Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/700

 578 UNITED STATES : — PORTO RICO

cipalities of the island the mayor, city council, and other chief ofl&cial.s are elected by the people, and they, in turn, appoint their subordinates. The essential features of the United States civil service have been incorporated into a local law by the Legislative Assembly. The judicial y comprises an Attorney General and staff and a United States court appointed by the President ; a Supreme Court of 5 members also appointed by the President ;

7 District Courts whose judges are appointed by the Governor ; and 34 municipal courts and 61 justices of the peace elected by the people.

A revised " Organic Act," known as the Olmstead Bill, designed to replace the Act of April 12, 1900, is before the Congress of the United States. In December, 1910, it passed the lower house and now awaits the action of the Senate. The new act, in its projected form, grants collective American citizenship to the people of Porto Rico and a partially but pro- gressively elective senate ; extends the appointive judiciary system ; establishes a co-ordinate and cohesive form of insular government, in which the legislative and executive functions are to be separated ; and provides an effective health service throughout the island.

Governor. — George E. Colton.

Secretary. — M. Drew Carrel.

Area, Population and Instruction.— The island has an area of

3,606 square miles. The population in 1910 was 1,118,012 or 818 per sq. mile. The negroes in 1899 numbered 59,390, and mulattoes 304,352. There were 589,426 whites and 75 Chinese. The coloured population was 38 "2 per cent, of the whole. Chief towns, San Juan, 48,716 inhabitants (1910) ; Ponce, 63,444 ; Mayaguez, 42,429. Of the working population, 63 per cent, are engaged in agriculture, fisheries, and mining ; 21 per cent, in domestic and personal service ; 8 per cent, in manufacturing industries ;

8 per cent, in trade and transportation. In 1899 over 83 per cent, of the population could neither read nor write. In 1899 the school system was reorganised and education was made compulsory In 1912 there were 1,168 common schools with 160,657 pupils enrolled ; 19 high schools ; and a well distributed system of night schools and kindergartens. There are also a number of private schools. The University of Porto Rico, established in Rio Piedras, 12 kilometres (about 7 miles) from San Juan, and open to both men and women, consists of a normal department, a college of liberal arts, a college of agriculture, with provision for departments of natural science and engineering, architecture, law, medicine, pharmacy, and for a university hospital. It maintains a farm and a dairy equipped with modern machinery and utensils and selected stock, and with the co-operation of the United States Agricultural Experiment Station at Mayaguez, is offering a thorough course in theoretical and practical hufbandry.

Finance.- — Revenues are derived from customs and excise, from the general property tax, a collateral inheritance tax, taxes on insurance companies and from various licences and fees. Receipts and disbursements for the year ending June 30, 1912 : —

Dollars.

Balance, July 1, 1911 4,015,444

Receipts, 1911-12 7,816,161

11,831,605 Disbursements, 1911-12 8,708,222

Halance, July 1, 1912 3,123,383