Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-11-08
CUBANS IN SANTIAGO WILL NOT EN-
ERT THEMSELVES.
LABOR PROBLEM is SERIOUS
JAMAICA NEGROES A SHADE WORSE
THAN CUBANS.
Iron Company Sends to Spain for 800
Mcu-SnnfiagO Province AbOut
the Most Productive Region
in the WOrId-Life
Is Easy.
morresrondence d the Assoelated Press.l

Correspondence ol the Associated Press)
SANTIAGO DE CUBA, oct. 25.-The main
problems to he faced by the province Of
Santiago. in fact. by the entire island OF
Cuba, in its effort TO throw off the leth-
argy of centuries, are those which. TO Il
greater or less degree, ahict all communi-
ties. namely, capital and labor.
With regard to the first, there are I.
very large number OF people only desiring
an opportunity 20 invest in the island as
soon as = settled form of government Is
decided upon. but who naturally, under
present conditions, knowing nothing re-
garding the future safeguards to property
or the amount of taxes to be levied, or the
stability of the future government when
IT is formed, hesitate to risk their money.
In this province alone, 1t is estimated that
there are fully $21,vp0O0 only waiting for
an assured form of government to be at
once invested in business enterprises.
a still greater problem to be solved is
the labor question. for even the existing
industries are crippled for want of hands,
this particularly applying to the mines.
The pay is from 10 cents a day upward,
or about the same as paid in the phosphate
mines of Florida, and the mines will board
the laborers at % cents a day.
1t may be taken as an established fact
that the present generation of Cubans will
never become miners. They are far too
enervated and indoent and the negro race
here find means of lazy subsistence too
easily at hand to have any incentive to
labor. The Cuban may DO a little light
work in the shade; he may make few
cigars. or he may even condescend to do
a little housework, if you 10 not expect
too much in the way of cleaning, but what
he prefers is to put on Il few stars, a huSe
pair of boots enormous spurs, and a hand
some thing. wondrous to behold, mount an
easy going Cuban pony and parade the
principal streets. Give this to the Cuban,
white or colOred. and you have him as
pleased as a child with a new toy as
proud as peacock, and about as sensible
as ostrich.
in Santiago, there is another element
adding to the labor troubles, namely, the
Jamaica negro, who is one degree worse
than his Cuban brother in the matter of
industry. There are over 2,OJJ OF mis- type
here, all wanting Jobs as walters stewards
Wallets or something equally easy: but as
TO the real work Of the island, the digging,
| mining and labor that will bring the sweat
10 n mans brow. the Jamaica negro wants
none of il. The problem was long since
solved in his own country by the importa-
tion of Indian coolies, under contract to
work for five years.
The mine owners and the other large en-
p!oyers of labor are considering some plan
whereby they can overcome the difficulty
of obtaining men. The SpaniSh-Amcrican
Iron Company has sent TO Spain for 90
men.
No one can take a three hours ride over
this part of the island without being i'm
pressed with the fact that the earth is
about the most productive on the face of
the globe, and that man with a family
and 500 or s291 is probably better off here
than anywhere Lese in the world. With
very little labor. he gets not only the neces-
saries of life. hit even its luxuries. and,
in addition, can always sell enough to
he cannot grow. His coffee, sugar, vege-
| tables. fruit, chickens. hogs goats and
tobacco he can raise himself. To men
whose ambition is TO lead a quiet. easy,
ready-made existence, not anxious to shine
in politics or in any of the learned pro-
fessions. and who have very modest cap
ital. the province Of Santiago de Cuba Of
fers one of the choicest fields in the world.