4 68 



The National Geographic Magazine 



tion, but on the other hand they cannot secure 

 legislation without the consent of the lower 

 house. As a const- queuce any measure to be- 

 come a law must meet with the approval of the 

 representatives, both of the United States and 

 Porto Rico. Hence the mutual recognition of 

 the rights and desires of the two houses is 

 necessary in order that the governmental 

 machine can be made to work. 



No greater mistake can be made than to 

 suppose that the Porto Ricans are not able to 

 exercise a positive voice in the determination 

 of the laws under which the)' are to live or in 

 the manner in which revenue shall be raised 

 and expenditures made. 



Two sessions of the legislature have now 

 been held and a general scheme of local gov- 

 ernment throughout the island enacted. Some 

 of the defects of the Spanish system were: in- 

 numerable districts or municipalities, a con- 

 centration of legislative and executive func- 

 tions in the same hands, an innumerable num- 

 ber of offices, and as a result the expenditure 

 of local funds for salaries, leaving no money 

 for schools or roads, and the raising of reve- 

 nue in such a way that the taxes were paid by 

 the poor. All this has now been changed. 



The number of municipal districts has been 

 greatly decreased. A uniform system of keep- 

 ing accounts for all the local governments has 

 been put in force. The treasurer of the island 

 has general direction over the finances of the 

 district, and in case a district is not meeting 

 its obligations can step in and assume control 

 somewhat in the manner of a receiver of a 

 corporation. The number of offices has been 

 reduced and a law passed compelling the dis- 

 tricts to devote a certain proportion of revenue 

 to the schools and roads. The system of rais- 

 ing revenue has been entirel}' reorganized, and 

 the revenue is now obtained from three main 

 sources : (i) excise and license taxes on the 

 manufacture and sale of rum, spirits, tobacco, 

 etc , (2) a general propert3'tax upon all real 

 aud personal property, with certain exemp- 

 tions, and (3) a tax upon inheritances. 



The revenue of Porto Rico is now from two 

 and a quarter lo two and a half million dol- 

 lars per year, which is sufficient to meet all 

 the expenses. At the end of the last fiscal 

 year there was a balance of $230,000. The 

 schools are now increasing in number, as the 

 insular government devotes a certain percent- 

 age of its revenue to educational purposes, 

 and this sum, taken in connection with what 

 the municipalities have to provide by law, is 

 sufficient to meet the requirements. The large 

 amount of money devoted to the building of 

 roads is resulting in an improved and definite 

 system of highwaj's. 



In its industries Porto Rico is advancing 

 favorably. The sugar and cattle industries 



are very flourishing ; but the coffee industry 

 is in a very bad condition, as the European 

 market was lost when the island came under 

 American sovereignty. The telegraph system 

 belongs to the government. There is but one 

 railway, now financed by American capital, 

 but railroad building is progressing, and be- 

 fore long there will be a line from San Juan to 

 Ponce around the west coast. An automobile 

 service is in operation from t'once to San Juan, 

 running across the island. 



At the conclusion of Mr Willoughby's inter- 

 esting address, Acting President McGee called 

 for remarks. 



Dr David T. Day inquired as to the extent 

 the English language was being introduced 

 into the schools of Porto Rico. Mr Willoughby 

 replied that English was being taught in every 

 school on the island. iThe children were quick 

 to learn it, as they liked it, aud also because 

 they were ambitious to obtain emplo3'inent by 

 the government or the large commercial es- 

 tablishments, where the ability to read and 

 write English was often essential. 



Mr O. H. Tittmann asked what were the 

 relations of the Porto Rican delegate to our 

 government. Mr Willoughby stated that the 

 Porto Rican delegate to the United States Con- 

 gress had the full powers of the territorial 

 delegates. 



Mr Tittmann asked if any attempt was be- 

 ing made to raise oranges and citrous fruits on 

 the island. Mr Willoughby replied that at- 

 tempts were being made, but that they were as 

 yet in the experimental stage. There was- 

 no doubt, however, that the island is adapted 

 to the cultivation of such fruits. The question 

 was one of management, as to whether the 

 efforts would be remunerative. 



Mr Tittmann inquired whether the island 

 of Culebra belonged to Porto Rico. Mr Wil- 

 loughby replied that it did. 



Mr Tittmann said that he wished to call at- 

 tention to the fact that the United States had 

 not only maintained the lights and buoys 

 placed along the Porto Rican coast by the 

 Spaniards, but had also placed additional 

 lights, and through the U. S. Coast and Geo- 

 detic Survey had made a complete surve)' of 

 the coast and the surrounding islands, and had 

 charted most of the harbors in the island. 



Mr Willoughby said he wished to emphasize 

 the value to Porto Rico of the survey of the 

 coast and harbors. A triangulation of the 

 island and a careful surve}' were most uecessar\- 

 before the question of laud titles and bound- 

 aries, which were now much involved, could 

 be settled, and the work that had been done 

 was an excellent beginning. 



Mr R. L. O'Brien inquired why it was that 

 Porto Rico received the custom duties and ex- 



