Evening star., 1898-11-14
Cuba is Now Between That and
Nothingness.
BLANK IN COUNTRY, CRIME IN CITIES
Merchants Playing a Confidence
Game on the Treasury.
ECULATION IN SILVER

~ Subd Is hanging between nOlnlnSneSS ana
ararchy while awaiting American control.
As L understand the difference i'll the terms
anarchy implies movement, though it may
be the movement of discrderly clements.
Nothingness is a blank The condition CT
the island in the country is a blank. When
that is stated nothing remains to be said
In Havana there is activity among the
dregs of the population. The stories of
increasing crime are true. They give color
to the charge that the Spanish authorities
deliberately cCnnived at the return of the
departed navigoes, or profe sscnal GRIM
il ais, from the penal settlements. Havana
las more than its share of starving
wretches, who in their d speration might
stop the passer-by and take whatever he
had, but the robberies and assaults which
are being committed nightly are not of
ttat kind. The crimes are by criminals
VINO work i'll pairs and gangs. A few cf
these cases are reported in the newspapers
OF most OF them Eothing is said. 4 year
ago it was safe TO walk the unfre euuented
streets of Havana at any hour of he
night. 1t is not safe row to he out after
dark on some of the leading thorougkfares.
Decentralization of the Police Force.
The boldness of the criminal CLASSES is
due to the generalization of the police
force. This consisted of orden publicoes i'll
the city and of guardia civiies in the sub
urbs. Both these bodies are made up Of
the picked men of the regular troops. Their
excellence has been often praised, and with
justice. But many OF the guardia cv.leS
have been discharged and their places have
not been filled. The orden pubico have
practically been oil a strike for the last
ten days. Some are on duty part OF the
tine. yet many of the streets are now
patrolled by the law regulars from he
barracks The pay of some of the orden
pubIcoes is eleven months in arrears They
heliove tnat the officials have received
money to pay them something and are
Withholding it. Possibly IN Spain's fran
cal distress she has not been able to send
a dollar. but this is not the common belt f.
The orden publicoes think thsir Super ors
are stealing their pay. The public also
thinks SO, and sympathizes with the police.
The business community is tranquil in
the midst of these incidents secure in the
belief that American military authority
Will prevent Widespread crime. There is
also universal activity in the harbor and in
the warehouses. Vessels are no longer
coming to Havana and leaving with their
cargoes unloaded because of the extortion-
ate tariff duties. The ships now discharge
thelr cargoes and go out in ballast. The
tarlff duties are nomnally the same but
the private tariff laid by the custom Off
clals has been reduced. In the last davs of
plunder Trey are coming down, so that
nothing will set away from them. If an
importer mas not 81 600 bill they will ac-
cept $500.
Goldfish and Coffee.
1he incident this week has been that
shipment of potatoes and goldfish Every
body at the produce exchange is having a
laugh over it. The manifest was for / $40
barrels of potatoes and 100 barrels of cod
hsh. There is Spanish Goldfish called ba-
coioa, which is not strong as the New
England Goldfish, and which makes A pala-
The rpi
goldfish and New England goldfish are not
Germdne except to show that there is no
pressing demand for the American article
These 4Ot barrels which paid duty as Goldfish
in reality contained American coffee of the
cheap grade that finds Il market in Cuba
10 import the coffee as coffee and pay the
DUTY on 1t would not have been profitable
transaction. AS goldfish il came in cheapIy
As Tor the 800 barrels of potatoes what
sci the produce exchange laughing was
tilat q lew barrels of potatOeS-possibly
h1ty-were actually part OF the lot. The
other 1s4JO barrels consisted of miscel-
laneOus importatiOns of articles on which
lhe Spamsh duties are much higher than
on vegetables. The consignees sweat some
ou' theS ilhaIIy got every thing stralgnten-
ed out. The customs officials Were salts
ned and The goods were stored in the ware
houses
A Confidence Game on the Trensury
This was one phase of the transaction.
Another phase win interest the Treasury
department at Washington. The firm
"hlch imported the potatoes and goldfish
probably has its name on the petition in
circulation with reference to the tim.
When the American tariff shall go into
enect. Having urged that the United
States take early control of the custom
nc use they have now discovered that il
the duties are changed Immediately after
the mIntary occupation begins it viii cause
great confusion ard distress. Sc they are
pettiohing tnat the old Spanish tariff be
Continued in effect for Il certain period
| think they want six weeks in which to
work off the goods with which they ar.
hlllng th-Ir warehouses. This request is
colossal lmpudence. American shippers
who did not care TO do business after th.
Spanish ashIon and who have been wait
ing for the United Stats To take charge
OF the Havana custom house viii for a
t.me be at d disadvantage. They will nd
that by bribery OF the customs officials
the Havana importers have been able TO
stock up under the Spanish high tariff at
rates which were in reality lower than
will be the duties fixed by the United
States. on the heels of this comes the
petition of these importers for six weeks
piund.r at the top notch. The Spanish
merchant does not need to have d trustee
named to look after his interests in an
emergency; nor do the English, German
ard French importing houses in Havana
require that special solicitude shall be
shown them They had all prepared for
the change. The notion that they could
work confidence game on Washington
seems to have sprung up suddenly. The
treasury Department has had months in
which TO prepare the new schedules. The
nag OF the United States is expected 10
fly from MORO Castle and from other pub
lie buildings, including the custom house
on December /. If when business opers
december the new American rates ara
Lot IN force the United States will be y
guilty Partner in the further pIundar of
the people of Cuba, which the SPANISH and
EGropean spectators are planning 1t will
rot do TO talk in general terms about the
lessons in honest administration which il
is proposed to teach at a later date Tha
first lesson should begin with the military
occupation.
Specializing in Silver
The speculation in silver is another mat
ter, but it is something which the United
States cannot SO readily correct. Last
night, while dining with friend at one of
the cafes, l was surprised to find that dur
ing the dinner its cost had appreciated"
% cents. The dinner was not yery eIab-
crate one. either. When silver is going
down, the restaurant prices are in gold
When the white dollars are going up The
charges are made in silver Somebody NAV
get ahead of the Spanish restaurant owner
but have never had the pleasure of meet.
ing him.