The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-09-21
planned by the fact that Spanish arms
are blazoned over every church altar In
What Is Done with It?

planned by the fact that Spanish arms
are blazoned over every church altar in
| the island"
What Is Done with It?
Mr.. Wellman asked Mr.. Macfas what
the government did with all the money
| wrung from the people. "ls II used for
| schools, hospitals, asylums, the build
| ing of railways and highways"
mo one knows what becomes of the
money" the replied. 1.-THE army, the
navy, the horde of ofiiceholders. inter-
| est ON the debt unjustly forced upon us.
account for a part of the sum, burt not
for all. The government has done lit
tie In the way of constructing railways
or in making other internal improve
mentS. During the last quarter of Il
century Il total of $40. .000. 900 has been
put in the estimates for public works.
/ doubt If the authorities can show
where a quarter of 1T has been expend-
ed. one of the curses of Cuba is the
lack of roads, and If the government
had honestly spent the money which NJ
collected for this purpose 1t might now
move its troops and guns into the re-
gion of the rebellion. The few rail-
roads are poor things largely devoted
to the hauling of sugar cane.
1.-THE school system maintained by
the government is very inadequate.
In many communities there are no
schools. The teachers have difficulty
In getting their pay. The Cuban Con-
servatory of Music Is assisted by the
government with the munifcent sum
of $1,000 a year, and that they recently
tried to withhold. Most of the asy-
lums. hospitals and homes are MAIN
tained by private subscriptions. The
government permits lepers to roam
fhrnnUh OF Il
ticnts are simply confined to their
homes. In the cities there are no sew
ers. In Havana we use ccsspools In
THE yards. Santiago is said to he the
fouleSt city In the world. All the
sewage runs I'm open cutters through
the streets and Is not washed out till
q heavy rain falls.
DO Not Like Trees.
"The Spaniards are death to trees.
Wherever they appear the trees dis
appear. They want none but open
l!azas A Frenchman offered for a
small privilege to plant the streets of
Havana with fine trees. The govern
merit would not permit. An English
syndicate offered to dredge out and
thoroughly cleanse the harbor of Ha-
vana, which, though beautiful to look
upon, Is exceedingly vile For COM
pensation 1T asked only what the
dredges might fish up. The govern
ment would not accept and the hur-
bors Nilenes's will probably continue
till peSitilence oVertakeS the city 1t
OFTEN happens THAT money, provisions
and clothing contributed by the people
to sufferers by flood or fire, and in
trusted to the government officials,
mysterously disappear. Such was the
Fate of $4,000 recently raised for flood
victims in BaIaCoa.
'One of the greatest outrageS in Cuba
Is the money. Your currency quest
tions in the United States seem trivial
In comparison with ours. In Cuba the
people have been swindled with paper
money till they will not accept 1t any
more. The silver money constantly
iluctuates in value. the poor people al
ways getting the worst of the changes.
Centen, or 2S peZetas piece, Is worth
only 50 In Spain. where Cuba buys so
much. while In Cuba 1t is worth S. 30.
"A Spanish onza is worth S17 in Cuba,
but only SIG when we send it to Spain
in settlement of accounts. Worse still
the government has refused to accent
its own coins. Large quantities of the
Philippine coins. half-dolars and quar-
tiers, the coinage being authorized and
the pieces bearing the Spanish crown.
were circulated in Cuba. In Decem-
ber, 1873. came a sudden order that
these coins We're not to be accented as
legal tender. Many people were caught |
with large amounts in hand. Worst of |
all. it is capable of proof that the gov |
ernment has deliberately put in circu- |
lation counterfeit coin"
Hundreds of other instances of the !,
wantonness, rapacity and failure of !
the Spanish rule in Cuba did Mr.. Ma |
cias recite. Can anyone marvel that |