| Show I LAW FOR PORT RICO RCO insular Commission Hakes Its Report Re-port to War Department + CONDITION OF COUNTRY PEOPLE WILLING TO ACCEPT AMERICAN INSTITUTIONS Porto Rican Money to be Supplanted by United States Currency Concessions Con-cessions and Franchises to the Highest Bidder Marriages Compulsory Com-pulsory New School System + Washington June 2The insular commission appointed by the war department de-partment to investigate affairs of Porto Rico and report upon all matters relating re-lating to currency laws taxation judiciary ju-diciary public improvements education educa-tion and civil affairs generally has made a unanimous report to the secretary secre-tary or war The commissioners say that all classes and conditions of the Porto Rican population are ready and willing to accept American institutions and to be content with them and in general gen-eral they recommend the establishment establish-ment of such laws general district and municipal as will give to the people of Porto Rico substantially the same protection pro-tection and the same laws which are now enjoyed by the people of the United Unit-ed States e The report discusses the financial condition of the country and says that it is largely the outgrowth of Spanish institutions The currency amounts to about 11600000 a larger sum than was in circulation prior to American occupancy occu-pancy The report recommends that the Spanish bank bills be redeemed and that the bank be no longer permitted per-mitted to issue currency I also recommends recom-mends that as soon as possible the I Porto Rican money which is now m circulation be supplanted by United States currency and that the exchange be made at the expense of Porto Rico Franchises to Highest Bidder The commission considers at some length thequestion of concessions and franchises and recommends such a generous settlement of the financial question as will give to Porto Rico every opportunity for advancement and Improvement and encourage the investment of moneys in the way of building rlroadl and other public improvements im-provements of all kinds all to be regulated reg-ulated in such manner as shall be to the best interests of the people of the Island and all to be under government control all such concessions to be granted only after proper advertisement advertise-ment in newspapers in Porto Rico anl the United States and then sold to the highest bidder at public sale all to be subject to the control of the government govern-ment of the island and all franchis2S so granted to be regulated and directed for the benefit of the neoole It is advised that the marriage and divorce laws of the island be at once remedied so as to make marriages compulsory to require a husband and wife and those now living together tc make record of their cohabitation and legitimatizing all such living together Public School System The report recommends the establishment estab-lishment in the island of the public school system of the United States Recommendation is made that there shall be a complete separation of church and state and all property Recommendation is made for a thorough thor-ough reform of the judicial system of the island along American lines The division of the country into districts similar to those counties in the states of the United States is suggested The commissioners recognize vested rights in the island and recommend that they be protected Another American method referred to Is that for the recording re-cording of deeds the present system being very cumbersome and expensive expen-sive Other recommendations are as follows fol-lows Better postal facilities the maintenance main-tenance of the postal and military telegraph tele-graph on the Island and as part of the postal system that an early census of the people be taken |
