The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1898-12-28
NOW A CLEAN CITY.
Remarkable Sanitary Changes Eff
fected In Santiago de Cuba I'm
der American Supervision.

and has submitted his report to the Sec
rotary of the treasury. While in Porto
Rico Mr.. Porter held public hearings,
and all persons interested in the well
| fare of the island were invited to SUBJ
nit statements and give oral testimony.
The chamber of commerce, represent
ing the commercial and industrial in
terests of the province, responded. The
machinery of the military govern
ment, Mr.. Porter says, is running with
a fair degree of smoothness, and the
men responsible for it understand their
business thoroughly. The disagreed
BILE smells of the typical Cuban city, the
report says, are less pronounced in San
tiago de Cuba, while whitewash, lime
wash, painting and all sorts of disin-
fectants have deoderized the surround
ing atmosphere and made the old town
quite habitable.
The streets are no longer used as
sewers, and the unhappy individual who
violates the law and escapes the lash
of the sanitary commissioners whip, is
compelled to work on the streets for
80 days. Mayor Barbour, with 1876 men,
dressed in spotless white, and 80 good
United States mule teams and carts,
having dug out from the streets of San
tiago the filth OF ages, is now able to
keep them absolutely clean. Every
day, by the aid of petroleum, the gar
bage of the city is burned. The work
of sanitation is not confined to the
streets, but extends to the dwelling
houses, shops, buildings Of all kinds.
To accomplish this, however, the doors
of houses had to be smashed in and peo-
pie making sewers of the thorough
fares were publicly horsewhipped in
the streets. Eminently respectable
citizens were forcibly brought before
the commanding general and sentenced
to aid in cleaning the streets they were
in the habit Of defling. The cam
paign has ended in complete surren-
der to the sanitary authorities and the
inhabitants of Santiago, regardless of
class, have had their first object lesson
in tie new order of things inaugurated
by the war Several important streets
have been repaved; all the public build
ings have been thoroughly cleaned, the
work even extending to the opera
| house.
The law courts which were abolished
when Gen. Sbafter took the city, have
been reorganized The supreme court,
the report continues, is composed of
carefully selected Cuban judges, the ap-
pointees nominated wholly on account
| of legal attachments, the Bar Associa-
ton of the Province having been con-
suited as to the character and qualifica-
tons of the new judges. In the same
manner local government has been re-
stored and native mayors and officials
appointed, the only requirement being
that persons accepting such offices shall
take the oath recognizing the military
occupation of the island by the United
States, but in no way committing them
to any future form of government. The
Spanish, when in possession in Cuba, not
only assumed absolute control of the
judiciary, but of the municipal govern
ment, the larger portion of the taxes
raised for municipal purposes being di-
verted, with the other revenues, in
channels, which, says the report, either
led to Spain or into Spanish pockets.
Mr.. Porter advises that these taxes
hereafter must be used exclusively for
| local purposes, and, as far as may be
deemed practicable, that they be col
lected and disbursed by properly con-
stituted local authorities. The rural
districts of Santiago have been so de-
pleted that it will be impossible to col
lect taxes over and above those needed
| e. he hor Of
the poor, and probably small sums to
improve sanitary conditions. The
dawn of prosperity, however, should
be the signal for inaugurating sys-
tematic work on the country roads.
The British government spends annual
ly for the roads in Jamaica about $780,
900, where there are now 1000 miles al
ready constructed. The money eXpend-
ed on roads, whether from the general
funds of the island or from the local
| budgets, would come back hundred
fold, it is stated, and make Santiago one
of the richest sugar, coffee and fruit
growing districts in the West Indies.
Bananas can be grown at profit and
as it takes only IA months to grow, I'M
like coffee and oranges, the poorer
classes could undertake its cultivation
to their great advantage.
The internal, industrial, professional,
licensing and other miscellaneous taxes
have so far been RENTED in this part
of Cuba, but the authorities are now pre-
pairing to enforce them. Now that the
customs tariff has been disposed of,
Mr.. Porter recommends that an imme-
date scheme be prepared for the levy
ing and collecting of internal revenue
for the entire island. The question OF
separating these taxes from purely mu-
n;cipal taxes should also be considered.
The large amounts of delinquents
during the last three years, which have
amounted to about $6,000,000, was, OF
| course due to war In normal times