Evening star., 1898-12-30
MEMORIAL TO CONGRESS
Transportation Companies Want Cuban Ports
Put in Good Sanitary Condition.
Great Increase in Trade aud pas.er-
Steamship Service in View.

Congress will. IL IS said, soon be mcrnor-
ialiZed on the subject of having the Ha-
vana and other leading Cuban cities put
under such effective sanitary regulations rs
VIII keep them open 20 American traffic all
the year round. Heretofore the defective
sanitation has quarantincd these cities
against American trade for six out Of every
twelve months. Now that Americans are
TO he in control. this condition is held 10 be
insufrerable. II Is claimed that Havana
he put in as good sanitary condition as
is New orleans at a moderate expenditure.
and that the subject Is one calling ter
prompt action 10y the Washington authcri-
ties. The passenger traffic TO Cuba Is cN-
pected to increase as much after the Ameri-
cans formally occupy Cuba as the freight
traffic, but the transportation companies
hold that the business will for some time
be governed by the new sanitary laws put
in force by American officials.
The Southern Pacific Company now has
three new steamships nearing completion
at the Newport News shiphUilding yards.
1t is believed these steamers VIII De pressed
into the service between New orleans ana
Havana At present the southern Pacitic
Company has only two steamers in service
between the points named and they are
considered too small to handle even a Por-
ton of the increased business. At the out
break of the war the Southern PacifiC Com
pany sold all its best steamers 10 the ted
are said to be negotiating with the gov
ernment for a return OF their vessels. hut
up to date have not made apparent head
way. The steamers now In service In the
interest of the New York and Tampa lines
are of the large and better class.
Chicago and st. Louis Interests.
The Inauguration of a irst-class nnc be-
tween New Orleans and Havana is held 10
be of vital Importance to Chicago and St.
Louis exporters. as well as the repreSen-
tatives OF the large northwestern exporters
of bread stuffs, the latter forming a ma
terial share of the gross exports to Cuba.
The sailing distance from New Orleans TO
Havana is Clio miles. which, added to the
rail- distance between Chicago and New Or
leans, gives an advantage OF several hun
dred miles over any other competing route.
Within the next few days II Will he de-
cided whether the Southern Pacific Railway
Company, which operates the Morgan Line,
VIII put on an entirely new fleet OF steam
ers between New Orleans and Havana, or
whether the Illinois Central Company VIII
put on feet of its own. TO handle the i'm
mense business expected between the points
named after January |.
Negotiations have been pending in re-
gard to this enlarged steamship service
ever since the end Of the war and the re-
opening of Cuban ports 10 our commerce.
Vice President Harahan Of the Illinois Gem
tral Company Is now I'm New orleans look
ing after the interests that have up to the
present been confded by his company to
the Southern Pacific officials. The latter
company has resumed its weekly steamship
sailings from New Orleans to Havana,
which were interrupted by the war, but
nothing less than a semi-weeky or trl-
weekly service will satisfy the Illinois Cen
tral Company as soon as the export trade
TO Cuba is again in full swing. Traffic Man
ager /. ]. Hudson Of the Illinois Central
had a conference i'm the east recently with
representative of the Southern Pacnc
Company and received the assurance Of the
latter that feet OF new vessels would be
put on between New Orleans and Havana
soon as trade conditions warranted IL.
Mr.. Hudson said yesterday that unless TINS
promise was promptly redeemed the Illinois
Central though reluctant to go into the
steamship business itself, would be COM
PEELED to put n fleet of its own steamers in
the service. Matters have been allowed 10
remain in allegiance for the last month or
two pending the settlement Of customs
regulations for Cuba, but after the first
Of the year there Will be no preteNt for
further delay.
New York's Proposed Monopoly.
In anticipation of an immense trade with
Cuba, New York capitalists have been lay
ing plans to monopoiize the carrying trade
between the two countries. The Plant in
terests have established tri-weekly scrv-
ice between Tampa and Havana, and am
other line is said to be in process Of for
nation that Will ply between a stiH more
and Cuba, in connection with the railroad
system controlled by Henry NJ. Fiagler and
his Standard Oil allies. The object OF the
New Workers is to shut out far pos
sible the competition of New orleans ana
the short line between Chicago and the
Mississippi valley and Havana, via the
crescent city.
Since the restoration of peace the export
trade from the United States to Cuba shows
an increase over the corresponding perlod
last year, although there are only few
ports in Cuba yet open. Figures from the
Treasury Department show that in October,
1898, with only Santiago open, the exporta-
tions from ports of the United States were
larger than they We're in October. 1897. to
the whole of Cuba. This does not cover army
supplies or other stores for government
use, but general merchandise. Increases
are noted in cotton cloths, wheat, OIL, ium-
Der, agricultural implements and builders
hardware. Flour is one of the most i'm
portant exports in the Cuban trade, and IN
this item alone the Mississippi valley points