Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1898-11-19

Spanish Officials In CuDa.
washington. Nov 16.-Hon. Robert
P. Porter. special commissioner for
the United states to Cuba and Puerto
Rico, yesterday presented his report to
the president and secretary Of the
treasury. The report submitted con-
tains about 10000 words and goes very
fully into the financial and economical
conditions of Cuba, Analysing the
budget Of that island for IA years,
showing the sources of income and the
causes of expenditure. There are some
supplementary reports yet to be made.
Mr.. Porter examined both in the
United States and Cuba some 500 wit
nesses. all of whose testimony is pub
lished in the appendix to the report.
Mr. Porter has also submitted for the
approval of the. secretary of the treas
ury a complete revision of the tariff in
the form of a new bill, which will be
examined by the experts of the treas
ury department and if approved will
be promulgated by the president and
take effect at the port Of Cienfuegos
Dec. /. that being, in all probability,
the first important port to come into
the possession of the United States.
Commissioner Porter says:
1.-THE Spanish tariff was made by
Spaniards for Spain. in the interest
of the Spaniards. That seems to be the
only principle in It, On. any other
theory it was inexplicable. The rates
We're full of inequalities and were not
levied on any sound principle, but on
the heads Spain wins, tails Cuba
loses idea, which prevails in the whole
fiscal fabric.
1.-THE cupidity and rapacity of the
Spanish official in Cuba is beyond con-
ception, and if we may judge by tho
results at Santiago the United States
officials will be able to collect as much
revenue OH a tariff the duties of which
are nearly two-thirds less than under
the Ubiquitous law now in force"
Mr. Porter gives a table showing the
average annual custom house receipts
in the Island of Cuba from 1886 to 1897,
inclusive, to be $12, 645. 1874
In an interesting analysis of the Gu
ban budget showing how much reve-
nue. is required and how much may
reasonably be expected from the tariff
to be enforced Mr. Porter says:
1.-THE money collected from Cuba,
W ilIAAlt4 IL w dts PAofVoUsVuO VI tess Has
all gone, and nothing is likely to be
found in the treasury but numerous
evidences of promises to pay, records
of receipts given by the government for
goods not paid for. debts of all kinds
including the salaries of a large num-
Der of minor officials. The first and
most important item of expenditure is
for sovereignty expenses, and aggre-
gates a sum exceeding $22, 100000 The
largest item is that of the interest on
public debt. which aggregates $40. 435,-
1888.
An important subject in the report is
that in relation to the currency Says
the report
although CUBA is afflicted with
many kinds of deprecated currency,
the established basis is strictly gold.
Indeed there is something almost
pathetic in the manner in which Cuba,
though plundered and depleted of her
resources of wealth. has never wavered
from a gold basis. The testimony taken
and statements made on this subject
have been unanimously in favor OF a
continuous gold basis for the Cubans
have suffered somuch from SPANS vari-
Gus attempts to force deprecated cur
rency upon the people, both in the form
of silver and bank bills, that they want
no further experiment with the cur
rency."
Mr.. Porter then takes up the ques-
ton Of taxation, and suggests the abo-
lition Of certain taxes, especially that
known as the "consumpt On tax on
the killing Of cattle, which is an ex-
action that greatly increases the price
of food to the people. This tax" says
pnptQr 'tIilyA f-
simply farmed out to private firms or
corporations, whose emissaries in its
collection become a constant menace
to thrift and industry in their respec-
tive districts. Another tax which will
fall down of its own weight is the
"cedula," or head tax, which varies in
amount from a few cents to $780, ac-
cording to the rank and Importance of
the individual. Curiousy enough, this
tax when not collected becomes a
greater source of injustice and annoy
ance than when collected. 1t is gem
orally allowed to run until some occa-
sion comes for the unhappy victim of
Spanish rapacity TO require a public
document or permit to bury a child or
relative a license to marry, a trans
fer of real estate or a notarial ac-
acknowledgement Then it is that the
petty rascals in charge of public bust
ness bear down heavily, and unless the
fines and back "cedula" and a hand
some qualification" to the official is
forthcoming, the body must await in
terment, the marriage must be post
poned or a transaction delayed
Mr.. Porter then takes up the uue5-
ton of education. There are free pub
lie schools in Cuba, but the teachers
have the right to take pay scholars,
and naturally those who do not pay
get little or no attention. The pro-
POI ton of people who are illiterate Is
We y great. Some statistics show only
one in forty of the laboring classes
able to read and write. There can be
TO stable government in Cuba, Mr..
Porter says, until this has been rene
died.
Mr.. Porter closes his recommended
tions by giving an account of the con-
dition of labor in the island in which
he says
There is at this moment a steady