Show CENTURIES OF SPOIL Porto Rico a Picture of Severe Neglect LEGACY OF SPANISH MISRULE Lack of Improvement Evidence of Former Oppression Pompous Officials Came Ruled With Vigor and Departed With Their IllGotten Gains Washington Nov 20A severe arraignment ar-raignment of the legacies of Spanish maladministration of Porto Rico Is made In the annual report of William Elliott Commissioner of the Interior for Porto Rico made public at the Interior In-terior Department today Mr Elliott says It is a pity and a shame that during the four centuries preceding American occupation of the island s I o very little effort was made to open up communication that so small a portion por-tion of the millions of dollars wrung from the people In Imposts should have been spent In the betterment of roads for education or any other useful purpose pur-pose CAME FOR SPORT Pompous officials came ruled with vigor tarried a little while and departed depart-ed with a competency of HIgoLlen gains leaving the unhappy natives to labor and to suffer The economic value oC the road extension ex-tension work now in progress Is demonstrated demon-strated he says by a saving of from CO to 70 per cent in the cost of transportation trans-portation to and from the interior LACK OF ATTENTION The report says that the power of the Mayors to remove the health officers of their towns seriously interferes with good sanitary condition and consequently conse-quently the people particularly the poor oi many municipalities sufferNund I die for want of proper attention The next session of the legislative assembly I is expected to remedy this evil NO DEMAND FOR COFFEE I The report says that coffee once the leading export and source of wealth has passed through many vicissitudes In the past decade there has boon very I little new planting there Is no profit to planters of coffee at the present price and should prices go lower the situa I Lion will be distressing The only hope held out Is for possible demand from the I I United States |