Show pORTO ORTO RICOS TROUBLES In an article published in the North NOl American review General Stone who has lias died dIM since the story was written calls calli attention to what he be considers a ad deplorable d state of affairs in Porto Rico under American rule After lifter a careful car f l inquiry he finds that a majority of the t le natives would very vory much prefer pre or to go SO buck to the Uthe good old Spanish days day although plundered and op oppressed oppre oppressed pressed pre e they had work Mork ork and food The writer leeds leads us to believe that here there is ia I neither work wok nor food for fOl the people peo le leof I of Porto Rico today todar And nd they attribute this tills unfortunate condition to laws l ws ad administered administered I ministered by an American meric n governor It appears that congress was so any anxious an anlou lou ious to prevent pr the exploitation of ot Por POl Porto Porto I Ito to Rico by corporations organized In Inthe Inthe Inthe the United States that it overshot the mark ark It is Iii practically impossible for corporations to do ao business to any an ex ox extent extent tent in Porto Rico This result has been brought about by b the time enactment of ot ofa a statute statute the points of ot which are ale given ghen in tha American Review as fol fot follows lows Imn 1 I 1 No corporation can buy bu and a d soil toll real reUl tat e there 4 1 While it is i necessary to have at least lest acres of ot o cane ne lands for fr a profit proU profitable able sugar mill and many man of ot those in Ip Cuba and Hawaii have h e acres no corporation In Porto Rico can e n own or control over oer fOO OO acres of ot land for any an agricultural purpose pur ose whatever S No o corporation can own on any n mote more moreland land lana than it u uses e In its business 4 No member of any an corporation en ea engaged e in agriculture shall be In any an wlee wl e Interested d In any an other corporation en el in that is a 0 man who has bee a share of ot stock in a coffee com coin company company pany pammy cannot mot buy a share in a sugar company without breaking a federal law lawIt It is I claimed by hi the tho writer that in instead instead stead of giving new life to Porto Rico the tIt annexation a annexation of ot he i island by b the United States caused a paralysis of her already feeble industries A great greot deal of money that would have been invested in Porto Porte Rican enterprises was as kept out because under the law 81 it could yield no profitable returns General Stone died believing that there was no help helD for Porto Rico Time rime ime and again he be tried to secure favorable action by congress but al always alway a ways way be he failed felled The question is one that the national lawmakers might in inquire Inquire iT quire into nto If conditions really ro are as I bad ae as a i S claimed Immediate steps step to better them should Ue tro taken Even the corporation cure is better than in ill industrial industrial death |