The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-10-07
REFORM EFFORTS
Are Being Put Forth by President
zelaya Of Nicaragua.
SHORT CROPS AND DIRE POVERTY
Increase the Burdens of the
Little Republic.
lsnecial Correspondence.l |

Especial Correspondence.1
MAyAGUA. Sept. 17.-President zelaya
has just appointed General Santiago Cal
lejas his present minister Of treasury and
acting minister OF interior, to 90 TO Blue
fields, Rama and other Atlantic ports OF
Nicaragua, with full power to make such
official changes, and issue and enforce, IL
he can, such orders and DEGREES as he may
Ind necessary in an effort to try and
regulate satisfactorily 10 the government
Of Nicaragua the political, financial and
judicial systems there.
In other words IL will be an attempt 70
cause TO the people on the eastern coast Of
Nicaragua--who all have grown up under
civil and criminal Jurisprudence, copied
or modelled by one of their former ''su-
preme court judges" Judge jackson (pre-
viously ono of the late Snowman Bar
NUNS best clowns), from the New York
state code--to adopt and comply with the
unimproved, commingled old Spanish laws
and Napoleonic code that have been used,
abused and eyaded, as conditions suited,
by lethargic western Nicaraguans for
many years past.
Short Crops Cause Suffering.
President Zelaya has issued decree
granting free transportation of corn,
beans, rice, plantains and vegetables over
the national railroads i'm an effort To re-
duce the prevailing high prices in west
ern Nicaragua for all articles of food.
The long-continued, unreasonable dry
weather has largely decreased the crop,
the demand for labor aud the wages to all
kinds Of laborers, consequently a majority
of the lower and middle classes, which
constitute about 80 per cent of the entire
population of about $4,000 of Nicaragua,
are reduced TO living in closest economy
on such wild fruits and berries as they
can gather, supplemented by the small
quantities OF corn. beans, plantains or
rice they can buy, from day to day, with
their small earnings
Poor Coffee Crops.
The coffee crops in the districts of vol
canic formed soils-the largest coffee pro-
ducing areas in this country-are not ex-
pected to yield this year over one half the
average annual production, and will re-
.quire not one half the usual number Of la
borers to gather the crop through the
three months when ripening, and then
the competition of the unorganized labor
ers will reduce, most probably, the hereto
fore very low prices paid for this work.
The season Is too dry to clear more lands
and plant more coffee trees. Thus the
prospects are that the present straitened
condition Of the laboring classes will be-
come more unbearable.
Danger In Hog Meat.
FL Pueblo. a government-subsidized
daily In Managua, announces the dis
covery Of ''trichinia spiralis" In quantities
In fresh pork sold in the cities in western
Nicaragua. This is not surprising, in
light Of the fact that hogs, like buzzards,
are permitted as scavengers on the streets
and in many OF the houses and yards. El
Pueblo cautions the people against the too
free use Of hog meat, but 1t is warning
that most probably will go unheeded dur
ing the present scarcity and high prices for
all kinds OF food In western Nicaragua.
Funny Finances.
The 100000 pesos (silver) foreign debt,
settled yesterday by the government, was
contracted early In 1898, during the ad- |
ministration Of President Sacasca, with
London company named "The Nicaragua |
Developing company, limited, +" and was a |
loan in silver pesos distributed largely and |
shamefully among some of the members |
of the national congress of Nicaragua, to |
be repaid TO the lender in gold, with inter-
est at "a per cent per annum; 25 per cent |
Of the gross receipts Of the National rail- |
road and steamboats,. and parts of other |
revenues were pledged to redeem In gold |
the principal and interest Of that loan OF |
silver pesos.
In June, 1893, the Sacasca government |
was dethroned, and the subsequent in !
ternal and external wars prevented the |
payment Of but part of the loan. The |
present government OF Nicaragua ignored |
the terms OF payment Of the debt and the |
rate of interest, and recently Secretary OF
Treasury Callejas declared:
"The government having received silver
will pay in silver, and as follows: 10000
pesos In coffee bonds OF the next cron
(1S95) and 1900 pesos monthly until total
payment of the balance due, with Is per
cent per annum interest on account from
the beginning Of the debt, commissions TO
be paid on such suDis as have been col.
lected by the Nicaragua Developing COM
pany, limited"
These terms were agreed 10 yesterday by
both parties. The coffee bonds" are
really permits to export, and are an ex-
port tar Of 2 cents (silver) pound on
coffee, which will be paid to the holder OF
go bonds before the coffee can be ex.
ported.
Another Bidder For the Fight.