of the municipality in this instance is\\nclearly founded, and not like that in other towns where there w r ere\\ndonations.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0691.jp2"}, "692": {"fulltext": "682\\nDr. Carroll. Was it built with funds of the municipality?\\nMr. ROSICH. I don t know.\\nThe Secretary. The church is not registered. They have a docu-\\nment in the registrar s office awaiting registry, and they have sent us\\nthese bills for the cost of the registration. We sent these bills to the\\ncentral government, and the authorities there relieved the munici-\\npality from the necessity of paying the registration fee. The regis-\\ntrar has never refused to register the property. These six amounts\\nstated here are for the Catholic cemetery in the playa, the Catholic\\nChurch, the Trieoche Hospital, the civil hospital, and the Protestant\\ncemetery. The amounts are 1379, $598, $156, \u00c2\u00a781, \u00c2\u00a71.3, and \u00c2\u00a74.\\nMr. Rosich. The order came from General Henry allowing us to\\nhave this property registered without paying for the registration.\\nDr. Carroll. When was the church built?\\nMr. Rosich. It is a little difficult to say, because the church is a\\nvery old one, and here in Porto Rico they used to build the church\\nfirst and the town afterwards. I think it was built about; the first of\\nthis century.\\nDr. Carroll. I suppose vou have an expediente stating how it was\\nbuilt?\\nMr. Rosich. Xo there is none.\\nDr. Carroll. It is a matter, then, simply of tradition how it was\\nbuilt?\\nMr. Rosich. Yes.\\n(The secretary produced a paper, which the commissioner examined.\\nIt proved to be an order from the secretary of government stating\\nthat according to General Henry s order the municipality need not\\npay the registration fee.)\\nMr. Rosich. According to -this the property must have been regis-\\ntered already, as I had supposed it was.\\nDr. Carroll. Is the cemetery controlled entirely by the city?\\nMr. Rosich. In secular matters it is, but not in spiritual matters.\\nThat is to say, the priest can say who is to be buried there, and the\\nmunicipality digs the graves and rents niches; but the priest has the\\nright to refuse burial in the cemeterj^. If the priest does not turn up\\nto object, however, they bury them there anyway. In the playa there\\nis no priest, and they bury anyone in the cemetery there.\\nDr. Carroll. I understand that non-Catholics have been buried in\\nthe consecrated cemetery. Several years ago there was an English-\\nman buried here under the auspices of the British consul, in accord-\\nance with an order from the Governor-General.\\nMr. Rosich. Yes; he was an English doctor.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the wish of the people here regarding the\\ncemetery? Do they wish to have it secularized or are they satisfied to\\nhave a division between Protestants and Catholics in burial matters?\\nMr. Rosich. I don t presume to interpret the opinion of the town,\\nbut the present burial ground has been denounced by the health\\ndepartment, the military and the civil, and I think the proper thing\\nwould be to build a necropolis outside of the town and bury persons\\nthere without respect to religion.\\nDr. Carroll. And let the Catholics have their graves consecrated,\\ninstead of the whole cemetery?\\nMr. Rosich. Even separatinc; a portion of ground for them, if they\\nlike.\\nDr. Carroll. The dead would not fight over it, whatever you do.\\nMr. Rosich. Mentally balanced men don t believe that the quarrels\\nof life co bevond the grave.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0692.jp2"}, "693": {"fulltext": "683\\nCHURCH AND STATE.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nPonce, P. R., March 4, 1899.\\nDr. Vidal. I understand that at present with regard to religion we\\nare under the American law, permitting everybody to worship as he\\nlikes, but not giving to anybody the right to give public evidence of\\nhis religion. Nevertheless, religious processions are held in the city,\\nand soon we will be at the end of Lent and i.he plaza will be crowded\\nwith people. It makes a tremendous propaganda for a certian reli-\\ngion at the expense of others. The public plaza is reserved exclu-\\nsively for the use of the clergy on that occasion, and no carriages are\\nallowed to pass.\\nDr. Carroll. What do they do there?\\nMr. Cortado. They conduct services in their church and require\\nthe greatest- silence, and the whole object of this is to be able to col-\\nlect charities for the Catholic Church.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you mean on Good Friday and Easter?\\nDr. Vidal. The whole of holy week. Many times during feast\\ndays the troops occupied the plaza to allow the free passage of the\\nreligious processions. I am neither one thing nor the other. I am a\\nfreethinker.\\nDr. Carroll. I would like to ask, for my own information, what a\\nfreethinker is?\\nDr. Vidal. I believe only in the religion of science, the religion\\nwhich explains scientifically the creation of man.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you believe in the existence of God?\\nDr. Vidal. According to what you call God. If by God you mean\\nthe universe, yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you believe in the Scriptures as a revelation?\\nDr. Vidal. Absolutely not.\\nDr. Carroll. Then a freethinker in Porto Rico means about the\\nsame as a freethinker in the United States. Are there many free-\\nthinkers in Porto Rico?\\nDr. Vidal. All men that have studied at all are freethinkers, and\\nmost of the doctors studied in France and sot their ideas there.\\nCHURCH PROPERTY IN YAUCO.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nYauco, P. R., March 6, 1899.\\nMr. Torres and others:\\nDr. Carroll. Is the church looked upon as belonging to the\\nmunicipality or to the church?\\nMr. Torres. As belonging to the city; but we do not know what is\\n*oing to be done about it.\\nDr. Carroll. When was it built?\\nMr. Torres. In the year 1851.\\n,Dr. Carroll. From what funds?\\nMr. Torres. The old church had $6,000, and the balance of $3,000\\nivas obtained by a special tax imposed through the municipality.\\nDr. Carroll. Was that in the nature of a tax or of a public sub-\\nscription?", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0693.jp2"}, "694": {"fulltext": "G84\\nMr. Torres. It was an enforced contribution. The people were\\ntaxed and compelled to pay their proportion of the $3,000.\\nDr. Carroll. Then the municipality has an interest of about 83,000\\nin the present property. Would the town probably be willing to\\ntransfer the church properly to the church, to be held and used by the\\nchurch exclusively?\\nMr. Torres. The people would not mind doing so if they were given\\nsome recompense.\\nDr. Carroll. Would you expect to have the $3,000 returned to\\nyou?\\nMr. Torres. I think it would be necessary to consult everybody\\nfirst.\\nMr. Cianchini. I believe the town would grant it for nothing. The\\nneighborhood is Catholic, and I think there would be no opposition.\\nMr. Torres. That is not my opinion in the matter.\\nDr. Carroll. What about the cemetery? Is that also claimed by\\nthe church?\\nMr. Torres. There are two cemeteries here one exclusively for the\\nburial of Catholics and the civil cemetety for other persons. They\\nboth belong to the municipality; the people paid for them.\\nDr. Carroll. Where is the civil cemetery situated? Is it apart of\\nthe other cemetery, or is it distinct from it?\\nMr. Torres. They are divided by a wall.\\nDr. Carroll. Is it equally eligible with the Catholic cemetery?\\nMr. Torres. The Catholic cemetery is larger. Each has a separate\\nentrance.\\nDr. Carroll. At San Juan a great deal of complaint has been\\nmade because of the provision made there for the burial of non-Cath-\\nolics. The non-Catholic part is outside of the wall, next to the sea,\\nand is not a nice place for burial at all.\\nMr. Francis Mejia (ex-mayor of Yanco). A great many of the\\nmunicipalities have asked for the secularization of the cemeteries,\\nand a general order was issued saying that the clergy had to intervene.\\nThis municipality has written to the government, asking to be\\nrelieved of the necessity of attending to the repairs and cleansing of\\nthe cemetery.\\nDr. Carroll. Have j^ou had any answer to that?\\nMr. Mejia. Not yet.\\nDr. Carroll. The usual procedure, I believe, is for the munici-\\npality to issue the permit of burial, and then, in the case of a Catholic\\nburial, that is indorsed on the back by the cure.\\nMr. Mejia. That is the procedure here.\\nINSCRIPTION OF CHURCH PROPERTY.\\n[Correspondence between the registrar of Ponce and the secretary of justice.]\\nTo the Secretary of Justice.\\nHonored Sir: I beg to submit to you the following matter in con-\\nsultation. Your decision, to a certain extent, will be equivalent to an\\nalteration of the existing law, which, apparently, should have no\\nplace in current procedure.\\nThe ayuntamiento of this city asks for the inscription of the parish\\nchurches and cemeteries of the town and playa (port), as being their\\nproperty.\\nI", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0694.jp2"}, "695": {"fulltext": "685\\nParagraph 2 of article 25 of Hypothecary Procedure (Reglainento\\nHipotecario) prohibits the inscription of Catholic churches.\\nI am thereby placed in a difficult position. The aforesaid prohi-\\nbition was originated by the constitutional rights granted by Spain to\\nthe Catholic religion. That right being now abrogated and replaced\\nimplicitly in this island by the constitutional rights of the Republic,\\nwhich grants freedom of worship, I, as registrar, am of the opinion\\nthat the Catholic churches, in merely civil relations, have been divested\\nof their special character and can be granted inscription in the reg-\\nistry, as can the cemeteries. I do not, however, feel authorized to\\nput my opinion into practice without first submitting the matter to\\nyour superior knowledge.\\nJose Sastrano Belaval,\\nRegistrar of Property.\\nPOXCE, P. R., April 8, 1899.\\nThe Registrar of Property, Ponce:\\nSir: I am of the same opinion as yourself respecting the matter\\nreferred to above.\\nThere is no doubt that churches dedicated to Catholic worship are\\nsubject to inscription, such as article 2 of the hypothecary law deter-\\nmines, notwithstanding the prohibition established in article 25, j ara-\\ngraph 2, of the rules of procedure you mention.\\nWhere a state religion (such as existed in Rome and which gave\\nrise to the precept in question) exists, churches dedicated to the offi-\\ncial creed (res sacrae) can not be made the subject of a contract, being-\\nunderstood to be extra comercium. Therefore, not being subject\\nto contract, they are not subject to registry.\\nSpanish legislation accepted the principle of Romanism and its nec-\\nessary consequences, excluding Catholic churches from things subject\\nto registry. The paragraph quoted is a logical confirmation of Arti-\\ncle II of the Spanish constitution, which declares the Roman Catho-\\nlic to be the religion of the State.\\nBut the Constitution of the United States forbids the establishment\\nof any state religion, causing, therefore, those churches to lose their\\nlegal condition of res divini juris, and allowing of their inscription,\\nas well as that of churches of any other denomination. You can there-\\nfore proceed to inscribe them, following the procedure prescribed in\\narticle 26 of the aforementioned regulations.\\nH. Diaz Navarro,\\nSecretary of Justice.\\nPorto Rico, May 12, 1899.\\nCHURCH AND STATE UNDER A3IERICAN RULE.\\nOPINION OF THE SECRETARY OF JUSTICE.\\nHonorable Brigadier-General,\\nCommander in Chief of the Department.\\nSir: I have the honor of reporting on the petition of Sehor Perpiha,\\ncapitulary vicar and head of the Catholic Church in this island.\\nThis gentleman bases his request on General Orders, No. 1, series\\n1898, which says: Provincial and municipal laws in so far as affect.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0695.jp2"}, "696": {"fulltext": "686\\ning.the determination of private rights of individuals or property,\\nshall be maintained in force when not incompatible with the change\\nof conditions brought about in Porto Rico, in winch case they can be\\nsuspended by the governor of the department; and, on Article VIII\\nof the Paris treaty of peace, which declares that the cession of Porto\\nRico by Spain to the United States shall in no way prejudice the\\ntitle or rights attributed b} r custom or law to the peaceful possess-\\nors of eveiy class of property in the provinces, cities, public and\\nprivate establishments, civil or ecclesiastical corporations, or any\\nother corporate body which had the legal standing necessaiy to acquire\\nsuch property or rights.\\nBoth these dispositions are founded on a principle of international\\nlaw subscribed to by all nations, accepted by the English and Ameri-\\ncan courts, and explained and sustained by the famous author,\\nMarshall, with remarkable clearness.\\nThe principle is the following: When a territory is occupied by\\nvirtue of cession or conquest, the laws governing private interests\\nshall continue in force, but, on the substitution of the sovereignty of\\nthe conquered nation by that of the conqueror, the political laws gov-\\nerning the sovereignty of the former shall ipse facto give place to\\nthe laws governing the sovereignty of the latter.\\nIn Porto Rico the official character and remuneration of the func-\\ntionaries of the Catholic religion as employees of the states is founded\\non article 11 of the Spanish political constitution, declaring that faith\\nto be the religion of the Kingdom.\\nThis principle gave rise to the concordat between the Spanish Gov-\\nernment and Rome, and necessarily made provision for the salaries\\nof the clergy through the budget law, itself a law of public or political\\ncharacter.\\nBy virtue of that principle of international law previously quoted,\\nand as the Constitution of the United States does not admit of\\ne mploj ees for purposes of religion, those dispositions were all virtually\\nderogated from the moment that the American flag floated over this\\nisland.\\nIt is quite evident, therefore, that General Brooke, on issuing Gen-\\neral Orders, No. 1, and the Paris Commission, on drawing up Article\\nVIII of the peace treaty, in no wise intended to give them the scope\\nwhich Senor Perpina s interpretation of them supposes.\\nNeither General Brooke nor the Peace Commissioners could have\\nhad the intention of establishing principles contrary to the American\\nConstitution. Their declarations that vested interests should be\\nrespected can only refer to purely civil or private interests.\\nPerhaps the argument might be advanced that as the United States\\nGovernment has collected the income, the expenditure thereof should\\nbe for the object set forth in the budget.\\nThis does not hold, as owing to the change of sovereignty the\\nexpenses of administration have been considerably reduced, the\\namount originally appropriated by the budget for the payment of the\\nclergy having, together with the rest, suffered considerable reduction.\\nIt must also be taken into consideration that as soon as the clergy\\nwere divested of their character of state officials, they were released\\nfrom the obligations which they formerly were under to the state,\\nwhich no longer exercises intervention in matters of clerical organiza-\\ntion, discipline, or service.\\nThe suppression of obligations carries with it the suppression of\\ncorresponding rights.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0696.jp2"}, "697": {"fulltext": "687\\nIt is my opinion that the Catholic clergy are not entitled to receive\\nofficial salary or emolument from the moment that the United States\\nassumed sovereignty over the island.\\nVery respectfully, Herminio Diaz,\\nSecretary of Justice.\\nPorto Rico, June 1, 1899.\\nCONDITION OF THE CHURCH.\\nSTATEMENT OF MR. P. SANTISTEBAN Y CHARIVARRI, SPANISH MERCHANT.\\nSan Juan, P. R., October 28, 1898.\\nIn this country the Roman Catholic religion predominates. For-\\nmerly the Catholic Church here was the owner of great wealth, which\\nproduced sufficient income to sustain its cult, to build religious edi-\\nfices, endow charitable asylums, establish schools of instruction in the\\narts, establish gymnasiums, etc. for the poorest class of people. Since\\nthe Spanish Government took over all its wealth and in exchange paid\\nthe expenses of worship and the clergy, Catholic institutions have\\ndiminished and indifference and atheism have increased in propor-\\ntion. This is prejudicial to healthy principles of morality, industry,\\nand other qualities which should be the basis of the culture of the\\npeople.\\nThe Spanish Government on relinquishing sovereignty over this\\nisland has left the church. throughout the island without means of\\nsupport and as the clergy to-day own no property which produces\\nincome, as they previously did, the greater portion of the interior\\ntowns will remain without priests and their inhabitants be exposed to\\nthe consequences of a country without religion to hold their con-\\nsciences in check. Subscriptions and charity for the maintenance of\\nreligion in this country would not reach a sufficient amount during\\nthe first ten years to support the clergy, as want of habit of giving\\nalms to God s temples makes this source of income a doubtful one.\\nRELIGIOUS LIBERTY.\\nSTATEMENT OF MAYOR EUSTOQUIO TORRES.\\nGuayanilla, P. R., November 7, 1898.\\nIt is evident that the Porto Riean people, perhaps in name, or per-\\nhaps as a consequence of Spanish dominion during which the church\\nwas part of the state, is essentially Catholic. For many it will per-\\nhaps be a matter of grave import that the new Government differs\\nfrom the previous one on that point, and it may be the work of several\\nyears and much hard labor for missionaries of other faiths to uproot\\nbeliefs so long rooted and sustained by habit and tradition.\\nNevertheless, I venture to assume that persons of the highest cul-\\nture in the island generally Free Thinkers will receive with good-\\nwill the principle of religious liberty which separation of church and\\nstate brings about. But to conciliate all opinions it would be well to\\nallow those municipalities in which the majority of the parishioners\\nvote to sustain the church from its municipal funds to do so, provided\\nthe majority of the governing body so votes also.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0697.jp2"}, "698": {"fulltext": "688\\nLIBERTY OF WORSHIP.\\nSTATEMENT OF ESCOLASTICO PEREZ.\\nCidra, P. R., November 10, 1898.\\nAs in the United Stales, so in Porto Rico, liberty of worship and\\nfor everyone to search for and contribute to religion according to the\\ndictates of his conscience.\\nSEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE.\\nSTATEMENT OF ANTONIO SANCHEZ RUIZ.\\nAguada, P. R., November 12, 1898.\\nAbsolute separation of the church from the state. The Catholic\\nreligion may be conserved without failing in the respect, owing to other\\nreligions compatible with true Christianity, and which may guarantee\\nliberty, equality, fraternity, work, and progress as symbolized by the\\nstars of the American flag.\\nSELF-SUPPORT FOR THE CHURCH.\\nSTATEMENT OF MAYOR CELESTINO DOMENGTJEZ.\\nGuayama, P. R., January, 1899.\\nNo person of any degree of education in this country, if asked his\\nopinion on the matter, would den}* the great advantages of a separation\\nof church and state. The clerical power in every country in the world\\nhas been a drag on progress, and nobody ignores the fact that Spain\\nowes her decadence to this. The nations at the head of civilization\\nand progress to-day are those where liberty of conscience is permitted.\\nIn this island the clerical influence has been so powerful, so strong,\\nand so oppressive that when the American troops arrived everyone\\nthought that their influence would be destroyed, and rejoiced accord-\\ningly. The hunger for liberty was so great that the country has seen\\nand will see with pleasure the disappearance of clerical influence,\\nwhich has weighed on our intelligence and our feelings like a sheet of\\nlead. It is necessary that the clergy be relegated to their churches if\\nthey have them, and that they live on what their congregations care\\nto give them. They must not have any interference in cemeteries or\\nmarriages, and although we do not ask that they disappear from the\\ncountry, which is Catholic, we do require that they play no other part\\nthan that filled by them in the United States.\\nSUPPORT OF CHURCH BY MUNICIPALITIES.\\nSTATEMENT OF JOSE M. ORTIZ.\\nMaunabo, P. R., February 24, 1899.\\n(1) Absolute separation of church and state; liberty for munici-\\npalities to support the religion they choose, to the extent their means\\nmay permit; also that of dismissing ministers they are not in accord\\nwith.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0698.jp2"}, "699": {"fulltext": "689\\n(2) State not to be allowed to favor, directly or indirectly, any\\nreligion; nor to grant subventions to educational institutions directed\\nby clergy, religions bodies, or members of mystic orders.\\n(3) Put an end to superstitions and religious fanaticism, without\\nfailing to respect real religious beliefs and worship.\\nTHE CEMETERY IN SAN JUAN.\\nThe cemetery of San Juan is situated at the base of Morro Castle,\\njust outside the city wall, and is reached by a winding passage, under\\nthe wall, in the form of a tunnel. There are three divisions in the\\ncemetery, two of which are reserved for Catholic burials, and the\\nthird, lying nearer to the sea, for the interment of non-Catholics. One\\nof the Catholic portions of the cemetery, a comparatively recent addi-\\ntion, lies adjacent to the tunneled passage; the other is separated\\nfrom this by a gate, and the Protestant division is reached bypassing\\nthrough a second gate in the stone wall inelosure, which extends along\\nthe entire sea front of the two Catholic divisions. In the newer\\nCatholic portion graves and pantheons are sold outright, while in the\\nother, with the exception of the burial corridor, in which niches may\\nbe sold in perpetuity for the interment of persons who have died from\\na contagious or infectious disease, graves and niches are rented accord-\\ning to a fixed tariff. Both the Catholic and the non-Catholic portions\\nof the cemetery belong to the municipality.\\nUpon the death of a person, a permit of burial is obtained at the\\ncity hall, and the body is interred either in a grave or niche. At the\\nexpiration of five years of interment, a notice is sent to the personal\\nrepresentatives of the deceased calling their attention to the fact that\\nthat period has expired, and calling upon them for instructions as to\\ntheir desires regarding the continued sepulture of the deceased. If\\nthe family do not buy a grave, or lease one, in response to that notice,\\nthe keeper of the cemetery is directed to remove the body and put it\\nin the huesera, which, in San Juan, is a space about 10 feet square, in\\none corner of the cemetery, surrounded by a stone wall, without a\\nroof. The bones consigned to the huesera are thrown into it in a heap,\\nand when this is full, or it is deemed convenient to make room for\\nmore, a deep pit is dug in the cemetery and the contents of the\\nhuesera dumped into it. This practice of disinterment has been com-\\nmon throughout the island, and the keeper of the San Juan cemetery\\ninformed the commissioner that the ground had been used over and\\nover again for sepulture, and that it was customary to take bodies out\\nof unrented graves at the end of two years.\\nThe following was the tariff in force for the economic year 1897-98\\nin San Juan\\nFor sale in perpetuity of graves for two bodies\\nFor sale in perpetuity of each lot or family pantheon 300\\nFor sale in perpetuity of a lot for one burial 150\\nFor each niche of the burial gallery, in which a person who has died of an\\nepidemic or contagious disease may be buried, the alienor losing all actions\\nand rights 200\\nRental for five years of each niche of the basement of the chapel 75\\nFor each year s renewal of said rental ._. 25\\nRental for five years of each niche of the gallery 30\\nFor each year s renewal of said rental 10\\nFor each railing, with or without a tomb 10\\nFor every tonjbstone over a grave, of whatever class 5\\n1125 44", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0699.jp2"}, "700": {"fulltext": "690\\nThe municipal authorities informed the commissioner that the\\nreceipts from sales and rentals barely met the necessary expenses of\\nmaintaining the cemetery.\\nThe tariff for sepulture in the cemetery at Ponce in force during\\nthe economic j T ear 1896-97 was as follows:\\nFor the sale of a niche $80\\nFor the rent of a niche for five years 20\\nFor ground sold for pantheons, per square meter 12\\nTHE LAW AND CUSTOMS OF MARRIAGE.\\nAVOIDING MARRIAGE.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nUtuado, P. R., January 18, 1890.\\nDr. Cakroll. Is it not true that, while a great many live together\\nin the marriage relation without having had any ceremony performed,\\nthey are generally true to each other and a man has one wife and a\\nwoman has one husband while they both live?\\nMr. Lucas Amadeo. It is very frequently the case that there are\\nno ties of any kind, and the man goes his way and the woman goes\\nher way and the children go their way. Very often a woman has\\nchildren by several men, to none of whom she was married.\\nDr. Carroll. That is true even in the United States, without ref-\\nerence to marriage.\\nMr. Amadeo. This country has broken away from the old restrain-\\ning influences of religious bodies; morality has never been taught\\nhere, and the people have been without any restraining influences\\neither of morality or of religion, and being without such influences\\nthe people have acquired habits of vice to which they were at one\\ntime strangers.\\nDr. Carroll. To what special reason was it due that the church\\nceased to exert its influence over the masses in that respect?\\nMr. Amadeo. It is a product of the century. This century has\\nbeen tending more and more to free thought in religious matters. In\\ncountries where the church has an iron grip on the people, and at the\\nsame time teaches them morality, the masses have not degenerated\\nmuch, but in this country, where the church has to a large extent lost\\nits grip because of the degeneracy of the times and because morality\\nwas never taught, the masses have degenerated. The movement\\nstarted with the French Revolution.\\nDr. Carroll. But the church has never ceased its teachings respect-\\ning marriage. It has always, on the contrary, frowned on such rela-\\ntions as exist here between many of the people.\\nMr. Amadeo. Fifteen or twenty years ago living in concubinage\\nwas punished by law and by the church; but as during the time since\\nthen the imported priests have been of the worst description, they\\nhave relaxed their attention in that direction, and the municipal gov-\\nernment has taken no cognizance of it.\\nDr. Carroll. What punishments did municipal governments mete\\nout for such offenses?\\nMr. Amadeo. The church used to denounce persons living in that\\ncondition to the municipality, and the municipality used to oblige\\nthem to marry and legitimatize their families.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0700.jp2"}, "701": {"fulltext": "691\\nDr. Carroll. I would like to ask what special disadvantages do\\nthe children that come from these relations, and are recognized as\\nillegitimate, stand under before the law.\\nMr. Amadeo. In the first place, they do not inherit, but under a\\nnew statute, if they are recognized by the parents or by the father,\\nthey do inherit to a certain extent.\\nDr. Carroll. What provision, if any, should be made under the\\nnew government respecting these classes? Should they be legitima-\\ntized or should the law really take no cognizance of the matter?\\nMr. Amadeo. That must in no way be done. It would be to put a\\npremium on illegitimacy, and it is necessary that the family should be\\nconstituted legally, either by the church or by the state.\\nDr. Carroll. Would it be well to have a law that where persons\\nwho have lived together shall marry their children already born\\nshould be legitimatized?\\nMr. Amadeo. That is now the law.\\nREASONS FOR DECLINE IN MARRIAGE.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nSan German, P. R., January 26, 1899.\\nDr. Carroll. I notice from the statistics of marriage in this dis-\\ntrict, just handed me, that there has been a decrease in the last few\\nyears in the number of marriages. What is the cause of it?\\nMr. Acosta (mayor). The general misery of the people. There\\nwas so much of it that no one would take on further responsibility.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the outlook, then, for your future population?\\nMr. Acosta. They get married on their own account now. They\\nfind it cheaper and more convenient.\\nDr. Carroll. How much does it cost to get married?\\nMr. Acosta. It used to cost $12 or $16, but was not supposed to cost\\nanything. If persons wanted to be married at night, they had to pay,\\nbut not if married in the da3 r time. To-day the priests charge because\\nthey have no salaries, but, as formerly, do not charge anything in the\\ndaytime.\\nDr. Carroll. Have there been any civil marriages here?\\nMr. Acosta. Four or five in the last few days.\\nDr. Carroll. How much does that cost?\\nMr. Acosta. Eight or ten dollars.\\nDr. Carroll. Has that always been the fee charged?\\nMr. Acosta. Every marriage costs, if performed during office hours,\\nfrom $4 to $6, but at night they have to pay more.\\nDr. Carroll. What do the clergy charge now?\\nMr. Acosta. According to the ability to pay.\\nDr. Carroll. Were there any civil marriages before the 1st of\\nDecember last\\nMr. Acosta. When the civil-marriage law was first introduced here\\nthere were seven couples who took advantage of the law. These civil\\nmarriages took place only because the church put an impediment in\\nthe way. The people as a whole are not accustomed to civil marriage.\\nIn one case the parties were too nearly related, and the priest asked\\n$50 to remove the difficulty. As they did not wish to pay that amount,\\nthey got married civilly.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0701.jp2"}, "702": {"fulltext": "692\\nECCLESIASTICAL AND CIVIL MARRIAGE.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nHUMACAO, P. R,, February I, 1899.\\nMr. Joaquin Masferrer, mayor of Humacao, and Mr. Salvador\\nFulladosa, judge of first instance and instruction:\\nDr. Carroll. Have there been any civil marriages here?\\nMr. Masferrer. Very few.\\nDr. Carroll. In case of civil marriage is it required that the par-\\nties to the marriage shall present their baptismal certificates?\\nMr. Masferrer. Yes.\\nMr. Fulladosa. According to the present law, those who wish to be\\nmarried civilly have to deny that they are Catholics.\\nDr. Carroll. I want to get at the facts in regard to civil mar-\\nriage, with a view to having it made open to all who wish to be mar-\\nried that way. I am told that it is the custom in some places for the\\ncure to charge a considerable sum to get a certificate in such cases.\\nMr. Fulladosa. The charge is 1 peso. That is one of the rights\\nof the church. They have charge of the records, and charge 1 peso\\nfor making a copy.\\nDr. Carroll. Why is it necessary to have baptismal certificates\\nin order to marry two persons?\\nMr. Fulladosa. To enable the official marrying them to ascertain\\nfor certain the ages of the contracting parties and whose children they\\nare.\\nDr. Carroll. Age generally speaks for itself.\\nMr. Fulladosa. Also to show whether or not they are related\\nwithin the prohibited degrees of consanguinity.\\nDr. Carroll. The church can marry or refuse to many whom it\\nwill, but the state has its own rules of consanguinity and there will\\nbe no appeal to any ecclesiastical authorities as to questions of that\\nkind.\\nMr. Fulladosa. The law as it exists at present does not allow\\ncousins to marry; consequently, if cousins wish to marry here, they\\nhave to pay heavily for a dispensation. There has been no modifica-\\ntion of that law. In the civil register we have a record of births,\\ndeaths, and marriages, and certificates can be obtained there if the\\ndate is subsequent to 1884, that being the year in which the civil reg-\\nister was instituted, so that persons born since 1884 do not have to go\\nto the cure for a certificate of birth.\\nDr. Carroll. Why would not a declaration of the time of birth,\\nwitnessed by persons who are cognizant of the fact, be sufficient for\\ncivil marriage?\\nMr. Fulladosa. That is done here by what is called an expediente.\\nDr. Carroll. I am asking with a view to an order making that\\nsufficient. Such an order would render civil marriage free in fact as\\nwell as in name.\\nMr. Fulladosa. That would be a good reform.\\nDr. Carroll. I suppose the great majority of people wish to be\\nmarried under church auspices, but some prefer civil marriage, and\\nif the church lays any obstacle in their way it should be changed.\\nMr. Fulladosa. To-day the women are most opposed to innova-\\ntions; men accept innovations very easily, but as soon as all hin-\\ndrances are removed I think everybody will accept the new order.\\nDr. Carroll. Very often people fail to get their rights except", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0702.jp2"}, "703": {"fulltext": "693\\nthrough competition, and if civil marriage is made free the church\\nwill remove the obstacles, as it will desire to marry more than the civil\\njustice.\\nMr. Fulladosa. Very likely.\\nVIEWS OF A PRIEST.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nGuayama, P. R., February 3, 1899.\\nFather Montanes\\nDr. Carroll. I want to ask a few questions with regard to the sub-\\nject of marriage, which is an extremely important subject in this\\ncountry.\\nFather Montanes. I consider it of immense moment, as concubinage\\nis a sore in the country, and is putting an end to family relations.\\nDr. Carroll. Everywhere I have gone I have received testimony\\nto the effect that the failure of many people to marry is not due to\\ntheir unwillingness to marry, but is due to the obstacles which the\\nchurch lays in their way. It is asserted by them that the poor people\\nare unable to pay the fees which are necessary in order to have a\\nreligious marriage.\\nFather Montanes. The Free Thinkers mostly have told you that.\\nIt is not true. It is true that there are certain exigencies, but that\\ndoes not depend on the priest, but on canonical regulations. For\\nexample, they have to present their baptismal certificate so as to show\\ntheir age, if they have been born in a different district then they have\\nto produce the consent of the parents, according to their age; then\\nthey have to satisfy the priest as to their knowledge of Catholic doc-\\ntrine, so as to enable him to know whether they are in a fit state to\\nenter into Catholic marriage then the bans have to be proclaimed three\\nsuccessive Sundays; then they exact the confession, as the Catholic\\nreligion considers marriage a sacrament. They have to confess to\\nprepare themselves, and this constitutes the great obstacle with the\\nFree Thinkers, so much so that several have married civilly, so as not\\nto have to confess. These are the obstacles. If the parties seeking\\nmarriage are related, they have to get a dispensation from the bishop.\\nThe bishop can charge them or not, as he sees fit.\\nDr. Carroll. The poor people complain of the money it costs; not\\nof other obstacles.\\nFather Montanes. It costs them now because we have no other\\nmeans of living; but before we charged them nothing for any of the\\nsacraments. Now that our salaries have been taken away, we have\\nto have some means of livelihood.\\nDr. Carroll. I had a great deal of testimony from persons who\\nsaid they had paid considerable fees, and had to pay them in order to\\nbe married through the church.\\nFather Montanes. In Guayama you can ask the people, one by one,\\nand you will not find one who has been charged. I have been here\\nfourteen years and have, never charged a marriage fee, and I am not\\nthe only one. Unfortunately, there have been exceptions to this\\nrule; there have been those who have charged.\\nDr. Carroll. It will be the policy of the new government to make\\nthe way to marriage of persons who are entitled to marry as easy as", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0703.jp2"}, "704": {"fulltext": "694\\npossible, and try to persuade those who are living in concubinage to\\ncontract marriage, if not b}* church rites, then by civil rites. I want\\nto ask if it is true, as I have heard, that such civil marriages have\\nbeen denounced from the pulpit of this church as not marriages at all,\\nbut simply as concubinage, and that persons contracting such mar-\\nriage have been threatened with excommunication?\\nFather Montanes. They are considered by the church as living in\\npublic concubinage, not because we may think so, but because the\\nPope, who is our chief, has so commanded. You must understand\\nthat all Christians, not only Catholics, but also Protestants, we con-\\nsider under the Pope s order, because we look upon Protestants as\\nforming a part of our church who have simply seceded from it. The\\nCatholic who marries civilly is not considered out of the church, but\\nis considered an apostate, except he repents. He can not be conceded\\nCatholic burial or any of the other rites.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the attitude of the church toward those who\\ndo not marry at all, but live together in concubinage?\\nFather Montanes. The Catholic Church has its rules about that,\\nbut the number living in concubinage is so great that the rules have\\nnot been applied. Most of these people, before they die, receive the\\nsacraments and so show themselves repentant.\\nDr. Carroll. It seems very strange to Americans, who are shocked\\nto find the scandalous state of things down here so many living\\ntogether without any contract of marriage at all that the church in\\nits attitude should seem to favor those who live without marriage at\\nall, and to denounce in its offices those who contract civil marriage.\\nIt seems to us better that there should be civil marriage than no\\nmarriage at all.\\nFather Montanes. No; there is this immense difference, that he\\nwho lives in concubinage commits no other sin than having unlawful\\nconnection with a woman, whereas he who lives in civil marriage has\\ncommitted the tremendous crime of apostacy of faith. Catholics con-\\nsider faith above morals.\\nDr. Carroll. I am afraid, reverend father, that those of your own\\nchurch in the United States would not agree with you upon this point.\\nI am sure Father Sherman would take a far different view, and while\\nhe would hold to the necessity of religious marriage and I will say\\nthat the great majority of American people are married that way\\nstill he would say it would be better for people to have a civil con-\\ntract of marriage and live together in that way than to live together\\nwithout any marriage.\\nFather Montanes. Yes; in the United States that may be, because\\nin countries which are non- Catholic and do not accept the Council of\\nTrent the marriage system is different. In Catholic countries a mar-\\nriage which is not celebrated by the parish priest in the presence of\\ntwo witnesses is illegal, whereas I understand that in England and\\nthe United States that is not the case.\\nDr. Carroll. But I am speaking of the attitude of the Catholics in\\nthe United States.\\nFather Montanes. As regards faith, it is the same; but as regards\\nrules, it is different. The Pope could issue an edict that a certain\\nform was valid in one part of the world, and a different form was\\nvalid in another part. Father Sherman would have to do the same\\nhere, because all Catholics in every part of the world have to conform\\nto the mandates of the Pope. The civil law requires that after all the\\nsteps have been taken for civil marriage the municipal judge shall name", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0704.jp2"}, "705": {"fulltext": "695\\na priest to be present, but he doesn t do it. The municipal judge has\\nput obstacles in the way of civil marriage. Formerly the certificate\\nof marriage issued by the church was valid in any part of the world,\\nbut since they got, after a great deal of difficulty, a concession unit-\\ning civil and religious marriage, there has been no end of trouble.\\nThe} are asking still more that the certificate of the priest- shall not\\nbe valid, but only that of the civil register.\\nOBSTACLES TO MARRIAGE.\\n[Hearing- before the United States Commissioner.]\\nGuayama, P. R., February 3, 1899.\\nDr. Carroll. Have there been any civil marriages in Guayama?\\nMr. Vergne (clerk to municipal judge). There have been a few.\\nThere have been none since the American invasion. Such marriages\\ncould only take place between non -Catholics.\\nDr. Carroll. In such cases do you require an expediente?\\nMr. Vergne. Yes. The expediente covers the baptismal certificate,\\nconsent of the parents, certification of the civil status of the parties\\ncontracting, and the petition of the parties.\\nMr. Dominguez (mayor of Guayama). I wish to call your attention,\\nas special commissioner, to the importance of introducing the civil\\nmarriage system of the United States as soon as possible. The state\\nin which the people of the rural districts live constitutes a sore on the\\ncivilization of Porto Rico. We want the right to marry people without\\nany papers of any description.\\nDr. Carroll. That is just why I want to get these facts prepara-\\ntory to making recommendations for the purpose of simplifying the\\nmarriage law and rendering it free from any great amount of expense.\\nMr. Dominguez. A priest has declared from the pulpit here that\\ncivil marriage is concubinage, and they excommunicate from the\\nchurch all persons contracting civil marriage as if they were under a\\ncurse from heaven. By this means they prevent the poor people from\\nmarrying except by the church, which means $10 or $12 for the priest.\\nDr. Carroll. Do they denounce those who live in concubinage,\\nwithout any marriage at all?\\nMr. Dominguez. They smooth over that as much as they can.\\nDr. Carroll. What does it cost usually to have an expediente for\\ncivil marriage prepared?\\nMr. Dominguez. From $8 to $10. The priests put all sorts of obsta-\\ncles in the way of granting the baptismal certificate to v persons who\\nwish to marry civilly.\\nDr. Carroll. I have had much testimony on that point, and I want\\nto hear all that is to be said.\\nMr. Dominguez. As the civil register dates from 1885, everybody at\\npresent must go to the priest for the baptismal certificate. It should\\nbe allowed alcaldes, municipal judges, and other judges to perform\\nmarriage in order to spread marriages over the island.\\nDr. Carroll. I intend to recommend to General Henry that he issue\\nan order making the way to civil marriage an open one to all persons\\nand free so far as possible from cost.\\nMr. Dominguez. Such an order should allow alcaldes, notaries, and\\nall persons with magistrates powers to perform the marriage ceremony.\\nI could marry 400 people here who are to-day living together without", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0705.jp2"}, "706": {"fulltext": "\u00e2\u0080\u00a2696\\nany ceremony of marriage. I will do it, and it will not cost anybody\\na cent. More than that, I will send police out to get the people to\\ncome into town to be married, so that they will know that they can\\nbe married. If yon will oblige the civil register to inscribe the mar-\\nriages that I celebrate, I will celebrate them.\\nDOCUMENTS OF A CIVIL MARRIAGE.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nArroyo, P. R. February 3, 1899.\\nThe Municipal Judge and the Priest.\\nDr. Carroll. Have there been any civil marriages contracted here?\\nThe Municipal Judge. Four since July.\\nDr. Carroll. What cost is incurred in civil marriage?\\nThe Municipal Judge. From $4 to 16 for the expediente.\\nDr. Carroll. What is an expediente?\\nThe Municipal Judge. It is the document in which the parties\\ngive an account of themselves and ask permission to marry.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you require couples to present baptismal certifi-\\ncates?\\nThe Municipal Judge. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. What does it cost to obtain these baptismal certifi-\\ncates?\\nThe Priest of Arroya. It costs a dollar, as provided by the law;\\nbut if the judge wants a certificate for use in criminal proceedings, it\\nis furnished him without any charge.\\nDr. Carroll. There is a civil register, I understand, of births,\\ndeaths, and marriages.\\nThe Municipal Jltdge. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. It is claimed in some cases that excessive charges are\\nmade in giving these certificates, so as to prevent the carrying out of\\ncivil marriages.\\nThe Priest. The price is fixed by the ecclesiastical law at $1.\\nA Gentleman present. I was lately charged a dollar aud a half.\\nDr. Carroll. Is it a dollar for the man and a dollar for the\\nwoman that is, $2 for each couple?\\nThe Priest. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. It costs $4 additional for this document?\\nThe Municipal Judge. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Why is it necessary to have so many documents?\\nThe Municipal Judge. The existing law requires it.\\nDr. Carroll. Would it not be better to have the existing law\\nmodified so as to make it easier for people to get married?\\nThe Municipal Judge. It would be.\\nA Gentleman present. I was recently commissioned by the judge\\nto look into the matter of the records. I went to the civil register\\nand was struck by the immense majority of deaths over births\\nrecorded there. I applied to the priest, and he said that many are\\nbaptized in the church who are not inscribed in the civil register.\\nThe Priest. The books are open to anybody who wants to look at\\nthem.\\nThe Municipal Judge. According to the present law, when the\\nperiod of forty days passes after the birth occurs, and the birth is", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0706.jp2"}, "707": {"fulltext": "697\\nnot inscribed in the civil register, the parent has to form an expedi-\\nente and pay a fine, and as they don t want to pay the fine they\\navoid having the birth recorded at all. There are mothers who bear\\nchildren who have not a cent and can not pay the fine. If it were\\nnot for this fine, everybody in the island could be inscribed.\\nThe expedients necessary for civil marriages consists of, first, a\\nbirth certificate second, the document asking permission to be mar-\\nried; third, the parents permission to allow their children to be mar-\\nried; fourth, a document from the judge in which he says he knows\\nof no former marriage of the interested party; fifth, a restatement of\\nintention to marry sixth, the bans which have been published sev-\\nenth, a document stating that the former document has been pub-\\nlished eighth, the document in which the celebration of the marriage\\nis set forth; ninth, the bans which were posted on the wall.\\n(An expediente of this kind was shown to the Commissioner. It\\nconsisted of 22 pages, comprising 14 documents.)\\nDr. Carroll. When I first came to the island I had a long inter-\\nview with the capitular vicar of Porto Rico, in which he touched,\\namong other subjects, upon the matter of morality in Porto Rico. He\\nsaid it was greatly to be regretted that there were so few marriages.\\nThe purpose of the present government of Porto Rico is to facilitate\\nmarriage, and if it is true that the church, in some places, puts\\nimpediments in the way of marriage by requiring large fees, then it\\nis proper that there should be civil marriage. It seems now that\\nthere are impediments in the way of civil marriage. In Humacao I was\\ninformed that in a marriage between a lieutenant and a native lady\\nthe price demanded by the priest in charge there was 100 pesos; that\\nobjection was made to that amount, with the result that the amount\\nwas gradually brought down to 65 pesos.\\nThe Priest. The present ecclesiastical law requires the priest to see\\nthat the two parties contracting marriage have been baptized, and\\nthey charge only $1 for that. There is a similar charge for the proc-\\nlamation of the bans, and if thej^ are married at 7 in the morning the\\nmarriage is performed free. Persons who wish to be married at incon-\\nvenient hours have to arrange for it, and have to pay $16, or one ounce\\nof gold.\\nThe Municipal Judge. Civil marriage can be effected at any hour\\nthe couple desire.\\nDr. Carroll. I understand that the fashionable hour for a mar-\\nriage in Porto Rico is in the evening, and that the poor people like to\\nbe married at the time other people are married.\\nThe Priest. The morning hour is fixed by the ecclesiastical gov-\\nernment to allow parties marrying to receive the benefit of all the sac-\\nraments first, and if they many at a late hour at night, or other\\nhour which is not convenient for them to take part in all the ceremo-\\nnies required by the superior church government, they pay something\\nfor it. These gentlemen are all residents of this town and know what\\nhas been the administration of the priest who is now here.\\nA Gentleman present. The general rule here was for both poor\\nand rich to get married at night.\\nDr. Carroll. In that case would it not be well for the church to\\nchange its rule and follow the wishes of the people? Of course the\\nchurch ought to marry the people.\\nThe Priest. These things are fixed on superior orders and we obey\\nthem. My books are open to inspection, and I invite inspection tb\\nsee if they are not kept as they should be.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0707.jp2"}, "708": {"fulltext": "698\\nWHY SO MANY AVOID MARRIAGE.\\n[Hearing at the alcaldia, evening session, before the United States Commissioner.]\\nAibonito, P. R., February 6, 1899.\\nMr. municipal judge; Mr. Manuel Caballer, maj or of\\nAibonito; and Father Manuel Quintana, parochial priest:\\nDr. Carroll. Are there any people living here in the marital rela-\\ntion without marriage?\\nThe Municipal Judge. Very many. From July up to date I have\\nnot registered a single marriage in the whole district.\\nDr. Carroll. Why is it that they prefer to live in that relation\\nwithout marriage?\\nThe Municipal Judge. I will inform you about that. We are all\\nCatholics up to the present, but the ,church has put obstacles in the\\nway of marriage. When couples go to be married, the priest says you\\nmust pay so much for this document, and so much for the other, and\\nif the peasant wants to be married at night, according to the custom\\nof the country, as he usually does, the priest charges him for that also.\\nAs municipal judge, I charge for drawing up the expediente. I charge\\nbecause I have no salary.\\nDr. Carroll. How much do you charge for it?\\nThe Municipal Judge. A dollar and a quarter for. each party; that\\nis, $2.50 for both. As I have said, I think the reasons\u00c2\u00a9 many people\\nlive together without marriage is because of the charge made by the\\nchurch; but as the priests receive no salary now, I hardly see how\\nthey can do otherwise.\\nMr. Caballer. I think the main cause is not the fault of the priest\\nhere, but of the superior ecclesiastical authorities, because in the\\ncountry districts most of the people are related to each other. If they\\nwant to get married, they must get over that obstacle of relationship\\nby forming an expediente and getting permission from the high eccle-\\nsiastical authorities, who charge considerable sums for the requisite\\npermission.\\nFather Quintana. I protest against what the municipal judge has\\nsaid that I charge for publishing the bans. In the twenty-six years\\nthat I have been here I have never charged anything for publishing-\\nbans and have always married for nothing when I have been able to\\ndo so; that is, when there were no obstacles calling for special dis-\\npensation. I have even gone so far as to spend money to enable the\\nparties to dress sufficiently well to come to the church to get married.\\nAs regards marrying them at night, it is true I have charged for that,\\nbut a small amount as compared with what is charged in other parishes.\\nI charge from $8 to $10.\\nDr. Carroll.- Do you charge forgiving baptismal certificates?\\nFather Quintana. Yes; $L\\nDr. Carroll. Have you always charged that?\\nFather Quintana. Only since my salary was cut off.\\nDr. Carroll (to the municipal judge). What do you charge as a\\ncivil fee for the birth record?\\nThe Municipal Judge. Nothing.\\nA voice. Half a dollar.\\nThe Municipal Judge. The person who registers a birth is under\\nthe obligation of making a written statement, witnessed by two per-\\nsons, to the effect that the child is the son or daughter, as the case\\nmay be, of such and such persons. The clerk usually makes a charge\\nof half a dollar for this.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0708.jp2"}, "709": {"fulltext": "699\\nMr. Caballer. As the municipal judges and their secretaries have\\nno salaries, they try bj^ other means in their power to earn a dollar\\ndecently. The clerk of the justice has a printed form, and when a\\ncountryman comes to inscribe the birth of a child they tell him he\\nhas to pay half a dollar, without giving any reason whatever.\\nDr. Carroll. The better way would be to have a salary for the\\njudge and secretary and abolish all fees.\\nMr. Caballer. I think so. I think that would be best for the\\ncountry.\\nDr. Carroll. I desire to ask Father Quintana a question or two,\\nwith his permission. Of course you consider that persons living\\ntogether in the marital relation, without marriage, and raising families\\nis very bad. Have you taken occasion to exhort your people as to the\\nimportance of having marriage celebrated?\\nFather Quintana. Yes; very much.\\nDr. Carroll. If a great number of such persons are restrained\\nfrom marrying on account of the fees, would it not be well for the\\nsake of the church and for the sake of morality to marry them with-\\nout charging them anything?\\nFather Quintana. I will marry them for nothing. I have always\\nbeen disposed to do so and will do so now; but they prefer to live in\\na state of concubinage.\\nDr. Carroll. It will be the policy of the American Government to\\nfacilitate in every possible way the contracting of marriage bonds;\\nand if there are any difficulties in the way of civil marriage, the Gov-\\nernment will, I think, remove those difficulties by making civil mar-\\nriage easy and costless.\\nFather Quintana. We will do the same as to marriage.\\nDr. Carroll. If that were generally known in this community,\\nwould not many couples present themselves to you for marriage?\\nFather Quintana. The whole town knows it, and I have preached\\nit openly.\\nDr. Carroll. The mayor of Guayama told me that if he had the\\npower to celebrate marriage, he would do so free, and could marry 400\\ncouples.\\nThe Municipal Judge. I will undertake to present 100 couples\\nto-morrow if they can be married free. Our laws require us to\\nannounce the bans three times; and unless that is removed, we would\\nhave to observe it.\\nDr. Carroll. That would not be an obstacle, would it?\\nFather Quintana. According to the civil law, they also have to pro-\\nclaim, and if there is any relationship, they also have to apply to\\nheadquarters to get a dispensation. We haven t the laws here that\\nthey have in France permitting people to marry civilly and then by\\nthe church.\\nDr. Carroll. If this gentleman (the municipal judge) will clear\\nthe way by proclaiming the bans and the couples are not prohibited\\nfrom marrying by reason of relationship, will you marry them free?\\nFather Quintana. I have to make the proclamas in the Catholic\\nway.\\nThe Municipal Judge. I can give the Father a list of the people\\nwho want to have the bans proclaimed. He can then proclaim the\\nbans, and those who really want to be married can be married, and\\nthose who will not need not.\\nFather Quintana. I think the judge is not competent to force peo-\\nple to get married. If they will not get married, no one can force\\nthem to.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0709.jp2"}, "710": {"fulltext": "700\\nDr. Carroll. The judge does not propose to force them.\\nFather Quintana. All right hut I will examine the people to see\\nif they are really willing. If they are not, I will send them away.\\nThe Municipal Judge. I will call on them and say, You are liv-\\ning in a state of concubinage. Would you not like to legitimize your\\nchildren?\\nFather Quintana. I would many them immediately if I could dis-\\npense with the proclamas.\\nDr. Carroll. Suppose the capitular vicar gives you the power to\\ndo that?\\nFather Quintana. I would do it at once. Send me power to allow\\nthem to many without proclamations of any sort. Up to the present\\nthe people have shown themselves unwilling to be married civilly.\\nThey want to be married by the church.\\nDr. Carroll. And I think the church should seek means of having\\nthem married.\\nFather Quintana. I think so, too. I don t wish for anything else\\nthan to have such a commission. I. hope they will be willing to be\\nmarried. I have always been preaching to them that they ought to\\nget married, but they have hitherto preferred to live in concubinage.\\nThe Municipal Judge. As regards civil marriage, I am willing to\\nmany people without any cost whatever.\\nFather Quintana. As regards the church, I stand in the same\\nposition.\\nBETTER LAWS DESIRED.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nCoamo, P. R., February 6, 1899.\\nDr. Carroll. Have there been any civil marriages in this district?\\nThe Municipal Judge. There were four or five some years ago.\\nDr. Carroll. Have there been none recently?\\nThe Municipal Judge. No.\\nDr. Carroll. What is necessary in order to contract civil marriage?\\nThe Municipal Judge. The parties must renounce the Catholic\\nreligion, for one thing.\\nA Gentleman present. No; I think that is not true.\\nThe Municipal Judge. Yes, it is true.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you had any notice of an order modifying that\\nprovison?\\nThe Municipal Judge. No.\\nDr. Carroll. In order to perform a civil marriage you require an\\nexpediente, do you not?\\nThe Municipal Judge. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. What papers constitute that expediente?\\nThe Municipal Judge. The petition of the contracting parties.\\nThe edict is published eight days twice. On the tennination of the\\nbans, if there are no parties opposing the marriage, it is celebrated.\\nIf there is relationship between the parties the minister of justice\\nhas to be applied to for a dispensation. The expediente must also\\nhave the consent of the father and mother, although the contracting\\nparties may be above the legal age. If the father should refuse con-\\nsent and the parties are above legal age, the judge may give consent\\nwithin three months.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0710.jp2"}, "711": {"fulltext": "701\\nDr. Carroll. What is the average cost of these expedientes?\\nThe Municipal Judge. Nothing at all.\\nDr. Carroll. Are there no fees charged for the expediente?\\nThe Municipal Judge. A fee of 40 cents is charged for the inscrip-\\ntion after the marriage is celebrated.\\nDr. Carroll. Are the papers constituting the expediente prepared\\nwithout cost?\\nThe Municipal Judge. We can not collect anything.\\nDr. Carroll. But you do, don t you?\\nThe Municipal Judge. It is natural that the contracting parties\\nshould make some present.\\nDr. Carroll. But you have had only a very few marriages of that\\nkind, I understand. Are there many people living in the marriage\\nstate without having had a religious or civil marriage performed?\\n(There was a general chorus of Many, many, from those present\\nat the hearing in response to this question.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the reason for it?\\nA Gentleman present. The reason is the opposition of the priests\\nand the obstacles they put in the way of people getting married. For\\ninstance, a dollar for the clerical notary, a dollar for the mass, a dol-\\nlar or more for the priest himself who celebrates the marriage, and if\\ntwo relatives wish to get married, they often have to pay thirty or\\nforty dollars to purchase a dispensation. Moreover, the priests teach\\nthat civil marriage is the same as heresy, and peasants do not get\\nmarried civilly for fear of religious consequences. The priests charge\\naccording to the position of the parties seeking marriage and accord-\\ning to the hour at which the marriage is celebrated.\\nDr. Carroll. Then fees have only been charged since the American\\noccupation?\\nAn Elderly Gentleman present. They have been charged all\\nmy life as far back as I can remember.\\nA Gentleman present. Another reason, which I consider the prin-\\ncipal one, is the lack of education among the women. They are not\\neducated and have no moral force of character, and consequently are\\neasily persuaded into living that way.\\nDr. Carroll. In these cases where people live together without\\nmarriage are they not generally true to each other?\\n(There were a number who answered in the affirmative, and they\\nseemed to express the unanimous opinion of the many.)\\nA Gentleman present. This state should not be looked upon as\\none of prostitution.\\nDr. Carroll. If civil marriage were made free and easy, would\\npeople generally avail themselves of it?\\n(This question was answered by a general chorus of Yes.\\nA Gentleman present. The difficulty here about civil marriage is\\nthe fear entertained by a great many people that when they die they\\nwill not be buried in consecrated ground.\\nDr. Carroll. What would be the attitude of the church toward\\nthese civil marriages, probably?\\nA Gentleman present. In my own house a priest who was fond of\\nacts of charity had an altar erected and married eighteen or twenty\\ncouples there.\\nColonel Santiago. I think that the present state of affairs will con-\\ntinue here until the rigid laws of the United States on this subject are\\nbrought into force. Rigid laws in defense of women are required.\\nThe laws here do not protect the women, and such laws as there are", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0711.jp2"}, "712": {"fulltext": "702\\nare not enforced in the judicial offices. If free marriage were intro-\\nduced here, I venture to say that everybody would take advantage of\\nit. There would of course be some exceptions to this, because under\\nthe lax laAvs here, which have favored persons in doing what they\\nwanted to, some have taken women that they could not bring into\\ntheir own social life, and consequently would not marry them if they\\nhad the opportunity to do so.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the state of the law with respect to children\\nof these illegitimate unions?\\nA Gentleman present. They are registered in the name of the\\nparent who brings them, or in the name of both parents, if both are\\npresent.\\nDr. Carroll. The question I had in view was what disadvantages\\nsuch children stand in under the law. For instance, the law of inher-\\nitance.\\nA Gentleman present. They can only inherit the fifth part of the\\nestate. Should the child be declared the child of a mother having\\nproperty, he has equal rights with other children; but being declared\\nthe child of a father having property, he inherits only the fifth part.\\nThe child can be acknowledged by either parent as his or her child,\\nbut after the child has arrived at the age of maturity he has to give\\nhis consent to such recognition to make it legal.\\nDr. Carroll. If recognized by both parents, does it make him\\nlegitimate in the eyes of the law?\\nA Gentleman present. Yes with a very slight difference.\\nVIEWS OF THE CAPITULAR VICAR.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nSan Juan, P. R., February 10, 1899.\\nThe Very Rev. Father Juan Perpina e Pibernat, capitular vicar\\nof the diocese of Porto Rico\\nDr. Carroll. At Aibonito, in the interview with the alcalde and\\nothers, the priest was also present, and the question came up, as it\\nhas in other places, about matrimony, and I wish now to bring that\\nquestion to your attention in case you care to hear it. I called for\\nthe number of civil marriages that had been celebrated there in the\\nlast few years, and it appeared that there had been only a few of them,\\nand they told me that a large number of couples were living together\\nwithout any sacrament of marriage whatever.\\nFather Perpina. That is false.\\nDr. Carroll. The question arose there about obtaining dispensa-\\ntions for the marriage of about 40 couples in that district. The priest\\nsaid he would gladly marry these people free if he were allowed by\\nthe authorities to do so.\\nFather Perpina. How could that man have made such a false state-\\nment?\\nDr. Carroll. There are people living together who are not married.\\nFather Perpina. What is the dispensation required for?\\nDr. Carroll. The priest said that one of the obstacles was that\\nsome of them were related and that he could not, under ecclesiastical\\nlaws, marry them without a dispen sation He said that he would gladly\\nmarry the couples if the ecclesiastical authorities in San Juan would\\npermit him to do so.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0712.jp2"}, "713": {"fulltext": "703\\nFather Perpina. The dispensations come from Rome, and that is\\nwhy they cost money. The church tries to place an obstacle in the\\nway of relatives marrying, so as not to make it a common occurrence;\\nbut for poor people who are not relatives no charge is made. For\\nthe rich we charge; why shouldn t we?\\nDr. Carroll. They stated that in a country district like Aibonito\\nmost people were related, and that the law of the church made it\\ndifficult for these people to many, and therefore they were living\\ntogether without marriage.\\nFather Perpina. It isfalse.\\nDr. Carroll. The priest told me so.\\nFather Perpina. It is false. I am going to write to the priest that\\nhe is not to tell lies. For each one they would have to make an expe-\\ndiente; the} have got to go into particulars before dispensations\\ncould be granted. Then they have to take it before the notary, and\\nthey will have to pay something for it. I have expenses here which\\nI have to cover.\\nDr. Carroll. Every individual case, then, would have to stand\\nby itself?\\nFather Perpina. Each person would have to present his genealog-\\nical tree, so that we could see whether the dispensation could be\\ngiven; but I want you to understand that dispensations are never\\nrefused to anybody for want of money. I am astonished that that\\npriest has made that observation, as he has never sent a request for a\\ndispensation since I have been here. Those dispensations or applica-\\ntions should go to Rome; if they go to Rome, they would cost $20\\nmore. Sixteen to eighteen dollars is the cost of a dispensation here.\\nThe most expensive are those dispensing with the bans. In Rome it\\nwould cost them from $100 to $200.\\nDr. Carroll. I found so many people living in the various munici-\\npalities without marriage that it seemed to me it constituted a case\\nto which some sort of remedy should be applied, and it will be my duty\\nto recommend that some way out of this difficulty be found, and, if in\\nno other way, it should be found through the establishment of civil\\nmarriage on an easy and free basis.\\nFather Perpina. The Spanish Government never assisted the\\nchurch in any way in effecting marriages. The Spanish Government\\ncould have prevented this state of concubinage if it had had a mind to.\\nDr. Carroll. In what way?\\nFather Perpina. By punishing the parties. I ask, how did the\\nRoman emperors prevent it? By making marriage compulsory and\\npunishing people who lived in concubinage.\\nDr. Carroll. Has the church no punishment for concubinage?\\nFather Perpina. Spiritual punishment only. All those who die in\\nthat state are refused burial in consecrated ground.\\nDr. Carroll. Are they not absolved if they confess their sins? I\\nam told they usually receive the sacrament of extreme unction and\\ndie good Catholics.\\nFather Perpina. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Well, that is not a punishment, if they know that at\\nthe last they can confess and be forgiven.\\nFather Perpina. The church would not condemn anybody. What\\nare we going to do? Can the church allow them to be damned? If\\nthey made me civil governor here, I would prevent every case of im-\\nmoral living. In the time of the Caesars there were two laws, one\\nwhich gave premiums to persons who got married at the right age for", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0713.jp2"}, "714": {"fulltext": "704\\nmarriage and the other which punished persons who did not get\\nmarried at the right age. Why didn t the Spanish Government have\\nsimilar laws, punishing concubinage? If the United States will help\\nthe Catholic Church in doing away with concubinage, it can be done\\naway with.\\nDr. Carroll. I don t know how we can do it except by opening\\nthe way to civil marriage and abolishing the heavy requirements that\\nare now laid upon civil marriage, so that persons who are living\\ntogether as man and wife may, without great cost or any cost at all\\npractically, have a civil marriage performed.\\nFather Perpina. From our point of view, civil marriage is con-\\ncubinage.\\nDr. Carroll. It is not the point of view of the United States at\\nall nor of the law generally. Nevertheless, the great majority of\\nmarriages in the United States are performed by ministers religious\\nmarriages, Catholic and Protestant.\\nFather Perpina. The Catholic Church can not allow civil mar-\\nriage; it does allow, and even advises, civil register of marriages.\\nCatholics when they marry civilly are from that moment non-Catho-\\nlics. I wish you to understand that the Catholic Church does not\\nwish that for lack of money there should be concubinage; if the peo-\\nple are able to pay anything, they should do so, because priests can\\nnot live on air.\\nDr. Carroll. That is true, and yet one of your priests asked an\\nAmerican lieutenant, who married a Porto Rican girl in Humacao,\\n$100, and the lieutenant finally got him to accept $65.\\nFather Perpina. Particular cases don t establish general rules.\\nDr. Carroll. It is only fair to say that thej^have told me the same\\nstory in many places that the charges made were obstacles, and\\nchief obstacles, in the way of getting married.\\nFather Perpina. It is not true. They wish to live in that state;\\nthey don t wish to marry. If they wish to get married, let them pre-\\npare their expediente with the terms required, and they can be. As\\na proof that we don t charge much, I have never been able to get rich.\\nMy income is about $50 a month, and never more than $100. At present\\nthe ayuntamientos are bad ones, put in by Muhoz Rivera. They are\\nbad, very bad, and they are working against the church.\\nOBSTACLES TO CIVIL MARRIAGE.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nCaguas, P. R., February 27, 1899.\\nDr. Carroll. Have there been any civil marriages here within the\\nlast few years?\\nMunicipal Judge Avarez. Very few. A great obstacle to civil\\nmarriage has been that the civil register has been in existence onlj T eight\\nyears, and persons wishing to marry civilly have had to get their cer-\\ntificate of baptism from the church, and the church has put every\\npossible obstacle in their way.\\nDr. Carroll. What are those obstacles?\\nJudge Avarez. Refusing to give the certificate except upon the\\npayment of large sums of money. As the law requires the produc-\\ntion of this certificate or the certificate of a physician, they frequently\\nare able to compel payment.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0714.jp2"}, "715": {"fulltext": "705\\nDr. Carroll. What is the largest fee you have known to be\\ncharged?\\nJudge Avarez. Fifty dollars, and even that with difficulty.\\nDr. Carroll. Are there many persons living here together in the\\nrelation of husband and wife without marriage?\\nJudge Avarez. Quite a large number.\\nDr. Carroll. Why is that?\\nJudge Avarez. Owing to ignorance.\\nDr. Carroll. Are there any obstacles in the way of church mar-\\nriage?\\nJudge Avarez. The priests, when they hear of people living in\\nthat condition, should call the people and counsel them, advising that\\nthey should get married and leave the state of concubinage.\\nDr. Carroll. I would like to ask the mayor a single question. I\\nunderstand there are a great many people who are living together who\\nare not married. Why, Mr. Mayor, do they live in that state? Is it\\nbecause of any obstacles in the way of matrimony?\\nMayor Sola. It is owing to two reasons want of education and\\nwant of money.\\nDr. Carroll. Does it cost much to get married?\\nMayor Sola. Not a great deal; but 6 or 7 pesos is a great deal for\\npoor people. The priests to-day are asking as much as 3 pesos for a\\nbaptismal certificate.\\nDr. Carroll. Suppose the law were changed so as to allow all per-\\nsons, without regard to religion, to avail themselves of the privilege\\nof civil marriage, and suppose that alcaldes and municipal judges\\nwere empowered to perform the ceremony, and suppose it were a pro-\\nvision of law that no charge should be made for such marriages that\\nno previous notice should be required; that certificates of consent and\\nage should be required only of minors; that a marriage certificate\\nshould be required to be given, stating all the facts of the case and\\nexecuted by the person performing the marriage ceremony in dupli-\\ncate, one copy given to the contracting parties and one cop} 7 sent to\\nthe municipal judge for inscription and filing would that facilitate\\ncivil marriage, in your judgment?\\nJudge Avarez. Very greatly; it would be a good reform.\\nDr. Carroll. I have recommended that such an order should be\\nissued by General Henry. It provides that the marriage certificate\\nshall give the name and address of each of the contracting parties,\\nthe names and addresses of their parents, as far as possible, and the\\nplaces and date of birth. If the parties are minors, the fact that per-\\nmission was given by a parent or guardian or relative, the certificate\\nto be signed by two witnesses as well as by the contracting parties; a\\ncertificate also for minors, stating also their names and ages and the\\npermission of father, guardian, or relative.\\nThe Secretary to the Municipal Judge. Then it will be neces-\\nsary to form an expediente.\\nDr. Carroll. No; the minister of justice will furnish these blanks\\nto the secretaries of the municipalities, by whom they will be given\\nto all persons authorized to perform the marriage ceremony; also to\\nthose contemplating marriage.\\n(The books of the judge s secretary were here produced, showing\\nthe inscription of births, deaths, and marriages. The commissioner\\nexamined the inscription of the death of a person residing in Vega\\nBaja. It was stated that he was a bachelor; then went on to give a\\ndescription of the people who came to ask for the inscription; then\\n1125 45", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0715.jp2"}, "716": {"fulltext": "706\\nfollowed a description of the deceased then a statement regarding\\nhis property and as to his dying intestate, the place where and when\\nburied, and other details. The whole occupied 2 pages.)\\nDr. Carroll. Is this in legal form?\\n.Judge Avarez. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Are these books used for that purpose?\\nJudge Avarez. We give a certified copy when Avanted.\\nv(The inscription of a birth was examined, which occupied 3 pages\\nof the book.)\\nJudge Avarez. This inscription of birth we have to copy into\\nanother book. This second book is unnecessary. We have a pile of\\nthem rotting in the vaults.\\nMORAL EDUCATION NECESSARY.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nCayey, P. R., February 28, 1899.\\nDr. Carroll (to the municipal judge). Have there been any civil\\nmarriages here recently?\\nThe Municipal Judge. Not during the six months that I have\\nbeen municipal judge here.\\nDr. Carroll. Are the people who are living together as husband\\nand wife generally married?\\nThe Municipal Judge. There are many who live together without\\nthe ceremony.\\nDr. Carroll. Why do they so live?\\nThe Municipal Judge. I attribute it to the fact that most of these\\npeople have very little money, and the priests exact considerable sums\\nto many them.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the largest sum asked of a couple, to your\\nknowledge, as a marriage fee?\\nThe Municipal Judge-. Sixteen dollars.\\nA Gentleman present. It cost me $16.\\nDr. Carroll. These large fees have been charged only since the\\nAmerican occupation, I suppose?\\nThe Municipal Judge. No; before that.\\nDr. Carroll. The capitular vicar said it was against the law of the\\nchurch and against the law of the land to charge such fees, and that\\nthere was no case that he knew of where there had been a fee charged\\nfor marriage.\\nA Gentleman present. That is the way history is written.\\nDr. Carroll. Is it true that the priests marry free many poor\\npeople who get married in the morning?\\nMayor Munoz. Those who get married at the morning mass he\\nusually does not charge anything; those who marry at other times are\\ncharged according to their standing.\\nDr. Carroll. Is it not the fashion here to get married in the evening?\\nMayor Munoz. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. And the poor want to be married at the same time as\\nothers?\\nMayor Munoz. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. If the priest marries free of charge in the morning,\\nwhy don t those who live together and are not married go to him at\\nthat time?", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0716.jp2"}, "717": {"fulltext": "707\\nA Gentleman present. Tlie people who are living in concubinage\\ndon t get married because nobody is married free. They say they don t\\ncharge for the marriage ceremony, the joining of hands, but they\\ncharge for other things; they charge $1.25 each for the baptismal cer-\\ntificates, $1 each for the bans, and 50 cents for the joining of hands.\\nNobody can be married free.\\nA Lawyer of Cayey. I think that this is not the only reason that\\nthe poor do not get married. I believe that owing to the fact that\\nmarriage is indissoluble by law the poor people are unwilling to accept\\nthe responsibility of keeping a wife and children.\\nDr. Carroll. Do the men often leave the women with whom they\\nhave lived in that way? Is it the rule?\\nThe Lawyer. No.\\nDr. Carroll. Then it can not be the reason.\\nThe Lawyer. I believe it is a very logical reason. They don t\\nwant to undertake the obligation. There are quite a number of cases.\\nDr. Carroll. Is it the rule here that those who do not get mar-\\nried want the privilege of leaving their families when they get tired\\nof them?\\nThe Lawyer. I think that is the general rule.\\nDr. Carroll. Do the other gentlemen present think so?\\n[Note. This question was greeted by a general response in the neg-\\native by those present.]\\nA Gentleman present. I think the generality of people who do\\nnot marry live in the country districts, and it is for want of educa-\\ntion and instruction but in the towns it is rare to find people who are\\nliving in that relation.\\nAnother Gentleman. Everybody here will agree with me in say-\\ning that the reason the people live in the state of concubinage is that\\nthe lack of funds prevents them from getting married, and as proof\\nof that, when the bishop pays a pastoral visit and marries for nothing,\\nthey come into the towns and get married in great numbers. The\\ncivil law of marriage also requires a payment from poor people, and\\nan amount, too, that is not within their power to pay. This is the\\nroot of the whole evil.\\nDr. Carroll. If a law were promulgated permitting civil marriage\\nto be performed by the municipal judges, abolishing the need of bap-\\ntismal certificates and charging no fees making it absolutely free\\nis it your opinion that a great many people would coriie and be mar-\\nried?\\nThe Municipal Judge. I think so.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you think the charge of 1 peso by the municipal\\njudge or alcalde, if he chose to charge it, would be an obstacle?\\nThe Municipal Judge. The civil judge has never charged any-\\nthing, but couples have been obliged to ask for baptismal Certificates,\\nwhich have cost them $1.25 each.\\nMayor Munoz. I think education would contribute greatly to abolish\\nconcubinage. I think, also, that divorce for legitimate reasons should\\nbe allowed; marriage should not be indissoluble, as now.\\nDr. Carroll. Your civil code provides for divorce, does it not?\\nA Lawyer present. It permits a separation, but not complete\\ndivorce.\\nDr. Carroll. Not for adultery?\\nThe Lawyer. Not even for bad treatment.\\nMr. Louis Munoz. I think that the measure you have just men-\\ntioned will go far toward settling the difficulty; but there will be", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0717.jp2"}, "718": {"fulltext": "708\\nanother difficulty if they do not have to present any document as to\\nthe status of the parties. One of the contracting parties might be\\nmarried already; you would not have anything to pro re his freedom to\\nmarry. That is the object of the expediente.\\nDr. Carroll. We don t have anything of the kind in the United\\nStates, but it is well understood that when a man commits bigamy he\\nis subject to arrest and trial as a criminal, and there is a heavy pun-\\nishment.\\nMr. Luis Munoz. I think that that is all right. In the Spanish law\\nthere is also a criminal responsibility imposed. Under the civil law\\nmarriage produces effects, whether legally contracted or not, and this\\nmight give rise to trouble.\\nDr. Carroll. I don t see how you can prevent that under any\\nsystem.\\nMr. Luis Munoz. The Spanish law makes it harder for a man to\\nget married, because he has to prove by document his right to do so.\\nThere might be a case of false documents, but it would be rare.\\nDr. Carroll. Is it not better to make it easier to marry for those\\nwho have the right than to make it hard for those who abuse it, and\\nhave many living together without marriage?\\nMr. Luis Munoz. I think the fee system should be abolished, but\\nI think the people seeking to marry should be obliged to prove their\\nstatus before the alcalde or judge.\\nDr. Carroll. I have been given to understand that the very fact\\nof requiring so many steps to be taken was one of the obstacles to\\nmarriage. I was shown in Arroyo an expediente of 22 pages and 14:\\ndocuments in one marriage.\\nMr. Luis Munoz. The law could correct that abuse the same as the\\nother.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you think that the fee of a dollar would stand in\\nthe way of a great many marrying?\\nMayor Munoz. No. I am of your opinion that if criminally inclined\\npersons want to get married two or three times they will do so anyway.\\nVARIOUS REASONS ASSIGNED.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nPonce, P. R., JIarch 3, 1899.\\nMr. Isidorio Uriate y Zalazer, municipal judge:\\nDr. Carroll. Have there been many civil marriages here?\\nMr. Uriate. Very few. I have been in this position since the inva-\\nsion and was named by General Wilson. I have not celebrated any\\ncivil marriages in that time. I was sick five or six days, and there\\nwas one civil marriage performed in my absence. I have put that in\\nthe notes I will give you.\\nDr. Carroll. Are there many people living together here who are\\nnot married?\\nMr. Uriate. Yes; quite a few.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the cause of that?\\nMr. Uriate. I think it is owing to the povei of the poor and to\\nthe fact that they do not understand their duty to society. They have\\nnot much money, and are unable to attend to theii education, and\\nknow no better. It is not a crime with them. I think it is owing to", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0718.jp2"}, "719": {"fulltext": "709\\nslavery also, because it was to the interest of slave owners in the old\\ndays to multiply slaves.\\nDr. Carroll. Is this chiefly among the poor people and among the\\ncolored people?\\nMr. Uriate. White people of the better classes do not suffer from\\nthis at all.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you think the cost of marriage has anything to do\\nwith preventing people from getting married?\\nMr. Uriate. Yes; it has a great influence.\\nDr. Carroll. Is ecclesiastical marriage costly?\\nMr. Uriate. It is a sort of speculation with the priests. They used\\nto ask fees that would amount to as high as forty or fifty dollars.\\nDr. Carroll. That was before the invasion?\\nMr. Uriate. Yes. To-day I think they will marry people for any-\\nthing they can get, if they see that they have the competition of the\\ncivil marriage. If people wanted to get married at 1.1 o clock at night\\nthe fee was \u00c2\u00a735. That was for poor or rich.\\nDr. Carroll. Of course the poor could not pay that?\\nMr. Uriate. No; of course not.\\nDr. Carroll. Would it be well, in your judgment, to make civil\\nmarriage freer; forinstance, to dispense with the baptismal certificate?\\nMr. Uriate. Yes the present law requires, in order to celebrate mar-\\nriage, that the parties should present their baptismal certificates and\\ncertificates showing that they are single, and the church naturally\\nputs all the obstacles it can in the way to giving these certificates.\\nDr. Carroll. Would it not be well to make civil marriage so free\\nthat you would require certificates only in the case of minors and the\\npermission of their parents?\\nMr. Uriate. Yes; but there is one thing about that. To be able\\nto certify to the age of minors it is necessary to go to the priests that\\nis the only way they can prove it.\\nDr. Carroll. They need not prove it exactly. They can get a cer-\\ntificate from a physician or some one who knows the age approxi-\\nmately.\\nMr. Uriate. Yes; but it could not be done under the law as it ex-\\nists at present.\\nDr. Carroll. But the law could be changed.\\nMr. Uriate. Yes; that would be well. It would give much better\\nresults. Every marriage, too, costs from ten to twelve dollars for the\\nexpecliente, and with great delay also, because the bans have to be\\nposted for fifteen days.\\nDr. Carroll. That is unnecessary, is it not, in the case of persons\\nwho have arrived at the age of maturity?\\nMr. Uriate. I think that in the city three days would be sufficient,\\nand there need not be public notices published, but only notices in\\nthe press for three days.\\nDr. Carroll. Is it necessary to give any notice at all? The man\\ncomes to be married, say, is 30 years old and the woman 25. Is it nec-\\nessary to give to the public any notice that they are going to be mar-\\nried?\\nMr. Uriate. It is done with the purpose of not allowing the au-\\nthorities to be taken by surprise. People might be married who are\\nalready married.\\nDr. Carroll. That happens under any law.\\nMr. Uriate. According to the Catholic Church, civil marriage is\\nregarded as no marriage at all.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0719.jp2"}, "720": {"fulltext": "710\\nDr. Carroll. Births are not fully reported are they?\\nMr. Uriate. No; births are not fully inscribed. The law only gives\\nthem forty days, and if they do not report within forty days a fine is\\nimposed upon them for their neglect. For this reason they don t pre-\\nsent themselves. The mother has to bring the child herself, and\\nin some barrios the road is so bad it is impossible for the mother to\\nbring the child.\\nDr. Carroll. This is not necessary, is it?\\nMr. Uriate. I think that the parents should come to the register\\nthemselves; but the law onl t y allows forty days, and to make a woman\\nundertake a difficult journey within forty days after giving birth is\\nwrong.\\nDr. Carroll. Would it not be well to allow the comisario, in case\\nthe barrio is distant, to send a certificate?\\nMr. Uriate. Yes; it would give much better results. I think the\\ncomisarios should have registers and send the reports to the municipal\\njudge every fifteen days.\\nDr. Carroll. And the fines should be limited, should they not, so\\nas to encourage women to report their offspring.\\nMr. Uriate. It is ridiculous to impose a fine on poor people.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the fine?\\nMr. Uriate. I can not say; I think it is left to the discretion of the\\njudge. I have never imposed any.\\nDr. Carroll. It is a dead letter, is it not?\\nMr. Uriate. What happens is that the parents make false reports\\nof a child s age. They declare it of less age than it really is, and that\\nmay affect its civil rights later on in case of a legacy, for example.\\nI was sitting yesterday and to-day hearing misdemeanors. I think\\nthey ought to be attended to by the mayor. For instance, a boy with\\ncandies was told to move on. He would not do so, was arrested, and\\nbrought before the municipal judge.\\nDr. Carroll. It seems to me that the municipal judge ought to\\nhave a salary.\\nMr. Uriate. We receive nothing. I have to attend to the court to\\nthe prejudice of my own business.\\nDr. Carroll. The duties of municipal judge in this district must\\nbe very onerous.\\nMr. Uriate. Yes; there is very much work connected with the\\noffice, and in case of necessity the municipal judge has to take the\\nplace of the judge of first instance, which puts more work on him.\\nTHE TARIFF OF FEES.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nYaltco, P. R., March 6, 1S99.\\nMr. Torres, Mr. Mejia, and others:\\nDr. Carroll. Have there been any civil marriages in Yauco?\\nMr. Torres. There have been some.\\nDr. Carroll. Very few, I suppose.\\nMr. Torres. Yes, very few.\\nDr. Carroll. Are there many people living together who never had\\nthe ceremony of marriage performed?\\nA Gentleman. Two-thirds of the people here live that way.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0720.jp2"}, "721": {"fulltext": "711\\nAnother Gentleman. Not so many as that.\\nFirst Gentleman. Yon go np into the mountains and yon will see\\nthat it is so.\\nMr. CianChini. The proportion stated is a little exaggerated, but I\\nthink it amounts to one-half.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the reason for this state of things?\\nMr. Torres. The want of education among the people.\\nMr. Mejia. The priests were accustomed to charge ten or twelve\\ndollars for marriage, and many persons who wished to get married\\nwould say, We will not pay that; we will live together without\\ngetting married.\\nDr. Carroll. That charge of fees has been only since the American\\noccupation?\\nNote. This remark of the commissioner was greeted by a general\\nchorus of noes.\\nA Gentleman. Such charges have been made ever since the island\\nwas an island.\\nDr. Carroll. It was contrary to law?\\nA Gentleman. The church had its tariff of fees.\\nDr. Carroll. Yes but since 1851 all such fees have been abolished.\\nMr. Mejia. If people got married in the daytime the priest did not\\ncharge for the ceremony, but he collected for the bans and for the\\ndispensation to marry.\\nDr. Carroll. Why is it that more people do not resort to civil\\nmarriages?\\nMr. Torres. The majority of the people are Catholics.\\nMr. Mejia. When people wish to get married civilly they have to\\ngo to the priest for their baptismal certificates and he puts every\\nobstacle in the way of giving them and tries to make the people\\nbelieve that they are committing a sin in getting married that way.\\nDr. Carroll. Do they urge the people to get married?\\nA Gentleman. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. What objections do the Catholics offer to civil mar-\\nriage?\\nA Gentleman. The priests oppose it because they are deprived by\\nit of the money they are able to collect when persons are married\\nunder church auspices. They only preach about it in the church,\\nhowever; not outside.\\nA Gentleman. If the priests were to marry free of charge, nearly\\neverybody would get married.\\nDr. Carroll. Suppose the power were given to the alcalde and\\nmunicipal judge to niarry people, and that such marriage should be\\nfree of charge, and that most of the present requirements should be\\nabolished, would that open the way to civil marriage?\\nMr. Cianchini. I think the whole root of the trouble is lack of edu-\\ncation here.\\nA Gentleman. I think nearly all of them would marry if the pres-\\nent obstacles were removed; at least 90 per cent would do so.\\nDr. Carroll. It is in contemplation to abolish the provision requir-\\ning baptismal certificates and also the provision requiring banns or\\nprevious notice; only to require a certificate in the case of minors,\\nstating their ages and the permission of their parents, and to issue a\\ncertificate of marriage. Would such a provision as that, in the judg-\\nment of the people here, increase civil marriage very much?\\n(There was an immediate and general response in the affirmative.)", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0721.jp2"}, "722": {"fulltext": "712\\nDr. Carroll. Is it important that the ceremony should be per-\\nformed without any charge, or would a charge of 1 peso be proper?\\nMr. Santiago Vivaldi. It should be done for nothing. Those half-\\nnaked people would not come down to be married if anything were\\nsaid about cost.\\nMr. Cianchini. Even a peseta would frighten them away.\\nMr. Vivaldi. I think the comisarios and school-teachers should be\\nobliged to spread the notice of such free marriage around, and that\\nthe law should oblige people to many.\\nCONDITION OF THE LABORING CLASSES.\\nTHE LABORING CLASSES.\\n[Hearing Ijefore the United States Commissioner.]\\nSan Juan, P. R., November 1, 1898.\\nFelix Matos Bernier, of Ponce, P. R.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the social condition of Porto Rico?\\nMr. Bernier. The social state of Porto Rico is a pitiable one, owing\\nto the want of attention under the Spanish authorities and the isola-\\ntion in which the country people have always lived. It is necessary\\nfor the-salvation of the workingman of this country that a system of\\ncompulsory education should be instituted, but it should be made\\npracticable, so that it can be enforced.\\nAs regards religion, the people are nearly all utterly indifferent.\\nThey have never been taught properly religious dogmas, because\\ntheir education, I think, has not allowed them to grasp the real mean-\\ning of religion. I mean that it would have been labor wasted. Very\\nfew are fanatical, but all are susceptible of religious instruction.\\nDr. Carroll. I suppose they are all inclined to the Catholic\\nChurch?\\nMr. Bernier. They have absolutely no religious criterion; they\\nsimply don t care.\\nDr. Carroll. They know nothing of Protestantism, for instance?\\nMr. Bernier. They are susceptible of being molded completely.\\nAs a general rule they have ill feelings toward the Catholic Church,\\nwhich. I consider a great advantage in their favor.\\nDr. Carroll. Are they superstitious?\\nMr. Bernier. No; not at all.\\nThere has been a great deal of complaint on the part of the peons\\nbecause of the wages they have received; but some of this is unrea-\\nsonable. Mairy agriculturists have treated their help with fairness.\\nSome of them, it is true, have taken advantage of their ignorance\\nand committed abuses in the payment and treatment of the laborers.\\nThe general rate of wages, without regard to the form in which they are\\npaid, has been about 50 centavos a day, and in a great many cases the\\npeons are furnished with houses. In the lowlands in a great many\\ninstances owners of sugar estates have paid as low as from 31 to 36\\ncentavos, which I consider unjust, because in the lowlands peons have\\nmore needs than those living in the mountains. I think that when\\nthe exchange is made the laborer will be perfectly satisfied if he\\nreceives 50 cents in the new T money and is allowed to share in personal\\nliberties, which for him will be a great event. This question is so", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0722.jp2"}, "723": {"fulltext": "713\\nextensive that it is not possible to reduce it to a few remarks. But\\nthe real protest of the country as a whole lias been against the Span-\\nish institutions in the country the privileges which have always\\nbeen conceded to natives of Spain and the assaults and abuses, direct\\nand indirect, with which they have treated the working classes here.\\nThe working classes of this country are so submissive and easily sat-\\nisfied and humble that they could have lived contentedly under\\nalmost any other government than that of Spain, whose laws were\\nnever carried out as they should have been. I think that the coun-\\ntry should have a police force imported from the States while educat-\\ning certain elements among the young men here to understand their\\nopportunities and duties in that respect.\\nDr. Carroll. What do you think of the civil guard?\\nMr. Bernier. I think that the civil guard should be suppressed\\nand that a new body of comisarios should be created, with a certain\\nnumber of men under them to protect life and property in their respec-\\ntive districts. For the purpose of this body it would be necessary to\\nchoose men of calm judgment, unbiased by any political party. One\\nof the reasons of Spain s failure is that she sent a civil guard here\\namong whom were men who were at the disposition of certain prop-\\nerty holders, who made use of them to exercise undue pressure over\\ntheir workmen for their own private ends.\\nDr. Carroll. Were they not a well-trained body of men?\\nMr. Bernier. In the physical sense of the word they were fine men\\nand well disciplined, but in another sense of the word they were a\\ncancer upon the country.\\nDr. Carroll. Is the unfortunate condition of the laboring classes\\ndue to the oppressive power of the few?\\nMr. Bernier. I think it is due, in the first place, to the neglect of\\nthe government, which has taken no notice of the working class, and,\\nin the second place, due to the conditions of life under which they\\nlive the want of social privileges. I think it is also due in part to\\nthe owners of estates, who have looked upon them simply as instru-\\nments of work, but have taken no cognizance of them as human beings.\\nDr. Carroll. I suppose that owners of sugar estates differ\u00e2\u0080\u0094 that\\nsome have been kind and considerate, while others have been\\noppressive?\\nMr. Bernier, Yes; some of them have looked after their working-\\nmen well.\\nDr. Carroll. Is that a matter, in your judgment, to be remedied\\nby law or by bringing about better conditions?\\nMr. Bernier. To a certain extent it is a matter of legislation, because\\nlegislation can bring about better conditions; but it is not a condition\\nthat can be legislated for directly.\\nDr. Carroll. What are the hours of labor?\\nMr. Bernier. From the rising to the setting of the sun. The peons\\nthemselves say that their hours begin and end with the opening and\\nclosing of the ceciliana, a flower that opens and closes with the sun,\\nwhich is usually understood to mean from 6 to 6. In a few parts of\\nthe island the hours of labor are from 6 to 5.\\nDr. Carroll. How long a time are the men allowed at noon?\\nMr. Bernier. From 12 to 1.\\nDr. Carroll. The hours for agricultural laborers in the United\\nStates are even longer than those. They begin work sometimes as\\nearly as 4 o clock in the morning.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0723.jp2"}, "724": {"fulltext": "714\\nFOOD OF THE POOR.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nSan Juan, P. R., November 2, 1898.\\nMr. Francisco T. Sabat, deputy collector of customs in San Juan.\\nDr. Carroll. What are the chief kinds of food used\\nMr. Sabat. Fresh meat, wheat bread, dried codfish, rice, beans,\\nall classes of poultry, and all classes of tropical fruits. The poorer\\nclasses of the country eat jerked beef, fried plantains, and sweet pota-\\ntoes; seldom fresh meat. Without exception they all use coffee.\\nSometimes, in the cold season, instead of taking coffee, they use gin-\\nger tea, the root being produced in this country. The people in the\\ncities take more or less the same classes of food more or less, as people\\nin other countries do.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the principal clothing used in the country?\\nMr. Sabat. The country people of the poorer classes, owing to the\\nneglect to which they have always been subject on the part of the\\ngovernment, and also to the effects of slavery, which was abolished\\nin 1873, seldom wear anything but a shirt and a pair of pants made of\\na mixture of cotton and jute of the cheapest possible description.\\nThey rarely wear shoes. They wear straw hats of native manufac-\\nture. People in the cities dress as people do in other countries, except\\nthat they select as thin materials as can be found.\\nDr. Carroll. In the country most of the children go naked, do\\nthey not?\\nMr. Sabat. In the country it is more or less customary among the\\npoor people, having little children, to allow the little children to go\\nabout without clothing, but it is contraiy to law to allow it in the\\ncities. The fact that children are seen in that condition in the cities\\nshows how the essential laws have been neglected.\\nDr. Carroll. What classes of houses are found in the country\\ndistricts?\\nMr. Sabat. The poor people in the country districts make their\\nhouses upon four uprights, usually trunks of trees, and cover them\\noutside with dried thatch, roof and all. These houses are almost\\nwithout furniture, and the people sleep without mattresses of any\\ndescription. In the city, as well as in the country, with few excep-\\ntions, there are few houses which have glass. With glass the houses\\nwould be suffocating. The class of persons who are in a good posi-\\ntion that is, not rich, but in moderate circumstances live well here.\\nIn the city and in the rural districts most of the agriculturists who\\npossess any capital have their comfortable houses on their estates,\\nwell furnished in proportion to their means; they partake of good\\nfood and, in fact, lead quite comfortable lives. It is only the poor\\npeople who live as miserably as has just been described.\\nARTISANS OF SAN JUAN.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nSan Juan, P. R., November 4, 1898.\\nA committee of workmen, representing various gremios, or working-\\nmen s societies, of San Juan, called upon the commissioner at his office.\\nThe committee consisted of the following-named persons: Santiago", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0724.jp2"}, "725": {"fulltext": "715\\nIglesias, president of the Federation of Gremios of San Juan; Facundo\\nValencia Ramos, representing the painters; Jose Antonio Gimenez,\\nrepresenting tinsmiths and bookbinders; Jose M. Figueras, represent-\\ning cigar makers; Rosendro Rivera, representing printers; Estanislao\\nSesman, representing masons; Hernardo Torres, representing bakers;\\nNorberto Quinones, representing dock laborers; Hilario Diaz, repre-\\nsenting barbers Esteban Rivera Nunez, representing shoemakers, and\\nBenigno Lopez Castro, a professor of elementary instruction, repre-\\nsenting small planters and day laborers.\\nMr. Iglesias. I represent specially the gremio of carpenters. To\\ntell yon about all the wants and aspirations of my gremio I should\\nhave to speak at great length. What I will say is that our chief\\nobject has been to obtain for each of its members the greatest amount\\nof education possible and to facilitate the means of using boys, 15\\nyears of age, who wish to enter the workshops. Under the new insti-\\ntutions we shall find this much easier, because we understand that in\\nthe United States the greater part of the forces of the Government are\\ndirected to the propagation of instruction for its workingmen, and the\\nnew form of government will itself take care of that, through munici-\\npalities and the insular government. As regards education, we shall\\nnot have to give so much attention to that.\\nAs I said before, that is a municipal matter; but, as regards tech-\\nnical instruction, that will occupy our attention more closely, as we\\nhave here no large buildings in the way of factories in which youths\\ncan acquire such an education, and, unfortunately, tradesmen and\\nartisans are obliged to work in competition with each other. We shall\\nhave to direct our attention especially to the economic side of our\\ntrades, as that has been at a very low ebb. Wages have ruled from\\n$1 to $1.50 a day. There have been some exceptions of $3 for a day s\\nwork. I am speaking for my own gremio. The average wage has\\nbeen $1 or $1.25. I am sorry to say that but few members of our\\ngremio have had an opportunity of acquiring a thorough knowledge\\nof the trade.\\nDr. Carroll. There is, then, a considerable amount of unskilled\\nlabor in your gremio?\\nMr. Iglesias. From an artistic point of view, they have not acquired\\nthe excellence they should have, but most of their work does not\\nrequire a great deal of artistic excellence. At any rate, the work they\\nhave done has yielded a great profit to those for whom they have\\nworked, and has always been worth more than they have received.\\nThe work required in this country is of a solid character. We are\\nanxious to obtain technical schools for the broader education of our\\nmembers, and we also require that public buildings shall be built in\\nsuch a way that they will stimulate workmen to excel in their par-\\nticular branch and shall not be made the instruments of speculation\\nfor the persons having them in charge.\\nAs regards the hours of labor, we require that they should be short-\\nened, because in this climate, where the sun undermines a man s con-\\nstitution, we have been working ten and eleven hours a day, with\\nonly an hour for dinner. It is quite a common thing for a man to go\\nto work in the morning without having time to take his coffee. In\\nthe middle of the day they leave off work at 11 o clock and go home\\nto a dinner which the scarcity of their means does not allow to be\\nsufficient to keep up their strength. They work until sunset in the\\nwinter. In San Juan and in many parts of the island it is quite a", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0725.jp2"}, "726": {"fulltext": "716\\ncommon thing to see debilitated specimens of humanity who have\\nbeen brought to that estate by overwork and improper food.\\nDr. Carroll. Of what does the staple food of the workingman\\nconsist?\\nMr. Iglesias. Rice, beans, and codfish. That is, for the generality\\nof them. There are a few who can eat meat; but meat costs at pres-\\nent 30 and 35 centavos a kilogram, and there are few who can afford\\nthat luxury. As regards our homes, the situation is simply appalling.\\nOwing to the heavy rents, workmen are reduced to the necessity of\\nliving in a niche you can hardly call it a room. This, of course, con-\\ntributes to the unhealthiness of the workmen.\\nDr. Carroll. How do the prices of labor and of food and other\\nnecessaries of life now compare with those before the war?\\nMr. Iglesias. Before the war rates of wages averaged about $1.25\\nor $1.50, colonial money; but to-day the tendencj 7 is to pay us our\\nwages in gold, for which reason, as long as the difference exists, we\\nare earning a premium of 60 per cent over our former wages. This\\nis noticeable on public and military works, and we have made repre-\\nsentations to master workmen that we shall hereafter require them to\\npay us in gold.\\nDr. Carroll. You are satisfied with the present arrangement; is\\nthat what you mean?\\nMr. Iglesias. Whatever complaints we make do. not in an} way\\nhave relation to the American Government or its representatives.\\nWhatever we suffer under the present administration is the fault of\\npersons of Spanish origin who are very near the Government, who are\\nvery deficient in education, and whose idea is to advance their own\\ninterests at the expense of the island.\\nDr. Carroll. I do not get your meaning. Do you mean that you\\nget more now than before the war?\\nMr. Iglesias. Some get more, but not all.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you pay more or less now for rice, sugar, and the\\nthings you are in daily need of than you did before the war?\\nMr. Iglesias. Some cost as much, and some are lower.\\nDr. Carroll. Taking the things you have to buy, all iu all, are you\\npaying as much now as before the war?\\nMr. Iglesias. The general result is more.\\nDr. Carroll. Does child labor enter into the labor question to any\\ngreat degree?\\nMr. Iglesias. Yes; it does. There is no law preventing children\\nof 15 from entering into competition with adults, and the heavy work\\nthey are called upon to do annihilates the child in a short time.\\nDr. Carroll. Does prison labor enter into competition in any way\\nwith the labor of the gremios?\\nMr. Iglesias. Formerly it did so, but to-day prisoners are not\\nallowed out of prison, and we don t fear them any longer.\\nMr. Ramos. The gremio of painters suffers from all the causes\\nenumerated by Mr. Iglesias; also from the low rate of wages received.\\nAs the painters did not know what the American Government would\\npay, they stipulated for wages at the old rate, but they found out\\nafterwards that some were being paid $1.50 in gold, and they all now\\nwant to get that rate. Some are receiving that amount and some are\\nnot. As regards education, the painters also are in sad need of better-\\nment in this line. What we need is a technical college of instruction.\\nWe also require, as workmen, better food and lodging.\\nMr. Gimenez. I represent three branches, those of tinsmith and", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0726.jp2"}, "727": {"fulltext": "717\\nsilversmith, of whom there are very few, and of bookbinder, a class\\nof workmen spread widely over the country. The pay of bookbinders\\nis not made daily or weekly, but monthly, and it is very rare for a\\nbookbinder to earn as much as $25 a month, provincial money, the\\nusual rate being from $15 to $18. As you can understand, that is too\\nsmall an amount. No single man can live on it, much less a married\\nman with a family. As regards other matters, what Mr. Iglesias has\\nsaid will cover my views also.\\nMr. Figueras. I represent the cigar makers, whose industry has been\\none of the most unjustly treated branches of labor, for it is an\\naccepted axiom that the laborer should receive at least one-fourth of\\nthe selling price of the goods on which he works, and I can say that\\nwe do not. Take, for instance, a cigar that is retailed at 130 a thou-\\nsand. We ought to receive at least $7.50 for our labor, but we receive\\nonly $6.25. That is with respect to small sizes. In fine work and\\nlarger sizes of cigars, those, for instance, which are sold at $110 and\\n$120 a thousand, we are only paid $20, which is less than the proportion\\nin the preceding case. Owing to these circumstances the cigar makers\\nhave asked the owners of factories to raise their rates of wages in rela-\\ntion to the retail prices of the cigars they work on. The workers on\\nthe fine grades of cigars skilled workmen never earn more than\\n$1.25 a day, and as they usually have families, this is utterly insuffi-\\ncient for their support. The workers on the lower grades seldom earn\\nmore than 80 cents a day.\\nDr. Carroll. How long has it been since you. received one-fourth\\npart of the selling price of the cigars?\\nMr. Figueras. In the year 1882 I was working with others in a fac-\\ntory called The Two Antilles. We struck, and the owner of the\\nfactory issued a notice in which he called us back to work and xn ora-\\nised to give us 25 per cent, as we demanded. This was paid for some\\ntime, but there was a gradual return to the lower prices.\\nDr. Carroll. Are the lower prices you are receiving now due in\\nany way to the overcrowding of the trade?\\nMr. Figueras. There are really too many workmen; and when the\\nemployers haven t much work, they give out to their men a certain\\namount of tobacco to work up; and as the men do piecework, they\\ndivide this up among themselves and each takes his share of it. That\\nis one of the reasons they can never make a sufficiently good living,\\nbecause where they might otherwise earn $2, they have to divide up\\nwith their fellow- workmen and earn only a dollar apiece.\\nMr. Rivera. I represent compositors. Our gremio is in a very back-\\nward condition, which fact I attribute to the high duties levied by the\\nSpanish Government on type brought into the country, such type never\\nhaving been manufactured here. Nevertheless, I am of the opinion\\nthat there are typesetters here who are able to compete with any type-\\nsetters in the world as regards the quality of their work. What pre-\\nvents us from turning out fine work is the lack of good materials. As\\nregards the wage question, I think the rates paid here for typesetting\\nare criminal. We think the Government ought to establish schools\\nto enable us to study English gratuitously. There is only one estab-\\nlishment in which typesetters have work all the year round. The\\nowner of it began with nothing, and everything he has to-day he has\\nearned at the expense of his workmen.\\nDr. Carroll. How do you work, by the day or by the line?\\nMr. Rivera. The pay for three lines, composed and distributed, is\\nlx cents.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0727.jp2"}, "728": {"fulltext": "718\\nDr. Carroll. What wages can typesetters earn per week on an\\naverage?\\nMr. Rivera. The average is $5 or $6 a week.\\nDr. Carroll. How much do you consider it necessary for a man to\\nhave in order to have a degree of comfort?\\nMr. Rivera. About $15 a week.\\nMr. Sesman. I represent masons and bricklayers. As regards the\\ngeneral aspects of our trade, what Mr. Iglesias has said applies to our\\ntrade. With high prices for food and low wages, we are in a very bad\\nsituation. There are a few masons who can earn as much as 81.25 a\\nday, but they comprise only about one-tenth of the masons; others\\nearn less.\\nDr. Carroll. How many days do you work in a week?\\nMr. Sesman. Six days, as in all the gremios.\\nMr. Iglesias. In the office of the Correspondencia the printers work\\nevery day in the year, except Good Friday. The bakers work every\\nday.\\nMr. Sesman. The employers of labor exploit labor in every way pos-\\nsible, exacting from it more than it can do. They do not take a man s\\nintelligence into account when they come to fix wages; it is merely a\\nmatter of paying for so much brute force. I will cite you an instance\\nin connection with my trade. Take 3 meters of wall, for example, for\\nwhich the contractor would receive $9.25; of this the laborer would\\nget only $4.75.\\nDr. Carroll. Does any of the rest go for materials?\\nMr. Sesman. That simply refers to the work; not to the materials.\\nDr. Carroll. Does not the contractor furnish the materials?\\nMr. Sesman. Yes; but he has a different arrangement for that.\\nDr. Carroll. Does he make that amount out of the labor alone?\\nMr. Sesman. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Then I should think there would be a great many\\ncontractors.\\nMr. Sesman. There are a great many.\\nDr. Carroll. That ought to bring down the prices.\\nMr. Sesman. It isn t a question of competition, for there isn t a\\ngreat amount of work, and the necessities of life force us to take work\\nat any terms offered by the contractors.\\nDr. Carroll. Does the illustration you give represent the rule or\\nthe exception?\\nMr. Sesman. It is the rule.\\nDr. Carroll. Was it a government building to which you referred?\\nMr. Iglesias. The Spanish Government, in building its fortifica-\\ntions and public buildings, would let the work out by public auction,\\nbut would fix the prices of labor, and other builders and property\\nowners would guide themselves b} 7 the prices fixed by the Spanish\\nGovernment.\\nDr. Carroll. Was Mr. Sesman referring to a government build-\\ning?\\nMr. Sesman. No; not to any building in particular.\\nI have nothing further to say, except to add that what I can earn\\nis not enough to live on.\\nDr. Carroll. How much do bricklayers get a week?\\nMr. Sesman. Nine dollars.\\nMr. Norberto Quinones. I come here to speak in behalf of the\\nlightermen. There is a company owning lighters here which employs\\nus, and we are supposed to work on shares. It is nothing more than", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0728.jp2"}, "729": {"fulltext": "719\\na supposition, as virtually we clon t do so. On the arrival of a vessel,\\nthe company sends out lighters and agrees to pay the men who work\\nthem a portion of the amount received from the consignees of the\\ncargo usually a quarter but we don t get that, and on dividing up\\namong ourselves we have to make allowance for the fact that some\\nperform more work than others. This state of affairs is very unsat-\\nisfactory. This division never gives enough at the end of the week\\nto pay for decent subsistence. We have to work without the use of\\nany sort of mechanical appliances to assist us in the work; every-\\nthing is done by bodily strength. We have to take our meals in a\\nhurry, because we are required to work continuously in loading or\\nunloading a vessel. Should any of us injure himself, such as fractur-\\ning a limb, the lighter company does not assist us. One of our chief,\\ncomplaints is that we have no fixed hours of work. We have to work\\nat any hour we are called on, beginning at 5 o clock in the morning.\\nOur boss, who is paid more than the rest, makes us work like dogs.\\nAmong the lightermen there is hardly one who knows how to read or\\nwrite. As a class, they are without education of any sort.\\nDr. Carroll. Do they begin at an early age?\\nMr. Quinones. Sometimes as early as 8 years old. They begin by\\ncleaning out the boat and assisting in rowing it to and from the vessel.\\nAs their strength increases they assist in the heavier work.\\nDr. Carroll. How many lighter companies are there?\\nMr. Quinones. Three; Arsuaga, Cheveste Successors, and the\\nwidow of Cabrere.\\nDr. Carroll. Do these companies work with a common under-\\nstanding between them as to prices?\\nMr. Quinones. Yes they work in harmony.\\nDr. Carroll. Are they under government supervision?\\nMr. Quinones. No.\\nDr. Carroll. Is the captain of the port not supposed to have some\\nsuperintendence of these matters?\\nMr. Quinones. Yes; he is supposed to, but he neglects his duty.\\nDr. Carroll. Do these companies pay any tax upon their income\\nor upon their work?\\nMr. Quinones. They pay an impost on the lighter so much a\\nlighter.\\nDr. Carroll. Have the lightermen ever made any complaint to the\\ncaptain of the port?\\nMr. Quinones. We were always complaining, but as justice was\\nonly a theory we never got any remedy. If we did not work, there\\nwere always men who could be had who would work.\\nMr. Torres. There is very little to be said about the bakery busi-\\nness. In San Juan there are five bakeries, but the number of bakers\\nis greater than there is need of. They divide, the work among them-\\nselves, a portion of them working some nights and the rest other\\nnights. Bakers work night and day here. Kneaders earn $3 in\\ntwenty-four hours. The peons who work at the board make from $2\\ndown to $1.50.\\nDr. Carroll. Everybody in this island eats bread, as I understand\\nit, and if there are only five bakeries in this district of 30,000 people,\\nit would seem that it would be a lively business for the bakers. They\\nmake excellent bread.\\nMr. Torres. It is a good business. Counting the bakery at Puerta\\nde la Terra, a suburb of the capital, there are six.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0729.jp2"}, "730": {"fulltext": "720\\nDr. Carroll. Why don t the bakers share with the workmen?\\nThey are workmen themselves, arc 1hey not?\\nMr. Torres. They are not workmen themselves. At 10 o clock at\\nnight they turn over the key of their bakery to their foreman and go\\nto sleep. As in other trades, the man who doesn t work makes the\\nmoney and the man who does work gets very little.\\nDr. Carroll. Does it require much capital to start a bakery?\\nMr. Torres. I estimate that with $500 and a couple of barrels of\\nflour a small bakery could be commenced.\\nDr. Carroll. Then is it not the thing for the journeyman baker to\\nstart a bakery himself?\\nMr. Torres. The reason why the bakers are in such a poor position\\nis that under the old government any such thing as a meeting to\\nbetter their conditions or request an increase of wages would be re-\\ngarded by the government with disfavor, so that they were never able\\nto get together to improve their situation.\\nDr. Carroll. The Government of the United States allows the\\nutmost freedom for men to meet, talk about matters of common inter-\\nest, and concert plans for their mutual advantage.\\nProfessor Castro. I am going to tell a story which will illustrate\\nwhy workmen did not get together under the old government. In\\n1893, when Porto Rico had a reciprocal tariff with the United States,\\na bag of flour could be brought in and sold at from seven to eight dol-\\nlars. I was astonished to see that bread was sold, nevertheless, at 9\\ncentavos a pound what was supposed to be a pound but what wa s really\\nonly 10 ounces. I tried to find out the reason for this, and found that\\nonly two bakeries were working and seven had closed. I found that\\nthese two bakeries had monopolized the business and were paying the\\nothers sums of from $60 to $150 not to work. I was determined to\\nbreak up this monopoly, and I founded, in company with some com-\\npanions, a society called the Cooperative Workmen s Society. After\\nmore than a year s existence, during which time, with a minimum\\npayment of $25 a month, we managed to save up $1,000, we started a\\nbakery. As soon as we had it started and offered the public bread at\\n6 centavos a pound full 16 ounces the two bakeries which had been\\nmonopolizing the trade began to cut prices until finally they com-\\nmenced to give it away. I was determined not to give in, and worked\\nday and night. I kept it up for two years, but the work was superior\\nto my strength. I not only had to struggle against the bakeries which\\nhad been in operation, but also against those which had closed,\\nbecause the moment I started to wo.rk the two established bakeries\\nstopped paying to the others. At the end of two years, because of\\nintrigue against me and because the public did not respond as it\\nshould have done, the company retired me and put somebody else in\\nthe place. The neAv men did not work day and night as I did, and\\nthe result was that the* company soon ceased to exist. I got into fur-\\nther trouble because the two companies against which I was smug-\\ngling started a suit against me as an anti-Spaniard, and I don t know\\nhow I managed to get out of the suit as I did. All steps toward ini-\\ntiative were wiped out by the Spanish Government. I was at that\\ntime a schoolmaster, not a baker, and that was one of the reasons\\nwhy they brought the suit against me. I was not an enemy of Spain,\\nbut I was an enemy of monopoly.\\nMr. Diaz. I represent the gremio of barbers. All I have to say is\\nthat they suffer more or less the same ills that have been i*eferred to\\nthe high prices of provisions, the low remuneration of barbers, and", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0730.jp2"}, "731": {"fulltext": "721\\nhigh rents. I represent the barbers in this evening s committee only.\\nI am not a barber myself and can not give you details.\\nMr. Nunez. The shoemaker s trade has been one of those most\\nexploited, owing to the fact that materials have been very high and\\nshoes very cheap that is to say, shoes brought in from Spain have\\nbeen allowed special advantages, and have been imported at a price\\nwhich allows of their being sold at a much lower figure than those\\nmade here. On the other hand, materials have been heavily taxed.\\nAnother thing from which we have suffered was the practice of some\\ngentlemen who were not really in the shoe business taking contracts\\nfor supplying shoes, instead of these contracts being given to shoe-\\nmakers. There have been instances where teachers of the normal\\nschool have established shoemaker shops in their private houses in\\norder to comply with contracts taken by them.\\nProfessor Castro. My profession is that of a school-teacher, but as\\nthis is a manufacturing center and not an agricultural one, there does\\nnot happen to be a representative of the agricultural interests here,\\nand Mr. Iglesias has commissioned me to take that charge upon\\nmyself.\\nAgriculture in this country is at a very low ebb, not because of the\\nsoil, which is most fertile, nor for the want of natural resources, but\\nbecause of the want of funds and because of the rudimentary\\nmethods employed by agriculturists.\\nDr. Carroll. What opportunities have you had to acquaint your-\\nself with agriculture? Have you worked at it or consulted with\\nagriculturists?\\nProfessor Castro. I have lived nine years in the country, and have\\nseen all that is going on there.\\nMr. Iglesias. As the agricultural laborers have never been allowed\\nby the Spanish Government to form any sort of league, there would\\nbe no one to represent them, and as this gentleman (Professor Castro)\\nhas lived among them for a number of years, I have asked him to\\ninform you in regard to their condition.\\nProfessor Castro. I attribute the almost utter ruin of most of the\\nagriculturists to the fact that, stimulated by the high prices which\\nthey obtained for important crops, they neglected altogether the cul-\\ntivation of small crops, with the result that when low prices came for\\nthe larger crops they found themselves in a very bad position. Owing\\nto their lack of funds and the want of agricultural banks, agricul-\\nturists have had to apply to commercial houses, called refacionistas,\\nwho furnish them during the year with supplies and provisions for\\nthemselves and their workmen to keep their estates going. These\\nrefacionistas have imposed their own conditions on the agriculturists,\\nand have been able to buy the crops at their own prices. But as\\nthese questions have been already thrashed out in the papers, and do\\nnot come within my profession, I am going to speak of the working\\nclasses on the estates, whom I have been asked to represent.\\nThe condition of the field laborer to-day is a pitiable one. Owing to\\nthe long hours of work usually twelve and the low rate of wages\\nwhich they earn, their situation is as bad as it could be. The average\\nis from 38 to 50 centavos daily. They begin to work at 6 o clock in the\\nmorning and leave off at 6 o clock in the evening. They have no\\nstated times for taking their meals, which consist of rice, imported\\nfrom the English West Indies, known here as Hamburg rice, with\\nwhich are mixed a few beans occasionally. This they frequently have\\n1125 46", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0731.jp2"}, "732": {"fulltext": "722\\nto eat with one hand while guiding the plow with the other, and it\\ncan be readily understood that twelve hours of continuous work, with\\ninsufficient food, wears out the peons.\\nDr. Carroll. Is the 38 centavos paid to all alike on the plantation,\\nwithout reference to their strength and without reference to whether\\nthey are men, women, or children?\\nProfessor Castro. Children earn 10 or 12 centavos a day; women\\nearn the same as men. The wages vary between the limits stated 38\\ncentavos and 50 centavos as the price of sugar rises and falls. But\\nno matter how high sugar rises, the men never get more than 50\\ncentavos a day. Sometimes, in some of the sugar mills, during har-\\nvest time, the workmen have to begin at 2 o clock in the morning\\nand work until 5 or 6 in the evening. For these additional hours of\\nlabor they only earn a quarter of their day s wages additional.\\nAs is natural, these laborers have several times tried to protest\\nagainst this state of affairs, but as the owners of haciendas are usually\\nin favor with the governing powers, or are themselves government\\nofficers, all unions formed for the purpose of protesting have been\\ncomplained against as seditious societies, with the result, in one year\\na result known to all the world that an inquisition was inaugurated.\\nBesides the troubles I have mentioned, most of the haciendas have\\nsmall stores on the estate, and do not pay their workmen in money,\\nbut in checks which are countersigned and do not pass in any other\\nstore except their own. There the peon is forced to buy, at exorbitant\\nprices, rotten rice and fish. These prices are higher than the peon\\nwould have to pay if he could pay cash.\\nAll these conditions explain the miserable life of the agricultural\\npeon, who may be said to live not even in a hut, but sometimes in\\ncaves, and who is not able to attend to his personal needs with his\\nsmall wages, much less such a luxury as a pair of shoes. He is abso-\\nlutely unable to educate his children. In some of the districts, sep-\\narated from towns, the children grow up like wild plants, nobody\\ntaking any notice of or bestowing any care upon them. That is\\nnoticeably the case in Arecibo, where there are twenty-one barrios, in\\nonly one of which is there a school for girls. For boys there are\\nschools in several districts.\\nThe field worker does not pay direct taxes, but indirectly he pays\\nvery heavy ones. He had to pay the cedula, and lie had to pay the\\nconsumption tax. Direct taxes fall upon the owners of plantations.\\nWe hope that the United States will give special attention to the\\neducation of that class of people, as education shoves a man his rights\\nand duties and makes him more amenable to law and therefore a\\nbetter citizen.\\nDr. Carroll. I have heard that some of the planters furnish their\\nhelp with houses and even food, and pay them regular wages besides.\\nIs there not a difference between planters in that respect?\\nProfessor Castro. There may be one or two exceptions among\\nowners a few may treat their peons well, but what they probably\\nreferred to was that it is the custom to give small plots to one or two\\npeons around the owner s house, on which they build their hut.\\nThe object of this is that they can watch out for the owner s interests\\nand guard his house for him, but as to food, they do not give food,\\nexcept perhaps a dish of rice at night.\\nDr. Carroll. I want to ask one or two questions bearing on other\\nmatters. I presume you have all given more or less attention to\\nquestions affecting the future of Porto Rico; for example, to the", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0732.jp2"}, "733": {"fulltext": "723\\nquestion of the currency and the question of the tariff. These ques-\\ntions seem to be in the minds of the majority of your countrymen,\\nand I suppose they have been in your thoughts, too.\\nMr. Iglesias. Yes; that is true.\\nDr. Carroll. I should like to ask Mr. Iglesias and the others, if\\nthey do not agree with him, can say so whether he has any solution\\nto suggest for the currency question?\\nMr. Iglesias. The workmen have not come to any understanding,\\nneither do they propose at what rate money should be changed. All\\nthey ask is that the American Government should order that the\\nworkmen be paid in American dollars as soon as possible.\\nDr. Carroll. That is, you want to have the American currency\\nsubstituted for the currency now here?\\nMr. Iglesias. We haven t come to any understanding as to the\\nrate. We don t care whether it is made at 100 or 150 or 160, but we\\nwould like to have the change made at once. As long as the men are\\npaid in provincial money they don t know what they are earning.\\nI would like to say that I think the Government should allow the\\nintroduction of food stuffs at very low rates of duty in the interest of\\nthe laboring man.\\nThe Government should also give attention to the methods of the\\nmerchants in selling here, limiting the profit they may make and\\nmaking it illegal for them to gain over a certain amount over the cost.\\nThere also exists a bad system here not to call it by a stronger\\nname false weights and measures; also the custom of selling the\\nnecessaries of life without weighing them, the seller charging what he\\npleases for the goods sold. I think the Government should intervene\\nin these matters.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there not a law regulating the matter of weights\\nand measures?\\nMr. Iglesias. There is no country in the world which can touch\\nSpain in the matter of magnificent laws, and there is no country in\\nthe world which can touch Spain in noncompliance with laws.\\nI think the government should imjiose heavy duties on all articles\\nof luxury, such as wines, and on everything conducive merely to\\npleasure or vice, as a recompense for low imposts on food products\\nfor the benefit of the working class.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you include tobacco among the articles of luxury?\\nMr. Iglesias. Yes I think the government should impose protect-\\nive duties on all manufactured articles, so as to protect the embry-\\nonic industries which exist here at present, for at least a certain term\\nof years. After these industries are in shape to look after themselves\\nthey could enter into competition with other producers.\\nDr. Carroll. In bringing this interview to a close, gentlemen, I\\nwant to say that I have heard you with much interest as you have\\nstated the needs of your respective branches of trade. I observe that\\nyou tell about the same story, which is, in effect, that your business\\nis not as good as it ought to be that your wages are not as high as\\nthey ought to be to enable you to provide even the necessaries of life,\\nto say nothing about the comforts of life. You seem to be looking to\\nthe United States to enact laws for the government of Porto Rico\\nwhich will very much relieve your condition, if not provide you with\\nluxuries. I can not say what Congress will do, but I can assure you\\nthat the President of the United States, in connection with Congress,\\nwill endeavor to secure for this island an equitable system of govern-\\nment, to be honestly and faithfully administered.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0733.jp2"}, "734": {"fulltext": "724\\nIt is a maxim of the United States that every man shall be equally\\nfree before the law, shall enjoy equal privileges, shall enjoy equal\\nrights, shall have the right of business pursuit, the pursuit of happi-\\nness, and particularly the right to be educated. It can give you these\\nrights, and when you have these rights you have an opportunity to\\nbetter your condition. It is onby indirectly that legislation can be\\nadapted to improve your situation, and I am sure you will not expect\\ndirect laws to raise your wages or to lower the price of the food you\\neat or the clothes you wear, or anything of that sort. But you will\\nhave the full right, which you seem not to have had under the recent\\ngovernment, of meeting together, of talking over your common inter-\\nests, and of doing all those things in concert which are intended to\\nimprove your condition. I am sure it is your intention to become\\ngood American citizens, as it is also the intention of the authorities\\nat Washington to give every consideration to the f uture of this island,\\nin order that you may all have an equal chance of life, and that there\\nmay be an increase of prosperity such as the island has never known.\\nProfessor Castro. We thank you very much, as the representative\\nof the American Government, for the courtesy of calling us here to-\\nnight, and we thank that Government still more for its good inten-\\ntions toward us. But we wish you particularly to mention to the\\nPresident that he has no need of bayonets or soldiers to govern\\nPorto Rico, because he will find the people here ready to defend the\\nintegrity of the United States, and we feel that we shall now have a\\nchance to attain the end we have in view, namely, prosperity, prog-\\nress, and happiness.\\nI hope the people of the United States will not think that we have\\nreceived the American Army with open arms out of any feeling of\\nservility, but because of the fact that for years we have felt that\\nannexation to the United States was, geographically, our only possi-\\nble future. We have been, you may say, in a state of suppressed\\nrevolution for a great many years, and now that the opportunity has\\ncome we feel .that under the Stars and Stripes we will achieve our\\nlong-cherished ambitions.\\nTHE FIELD LABORERS.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nSan Juan, P. R., January 6, 1899.\\nMr. Seveeo Tulier, of Vega Baja, called at the office of the spe-\\ncial commissioner, in behalf of the peons of Porto Rico, and was\\ninterviewed as follows\\nMr. Tulier. I have been working on my father s estate at manual\\nlabor, but finding that such work yields but poor returns at present,\\nI have come to San Juan for the purpose of learning a trade.\\nDr. Carroll. Are you a native of Vega Baja?\\nMr. Tulier. I live there with my father, who has a coffee estate;\\nbut not having the money to attend to its cultivation, we have\\nabandoned it.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you ever worked for anybody besides your\\nfather?\\nMr. Tulier. No.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0734.jp2"}, "735": {"fulltext": "725\\nDr. Carroll. Are you familiar with the conditions of the workmen\\non other estates in that neighborhood?\\nMr. Tulier. Yes, thoroughly; and I am disposed to give you some\\ninformation about them. I have come here from a sense of duty to\\ndo this; otherwise, I should not have come to your office dressed as\\nI am.\\n(Mr. Tuber s hat, coat, trousers, and shoes all showed signs of long\\nwear; he wore no collar or tie, and had the appearance of a poor\\ncountry laborer.)\\nDr. Carroll. I want facts rather than opinions, and I would ask\\nthat you should be careful not to state an isolated fact in a general\\nway as true under all circumstances.\\nMr. Tulier. Where I can not give you a complete answer, I will\\nnot answer at all.\\nDr. Carroll. Is a uniform rate of wages paid to peasants in that\\ndistrict?\\nMr. Tulier. The usual rate is 25 centavos and breakfast, and 37-J-\\ncentavos to the better class of workmen. A few laborers who have\\nsome special skill receive as high as 50 centavos a day, but it should\\nbe borne in mind that where 50 centavos is paid payment is made in\\nvales, which are mere tokens representing certain values and redeem-\\nable at the company s store.\\nDr. Carroll. Is that the uniform rule in cases where 50 centavos\\nis the rate of wages?\\nMr. Tulier. No, not altogether. Sometimes a proprietor will close\\nhis store and then pay in money.\\nDr. Carroll. Do they pay less under those circumstances?\\nMr. Tulier. At the same rate.\\nDr. Carroll. On estates where 50 centavos is paid, do they have\\nthe best men and women employed?\\nMr. Tulier. They have all classes but now and then they pick\\nout a specially good man and pa} 7 him more than they pay the others.\\nDr. Carroll. Do the women work on estates?\\nMr. Tulier. The women in my district work on their own estates,\\nbut not on others.\\nDr. Carroll. I saw some women working on the Carmen estate.\\nMr. Tulier. That may be, but I have not seen it.\\nDr. Carroll. I would like to have you give a careful statement\\nwith regard to the wages of the workmen, their hours of labor, any\\nspecial cases of ill treatment, and the condition in which they live.\\nMr. Tulier. The customaiy hours of work are from 6 to 6 that is,\\nfor work in the field. For work in the shops and on the sugar ma-\\nchinery they have to go earlier, sometimes as early as 4 o clock in the\\nmorning.\\nDr. Carroll. How much time is given for dinner?\\nMr. Tulier. Half an hour.\\nDr. Carroll. At what time do they stop for dinner?\\nMr. Tulier. At 11 o clock.\\nDr. Carroll. Do they have coffee in the morning?\\nMr. Tulier. They are not given coffee on the estates, and very\\nfew take anything before leaving their homes. Those who haven t\\npermission to live on the estate usually live a league or two from it,\\nand have to walk that distance to work without anything to eat.\\nDr. Carroll. Don t they get fruit?\\nMr. Tulier. Yes, when they have saved some from the day before;", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0735.jp2"}, "736": {"fulltext": "726\\notherwise not. A man who works on an estate does not have time to\\ncultivate any land for his own use.\\nDr. Carroll. Do they take their dinners with them?\\nMr. Tulier. On estates which give breakfast the peons just take\\na flask along with orange juice or something of that kind with which\\nthey can make a drink; on other estates the peons generally go to\\nthe village near by and get their meals there.\\nDr. Carroll, What do they have to eat in the evening\\nMr. Tulier. The basis of their evening meal is a big plantain, which\\nthey sometimes make into a mess with rice or beans.\\nDr. Carroll. Do they never have any meat or fish?\\nMr. Tulier. They have meat only on Sundays, and only in those\\ncases where wages are paid in money, because otherwise they can only\\ntake what is kept at the proprietor s store; and that never has meat.\\nDr. Carroll. Do the stores not have pork?\\nMr. Tulier. No; the peons never eat pork; they maj 7 sometimes\\nbuy a cent s worth to cook with their food to give it a flavor.\\nDr. Carroll. What about their houses?\\nMr. Tulier. The house is made of poles, thatched about with palm,\\nand is 4 or 5 varas square (vara, about 33 inches), partitioned off into a\\nparlor, a bedroom, and a kitchen. In the parlor there is a table,\\nusually an heirloom from many years back. The floor is made of\\nboards cut from palm trees. The kitchen has no flooring, and the\\nparlor and bedroom flooring is badly laid. Frequently the house lets\\nin the rain. With the same rough class of boards from which the\\nflooring is made they construct a rude bed in the sleeping room, tied\\ntogether with withes. The wardrobe consists of two changes one\\nthat is being worn and one that is being washed. The only clothes\\ncloset consists of a rough box in the bedroom. The children, as a\\nrule, have only one little shirt, and while the mother is washing that\\nthey run about without any clothing. The women of this class rarely\\nhave irons to iron their clothes.\\nIn harvest time these people have poor food very badly cooked.\\nTheir food improves a little during the corn season, as that forms an\\naddition to the daily diet. Their three chief articles of food, it may\\nbe said, are sweet potatoes, plantains, and corn, of which they always\\nchoose whichever happens to be the cheapest. When the husband\\ncomes back from work, the supper is usually of the same material as\\nalready stated, unless he has been able to bring back a piece of cod-\\nfish, a few beans or peas, or a little rice.\\nWhen a child is born the mother is assisted by the first woman who\\nhappens to be near, usually a mother or sister. The number of deaths\\ncaused from want of medical assistance is not considerable, because\\nthe women lead a free out-of-door life, but owing to want of proper\\nnourishing food, a great many succumb from weakness. There is a\\nserious mortalit} 7 among infants owing to the ignorance on the part\\nof mothers as regards treatment and care of children. A couple of\\ndays after confinement the woman is usually about and at her work\\nagain. When a woman is obliged to keep to her bed, her husband is\\nnot able to go to work, as he has to attend to the preparation of the\\nfood, care for the children, and attend to other household duties.\\nThe poor people are absolutely in want of medical assistance in the\\ncountry places, and if they go to the village to obtain medical aid they\\ncan only do so through the charity of the doctors, as they are not\\nable to pay for such services.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0736.jp2"}, "737": {"fulltext": "727\\nAlthough a great number of these people do not go through any\\nform of marriage, it is probable that the majority do. A great many\\nlive together and, after having a family, determine to get married.\\nThis is usually brought about through the entreaties of the women,\\nwho desire to have a legal standing. On Sunday they can get married\\nfor 1 peso; on other days, according to the importance of the clay, 4,\\n6, or 8 pesos, as the priest chooses to ask. When there happens to\\nexist a family relationship between the contracting parties, the priests\\ntake advantage of the fact to squeeze money out of them for procur-\\ning the necessary dispensations. First cousins may marry with the\\npermission of the bishop.\\nWhen there is a death the neighbors come in and assist. They\\ngenerally manage to get a few boards, and some neighbor who may\\nknow something of carpentering is called upon to knock these boards\\ntogether for a coffin. Their dead are always taken to the towns for\\nburial to facilitate inscription in the civil register and to remove\\nresponsibility from the relatives of the deceased. There is absolutely\\nno sort of mourning ceremony; that is, the women never put on black\\nas a badge of bereavement.\\nUsually about five persons live in a house of the kind I have\\ndescribed. They all sleep together father, mother, grown-up sons,\\nand daughters and when they haven t sufficient beds, they sleep on\\npiles of palm leaves. They usually take up different corners of the\\nroom, separating themselves as much as possible. They pay no rent\\nfor these houses. They knock together a house wherever they wish\\nto, and you can imagine what sort of a house it is when there are cases\\nwhere a man has cut the palm leaves and built a house all in one day.\\nThose who have only one change of clothing do not go to work on\\nSaturday; they remain at home, covered with any piece of rag at\\nhand, so that their wives can wash their clothes and thus enable them\\nto present a clean appearance on Sunday when they go to collect their\\nwages.\\nThe peasant is naturally intelligent, and his mind is as fertile as the\\nland which he works and is only waiting the implements of education.\\nAs a proof of this I will cite an instance. When it was known that\\nautonomy was to be granted and that suffrage was limited to men of\\n25 years of age who knew how to read and write, I formed a class in\\nmy district and offered to teach free all men of that age and over, to\\nfit them to vote. I had men in the class whose ages ranged from 25\\nto 60 years, and some of them after a few lessons knew the letters of\\nthe alphabet at sight and could write them. This was done without\\nthe aid of any modern appliances used in teaching, a piece of rough\\nboard and chalk being the only materials at hand which the peons\\nwere able to avail themselves of. The desire of everybody to learn\\nwas manifest.\\nThere is nothing of fanaticism in the beliefs of the people. They\\ndo not. go to church, but they are believers in God. The men have no\\nconfidence in the priests, as a rule, but the women are more inclined\\nto religious observances. I think that one generation is sufficient to\\nchange the character of the peasantry and to regenerate them com-\\npletely, as the desire on their part for the acquisition of knowledge is\\nvery marked. As soon as they see one of their number acquiring\\nknowledge, all the others want to get the benefit of it.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0737.jp2"}, "738": {"fulltext": "728\\nARTISANS AND LABORERS OF ARECIBO.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nArecibo, P. R., January 13, 1899.\\nA delegation of eight laboring men and artisans, representing vari-\\nous greraios of Arecibo, as follows Tomas Miranda, president of the\\ngremios; Juan N. Maclea, coopers; Buenaventura Peyot, labor-\\ners; Pedro de Jesus, tailors; Evaristo Padilla, masons; Julian\\nRoman, bakers; Francisco Martinez, shoemakers, and Jose Fer-\\nrer, printers:\\nMr. Juan Maclea. Owing to the large importation into the island\\nof jute bags and their large use in the exportation of sugar in the\\nplace of barrels, coopers have very little work now. That is the chief\\ncause of complaint, but we look for more work when sugar has a bet-\\nter market in the United States.\\nDr. Carroll. Are there many coopers in the island?\\nMr. Maclea. Yes; there are a great many of them. I can not give\\nyou the exact number. Those who used to have work on the haciendas\\ndon t have work now.\\nMr. Carroll. Do they turn their skill into other lines of car-\\npentering?\\nMr. Maclea. Not having learned any other form of carpentering,\\nthey are not able to do so.\\nDr. Carroll. How much can they make a day at that work?\\nMr. Maclea. Under present circumstances, such a small amount I\\nhardly ought to mention it; sometimes only 14 a week, and some are\\nnot earning anything, because the work is paralyzed.\\nMr. Buenaventura Peyot. One of the hardships of my greruio is that\\nwe have to get up at 3 o clock in the morning and work until 6 in the\\nafternoon for 50 centavos a day and food, the food consisting of a little\\nrice and codfish, without seasoning.\\nDr. Carroll. I wish you would state in detail just how the work-\\nmen live. Such information is important to my investigation.\\nMr. Peyot. When they get up in the morning, they have a cup of\\nblack coffee. For breakfast, the most common meal consists of a\\nplantain, a piece of codfish, and a small quantity of bread, but never\\nsufficient. They don t take any other meal.\\nDr. Carroll. Do they have sufficient codfish?\\nMr. Peyot. They have about 4 ounces of codfish for a person and\\nfour plantains.\\nDr. Pagani. They may take a cup of black coffee at night and a\\npiece of plantain.\\nDr. Carroll. Do they ever have any meat?\\nMr. Peyot. Never; except, possibly, sometimes on Sunday in their\\nown homes.\\nDr. Pagani. They collect their salaries on Saturday; and if they\\nhave anything left, they buy a few little extras.\\nDr. Carroll. Do they receive their salaries in money?\\nMr. Peyot. In coast towns usually in money, but in the interior in\\nchecks, redeemable only at the owner s private store.\\nDr. Carroll. What kind of houses do they live in?\\nMr. Peyot. Those who happen to live in the city have better houses,\\nbut those in the country have only a palm hut, containing oue or two\\nrooms. Those in the towns live, very often, six, seven, or eight in one", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0738.jp2"}, "739": {"fulltext": "729\\nroom. There are families of four or five persons who live in a single\\nroom of 5 yards square, which is their living, sleeping, and cook-\\ning room.\\nDr. Carroll. Do they always pay rent?\\nMr. Peyot. Yes. If they can not pay, the landlord has to wait\\nfor it.\\nDr. Carroll. How much rent?\\nMr. Peyot. From 11.50 to 12 a month, according to location.\\nDr. Carroll. On estates are they not often allowed to put up.\\nshacks and live in them free?\\nMr. Peyot. On some estates a few peons who are in constant\\nemployment live in quarters, like barracks, but on other estates no\\nshelter is given them.\\nDr. Carroll. How about clothes?\\nDr. Pagani. They nearly all go shoeless. They sometimes buy\\nclothes brought here from the Balearic Islands, or buy cotton goods,\\nat about 17 cents a yard, and have it made up by their own people.\\nDr. Carroll. I suppose their poverty prevents them, in many\\ninstances, from sending their children to school?\\nMr. Pedro de Jesus. When children are 7 or 8 years old they are\\nput to work. Ninety-five per cent receive no instruction at all and\\ndo not know how to read or write.\\nSpeaking now for my gremio the gremio of tailors we suffer a\\ngreat deal on account of the ready-made clothing which is brought in\\nfrom Spain. They have a habit here of raffling for a suit of clothes,\\nand usually the man who wins it sells it for $8 or $10.\\nDr. Carroll. Do those clothes continue to hold the market since\\nAmerican occupation? Duties have to be paid now on Spanish as well\\nas on other clothes.\\nMr. Pedro de Jesus. There is not a great deal of that in Arecibo;\\nit was more in San Juan, and I don t know whether it has continued\\nthere.\\nDr. Carroll. What wages can tailors make here a week, on an\\naverage?\\nMr. Pedro de Jesus. From $6 to $8 when there is work. In times\\nof scarcity of work, from $4 to $5.\\nDr. Carroll. Then they are not so badly off as some other gremios?\\nMr. Miranda. Some of them have to wait until Christmas time\\nbefore they can earn anything at it.\\nMr. Pedro de Jesus. We have to complain also about the bad\\nmaterial brought in, and the bad quality of tools and machines.\\nDr. Carroll. Where do these bad materials and poor tools come\\nfrom?\\nMr. Pedro de Jesus. From Barcelona and Paris. They seem to\\nsend the worst they can.\\nMr. Evaristo Padilla. The great need of our gremio, that of\\nmasons, is of work. We seldom get more than three months work in the\\nyear. In government and other work foreigners are given the prefer-\\nence. The military government, instead of giving the work to Porto\\nRicans, call in their own people and put the work into their hands.\\nThere are plenty of vacant lots and plenty of rich people, but they\\nwill not build. A few days ago the masons prepared a circular asking\\nthese people to build, but it appears to have received no attention.\\nThere are some masons who earn as much as 75 centavos a day, but\\nthere are times when they have to submit to being paid whatever the\\nbosses want to pay them. What we ask for is that government work be", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0739.jp2"}, "740": {"fulltext": "730\\ngiven to us. We feel that we have more right to it than people com-\\ning from outside. As a result of the present state of affairs we can\\nnot even dress decently. If we get clothes, we have to go without food.\\nDr. Carroll. How long has this state of affairs existed?\\nMr. Padilla. As far back as I can remember.\\nDr. Carroll. Are there not too many masons? Is not that one\\nreason for the conditions you describe?\\nMr. Padilla. There are about 3G here; and if there were any fair\\namount of work, that would not be too many. The difficulty is the\\ngreat lack of work.\\nMr. Julian Roman. The bakers are in almost the same position as\\nthe laborers. We work from 3 in the afternoon until 12 the next\\nday, and are badly paid at that. The journeymen earn 50 centavos a\\nday and overseers $1. The bakeries were intending to reduce even\\nthese wages, but the bakers went to the alcalde and asked him to\\nintervene, and he induced the bakeries not to make the cut. But\\nthej 7 have been compelling the men to do twice as much; they have\\ndismissed the peons and make the bakers do the manual work, thus\\nmaking up the difference.\\nDr. Carroll. Is that due to the fall in the price of bread?\\nMr. Roman. No, because when the bread was worth more they\\npaid the same. There are no machines in use.\\nDr. Carroll. You ought to get good wages, because you make good\\nbread. I get good bread everywhere.\\nMr. Roman. When we arrive at old age, we are completely useless\\nfor anything. Go to one of the bakeries if you would like to see how\\nthey work.\\nDr. Carroll. At night?\\nMr. Roman. Day or night; you will always find them working.\\nWe only have three hours rest out of the twenty-four.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you get your own bread free?\\nMr. Roman. We are allowed to eat what we want, but not to take\\nany away. We want our situation bettered.\\nMr. Francisco Martinez. The position of the shoemaker is a hard\\none, but not because there is lack of work. Our difficulty is the dear-\\nness of the materials brought in, on the one hand, and the low price of\\nthe finished article imported from the Balearic Islands, on the other.\\nThe remedy is a higher duty on the finished article and a lower duty\\non the materials.\\nDr. Carroll. These imported shoes, since the American occupa-\\ntion, pay the same duties as shoes from other countries. Does not\\nthat help matters?\\nMr. Martinez. We have not seen any result yet. The raw mate-\\nrial costs just as much as it did before.\\nDr. Carroll. Has there not been a rise in the price of shoes\\nbecause of the Balearic Island shoes paying a heavier duty?\\nMr. Martinez. The difference has been very small. On a pair of\\nshoes costing a dollar the increase might be as much as 25 centavos,\\nbut that has not been of substantial value to the shoemakers. You\\ncan buy shoes here as low as $4 that the shoemakers can not make for\\nless than $6.\\nDr. Carroll. Raw materials will be cheaper under the new tariff.\\nMr. Jose Ferrer. I have very little to saj\\\\ I understand that in\\nother countries they pay typesetters by the thousand ems. There\\nisn t work enough here to do that. Printers earn about $6 a week\\nhere. We hope that the introduction of new methods will increase", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0740.jp2"}, "741": {"fulltext": "731\\nthe circulation of papers and thus give increased work. There is\\nonly one newspaper here.\\nMr. Tomas Miranda. We haven t even a library in the town, and\\nwe wish to urge the need of educational facilities. About fourteen\\nyears ago a minister in Spain made us a present of about 1,000 vol-\\numes, but up to the present no one knows what has become of them.\\n(Dr. F. Pagani stated that the foregoing-named representatives of\\nthe gremios of Arecibo are a picked lot of men; that many of the\\nworkmen could not come because of the lack of clothes to wear, some\\nnot having shoes and others not having a hat to wear.)\\nMr. Manuel Ledesma, a Spanish merchant and owner of a large\\nestate, and Mr. Bahs:\\nDr. Carroll. How many peons have you on your estate?\\nMr. Ledesma. When we are grinding I have from four to five hun-\\ndred.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you pay by the week?\\nMr. Ledesma. Every Saturdaj^.\\nDr.- Carroll. How much?\\nMr. Ledesma. Fifty centavos, on the average.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you have any women working for you?\\nMr. Ledesma. Some women assist in carrying the cane, but not in\\nthe field.\\nDr. Carroll. I am told that there are few women who work on\\n-estates.\\nMr. Ledesma. There are some.\\nDr. Carroll. Do your peons live on your estate or near it?\\nMr. Ledesma. Most of them belong to Camuy. During the grind-\\ning season they sleep on the estate, and at the end of the week return\\nto their homes.\\nDr. Carroll. Do they provide their own meals?\\nMr. Ledesma. Those working on the estate get one meal from the\\nestate and those in the mills two meals. I have a coffee-cleaning\\nplace down on the beach, where I have 150 women working. I pay\\nthem daily, at the rate of 3 centavos a bucket. These women earn\\nfrom 30 to 60 centavos a day.\\nDr. Carroll. Can they live fairly well on 50 centavos a day?\\nMr. Ledesma. Without doubt they could live very well on that, if\\nthey were not addicted to gambling.\\nDr. Carroll. Do they have to pay rent generally?\\nMr. Ledesma. They live in huts in the country, but the difficulty\\nwith the peons here is that thej 7 have few wants and no ambition.\\nDr. Carroll. How much rent do they have to pay?\\nMr. Ledesma. None whatever.\\nDr. Carroll. Are they allowed to build these huts?\\nMr. Ledesma. I give some permission to make houses, those I have\\n\u00e2\u0096\u00a0confidence in; but I do not give that permission to others.\\nMr. Bahr. One thing we need here is a savings bank of the kind\\nyou have in the United States. Under Spanish laws there are so\\nmany difficulties in the way of establishing savings banks that they\\nhave not been established. I have tried several times to interest\\npeople here in such institutions.\\nMr. Ledesma. When there is a strike among our men they usually\\nfollow the counsel of two or three who can read. These people are\\nnot ready for concerted action. Some time ago they tried to boycott\\na, bread monoply here, but after a while some of them, who were in", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0741.jp2"}, "742": {"fulltext": "732\\nthe movement, began to buy bread from the monopoly; the} 7 could\\nnot hang together. It is not because I am a Porto Rican that I wish to\\ndefend my countrymen, because they are a good people by nature,\\nand if some of them are bad it is because they are led wrongly.\\nDr. Carroll. How can their condition be improved?\\nMr. Ledesma. By making them understand the harm of becoming\\naddicted to vice.\\nDr. Carroll. What other vices besides gambling prevail?\\nMr. Ledesma. Living with women without marriage.\\nDr. Carroll. Do they do so promiscuously, or do they simply omit\\nthe marriage ceremony and live with one woman steadilj 7\\nMr. Ledesma. As a rule they live with one woman, and establish a\\nfamily.\\nDr. Carroll. What are their motives for not having the ceremony\\nperformed?\\nMr. Ledesma. They are not educated, and they think they can do\\nwithout it.\\n(Following this hearing the commissioner visited the poor quarter\\nof Arecibo and questioned many women working in coffee houses, and\\nthey all stated that no one ever earned more than from 18 to 24 centa-\\nvos a day.\\nJose Ramon Rivera, a druggist and property owner:\\nDr. Carroll. I understand that you are a professional man.\\nMr. Rivera. I am a druggist and property owner.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you know anything of the vital statistics of the\\npeople in this section of the island?\\nMr. Rivera. The population of the city is growing considerably.\\nIt is a very health} 7 city. Epidemics are very rare. As to the peons,\\nhowever, they have nothing. They have no medicines, nor doctors,\\nnor proper food they don t live in houses, they don t live in villages,\\nbut live like savages. They have no education, nothing is done for\\nthem, and it appears incredible, and it is a mystery to me how they\\nlive on 50 centavos a day or less with the large families they have.\\nDr. Carroll. We had a number of representatives of the gremios\\nat the hotel last night, and the story they told of how they lacked\\nclothing and food was distressing.\\nMr. Rivera. It is quite true that the workingmen are very poorly\\npaid, and what is worse, there are too many workmen for the work\\nthere is to give them. This leads to the result that those who have\\ncredit live on credit until they can get a little money. They then pay\\ntheir debts and live on credit again for another period. This leads to\\na situation which is desperate. No doubt their condition is, to a cer-\\ntain extent, made worse by the want of thrift, which they show when\\nthey do earn a little money. There are some who, after passing days\\nand days without earning money, when they do earn a little spend it\\nall at once.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there much gambling among them? I was\\ninformed in San Juan that it was a common vice among the peasants.\\nMr. Rivera. Unfortunately, that is true, and it is owing to several\\nreasons want of police, want of saving habits, want of living a sani-\\ntary life, which produces an anaemic race, and it is an accepted prin-\\nciple that a sickly race is a vicious race.\\nDr. Carroll. What measures would you recommend for the\\namelioration of this condition aside from those measures which would\\ntend to the general prosperity of the island?", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0742.jp2"}, "743": {"fulltext": "733\\nMr. Rivera. Leaving aside the matter of compulsory education,\\nwhich is important, I should say the first measure to be adopted\\nwould be one looking to- the improvement of public health. Next,\\nthat there should be work which would give employment to all the\\nclasses of the poor, which work would be increased by the stimula-\\ntion of native industries, which have to be started from the beginning,\\nas this country is only born to-day. Then there should be a good\\nsystem of police and a thorough system of inspection of food. In\\nthe stores everything is adulterated and rotten. There is no article\\nof food which is not tampered with. The conditions of life for per-\\nsons who consume these articles can not be anything but unsanitary.\\nThe milk is bad, the meat and bread are poor, and everything else is\\ntampered with. Then, by all means, there should be public instruc-\\ntion for children, and adults as well, who might be made into useful\\ncitizens, whereas to-day they are perfectly useless. This has been\\nimpossible up to the present, as the Spanish Government has never\\nfacilitated educational enterprises.\\nDr. Carroll. Who are in the worse condition, the blacks or the\\nwhites?\\nMr. Rivera. The blacks are in a worse condition, because they are\\ndescended from a race of slaves, and their moral condition from that\\nperiod has not improved. They are made to work as animals, and\\ncan be held and used as animals.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the state of morality among the working\\nclasses? Is it not true that they are very generally honest?\\nMr. Rivera. Generally they are honest. Those who are dishonest\\nowe their dishonesty chiefly to vices to which they have been addicted.\\nThese vices .could be overcome largely by the means I have referred\\nto. I wish to add just this one suggestion in reference to the press of\\nthe island I do not think it should be allowed to treat of politics in\\nthe violent manner which it does. I don t mean that newspapers\\nshould be suppressed, but I think that pressure should be brought to\\nbear to compel them to preach the advancement of material benefits\\nand leave off personal politics.\\nON A PLANTATION.\\n(Hearing before the United States Commissioner at the residence of Mr. Leopold Strube,\\nwhose estate lies partly in the municipality of Arecibo and partly in Utuado.]\\nGobo, P. R., January 15, 1899.\\nDr. Carroll. How many people do you employ on your estate?\\nMr. Strube. About thirty or forty usually, and in crop time sixty\\nor seventy.\\nDr. Carroll. How many acres have you in tobacco?\\nMr. Strube. Only two or three acres, for my own use. I have only\\ncoffee.\\nDr. Carroll. Are these houses on your estate all occupied by your\\nmen?\\nMr. Strube. I have nearly all my people living on my estate. I\\nput up the houses myself, and they do not pay rent.\\nDr. Carroll. Do they pay rent in work?\\nMr. Strube. No I give them these houses for my own convenience.\\nHere in the mountains you can not get working people unless you\\nfind houses for them. It is like more pay. Even if I have trouble\\nwith a man and send him out, he will ruin the house before he goes.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0743.jp2"}, "744": {"fulltext": "734\\nDr. Carroll. About how much do they earn a day, take the year\\nrou ad?\\nMr. Strube. I pay here 50 centavos. If a man works on a contract\\nat piecework he can make 00 or 70 centavos if he is a good working-\\nman. Children and boys we pay according to the amount of work\\nthey can do from 25 to 50 centavos and women get about 20 or 25\\ncentavos. Little children get 10 or 15 centavos for picking out the\\ncoffee beans.\\nDr. Carroll. What do these working people live on?\\nMr. Strube. I have my store here in which I sell rice, codfish,\\ntobacco, sugar, cigarettes, biscuits, and bread very little bread,\\nbecause in place of bread they use plantains. Every man who works\\nhas five plantains and a quarter of a pound of codfish, with oil, in\\naddition to 50 centovas. I cook it here and send it out to them. Those\\nwhom I have here by the month earn from $6 to $20 a month, and\\nhave all their food, including coffee in the morning, with sugar; the\\nsame meal for breakfast, and in the evening rice, with beans.\\nDr. Carroll. I should think that would be a pretty fair arrange-\\nment. That is about what farm hands get in the United States.\\nMr. Strube. They are the better class of workmen. For instance,\\nthere is a carpenter. If a boy starts with a cart here for the town, he\\noften has to work all night. I sent a boy out yesterday evening at 8\\no clock and he will not get back until this evening about 6 o clock.\\nDuring that time I give him from 30 to 40 centavos to spend on the\\nway, and he earns more. I have two Germans here. They have their\\nwhole living on the estate. I pay them the first half year 810 a month.\\nThe second six months I pay them $20, and now I have made an\\narrangement with them to pay each year 15 more. The arrangement\\nis for five years, so that the last year they will have $40 a month.\\nThey can save most of that. One boy was here who saved in a year\\n$90. Another boy saved $60, and bought a horse with it.\\nPAY OF FIELD HANDS.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nYabucoa, February 2, 1899.\\nTwo colored laborers, Justo Lindo and Hermann Oquendo\\nDr. Carroll. Are you a native of Yabucoa?\\nMr. Justo Lindo. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. What is your occupation?\\nMr. Lindo. A laborer.\\nDr. Carroll. Where have you been laboring?\\nMr. Lindo. On plantations; I am a field laborer.\\nDr. Carroll. What do you wish to say to the commission?\\nMr. Lindo. They pay us in vales here, and we want to see if we\\ncan not obtain money instead of vales.\\nDr. Carroll. On whose plantation are you employed?\\nMr. Lindo. Sucesores de Ballecillo.\\n(Note. Mr. Lindo here produced two vales one marked 20, worth\\n25 centavos, and one marked 5, worth 6 centavos both of which the\\ncommissioner redeemed by the payment of 40 centavos for the two.\\nDr. Carroll. Do all the planters paj^ in this way?", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0744.jp2"}, "745": {"fulltext": "735\\nMr. Lindo. All except Don Jose Vicente Cintron.\\nDr. Carroll. Do these vales represent amounts due you?\\nMr. Lindo. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Do they not pay you any money at all?\\nMr. Lindo. Half in money and half in vales.\\nDr. Carroll. Do they not know that it is contrary to law not to\\npay in money?\\nMr. Lindo. I don t know.\\nDr. Carroll. How much wages do you get a day?\\nMr. Lindo. I get from 60 to 65 centavos. I am paid according to\\nthe work I do, but laborers generally receive about 50 centavos a day.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you ever asked to be paid entirely in cash?\\nMr. Lindo. Yes; frequently.\\nDr. Carroll. Has it been refused?\\nMr. Lindo. Yes; they have stuck to half cash and half vales.\\nDr. Carroll. Where are these vales redeemed?\\nMr. Lindo. In the store belonging to the proprietor.\\nDr. Carroll. Are the prices charged in those stores to those who\\npresent these tickets higher than those in which you pay cash?\\nMr. Lindo. The prices in the store where I redeem this are higher\\nthan those of the stores in town.\\nDr. Carroll. Are all the laborers on the estate where you work\\npaid as you are white and black alike?\\nMr. Lindo. Yes; all of them.\\nDr. Carroll. Are you furnished a place on the estate to live in as\\na part of your wages?\\nMr. Lindo. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Does the proprietor of the estate furnish you with\\nany of your meals?\\nMr. Lindo. No.\\nDr. Carroll. Does he allow a patch of ground on which to grow\\nbananas and other things you need?\\nMr. Lindo. No.\\nDr. Carroll. How large a family have you?\\nMr. Lindo. I have no family; I am alone.\\nDr. Carroll (to Hermann Oquendo). Do you work on the same\\nestate as this man?\\nMr. Oquendo. No; we work wherever we can get employment.\\nDr. Carroll. Are you paid in the same way in which he testifies\\nhe is paid?\\nMr. Oquendo. Yes. With the exception of the estate mentioned\\nbefore, all Yabucoa pays the same way.\\nDr. Carroll. Half in cash?\\nMr. Oquendo. On several haciendas they only give a quarter or a\\nthird in money.\\nDr. Carroll. How much do they give where you work?\\nMr. Oquendo. Half in money. I work on an estate called Sucesores\\nde Anglada.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you any family?\\nMr. Oquendo. No.\\nDr. Carroll. Are you furnished a house on the estate where you\\nwork?\\nMr. Oquendo. No.\\nDr. Carroll. Are you furnished any meals by the proprietors?\\nMr. Oquendo. No.\\nDr. Carroll. Are the goods you get at the company s store inferior", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0745.jp2"}, "746": {"fulltext": "736\\nin quality to those you get in other stores, as well as being higher in\\nprice?\\nMr. Oquendo. Yes.\\n(Mr. Oquendo here produced some crackers which he alleged had\\nbeen bought at the company s store, and they were moldy and alive.)\\nGalvino Velazquez. I come to represent those who labor on the\\nestates.\\nDr. Carroll. Are you a laborer?\\nMr. Velazquez. No; I am an agriculturist on a small scale. lam\\nthe owner of a piece of property.\\nI wish to protest, in the name of all the laborers, against the pay-\\nment to them of their wages in vales instead of in money. They have\\nbeen taken advantage of, and have been compelled to accept them.\\nI don t wish to say what salary a workman should earn, because he\\nought to earn just what his work is worth, but he ought to be paid in\\nmoney.\\nDr. Carroll. The law protects a laboring man in that respect. It\\nsays he shall be paid in money.\\nMr. Velazquez. The workmen had to accept them, no matter what\\nthe law ordered, because he had against him the civil guard, the mag-\\nistrate, the judge, and the owner of the estate; and if he did not accept\\nthem, he was discharged.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the condition of the laboring men, generally,\\nin this jurisdiction; how do they live?\\nMr. Velazquez. Bad; worse than bad.\\nDr. Carroll. Please explain how they -live.\\nMr. Velazquez. He goes to work at 6 o clock in the morning, and\\nhas to get up at 5, usually, in order to get to his work in time. Before\\nleaving for work he takes coffee.\\nDr. Carroll. With bread?\\nMr. Velazquez. No; all can not even get coffee. He works until\\nII o clock. At 11 he takes breakfast on the estate, buying his break-\\nfast at the proprietor s store, and resumes his work at half past 11.\\nHe then continues at work until 5, when he returns home and gets his\\ndinner.\\nDr. Carroll. What does the laboring man generally have for his\\nmeal in the evening?\\nMr. Velazquez. Sweet potatoes, rice of bad quality, bad codfish,\\nnearly always rotten. What they sell in the stores of the estates is\\nnearly always rotten.\\nDr. Carroll. Don t you have good, fresh fish here, where fish are\\nso plentiful?\\nMr. Velazquez. Never.\\nDr. Carroll. Do the laborers get any meat?\\nMr. Velazquez. No.\\nDr. Carroll. Do they send their children to school generally?\\nMr. Velazquez. No; they haven t clothes in which to send them.\\nDr. Carroll. If living is cheap here, and you get 65 centavos a\\nday and work six days a week, ought you not to be able to furnish\\nclothes to the children on that?\\nMr; Velazquez. The 65 centavos is turned into 30 by the time they\\nhave got through with the company s store.\\nDr. Carroll. How many acres have you in your farm?\\nMr. Velazquez. Fifty.\\nDr. Carroll. What do you raise?\\nMr. Velazquez. Small crops.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0746.jp2"}, "747": {"fulltext": "737\\nDr. Carroll. Do 3 t ou sell them in the market of the city?\\nMr. Velazquez. Yes; in the plaza.\\nDr. Carroll. Is the condition you have been describing the con-\\ndition of the white laborer as it is of the colored laborer?\\nMr. Velazquez. The same; there is no difference.\\nDr. Carroll. Are there any planters here who desire to say any-\\nthing on the other side, in defense?\\nMr. Aurelio Dapena (a partner of the firm of Cintron Brothers):\\nI am a planter, and would like to say a word.\\nDr. Carroll. What have you to saj r about the testimony you have\\nheard from these laborers?\\nMr. Dapena. I don t wish to defend proprietors as a class, but\\nonly the store which we run. Our firm, being in straitened circum-\\nstances for want of money, but finding that we could obtain provisions\\non credit, called together our laborers and asked them, Do you wish\\nto work, receiving half your wages in money and half in checks? In\\nthat case we can go on; otherwise, we can not.\\nDr. Carroll. When was that?\\nMr. Dapena. About two years ago, when we took over the estate.\\nDr. Carroll. Haven t things been better with you since, so that\\nyou could return to the cash basis?\\nMr. Dapena. No things have gone from bad to worse. The work-\\nmen acted with great prudence in accepting the proposition we made\\nthem, because, while their failure to do so would have meant ruin to\\nus, it would have meant starvation to them. On the Laura estate\\nnobody can say that we have sold short weight, or any food of bad\\nquality. I wish to sa,y, too, that we have never desired to have a store\\nwe don t make money out of it; but it has been necessary. We have\\nnot lived by exploiting the workmen, and I don t wish to appear in\\nthe class of proprietors which has been described.\\nDr. Carroll. Why did you keep the store? Was it because you\\nhad to take part of the sugar crop in provisions?\\nMr. Dapena. Because the merchants in San Juan were willing to\\ngive us credit for terms of six and nine months, which enabled us to\\ncontinue. But things are changed now; the merchants in San Juan\\nwill not give credit, and we must go with cash to buy provisions, and\\nI don t know how long we will be able to go that way.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there any other planter who wishes to be heard?\\nMr. J. V. Cintron. I have always paid in money.\\nDr. Carroll. Are there any of the planters here for whom these\\npeons have been working?\\n(There were none present.)\\nCONDITION OF THE POOR.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nGuayama, P. R., February 8, 1899.\\nMr. Dominguez. I desire to speak as a private citizen, not as mayor.\\nYou should inform the President that the poor require the first atten-\\ntion. They are divided into three or four classes, which I will men-\\ntion. When the Americans arrived here they found, in spite of the\\ncountry s name, Porto Rico (rich port), that there were a large number\\nof poor people here. These are especially worthy of attention. On\\ngoing over the island the Americans saw a large proportion of its\\n1125 47", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0747.jp2"}, "748": {"fulltext": "738\\ninhabitants going about without shoes, without even hats, and these\\nare the people that require their care.\\nThe first class of these poor comprises those who work for their daily\\nfood with their hands. The condition of this class is terrible, not\\nbecause the estate owner does not wish to help them, but because he\\nis not in a position to do so.\\nThe second class comprises the artisans. These artisans, who lately\\nconstituted the manufacturers in a small way that is, the men who\\nmake coats and other articles for the rich are in a very unfortunate\\ncondition. The artisan struggles chiefly against the want of work.\\nIn a town like Guayama, where buildings are not going up every day,\\nsix months in the year the bricklayer has nothing to do the carpen-\\nter also has nothing to do, and the tailor is often without work.\\nThe third class, and perhaps the most unfortunate of all, takes in\\nthe countrymen who live in the hills. This class of poor suffer from\\nwhat is called angemia or want of blood, which makes them appear as\\nindolent, when they are not so, and makes them appear as dishonest\\nwhen they really are honest, and they are in a state of continual strug-\\ngle for .existence. The condition of these three classes puts them in a\\nposition of not being able to assist the government in the work that\\nit requires of them that is, of becoming good citizens. Therefore,\\nit requires immediate remedy.\\nAs a remedy for this condition of affairs I propose to the American\\nGovernment that it introduce the change of the money system imme-\\ndiately, so that the cost of living shall be cheapened to these people,\\nand that it bring from the United States undertakings and works\\nwhich will allow these poor people to find a certain means of subsist-\\nence for themselves and their families. A series of public works, of\\nwhich the country stands in such need, would remedy the condition\\nof the peasant living in the valleys and the peasant living in the\\nhills. Agricultural banks spread all over the towns would assist the\\nagriculturist in forming his society, and he would thus be able to\\ngive assistance to the working classes.\\nFinally, it is absolutely necessary for the working class and for the\\npeasant class to establish a system of schools that everybody can\\navail himself of. There are about 80 per cent of the people in this\\nisland who do not know how to read and write.\\nDr. Carroll. The mayor has very ably represented the condition\\nof the laboring man, but there is nothing like direct testimony. If\\nthere are any representatives of that class present to-night, I would\\nbe pleased to have them come forward.\\n(In response to this invitation a laboring man came forward and\\nannounced his name as Ricardo Espendez.)\\nDr. Carroll. What is your occupation?\\nMr. Espendez. I am a carpenter.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you a gremio of carpenters here?\\nMr. Espendez. There are 60 carpenters in this locality, but they\\nare not in an association. I want to tell you that we suffer very\\ngreatly here in our homes on account of the scarcity of work. In the\\ncourse of a year the generality of us do not get work more than a\\nmonth or a month and a half. As some express it, we live the rest of\\nthe time on air. We should like lumber to be introduced from the\\nUnited States free of duty, as there are several property owners who\\nmight give us some work if lumber were cheaper, who refrain from\\ndoing so now because of high prices of lumber.\\nDr. Carroll. The new tariff makes lumber very much cheaper.\\nMr. Espendez. I hope that you will represent this matter to Wash-", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0748.jp2"}, "749": {"fulltext": "739\\nington as an act of charity. Although we suffer very greatly, we\\nhave pride and do not paint our situation to everybody.\\nDr. Carroll. I think the way to improve the condition of the arti-\\nsans is to improve the general conditions of the island first, to give\\nit better government; second, to give it better roads; third, to give it\\nbetter schools and better institutions. That will place it in a better\\nposition for prosperity, and when prosperity comes it is general and\\nall are benefited, and your class will be benefited, because people who\\nnow live in huts covered with bark will the*n wish to live in houses\\nbuilt of lumber, and so by improving general conditions we will reach\\nspecial conditions and benefit them. The great industry of this island\\nand the great source of its wealth is the agricultural industry. We\\nmust plan to take away the drawbacks from that industry, first, by\\ngiving the agriculturists be.tter roads, so that it won t cost so much to\\nget their crops to the port for shipment, and General Henry is giving\\nimmediate attention to this fundamental matter of good roads through-\\nout the island. When you have good roads, then a great obstacle will\\nhave been taken out of the way of the planter. One trouble, I sup-\\npose, with your class of workers is the trouble with a great many\\nothers there are too many carpenters for the work or too little work\\nfor the carpenters. How many days work did you have during the\\nyear 1898?\\nMr. Espendez. Two months and a hal x nothing more.\\nDr. Carroll. There must be very little carpentering done in\\nGuayama. What wages do you make when you work?\\nMr. Espendez. Two dollars.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you mean two and a half months of labor when\\nyou say two months and a half?\\nMr. Espendez. Two months and a half, without Sundays.\\nDr. Carroll. Then really you have made but little over\\nMr. Espendez. That is all.\\nWAGES IN AIBONITO.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.\\nAibonito, P. R., February 6, 1899.\\nMr. Juan Jose Davila, a peon employed on a coffee estate:\\nDr. Carroll. Are there any laboring men or artisans present who\\ndesire to be heard? I should be glad to have them come forward and\\ngive me information with regard to the condition of the laboring men.\\n(Mr. Juan Jose Davila appeared before the commissioner and\\nexpressed a desire to be heard privately. The commissioner retired\\nto an adjoining room and questioned Mr. Davila as follows:)\\nDr. Carroll. Do you work on a tobacco estate?\\nMr. Davila. No on a coffee plantation.\\nDr. Carroll. What wages do you receive?\\nMr. Davila. Thirty-seven centavos a day.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you get the money in cash?\\nMr. Davila. Sometimes in cash, sometimes not.\\nDr. Carroll. When you don t get it in money, you get it in vales?\\nMr. Davila. Yes; we take them to the commercial houses here,\\nwhich give us what they see fit for them.\\nDr. Carroll. Do they charge you more for provisions than if you\\ntook cash to the stores?\\nMr. Davila. Yes. Sometimes, if the order we take to the store\\nbears the mark of a planter who is known to be a poor payer, the", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0749.jp2"}, "750": {"fulltext": "740\\nmerchants raise the prices, as they saj 7 they can not get their money\\nimmediately.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you get plenty of work?\\nMr. Da vila. At times, but often there is not sufficient work for us\\nto make enough to supply ourselves with necessary food.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you a family?\\nMr. Davila. I support a father, mother, wife, and children.\\nDr. Carroll. How many children?\\nMr. Davila. Two.\\nDr. Carroll. How many workers are there in the family?\\nMr. Davila. Only myself. My father and mother are old people.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you pay rent for your house?\\nMr. Davila. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. How much?\\nMr. Davila. Two dollars for one room.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you all live in one room?\\nMr. Davila. Yes; we haven t enough to pay for more lodging.\\nDr. Carroll. Does the owner of the coffee plantation give you\\nany meals when you are working for him?\\nMr. Davila. We go to work at 6 o clock in the morning, and at 11\\no clock the proprietor sends us some codfish and plantains of a bad\\nquality.\\nDr. Carroll. The plantains or the codfish of a bad quality?\\nMr. Davila. Both.\\nDr. Carroll. How many days work do you have in a year, on the\\naverage.\\nMr. Davila. We work whenever we can get it. Sometimes we are\\na month, and even two and three months, without work, during which\\ntime we are not able to make a peseta.\\nDr. Carroll. How do you live then?\\nMr. Davila. By obtaining credit at the stores on the expectation\\nof what we are going to earn later on.\\nDr. Carroll. What are you able to give your family in the way of\\nfood?\\nMr. Davila. There are days in which I am able to give them a little\\nrice; other days in which I am able to give them a little codfish, and\\nother days in which I am able to give them neither breakfast nor\\nsupper.\\nDr. Carroll. What about clothing?\\nMr. Davila. For clothing our families we manage to get small\\nadvances from the owner of the estate on which we are working, and\\nwith that manage to get cotton clothes such as I am wearing.\\nDr. Carroll. What about tools?\\nMr. Davila. The estate owner furnishes them, and we pay for them\\nby our work.\\nWORK, WAGES, AND MEALS.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nCoamo, P. R., February 6, 1899.\\nMr. Antero Rivero, a painter, and others:\\nDr. Carroll. Are there anj^ artisans or laborers here? Laborers\\nare in the majority in the island, and I don t feel that my investiga-\\ntion would be complete without getting their views.\\nA Gentleman present. There is a great want of factories here", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0750.jp2"}, "751": {"fulltext": "741\\nto give work to women and children. All would work if tliey had a\\nchance.\\nDr. Carroll. Are there no laborers here?\\nMr. Antero Rivero. I think that before the workmen here can\\nprogress there must be a union formed among them otherwise they\\nwill remain in the same condition in which they are to-day. Being\\nunited, they would be in a position to ask for such a salary as would\\nenable them to keep a family together, whereas with the miserable\\npittance they now earn they are unable to keep a family, although\\nthey labor from 6 o clock in the morning until 6 in the evening. The\\nmost a workman earns is a dollar or a dollar and a quarter a day.\\nDr. Carroll. That is a great deal more than is earned in other\\ndistricts. How many days work did you have last year?\\nMr. Rivero. Nearly six months.\\nDr. Carroll. What wages did you get?\\nMr. Rivero. Seven dollars and fifty centavos a week.\\nDr. Carroll. About $180 for the six months. Do you own your\\nown house?\\nMr. Rivero. No; I pay $4 a month rent.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you a family?\\nMr. Rivero. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Of how many does it consist?\\nMr. Rivero. Only a wife, but I support my mother and sister.\\nDr. Carroll. How much do you think you ought to have in order\\nto support your family properly?\\nMr. Rivero. Two dollars a day.\\nDr. Carroll. You say you have work about six months a year;\\nwhat do you do the other six months?\\nMr. Rivero. Nothing; I know no other trade.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you any ground to cultivate in connection\\nwith your house?\\nMr. Rivero. No.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you know how much the ordinary field laborer\\ngets here a day?\\nMr. Rivero, Fifty centavos a day.\\nDr. Carroll. Is that always paid in cash?\\nMr. Rivero. On some estates they pay in cash and on others with\\nvales.\\nDr. Carroll. For redemption at the hacienda s store?\\nMr. Rivero. Yes; in provisions.\\nDr. Carroll. Do the laborers make any complaint about getting a\\npart of their salary in that way.\\nMr. Rivero. A commission came here the other day to incite the\\nlaborers to strike on account of the miserable wages they receive.\\nDr. Carroll. A commission of laborers?\\nMr. Rivero. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you think the laboring men would profit by a\\nstrike?\\nMr. Rivero. I think so.\\nDr. Carroll. They don t usually in the United States. In almost\\nevery strike the workmen lose not only what they are contending for,\\nbut also the wages they might earned during the period of the strike.\\nDo the laborers who are paid in vales complain of the prices charged\\nfor the provisions they get at the company s store or as to the quality\\nof the provisions?", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0751.jp2"}, "752": {"fulltext": "742\\nMr. Rivero. I can not answer that question, but I can find a man\\nwho can.\\nNote. Mr. Rivero returned to the hearing, after a few minutes,\\nfollowed by two farm laborers. The commissioner interviewed them\\nas follows\\nDr. Carroll. Are you a laborer on a coffee estate?\\nFirst Laborer. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. You also (addressing the second laborer)?\\nSecond Laborer. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. The same estate?\\nSecond Laborer. The same mountain, but not the same estate.\\nDr. Carroll. What do you get a day?\\nFirst Laborer. From 25 centavos up to 37^ centavos.\\nDr. Carroll. How many clays a week do you labor?\\nFirst Laborer. Six.\\nDr. Carroll. What are your hours of labor?\\nFirst Laborer. From early morning until 11 o clock, when we stop\\nfor a short rest, and then work on until nightfall.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you get j^our wages in cash?\\nFirst Laborer. Sometimes in money and sometimes they tell us\\nthey haven t money, and give us orders.\\nDr. Carroll. Orders on the stores?\\nFirst Laborer. Orders which any store will take. In the district of\\nCoamo they pay some 3 and some 4 reales, but never more than that\\nDr. Carroll. Do the} 7 turxiish you a house to live in?\\nFirst Laborer. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. The house, then, is free?\\nFirst Laborer. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Do they furnish you one meal a day?\\nFirst Laborer. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Do the} 7 give you land to raise a crop on?\\nFirst Laborer. No; they don t give land to anybody. We have\\nonly the land the house stands on.\\nDr. Carroll. Do they give you bananas or fruits of that kind?\\nFirst Laborer. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Do they give you all the plantains you want?\\nFirst Laborer. Yes; they give us 6 or 7.\\nDr. Carroll. How much of a family have you?\\nFirst Laborer. I have no family.\\nSecond Laborer. I get about the same as my friend.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you get a house free?\\nSecond Laborer. I live in Coamo; not on the estate.\\nDr. Carroll. Do they give you one meal a day?\\nSecond Laborer. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. What does the meal consist of?\\nSecond Laborer. Bananas and codfish, without any sort of flavor-\\ning or seasoning.\\nDr. Carroll. Is the codfish in good condition?\\nSecond- Laborer. Medium it is not of the best quality.\\nDr Carroll. Do you get your wages in cash?\\nSecond Laborer. No; in orders.\\nDr. Carroll. All of it in orders?\\nSecond Laborer. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. On what store ou the company s store?\\nSecond Laborer. I can redeem them at any store where they know\\nthe signature is eood.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0752.jp2"}, "753": {"fulltext": "743\\nDr. Cakroll. Is an order as good as money in buying provisions?\\nSecond Laborer. It is worth half to me.\\nDr. Carroll. Did the proprietor for whom you work state any\\nreason for paying you in that way?\\nSecond Laborer. He pays a few in money, and then says he has\\nno more money, and pays the rest in orders.\\nDr. Carroll. Is that true of all proprietors, or of a few only?\\nSecond Laborer. Some pay in money and some pay in orders.\\nA Planter. I have never paid my workmen in anything hut money,\\nand I give them coffee, breakfast and dinner, a house, and 374- centavos\\na day.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you a family?\\nSecond Laborer. I have a wife and five children.\\nDr. Carroll. Do your children work in the field?\\nSecond Laborer. I have only one who is large enough to work.\\nDr. Carroll. Does your wife work?\\nSecond Laborer. She is a washerwoman.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you send any of your children to school?\\nSecond Laborer. I have one at school.\\nTHE POOR OF SAN JUAN.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nSan Juan, P. P., February 9, 1899.\\nThe Rev. A. J. McKim, agent of the American Bible Society\\nThere are about 32,000 people here in San Juan and vicinity, of whom\\nabout 7,000 are miserably poor. It is a poverty of which the poor at\\nhome know comparatively little about, because it relates to their daily\\nfood. It is not infrequent for persons to come home in the afternoon and\\nsay they haven t taken their breakfast (desayuno) I will relate a case\\nof a woman living about three squares from this office (corner of Sol\\nand San Justo streets), with six children, who replied, in answer to a\\nquestion, that she hadn t tasted bread since day before yesterday, but\\nthat her children had something to eat yesterday from the soup kitchen.\\nThe number of cases of this kind is comparatively large, partly owing\\nto the fact that some were left in an unprotected state by the war\\nand partly from the fact that there has been a considerable emigration\\nfrom the island, leaving certain dependents without any protection,\\nand many Spaniards are in a like case.\\nThere came to niy room a Spaniard who said that he could not pro-\\ncure any work because of his nationality. I replied that charity has\\nno nationality, and that we were just as willing to help Spaniards as\\nto help Porto Ricans or Americans in distress, and that I myself\\nwould visit his house on the following morning and investigate the\\nstate of suffering which he alleged existed not only in his own family,\\nbut in the entire row known as Marine Row.\\nThe state of misery which was found in that whole street was suffi-\\ncient to excite the charity even of the soldiers, who sometimes shared\\ntheir rations with those poor sufferers in that street. The officers\\nwere especially kind to them, and were it not for them and for liberal\\ncitizens of our own nation, those people would actually have starved\\nto death. I asked one father why he did not clothe his children, the\\nyounger ones being entirely naked. He replied that he would be very\\nglad to be able to give them one meal a day. A second visit revealed", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0753.jp2"}, "754": {"fulltext": "744\\nstill further cases in the immediate vicinity. In another part of the\\ncity, near the north wall, I found a large number of children, neg-\\nlected for a long time, and many of them in a state of perfect nudity.\\nBut on returning to give them the alms which I had collected for them,\\nI found them gathered around the door of a house from which food\\nwas distributed among them, and they were all securing, through\\ncharity, at least one good meal per day. That is only about four\\nblocks from here.\\nThese cases would be nothing in themselves, but they are repre-\\nsentative cases, and while in the principal streets misery is not seen,\\nin all the cross streets of the city misery is patent to the least observ-\\nant. My object in visiting them has been to administer temporal\\nhelp and also spiritual comfort. A large number of single Gospels\\nhave been given to them, but it has generally been after having fur-\\nnished them substance, at least for the moment. If our people could\\nunderstand how very near to starvation many of these people really\\nlive, I am sure they would be induced to provide something for the\\nsimplest wants of nature.\\nA laborer from the coffee region about Lares said to me that when\\nthe government was prepared to assure work to the inhabitants of\\nthe island their happiest day would have arrived, and that assurance,\\ncan be realized the moment the people know that they are not to be\\nmolested either by the government or by robber bands. There is\\nnow in my house an owner of a coffee estate who returns to Spain for\\nthe purpose of recuperating his health which was lost by his vigilance\\nin looking after his estate near Lares. He and others assert that the\\nisland affords abundant work for the people the moment they are\\nassured protection in their persons and property. Throughout the\\nisland there has been a misconception of the liberty which the United\\nStates has afforded them, many interpreting it as a license which\\nwould allow them to prey upon their neighbors who were born in the\\nPeninsula, and so capital has been retired from the island in consid-\\nerable amounts, and work has been suspended. The laborers thus\\nthrown out of work have come to the capital to seek protection and\\nwork in order to support their families. There is comparatively little\\nwork in this vicinity to-day, except upon the wharf, and these recon-\\ncentrados have suffered in their persons all that is possible to suffer\\nand live, and while the present state of things continues much suf-\\nfering will probably exist; but as renewed assurances of stability are\\nbeing given, many are commencing to build up their estates and to\\nemploy more workmen. So true is this that many persons from the\\nadjacent Antilles haye been arriving to share in the small amount of\\nlabor here. Provision can be easily made for those who are now\\nhere and if the growing confidence of the people in the interior will\\ndraw an equal number of laborers from the capital, no doubt the\\nsocial conditions will be vastly improved.\\nOne of the worst features of the reconcentration of our native\\ninhabitants in the capital has been the overfilling of tenement houses,\\n20 and 30 families living in single houses of 8 and 10 rooms; that is,\\nnearly an average of 3 families to a room. While such a state of\\naffairs continues morality is not possible. Therefore, one of the chief\\nobjects of the government should be to provide suitable habitations\\nfor the poor. We understand that this matter has been brought to\\nthe attention of the supreme authority in the island, and have no\\ndoubt that the continued clamor of the people for suitable homes will\\nattract the attention of capitalists and builders.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0754.jp2"}, "755": {"fulltext": "745\\nI think, considering that there are in this island 900,000 people and\\nthat it is not as large as the State of Connecticut, that they have been\\ncomparatively well taken care of. If, under our administration, they\\ncan have work more regularly, their condition will be very greatly\\nimproved. As the taxes which impoverish them are abolished and\\nthe necessaries of life are furnished them as cheaply as at home, there\\nseems no reason why they should not take a more advanced position\\nin social lines. It is true that the vices of the country are taxed more\\nthan formerly, and these are a source of revenue for the municipalities;\\nbut the people are becoming convinced that it is only a good market\\nfor their produce and steady labor that can advance the true interests\\nof the government and procure their own happiness and that of their\\nfamilies.\\nARTISANS IN CAGUAS.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nCaguas, P. R., February 27, 1899.\\nMr. Boada (president of the gremio of workmen). We need pro-\\ntection in everything which we undertake for the purpose of raising\\nour position.\\nDr. Carroll. How about your wages, the way you live, and other\\nmatters affecting your conditions?\\nMr. Boada. I have a carpenter s shop and work for my own account.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you have work every day in the week and every\\nweek in the year?\\nMr. Boada. No; I am idle about half the year.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you work six days in the week when you have\\nwork?\\nMr. Boada. Even at nighttime.\\nDr. Carroll. Why is it that you don t have more work. Is it\\nbecause there are many carpenters here or too little work?\\nMr. Boada. There are too many carpenters and too little work, and\\nall furniture is brought in from outside.\\nDr. Carroll. Why don t some of the carpenters go into something\\nelse?\\nMr. Boada. I don t know.\\nDr. Carroll. How much of a family have you?\\nMr. Boada. Four children and my wife.\\nDr. Carroll. What rent do you pay?\\nMr. Boada. I live in my father s house.\\nDr. Carroll. Do your children go to school?\\nMr. Boada. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. How old is the eldest?\\nMr. Boada. Eight years.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you boys?\\nMr. Boada. One boy and three girls.\\nMr. Domingo de S. Diaz, a painter:\\nDr. Caeroll. Do you have plenty of work?\\nMr. Diaz. Very little work.\\nDr. Carroll. How many days work do you have a year?\\nMr. Diaz. I work about half the year.\\nDr. Carroll. How much do you get a day?", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0755.jp2"}, "756": {"fulltext": "746\\nMr. Diaz. I do piecework. I can make from a peso to a peso and\\na half a day.\\nDr. Carroll. Can you live comfortably on that?\\nMr. Diaz. No.\\nDr. Carroll. How niany have you in your family?\\nMr. Diaz. I have a mother, wife, and three children.\\nDr. Carroll. How much rent do you pay?\\nMr. Diaz. I live in the house of my uncle.\\nDr. Carroll. Do your children go to school?\\nMr. Diaz. Every day.\\nDr. Carroll. What trade are you going to teach them?\\nMr. Diaz. Whatever they choose.\\nDr. Carroll. Are there many painters here?\\nMr. Diaz. There are several, and painters come here also from\\nneighboring towns.\\nMr. Juan Diaz, a tailor\\nDr. Carroll. Have you a shop of your own?\\nMr. Diaz. No.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you work by the day, or week, or piece?\\nMr. Diaz. I work for so much a suit.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you have plenty of work?\\nMr. Diaz. Very little work.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the reason for it; are there too many tailors?\\nMr. Diaz. There are quite a number of tailors.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you have work enough to keep you going six\\nmonths in the year?\\nMr. Diaz. Yes; about sis months. My work is very irregular; some\\nweeks I have nothing to do, and maybe the next week I have plenty\\nof work.\\nDr. Carroll. About how much do you make in a year?\\nMr. Diaz. About a dollar a day, native money.\\nDr. Carroll. Then you make about $150, native money, a year?\\nMr. Diaz. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you a family?\\nMr. Diaz. Yes; I have a father, mother, and two sisters.\\nDr. Carroll. Does your father work also?\\nMr. Diaz. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you pay rent?\\nMr. Diaz. No.\\nDr. Carroll. Then, in a family like that, with two working, you\\ncan live very comfortably, I suppose?\\nMr. Diaz. Yes if we could only get work every day. I have some-\\ntimes been a whole month without work.\\nDr. Carroll. Is your father a tailor?\\nMr. Diaz. No he is a weigher and loader.\\nMr. Antonio Moreno, a cigar maker:\\nDr. Carroll. Have you work all the year?\\nMr. Moreno. I have very little work.\\nDr. Carroll. About how much of the year are you busy?\\nMr. Moreno. Four or five months.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you work for yourself?\\nMr. Moreno. No; as a journeyman.\\nDr. Carroll. Are there several cigar or cigarette factories here?", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0756.jp2"}, "757": {"fulltext": "747\\nMr. Moreno. No; there are no factories, in the proper sense of the\\nword. I get work from the stores, as they need to have cigars made\\nup from time to time for their needs.\\nDr. Carroll. About what do you earn in a year?\\nMr. Moreno. I earn about a dollar a day when I have work.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you any f aniily?\\nMr. Moreno. Yes; I have a mother and one child. I am a wid-\\nower.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you pay house rent?\\nMr. Moreno. Yes; 6 pesos a month.\\nDr. Carroll. How many rooms do you have for that?\\nMr. Moreno. Two.\\nMr. Jesus Mendez, a shoemaker:\\nMr. Mendez. I work in a shoe factory not for my own account.\\nDr. Carroll. How many months a year?\\nMr. Mendez. The whole year round.\\nDr. Carroll. How much do you earn?\\nMr. Mendez. Some days a dollar, some days 75 centavos; they pay\\nme by piecework.\\nDr. Carroll. How many days do you work a week?\\nMr. Mendez. Five days; we don t work Sunday and Monday. On\\nthese days they prepare the work for the rest of the week.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you a family?\\nMr. Mendez. Yes; a father, mother, and a little child.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you pay rent?\\nMr. Mendez. We pay 4 pesos a month between us.\\nDr. Carroll. How many rooms have you?\\nMr. Mendez. Two.\\nDr. Carroll. Of what material is the house wood?\\nMr. Mendez. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Does the child go to school?\\nMr. Mendez. No; she is not old enough yet.\\nDr. Carroll. Did you go to school yourself when you were a boy?\\nMr. Mendez. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Until what time?\\nMr. Mendez. Until I was 17 years of age.\\nLOW WAGES AND LITTLE WORK.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nCayey, February 28, 1899.\\nA gentleman came forward and stated that he desired to represent\\nthe laboring men.\\nDr Carroll. If you want to represent them, give me some concrete\\ninformation. I want facts, not opinions.\\nMr. Laboring men earn about 31 centavos a day here.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you mean in this city?\\nMr. In the whole district. I have heard it stated here that\\nfield peons are given two meals a day.\\nDr. Carroll Are you a laboring man?\\nMr. No.\\nDr. Carroll. What is your work?\\nMr. I am a shirt maker.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0757.jp2"}, "758": {"fulltext": "748\\nMayor Munoz. There not being sufficient work in his trade, he has\\nleft it.\\nMr. They eat herrings and bananas in the morning, and in.\\nthe afternoon the same thing. They work the whole week.\\nDr. Carroll. Don t they eat any bread?\\nMr. No. Sunday, if the peon is paid his money, he buys a\\nbit of meat. If he is paid in vales, he can not get meat.\\nDr. Carroll. Are many paid in vales?\\nMr. Yes; many.\\nMr. Planellas. It is not fair to imply that nobody here in Cayey\\nlooks after the laboring man or tries to elevate him. I have tried the\\nexperiment of giving them meat, and after trying it two days they\\nhave asked for codfish. The salvation of the laboring man is not the\\nwork of a day.\\nDr. Carroll. Is it customary for planters to give peons a meal a\\nday?\\nA Planter. On my estate I give coffee in the morning, a meal in\\nthe middle of the day, consisting of codfish and plantains, and in the\\nevening rice and plantains or sweet potatoes. Frequently the planters\\nsustain the families living on the estate.\\nDr. Carroll. What do you pay a day?\\nPlanter. Thirty-seven centavos. When work is scarce I allow them\\nto sow a piece of land and charge them nothing for the land.\\nDr. Carroll. In what form do you pay them?\\nPlanter. In money. Sometimes some of them want cash in ad-\\nvance, and in that case I give them a vale, and merchants here all\\ncharge low prices.\\nAnother Planter. The generality of planters do not treat their\\npeons in the manner that this gentleman has described.\\nMr. Luis Munoz. In this document there is a very important clause\\nwhich I would like to have read for the satisfaction of the town. In\\nformer years, when the harvesting of the crops was over, which was\\nusually in May, the planters used to give their men employment on\\nthe estates until the next crop. This year they can not do that, and\\nabout 3,000 men will be out of work, which will cause trouble.\\n(The paragraph referred to stated that the workmen will be without\\nwork when the harvest is over, and that it was urgent that some\\nwork should be undertaken to give them employment.)\\nMayor Munoz. I wish to make known that the greater number of\\nsmall agricultural owners here take the same kind of food that is\\ntaken by the peon.\\nDr. Carroll. Are there any peons present? I would like to hear\\nall classes, and if there are any laboring men present I would like to\\nhave them come forward and speak freely.\\nPedro Jose Sanchez, a field peon:\\nDr. Carroll. What is your work?\\nMr. Sanchez. lam a field laborer.\\nDr. Carroll. On whose estate are you working to-day.\\nMr. Sanchez. I am working in the finca of Mr. Ortiz, who pays me\\nthree reales a day. He gives me two meals a day and gives me good\\nfood.\\nDr. Carroll. Are you paid in vales?\\nMr. Sanchez. No; in money.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you any family?\\nMr. Sanchez. No.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0758.jp2"}, "759": {"fulltext": "749\\nDr. Carroll. Do you live on the estate?\\nMr. Sanchez. I live near the estate. They don t give me a house\\non the estate. I haven t asked for one, but I don t think I would get\\none if I did ask for it.\\nDr. Carroll. What are your hours of labor?\\nMr. Sanchez. From 6 until 6.\\nDr. Carroll. How much time do you have in the middle of the day?\\nMr. Sanchez. Until I have swallowed the last mouthful. What I\\nearn is not sufficient to keep me.\\nDr. -Carroll. How do you spend your money?\\nMr. Sanchez. For clothing and food.\\nDr. Carroll. Are not two meals enough?\\nMr. Sanchez. No; not the meals I get.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you spend money for rum?\\nMr. Sanchez. Only a little.\\nDr. Carroll. How much a day?\\nMr. Sanchez. I take two drinks a day.\\nDr. Carroll. Where do you go on Sunday?\\nMr. Sanchez. On Sunday I attend to matters in my house, and go\\ndown to the river to wash myself, and come to the city.\\nDr. Carroll. What clothes have you?\\nMr. Sanchez. The clothes I have on only.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you play games?\\nMr. Sanchez. No not at all.\\n(Mr. Sanchez wore no shoes his trousers and shirt were of very cheap\\nmaterial, and his general appearance was that of a very poor country-\\nman.\\nMr. Jose Velez Lopez, a cigar maker\\nDr. Carroll. What do you earn a day?\\nMr. Lopez. I make from $1.75 to 12 a day, according to the work.\\nI do piecework so much a hundred. We begin at 6 o clock in the\\nmorning and work until 5 o clock. In the middle of the day we have\\nthree-quarters of an hour.\\nDr. Carroll. Is what you earn sufficient to maintain your family?\\nMr. Lopez. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you have work all the year?\\nMr. Lopez. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. In what factory do you work?\\nMr. Lopez. Rucabado s. That gives work all the year round.\\nDr. Carroll. How much of a family have you?\\nMr. Lopez. I have five children.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you pay rent?\\nMr. Lopez. Yes, I pay $5 a month.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you send your children to school?\\nMr. Lopez. Yes, two of them one 8 and the other 10 j^ears of age.\\nDr. Carroll. How many rooms have you in your house?\\nMr. Lopez. Two rooms.\\nMr. Jesus Hernandez, a foreman in a cigar factory\\nDr. Carroll. How many cigars do you make a year?\\nMr. Hernandez. It is not possible to calculate exactly. We can\\nmake about 30,000 cigars a week. We work six days; and have 68\\nworkmen at present.\\nDr. Carroll. Are there any boys or girls working there?", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0759.jp2"}, "760": {"fulltext": "750\\nMr. Hernandez. Yes. There are none working there less than 9\\nyears of age.\\nDr. Carroll. How many children have yon at work?\\nMr. Hernandez. Eight hoys and four girls.\\nDr. Carroll. Can any of them read?\\nMr. Hernandez. Some of them, but not all. Most of the tobacco\\nmanufacturers also do not know how to read and write.\\nDr. Carroll. Mr. Mayor, is it not the law that children must go to\\nschool?\\nMayor Munoz. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Is any attempt made to enforce that law?\\nMayor Munoz. I have only had the position about a week and have\\nnot had it rectified yet; but I have already asked the police to give\\nme the names of the children in the town to see whether they are\\nattending school.\\nDr. Carroll. Are those children apprentices?\\nMr. Hernandez. Yes.\\nDr. Carroll. Mr. Mayor, is there any law regulating the age at\\nwhich children can go to work?\\nMayor Munoz. No.\\nDr. Carroll. Where do you buy your tobacco?\\nMr. Hernandez. From this district.\\nDr. Carroll. What do you do with your cigars where do they go?\\nMr. Hernandez. They are sold in the island a few are exported.\\nDr. Carroll. Where do you export them?\\nMr. Hernandez. To the United States, some to Spain, and some-\\ntimes to Germany and England. We have tried to introduce our\\ngoods there, but it has been without result.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there more tobacco under cultivation this year\\nthan last?\\nMr. Hernandez. No; less.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you give less for tobacco this year than last year?\\nMr. Hernandez. The new harvest has not come in yet, so I can\\nnot tell.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you get for your manufactured product as much\\nas you did a year ago?\\nMr. Hernandez. The manufacturers sell cigars at the same price,,\\nbut have to pay their workmen more. They will have to raise the\\nprice for that reason.\\nTHE POOR OF YAUCO.\\nYauco, P. R., March 5, 1899.\\nOn the afternoon of Sunday, March 5, the commissioner visited the\\npoor quarter of Yauco, situated on the hillside, from the crown of the\\nhill about halfway downward. The houses are set irregularly, with-\\nout much regard to streets, which are absolutely impassable for\\nwagons. The heavy rains have made deep gullies in the center of\\nthem, and it is difficult for one to go through them on horseback.\\nThe houses are built entirety of wood, with shingle roofs, differing\\nentirely in this respect from those of Arecibo, which had thatched\\nroofs. They are also of a better grade. Most of them consist of two\\nrooms. They are built of odd bits of boards, which had formerly served\\nas dry-goods boxes or as the staves of barrels or hogsheads. Almost\\nwithout exception they are very dirty. In nearly every case the fur-\\nniture consists of a cot and chair, or a box, and sometimes a table.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0760.jp2"}, "761": {"fulltext": "751\\nThere is generally a kettle which serves as a sort of portable furnace\\nfor the cooking of the meals.\\nThe population is a mixed one. Very often a white woman will\\nhave a colored husband, or a white husband a colored wife. The\\ncommissioner examined several persons living in these houses on\\nvarious points.\\nCase No. 1. A porter who said he earned from SO to 60 centavos a\\nday when he had work. He had never been to school and could not\\nread or write. He had one child 10 years of age who goes to school,\\nbut who when asked the sum of 2 and 9 said 18. This man owns his\\nown house, is white, and about 40 years of age. He says that the\\namount he earns is not sufficient to give him and his family more than\\none meal a day and coffee before starting out to work. When asked\\nwhat his food consisted of, he said it was chiefly rice and beans, never\\nwheat bread or meat.\\nCase No. 2. A young couple, man of about 20 years of age and\\nwoman of about 17 or 18; have been living together about a year, but\\nwere not married. They were both dark complexioned. The woman\\nhad a very comely face, but was a slattern. When asked why they\\nhad not got married, the woman seemed somewhat abashed and turned\\nher head. The man said he did not want to be tied up; that if she\\nwanted to get free she could do so. He was asked if one of the rea-\\nsons he had not married was the cost of getting married, and he said\\nthat had something to do with it. He had no children; if he had chil-\\ndren he might reconsider his statement and get married. He is a ped-\\ndler, and when working earns about 50 centavos a day.\\nCase No. 3. A baker, with four children. His earnings are accord-\\ning to the class of work he is put on. Sometimes he makes 50 centavos\\nand sometimes he manages to make a dollar, but on the average he\\ndoes not make more than 50 centavos. He is married. His wife assists\\nhim by washing, and a brother-in-law lives with them and helps out.\\nCase No. J/.. Washerwoman, living alone with four children; earns\\nabout 18 cents a day that is, she takes in a couple dozen pieces of\\nclothes one day and is able to deliver them the third day if all goes\\nwell and the weather is dry. She owns her house and is having an\\naddition made to it, which she will rent to the man who is building it\\nfor the sum of 25 centavos a week when completed. She says her chil-\\ndren run about the streets and manage to pick up a few centavos on\\nday jobs. She seemed to be a woman of cheerful disposition. When\\nasked if she was able to give her children enough food, she said they\\nnever went without food, but the appearance of the baby in her arms\\nwas not that of a well-nourished child.\\nCase No. 5. Man and woman living together. The man said he\\nwould not marry; that he had not got the woman of his choice. He\\nwas inclined to resent the interference of another man who asked why\\nhe did not marry, saying that he was quite as good a man as the other\\none, and that he had better mind his own business. The woman, who\\nwas present, looked sheepish and turned away and seemed to take the\\nmatter as a good joke. The man was colored, the woman white.\\nEvidently the man was of a surly and probably of a vicious character.\\nCase No. 6. A fireman. His work was loading the mule teams of\\nthe army with rubbish to take down to the river for disposal; was\\nemployed by the municipality. The mayor told him that 50 centavos\\nwas all that he could pay, and that if he could not accept 50 centavos\\nhe need not come back to work. He asked 75 centavos, and expressed\\nthe opinion to the mayor, he said, that 50 centavos was not enough for", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0761.jp2"}, "762": {"fulltext": "752\\na man of familyto keep them in food and clothes. He works at any\\nodd jobs that offer and his wife helps him by selling dulees in the\\nmarket place. He is evidently an intelligent colored man. He said\\nhe had never allowed his children to goto bed with their months\\nopen for want of food. He ,said that as regards clothes they were\\nvery badly off; that he could not afford to buy any other than the\\nvery cheapest, and that those put on in the morning would probably\\nbe useless at nighttime, owing to their bad quality.\\nCase No. 7. Another family with whom a brother-in-law of the\\nman lived and assisted by sharing the expenses of the house. The\\nAvoman seemed to be a motherly sort of person, but was squatting in\\nthe doorway with her children about her, breaking in upon the con-\\nversation at intervals she said it was impossible for people to live\\ndecently with what they were able to earn. The brother of the woman\\nwas evidently a pure Porto Rican. He asked the man mentioned in\\ncase No. 5 if he did not regard the woman he was living with as his\\nwife, and was told to mind his business. When asked if the titular\\ndoctor gave his services freety when required, they said no; that he\\nusually managed to make some excuse not to come up unless he was\\npaid for it; that for that reason they had to go to the hospital when\\nthey wanted medical attendance. This same opinion was expressed\\nmore or less by all the persons the commissioner spoke to, with the\\nexception of the last, a shoemaker, who said that the doctor was a\\ndecent sort of fellow and came up when required.\\nCase No. 8. A woman who makes a living at coffee picking and\\nlives with her sister. She makes at the most 37 centavos a day, but does\\nnot average that amount. She gave the same reply about the doctor.\\nWhen asked what were the prevalent diseases in that quarter of the\\ntown, she said fever, of which the commissioner saw several instances.\\nShe had not sent for the doctor when sick, and said he would not\\nhave come if she had sent for him. She said one reason the} 7 did not\\ngo to see the doctor was the fear that they might be sent to the hos-\\npital. When asked if they were treated well in the hospital, she said\\nthat some of them went in almost well and died there. Evidently\\nthere was a feeling of fear among the poor regarding the hospital.\\nShe lived with her sister, and they owned the house. The cost of\\nbuilding these houses appears to be between $20 and $50, according\\nto their quality. The city allows them to build houses on the land\\nwithout charging them any rent. Formerly the city did charge rent.\\nAs there is no water upon the hill, they have to go down to the river,\\na distance of probably 500 yards. They employ a water carrier for\\nthis purpose when they have no men in the family, and his charge is\\n5 cents for two kerosene cans of water. This has to last them a day,\\nand frequently longer, and if the} 7 have no money they have to borrow\\nof their neighbors supply of water. There are no sanitary regula-\\ntions of any description. The refuse of the houses is piled in heaps\\nand burned, but bad smells do not prevail up there, owing, probably,\\nto the strong wind which usually blows across the hill. There were\\nevidences of past smallpox in the faces of mam 7 of the women and\\nchildren, but at present, it is said, there are no cases. The children\\nwere nearly all of a sickly cast, the prominent abdomen being one of\\nthe chief features. When asked whether the priest is in the habit of\\ncoming up among them and advising them and talking to them, they\\nsaid he never made a pastoral visit by any chance that he occasion-\\nally came up there to administer the last sacrament, but after much\\npersuasion only.\\nCase No. 9. A laborer and wife, married, with five children, living", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0762.jp2"}, "763": {"fulltext": "753\\nin one room. The man sometimes works on the mountains chopping\\nwood, or down in the town, when he can get anything to do. His wife\\nwas a cook in the town, but had to leave her place owing to ill health.\\nShe was paid $4 a month, and was frequently able to bring up food\\nfrom the town for her family. Both were very intelligent, and when\\nasked whether they would be satisfied to see their daughter, w T hen\\ngrown up, lapse into the state of living which seems to be general,\\nthe man was vehement in saying no, but seemed to understand that\\nunless the children received an education that would be their fate.\\nWhen asked how they could possibly acquire good morals when the\\nwhole family of seven slept in one room, the man said it was impossi-\\nble, but that it was also impossible for him to do otherwise, as he had\\nno other room for them to sleep in. Their dinner was standing on the\\ntable. It consisted of plates of rice and codfish, probably with about\\nhalf a pound in each. This, at 5 o clock in the afternoon, was the\\nfirst meal they had taken that day, the woman saying that they were\\nthankful to get that. This was apparently the most intelligent and\\nbest disposed household visited.\\nCase No. 10. A married couple living in a slightly superior house.\\nThe husband, a man of about 25, was sitting on an iron bedstead with\\na clean canopy; he had on a clean cotton shirt. He said that he had\\nworked almost constantly at the shoemaker s bench, and was able to\\nearn from 50 to 75 centavos a day. They had a box of oranges for sale\\nin the door, and they appeared to be generally cleanly and in a better\\nposition than their neighbors. This man made the statement that the\\ntown doctor visited sick persons when required to do so, and that the\\npriest also attended to administering the last sacrament when neces-\\nsary.\\nCase No. 11. A woman of about 35 or 40 years of age, with four\\nchildren, who said she was married, but that her husband had left\\nher and was living with another woman. She works at coffee picking,\\nand says she can earn about 25 cents a da}^. When asked what she\\ndid with her children when at work, she said she leaves them at home\\nand that the eldest looks after the others. She had a baby in her\\narms of about 6 months. This child she takes with her to her work,\\nand said she had work constantly. She was living in one room, for\\nwhich she was paying $1.25 per month.\\nThe general run of wages for women seems to be from 18 to 37 centa-\\nvos, and for men from 50 to 60 centavos. There are quite a number of\\npeddlers who obtain goods from stores on short credits and go out into\\nthe country selling to the farmers and peons. One of these remarked\\nthat when times used to be good he could easily make a dollar and a\\nhalf a day, but that times were very hard now and 50 centavos was about\\nthe usual amount earned when he went out. This man had a basket\\nevidently full of notions. Many of the women, as well as the men,\\nwere barefoot, and many of the children had no clothes on whatever.\\nThe women sat together in groups on the dirt outside of their houses.\\nDirty jute hammocks in many instances take the place of cots or beds.\\nThe cooking appears to be done inside the houses by lighting a few\\nwood splinters in a kettle on the floor, or a little charcoal, and putting\\nthe pot containing the food on this. Many of the men were absent\\nfrom their homes. There was not a single evidence of a water-closet\\nthrough the district. The men seem generally to be intelligent and\\nactive. All the children apparently go to school, but none of those\\nquestioned had as much education as a child of 7 years in the United\\nStates would have.\\n1125 \u00c2\u00a38", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0763.jp2"}, "764": {"fulltext": "754\\nTHE AGRICULTURAL LABORER.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nSan Juan, P. PL, October SI, 1898.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the condition of the agricultural laborers\\ngenerally?\\nDr. Santiago Veve, of Fajardo. The laborer to-day is in a very\\nsad condition, chiefly owing to the impecunious condition of the men\\nwho employ him. His relation to his employer is voluntary. He\\neither asks for work or is asked by the employer if he wants to work.\\nHe is paid on an average about 50 centavos a day, but usually is not\\npaid in coin, but in I. O. U. s, which he usualty takes to the store in\\nthe neighborhood at which his employer has opened an account and\\nobtains for these I. O. U. s, or vales, as they are called, provisions, for\\nwhich he pays a much higher price than he would be obliged to pay\\nif he had cash. Should he not use the whole amount of his earnings\\nin buying provisions or clothing, but ask the storekeeper to give him\\nthe remainder in cash, the storekeeper does so with a discount of from\\n15 to 20 per cent.\\nDr. Carroll. Is his employer subject to the same conditions as to\\ntrade and money balances at the store?\\nDr. Veve. Every week a balance is taken by the storekeeper of the\\namounts given to the peons employed by Mr. A., for instance. That\\namount is put to the agriculturist s debit and the total amount is\\nsettled at the time of harvest. Should Mr. A. not pay this amount at\\nharvest time, interest is charged on the amount, or such part of it as\\nremains unpaid, at the rate of about 12 per cent a year.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there no labor organization among the laborers?\\nDr. Veve. In the country, absolutely none, but there has been an\\nattempt to do something of that sort among the laborers in San Juan\\nand Ponce.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there no oppression employed by the agricultur-\\nist s employer with respect to the laborers?\\nDr. Veve. That depends on the owner of the estate. If he is a\\nman of conscience, oppression does not occur; but in some cases there\\nhave been employers who have taken advantage of their ignorant and\\npoor employees to oppress them, and, the laborers here being of a mild\\ncharacter, this seldom gives rise to trouble.\\nDr. Carroll. Do the employers provide food for the laborers and\\ntheir families?\\nDr. Veve. The general rule is, the laborer goes to the plantation\\nin the morning and returns home at night and receives only his salary.\\nThere are some exceptions in the coffee estates, where, on some planta-\\ntions, it is customary to let the laborer build a little house on the\\nestate, where he is permitted out of crop time to have a small garden\\nfor his own use. Sometimes the agreement between the employer\\nand the laborer is that the latter shall receive half his compensation\\nin monej^ and half in food, but this is an exception. As a general\\nrule the employer does not supply the laborer with food.\\nDr. Carroll. We have been informed that a majority of merchants,\\nbankers, shippers, and owners of plantations are Spaniards. Is that\\nthe case?\\nDr. Veve. Not absolutely true. In commerce and banks nearly all\\nthe owners of establishments are Spaniards; but in agriculture there\\nis a slight preponderance of native owners over Spanish owners.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0764.jp2"}, "765": {"fulltext": "755\\nTHE VICE OF GAMBLING.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nSan Juan, P. R., November 1, 1898.\\nDr. Carroll. What is the condition of the agricultural laborers\\nhere?\\nMr. RoiG. They get enough salary, but their condition is not good,\\nbecause they incur expenses that they should not. Moreover, they\\ngamble a great deal and often lose in an hour all they have. The poor\\npeople here do not know how to save their money. It goes for drink\\nor something else that is not needed by them.\\nDr. Carroll. Are there any places where they can put their savings?\\nMr. RoiG. There are in Ponce and San German, but nowhere else.\\nThey can save, nevertheless, if they were inclined to do so, because\\ntheir needs are few. The poor do not wear shoes, and their clothing\\nis scant and of the cheapest materials.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there much desire among them to get a little house\\nand farm of their own, so as to live independently?\\nMr. RoiG. No; they don t care; they have very little ambition. I\\nam speaking now of the peons.\\nLONG HOURS OF LABOR.\\nSTATEMENT OF MAYOR ETJSTAQTJIO TORRES.\\nGuayanilla, P. R., November 7, 1898.\\nThe common price of a day s labor is 50 cents, colonial money.\\nWith this sum the laborer has to attend to his and his family s needs.\\nConsidering the high price of food stuffs, especially those of prime\\nnecessity, it will be seen that such a pittance can not suffice to cover\\neven his most urgent needs. The result is that these wretched people\\nwalk about dirty, shoeless, in rags, and, worst of all, owing to want\\nof proper food, and live in the most abject ignorance. When they\\nreturn from their laborious work, lasting from 6 to 6, they desire\\nnothing but to rest their weary bodies, and have no idea what it means\\nto read a paper.\\nStill worse is the field hand s fate. Out of work during the most of\\nthe year for work falls off after harvest he drags on a miserable\\nexistence, his enforced idleness sometimes leading to theft and crime.\\nTherefore, not only for humanitarian, but for State reasons, labor\\nshould be under regulations giving the laborer some time for rest and\\nsome for study and pleasure, as is customary in all civilized countries.\\nAbove all, he should be entitled to at least II a day or its equivalent\\nin gold, to enable him to save something for his and his family s\\nsupport when out of work, and as the only way of saving him from\\nthieving\\nLOW AGRICULTURAL WAGES.\\nSTATEMENT OF ESCOLASTICO PEREZ.\\nCidra, P. R., November 10, 1898.\\nIn this country, rich by nature, little work is done. Anaemia impov-\\nerishes the plrfsical strength of the poor. Food and wages do not\\npermit of a good method of working. Taxes, hindrances, and other", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0765.jp2"}, "766": {"fulltext": "756\\ncauses have so sterilized all ambition and initiative of the agricul-\\nturist that it is impossible for him to pay his laborers higher wages.\\nAs soon as the agriculturist obtains honest protection this evil will\\ndisappear.\\nMEASURES OF RELIEF.\\nSTATEMENT OF TOMAS VASQTJEZ, M. D.\\nMayaguez, P. R., November 10, 1898.\\nI write, touching only on two or three points which my experience\\nas a doctor, bringing me into frequent contact with the peasant, has\\nenabled me long ago to form an opinion. I consider that if Porto\\nRico is to obtain speedy benefits from its change of nationality the\\nwants of this class should receive prompt attention and their vices\\nimmediate correction.\\nThe peasant (jibaro) of Porto Rico lives in miserable hovels of\\nstraw? isolated and at a distance from any town of sometimes 2 or 3\\nleagues or even from each other. As is natural, this class of life\\nbrings in its train, first, the impossibility of healthy alimentation, for\\nthey eat nothing but sweet potatoes, yams, and roots never meat\\nbringing, as an inevitable consequence, anaemia, from which all suffer.\\nSecond, the impossibility of spreading education amongst them. It is\\ntrue that in some districts there are boy schools; schools for girls there\\nare none. The children can not attend classes, owing to the distance\\nat which they live from the schools, which are therefore rendered\\ninoperative. Besides, the teachers are too poorly paid to allow them\\nto attend to their scholastic duties. They receive but $25 monthly,\\nand to eke out a living take to agriculture, employing the boys in the\\nschools on field work. Third, the impossibility of forming a home and\\nfamily. As in the mountain districts no priests reside, neither are\\nthere churches, and the distance is an impediment to the peasant\\ncoming down to the towns; he usually lives in concubinage. Civil or\\nreligious marriage is hardly known among them, and morals suffer in\\nconsequence.\\nIn my opinion, there is one remedy for this state of affairs, the appli-\\ncation of which would soon make itself felt. A former Governor-\\nGeneral of this island had thought of it and published a circular,\\nwhich was, however, neglected. He wished to create villages or\\ncenters of population to concentrate the people spread about the\\ncountry districts. I specialty wish to call your attention to this point.\\nIt appears to me that if villages were established in each rural district\\nit would be easy to diffuse education among children of both sexes,\\nand even adults, besides having a church, with its priest or pastor, who\\nwould preach Christian morality, inducing the custom of marriage and\\ndoing away with concubinage, one of the greatest evils of our peas-\\nantry. Public wealth would also be the gainer, as in the highlands\\nthere are many acres of government lands. In Guayama, for instance,\\nin the district called Carite, where there are more than 12,000 acres of\\npublic lands suitable for the cultivation of coffee, cacao, and lesser\\ncrops, the construction even of a mule road to connect with the cart\\nroad would increase wealth, diffuse instruction, and moralize our\\npeasants.\\nTo conclude, I think it of absolute necessity to find a means of con-\\ndensing the population, of creating villages and rural schools, as I", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0766.jp2"}, "767": {"fulltext": "757\\nthink I may affirm that 90 per cent of our peasants can neither read\\nnor write. It is also necessary to follow the introduction of instruc-\\ntion with that of Christian morality by building churches and sending\\nmissionaries to these fields.\\nTHE CARPENTERS OF SAN JUAN.\\nSTATEMENT OF SANTIAGO IGLESIAS, OF THE LEAGUE OF GREMIOS.\\nSan Juan, P. R., November 2, 1899.\\nTo the questions which you put to me I answer in the name of my\\ncompanions, not with the intelligence and knowledge which a study\\nof this kind requires, but with good will and desire to do so to the\\nbest of my ability.\\nThe gremio of carpenters contains 600 members in the capital and\\nits surroundings. They hold weekly meetings, but do not assemble\\nin general meeting with other carpenters of the island or with other\\ngremios, because the principle of association and union was very lim-\\nited under the Spanish rule, the title of insurgent being given to those\\nwho attempted to come together for any purpose.\\nApprenticeship, if it exists, exists without any method whatever.\\nThere is an entire absence of professional schools, and in most houses\\nchildren come into the workshops without having learned even the\\nelementary branches of primary education. This is owing to the lack\\nof sufficient schools and to the great poverty which exists among the\\nlower-class families. Hours of work are excessive, usually from ten\\nto twelve, under the burning sun, with one miserable hour for dinner.\\nSundays we always work when occasion requires it, and the capitalists\\nforce us to, without any compensation whatever. The average wage\\nfluctuated between 25 and 50 cents (colonial currency), which is not\\nsufficient to cover the most simple necessities of life. The gremios,\\nall of them, that of the carpenters in particular, are giving their\\nattention to the bettering of the conditions of labor, both as regards\\ntreatment and remuneration. They keep up a common place of meet-\\ning, where impressions are exchanged and which is called Circle of\\nWorkers of San Juan.\\nThe gremios are not mutual aid societies, but these exist in the\\ncapital and in all parts of the island, but of a feeble description.\\nThe politics of the working people is no other than that of a struggle\\nof social economy and instruction.\\nEverything is reduced to the desire to better as much as possible\\nthe moral and material condition of workers in general. The condi-\\ntions which we desire to obtain from the people and the Government\\nof the United States are absolute liberty and equality for all citizens,\\nalso the right to elect any citizen, no matter what his state may be, if\\nknown to have capacity and to be honest, for the administration of\\nmunicipal, provincial, and judicial duties.\\nTHE PAINTERS OF SAN JUAN.\\nSTATEMENT OF FACUNDO VALENCIA EAMOS, OF THE GREMIO OF PAINTERS.\\nSan Juan, P. R., November 2, 1899.\\nThis gremio contains about 250 persons.\\nApprenticeship has, up to this time, been deprived of sufficient ele-\\nments for its complete installation.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0767.jp2"}, "768": {"fulltext": "758\\nHours of work are from 6 o clock in the morning to 11 o clock, and\\nfrom 12 to half -past 5 or 6.\\nAs regards mutual aid societies, they have existed and still exist in\\nthis country, and the gremios have had such societies in which the\\nmaximum and minimum amounts given members needing assistance\\nhave been, respectively, $1 and one-half dollar.\\nI would say in regard to the holding of meetings, that now, having\\nample liberty of action, we shall hold them frequently. Heretofore\\ngeneral assemblies for discussing and resolving matters have been\\nconsidered a crime.\\nThe wages of the laboring man are not in proportion to the prices of\\narticles of prime necessity, owing to the fact that a dollar in colonial\\nmoney is equal only to 50 cents in American currency. He who gains\\na dollar or two in native money is prejudiced, while Spanish commerce\\nis benefited thereby.\\nReferring to the general political situation of the country, I can not\\ngive an exact opinion about transcendental questions, but nevertheless\\nI can say in social, as well as in political matters, Spain never admin-\\nistered the affairs of the country with justice. Her greatest inca-\\npacity was shown by the so-called autonomy, under which rule the\\nreal master in Porto Rico was the Governor-General s secretary, who\\nconsented to the oppression of the natives by the employees of tribu-\\nnals and other branches of government in the island. Secret prisons\\nwere constructed to torture them. Then, after having granted auton-\\nomy, they accused us of being separatists. From now on our various\\ntrade unions will have a common center, because we see that what Spain\\nnever allowed will now be conceded us by the United States.\\nAmong some of the disadvantages under which the gremio of paint-\\ners is laboring, the first is the scarcity of work to be had during the\\nSpanish rule, owing to the fact that the Spanish nation never under-\\ntook any large enterprises. The second is, the want of schools of arts\\nand trades established in San Juan, in Ponce, in Mayaguez, and in\\nSan German.\\nBOATMEN OF SAN JUAN.\\nSTATEMENT BY NORBERTO QUINONES, REPRESENTING LONGSHOREMEN AND\\nLIGHTERMEN.\\nSan Juan, P. R., November 2, 1899.\\nThe undersigned, named on the commission to explain the form\\nand conditions under which dock workers and lightermen of this\\ncapital labor, begs to comply with his duty by stating the following:\\nThere are three lighter companies, namely, Sobrinos Esquiaga,\\nSucn. de Echeveste and Sucn. de Cabrera, who handle the loading\\nand unloading of vessels arriving at this port.\\nThe lighterman has to be at his work at 4 o clock in the morning\\nand work until 11 o clock, during which time he is allowed one scant\\nhour for breakfast. At 12 o clock he has to be ready to return to\\nwork, with the risk of losing it if he is not on time. He then works\\nuntil 7, or later, at night. These fourteen hours of work are called one\\nday. The day is paid for according to what the companies think will\\nbe barely sufficient to keep the workmen alive with necessary food\\nand drink. The amount fluctuates between a dollar and a dollar and\\na half, provincial money. When an accident happens to one of these", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0768.jp2"}, "769": {"fulltext": "759\\nworkmen in the course of his employment, he is completely abandoned,\\nas these companies give them in such case absolutely no assistance.\\nMany other abuses are committed against dock laborers, but I will\\nnot mention them, as little by little the American Government will\\nfind them out.\\nBAKERS OF SAN JUAN.\\nSTATEMENT OF BERNARDO T. CALLARS, IN BEHALF OF BAKERS, SAN JUAN, P. R.\\nThe gremio of bakers of this citjr (San Juan) is composed of 150\\nmembers. Apprenticeship is begun at the. age of 14 years, and is\\nexpected and encouraged. Hours of labor are from 4 in the afternoon\\nuntil 12 the day following, including Sundays and feast clays. Bakers\\nin some shops make as much as $1.50 a day; but when there are too\\nmany bakers for the work, wages fall as low as 75 ceutavos. This\\ngremio has no mutual aid department. It does not hold general meet-\\nings, owing to the fact that the former government persecuted persons\\nparticipating in such meetings as secret societies.\\nThe special disadvantages under which this trade labors are, first,\\nthat the trade is monopolized by six bakeries, and, second, the small\\nwages that are paid. We are in complete sympathy, but differ in\\npolitical matters. The special considerations which we wish to obtain\\nfrom the Government of the United States are, that it lower the price\\nof food stuffs and raise the duty on articles of luxury, such as alcohol\\nand tobacco.\\nWe have ideas which we wish to express with respect to coinage,\\ncustom-houses, provincial government, municipal government, and\\ntribunals, but what we most desire at present is the exchange of money.\\nUntil now we have not belonged to a central union, but under the\\nnew government we are getting together to do this. The general\\nsituation of workmen is quite grave.\\nPRINTERS OF SAN JUAN.\\nSTATEMENT OF RASANDO RIVERA IN BEHALF OF TYPOGRAPHERS, SAN JUAN, P. R.\\nUnfortunately typography in this country is to-day in a very back-\\nward state, owing, doubtless, to the heavy duty imposed by the Span-\\nish Government on the importation of type. I do not doubt for a\\nminute that in this country are workmen capable of competing with\\nthose of any other country, however civilized; but however well sup-\\nplied a printing shop maybe, it always leaves much to be desired, and\\nat the best materials are wanting for the carrying out of good work.\\nIt is certainly a lamentable fact that the Porto Rican workmen are in\\na state of partial theoretical ignorance, but the Spanish Government is\\nchiefly at fault for this state of affairs for never having taken any\\ntrouble to assist in the education of workmen. Nevertheless, the work-\\nman, owing to his personal struggle, has been able to keep up, although\\nnot fully, with the grand march of civilization. It is well known that\\nin the m ost cultured centers of Europe and America the typographer\\nfinds the road easy and his work well recompensed and as these are\\ndue to the enlightenment of the various governments under which they", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0769.jp2"}, "770": {"fulltext": "760\\nlive, we, the Porto Riean workmen, hope and have the strong convic-\\ntion that we will obtain these desirable favors from the Government\\nin Washington. In our humble opinion, we understand that the\\ntheoretical and practical education we need until we stand on the\\nlevel with our brothers of America is only to be achieved by the estab-\\nlishment of schools of arts and trades in which not only children can\\nbe instructed, but adults as well. In regard to the class of teaching\\nwhich we should receive in these establishments, I will briefly point out\\nthe branches which, in my judgment, I think my fellow-typographers\\nshould acquire.\\nTheoretical knowledge. Prose and verse reading. Reading from\\nmanuscript, orthography, English and Spanish grammar and notions\\nof Latin grammar, French and Italian, knowledge and use of mathe-\\nmatical science, commerce, music, chemistry, drawing in every form,\\narithmetic, algebra, technical knowledge of the manufacture of type,\\nknowledge of the relations of types, pieces which are used in typog-\\nraphy, also the manner of manufacturing the same, explication of\\nthe most common presses, and conservation and mounting of the same.\\nPractical training. English cases, Spanish cases, and French cases,\\ncomposition and reading in the lead, correction, distribution, making\\nup sheets, paging on marble or in the press, statistics in every form,\\nworks of luxury, works in color, notions of composition, Latin, French,\\nItalian, how to use machines, taking of proofs, founding rules, weight-\\ning paper, brushing wooden letters, lead type and engraving, prepara-\\ntion of printing inks, printing zinc, glass, and high relief. It is cer-\\ntain that with these attainments there would spring up a school of\\ntypography which would conscientiously perform the work of their\\nnoble profession.\\nReplies to questions:\\n(1) Our gremio in San Juan consists of 152 members.\\n(2) Yes; apprenticeship is required, the time depending on the\\ncapacity of the apprentice.\\n(3) We work eight hours.\\n(4) The only periodical which requires us to work on Sunday is the\\nCorrespondencia. The workmen are obliged to do so owing to the\\nsmall salary they receive.\\n(5) On an average we earn $6 a week, although there are workmen\\nwho earn $8 and $10.\\n(6) The object of our union is to better the desperate position in\\nwhich we find ourselves, and its scope is explained in the accompany-\\ning expositions.\\n(7) The gremios do not form mutual-aid societies, because such are\\nprovided in this country to which all social classes belong.\\n(8) They are beginning to be organized now, thanks to the liber-\\nality of the government which we to-day have, and which we have\\nbeen desiring for a long time, and which we receive with open arms.\\nThe Spanish Government was always inquisitorial and the enemy of\\nright and justice.\\n(9) We do not go in for politics, as politics is based on personality\\nand not on any ideal; therefore we are unanimous in our opinion.\\n(10) We wish to have the Territorial form of government as soon as\\npossible, and the military occupation to cease as soon as practicable;\\nalso the protection of the natives of the country and to all those who\\nswear fidelity to the American Constitution.\\n(11) As regards tariffs, the free introduction of articles of prime\\nnecessity, leaving a duty on articles of luxury and articles prejudicial", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0770.jp2"}, "771": {"fulltext": "761\\nto humanity, such as alcohol, liquors, cards, etc. As regards money,\\nthe exchange should be made as soon as possible. The rate we leave\\nto the opinion of the government or to those interested in it. Regard-\\ning the municipalit} T and courts, the intervention of the workmen by\\nmeans of the vote and the right of representation for all of those who\\nhave talent and capacity sufficient and who may be elected by uni-\\nA^ersal suffrage.\\nBOOKBINDERS, SILVERSMITHS, AND TINSMITHS.\\nSTATEMENT OF JOSE G. MONJE, IN BEHALF OF BOOKBINDERS, SILVERSMITHS, AND\\nTINSMITHS, SAN JUAN, P. R.\\nBeing chosen to represent the above-named gremios, I have to\\ninform you of the deplorable state of these trades.\\nFirst. Bookbinding. The number of members of this gremio is 22.\\nAmong the gremios, which are in poor condition, this is one of the\\nworst. The average weekly wage does not reach $4, provincial\\nmoney, with very few exceptions. The high rates of duty imposed\\non the materials used in the trade makes work very scarce, and the\\ngreat number of books imported and their small cost is the cause of\\nthe sad state in which this gremio finds itself. Besides these facts,\\nbookbinders are required, in certain shops, to do work which does not\\nbelong to their trade, such as making cardboard boxes, traveling\\ntrunks, and other smaller things. As some can not do this work, they\\nhave been dismissed.\\nSecond. Silversmiths. In this gremio there are 27 members. Owing\\nto the importation of jewels, especially from Germany, this gremio is\\nin rather a bad condition, the work being almost entirely that of\\nrepairs. It can be said, however, that it is not one of the most\\nunfortunate gremios.\\nTinsmiths. This gremio is in about the same position as that of\\nthe silversmiths. The number of members belonging to the gremio\\nof tinsmiths is 15.\\nThe number of years of apprenticeship required in these trades\\ndepends only upon the capacity of the apprentice. Apprenticeship\\nis encouraged. The school of arts and trades is one of the institutions\\nwhere children, after having terminated their primary instruction,\\nlasting for several years, are granted a certificate which declares them\\nto be thorough workmen or master workmen, according to their knowl-\\nedge. In San Juan, in almost all of the gremios, workmen are accus-\\ntomed to work only eight hours, but silversmiths and tinsmiths work\\neight and one-half hours and nine hours a day. In this country,\\nexcept on rare occasions, it is usual to work on Sunday. In some\\nestablishments, however, half a day Sunday is exacted. We wish to\\nobtain the whole day for rest, as we consider that we are entitled to it.\\nSilversmiths earn as much as six or eight pesos, and about the same\\namount is earned by tinsmiths. The gremios which have honored me\\nwith the duty of representing them all aim at the improvement of\\ntheir classes and solicit, as a special favor of the United States, pro-\\ntection and preference for the natives of the country.\\nThe gremios are not the same as mutual-help societies. In the\\nfuture all classes will take a part in these societies. Their aim is\\nexclusively that of assistance. The amount they usually pay to per-\\nsons in need is $1.75 or $1.50, according to the requirements of the\\nsick person. We are now thinking of calling a general conference of", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0771.jp2"}, "772": {"fulltext": "762\\nall the gremios, something we could never do before, as any attempt\\nto get together was considered anti-Spanish and was prohibited. We\\ndo not think to-day we shall meet with any obstacle, as we imagine\\nthat the Government of the United States, instead of disturbing our\\nwork, would sooner help us make it strong and enduring. Among the\\nmanjf disadvantages which we have suffered and are now suffering,\\nthe greatest has been the preference given to Spaniards over others\\nand the poor rate of wages paid. In my humble opinion, the working-\\nmen of Porto Rico occupy themselves more with what concerns their\\nwork than with political questions nevertheless, we never fail to show\\ninterest in any question having reference to the administration of the\\nlaws of the country, although formerly we were not allowed to take\\npart in this. We assure the United States that our undertakings will\\nalways be conducted within the spirit of law and order, and we beg\\nfor consideration.\\nTHE MASONS OF, SAN JUAN.\\nSTATEMENT OF JOSE EIVEEA, IN BEHALF OF THE GEEMIO OF MASONS.\\nSan Juan, P. R., Novembers, 1899.\\nThis gremio is composed of about 400 members. Apprenticeship is\\nindispensable and requires at least five years. Every day appren-\\nticeship is on the increase. We work ten hours daily, with the excep-\\ntion of Sunday. Wages fluctuate between $1.25 and $1.50 a day, pro-\\nvincial money. At the present time the gremio of masons has no\\nmutual help branch. Very few meetings have been held and no gen-\\neral congress up to the present has ever been held, because the Span-\\nish Government denied the right of citizens to meet together. The\\nSpaniards killed all initiative and persecuted every form of organiza-\\ntion, making all such appear as indicating disaffection and as being\\npernicious to the Spanish Government. Until now we have cooper-\\nated in the most radical policy of the country, but now that we have\\nentered into the enjoyment of citizenship, as offered by the American\\nnation, we promise ourselves from to-day on to work out our own\\nemancipation according to our ideals.\\nThe considerations which we desire to obtain from the United States\\nare the following The right to propagate our ideals and support our\\norganizations, and everything which, within the limits of order and\\nlaw, we may try to obtain foi* our general welfare. We desire to\\nhave complete intervention in questions of administration, either\\nmunicipal or state, and a share in the management of the govern-\\nment tribunals, etc. Up to the present we have had no common\\ncenter for the meeting of our societies.\\nAGRICULTURAL LABORERS.\\nSTATEMENT OF PEOF. BENIGNO LOPEZ CASTEO, FOE AGEICITLTOEAL LABOEEES.\\nSax Juan, P. R., November J, 1899.\\nIt is evident that the most important branch of the riches of Porto\\nRico is agriculture that it ought to be in a flourishing condition,\\nbecause it is favored by excellent climatic conditions, exuberance of\\nthe soil, and the slight amount of labor required for cultivation. But", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0772.jp2"}, "773": {"fulltext": "763\\nwant of roads and railroads in the country, the lack of irrigation\\ncanals, the scarcity of agricultural banks and other similar establish-\\nments from which the agriculturist might obtain money at low rates\\nof interest, and, above all, the onerous taxation with which Spain\\nalways punished this country are the principal causes which have\\nforced Porto Rico to remain in a condition of ruin.\\nTo these causes may be added another. The owners of agricultu-\\nral estates, flattered by the high prices which they were able to obtain\\nfor sugar, coffee, and tobacco, have given their whole attention to\\nthose crops, incurring the grave error of the abandonment of the cul-\\ntivation of rice, beans, pease, and other smaller crops, including also\\npotatoes, Spanish pease, and other necessaries of life. Having stated\\nthat this abandonment was an error, I will explain the reason why.\\nThe owners of estates, not paying; attention to the growth of the nec-\\nessary crops for the maintenance of themselves and their workmen,\\nare obliged to accept credit from merchants, who readily give them\\nall they want, but take guaranties and mortgages on their estates,\\nwith the obligation of paying the merchant in produce. When the\\ntime for harvesting arrives, the agriculturist, instead of being able to\\noffer his produce freely to whomsoever he wishes, is bound by the\\nterms of his contract to submit himself to the greed and ambition of\\nhis creditor. It frequently happens that the amount harvested is not\\nsufficient to cover the debt, and in this case the debtor gives a docu-\\nment covering the remainder of the debt in favor of the creditor,\\nacknowledging the balance due and the addition of a high rate of\\ninterest. This same thing takes place year after year, the interest\\nkeeps on accumulating, until at last the merchant refuses any further\\nhelp and demands a settlement of the amount or the handing over of\\nthe estate. This will give an idea why properties have passed from\\nthe hands of the Porto Ricans to those of the Spaniards.\\nI will now give some little attention to the condition of the field\\nhands, who are in the greatest want of protection and care from the\\nGovernment of the United States, as I understand that the Govern-\\nment of the United States does not want pariahs in this territory, but,\\nfree, civilized, and educated citizens. These unfortunate beings,\\nabandoned to their own resources from the cradle to the grave, vege-\\ntate like wild plants. No generous hand is held out to offer them\\neven the first rudiments of human knowledge. The exploiters of this\\ncountry, having understood that ignorance is one of the best means\\nof debasing a man and making him submit to a badly dissimulated\\nslavery, have never occupied themselves in spreading instruction, but,\\non the contrary, with their cleverness killed all attempts which were\\nmade in that direction. The limited and deficient instruction which\\nthey permitted in the centers of population never reached the unfor-\\ntunate inhabitants of the rural districts, and never the women. There\\nare districts, such as Arecibo, whose jurisdiction extends over 21 bar-\\nrios, of which only eight or ten have schools for boys and in only one\\ndistrict is there a school for girls, for which reason it is a rare occur-\\nrence to find a countrywoman who knows how to read.\\nAs a general rule, from the early age of 10 or 12 years children of\\nboth sexes are put to hard field work. They have to leave their mis-\\nerable bed at 4 in the morning, so that at 6 o clock they may be in\\nreadiness to take up the hoe, sometimes without even having had any-\\nthing to eat. This work both the children and the older workmen\\ncontinue until 6 in the evening, and gradually lose their health in\\nexchange for the miserable wage of 12, 18, or 25 centavos a day for chil-", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0773.jp2"}, "774": {"fulltext": "764\\ndren and from 50 to 60 centavos for adults of both sexes, which\\namounts are frequently reduced when the price of coffee or sugar\\nfalls, but never increased bej ond those sums, no matter what prices\\nthese articles may bring.\\nThe food given to the workers is so poor that it is no exaggeration\\nto say that they would with pleasure exchange it for what is given to\\ndogs in many private houses. On the same ground that they have\\nfertilized with the sweat of their brow, and without taking their hands\\nfrom the plow or the hoe, they have served to them, between 11 and 12\\no clock, a ration of rice mixed with a few grains of beans or pease, cooked\\nentirely without meat and Avith no other seasoning than a little cocoa-\\nnut butter. At other times the ration is composed of two or three\\nroasted bananas, a piece of bad dried codfish, with neither oil nor vine-\\ngar, half raw, and very salty, in order that the laborer shall get thirsty\\nand fill himself up with water, and in this way stifle the feelings of\\nhunger, which would otherwise overcome him in a day s labor of twelve\\nhours under the enervating sun of our climate. Several times the\\npeons have tried to associate themselves together in divisions against\\nthe iniquitous proceedings of their employers, but the owner of the\\nestates, if he did not happen to be a political boss, would call upon\\none of his friends to denounce to the Governor- General the existence\\nof an alleged secret society, conspiring against the integrity of the\\nKingdom, with the result that the civil guard would be charged to\\npersecute the suxDposed conspirators with inhuman torture, as if they\\nwere wild beasts. Persons thus persecuted frequently paid for their\\nattempts at organization by many years of imprisonment in Ceuta or\\nChafarinas (penal settlements off the coast of Africa) for no other\\ncrime than defending themselves against the unmeasured avarice and\\nsel fishness of a few soulless persons.\\nNO CLOTHES TO COVER NAKEDNESS.\\nSTATEMENT OF MANUEL M. PUYOLS.\\nMayaguez, January 10, 1899.\\nThe same wages as paid in the United States should be paid here,\\nfrom the teacher to the lowest laborer. Up to the present we have\\nnot earned sufficient to buy even food enough. There are in the\\ntowns and country districts of my country real working people who\\ndo not dare to venture out of their houses, as they are completely\\nnaked and have nothing to cover their bodies with, although their\\nlabor is necessary to the progress of the country.\\nCIGAR MAKERS IN CAYEY.\\nCayey, P. R., February 2, 1899.\\nWe belong to the working classes, who, up to the present time, have\\nbeen ill treated by our eternal oppressors and the exploitation of our\\nlabor. The cigar-making industry in this country has dragged out a\\nmiserable existence, and the owners of factories have had no other end\\nin view than the oppression of the artisan. A cigar maker in Porto\\nRico has never been able to enjoy a life of comfort, as the manufac-\\nturers, taking advantage of an honest class of workers, have not lost", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0774.jp2"}, "775": {"fulltext": "765\\nan opportunity to exploit them, preventing them from attending- to\\ntheir many necessities. That the whole world may know what means\\nhave been employed for this oppression, we have written you this\\nletter, in which we state the plain truth.\\nThis industry was started in the island by persons of capital who\\nsaw a profitable field of investment. It is needless to say that they\\nwere Spaniards. Many fathers of families rejoiced, thinking that\\nthey saw a future for their sons, and went to the factories with the\\npurpose of obtaining work. We can not deny that the industn 7 has\\nmade much progress in these latter years, but the progress was not\\nfor the benefit of the workmen, as when the number of workmen was\\nincreased the factories diminished the price which they paid for the\\nwork. The American invasion raised great hopes in our breasts.\\nWe thought that by belonging to a nation of such progressive instincts\\nthe condition of the honest laborer would change, but up to the\\npresent this has not been the case.\\nThe transitory period which we are now going through has seen\\nno change at all, but we do not lose hope that a radical change will\\ncome soon, which will be the means of our being able to attend to our\\nmost urgent needs. As a proof of the exploitation to which we have\\nbeen subjected, we would inform you that we are made to work on\\ncertain cigars which, by merely changing their name, are paid at a\\nless price to the workmen without being sold at a reduced price to the\\nconsumer. The commissioners which have the honor to inform you\\nabout our needs were not speaking the truth when they said that the\\ncigar makers earned 2 pesos a day. These commissioners were\\ntelling about what they earned and spoke unduly for the whole body.\\nThat you may see the truth of what we state, we give you the follow-\\ning data: In this town the number of cigar makers is 120; of these,\\n10 or 12 earn 2 pesos daily; 20 or 25, 1 peso, and the rest onby earn\\nfrom 50 to 62 centavos. They do not make this amount daily, as there\\nseldom passes a week in which they have work for six days; neither\\ndo they work all the year round. They lose at least two or three\\nmonths, in which they are not able to earn bread for their children.\\nJudge of what our condition is, therefore, when we add that our\\nbosses are not always what they should be in their treatment of the\\nhonest worker. We wish also to draw your attention to the fact that\\neducation, which is the basis of all society, is entirely neglected\\namong us, owing to the oppressive system, whose object was always\\nto keep us in ignorance so as to make their exploitation more easy.\\nWe want the American Government to help us with schools, and\\nschools, and schools, for if educated we would be more worthy of\\nconsideration.\\nSCHOOLS OF ARTS AND TRADES.\\nSTATEMENT BY SENOR JOS^ AMADEO, M. D.\\nPatillas, P. R., March, 1899.\\nPopulation increases rapidly, there being more laborers for agricul-\\nture than can be employed at present. The number would be still\\ngreater were it not for the unhealthiness of certain places, the want\\nof food, bad lodging, lack of education, and the vices, all of which\\nprematurely kill and make unfit for work a portion of our laboring\\nclass. The American Government will not fail to see this, and to-day,", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0775.jp2"}, "776": {"fulltext": "766\\nmore than ever, it is necessary to better the physical and intellectual\\nqualities of our workmen. By increasing public works all over the\\nisland and giving impulse to agriculture by the introduction of Ameri-\\ncan capital there is no doubt that wages will rise. The laboring man\\nto-day is suffering under the laws of demand and supply, which\\naffect labor just as they affect merchandise.\\nAll the young men, and even the women and children of the work-\\ning class, make for the cane fields. Very few give any attention to\\ntrades which would produce better salary. This is owing to the want\\nof schools of arts and trades. There are towns of 6,000 inhabitants\\nwhere it is impossible to find a shoemaker or an artisan who could\\nrepair a lock or a trunk. It is necessary to think of Porto Rico s\\nfuture and to better the social and hygienic conditions as far as pos-\\nsible, recognizing that our working class are a living force of general\\nwealth in the province.\\nWe should study calmly and intelligently all the plans tending\\ntoward this end. Among these may be counted that of grouping\\ntogether in villages or colonies the persons who at present live isolated\\nin the country, who thus enjoy none of the benefits of mutual help or\\nother advantages of a social life. We should also extend to these\\ngroups the benefits of elementary education, in which direction char-\\nitable societies could lend their assistance. Increase saving institu-\\ntions and mutual assurance, banks and cooperation stores, also build-\\ning societies, which would allow poor people to acquire their homes\\nby paying for them in small amounts, spread over long periods, with\\na mortgage as guaranty to the society.\\nThese are the means which should be employed, and which in other\\ncountries have resulted in the welfare and prosperity of the working\\nclasses, accustoming them to contract habits of economy and order\\ninstead of giving themselves over to dissipation and vagrancy. With\\nthe concentration of our disseminated population, and with the efforts\\nof influential persons, the moral state and the material condition of\\nthe individual and the family would improve in Porto Rico. Our\\nworking classes, which are among the most constant and hard-working\\nin all the West India islands, are well deserving of it. Political\\nreforms are useless while the greater number of citizens are groaning\\nbeneath the yoke of misery, with their families and homes in a con-\\ndition which conduces to immorality and other unfortunate evils.\\nDEMAND FOR FREE COMMERCE WITH THE UNITED STATES.\\nFREE ENTRANCE FOR SUGAR.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nArecibo, P. R., January 14-, 1899.\\nMr. Manuel Ledesma, a Spanish merchant and owner of a large\\nestate.\\nMr. Ledesma. Sugar and tobacco, which to-day pay heavy duties\\nin the United States, I think should be allowed free entrance, because\\nas soon as the money is changed here plantation owners, who now pay\\ntheir labor in silver, will have to pay in gold, and they will not be able\\nto continue business under those conditions. If the estates close\\ndown many peons will be thrown out of work, and if that state of\\naffairs comes about you will see a serious conflict here, because the", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0776.jp2"}, "777": {"fulltext": "767\\nsugar estates give work to three-fourths of the people of the island.\\nTobacco, with even more reason, should be given free entrance in\\nthe United States, because, while sugar is in the hands of a few per-\\nsons, anybodj^ can grow tobacco, and then the poor could be made\\nsmall proprietors if tobacco were granted this concession in your\\nmarkets. I understand that the United States consumes about\\n100,000 tons of sugar a month. The most Porto Rico can produce is\\n100,000 tons a year, and I don t think that the United States would\\nmiss by granting the concession of free entry to our sugar.\\nA FREE MARKET FOR INSULAR PRODUCTS.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nArbcibo, P. R., January 14, 1899.\\nJose Ramon Rivera, a druggist and property owner:\\nDr. Carroll. I understand that this is a great center for the sugar\\nindustry and also for distilleries.\\nMr. Rivera. Yes it is.\\nDr. Carroll. What are the other industries represented here?\\nMr. Rivera. As things are to-day, the most important crop of Are-\\ncibo is coffee; after coffee, sugar, and after sugar, tobacco.\\nDr. Carroll. What special difficulties, if any, do coffee planters\\nlabor under?\\nMr. Rivera. In the first place the present low price of coffee, and\\nin the second place the destruction of some of the estates at the time\\nof the American occupation.\\nDr. Carroll. What are the chief markets for the coffee?\\nMr. Rivera. The United States, France, Italy, Germany, Austria,\\nand England.\\nDr. Carroll. You don t send much coffee to Cuba now, do you?\\nMr. Rivera. Hardly any.\\nDr. Carroll. There is quite a tariff there on coffee, and I suppose\\nit has shut out the more common grades that you used to send to Cuba.\\nMr. Rivera. Absolutely all mercantile transactions with Cuba in\\ntobacco and coffee have been interrupted by the war and have not\\nbeen resumed.\\nDr. Carroll. You speak of the low prices of coffee. In the United\\nStates the prices have been the same to consumers for at least ten\\nyears. I have not paid less than. 32 cents per pound, gold, but I think\\nit is not Porto Rican coffee.\\nMr. Rivera. Not a great quantity of Porto Rican coffee has been\\nsent to the United States; and although Italy is a large consumer of\\ncoffee, it does not appear so, because much of it has gone through\\nMarseilles.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you still keep up- your shipments to Spain?\\nMr. Bahr (a planter). There is not a great quantity shipped to-day.\\nWhat there is is shipped to Barcelona, and I think this quantity even\\nwill be reduced, because the change of sovereignty has of course\\nmade us a foreign country. Formerly, owing to the fact that Porto\\nRico was a Spanish colony, they were allowed to export goods at 10\\nper cent duty. The interchange naturally drew the bulk of the pay-\\nments toward Spain. But this has doubtless undergone a change, as\\nwe will be discriminated against by the Spanish tariff.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0777.jp2"}, "778": {"fulltext": "768\\nAir. Rivera. In spite of that, coffee was shipped to Spain in pay-\\nment for goods which we brought here under the 10 per cent tariff,\\nand the removal of that condition of affairs has led to their having a\\nserious stagnation in the coffee business here.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there any attempt being made to find another\\nmarket for it?\\nMr. Rivera. The whole country would like to have its only mar-\\nket in the United States for sugar and coffee.\\nDr. Carroll. Coffee is admitted free into the United States.\\nMr. Rivera. If you can only add to the coffee sugar and tobacco,\\nthe result would be very beneficial to property owners, laborers, and\\nothers.\\nDr. Carroll. So far as coffee is concerned, it is proposed to remove\\nall export duties on it.\\nMr. Rivera. I know a merchant who has 3,000 quintals of tobacco\\nin Germany, and has sent for it, counting on concessions as to the\\nadmission of tobacco into the United States. It is not that this man\\nis alone in looking forward to the time when the United States shall\\ngive a free market to our products, and thus tend to relieve the agri-\\ncultural distress throughout the island.\\nDr. Carroll. That would naturally come when the island is given\\nits territorial form of government, if such shall be the wisdom of\\nCongress.\\nTHE GOLDEN DREAM OF PORTO RICANS.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nSan German, P. R., January 26, 1899.\\nDr. Carroll. Have you any suggestion to make with reference to\\nwhat the Government might do to alleviate the distresses from which\\nyou say the sugar interests are laboring?\\nMr. Joaquin Cervera. The only remedy for our ills is that sugar\\nand tobacco shall be admitted free into the United States. It is the\\ncapital argument. In my opinion I will add that if that is not granted\\nwe are all lost. There is no possible salvation.\\nDr. Carroll. How are you going to save coffee? The concession\\nto coffee has already been made.\\nMr. Cervera. I repeat again that unless our products sugar and\\ntobacco can go free into the States they are lost forever. These\\nsugars can not compete with the European beet sugar, owing to the\\nfact that the European manufacturers have large capital, advanced\\nmachinery, intelligent workmen, and low wages.\\nDr. Carroll. The difficulty about admitting sugar and tobacco\\nfree is only to be settled when the form of the future government of\\nPorto Rico is settled. There is, I understand, a commission now in\\nthe United States advocating the independence of Porto Rico. In such\\na case the United States would maintain its tariff as against Porto\\nRico, and Porto Rico would maintain its tariff as against the United\\nStates.\\nMr. Cervera. That question has not been discussed in Porto Rico\\nby anj^ considerable number of people. Porto Rico, in my opinion,\\nmust depend upon some outside government. We do not want inde-\\npendence.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0778.jp2"}, "779": {"fulltext": "769\\nA FREE MARKET IN THE UNITED STATES.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nCaguas, P. R. February 27, 1899.\\nDr. Carroll. What measures would you suggest that the Govern-\\nlnent should take to relieve the agriculturists?\\nMr. V. Mtjnoz (ex-mayor of .Caguas). By providing them with\\nmoney through agricultural banks on long terras, and a further reduc-\\ntion in the import tariff.\\nDr. Carroll. On what?\\nMr. Munoz. Food stuffs. We also need to have a free market given\\nus in the United States, or one that will enable us to compete with\\nother countries.\\nMr. Sola (brother of the mayor). Before, although we had to pay\\nclearly for our food, we had a market for our produce. Now we have\\ncheaper food, but no market for our produce, so we have nothing to\\nbuy with.\\nDr. Carroll. As far as sugar is concerned, you have about as\\ngood a market as before the war. You had to pay big prices to get\\nyour sugar into Spain.\\nMr. Sola. While it is true that formerly commerce exploited agri-\\nculture, the agriculturists had a market for their products and lived,\\neven though it was miserably that they lived, but to-day conditions\\nare changed. How is it possible for the agriculturists to obtain from\\nthe merchants the assistance which they had in former days when the\\nagriculturists have no markets in which to dispose of their crops?\\nFormerly they had the Spanish and Cuban markets for coffee, tobacco,\\nand sugar. These they have lost through the change in government.\\nCuba to-day imposes a tax of $5 a pound on tobacco and $12. 50 on\\n100 quintals of coffee, and Spain has put such a duty on sugar that\\nanybody who sends a shipment of sugar thereto-day must send money\\nalong to cover the duty alone; Spain has done the same thing as\\nregards coffee and tobacco, leaving us without a market for these\\nthree products, by means of which we used to obtain money to meet\\nour obligations.\\nDr. Carroll. That being so, why are you raising so much more\\ntobacco this year than last year?\\nMr. Sola. We have sown less this year than last, but we have been\\nsowing with the hope of having a market.\\nDr. Carroll. If you are shut out of Cuba by the tariff, as regards\\ntobacco, on the other hand, Cuban producers are shut out of Porto\\nRico. Is that not a benefit?\\nMr. Sola. In part; but it is not sufficient to give life to the indus-\\ntry, because we can only manufacture enough for home consumption,\\nwhereas exports should be greater than home consumption.\\nDr. Carroll. But hitherto all the cigarettes smoked in the island\\nwere imported from Cuba or somewhere else now they are made here.\\nMr. Sola. That helps, but not sufficiently. There are only two\\nfactories here, and they do not work full time.\\nDr. Carroll. Don t you export to Europe outside of Spain?\\nMr. Sola. We export to Germany, but only the very cheap and com-\\nmon grades. If the industry had to depend on the German market, it\\nwould not pay us to do so.\\nDr. Carroll. You will have to look to the United States for a mar-\\nket for your coffee and tobacco.\\n1125 49", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0779.jp2"}, "780": {"fulltext": "770\\nMr. Sola. That is what we ask for, and we have gotten up a peti-\\ntion from several towns of the island to send to Washington asking\\nto have the markets opened to us. I was going to explain why less\\ntobacco has been sown here this year than last. I speak of this dis-\\ntrict, but my remarks can be applied to the whole island. We have\\nin our warehouse the greater part of last year s tobacco crop. The\\nmerchants are unable to dispose of the crops, and consequently are\\nunable to assist the agriculturists. This is one of the reasons why\\nthere is no money circulating in the island we have our money locked\\nup in our warehouses in the form of tobacco. You must look at the\\nquestion also from the humanitarian point of view. There are hun-\\ndreds of people through the country who make a living out of the\\ntobacco industry. I call attention to this and the other reasons I\\nhave stated as grounds for asking you to cooperate with us in our\\nmemorial to the President, in which we ask that he grant us free\\ncoastwise trade with the United States, so that the country may enter\\ninto an era of prosperity, of development, and of growth, if not in a\\nvery high degree, at least to an extent which will take us out of our\\npresent state.\\nAN OPEN MARKET IN THE UNITED STATES.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nPonce, P. R., March 4, 1899.\\nA Planter. The only market we had for our tobacco crop has been\\ntaken away from us, owing to the heavy rate which has been imposed\\non the tobacco in the island. There are towns in the island which can\\nonly grow tobacco, because their land is not fit for anything else, and\\nfor the want of a market these lands are valueless.\\nDr. Carroll. You have lost the Cuban market, but, on the other\\nhand, the Cubans have lost the Porto Rican market. Is not that an\\nimportant gain? You have your own market for cigarettes.\\nA Planter. The quantity that came here was insignificant in pro-\\nportion to the crop that was raised.\\nDr. Carroll. According to the reports that you made here in Ponce\\nlast April for the reformation of the tariff, these importations from\\nCuba were of very great importance.\\nA Planter. But the amount imported was very small as compared\\nwith the amount produced here. Statistics will prove that. We want\\nto know if we can get an open market in the United States.\\nDr. Carroll. It is impossible to say until the new Congress meets.\\nThe only power that can change the tariff of the United States is Con-\\ngress, and the old Congress dies to-day.\\nA Planter. At least, we want the matter kept in mind, so that\\nwhen the opportunity comes for legislation it may then be acted upon.\\nTHE QUESTION OF CABOTAGE.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nYauco, P. R., March 6, 1899.\\nMr. Jose G. Torres. I think that I voice the opinion of the people\\nof Yauco, and I may say of the whole island, when I say that every-\\nbody wants the Territorial form of government and if we have asked", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0780.jp2"}, "781": {"fulltext": "771\\nfor the suppression of direct taxes, it is only as a temporary measure\\nand until we shall have a civil government.\\nDr. Carroll. But if you suppress direct taxation, do you not stop\\nthe wheels of municipal government?\\nMr. Torres. We call direct taxation only what we pay to the state,\\nand not what we pay to the municipalities.\\nDr. Carroll. How can you expect the state to improve your\\npublic schools and improve your roads and conduct your prisons\\nunless it has nioney with which to do it?\\nMr. Torres. We asked for this because we were informed by the\\ninsular government that when the United States had paid the expenses\\nof the Army out of the proceeds of the custom-house they would use\\nthe balance for what you have stated.\\nDr. Carroll. The troops are paid out of the Treasury at Wash-\\nington, and not a cent from Porto Rico is devoted to that object.\\nMr. Torres. What are the custom-house receipts used for?\\nDr. Carroll. They are used for the purposes of the insular gov-\\nernment; a large amount goes to the improvement of your roads\\n$250,000 perhaps for the use of the roads alone and you must remem-\\nber that the tariff has been revised, and that the rates have been very\\nmuch reduced on many articles used, on food stuffs, on cotton goods,\\netc. for the benefit of the country, and therefore you must expect\\nless proceeds from the custom-house than formerly.\\nMr. Torres. Formerly the budget of the island was from three to\\nthree and one-half million dollars, which was paid almost exclusively\\nby custom-house receipts. Now that the expenses that you speak of\\nare removed, the budget ought not to be much more than $1,000,000.\\nDr. Carroll. Your budget for 1897 was about 5,000,000 pesos, and\\nyou have been getting over 3,000,000 from custom-house receipts.\\nThen your tax system has been modified a great deal. For instance,\\nthe system of cedulas, stamped paper, and the income from lotteries\\nhave been cut off, and the land tax has been reduced, and the tax on\\ncity property has been considerably reduced.\\nMr. Torres. I understand that perfectly well. Granting that the\\ncustom-house did produce 3,000,000 before, if under the new tariff it\\nproduces only 1,000,000, it ought to cover fully all the expenses of the\\ninsular government.\\nDr. Carroll. I have serious doubts of that. Of course I do not\\nknow what the estimates are for the present year, but if any improve-\\nments are to be made a large amount of money is necessary, and it\\nseems to me that it is of vital necessity, if the prosperity of the island\\nis to be increased, that schools and roads must be greatly improved.\\nMr. Torres. The country only asks for this suppression of the taxes\\nowing to the financial crisis it is passing through; but now that it\\nknows that the money collected in the island is for the benefit of the\\nisland, and will be expended in the way you mention, we are per-\\nfectly satisfied to pay them. I think that if Porto Rico is granted a\\nTerritorial form of government and enjoys all the benefits of it, the\\ncountry, which is now passing through a crisis, will be able to meet\\nall its interior expenses. Therefore, with the hope of being declared\\na Territory early in December or next year, we will go on paying con-\\ntributions, although it will be hard for us to do so; but the hope held\\nout to us of entering into all the advantages of American citizenship\\nwill lighten the burden. The whole country wants to be a Territory.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0781.jp2"}, "782": {"fulltext": "772\\nTHE OUTLOOK OF PORTO RICO.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nPonce, P. R., March 7, 1899.\\nMr. Felici, Mr. ACOSTA.\\nMr. Felici. There are about 500,000 quintals of coffee produced in\\nPorto Rico, the greater part of which is good coffee.\\nDr. Carroll. I don t see why it should not have a good market in\\nthe United States.\\nMr. Felici. Perhaps it may after Americans come here and get\\nused to it.\\nDr. Carroll. Have yo u a good European market for the finer\\ngrades?\\nMr. Felici. They sell very well in Austria, Italy, France, and\\nRussia. The hope of the coffee planters here is that the United States\\nwill put a duty on other coffees, on the ground that coffee is now pro-\\nduced in a part of the United States.\\nDr. Carroll. I don t think it will come right away. When the\\nbonds are drawn closer between Porto Rico and the United States it\\nmay come, but that naked proposition would now look like putting a\\ntax on 70,000,000 of people in the United States to benefit 1,000,000\\npeople here.\\nMr. Felici. But that would mean a good income to the United\\nStates, because Porto Rico could not produce all the coffee used\\nthere.\\nDr. Carroll. It may be that by the time Congress is in session\\nagain, next December, the situation will be very much relieved in\\nPorto Rico. You may be getting such prices for your coffee that you\\nwill not need to have them increased. A short crop of coffee in the\\nrest of the world would, of course, raise the prices. AY hat is the best\\nprice of sugar that you have had in the last ten years.\\nMr. Felici. Before the war we sold sugar for 6 cents a pound.\\nDr. Carroll. I mean the sugar that you shipped.\\nMr. Felici. About 5 cents a pound.\\nDr. Carroll. What j^ear was that.\\nMr. Felici. About 1893 or 1894.\\nDr. Carroll. Did you get that in the United States\\nMr. Felici. In the United States and Spain.\\nDr. Carroll. What was the cause of the high price that year?\\nMr. Felici. The scarcity of sugar elsewhere.\\nDr. Carroll. Do your crops vary much here?\\nMr. Felici. No.\\nDr. Carroll. If your planters got that they would feel pretty well\\nsatisfied, wouldn t they?\\nMr. Felici. Oh, yes.\\nDr. Carroll. But the average has been about 4 and 44 cents for\\ncentrifugal sugar?\\nMr. Felici. Yes; and muscovado would be in proportion. We\\nmake a muscovado here that used to sell in Spain for almost the same\\nas centrifugal sold there. We sell some in the United States now,\\nprovided it does not go beyond 16 degrees, in which case it would be\\nclassed as refined sugar.\\nDr. Carroll. Everywhere I have gone they have said to me that\\nwhat the island needs is a free market in the United States for sugar\\nand tobacco, and I have been obliged to say to them that they could", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0782.jp2"}, "783": {"fulltext": "773\\nnot get a free market until Congress takes action, and that the ques-\\ntion of free trade between Porto Rico and the United States depended\\nupon what form of government is given Porto Rico. If you get the\\nTerritorial form of government, cabotage will follow as a matter of\\ncourse but if you get the colonial form of goverment, then there would\\nprobably be some tariff between the two countries that is, you would\\nhave a tariff as against the United States, and the United States\\nwould maintain a tariff as against Porto Rico.\\nMr. Acosta. I think the country will be able to supply sufficient\\nmoney for its own needs, if it does not have to pay for the army and\\nnavy and clergy, and much more reasonably could we expect to do\\nthat if we had a free market, because with a free market the farm-\\ners could contribute their share also, if articles of consumption come\\nin free from the United States, prices will be reduced considerably\\nand farmers will be able to grow their coffee with less expense, and\\neven with present prices of coffee they would realize a profit which\\nthey do not now have. If taxation were justly distributed, as it never\\nwas, because in the old days rich persons were almost exempt from\\ntaxation, it would be much better, and the poor people are to-day\\nmaking the complaints that are heard in the island, because they do\\nnot know that taxation is to be justlj 7 imposed. Sugar estates here\\nproduce 6,000 hogsheads a year and pay less taxation than the mer-\\nchants. I think a Territorial form of government will be the salva-\\ntion of the country.\\nGREAT ISSUES DEPENDING ON CABOTAGE.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nCaguas, P. R., March 9, 1899.\\nMr. Jose Bernitez, an estate owner of Vieques.\\nMr. Bernitez. You must know that all around the island the sugar\\ncrop begins to be harvested in January that sometimes it is harvested\\na month earlier, as is the case with my crop this year. At this\\nmoment I have a ship anchored in my port and I am loading her with\\n5,000 sacks of sugar. When the treaty was ratified I, as well as all\\nagriculturists, expected that there would be a rebate of duty on\\nsugar in the United States. We paid a duty of $1.68 on centrifugal\\nsugar in the United States and $1.40 on muscovado, and having to pay\\nthis duty, agriculturists are not able to give their peons more than\\n50 centavos a day.\\nDr. Carroll. No change can be made in the United States tariff\\nexcept by Congress, and Congress adjourned on the 4th of March.\\nThe treaty had not yet been ratified, and Congress could take no\\naction before the treaty was ratified.\\nMr. Bernitez. I understand that the President of the United States\\nis authorized to rebate from 20 to 25 per cent.\\nDr. Carroll. That is only with those countries with which a reci-\\nprocity treaty is concluded that is, with foreign countries.\\nMr. Bernitez. I am not making this statement in my behalf,\\nbecause, fortunately, I will be in a position where I do not require it,\\nbecause I have made money by my labors during many years; but I\\ncan not see how the agriculturists can improve the position of their\\npeons until they have some assistance in the matter of duty, not only\\non sugar, but on tobacco also. I think that some of the disturbances\\ngoing on in the island, such as the burning of estates, are due to the", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0783.jp2"}, "784": {"fulltext": "774\\nfact that the peons believe that the proprietors are able to pay them\\nhigher wages than they are paying now. In Vieques we have not had\\nany disturbances of any description whatever. We are in a different\\nposition from the agriculturists on the main island, because we have\\nbetter machinery. There are better plantations, and cattle to help us\\nout in dry weather.\\nDr. Carroll. They pay better wages in Vieques, I believe.\\nMr. Bernitez. Yes; we pay better, because of the form in which we\\npay. I spend $1,500 a week in grinding and $1,000 for other expenses.\\nI don t do the grinding work as they do it here. I do it by giving the\\npeons an interest in the work. The more they grind the more they\\nearn, and they make from 80 centavos to $1.25 a day during the grind-\\ning season. The reason I can do that is because I have my machinery\\nwell mounted. In Porto Rico that is not the case, and the machinery\\nthat is not well mounted and well handled can not give good result.\\nHere the principal defect is that everything is not in proper relation.\\nSome have good machinery, but bad oxen; some have good machinery\\nand good oxen, but not sufficient cane planted. That is owing to the\\nfact that during all these years there have been only two banks here,\\nthe Agricultural Bank and the Spanish Bank, and they are not able\\nto help out all the agriculturists. For instance, I am one of the\\nboard of the Agricultural Bank. When the agriculturist borrows\\nmoney he does not receive money but bonds of the bank, and as\\nthese bonds are not quoted anywhere they are worth only what the\\nagriculturist can get for them in the market. If later they can be\\nquoted in the United States, it will be different. If agriculturists try\\nto borrow money from the Spanish Bank, they have to do so on such\\nexacting conditions that the remedy is worse than the disease. As a\\nwhole, Porto Rico has the conditions necessary for becoming very\\nprosperous, if there are only established here syndicates and banking\\ninstitutions to lend money to agriculturists.\\nDr. Carroll. If you have the banking sj^stem of the United States\\nyou will have no difficulty in borrowing money, probably.\\nMr. Bernitez. No.\\nDr. Carroll. You will then have a bajak in Isabela.\\nMr. Bernitez. That will be magnificent. I am not looking out for\\nmyself in this matter. By force of work and application I have been\\nable to go ahead, but I am thinking of others.\\nDr. Carroll. What part of Vieques is under cultivation?\\nMr. Bernitez. In former years, when they went in for very small\\ncrops, Vieques was a port. They used to sow plantains, potatoes, etc.,\\nand sold them in St. Thomas. To-day only cattle and cane are raised.\\nThere are about 3,500 cuerdas under cultivation in cane, with four\\ncentral factories. When they have bad cane crops by reason of\\ndrought the cattle help them out.\\nDr. Carroll. Is the land nearly all quite good?\\nMr. Bernitez. No; only from the town to Punta Arenas; that is\\nthe port opposite Humacao, and belongs to me. From Ilumacao to\\nPunta Arenas is one hour by steamer.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there much land which might be used for the rais-\\ning of other crops?\\nMr. Bernitez. Some small parts of it, but not much.\\nDr. Carroll. Do you have much of a dry season?\\nMr. Bernitez. Yes. I have asked General Henry to establish a\\nsmall steamboat service between Humacao, Vieques, and Culebra. It\\nwould not only be a good thing for the island, but for the Americans\\nas well. A ship of 100 tons would be sufficient to make a voyage", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0784.jp2"}, "785": {"fulltext": "775\\nthere and back from Humacao to Vieques and to Culebra and back.\\nThen, also, the small island is a magnificent port. It is necessary to\\ngive the poor people living there facilities for communicating with\\nother places, not only on the people s account, but for the sake of the\\ngovernment itself. The government can not possibly know what is\\ngoing on in Culebra, because they have no cable or any other means\\nof communication. As a ship of 100 tons would be so useful for tak-\\ning mails and government officials, and would cost so little,, it would\\nbe very desirable. It would be a good thing for police reasons also.\\nA ship could go from there to St. Thomas and take on wood and fish\\nthere, and nobody know anything about it. Even if it were only for\\nthe pur pose of vigilance it would be desirable.\\nDr. Carroll. How many inhabitants are there in Culebra?\\nMr. Bernitez. I think about 600; but it is worth while helping\\nthem. Under Spanish rule I can understand why all these things\\nwere not attended to, because Spain was a poor nation; but I do not\\nunderstand such neglect under the United States.\\nDr. Carroll. You must remember that it has been only a few\\nmonths since the United States came into possession of Porto Rico,\\nand is not yet in full civil possession of the island. I think a great\\nmany things have been done since we have been here, considering the\\ntime and circumstances.\\nMr. Bernitez. That is all right; but has the ratification of the peace\\ntreaty put us in a better position?\\nDr. Carroll. A great many things that need to be done for Porto\\nRico can only be done after a civil government has been installed here.\\nYou only have an ad interim government now. After you get a civil\\ngovernment you may look for many things that are not possible at\\npresent.\\nMr. Bernitez. I don t think what you say alters my opinion in\\nregard to what I remarked before. Agriculturists would not be in a\\nvery much better position if they had a rebate on sugar and tobacco,\\nbut they would be in a position to help the peons, and I want you to\\nbe thoroughly impressed with that information. I know specially that\\nthere are factories to-day that have been grinding cane, but are being\\nforced to stop because they have not the money or can not sell their\\nsugar. A rebate of one-half of the duty to-day would be very favor-\\nable for the agriculturists, not for me directly, but for the people.\\nDr. Carroll. This is not a difficult position simply, it is an impos-\\nsible one. The President of the United States has power over the\\ntariff of Porto Rico and has changed it in the interest of the poorer\\nclasses, but he can not change the tariff of the United States.\\nMr. Bernitez. I feel it very much, because if only a part of the\\nduty could be removed it would help to tranquillize the country.\\nDr. Carroll. The conditions in Porto Rico respecting these mat-\\nters have been made known again and again to the Government at\\nWashington, and the Government feels the deepest sympathy for those\\nwho are suffering here under present conditions but it has no- way of\\napplying a remedy until Congress meets, next December.\\nMr. Bernitez. The position of the peons to-day is a desperate one,\\nand it is not due to the agriculturists not desiring to help them.\\nDr. Carroll. You will have to try to struggle through the present\\nconditions the best you can and hope for better times. I wish I could\\nassist you, but there is no governmental power by which that can be\\ndone.\\nMr. Bernitez. I wish to state, as it may interest you, that I pay\\n$4,500 a year taxes.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0785.jp2"}, "786": {"fulltext": "776\\nTHE MOST VITAL ISSUE.\\nSTATEMENT OF DELEGATION FROM PONCE.\\nPonce, P. R., November 8, 1898.\\nThe most vital, urgent, and necessary measure that should be taken\\nin Porto Rico, if the ruin of this rich island is to be prevented, is the\\nfree importation into the island of the products of the United States,\\nand vice versa.\\nWHAT IS EXPECTED.\\nMEMORIAL OF MERCHANTS AND BANKERS.\\nMayaguez, P. R., November 16, 1898.\\nTo establish free trade between Porto Rico and the United States\\nof America. The island is confidently expecting the cabotage, i. e.\\nfree trade between the United States and this island, will be granted,\\nto give a fresh impulse to the agriculture of sugar and tobacco, which\\nform most important factors of our production and whose existence\\nis in imminent danger Avithout their free importation into the United\\nStates from the moment the United States money becomes our cur-\\nrency, as the laborers will not be willing to work at the. reduced wages\\nat whatever may be the rate of change; this also being the reason\\nwhy we request that the change of money and free import should be\\neffected simultaneously.\\nACTION OF BOARD OF AGRICULTURE, MANUFACTURES. AND\\nCOMMERCE.\\nSan Juan, P. R., December- 6, 1898.\\nIt was voted that the American Government be memorialized, ask-\\ning for the establishment of free coasting trade, and in case important\\ninterests in the United States be thereby endangered, that a reduc-\\ntion of 90 per cent on the tariff paid by other nations be granted.\\nThis was based not only on the fact that Porto Rico has become an\\nintegral part of the United States, but also that its former market has\\nclosed its doors to our products by imposing high rates of duty against\\nthem, and that aforesaid measure would help to lift the island from its\\npresent state of prostration and decadence, for which reason the free\\nintroduction of agricultural machineiy and implements is requested.\\n(Signed by the president and secretary.)\\nFREE TRADE BETAVEEN THE UNITED STATES AND PORTO RICO.\\nSTATEMENT BY L. M. CINTRON.\\nI am of the opinion that the trade between the United States and\\nPorto Rico should be considered coastwise and that this reformation\\nshould be introduced simultaneously with the change of money. The\\ndaily wages of a laborer have fluctuated always between 40 cents and\\n50 cents, colonial money. He has never been able to obtain more than\\nthat from the agriculturists for various reasons, among which is the\\ndisproportion existing between the rate of interest paid by the agri-\\nculturists on mone} borrowed and the low price obtained for their", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0786.jp2"}, "787": {"fulltext": "i i\\ncrops. A satisfactory proof of this disproportion is the disappearance\\nof many sugar estates and the slow and languid existence of those\\nwhich remain, dying gradually by reason of their heavy liabilities.\\nThe wage of the field hand is quite insufficient. He can only obtain\\nfor himself the most absolutely necessary things and can never aspire\\nto the degree of well-being enjoyed by the workmen of the United\\nStates and the greater part of European nations. Neither can he\\nhope to put aside anything for his old age or ill-luck which fate may\\nbring him. To this miserable wage the universal ignorance of the\\npoor classes can be ascribed; but, being naturally intelligent, they\\nunderstand the benefits of education. Their extreme poverty forces\\nthem, in order to add to their daily income, to send their children at\\na very early age to work instead of sending them to school. For this\\nreason the authorities who have been charged with the duty of inspect-\\ning public education have been obliged to be very lenient with regard\\nto compliance with the school regulations. To remedy these difficul-\\nties it is necessary to increase the salary of the field hand by paying\\nhim in gold what he to-day receives in silver.\\nThis improved rate of wage, however, is entirely beyond the means\\nof the agriculturists, and will be impossible until the adoption of free\\ncoastwise trade between the new metropolis and Porto Rico. It\\nmight be argued that the loss of the duties collected on articles\\nimported into this market would deprive us of an important amount\\nnecessary for our budget, but it can be stated that there would be\\nsufficient to pay all the expenses of this unfortunate island, which, up\\nto the present, has had to bear the expenses of a war not undertaken\\nin its interest with the receipts of customs dues on imports from for-\\neign markets of the same nature as that in force in the United States\\nand with direct local taxation.\\nFajardo, P. R., November 4, 1898.\\nFREE TRADE WITH THE UNITED STATES.\\nBy Messrs. A. Hartmann Co., Merchants.\\nAs we firmly believe that the United States will give this island all\\nthe privileges that all the Territories enjoy under the Constitution,\\nwe have very little to say on the subject. Certainly, when free trade\\nis established, the resources of this island will develop in a wonder-\\nful manner, which will mean more profitable transactions for the\\ncitizens of the United States and result in increased profits to the\\nAmerican shipping trade.\\nFree trade between the United States and Porto Rico will also\\nstimulate greater loyalty to the Union, for it was one of the greatest\\ncomplaints of the Porto Ricans that they were denied free trade with\\nSpain and treated almost as if Porto Rico were a foreign country.\\nArroyo, P. R., November 7, 1898.\\nFREE TRADE BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND PORTO RICO.\\nSTATEMENT OF UNITED STATES CONSUL PHILIP C. HANNA.\\nI am thoroughly convinced that the tariff question is the all-impor-\\ntant question in this group of islands. Porto Rico can never become\\nprosperous until she can buy bread for her people without paying", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0787.jp2"}, "788": {"fulltext": "778\\nenormous revenue duties for the privilege of bringing that bread into\\nthe island. It seems reasonable to me, as an American, that the peo-\\nple of this newly adopted country should be allowed to purchase the\\nproducts of the United States and land them on their own shores with-\\nout paying tribute to any government whatever. I believe the island\\nshould have absolute free trade with all parts of the United States.\\nI believe in making Porto Rico as thoroughly American as possible\\nfrom the very start, and we can not make it so unless we treat Porto\\nRicans as we do other Americans. They should be allowed to buy\\nMinnesota flour and Dakota wheat and every product which the\\nfarmer of the great Northwest has to sell, and lay them down in their\\nown country on the same terms that the man in New York receives\\nthe same products. The people in the island are strongly in sympathv\\nwith the United States. They are enthusiastic over the fact of their\\nbecoming Americans. They long for the introduction of our institu-\\ntions, of our school system, of our factory system, and our agricul-\\ntural sj 7 stem.\\nThere is evidently a great longing among the laboring class of the\\nisland for an opportunity to rise to the rank of an American laborer.\\nThey realize that toil and honest work in the United States are honor-\\nable; that the man who toils in any part of the United States is\\nlooked upon with respect; that the laborer of the United States has\\nan ambition to become better situated, to be the owner of his own home,\\nto educate his children, and to properly provide for old age. They are\\naware that many people of the United States who were once laborers\\nhave become wealthy, and already the ambition of the laboring class\\nof the island is being stimulated; they are becoming encouraged by\\nthe prospects of the future; they believe that the dawn of a new day\\nfor them is at hand, and our Government has it within its power to\\ncontinue to inspire this people with the laudable ambition to make\\nsomething of themselves, and I believe that the whole question con-\\ncerning the laboring man of Porto Rico very largely depends upon\\nfree trade between the island and the United States. During the\\npast two months I have received several thousand letters from all\\nclasses of business men in all parts of the United States concerning\\nthis island, very many of them asking me when the proper time will\\narrive for them to invest capital in Porto Rico. Several of them have\\nsaid, We propose to establish factories in this .densely populated\\nisland and teach the people there, who have been accustomed to labor\\nat very low wages, to labor in the factories that we shall establish.\\nWe hope to be in position, most of them say, to pay them better\\nwages than they have ever received in the past. We understand that\\nthey are not a class of people acquainted with strikes, and by giving\\nthem better wages than they have had heretofore and making labor\\nrespectable among them we believe our factories can be successfully\\nconducted in Porto Rico. Such is the tenor of hundreds of the let-\\nters I have received. But with the present high rates of duty upon all\\nbuilding material, machinery, and all kinds of goods coming from the\\nUnited States to Porto Rico, it would be impossible for these men to\\nestablish their factories here for the benefit of and the uplifting of\\nthe Porto Rican laborer.\\nThere are nearly a million people in this group of islands. It is\\nsaid to be the most densely populated portion of the globe. The\\ngreater part of the people are poor, but I believe they are more\\ninclined to work and earn an honest living than the people of any other\\nLatin-American country that I was ever in. When the duties are", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0788.jp2"}, "789": {"fulltext": "779\\nentirely taken off of American products, so that American manufac-\\nturers can have branch factories in Porto Rico, thousands of these\\npeople will be educated in the factory. Thej will be inspired with\\nthe desire not only to make their living but to become home owners,\\nas many of our workmen are in the United States.\\nCrime, as a result of the people having no work, will be greatly re-\\nduced throughout the country, for the greater part of the crimes in\\nthe past have been committed by persons who had nothing to eat and\\nno work whereby they could obtain money for food. Our people, in\\nestablishing here factories and shops and improving the land of the\\nisland, in opening up sugar plantations and coffee estates and in\\ndeveloping the undeveloped parts of this group of islands, will be\\ngiving these people a great practical moral lesson, for I believe that,\\nas a rule, if Porto Ricans had a chance to earn their living they\\nwould labor and be content, and that the petty thefts which have been\\nquite common throughout the island in the days of Spanish rule\\nwould cease almost entirely. I have closely studied the subject of\\ncrime in Porto Rico, and nearly all of the crimes of the island consist\\nin petty thieving, and in almost every case when a boy or girl is\\nbrought before the justice accused of stealing, the starved look in his\\nor her face and the half naked body, which was never clothed decently,\\ngive a striking emphasis to the plea, I was very hungry and no one\\nwould employ me, and I took this article of food to keep me from\\nstarving.\\nPorto Ricans are not bad people. Remove from them the terrible\\ntemptation produced by enforced hunger and nakedness give to these\\npeople an opportunity to earn an honest living; teach them that toil\\nis honorable build for them factories instead of forts teach them to\\nhandle tools instead of bayonets, and we shall produce upon them a\\nmoral effect which the Spaniards failed to produce and make of them\\na people whom we shall not be ashamed to recognize as fellow-citizens\\nof our grand Republic.\\nIn other words, free trade between the United States and Porto Rico\\nis a moral question. It is practical religion, and our people can never\\nsupply the missing link in the moral education and religious training\\nof this people without giving them an opportunity to earn a living\\nand without treating them as we treat other Americans. I see no more\\njustice in compelling Porto Ricans to pay for the privilege of handling\\nAmerican bread on Porto Rican shores than I do in compelling the\\npeople of Massachusetts to pay for bringing Iowa wheat or Iowa pork\\ninto the State of Massachusetts. The only difference is that the people\\nof Massachusetts are more capable of paying such duties at the pres-\\nent time than the poor people of Porto Rico are. Our 80,000,000 of\\npeople have complained of the unjust burdens placed by Spain upon\\nher subjects in these islands during all the years of the past, and now\\nit is the opportunity of our people to prove that Americans are better\\nthan Spaniards, and to give them a sort of kindergarten object lesson\\nby giving them cheap bread and cheap clothing to wear, by placing\\nbefore them an opportunity to earn a living and by encouraging every\\nenterprise calculated to make them a better people.\\nI find that there is only about one-tenth of the land of this group\\nof islands under actual cultivation at the present time. The heavy\\ntaxes which Spain placed upon the people of her colonies have\\ncrushed the once prosperous farmer, and the heavy additional war\\ntaxes which Spain placed upon this island during the past year\\nhave sent into bankruptcy a very large number of the men of the", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0789.jp2"}, "790": {"fulltext": "780\\nisland. All through Porto Rico to-day stand the ruins of once valua-\\nble sugar estates. The great sugar factories have fallen down, the\\nmachinery has been eaten by rust, and the land has passed into the\\nhands of those who held the mortgages. If our people in the United\\nStates would- take an unselfish interest in dealing with these people\\nin accordance with the golden rule and receive in exchange for our\\nproducts which we have to sell to this island the products of Porto\\nRico on the very same terms that one State receives the products of\\nanother State, without charging duty for admission, this fertile island\\nwould again bloom and blossom and prosper as it never before pros-\\npered, and the whole civilized world would observe the success of our\\nglorious American institutions in lifting up a downtrodden people\\nand bettering their moral and financial condition.\\nThis island being small, its products which may be shipped to the\\nUnited States will not be of sufficient amount to materially affect the\\nrich producers of our great country. We should not look upon the\\nPorto Rican producers of sugar, tobacco, and coffee as our compet-\\nitors; we should regard them as our newly adopted brothers, who have\\nbeen imprisoned for four hundred and six years, in whom we all have\\na common interest. We should show to the world that we delight in\\ntheir uplifting, in their prosperity, in their becoming respectable\\nlaborers, and in their becoming intelligent Americans. We should\\ninsist upon them enjoying the same blessings and advantages that\\nthe people in every part of our great country enjoy.\\nFREE TRADE BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND PORTO RICO.\\nSTATEMENT OF RUCABADO CO., MERCHANTS OF CAYEY.\\nAlthough our commerce is in a state of comparative well-being, it\\nstill feels the necessity of establishing coastwise trade between this\\nisland and the new metropolis. This measure alone would suffice to\\nbring about a greater degree of prosperity. It would even be a mat-\\nter of political convenience for the Government of the great Republic\\nto establish this system, which would harmonize the moral and mate-\\nrial interests of both countries, whose destiny is united in an indis-\\nsoluble bond.\\nTHE RELATION OF THE TARIFF TO THE HONEY QUESTION.\\nSTATEMENT OF CONRADO PALAN, A DIRECTOR OF THE SPANISH BANK OF\\nPORTO RICO.\\nIt is my judgment that, simultaneously with the change in the money\\nsystem, there should be some resolution of the tariff problem adopted,\\nas our agriculturists would be seriously prejudiced if they had to pay\\nsalaries and other expenses in better money without a better market\\nfor their products. A compensation for any loss in the custom-house\\nreceipts would be obtained by the agriculturists in coastwise trade\\nwith the United States, as with the free introduction of our products\\nthere production would increase, on account of the confidence which\\nan assured market would inspire. Articles of food would be lower in\\nprice, owing to the free entry here of American goods much to the\\nbenefit of the working classes, and this fact would remove from the\\nday laborers all pretext for demanding higher wages. The only pre-\\ntext which they can advance to-day for such a demand is the low pur-", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0790.jp2"}, "791": {"fulltext": "781\\nchasing power of the money in which they are paid and the high prices\\nof articles of food, drink, and fuel, the high prices of which articles\\nare due to high customs duties. Coastwise trade therefore is, in my\\nopinion, most convenient to both countries. It is the only way in\\nwhich the prosperity of Porto Rico can be completely assured.\\nWere it possible to have introduced here, free of duty, machinery\\nand other manufacturing implements, agricultural industries and\\nindustries derived therefrom would be given a great impulse.\\nAs against other nations, a special tariff might be fixed, or even the\\nsame tariff in force in the United States, with certain modifications, as\\nregards several articles necessary for our consumption and which it\\nwould be desirable to import from other countries. Some of these\\narticles are the produce of the old metropolis (Spain), and it occurs\\nto me that without prejudicing the new one in any way, it would be\\nwell to allow these articles a moderate tariff charge, and in exchange\\nfor this favor claim from Spain a reduction of the duties levied by\\nher on some of our nroductions.\\nFREE TRADE WOULD SAVE THE SUGAR INDUSTRY.\\nMEMORIAL OF JOStf V. CINTRON, PLANTER.\\nThe confusion of exchange has always tended to the prejudice of\\nthe price of the product, while benefiting the ring of bankers, who\\nhave thus made fortunes.\\nI sent last year to the house of A. M. Seixas, of New York, a con-\\nsignment of 420 bags and 86 hogsheads of sugar (muscovado) in the\\nmonth of May, and at the highest market prices, according to the\\naccount sale, obtained $3.75 per quintal, or $3,837 net, or $1.6396 per\\nquintal, United States currency. It is absolutely impossible to pro-\\nduce sugar at this price. But the compensation of the exchange has\\nkept up our sugar-growing industry. When I sold iny bills on the\\nUnited States at 100 per cent premium I saw my sale price in New\\nYork doubled.\\nThe exchange of United States currency for colonial money at 100\\nper cent, and the payment of contracts at that rate would, assist in\\nfreeing from pawn the great number of properties under mortgage,\\nand they would thus recover from the exploitation of which they have\\nbeen the victims.\\nBut the exchange alone, if not accompanied by free coasting trade\\nwith the metropolis, would simply sentence the sugar industry to\\ndeath, and would cause the ruin of many families and cause a pro-\\nfound disturbance by throwing many men out of work.\\nYABTJCOA, February 2, 1899.\\nFREE TRADE WOULD GIVE AN IMPULSE TO COMMERCE.\\nBy successors to A. J. Alcaide.\\nWe believe that commerce and free trade with the United States\\nmust be established; that is, free entrance through our custom-house\\nfor all American products, and the same privilege to be extended to\\nPorto Rican products in the custom-house of the Union.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0791.jp2"}, "792": {"fulltext": "782\\nFree trade between the two countries will give a tremendous impulse\\nto commerce, will stimulate our agricultural interests, for it opens for\\nour principal products sugar, molasses, coffee, and hides a sure and\\nprofitable market, and free trade would naturally bring Porto Rico\\nnearer to the United States politically, making the people grateful to\\nthe American flag.\\nIn our opinion free trade with the United States would make of\\nPorto Rico the richest island in the world, for its lands are so fertile\\nand its resources so great that with American capital, well directed,\\nthere is no telling of the results.\\nThe opening of the American market free to us will surely start\\nmany minor industries, such as the planting of bananas, oranges,\\ncocoanuts, pineapples, and other tropical fruits, which would quite\\nsoon be another source of wealth, and, as a consequence, the enlarged\\nmercantile movement would extend its benefits to American shipping.\\nArroyo, P. R., November 4, 1898.\\nFREE TRADE BETWEEN PORTO RICO AND THE UNITED STATES.\\nBy Arthur F. Odlin, of law firm of Odlin Pettingill.\\nThe proper thing, to my mind, is to make trade absolutely free\\nbetween all ports of the United States and Porto Rico. This must be\\nso when the Territory shall be established. The merchants and manu-\\nfacturers in the States are doing practically no business here now for\\nthe reason that nearly all the large houses here are intensely pro-\\nSpanish in their sympathies, and of course they buy from Spain when\\nthe products of their old sovereign come to the island on the same\\nterms with goods from the States. An official of the local board of\\ntrade here in San Juan (which is an organization consisting entirely\\nof Spanish) stated to a Porto Rican who had been present at the\\nmeeting that said meeting would amount to nothing because the board\\nof trade had decided to send a cable to the President asking the status\\nquo here to be retained and nothing done at present. In my judg-\\nment the continuance of the tariff would not only injure the people\\nin the United States who are eager to do business here, but it retards\\nthe proper and sanitary improvement of the island. As proof of\\nmy position I will give you two instances within my own personal\\nknowledge.\\nFirst. In my adopted State of Florida, where I resided for over\\ntwelve years, are many expert growers of tropical fruits who have\\nbecome discouraged by reason of the frequent freezes there of late\\nyears, and who wish to come here and engage in the growing of lemons,\\noranges, pineapples, and similar fruits. Here they will find a soil\\nthat will need no fertilizer and a climate where frost never comes.\\nConsul Hanna tells me that in spite of the fact that there are nearly\\n800,000 people on this island not over 10 per cent of the land is under\\ncultivation and yet I read in the papers printed in the States that\\nPorto Rico, is overcrowded. Remove the tariff so that an agricul-\\nturist can bring anything he wants from New York to Porto Rico, just\\nas he brings it now from New York to Florida, and I will guarantee\\n100 expert fruit growers from one county in Florida.\\nSecond. In this island are scores of large cities or large towns in\\nurgent need of modern water supplies, partly as a protection against", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0792.jp2"}, "793": {"fulltext": "783\\nfire, but more pressing is the demand for sanitation and public health.\\nI have knowledge of responsible Americans who are willing to come\\nhere and build modern systems of water supply for these places at\\nrates which will give them a fair interest on their investment, the\\nmunicipalities to fix the rates, etc. but they can not and will not come\\nwhen all the material they bring is dutiable. Meanwhile the continu-\\nance of a tariff tends to postpone the Americanizing of the natives\\nhere, who are already learning that commerce is free between the\\nStates and Territories, and who now feel that the promised improve-\\nment of their condition, after four hundred years of Spanish dominion,\\nis something of an unfulfilled promise. Again, this island will never\\nbe Americanized without Americans, and they will not come here in\\nany considerable numbers under existing conditions.\\nSan Juan, P. R. December 4., 1898.\\nFREE IMPORTATION OF RAW MATERIALS.\\nBy M. Grau Sons, Manufacturers.\\nWe are merchants and manufacturers, with an established house\\nof business in this city, at Nos. 68 and 70 Concordia street, owners\\nof a spirit distillery and of a match factory. We respectfully inform\\nyou that to-day our partners, Don Primitivo and Don Pedro Grau,\\nattended the meeting called by Messrs. Fritze, Lundt Co. in which\\nthese gentlemen proposed that all crude material for the use of man-\\nufacturers should be allowed free entry into the island and that houses\\nimporting them should pay no duty whatever. This proposition was\\npassed by the meeting.\\nThese gentlemen further proposed that coastwise trade between\\nPorto Rico and the United States should be instituted, as the heavy\\nduties now imposed constitute a burden upon industries, making them\\nentirely impossible that not only should raw materials be allowed\\nfree entry into the country when coming from the United States, but,\\nwhen destined for manufacturing purposes, the same liberty be granted\\nto articles coming from any other country. Only in this way can we\\nsave ourselves from the strong competition which we would have to\\nsuffer; if this is not granted, all our industries will be wiped out.\\nThe present tariff does not specify the duty to be paid on match,\\nboxes, which up to the present have been classified under Article 248,\\nas match sticks. We beg that if free entry be not given these articles\\nthey be continued under the same classification, as being of the same\\nnature.\\nMayaguez, P. R., November 5, 1898.\\nFREE TRADE WITH THE UNITED STATES.\\nSTATEMENT OF MERCHANTS, BANKERS, AND PROPRIETORS OF MAYAGUEZ.\\nWe want free trade between Porto Rico and the United States of\\nAmerica. The island is confidently expecting the cabotage i.e.,\\nfree trade between the United States and this island will be granted,\\nto give a fresh impulse to the agriculture of sugar and tobacco,\\nwhich form most important factors of our production and whose exist-", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0793.jp2"}, "794": {"fulltext": "784\\nence is in imminent danger without their free importation into the\\nUnited States from the moment the United States money becomes our\\ncurrency, as the laborers will not be willing to work at the reduced\\nwages at whatever may be the rate of change this also being the reason\\nwhy we request that the change of money and free import should be\\neffected simultaneously.\\nThe foregoing proposal represents the views of thirty-two firms of\\nMayaguez, comprising all the large firms and most of the smaller ones.\\nMayaguez, P. R.\\nA QUESTION OF EXPEDIENCY.\\nSan Juan, P. R,, October 27, 1898.\\nPedro Jose Arsuaga, of Sobrinos de Esquiaga.\\nAs regards the sugar industry, for instance, this industry will be\\nfavored by the new state of things if, as the sugar planters expect,\\nthey will be given a free market in the United States and although\\nthe amount of sugar produced here is insignificant as compared with\\nthe amount produced in Cuba, our product would nevertheless be in\\na much better position.\\nAs regards coffee, we lose the market of Spain and lose the market\\nof Cuba and will have no market in the United States, because there\\nthey use the Brazilian coffee, which is much cheaper. The coffee\\nwhich used to be sent from here to Cuba was ordinary coffee, but now\\nin Cuba they say they are going to import the cheaper Brazilian coffee\\ninstead of the coffee of Porto Rico. The best coffee produced here\\ngoes to Europe. The coffee industry here is an extremely important\\none, and the general feeling here is that, if possible, we should obtain\\nfree entry for our coffee in Cuba. As it is at present, a considerable\\nduty has to be paid on entering it there, which very greatly reduces\\nthe margin of profit.\\nAs regards the establishment of free trade between the United\\nStates and Porto Rico, that is a question which depends upon the\\nulterior question, namely, whether there will be sufficient funds to\\nmeet the expenses of the island without the imposition of duties on\\narticles imported from there. Under Spanish rule there was not abso-\\nlute free trade between Spain and the island. There was a duty\\namounting to about 10 per cent imposed upon every article. It seems\\nnatural that there should be absolute free trade between the United\\nStates and this island, but whether it is expedient or not is a question\\nof statistics.\\nREMOVE DUTIES FROM NECESSARY ARTICLES.\\nSTATEMENT OF MANY CITIZENS.\\nIsabela, P. R., February 15, 1899.\\nWe think free coastwise trade should be immediately declared\\nbetween Porto Rico and the United States, not only for the benefits\\nresulting to commerce and agriculture therefrom, but because of the\\nnew bonds of sympatlry that it would cause between the two countries.\\nThe poor people s food and clothing call for the protection of the\\ngovernment. In no part of the world has the laboring class suffered", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0794.jp2"}, "795": {"fulltext": "785\\nmore than it has here, owing to the abandonment of their interests by\\nthe monarchial government, whose policy was repression and not pro-\\ntection. This has brought about the lamentable condition of the\\npeasant, who not only has not enough to eat, but whose miserable\\nhut does not offer him any of the decencies of life. The government\\nshould, therefore, remove the duties from all articles of prime neces-\\nsity and start public works to give employment to the poor who do\\nnot ask for charity, but for work and instruction.\\nPROSPERITY DEPENDING ON FREE TRADE.\\nSTATEMENT OF RUCABADO CO.\\nCayey, P. R., March 4, 1899.\\nAlthough our commerce is in a state of comparative well-being, it\\nstill feels the necessity of establishing coastwise trade between this,\\nisland and the new metropolis. This measure alone would suffice to\\nbring about a greater degree of prosperity. It would even be a matter\\nof political convenience for the Government of the great Republic to\\nestablish this system, which would harmonize the moral and material\\ninterests of both countries whose destiny is united in an indissoluble\\nbond.\\nFREE TRADE WITH THE METROPOLIS.\\nSTATEMENT OF MAYOR CELESTINO DOMINGTJEZ.\\nGuayama, P. R., January, 1899.\\nThe tariff should facilitate commerce, agriculture, and manufactur-\\ning so that the island can recover from the prostration into which\\nit has fallen since the termination of the Spanish rule. Our prin-\\ncipal products have always suffered. They were kept out of Spain\\nby prohibitive tariffs and had to seek a market in foreign coun-\\ntries, where similar products, Taised under more favorable condi-\\ntions in other lands, competed with them. The United States, there-\\nfore, became our principal market and bought our sugars, the largest\\ncrop of the island. By reason of the inferior value of our money, by\\nreason of the want of conscience of the local exporters, who from time\\nimmemorial have exercised a monopoly, by reason, perhaps, of sugars\\nfrom other countries enjoying privileges not granted to us, by reason\\nof the trusts, so common in our new country, and many other causes,\\nthe price of sugar has fallen so low as to produce a state of despair\\namong our cultivators, many of whom have let their lands run to\\ngrass. The island of Porto Rico has immense plains which thirty\\nyears ago were covered with magnificent sugar plantations and to-day\\nare pasture fields. Every now and again the chimney of an aban-\\ndoned sugar mill may be seen, the ruins of which announce the past\\nof an industry once nourishing but now dead. What is wanted,\\ntherefore, is decided protection for our principal crops sugar, coffee,\\ntobacco, rum, cacao, etc. A low tariff for the importation of foreign\\ngoods and free coasting trade with the metropolis would solve the\\nquestion of prosperity. The income from the custom-house alone\\nwould cover all expenditures for internal government.\\n1125 50", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0795.jp2"}, "796": {"fulltext": "786\\nFREE TRADE WOULD GIVE IMMEDIATE RELIEF.\\nSTATEMENT OF TWENTY MERCHANTS AND PLANTERS.\\nYauco, P. R., March 6, 1899.\\nTaking into account the terrible economic state of the island, due\\nto the paralyzation of credit, the high cost of imported goods during\\nthe past year, and the low price of our crops at the present time, a\\nstep must be taken which shall give decided protection to out agricul-\\nture, the principal source of our wealth. This measure can be syn-\\nthesized as follows:\\n(1) Free coasting trade between the United States and Porto Rico,\\nas a radical measure, the benefits of which would be felt immediately;\\nuntil this decree be issued, the free entry of our products into the\\nports of the Union. It is logical to suppose that by depriving the\\ncentral treasury of the benefits to be derived from the imports of\\nsugar it would be prejudiced, but to make up for this loss we suggest\\na duty be levied on coffees from other countries imported into the\\nUnion.\\n(2) The establishment of territorial banks, which shall lend money\\nfor long terms and low rates of interest in order to be able to raise\\nthe mortgages from our farms and attend to their cultivation.\\n(3) Removal of import duties from articles of every-day consump-\\ntion, such as rice, flour, codfish, lard, bacon, etc. also from all classes\\nof agricultural machinery and tools until cabotage be declared.\\n(4) The construction of good roads and railroads, in order to facili-\\ntate transportation, which to-day is very expensive.\\nWith regard to manufactures, to-day almost unknown in this coun-\\ntry, they should be stimulated. This will settle the question of our\\nlaborers, at present almost entirely without occupation, and will bring\\ninto use our raw material, which at present is unused or else exported\\nwith no gain whatsoever.\\nAs to commerce, its welfare would be guaranteed if in addition to\\nprotection to agriculture it could count on a conscientious customs\\ntariff and stability of exchange until the monej^ question be finally\\nsettled.\\nOPINIONS OP THE PEOPLE ON VARIOUS QUESTIONS OF REFORM.\\nCONGRESS OF PORTO RICANS.\\nMr. Special Commissioned of the. United States to Porto Rico\\nThe four political parties which existed here having been dissolved\\nby the fact of the cession of Porto Rico to the United States of Amer-\\nica, as agreed upon in the peace protocol, a number of public men who\\nfigured in the direction of the old parties, desirous of promoting the\\ngeneral welfare, came together to studjr the actual social-political sit-\\nuation of this island and to give it an adequate solution in the general\\npolicy of the North American nation.\\nThe idea prevailed unanimously of calling the country together in\\nan assembly which should discuss and }3ass solutions of the various\\nproblems of our local life, for presentation to the Federal Government\\nwith the stamp of the consent of the greatest number possible of per-\\nsons representing Porto Rican public opinion. While the assembly\\nwas being convoked, in the manner stated in the printed slip hereto", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0796.jp2"}, "797": {"fulltext": "787\\nadjoined, these public men held meetings to discuss political, eco-\\nnomic, and social matters which might serve as a guide to the assem-\\nbly for its definite deliberations, and it was agreed that the meeting\\nshould be open to all inhabitants of Porto Rico accepting United\\nStates citizenship and identified with the aspirations of the country,\\nto propose and defend every question they might think of benefit to the\\ngeneral welfare.\\nThe assembly was held in the Theater of San Juan, on Sunday,\\nOctober 30, and had numerous attendants, representing all social\\nclasses of the manj^ towns of the island. After the undersigned\\nopened the session and explained the object of the meeting, all pres-\\nent, in the midst of enthusiastic acclamations, rose to their feet to\\nswear and promise obedience and fidelity to the Constitution of the\\nUnited States. Deliberations were at once begun and the following\\nconclusions carried by unanimous vote\\nPOLITICAL AND JUDICIAL MATTERS.\\nPorto Rico, to fill her necessities, to satisfy her aspirations, and\\ndevelop her activity, begs of the Congress of the United States that it\\nmay be declared a Territory of the Union, ending at once the military\\nand beginning the civil government.\\nAs a consequence of this, the Federal Constitution, the general laws\\nof the Union, and the special laws which Congress may vote will begin\\nto have force here as general laws. This would give us the laws com-\\nmon to all the Territories, with the following .modifications\\nIn the legislative assembly, the high chamber or senate to renew its\\nmembers as to a third of their number every two years, the chamber\\nof representatives to renew its entire number in the same period.\\nQualifications: A senator to be 30 years of age and a representative\\ntive 25 years.\\nAll citizens of 21 years residing in the Territory to have the right to\\nvote; all persons who, during the first two years, do not prove that\\nthey know how to read and write to lose the right to vote.\\nTo occupy any position obtained by election it shall be necessary to\\nknow how to read and write.\\nCourts of justice to be organized as follows: One supreme court,\\nthree district courts, judges of first instance and instruction for civil\\nand criminal matters, and justices of the peace, by popular elections.\\nEach court to have one fiscal.\\nAs it is a part of the duty of the legislative assembly, under the\\nTerritorial system, to vote local laws, the following reforms are of\\nurgent necessity:\\nIN THE ADMINISTRATIVE BRANCH.\\nThe greatest simplicity in procedure, to facilitate the immediate\\ndispatch of business by skilled employees, who shall continue in office\\nwhile faithfully performing their duty.\\nIN THE JUDICIAL BRANCH.\\nThe jury for all classes of crimes.\\nA single trial for oral and public suits in civil business within the\\njurisdiction of district courts.\\nPublic declaration of sentences.\\nCriminal and civil judges and their employees to be held responsible.\\nAdvocates to form a college and draw up the necessary statutes.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0797.jp2"}, "798": {"fulltext": "788\\nLiberty in the exercise of the profession of procurator.\\nLiberty in the exercise of the profession of notary, which profession\\nmay also be practiced by abogados.\\nProcurators and notaries to give bond to the tribunals for the proper\\ndischarge of their official duties.\\nReorganization of the registry of property, with one office only in\\nSan Juan, with trained employees on salary, subject to categorical\\nrules, in order to prevent all classes of abuse, to facilitate rapidity\\nand to cheapen registration.\\nIN THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH.\\nHarmonize and unify the. present laws, so as to avoid conflict between\\nthem and those of the Union, and enact the following reforms\\nSimplify legal procedure in suits and actions and also limit the\\npleadings in lawsuits to bill and answer; statement of evidence to be\\noffered, and list of witnesses to be examined, and in suits to make\\npublic the summary for the defense of the accused from the com-\\nmencement of the suit, and to limit the temporary imprisonment in\\nabsence or default of bonds to the exclusive guarding of the prisoner\\n(mere detention).\\nModification of the penal code, so as to do away with perpetual\\nimprisonment, and increase fines in punishment of crimes against\\nproperty, and to limit to two periods of seven years each imprison-\\nment for personal injuries which may be considered as crimes (crime\\nagainst the person to be punished seven or fourteen years).\\nAuthorizing justices of the peace to perform the marriage cere-\\nmony.\\nThe suppression in the hypothecary law (of mortgages) of the\\nso-called information of possession (the form of proof of owner-\\nship now in vogue).\\nIN THE MUNICIPAL REGIME.\\nTo sanction the autonomous form of government, with mayors and\\ncouncilors elected by public vote.\\nIN THE ECONOMICAL AND FINANCIAL BRANCH.\\nTo reform the tributary system by establishing a territorial tax on\\nthe basis of capital (valuation instead of income).\\nAllowing the present levies on commerce and industry to remain,\\nbut abolishing those on professional men and on industries which,\\nlacking in capital, are carried on by personal efforts only.\\nThe suppression of the taxes called internal passports (cedulas),\\nstamped paper, stamped paper used in. making payment to the state,\\nexcise stamps used in making payment to the state, excise stamps on\\ndrafts and promissory notes, lotteries, taxes on raffles, and medias,\\nannatas, bulls, and mandaspias (ecclesiastical taxes).\\nTo preserve the right of patents of inventions.\\nTo impose taxes on all capital invested in articles of luxury, such as\\nestates (extensive private parks, etc. cultivated for private pleasure.\\nTo suppress the consumption tax and not tax in any way whatever\\narticles of food, drink, or fuel, even those which are now subject to\\nduties in the custom-house.\\nLots and waste lands which now belong to the State should pass to\\nthe ownership of municipalities, so they could make use of their\\nproducts.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0798.jp2"}, "799": {"fulltext": "789\\nFree and reciprocal commerce with the American Union for the\\nentry of products in all ports without payment of export or import\\nduties.\\nReformation of the tariff, to put on a just basis fiscal dues and not\\nmake impossible commerce under foreign flags.\\nReformation of the custom-house regulations in favor of commerce,\\nsuppressing the obnoxious fines, in which employees of that department\\nhave a share.\\nSuppress the monopoly of emission of bank notes enjoyed by the\\nSpanish Bank of Porto Rico, and establish full liberty for banks, sav-\\nings and other credit institutions to emit their notes when fully guar-\\nanteed.\\nEffect the exchange of the money system immediately in the form\\nwhich the Government may consider most convenient after hearing\\nall social classes interested in the matter.\\nIn order to assist agriculture there should be established the legal\\nregimen of homestead the free importation of agricultural machinery\\nand tools the imposition of a tax on each acre of land which remains\\nuncultivated for one year; the assuring of agricultural credit on agri-\\ncultural movable property; the establishment of a school of agricul-\\nture, where agriculturists shall be given free instruction and training\\nin technical matters the teaching of elementary practical agriculture\\nin the country schools the establishment of warehouses for agricul-\\ntural products; the release of the Agricultural Bank of San Juan\\nfrom the payment of all taxation during five years.\\nAs regards public education, the best means of advancing our peo-\\nple would be kindergartens and normal schools as established in the\\nUnited States. Our elementary and superior schools should be trans-\\nformed and graded according to modern pedagogic methods. Sec-\\nondary instruction should be a continuation of the primary and a\\npreparation for the superior and collegiate. Universal education\\nshould be introduced on the best models of the United States. There\\nshould be established schools for adults, Sunday schools, schools of\\narts and trades, libraries, museums, academies of fine arts, and literary\\nclubs.\\nEducation must be obligatory and gratuitous, and it must be com-\\npulsory on every municipality to sustain its own schools, the number\\nbeing fixed by law with reference to the population. If the munici-\\npality be unable to sustain all the schools, the state should establish\\nthe necessary ones.\\nGrades of instruction to be three the fundamental, or that given\\nby the public schools; the secondary, which should give positive\\nnotions on scientific, civil, and technical subjects; the professional,\\nwhich comprehends the knowledge of jurisprudence, medicine, engi-\\nneering, and technology; the universities to diffuse general knowledge\\nof science for purposes of high culture.\\nFor the formation of a competent body of teachers, it is necessary\\nto establish normal schools for teachers of both sexes; normal schools\\nfor professors; normal schools for university teachers, and military\\nand naval schools.\\nSOCIAL ORDER.\\nTo procure the betterment and dignifying of the working classes,\\nthere should be:\\nEstablishments where the workingman can educate himself and\\nacquire knowledge appropriate to his trade.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0799.jp2"}, "800": {"fulltext": "790\\nSavings banks; insurance societies, especially to insure against acci-\\ndents resulting to workmen while engaged at their work.\\nThe creation of communities for the purpose of educating workmen\\nand encouraging them to live hygienically.\\nLimiting of the hours of labor to eight hours a day.\\nObtaining employment for workmen out of labor.\\nFixing minimum salary.\\nProhibiting the employment of children under the age of 15 years.\\nA plan to facilitate the establishment of soup kitchens.\\nCorrectional establishments for children. Also reform in the pres-\\nent penitentiary system by introducing into it educational facilities.\\nThe prohibition of begging in public and substituting therefor the\\ncare of poor people by the establishment of almshouses.\\nThe severe punishment of drunkenness; chronic alcoholism to be\\ntreated in hospitals; the imposition of a heavy tax on alcoholic drinks;\\nthe absolute prohibition of the sale of harmful drinks and the sale of\\ndrinks to children under the age of 18.\\nTo alleviate the conditions of our women, the professions compat-\\nible with their sex should be open to them.\\nIt is necessary to formulate a law which shall cover all the questions\\nhaving relation to hygiene, as follows:\\nThe creation of boards charged to see that their orders are com-\\nplied with; construction of public schools; medical inspection of\\nchildren in schools; sanitation of the cities; scientific inspection of\\narticles of food and drink; the creation of a veterinary school; the\\nsupply of water for towns, gardens, parks, trees, and everything con-\\ntributing to public health; the creation of a bacteriological institution.\\nThe assembly voted that all the preceding conclusions should be\\ngiven officially by a commission, which it designated, to the special\\ncommissioner, that he might present them to the President of the\\nUnited States.\\nManuel F. Rossy,\\nPresident of the Assembly.\\nSan Juan, P. P., November 9, 1898.\\nA TERRITORIAL FORM OF GOVERNMENT.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nSan Juan, P. R., October 31, 1898.\\nFrancisco Mariano Quinones and Dr. Jose C. Barbosa\\nDr. Carroll. Do you think many of the Spaniards in the island\\nwill become American citizens\\nMr. Quinones. Before the invasion of Porto Rico I met a promi-\\nnent Spanish gentleman in Ponce, who said: If you think that the\\nAmerican invasion will do us harm you are much mistaken. We are\\nperfectly convinced that our mother country is now in too weak a state to\\nbe able to continue a government here beneficial to merchants or to the\\ncountry in general. Therefore I think that a great many Spaniards\\nwill accept, with good will, American citizenship, and will remain in\\nthe country, exploiting their own wealth and the riches of the country.\\nDr. Carroll. Will it be the policj 7 of the autonomists or the f union-\\nists to make it as easy as possible for these Spanish gentlemen to\\nbecome American citizens?", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0800.jp2"}, "801": {"fulltext": "791\\nMr. Quinones. I can only answer that question with regard to my\\nown feelings. If my opinions had any weight with my party, I would\\ntell them, us I have frequently counseled them, that it is good politics\\nnot to let personal feelings tend toward exclusiveness, but to take\\ninto consideration personal moral qualities, aptitude of the men for\\nwork and for adding to the benefit of the country, and to let that be\\ntheir only guide as to whether they will receive others as one of them.\\nDr. Carroll. That is a very honorable programme.\\nMr. Quinones, That comes more from my heart than my head. I\\ncan never become a partisan to exclusiveness in politics or in anything\\nelse.\\nDr. Carroll. I suppose if anyone has occasion to feel hatred for\\nthe Spaniai ds it is you, and if you feel so liberal at heart toward\\nthem, it is to be hoped that the rank and file of the radical part y will\\nadopt a similar attitude.\\nMr. Quinones. If you will read what is in that book (Mr. Quinones s\\nnotes on the Componte), which is not falsified in any particular, you\\nwill see that the execrable Spanish conduct was enough to make us\\nirreconcilable, but I consider that as circumstances change so can the\\nconduct and character of people change, and I see no reason why,\\nunder new circumstances, the Spaniards should not become good, loyal\\ncitizens. I have alwa3^s thought that American institutions were\\npotent to change the bad qualities of a man if a man did not have too\\nvile a character to be affected by good institutions.\\nDr. Carroll. I have heard several times since I came to Porto\\nRico that the Porto Ricans would be divided among themselves not\\nonly on grounds of difference of view as to what is really needed for\\nPorto Rico from the United States, but also on irarely party grounds,\\nand that in the course of a month or two there would be a strong con-\\nflict, an internal conflict, among themselves on party grounds. I ha ve\\nas yet seen no evidence in support of those views.\\nMr. Quinones. There never was such hatred between men as there\\nwas witnessed in the political struggle in Porto Rico, with brother\\nagainst brother, and, in truth, never with more reason.\\nDr. Carroll. What was the reason?\\nMr. Quinones. The reason was that they expected from their\\nbrothers a policy of far greater liberality than that which they prac-\\nticed when they came into power, placed there by Sagasta, who granted\\nautonomy, turning the island over to one political party, his own, which\\nhad the effect of sowing dissension among Porto Ricans of a lasting\\nand bitter kind. Sagasta, when he made the pact with our repre-\\nsentatives, said, Join yourselves to my party and send me representa-\\ntives of my party; follow my politics and I will deliver over to you\\nthe civil list of the island, and with that you have everything. That\\nis the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.\\nMr. Earbosa. Sagasta sent fifty names for deputies, and those\\nnames had to pass through the ballots, and those opposed to them\\nhad no power to defeat the election. The Porto Ricans were always\\nopposed to such a policy and were always against such corrupt means\\nof conducting an election, but the election came, and Porto Rico gave\\nthem the Spanish deputies, the names sent from Spain being all\\nelected names we never heard of before.\\nMr. Quinones. When the government was placed in the hands of\\nMunoz Rivera and I am sorry to have to say it, because he is not here\\nto hear me, but I have said it to him before the Captain-General of the\\nisland he took over the portfolio of the minister of the government, I", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0801.jp2"}, "802": {"fulltext": "792\\nbeing president of the board of ministers. He immediately named in\\nall of the cities mayors who were merely his creatures, ready to carry\\nout his instructions; and I regret to say most of these mayors have\\nbeen retained in power and are in office to-day. Under these persons\\nthe elections previoushy referred to were conducted so infamously that\\neven Sagasta expressed his displeasure with them: and I have letters\\nfrom Labra, in Spain, informing me of the discontent of Sagasta, and\\nstating that he would likely express himself in that respect. As\\nregards administration, I think what is needed is that the United\\nStates grant Porto Ricans a Territorial form of government. I consider\\nthat the municipal regulations as set forth in the Territorial laws would\\nbe suitable to this country. I have lived in the United States in one\\nof the small towns and have seen the great simplicity with which they\\nare conducted and the very little governmental machine ry that is used.\\nI was only about 18 years old at the time, but I remember being\\nimpressed by the fact that things were carried on so quietly it hardly\\nseemed that there was any administration at all.\\nDr. Carroll. The giving of a Territorial form of government to\\nPorto Rico, with the changes in nomenclature, in the character of the\\nposts, in the titles of officers, etc., might be looked at from the Spanish\\nstandpoint as somewhat radical, and the question might be asked,\\nAre the people of Porto Rico ready for such radical changes, and do\\nthey not wish to retain some of their customs so far as they do not\\ninfringe the freedom of thought and speech?\\nMr. Quinones. In order to overcome any objections which might be\\nraised of that kind it will be necessary to commence at once to edu-\\ncate the people, so that they may be in a position to enjoy the liber-\\nties granted by the Constitution of the United States. They have\\nbeen living under a tutelage. They were told, Go that way, and\\nthey went, even if it led to a precipice. As a result of this tutelage\\nthe people are not now in a position to protect themselves or their\\nproperty.\\nDr. Carroll. One important question has been raised already in\\nmy investigation, and that is the question of trial by jury. You are\\nnot accustomed to trial by jury here, whereas under our Constitution\\nno man can be tried and condemned except by process of law under\\njury trial. It would seem, therefore, necessary to introduce jury\\ntrials here, at least in important cases; but a gentleman here yester-\\nday expressed the opinion that the people are not prepared for it; that\\nit would be difficult to find jurors, in many cases, who would be com\\npetent to pass upon such cases.\\nMr. Barbosa. Under the Spanish regime we were opposed to the\\njury, because under the Spanish law the jury would be appointed by\\nthe central Government, and that would prove a new weapon in the\\nhands of the officials of Spain, because they could appoint men who,\\nwhen they came to judge, would be swayed by political passions.\\nThen it was a danger; but to say, as some do, that in a population\\nlike that of this city you would not be able to find more than 50 or 100\\nwho could serve as jurors and give an honest, intelligent verdict is\\nnot in accordance with my views, and a person who makes such a\\nstatement mistakes the functions of the juror. It is only necessary\\nfor a man to be able to appreciate the circumstances of a case and to\\nbe able to say whether or not a crime was committed. I think the\\njury system is a very helpful thing for a country, and there must be\\na time when we shall do it for the first time. If I had not practiced\\non my first patient, I could never have practiced at all.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0802.jp2"}, "803": {"fulltext": "793\\nMr. Quinones. When the Americans came here, coming as they\\ndo with the intention of giving this country a government which\\nwould regenerate it, and found that the country was suffering from\\ninternal dissension, and that that dissension did not disappear as it\\nought to have done, the moment the Americans arrived they should\\nhave said, Until we understand the island and its affairs better we\\nwill put in our own men from top to bottom.\\nDr. Carroll. Are there any persons who think that statehood\\nshould be given Porto Rico?\\nMr. Quinones. Yes a few fools think so.\\nDr. Carroll. Is there any party that asks for statehood?\\nMr. Quinones. The platform of the Fusionist party expresses aspi-\\nrations for statehood, but only after a prior Territorial government.\\nDr. Carroll. But there is no political party that thinks statehood\\nshould be given immediately?\\nMr. Barbosa. The Territorial law will be a good thing because\\nthere will not be so many officers here. One of the worst things here\\nis that so many people want to get into the administration.\\nMr. Quinones. 1 do not accept the views of my companion that the\\njury at first will show itself to be thoroughly competent. Some little\\ntime must pass before that can be.\\nEND OF MILITARY RULE DESIRED.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nSan Juan, P. R., October SI, 1898.\\nDr. Veve. I wish to make clear that the feeling of Porto Ricans\\ntoward the United States had birth in the fact that some time before\\npresent events happened they understood that of themselves they\\nwould never acquire their independence, and they looked toward their\\nneighbors in the north as their natural saviors, and from this fact\\ndates our admiration, respect, and consideration for that great country.\\nBut we must ask in return from them their consideration and attention,\\nso as to finish the work of redemption already begun by them. We\\nwish that the United States would direct its attention to this country as\\nsoon as international questions now pending are completed, putting\\nan end at once to the military government, destroying completely all\\ntraces of the unwise Spanish administration, and establishing here a\\nTerritorial system under the general Territorial laws applicable to all\\nTerritories in the United States, with such changes as the special con-\\nditions in this island may call for; that within the limits of these Ter-\\nritorial laws everything should be done to advance agriculture, free\\nmercantile transactions, and all that will tend to increase the pros-\\nperity of the island.\\nSELF-GOVERNMENT FOR PORTO RICO.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nSan Juan, P. R., November 8, 1898.\\nUnited States Consul-General Hanna:\\nThis island has been called, on account of the richness of its soil,\\nthe Pearl of the Antilles. Under the blessing of God and with the\\napplication of our laws and free schools and the uplifting influences", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0803.jp2"}, "804": {"fulltext": "794\\nof our institutions, we can make this island the pride of the whole\\ncountry. We can cause this island to be the Pearl of the Antilles, not\\nmerely because of. the richness of its soil, but because of the advance-\\nment of its people morally, intellectually, and financially. We can\\nmake it the diamond of the United States, and the Almighty will hold\\nus responsible if we neglect to adopt the proper measures to make it\\nsuch. i\\nOne year ago we never dreamed of owning Porto RicoTp In the\\nprovidence of God she is ours to-day; she will be ours forever, and\\nthere is no country nor people on the face of the earth which could\\nafford the United States a better opportunity for showing the world\\nthe power of her institutions in developing a people and country\\nthan this island of Porto Rico. She never gave Spain trouble. No\\nlarge army was ever required to maintain order here. The people\\nare quiet, well-behaved, and naturally good. During the whole year\\nI have not seen a drunken Porto Rican. Our people who have visited\\nthe island have been astonished at the good behavior of these people.\\nIt is true that most of them are in the habit of drinking a little wine\\nor a little rum where they can afford it. It is common for them, in\\ncompany with their families, to enter a cafe after their day s work is\\nfinished. Some will call for rum, some for wine, others for coffee or\\nchocolate, and so quietly do they engage in this pleasure that no one\\ncan tell who has drunk the rum and who the coffee. In fact, on lines\\nof temperance, they are already capable of exerting a moral influence\\nupon many of our American people.\\nThe subject of education is one over which most of the people of the\\nisland to-day are very enthusiastic. Even the uneducated men and\\nwomen of the island come to us and beg us to use our influence with\\nthe United States to establish the American school system throughout\\nthis country for the education of their children. The education of the\\npoorer class has been sadly neglected. There are but few schoolhouses\\nin the island. Even in the towns and cities most of the schools are\\nkept in rented buildings. About the only school buildings worthy of\\nthe name belong to the church. The child of the poor man has had\\nno opportunity to procure an education. The common laborer, who\\nhad employment only a small part of his time and who was only able to\\nfurnish food for his family, has not been in the past able to clothe his\\nchildren properly for the schoolroom nor to pay for the tuition. About\\nthe only schools established in the island for the poor, in which the\\nvery poor children have had attention, are conducted by the various\\norders of sisters of the Catholic Church. The Mothers of the Sacred\\nHeart, who have a large house at San Turce, in addition to conduct-\\ning a school for the better and wealthier class, have a school for the\\npoor, where they teach about eighty destitute children. They are\\nnow teaching these children, or most of them, the English language.\\nThey also teach the girls how to sew, how to make their own clothing,\\nand otherwise to be useful; but this class of schools is very limited in\\nthe island and reaches only a small proportion of the poor.\\nI have had numbers of delegations from different parts of the island\\ncome to see me upon the school question. What concerns them most\\nis the education of the poor, and, to my mind, what is most needed in\\nPorto Rico in the line of education is the introduction of our public-\\nschool system. Good schoolhouses should be erected in all the cities\\nand towns. Children should be compelled to attend school. Country\\nschoolhouses accessible to all of the populated parts of the island\\nshould be erected, and special attention should be given to educating", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0804.jp2"}, "805": {"fulltext": "795\\nthe. rising generation concerning the Government of the United States\\nand our system of self-government. Spain has given the people\\nmorros, fortifications, cannon, bayonets, and expended millions of\\ndollars of the people s money on such things instead of on schoolhouses\\nand the employment of teachers to educate the youth. We should\\nreverse the plan and make the education of the people foremost, and\\nthe rising generation will rise up to love and honor the great country\\nthat educated them.\\nWithout doubt, at present a military government is necessary, but\\nthere is no necessity whatever for a prolonged military government in\\nPorto Rico. If continued for a long period, it would make a bad\\nimpression upon the people here, who are looking forward eagerly to\\nreal self-government at the hands of the United States.\\nThe Territorial form of government, without doubt, is well adapted\\nto this island. We have here a people more capable of becoming\\ngood Americans than thousands of persons whom we have in niany of\\nour large cities of the Union. Toughs, hard cases, and criminals are\\ncomparatively few in this country.\\nThe recent reports concerning the burnings of plantations since our\\ntroops landed in the island are probably true substantially, but these\\nburnings have mostly been committed by laborers who for year s have\\nbeen compelled to work at starvation wages on the plantations of the\\nisland. I have investigated many of the cases, and almost every case\\nof burning of a plantation is traced to the hired men on the planta-\\ntion. Old grudges, the memories of persecution and low wages and\\nof a condition worse than slavery have caused these people, at this\\ntime of change of governments, to give vent to their wrath and resent-\\nment and to try to get even with their masters.\\nThe man who owned a large plantation employed men at the lowest\\nprice possible, and instead of giving them money he gave them an\\norder on his grocery store, which he generally kept in connection with\\nhis estate. At the end of the month, after having fed their families,\\nthey found themselves invariably in debt to the man for v/hom they\\nworked. They were always in debt; they were virtually the slaves of\\nthe estate owner and in a worse condition than ordinary slaves, for the\\nslave owner had a personal interest in his slaves because they were\\nhis property, but in these laborers the landlord had no personal inter-\\nest. He knew that they were compelled to work at starvation wages,\\nand when they died he did not bury them. Nearly every case of crime\\nwhich has been committed by persons of this unfortunate labor class\\nhas been committed out of revenge. I believe, under ordinary cir-\\ncumstances, even this class of men would be law-abiding citizens. I\\nbelieve, further, that with an opportunity to labor at fair wages, crime\\nin the island would be reduced to as low a percentage as in any State of\\nthe Union. The crime of murder in the island is very rarely heard of.\\nI am sorry to say that the standard of morality here is not as high\\nas we could wish for. Among the poorer classes it is verj^ common\\nfor men and women to live together and raise a family without being\\nformally married, but I look with charity upon this class of people.\\nThe fees incidental to a marriage ceremony are usually enormous,\\nand no couple can have what is considered a respectable wedding\\nwithout possessing considerable cash. A poor man falls in love with\\na woman and desires to make her his partner for life. He sees that\\nnearly all his earnings, if he has been fortunate enough to save a\\nlittle money, will be exhausted if he should be married in church or\\nbefore a magistrate; and he realizes that the amount which he has", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0805.jp2"}, "806": {"fulltext": "796\\nsaved will become very convenient in establishing a little home, so\\nthe man and the woman agree to dispense with the marriage ceremony\\nand they simply join hands and live together. As a rule these poor\\npeople are devoted to each other, and, although their union was never\\nlegally recorded, the man supports his family as sacredly as though\\nthey had been joined by authority of the church or state. Marriage\\namong the poorer class is much like it was among the blacks of the\\nSouthern States in the days of slavery, and their failure to recognize\\nthe ceremony of the church as well as that of the state in their mar-\\nriage union is hardly chargeable to them as an act of gross immor-\\nality. I believe that under the American law all of these irregularities\\nwill be easily regulated in the future. I do not believe that what\\nwould be commonly regarded in the United States as gross immorality\\nrepresents among these people deep-seated depravity; it is simply\\nthat their poverty and the existence of complicated matrimonial\\nmachinery have driven them to resort to the simple method of falling\\nin love and living together.\\nThe better class of married people in the island were legally joined.\\nThere are some phases of immorality, such as exist in all Spanish\\ncountries, which our people will find very distasteful, and yet I\\nbelieve that among the people of Porto Rico all the more gross types\\nof immorality will soon become largely abolished and the condition\\nof society among the poor within a short time become equally as good\\nas that in many parts of the United States. The examples of mor-\\nality set by those who should have been the molders and teachers of\\nthe people in moral things, I fear, have not always been what the}\\nshould have been in this island. Place a few thousand respectable\\nAmericans in Porto Rico, and their influence will lift the standard of\\nmorality to where it should be. Take away their poverty, make\\nmorality easy for them, surround them with good influences, properly\\neducate the rising generation, and the future generations of Porto\\nRicans will scarcely show a trace of the immorality of to-day.\\nESTABLISHMENT OF A CIVIL GOVERNMENT.\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nGuayama, P. R. February 3, 1899.\\nMr. Antonio Grau (depositary). Representing the opinions of the\\nwhole of Guayama, I wish you to state to the Government in Wash-\\nington that we wish an end of the military government; that we wish\\na civil government, civil laws, a civil status, and to be made citizens\\nof the American Republic.\\nIn the second place, I wish the Government to give a solution to\\neconomic problems, especially the money question, and that in resolv-\\ning this problem they try to consult all interests, so as not to harm\\nany of them in the least possible degree. To effect this, I suggest\\nthat free entry be given in the ports of the United States to the prod-\\nucts of Porto Rico, so as to enable them to exist, because under the\\npresent monetary system these products enjoy a premium, which the\\nintroduction of the new coinage would remove, and agricultural inter-\\nests, especially the sugar interests, would disappear. I understand\\nthat in the United States Porto Riean sugars pay $1.76 a quintal.\\nThere was a reason for these duties when Porto Rico was a Spanish\\ncolony, but to-day, as it forms an integral part of the United States,", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0806.jp2"}, "807": {"fulltext": "797\\nit should disappear. Our coffee and tobacco have no market in the\\nUnited States because of the heavy duties that they pay there, and\\nas commercial bonds bring closer the bonds of fraternity and sympathy,\\nI ask that these bonds be allowed now, so as to bring Porto Rico into\\ncloser relation with the mother country.\\nWith regard to municipal government, I had the pleasure of pre-\\nsenting to the council an article on the economic side of the question,\\nwhich I will now read. This paper treats specially of municipal tax-\\nation and the manner of making municipal taxation applicable to the\\nvillages. Municipal taxation is what at present is causing the greatest\\nharm to taxpayers. In Guayama the tax levied by the state amounts\\nto $12,000 or $13,000. As you have seen, municipal taxes here exceed\\n$50,000. This taxation was previously divided, a portion of it being\\nsaddled onto articles of first necessity, called a consumption tax.\\nThis tax bore heavily upon poor people and gave rise to a large\\namount of commercial immorality. The government, with good inten-\\ntion, did away with this species of taxation, and to-day municipalities\\nhave to exact a direct tax, which falls very heavily upon the taxpayers\\nwithout yielding a sufficient amount for municipal needs. Our munici-\\npalities are taxed beyond their abilities. For instance, they have\\nbeen charged with the expense of keeping up prisons and for the\\nexpense of keeping up courts of justice. The support of public\\ninstruction also falls to the share of the municipalities and costs\\nthem very much, and they attend to it very badly. Turning from\\nthis basis, I propose a method of taxation which will make it lighter\\nfor the municipalities, and I will have the honor to present you a copy\\nof it.\\nDr. Carroll. Mr. Grau, in speaking about bringing to an end the\\nmilitary government of the island, let fall the remark that Porto Rico\\nis a part of the United States. This is not the exact fact of the sit-\\nuation. Porto Rico is a conquered and occupied province, but the\\nsovereignty of the United States has not yet formally been estab-\\nlished according to international law. Until the treaty of Paris has\\nbeen signed and ratified and comes into operation, Porto Rico is not\\na part of the United States. Therefore it would not have been pos-\\nsible for Congress to have taken up the subject of legislation for\\nPorto Rico at its session beginning early in December if it had de-\\nsired to do so. But in my view it was not desirable that Congress\\nshould take up the matter of the government of Porto Rico at that\\nearly date.\\nIf you are to start upon a new epoch of government and prosperity,\\nif you are to have American institutions, as most of you have said you\\nwanted to have, it is important for you that you should make a right\\nstart; that any system of government given to you shall be as nearly\\nperfect as it is possible to make it; and therefore the postponement\\nof this matter of decision as to how you shall be governed in future\\nuntil next December gives ample time in which to study all problems\\npresented here and in which to resolve upon a system of government,\\nmunicipal and insular, that shall be as free from faults as possible.\\nNow, this question of free trade between the United States and\\nPorto Rico is, as I recognize, an extremely important one. It can not\\nbe decided now. That is a question that will be involved in your\\nfuture system of government, and when that is decided this will be\\ndecided. Mr. Grau has spoken of having coffee and sugar go free\\ninto the United States. Coffee already goes in free; nobody pays\\nany duty on coffee. The President, as Commander in Chief of the", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0807.jp2"}, "808": {"fulltext": "798\\nArmy and Navy, has a great deal of power with regard to the internal\\naffairs of Porto Rico, but he has no power under the Constitution of\\nthe United States to remit the duty on sugar and sa}^ that sugar shall\\ncome free into the United States. That is a matter that can only be\\nlegislated on by Congress.\\nI think that it is very important that the gospel of patience should\\nbe preached to the people of Porto Rico. I know perfectly well that\\nthe interests of this people lie upon the heart of the President of the\\nUnited States and that the people of the United States are devising\\nlarge and liberal things for you in their hearts. I know that General\\nHenry, the present military commander of this island, has your inter-\\nests at heart. He has brought you relief at a great many points, and\\nhe is prepared to go on from point to point, making changes in your\\nsystem and making things easier for you, and bringing prosperity to\\nyou in every way that is possible for him, but any true reform, as you\\nwill all recognize, marches forward step by step and not by great leaps.\\nCITIZENS, NOT SLAVES, OF THE UNITED STATES,\\n[Hearing before the United States Commissioner.]\\nCayey, P. R., February 28, 1899.\\nMr. Luis Munoz (notaiy of Cayey). I desire to say a few words,\\nnot as the representative of any political party. We wish to have\\nthe military occupation to terminate as soon as possible; not that we\\nhave felt here the rigors of military occupation, because we have not.\\nIn other parts they have felt them. We wish to become a part of\\nthe United States, but not slaves of the United States.\\nDr. Carroll. It seems proper for me to say in response to that\\nstatement that a good deal has been done under the military govern-\\nment in this island in the way of correction of abuses and improve-\\nment of conditions. It is not possible, even if it were considered\\nentirely desirable at Washington, to bring the military rule to an end\\nat once. This matter of the future government of your island is as\\nimportant to you as it is to the United States, and more so. You have\\nbeen under a government for several centuries that you have deemed\\nhard and oppressive and unsuitable to the prosperity of the island.\\nI had been led to believe that you wanted an entirely new sj^stem\\nunder the American flag, and I told the President, therefore, that I was\\nnot prepared, on so short an investigation, to recommend any system\\nwhatever.\\nEven if I had been ready to recommend a system of government, the\\nPresident probably would not have brought it to the attention of\\nCongress, for the reason that the present session of Congress is a\\nshort session, beginning in December last, and ending, according to\\nthe Constitution, on the 4th of March. The calendar was already\\novercrowded for so short a session. This matter of the future gov-\\nernment of Porto Rico could not have been taken up by Congress for\\nanother reason. The treaty of peace which was negotiated at Paris\\nhas not even yet been fully ratified, and until it is fully ratified and\\nbecomes effective Porto Rico does not formally become a possession\\nof the United States. Porto Rico is, in fact, territory of the United\\nStates, but not in name, according to international law. It is alto-\\ngether probable that the treaty will not be ratified before the present\\nsession of Congress closes. You see, therefore, gentlemen, there is\\nabundant reason why nothing could be done at the present session of", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0808.jp2"}, "809": {"fulltext": "799\\nCongress with reference to the civil government of Porto Rico, and I\\nfeel that that is a matter upon which I ought to congratulate you.\\nYou can afford to wait a few months in order that you may have a\\ngovernment which, when it is instituted, will be the kind of govern-\\nment you want. You do not want to start on your new career with a\\ncrude system of government, and surely twelve months is not too long a\\ntime to consider all the measures that are to be provided for you,\\nand I feel that the gospel of patience ought to be preached to the peo-\\nple of Porto Rico. When I remember what has been done in the very\\nbrief time since the American flag was raised in Porto Rico, I feel\\nthat your position has been bettered in many things.\\nWe understand perfectly that the people of Porto Rico are not a\\nmilitary people, and it is the intention of the President of the United\\nStates that you should have a military system only so long as is nec-\\nessary in order that the matter may be brought to the attention of\\nCongress, when Congress meets in session next December, and a well-\\narranged system given you. I am sure that the President has the\\nprosperity and good of the people of Porto Rico at heart; he told me\\nso. He has considerable power as commander of the Army and Navy,\\nand he told me that he would use it, so far as it was necessary, to cor-\\nrect abuses and to relieve conditions which might be found intolerable\\nby you.\\nI hope, therefore, in view of these things, that you will not become\\nrestive under military government, remembering that it is only for a\\nshort time, and that it is only a bridge from a bad state to a better one.\\nA NEW COAT DESIRED.\\nSan Juan, P. R., October 31, 1899.\\nProf. Leonid as Villalon called upon the commissioner and stated\\nthat he is a professor in the institute; that he is 73 years old, and\\nextremely interested in the coming of the Americans. He stated that\\nhe was exiled three times from Porto Rico, had lived in the United\\nStates, and there had learned how to become a man. He thought the\\nbest thing that could happen to Porto Rico would be that it should\\nbe under the direction of the Government of the United States for\\nsome time to come; that it would be well for Porto Rico to take off\\nthe old coat and put on one entirely new. Let the chief offices be\\nfilled by Americans, who could inaugurate the Territorial government\\nthat would be best for the Porto Ricans.\\nWHAT WORKING MEN WANT.\\nSan Juan, November 4, 1899.\\nSantiago Iglesias, president of league or union of gremios:\\nIn reference to the necessities and aspirations of the working class\\nand of the gremio of carpenters in particular, I beg you to read the\\nfollowing resolutions\\nAre we annexationists? Yes if fully convinced that so being will\\nnot prejudice our country. We are annexationists because the Ameri-\\ncan Republic incloses in its breast and has already put into practical\\ngovernment an administration so equitable, so just, and so scientific\\nthat there is no idealist in this country who can even in theory better\\nits government. Therefore it is our only wish and desire to reach and", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0809.jp2"}, "810": {"fulltext": "800\\nto struggle for the establishment in the least possible time of those\\nforms and proceedings that will bring benefit and progress to our land\\nso dearly beloved.\\nDo we want economy? Yes; and also the reform of all sorts of old\\nconditions. The administration should not squander the people s\\nmoney on employees without first being convinced of their real utility.\\nProtection very much protection for the poorer classes; free com-\\nmerce with the free Republic cheap bread, and very cheap. Articles\\nof prime necessity should be greatly lowered and enterprises should\\nbe established to give the poor, unfortunate laborer and workers in\\ngeneral a chance to obtain them, and this could easily be done if all\\nhindrances to free commerce were removed and usurers hunted down\\nlike wolves.\\nWhat are the social reforms required? We are not going to fix any\\nreply as regards instruction, as the United States possesses rules so\\nradical and scientific that we do not think we could better them.\\nWhat we do ask is that improvements or reforms in the direction of\\npublic instruction be instituted as soon as possible, which we are sure\\nwe shall not have to wait long for, as it is well known that the Ameri-\\ncan Republic sustains its greatness by the diffusion of its system of\\ninstruction by every means possible, and, as well as dedicating enor-\\nmous sums of money to that end, its laws punish fathers or guardians\\nwho do not comply with the necessary obligations of sending their\\nchildren to school. But as regards the economic situation of the poor\\nman in his agitated and excessively fatiguing life, we wish to declare\\nthat his work consumes the greater part of that life with a day of\\nlabor far too long. Therefore we claim that the municipalities and\\neven the laws should fix the day of labor in all industries at eight\\nhours.\\nAnother law is required to suppress immediately and completely in\\nthe whole island the odious consumo tax on the necessaries of life;\\nanother prohibiting the working of women during state of preg-\\nnancy, and her maintainance by the state six weeks before and six\\nweeks after her confinement another that the state or municipality\\nbe obliged to give occupation to poor classes who have no work, or\\nthat it procure them work the fixing of a minimum wage for the\\nworker, both adult and youth absolute prohibition to work of chil-\\ndren of less than 15 years of age; the creation of schools for children\\nof both sexes and of all social classes reformation of scholastic col-\\nonies at certain seasons of the year; the establishment of economic\\nkitchens, so that working people of scant means could go to them for\\nfood and, lastly, we will struggle for these reforms and betterments so\\nas to accredit our country before the civilized world as a humanitarian,\\ngenerous, progressive, pacific, and industrious one, because the pres-\\ntige of a country in the eyes of the world is worth more than the\\nriches which it may possess.\\nWe salute you, and we wish you liberty, union, and fraternity.\\nFIT FOR SELF-GOVERNMENT.\\nSTATEMENT OF CELESTINO MORALES.\\nGurabo, P. R., November 7, 1898.\\nMy opinion is that this people, owing to their docility, culture, and\\nother favorable advantages, should be allowed self-government as far", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0810.jp2"}, "811": {"fulltext": "801\\nas compatible with the Federal laws of our new rulers. A proof of\\nour fitness is the granting by Spam, a nation so inimical to freedom\\nin its colonies, of the autonomous system we enjoyed a few days\\nbefore the war. Even if this system is deficient, it points out, coming\\nfrom where it did, that we are worthy of still greater liberty.\\nSTRONG RULE NECESSARY.\\nMr. W. S. Marr, manager of the sugar estate Canovas, near\\nCarolina, an Englishman, who has been in the island three and a half\\nyears, expressed the opinion that it would be best not to make any\\nchange in the currency until other changes had been made. He\\nbelieved that the adoption of the gold basis before free trade is\\ndeclared would cause strikes among the laborers. There was a strike\\namong them last spring, the first, he believed, that ever took place in\\nPorto Rico. It was after the introduction of the system of autonomy,\\nwhich they understood meant a larger degree of liberty for them.\\nThe strike was unsuccessful; the employers could not afford to give\\nmore wages. They were giving 50 cents a day. This is the lowest\\namount paid, so far as he knew, in the island.\\nMen only are employed. The women do not work in the field.\\nThey will do washing, but will not work in the fields, as they do in\\nthe English colonies. He could not even get women to scrub his\\nhouse; he had to get men.\\nHe thought the island should be ruled with a strong, firm hand.\\nAmericans ought to hold the reigns of power and administer the\\naffairs of government. It would not be safe to trust the natives with\\noffice. They would dwell on politics, which had been the curse of\\nthe island, and would so run affairs as to benefit their own party.\\nThe island was not ready for home rule it might be educated up to\\nthat point, perhaps, in fifty or sixty years. If they had the power of\\nassessment of property, for example, they would levy ruinous rates\\non classes against whom they had grudges. Mr. Marr thought for-\\neigners were in a position to give unbiased judgments.\\nIt was important that the duties on machinery should be lowered.\\nAsked if he thought that if the duties were removed from importa-\\ntions from the United States they might not be retained as against\\nother countries, he replied that it would be well to reduce them also\\non machinery coming from England, at least for a short period, as\\norders had already been placed in England which could not now be\\nrecalled, and it would be well if some relief could be granted.\\nNOT CAPABLE OF SELF-GOVERNMEJST.\\nSTATEMENT OF A. HARTMANN CO.\\nArroyo, P. R. November 7, 1898.\\nWe are under the firm conviction that until more of the American\\nelement is introduced into the island and the people better educated,\\nthe Porto Rican is incapable of self-government, either as a Territory\\nor a State.\\nWe think, owing to the lack of education in the right way, that the\\nright to vote should be only given to those who can read and write\\nand also pay a certain amount of tax say $10 per year municipal tax.\\n1125 51", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0811.jp2"}, "812": {"fulltext": "802\\nWe think the schools should be paid and managed by the State, and\\nthat the schoolmasters should be Americans, or else obliged to know\\nand teach the American language, as this would instill in the risiug\\ngeneration more patriotic ideas of the United States, and also that the\\nobligation of children being taught the Roman Catholic religion in the\\npublic schools should be abolished.\\nThe Government should strictly prohibit Sunday being used for\\nsuch immoral purposes as cock fighting, gambling, drunkenness, etc.,\\nas has been done up till now; and also prohibit on that day public\\namusements, as theaters, balls, etc.\\nThe judicial management at present in the island has had the\\ngerms of corruption nourished in it so many years that it is in such a\\nflourishing state of development that it is impossible to exterminate\\nthis noxious germ without sweeping measures. From the highest to\\nthe lowest the whole should be put in the hands of Americans, and\\njustice should be administered and courts created like those of the\\nUnited States. The jails or penitentiaries should be, sustained and\\nmanaged by the State.\\nFULL AUTONOMY.\\nSTATEMENT OF MAYOR ETJSTAQTJIO TORRES.\\nGuayanilla, P. R. November 7, 1898.\\nShould Porto Rico not be declared a State of the Union, governed\\nby the same laws, it should at least be granted the full autonomy\\nmerited by the good sense and culture of its people. Spain had lately\\nrecognized this, in proof of which is the insular constitution, decreed\\nNovember 25, 1897, which, although not having given all the results\\ndesired, owing to not having been applied to its full extent because of\\nthe war, still was inspired in the spirit of ample liberty as regards the\\nprovince as a whole and the municipalities in particular.\\nThe disturbances taking place actually might be considered a motive\\nfor restricting this liberty but it would neither be just nor reason-\\nable to judge a whole country by the acts of a few disturbers of the\\npeace, who, taking advantage of such a propitious occasion, are satis-\\nfying their desire for vengeance for the outrages and attacks of which\\nthey were formerly the victims.\\nWith these few exceptions the island has retained its reputation for\\ngentleness and it is well to remember that the few towns which have\\nexperienced these disorders were the ones formerly subjected to sim-\\nilar treatment. The want of an armed force, like the Spanish civil\\nguard, which, besides doing military duty, helped the civil authori-\\nties, conducted prisoners, and guarded the rural districts, is one of\\nthe causes of these disorders.\\nWhen that body was disbanded certain unruly elements which are\\nnever wanting in any country had full liberty to give rein to their per-\\nverse instincts, committing disorders which the guards had formerly\\nheld in check. It is not untimely, therefore, to suggest that the Gov-\\nernment should utilize one of the military bodies to perform this serv-\\nice either for Federal or provincial account.\\nIt would be well to make the Spanish language a requisite for service\\nin this corps, and it would be convenient to study the regulations of\\nthe Guardia Civil (civil guard).\\nUnder the shadow of a really autonomous government by Porto", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0812.jp2"}, "813": {"fulltext": "803\\nRicans, initiative would be quick to awake, and the economic prob-\\nlems which to-day seem most difficult of solution would soon find a\\nresolvent.\\nI think, therefore, that- the insular government should be left just\\nas found, with no further changes than those indispensable to a change\\nof sovereignty.\\nAs regards the provincial deputation, a body useless as soon as the\\nrespective secretaries assume the functions which were formerly per-\\nformed by it, it should be suppressed as unnecessary, and with it will\\ndisappear the heavy burdens of such a costly body.\\nAs regards the municipalities, they should enjoy the same autonomy\\nas the province in their relations with the metropolis, and while the\\nchambers legislate on insular matters, all affairs relating purely to\\nlocal municipal life should be administered bj T the municipality.\\nAMPLE AUTONOMY.\\nSTATEMENT OF ANTONIO SANCHEZ RUIZ.\\nAgitada, P. R., November 12, 1898.\\nThe great North American Republic, to which we to-day belong,\\nbeing a purely democratic nation, with liberty as its only goal, it is to\\nbe hoped that the military government now existent will be of short\\nduration and that it will be replaced by an ample autonomy, as its\\npeople, being sensible and mild, are easily governed. Later their\\nlegitimate desires would be satisfied by declaring Porto Rico a State\\nof the Union.\\nIt is superfluous to state the beneficial results to be obtained by\\ngranting the municipalities an administration free from all hindrances;\\nthat is to say, the attention to their local disbursements. This would\\nevade useless assignments in the national estimates and would be\\nbeneficial in its results to the taxpayer.\\nVARIOUS REFORMS.\\nSTATEMENT OF MAYOR CELESTINO DOMINGTJEZ.\\nGuayama, P, R., January, 1899.\\nOne of the most important matters for Porto Rico is the change to\\nbe made in taxation. Direct taxation is very burdensome, especially\\nfor the poor. Remove worship and clergy, pensions, colonial minis-\\ntry expenses, war and navy, which almost make up the whole budget.\\nImprove the system of sugar milling, by establishing central mills all\\naround our coasts and plains, opening roads and constructing the belt\\nrailroad; give us a free market in the United States and introduce our\\nproduce there. Construct the irrigation works in Guayama for which\\nwe have been so long waiting and which would bring us prosperity\\nand could be easily carried out with the help of the Government.\\nSome lines of steamships plying direct to the mother country and\\ncalling at our coast ports, bringing us northern products free of duty,\\nabout completes the programme.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0813.jp2"}, "814": {"fulltext": "804\\nMEMORIAL OF AN AGRICULTURIST.\\nFirst. All tools and agricultural machinery to be admitted free of\\nall tribute.\\nSecond. That the property owners (agricultural) pay as little as\\npossible. That merchants come from the United States to settle in\\nMayaguez, as those established here are restricting their operations.\\nThird. That the same wages as paid in the United States be paid\\nhere, from the teacher to the lowest laborer. Up to the present we\\nhave not earned sufficient to buy even food enough. There are in the\\ntowns and country districts of my country real working people who\\ndo not dare to venture out of their houses, as they are completely naked\\nand have nothing to cover their bodies with, although their labor is\\nnecessary to the progress of the country.\\nFourth. Not to allow to remain in official position persons of bad\\nfaith without compelling them to comply with their duties. To make\\nthe weight of the wise laws which govern 70,000,000 felt here, from\\nthe highest functionary to the lowest laborer.\\nManuel M. Puyols,\\nNative of Porto Rico.\\nMayaguez, January 18, 1899.\\nMILITARY RULE SHOULD CEASE.\\nSTATEMENT OF MANY CITIZENS.\\nIsabela, P. R., February 15, 1899.\\nThe country does not merit the rigors of a militaiy occupation.\\nPorto Rico received the Americans with open arms, as sons of liberty\\nwhose coming brought them light and progress, and therefore there is\\nno fear that the country will try to emancipate itself from the Ameri-\\ncan sovereignty. On the contrary, Porto Rico desires to be always\\nattached to its new nationality. We think, therefore, that the military\\ngovernment should cease and a civil government be instituted, which\\nwould consolidate American sovereignty, provide for all public needs,\\nand start the country on its road to progress. We think also that a\\nsmall garrison would suffice to insure that sovereignty and preserve\\norder. The removal from office of many employees, owing to the nec-\\nessary decentralization of government, has thrown many natives out\\nof work, leaving them without bread. We think the creation of a\\ncorps of militia would open a road for their employment. This would\\nsave the government much money and would open a career for those\\nwishing to serve their country and their fellow-citizens.\\nSIMPLIFY THE LAWS.\\nSTATEMENT OF RUCABADO CO., MERCHANTS.\\nCayey, P. R., March 4, 1899.\\nReforms in the law should be undertaken by expert legislators.\\nOur law of civil procedure is so complicated that the conduct of any\\ntrial requires months and even years for its conclusion. So costly\\nis the process of litigation that it is better to allow oneself to be\\ninjured and one s interest to be trodden under foot than to have", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0814.jp2"}, "815": {"fulltext": "805\\nrecourse to the tribunals of justice. The first consideration of reforms\\nof our present laws should he toward their simplification. Clerks of\\nthe courts, judges, and municipal secretaries should have salaries for\\nmoral reasons. In this way only could responsibility he exacted of\\nthem, as their salary would provide them with equitable means of\\nsupport and just compensation for their labors. It is irony to exact\\nresponsibility from employees who owe the bread that they eat to the\\ncontingency of their vocation. If the positions were salaried ones,\\nthe municipal judges would be men of title who, with real knowledge\\nof their mission, would administer justice properly and would free\\nsociety from the ridiculous spectacle of seeing lawsuits settled by\\npersons who hardly know how to sign their names.\\nREFORMS NEEDED.\\nREMARKS ON THE OFFICIAL GUIDE OF PORTO RICO, BY DR. HERMINIO DIAZ,\\nSECRETARY OF JUSTICE.\\nA careful perusal of the above-named work will show at first glance\\nthat during Spanish rule a superabundance of employees fed on the\\ntreasury, making necessary the high taxation ruling in order to cover\\ntheir salaries. It is absolutely necessary that these offices should be\\nswept away, more especially as the Territorial law of the Union will\\nmake them unnecessary, as public services can be performed with a\\nmuch smaller number of employees than are now in the various\\noffices, always assuming that they are intelligent, hard working, and\\nhonest.\\nBOARD OF AUTHORITIES.\\nThis board, which figures in page 25 of the Guide, will have no\\nreason to exist in the future. Neither was there any reason for its\\nexistence under Spanish dominion, its character being purely advis-\\nory, the Governor-General having the power to resolve questions on\\nhis own authority after consulting the board, even if his resolutions\\nwere contrary to those adopted by them.\\nCOUNCIL OF ADMINISTRATION.\\nThis council was created by royal order of December 31, 1896, when\\nthe colonial minister, Seiior Castellanos, reformed the legislative pol-\\nicy of this island. It is referred to on page 27 of the Guide. It\\nwas composed then of the persons indicated on page 27, and its duty\\nwas to give information on general estimates of receipt and expendi-\\nture which were approved or disapproved by the chambers; also on\\ngeneral accounts which had to be rendered to the intendencia every\\nyear; on affairs connected with Patronato de Indias; on resolutions\\nof the provincial deputation which might be contrary to the laws or to\\nthe general interest of the nation on petitions for legislative reforms\\nwhich might emanate from said provincial deputation; on the dis-\\nmissal or removal of mayors, assistant mayors, and regidores, and on\\nall other questions of administrative character which the general gov-\\nernment might think it convenient to inquire into. This council was\\ncomposed of the Governor-General as president, the bishop, the\\nlieutenant-governor, the principal commandant of the navy, of the\\npresident and prosecutor of the supreme court of the island, of six", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0815.jp2"}, "816": {"fulltext": "806\\nprovincial deputies, and of six other persons, who were required to\\npossess certain qualifications and who were named by the government.\\nOn the promulgation in Porto Rico of the constitution of November\\n25, 1897, wrongly called autonomous, as self-government was no part\\nof it, this council was suppressed pursuant to the royal order of Decem-\\nber 31, 1896, creating it, and two insular chambers were created, called\\nthe council of administration and the council of representatives,\\nrespectively. The council of administration was composed of fifteen\\npersons, of whom eight were elected b}^ popular election and seven\\nwere named by the Governor-General representing the Crown. As a\\npart of the parliament or congressional insular system this council\\nhad jurisdiction either before or after the action of the chamber of\\nrepresentatives, according to the class of matter treated; that is to say,\\non matters referring to worship and justice, government, treasury, and\\ninterior this latter in its three branches, public works, instruction,\\nand agricultural industry and commerce also, on questions of a purely\\nlocal character affecting colonial territory as, for instance, territorial\\ndivision, provincial, municipal, judicial, sanitary, maritime, territo-\\nrial, public credit, banking, and the money system.\\nAs an integral part of the insular parliament or congress, its duty\\nwas to establish regulations for the administration of the laws voted,\\nby the insular parliament on matters expressly confided to its care;\\nalso, do adjudicate the electoral matters, census matters, qualifications\\nof electors, and the management of the suffrage; also, to dictate regu-\\nlations or propose to the central government methods to facilitate the\\nincome, conservation, and promotion in the legal tribunals; also, on\\nthe formation of legal estimates and on tariffs.\\nThis council of administration once in session named its president,\\nvice-president, secretaries without salaries, deliberated a few days,\\nand then had to suspend because of the war. On the termination of the\\nwar and the military occupation by the Government of the United States\\nthe chambers have been considered virtually dissolved and if the laws\\ncommon to all the Territories of the United States should be implanted\\nhere, the governor, named by the President of the United States, will\\nnot have to name the personnel of the legislature, but only those who\\nwill form a board of advisers for passing on the electoral capacity of\\nthe inhabitants, the time, place, and method of verifying the first\\nelection on electoral division, etc. Therefore it is clear that the em-\\nployees of the council of administration will be useless.\\nPROVINCIAL DEPUTATION.\\nThis body, referred to on page 30 of the Official Guide, was\\ncreated under the Spanish rule and according to the royal order of\\nDecember 31, 1896, issued by the colonial minister, Mr. Castellano.\\nIt is composed of 12 deputies chosen by popular election for four years,\\nthe half to be renewed every two years. Its duties are the following:\\nTo formulate and approve each year the provincial estimates; to\\napprove or disapprove the accounts which, under this estimate, shall\\nbe rendered each year; establish and preserve the special services\\nwhich might have for their object the comfort of the inhabitants of\\nthe island and the furtherance of their interests, both material and\\nmoral; also to pass on the propriety of public works, jjostal and tele-\\ngraphic communication, maritime and territorial works, agricultural", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0816.jp2"}, "817": {"fulltext": "807\\nindustry, commerce, immigration, colonization, public instruction,\\nfirst authority on sanitation, meetings and expositions also to admin-\\nister provincial events to decide on questions relating to the consti-\\ntution of municipalities or municipal corporations; to resolve, also, on\\nthe limit of municipal properties.\\nThis provincial deputation was rendered unnecessary under the\\ndecree of November 25, 1897, conceding autonomy to Porto Rico.\\nThere is no reason why it should continue to exist, as all its attributes\\nand services should have been undertaken by the secretaries to the\\ninsular chambers created by that decree. It can be conceived that\\nthis body could have continued in existence if Porto Rico, like Cuba,\\nhad consisted of various provinces, but as this country was considered\\nas a single province the deputation became perfectly useless and gave\\nrise to serious conflicts in matters of jurisdiction, as well as being an\\nenormous charge on taxpayers, as the estimates for its maintenance\\nreached the enormous sum of $1,217,700. This body should be sup-\\npressed absolutely, and I understand that it is the intention of Gen-\\neral Brooke to do so, doubtless in accordance with instructions received\\nfrom Mr. McKinley. The suppression of. this body will wipe out of\\nexistence the employees included on pages 31 to 42, inclusive.\\nAs regards the posts named on page 43, all should be sustained\\nexcept that of chaplain or minister of the Catholic religion; but when\\nthe provincial deputation is suppressed these posts should pass under\\nthe management of the various secretaries. These positions treat of\\nmatters affecting the insane orphan children and refer to their educa-\\ntion and their training in some trade.\\nsecretary s department of the general government.\\n1. Technical inspection. There is no reason for the continuance of\\nthe employees named in pages 45, 46, 47, 48, and 49 under the law of\\nthe territories, or under military occupation. Many of the positions\\nheld by these employees are suppressed and were so during the\\nSpanish war.\\n2. Local administration. The employees named on pages 50 and\\n51 ceased to be such on the implantation of the autonomous govern-\\nment.\\nRegional delegation. The autonomous government suppressed the\\nregional delegation, created by decrees of the Colonial Minister, and\\nto-day it is nonexistent.\\nGentlemen, holders of the Grand Cross.\u00e2\u0080\u0094 These gentlemen, as noted\\non page 55, have no claim on the provincial estimate. They carry\\ntheir cross, but don t get any pay for so doing.\\nDiocese of Porto Rico. The Catholic religion having ceased to be\\nofficial in this island, all its ministers will have to live on donations\\nof their congregations, and must be removed entirely from the civil\\nlist. Their names are included in pages 56 to 81.\\nCastilian titles. They are included on page 82. They receive\\nnothing.\\nAdministration of justice. All the employees named in pages 83 to\\n133, inclusive, and who exist at the present time, have been named\\nby virtue of the organized form of tribunals of justice of this island.\\nWhile the Territorial law is being implanted here the number of\\njudges of first instance and instruction should be reduced from twelve", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0817.jp2"}, "818": {"fulltext": "808\\nto nine. Those that should be retained are two in San Juan, Cagnas,\\nHuniacao, Guayama, Mayaguez, Aguadilla, Arecibo, and Ponce.\\nIn this matter of the administration of justice there is one verj im-\\nportant question which should be immediately resolved. I will give\\nsome instances, so that this will be better understood. The laws\\nwhich are in force here exact that civil questions shall be passed on\\nfirst by judges of instruction and first instance. The litigant who is\\nnot content with this sentence may appeal from this tribunal to that\\nof the territorial audiencia of San Juan, which tribunal can confirm\\nor vacate the sentence of the judge. In criminal cases the judges of\\ninstruction and first instance prepare the indictment. This is taken\\nto the audiencia in San Juan or Ponce or Mayaguez, according to the\\ndistrict to which the judge of first instance may belong, and the audi-\\nencia passes sentence. From any of the sentences on criminal mat-\\nters or judgments in civil cases pronounced by the audiencia it was\\npossible to appeal to the supreme tribunal in Madrid. Now that\\nPorto Rico has been separated from Spain, and as civil laws still re-\\nmain in force, the right of litigants to appeal is in abeyance. My\\nopiniou is that Mr. McKinley should order that while the reform in\\nthe laws is being made the audiencia should have full power as a\\ncourt of last resort, or he should appoint three functionaries who\\nunderstand our law in Washington and formed out of the Supreme\\nCourt of the Union.\\nRegistrars of property. These functionaries, noted in page 134, can\\nnot be suppressed for the moment, as they are very necessary; but\\nwhat should be done immediately is to pay them a fixed salary to avoid\\nthe great abuses and spoliation to which thej^ subject the people,\\nowing to their right to extract whatever they like for the registrations\\nthat are made.\\nCollege of lawyers. This institution, referred to on pages 135 to 140,\\nwas created for purely economical reasons and to defend provincial\\ninterests. Its object is to see to it that no persons enter into the pro-\\nfession unless they are duly titled. It is very useful and its members\\nreceive no compensation of any description.\\nCollege of notaries. Pages 141 to 146 refer to this college. These\\ngentlemen are not in receipt of salaries and charge only for the docu-\\nments which they draw up the fees allowed by law. Our law allows\\nonly persons to practice as notaries who hold the necessary title, but\\nas abogados study the same laws more fully, it is to be hoped that the\\nAmerican Government will permit, as is done in the United States, all\\nlawyers to practice indiscriminately either of the branches.\\nProcurators. Pages 147 to 151 treat of these. They are persons\\nwho hold the power of attorney and represent litigants in judicial\\nmatters. Our laws in certain cases do not allow the litigant to take\\ncharge of his own case, but exact the naming of a procurator, who is\\npaid according to the legal tariff. This is highly unjust, as it pre-\\nvents persons from carrying on their own litigation, obliging them to\\nincur unnecessary expense. I think that this matter should be\\nentirely free and should be left to the will of the litigant to name or not,\\nas he pleases, procurators to take charge of his litigation in the courts.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0818.jp2"}, "819": {"fulltext": "809\\nSUSPENSION OF THE LAW OF FORECLOSURE.\\n[Copy of a resolution passed by the Ayuntamiento of Utuado in session extraordinary, attended\\nalso by several property owners who are rate-payers, and signed by the alcalde and. many\\nothers.]\\n(1) That agriculture is the principal source of the wealth of Porto\\nRico.\\n(2) That coffee is the most valuable crop of the island;\\n(3) That in consequence of the Spanish- American war, of the scan-\\ndalous fall in prices, of the absolute closing of credit, and the unmer-\\nciful exactions of the commercial houses, agriculturists r find them-\\nselves in a condition of complete ruin.\\n(4) That real roads do not exist from the interior to the coast that\\nonly tracks, dangerous even to travelers, are available, preventing the\\ndevelopment of the country and sapping its life more each day.\\n(5) That the greatest wealth of Porto Rico is situated in the towns\\nround about Utuado, Lares, Yauco, Ciales, and Adjuntas. That for\\nall these and other weighty reasons, which it would be prolix to state,\\nthis council and the undersigned ratepayers beg Mr. H. K. Carroll to\\nrequest from Washington the following saving measures\\nFirst. Suspension of judicial proceedings in the whole island for\\nthe time it may think fit.\\nSecond. Concession of every class of facilities for the establishment\\nof agricultural banks.\\nThird. The use of all or part of the proceeds of tne custom-houses\\nfor the construction of roads, railroads, etc., distributing the money\\namong the municipalities in the proportion of the inhabitants of each\\none.\\nTHE GOVERNMENT, COURTS, ETC.\\nSTATEMENT OF ME. ALRIZU, PONCE, P. R.\\nThe government of the island should be constituted thus A gov-\\nernor, an attorney-general, a secretary of treasury, a secretary of\\ninterior, a secretary of public works. This is to be the cabinet and\\nadvisory board of the governor. The first secretary to be the presid-\\ning officer of all the courts of the island and to superintend the man-\\nagement of public justice. The courts of the island should consist of\\njustices of the peace, judges in civil suits, magistrates of criminal\\ncourts, and the court of appeals at San Juan this to be the highest\\nlaw court of the island, to be presided over by the most eminent and\\nhonest lawyers of the island, and to have a judge-advocate of the same\\nkind.\\nThe courts of the island should be allowed to continue with the\\nsame division of territory assigned to each and the same number of\\njudges, magistrates, and other officials appertaining to the service.\\nSecond. A secretary of treasury, named by the President of the\\nUnited States, to be an American an assistant secretary, a Porto\\nRican, who should know both English and Spanish two clerks and a\\n-cashier to run the office, all to be named by the President. The treas-\\nury of the island should have charge of the collection of customs\\nduties, internal-revenue, registry, industry, and commercial taxes.\\nFor this purpose the island should continue divided into seven\\ndepartments.\\nThe custom-house is the central collecting office of each department", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0819.jp2"}, "820": {"fulltext": "810\\nand where accounts are to be kept and rendered monthly to the sec-\\nretary of treasury. Offices in each town for the collection of inter-\\nnal-revenue and other taxes should continue for the present under\\nthe inspection of the custom-house of each department.\\nThe internal-revenue taxes should be on agriculture, real-estate\\nproperty, and pasture lands 25 per cent of the municipal tax assessed\\nby the council of each town. On industries and commerce the same\\nas it is now, which is done by a schedule according to the importance\\nof the trade.\\nThe registry tax on transfer of property and on all other deeds or\\ndocuments of any kind running through the registrar s office should\\nbe reduced by one-third of its present rate.\\nThe head tax called the cedula should be entirely abolished.\\nThe tariff on imports from United States should be 25 per cent of\\nthat assigned to foreign imports. This measure is needed so as to be\\nable to provide cheap foods for our laboring classes. Porto Rico has\\na very large population that is fed from outside markets. The best\\nproducing lands of the island are taken by sugar and coffee planta-\\ntions, thus leaving the poor lands for corn and vegetables for home\\nconsumption. Until the country gets roads to the interior that will\\nfetch all sorts of eatables cheap to the shores the laboring classes\\nmust now depend on the imports for their food therefore the reduc-\\ntion recommended is a just and politic measure.\\nThe legal tender of Porto Rico should be the American dollar. A\\nlaw should be enacted at once establishing this, and the peso should be\\nexchanged at 2 for 1 in the treasury of each department. All exist-\\ning debts should be settled at that ratio. The exchange should be\\nmade in one month at the head custom-house of each department;\\nafter that time the circulation of the peso is prohibited.\\nThe secretary of the interior should be a man from Porto Rico\\nconversant with the present system of government. He is the president\\nof all the municipalities of the island. Our municipal laws are good;\\nwe only desire their enforcement, and that every man should do this\\nduty. The election of members of the council should be as it is now.\\nOn the secretary of the interior rests the duty of seeing that the laws\\nare obeyed. All the budgets of the municipalities should be sent to him\\ntor approval. Public instruction is also to be in his charge. He is to\\nprovide for all the deficiencies of the present system, with the approval\\nof the governor. This is one of the most important matters of our\\nadministration. After one year the municipalities of the island should\\nelect four members in each department, thus making twenty-eight\\nmembers, who will form a convention to discuss and approve any\\nchanges that they may think fit to propose to the governor, who will\\nsanction them if he thinks proper; or in case he does not, he will\\nsubmit them to Washington for decision.\\nThe municipalities should manage their own affairs and have their\\nown police. Order is to be enforced by those vested with the author-\\nity, and only in emergencies may they call on the general government\\nfor assistance.\\nThe secretary of public works should direct all the improvements\\nof the island. All works of general character pertaining to the\\nmunicipalities are to have his superior wisdom. He is to study and\\nreport on all the changes and improvements that the island requires,\\nso that the governor may decide and order the execution of those\\nthat he may deem necessary at present. There is so much to be done", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0820.jp2"}, "821": {"fulltext": "811\\non the island that it requires a man well posted on the general neces-\\nsities to be placed in this office.\\nThe registrars office of the island should be provided with a head\\nman to superintend their work, to be selected by the attorney-general,\\nas presiding officer of the individual department.\\nTERRITORIAL GOVERNMENT AND SUFFRAGE.\\nSuccessors of A. J. Alcaide, merchants, Arroyo, P. R.\\nWe believe that as soon as possible the Territorial form of Govern-\\nment should be established.\\nThe right to vote should be extended to every citizen born in Porto\\nRico and naturalized American who is 21 years of age and knows\\nhow to read and write.\\nWe propose, also, an electoral tax of $1 or $2, as exists in some of\\nthe States. The income so derived to pay for election expenses and\\nbe turned over to the provincial treasury. People to vote directly\\nfor Congressmen and Senators, as also locally for mayor and aldermen.\\n.THE NEEDS OF AGRICULTURE.\\nMEMORIAL OF MAYAGUEZ PLANTERS SUBMITTED TO THE SPECIAL COMMISSIONER.\\nWe, the undersigned, property holders and agriculturists in the\\ndepartment of Mayaguez, being desirous of cooperating as far as our\\nscanty forces allow for the welfare of this island, beg to state\\nThat the coffee growers of Mayaguez, Las Marias, and Maricao some\\nyears ago began their work anew, rising out of the prostration to\\nwhich the industry had been for some time subjected. At this date\\nthe plantations are in very good condition, owing to the fertility of the\\nsoil and the careful work which has been bestowed on them; but\\nas the merchants of Mayaguez have absolutely cut off credits, the only\\nsource on which we count for the development of agriculture, the day\\nmay arrive (and it is not far off) when the coffee industry may die for\\nlack of funds with which to attend to its needs. As the poor classes\\nlive on the work given by the agriculturist, if that work be suspended\\nthey will be reduced to the utmost misery. For a year this condition\\nhas been threatening, and cases of starvation have already occurred\\nand will occur frequently for want of work. To save the situation,\\na sad one for both owner and workman, to combat the tyranny of the\\nspeculator and usurer, to place the coffee industry on a footing of\\nprogress, to free the laborer from his condition of ansemia and enable\\nhim to earn enough, to buy food with the wages of his honest labor,\\nand to lift the agriculturist from the penury which overwhelms him\\nand enable him to meet his obligations and his social duties, there is\\nurgent need\\nFirst. That the money question be settled, giving the pesos a value\\nof 50 cents.\\nSecond. That agricultural banks be established by* American cor-\\nporations, to loan money at low rates and for long terms on mortgages.\\nThird. That full freedom be given for Americans, our fellow-coun-\\ntrymen, to establish themselves so as to introduce competition and put\\nan end to Spanish and German monopoly, which, owing to lack of", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0821.jp2"}, "822": {"fulltext": "812\\ncompetition, sells its merchandise dear and scourges agriculture by\\nthe low prices paid for produce. The merchants are interested only\\nin sending their capital to their respective countries, leaving our coun-\\ntry bare, greatly to our prejudice.\\nFourth. That lawyers, notaries, and court clerks fees be limited to\\nrates made generally known by a published tariff.\\nFifth. That every citizen be allowed to conduct his own litigation,\\nwithout obligatory recourse or procurators, as these, together witli\\nshysters, whose only idea is to draw the agriculturists into litiga-\\ntion, with or without reason, cause great prejudice to agriculturists.\\nSixth. That agricultural tools and machinery be exempted from all\\nduties.\\nSeventh. That the so-called cuota imponible be annulled for a\\nnumber of years, owing to the onerous state of present conditions.\\nEighth. That the ayuntamiento of this city, together with General\\nHenry, work for the annexation to the district of the neighboring ones\\nof Maricao and Las Marias, as those districts impose heavy taxation\\nto meet the salaries of their unnecessary employees, to the exclusion\\nof important work, such as roads and education; and that preference\\nbe given to these branches, so completely neglected.\\nKnowing your good wishes and the good wishes of the President of\\nthe great Republic, we await with faith and enthusiasm the speedy\\nchange of the situation to one of prosperity for Porto Rico, which,\\nonce the traces of the fatal Spanish domination are wiped out, will be\\nlike Kentucky, the American paradise and the garden of America.\\n(Signed by many persons.)\\nMUNICIPAL TAXES TOO HEAVY.\\nSTATEMENT OF MUNICIPALITY OF SABANA GKANDE.\\nTaxes should be proportionate to the wealth of the locality and to\\nthe benefits bestowed by the state. It is completely arbitrary that a\\ntown like Sabana Grande should have to paj $4,000 besides the pro-\\nvincial contingent, which reaches almost the sum of $1,500, when it\\npossesses only one telegraph station, with no post-office, no roads, and\\nno armed force to guarantee security to life and property.\\nAs regards industries, we aspire to the greatest possible liberty, so\\nthat our industries may acquire a rapid and steady growth. It seems\\nanomalous that in the midst of an age of light and progress in dividual\\ninitiative should have been strangled and the establishment c indus-\\ntrial centers prevented.\\nAgriculture and commerce constitute almost the only sources of our\\nwealth, but have been confined until now to a narrow sphere by the\\nnation which has just been defeated by the American Army. There\\nare very few estates not heavily mortgaged, owing to th want of\\nequilibrium between expenses and production.\\nREFORMS IN GOVERNMENT.\\nOPINIONS OF SEftOR JOSE L. F.ERRI0S, ALCALDE OF PATILLAS.\\nIf Porto Rico is to obtain a high grade of prosperity, it needs\\n(1) The establishment of strong credit institutions, lending money\\nfor long terms, in the form of insular banks with a basis of Porto\\nRican capital, assisted by the insular treasuiy.", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0822.jp2"}, "823": {"fulltext": "813\\n(2) The complete annexation of the island to the United States\\nwithout losing its personality (individuality) in its government. You\\nare aware that home rule is the true American and democratic doc-\\ntrine, the best known to civilization for the welfare of nations.\\n(3) Modification of the courts of justice. Municipal judges should\\ndisappear, and their functions should be intrusted to the alcaldes.\\n(4-) Reconcentration of rural population in villages. In this way\\nthe methods of education and culture find easier application.\\nAs secondary measures tending to the better conduct of the munici-\\npalities are\\n(1) That sugar and tobacco enter free into the United States.\\n(2) That rural schools only be supported by the municipalities,\\nwhich should have liberty to institute examinations, engagement and\\nremoval of teachers, and the adoption of a system of teaching.\\n(3) Reality of municipal autonomy, not as to-day, when the alcaldes\\ndo not know what laws to obey, as neither American laws have been\\nintroduced nor Spanish laws annulled, and there are points in the lat-\\nter incompatible with the present government.\\n(4) Modification or suppression of the present tariffs under which\\npharmacists have to supply drugs to the poor for account of the\\nmunicipality. Annual inspection of drug stores, so as o insure a stock\\nof medicines made imperative by the science of mf^^e.\\n(5) That the government advance to tM umcipaiitie a sum suffi-\\ncient tcTcover their debts, saW ^o be returned ma number of\\nyears proportionately to tfc \u00c2\u00ab\u00c2\u00bbf ^f^\\n(6) That vicinage V V d be P^t m order by the insula* treasury,\\ntheir repaUhere^ Ger t0 be borne b the municipalities.\\nFORMS DESIRED BY THE AYUNTAMIENTO OF CAYEY.\\nXV-C/\\ni entry for coffee, sugar, molasses, and tobacco, and a duty\\npos JT on forei S n coffees entering into any port of the Union of at\\nlast $4.\\n1 Free export.\\nAgricultural banks with branches in the most important towns of\\nthe island.\\nThat education be obligatory, free, and attended to by the state,\\nand that schools for poor children and adults be established in every\\ntown of the island.\\nTT F e !rC asting trade with ever y P\u00c2\u00b0 rt of tne Union; introduction of\\nUnited States currency as soon as possible.\\nAdministrative decentralization for city councils. That the whole\\nof the income from territorial taxes be given to the municipalities f or\\ntneir expenses, as long as the state has an income from customs, as\\ntne presort system will make it impossible for the municipalities to\\ncover mses.\\njrers will be thrown out of work as soon as the tobacco crop\\nceases, ,nd it is necessary to start public works to give them employ-\\nment and the means of earning food for their families.\\nThat the military government be terminated.\\nO", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0823.jp2"}, "824": {"fulltext": "hi\\nJXa)t t\\ni- I I\\nLBAg 04", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0824.jp2"}, "825": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0825.jp2"}, "826": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3480", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0826.jp2"}, "827": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3480", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0827.jp2"}, "828": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0828.jp2"}, "829": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0829.jp2"}, "830": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0830.jp2"}, "831": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3490", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0831.jp2"}, "832": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3635", "width": "2181", "jp2-path": "reportonislandof00unit_0832.jp2"}}