Senor Munoz Rivera, who was president of the recent autonomist council of secretaries, and other officials of the late insular government were present at the proceedings.  Many American flags were displayed.

Acknowledgment has been made of the better condition of Porto Rico than of Cuba, but the trail of the serpent of colonial Spanish government appears.  Mr. Alfred Somamon writes in the Independent: 

“The internal administration of the island disposes of a budget of about $3,300,000, and is a woeful example of corrupt officialism.  Of this sum only about $650,000 is expended in the island, the remainder being applied to payment of interest on public debt, salaries of Spanish officials, army, navy, and other extra-insular expenditures.  But the whole of the revenue is collected in the island.”

An article of great value by Eugene Deland, appeared in the Chatauquan of September, on the characteristics of Porto Rico, and we present an extract, showing its admirable distinction of accurate information well set forth: 

“The mountain slopes are covered with valuable timbers, cabinet and dye-woods, including mahogany, walnut, lignum vitae, ebony, and logwood, and various medicinal plants.  Here, too, is the favorite zone of the coffee tree, which thrives best one thousand feet above sea level.  The valleys and plains produce rich harvests of sugar-cane and tobacco.  The amount of sugar yielded by a given area is said to be greater than in any other West Indian island.  Rice, of the mountain variety and grown without flooding, nourishes almost any place and is a staple food of the laboring classes.  In addition to these products cotton and maize are commonly cultivated, and yams, plantains, oranges, bananas, cocoanuts, pineapples, and almost every other tropical fruit are grown in abundance.  Among indigenous plants are several noted for their beautiful blossoms.  Among these are the coccoloba, which grows mainly along the coasts and is distinguished by its large, yard-long purple spikes, and a talauma, with magnificent, ororous, white flowers.

“Of wild animal life Porto Rico has little.  No poisonous serpents are found, but pestiferous insects, such as tarantulas, centipedes, scorpions, ticks, fleas, and mosquitos, supply this deficiency in a measure.  All sorts of domestic animals are raised, and the excellent pasture-lands support large herds of cattle for export and home consumption, and ponies, whose superiority is recognized throughout the West Indies.

“The mineral wealth of the island is undeveloped, but traces of gold, copper, iron, lead, and coal are found.  Salt is procured in considerable quantities from the lakes.