The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-11-24
Corruption, Bribery and Wholesale
Administrations Unchecked.
BLANCO READY TO GO HOME
HIS RESIGNATION ACCEPTED BY THE
MADRID GOVERNMENT.
Order Issued by the War Department
ern Provinces of Cuba.

HAVANA, via Key West, Fla, Nov 23-
The last few days have seen a revival of
activity in every quarter Things appear to
take on more dennite forms in every branch
of military occupation. Here at Havana
wharves are being built and railway con-
nections made The camps chosen have
actually begun to be constructed Govern
ment 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 bent on an imme-
diate evacuation of the island. All this has
had salutary effect on the general tone of
commercial and social life in the city. which
looks to the immediate future for relief
from a 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
foreigners have been recorded, and the
situation can be said to be visibly better
There are, however, two discordant notes.
the increase of crime and the continuance
of official corruption. The newly constituted
police force, know as riheres ALTERNATIVES,
armed with machetes and rifles, is totally
Inadequate to cope with the Grim. nal classes,
whose ranks are daily swollen by the return
of deported prisoners from the penal col
onies. The riheres make a very poor SUBJ
stitute for the disbanded orden puhico The
alarming increase In vice and crime renders
1T unsafe to walk the streets unarmed or un-
protected after nightfall. The police re-
ports show scores of ''hold-ups," murders,
burglaries and highway robberies which
never get into the local papers, thanks to
the watchful censor.
Corruption, bribery and wholesale stealing
in the military and civil administration con-
tinue unchecked Some insight into the con-
dition 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 a special per-
nit entities certain contractors to slaughter
one head each morning for which those who
have the privilege pay prescribed fee. As
a matter of fact over a 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 contractors for the mill
tary hospitals in the city at So cents per
kilogramme, while the public pays only the
market price of about SO cents. The differ
ence per kilogramme, together with the
amount of unpaid abbatoir fees, is pre-
sumably divided among a select few, who
silently defraud the city of a much needed
source of income. At the secret session
where this glaring abuse was under discus
sion a committee was appointed to inform
Captain General Blanco of the fact, request
ing that the contractor be compelled to pay
the arrears of fees since July "A.
AS already cabled. the mayor of Havana,
on his own responsibility. without the sane
tion of the City Council and Board of AL
dermen, increased the city budget for the
salaries of municipal officers and employees
from $4,000 to $4,000. The Board of Alder
men, at their last session, resolved not to
confirm the mayors action, thus compelling
him to pay the difference out of his own
pocket Street cars and omnibuses have paid
no taxes for several years Although strict
ly forbidden by law more than two thou
sand wooden houses exist within the city
limits. Such cases in bribery, corruption and
maladministration could be multiplied in
definitely. Nothing is done to check them.
Gambling houses, which, after the signing
of the protocol. the Spanish authorities
made great show of suppressing. now
IIOuTlSH ulIuOlSSleu al lIlS lSt2 Qely every
body admits the uselessness of attempting
to infuse morality into the Spanish admin
istration.
On Nov. IS the partially disbanded guerril-
las of Sagua la Chica took the field, burn
ing and destroying property. They did great
damage on the sugar plantation of John
Harris, British subject. The British con-
sui, Mr.. Jerome two days later, filed a
claim for damages, an official acknowledge
ment of which has been made by Captain
General Blanco.