The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-09-21

Jose Manuel Aiacias is the name of al
honorable Cuban gentleman who re
sides at present in Washington. He
was recently asked by Walter Wellmar
what he knew about the taxation ex
acted of Cubans by Spain.
Perhaps nothing like it was ever
seen in the world before" he replied
Our people have to pay a tax upon
what they import and upon what they
export, on what they buy and what
they sell. There is n tax on almost
everything that enters into the use and
activity of the people. When you sc
to hotel and register your name you
find tax of 5 cents has to be paid for
the privilege. The poor negro woman
who brings fruit or vegetables into the
city to sell from a basket must pay Il
tax on her trade. The huckster who
uses a cart must pay so much. If he
has a pack horse the tax on the pack
Is 60 cents a month. besides the regular
tax on the animal. Besides. he must
every Monday pay weekly tax. In adj
dition to all this he must at all times
have his cedula in his pocket. which
costs him several dollars year. If
ne Is caught without this. II he acci-
dentally loses 1t or leaves it at home.
he Is marched off to the police station
and 1t costs him n good deal to get
out. AS IL this were not enough, he
must stand in with the police. pay
blackmail. in order to enjoy the privi-
lege of entering certain streets. Ev-
cry citizen is reQuied to take out a
cedula and to carry 1t in his pocket.
There Is an income or occupation tax.
too. Professional men are divided into
classes. and a lawyer or physician of
the first class must pay about n thou-
and dollars a year. The average pro-
feSsional tax is from $500 to S40O Il year
A doctor is not permitted to write q
prescription until his tax is paid.
All Papers Taxed.
every legal instrument, bill. receipt.
contract. license. must be stamped. 1t
Is necessary not only to pay for the
stamps. but to buy the paper from the
government monopoly. ON sugar plan
tations and in all sorts of business and
factories the account books have to be
composed of stamped paper. The forms
authorized for wills. marriage con-
tracts, civil contracts. conveyances of
property. mortgages and other instru-
ments are purposely made unnecessar-
lily long and printed on only one side of
the paper, in order to increase the rev.
enues. All fees are eXtortiOnate. My
cousin bought a mortgage of $1,000. and
to have the instrument Transferred to
her name cost $3.50. To transfer 4 Sl0.-
600 mortgage cost S375.
The marriage ceremony Is an ey-
pensive luxury in Cuba, the average
cost being S25. Many thousands Of
poor Cubans live together all their
lives and rear families because they
cannot afford the expense of mar
riaSe ceremony. / went to Cuba my
self to be married Il few years ago. and
as l had been born there the birth
register had to be looked up in the
church records, the bans had to be pub
lished so many times: various other
forms had to be complied with. After
1t was all over I figured up and found
had paid out $3.50 in fees.
The planters are taxed almost into
bankruptcy. Their land. improve
ments, horses and vehicles are all
taxed. They have to pay a tax on
every pound of sugar produced. The
sugar pays an export tax when it
leaves the island to find market. The
poor countryman who earns his living
hauling cane to the mills must pay tax
on his OK and cort.