The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-11-16

large Items. such as interest on the pub
lie debt. expenditures of Spain for the
purpose OF conquering the island, will
disappear. making n reduction. II we
include the civil guards. of $ls,0oo,0 ,009
or $4,000. .0co How much OF this amount
will be required for necessary expenses
under the new order OF things IL will ba
impossible To forecast"
The next most important subject con-
sidered I'm the report is that in relation TO
currency. Says the report: Although
Cuba is afflicted with many kinds OF
depreciated currency, the established
basis is strictly gold, and In any COM
mercial engagement the value is under
stood 20 be in gold. unless specified to
the contrary. Indeed. there s some
thing almost pathetic i'm the manner I'm
which Cuba, plundered and depleted OF
her resources and wealth, has never
wavered from gold basis.
THE testimony taken and statements
made on this subject have been unan-
imously I'm favor OF a continuous gold
basis, for the Cubans have suffered 80
much from Spain's various attempts to
force deprecated currency upon tho
people both In the form OF silver and
bank bills that they want no further
experiment. with the currency"
There was, when your commissioned
was in Cuba, I'm September a margin
OF 80 percent on the silver dollars. and
the financial and business men of Ha-
vara do not think these dollars would go
down 10 point where IL would not pay
TO ship the Spanish silver to Spain and
utilize the American dollar in Cuba.
In this event II will be necessary for
the United States government to ship
as many silver dollars to Cuba az pos
sible one prominent banking firm sug-
gesting five or six millions, with the
subsidiary coins, would be required for
small payments.
'Nsidos the silver there is a bank
note circulation, but that has no actual
bearing on the question OF chrrency as
the trade and business of the island has
refused 10 accept IL, and the present
quoted value is less than 10 cents on the
dollar. Your commissioner finds IL is
largely in the hands OF specula tors and
government contractors. The only pub
lie application is for the payment I'm tho
custom house of the so-called 10 percent
advalorem duty, assessed in official
value OF imported merchandise, In ad
dillon TO the regular specific rate OF duty
exacted. The abolition of this duty,
when the remaining Cuban ports como
into possession of the United states, will
be the end of the bank bills
THE gold coins current i'm Cuba are
the Spanish and French coins, the bulk
OF which consists of % Spanish pesetas
pieces, so-called "Alfonsos," which have
been inflated by royal decree 10 $3.50, and
the French. 20-franc "Napoleons," which
have also been given a legal value OF
si.94 and decreed since the end of 1893
as legal money. While the principal
banking concerns are unanimous as 10
the gold standard, there lis difference
of opinion in relation To the advisabiity
I'm squeezing the imitation out of these
coins, while Others recommend as the
only logical remedy to the situation. the
substitution of American currency as
sole legal tender In such an event
other coins would have their proper
market value
Mr.. Porter then takes up the question
OF taxation and suggests the abolition
of certain taxes, especially that known
as the Consumption tax" on the killing
OF cattle, which is an eXaction that
greatly increases the price Of food TO the
people. Another tax, which VIII fall
down OF It's own weight when the United
States forces take control of the island.
IL the "cedula" or head tax, which varies
I'm amount from a few cents TO 500, ac-
cording 10 the rank and Importance Of the
Individual. This tax is generally allowed
TO run until some occasion comes for the
unhappy victim of Spanish rapacity TO
require a public document or permit to
bury a child or relative, a license 10
marry, a transfer OF real estate or a
notarial acknowledgment. Then it is
that the petty rascals in charge Of public
business bear down heavily and unless
the fines and back 'cedula" and hand
some qualification" to the official is
forthcoming, the body must await inter-
ment, the marriage must be postponed
or a transaction delayed.
Mr.. Porter then takes up the question
of education. Thee are free public
schools in Cuba, but the teachers have
the right to take pay. and those who do
not pay get little or no attention. The
proportion OF people who are illiterate
is very great. Some statistics show only
one in 40 of the laboring classes able to
read and write. There can be no stable
government in Cuba, Mr.. Porter says,
until this has been remedied.
In regard TO the industrial enterprise
MIR. Porter concludes that little can be
done until the sanitary conditions have
been improved in all the industrial CEN
ters.
Dealing with the railway system OF
Cuba. Commissioner Porter points TO
the advisability OF Immediately con-
structing trunk railway from end 10
end of the islard, with branches extend
ing north and south to the important
cities and ports. In the opinion OF the
commissioners, from whatever stand
point 1t may be viewed, no one enter
prise could do so much to improve the
situation in the island. No revolution
could have existed i'm Cuba II such a rail
road had been completed by the former
government.
Concerning the condition OF labor I'm