The herald., 1898-11-24
Rv command of Major General Miles.
A Business Revival

| HAVANA, Nov. 23.-The last few days
have seen revival of activity i'll every quara-
ter. Things appear to take on more definite
forms in every, branch of military occupa-
ton. Here at Havana wharves are being
| built and railway connections made. The
camps chosen have actually begun to be con-
structed. Government boats and supplies are
| arriving, and the first installment OF United
States troops is expected on Friday. AT the
custom house the archives are being packed
hurriedly, preparatory to turning over the
building to the American authorities. The
best energies of the Spanish now seem to be
bent upon an immediate evacuation of the
island.
| All this has had salutary effect upon
the general tone of commercial and social life
| in the city, which looks to the immediate fu-
ture for relief from long season OF. doubt
and stagnation.
With the advent of cooler weather the
health of the general public has improved.
No new cases of yellow fever among foreign
ers have been reported, and the situation
can be said to be visibly better. There are,
however, two discordant notes, the increase
of crime mad the continuance of official cor
ruption. The newly constituted police force,
known as "Riheres Gubernatives," armed
with machetes and rifles, is totally made
quate to cope with the criminal classes,
whose ranks are daily swollen by the re-
turn of deported prisoners from the penal
colonies.
| The riferes make very poor substitute
| for the disbanded orden publico. The
alarming increasd in vice and crime renders
it unsafe to walk the streets unarmed or
unprotected after nightfall. The police re-
ports show that scores of hold-ups, murders,
burglaries and highway robberies, which
never get into the local papers, thanks
to the watchful CENSOR have been commit
| ted.
Corruption, bribery and wholesale steal
ing in the military and civil administration
continue unchecked. Some insight into the
condition of municipal affairs can be gained
| from the report of a secret session held at
the mayors office on Monday. The regula-
tion hours for killing at the slaughter house
are during the afternoon, but special per
nit entities certain contractors to slaughter
one head each morning, for which those who
have the privilege pay prescribed fee. AS
matter of fact, over hundred head are
killed every day before noon, the fees for
which, exceeding $3.50, never find their way
into the city treasury.
These beeves are distributed by the con
tractors to the military hospitals in the city
at so cents per kilogramme, while the public
pays only the market price of 3S cents. The
difference per kilogramme, together with the
amount of unpaid abattoir fees, is presum.
ably divided among the select few who
silently defraud the city of much-needed
source of income.
At the secret session where this garine
abuse was under discussion, a commission
was appointed to inform Capt. Gen. Banco
of the fact, requesting that the contractor.
be compelled to pay the arrears of fees since
July a.
Street cars and omnibuses have paid ne
taxes for several years. Although strictly
forbidden by law, more than 1000 wooder
houses exist within the city limits. Sucl
cases of bribery, corruption and mal-ad
ministration could be multiplied indefi
nitely. Nothing is done to check them.
On November lS the partially disbanded
guerrillas of Sagua La Chica took the field
burning and destroying property. Thoy did
great damage on the sugar plantation ol
John Harris, British subject. The Brit
ish consul, Mr.. Jerome, two days later filed
a claims for damages, Acknowledgement oi
which has been made by Capt. Gen. Blanco
$50 p. m.-This afternoon Senior Giranta
secretary of the Spanish evacuation commits,
sion, delivered two notes to the United
States commissioners. The first announced
] that the troops in the province Of Pinar del