| Show i Puerto Rico New Deal I Has Socialistic Power U editor note ot This I Is ts ha h at tit ata a erdea of ar 1 on Puerto Little New Kew Deal al B By fly S. S BURTON HEATH NEA Service Correspondent Correspond nt 1 SAN JUAN p. p R. R The Tiie The so so- called program Puerto v Rico's Ricos little new deal bears all the earmarks of ot thorough thorough-g thorough going state socialism If the insular government should utilize the broad powers which it now posH possesses pos pos- H messes there would not be a aI I significant enterprise in the S I whole land left in private hands Here Herb is what the government of ot Puerto Rico fa Is authorized to todo do elther d-elther either elthe by specific law or by wartime extension of general law Ii f r 1 To acquire and operate 4 every tr transportation facility facUlty Ini internal internal in- in i and external external every every railroad railroad railroad rail- rail road trolley bus steamship or airplane line carrying passengers gers gere or commodities to from orin or orIn orin In the Island bland Actually of course Insular C law Jaw might prove pro a thin reed t if 11 an attempt were were made to acquire ac- ac quire steamship and plane pane lines linea linest t against the owner owners owners' wills In fact one bus line in San SanJuan SanJuan Juan and the tr trolley s system stem have been taken over An attempt was wa made to get the army to declare that the islands island's one railroad should be taken as a a. war measure The company's directorate would have been delighted de de- e- e lighted but jut nothing came of the idea Government Utilities 2 To acquire and operate all communication facilities in the Island bland The government now owns owns and operates the telegraph system which wilt will no not handle incoming cables so that these I h have ve to be mailed to th their tr irad- irad addressees adl ad- ad l and some rural tele- tele telephone telephone phone lines Formal Femia notice has hasI I been given of intention to take over the telephone company J p. but neither Majority Leader Munoz Marin nor anybody else In in authority will wilt say whether they Intend to go through with this hIs N No move toward taking over radio stations station is apparent 3 To acquire and operate all electricity systems The water resources authority built up a a. hydro-electric hydro system for rural electrification acquired the private system in Ponce Ponce- second largest city and city and now tinder under specific orders from the president as an alleged war measure has taken over the San SanJuan SanJuan SanJuan Juan and the Mayaguez systems from their private owners This still sUll is u in litigation If any J power system remains in private C hands it is u so negligible as not nott notto notto t to count Acquires Land 4 To acquire most of the best and Jand in the the island and redistribute ute it either by fin small parcels on terms less less' onerous than rent or by oper operation u un under der a sharing profit-sharing system 1 This program has been start start- ed ed and is proc proceeding as s fast tact as money can be found to finance it and the mechanics of tion and and distribution can be worked out 5 To establish and operate a government d deVelopment eVe lop m e nt bank deposit in it the islands island's public funds around accept deposits make loans loaM and generally cond conduct ct 8 a regular banking business This has not yet begun to function 6 6 To enter into any industrial or commercial proprietary vea- vea ture which shall meet meet certain broad t tests subject to Interpretations interpretations by whomever controls the government at any time This is S through a development corporation which is just b beginning beginning begin begin- gin gin- ning to operate 7 A As a war measure all imports im im- im ports into the Island are handled bandied by the agricultural marketing administration financed by the department of ot the Interior di directed directed directed di- di by Governor TugwelL Distribution is through established established wholesale and retail chann chan than n rids nels cis Arbitrary Capricious I The th Charge rge is made mad in specific specific i instances that hat this distribution distribution distribution distri distri- is arbitrary capricious and d designed to give ad advantage tag to certain favored merchants against others A typical illustration thus illus of the charges is that of ofa ofa ofa a seller who used to do doa a big business He says that now he gets only a nominal supply supply sup sup- ply of what reach the island He i is able to care for his clientele he says by b buying ying at ata ata ata a premium from another dealer who never had much business but under the new set up is given en a large oversupply of ciga- ciga At present there remains inthe in inthe inthe the hands of private enterprise aside from stores and petty en- en nothing except the American Railway the Pu Puerto Rico 0 Telephone company t the h e sugar mills and sugar estates which have not been taken over yet but will beIn be In thc th land program only a beginning has been made B But u t this alone alMe of the government enterprises is s concededly designed designed de de- signed to be a thoroughgoing overhaul As fast as can be Itis it itis itis is Intended to take over every land holding g In ex excess ess o of acres w which ich is not owned by an individual Plantations ns Doomed The big sugar estates upon which Puerto Ricos Rico's economy has depended for for- generations run to thousands of acres No major maior company would b bother ot h her e r with a mere merd acres So all alto of the best lands soon soon will be in the governments government's possession or or in that of colonos hol holding ing a sma small m a I 11 I plots The The- sugar mills have b been bee e e amade n a made public utilities clos closely ly reg reg- To each each- has been assigned as assigned assigned as as- signed a territory whose cane raisers must patronize the rom Prices are regulated and arid th there re will be various types of f inspectors inspectors tors to protect the growers Th There re isn't much left to operate operate operate oper oper- ate as free 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