| Show POVERTY IN PORTO RICO Wealthy Spaniards Make No Effort to i i Aid the Poor Boston April 10 Following Is un abstract I ab-stract of the report of ReE S Tead I I of Somervllle Mass who with Rev A F Beard < of New York went to Porto Rico as representative of the American Ameri-can Missionary association about six weeks ago In some of the towns where the greatest poverty exists Spaniards live who are worth nil the way from 100000 to 1000000 but they are not touched by this condition of the poor nor arc efforts made to alleviate distress Beggary Beg-gary Is I common andlr some of the stores little baskets of coppers on the shelf hold the amount which the merchants mer-chants intend to dispense that day All sorts of bodily deformities and disease are displayed by these beggars such beggnr as blindness twisted feet dropsy sores bruised legs paralysis women ciarrled In carts or hobbling along on their haunches or men healed by the wayside way-side holding up a maimed limb and begging for n pittance The need of the Island Is a general hospital equipped with modern appliances The education of the people Is receiving re-ceiving the careful consideration of the authorities At present 10000 children are In the public schools but 300000 remain re-main afe yet unprovided for There are 800 teachers about ninety of whom are from the United States Both Spanish and English ore taught and the children are quick and eager to learn Religion Is ifot allowed n place In the curriculum There Isa distinct and emphatic call for a large central boardingschool of the higher grade with normal and Industrial departments depart-ments The outlook for Industrial educational educa-tional and religious quickening Is encouraging en-couraging During the past two years great advances have been made The people In spite of the present disturbances disturb-ances are expectant of changes for the better The hop of that fair land Is In Ihe children By their ready assimilation assimi-lation of American Ideas they constitute consti-tute the groundwork of a new civil and moral order That such regeneration Is to come Is the confident expectation of those who know Porto Rico best |
