The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-23

and all persons interested In the welfare of
the island were invited 20 submit statements
and give oral testimony. The Chamber of
Commerce, representing the commercial and
industrial interests of the province, re-
sponded. The machinery of the military
government, Mr.. Porter says. is running
with fair degree of smoothness, and the
men responsible for it understand their busi-
ness thoroughly. The disagreeable smells of
the typical Cuban city, the report says, are
less pronounced in Santiago, while white
wash. limewasl, fresh paint and all sorts of
disinfectants have dsodorized the surround
ing atmosphere and made the old town quite
habitable. The streets are no longer used as
sewers, and the unhappy individual who vio-
lates the law and escapes the lash of the
sanitary commissioner whip is compelled
10 work on the streets for thirty days. This
official, Mayor Barbour. with 126 men.
dressed in spDtless white, and thirty-two
good United States mule teams and carts,
having dug out from the streets of Santiago
the filth of ages is now able to keep them
absolutely clean. Every day, by the aid OF
petroleum, the garbage 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 ac-
complish this, however, the doors of houses
had to be smashed in and people making
sewers of the thoroughfares were publicly
horsewhipped in the streets. ETninently re-
spectacle citizens were forcibiy brought be-
fore the commanding general and sentenced
to aid in cleaning the streets they were in
the habit of defiling. The campaign has
ended in complete surrender to the sani-
tary authorities and the inhabitants of San
tiago, regardless of class, have had their
first object lesson in the new order of
things inaugurated by the war. Several inn
portant streets have been repaved; all the
public buildings have been thoroughly
cleaned, the work even extending to the
opera house.
The law courts which were abolished when
General Shafter took the city have been re-
organized. The Supreme Court, the report
continues, is composed of carefully selected
Cuban judges the appointees nominated
wholly on account of legal attainments, the
Bar Association of the province having been
consulted as to the character and qualifica-
tions of the new judges. In the same man
ner local government has been restored and
native mayors and officials appointed, the
only requirement being that persons accept
ing such offices shall take the oath recog-
nizing the military occupation of the island
by the United States, but in no way COM
hitting them to any future form of govern
ment.
The Spanish when in possession in Cuba
not only assumed absolute control of the
judiciary, but of the municipal government,
the larger portion of the taxes raised for
municipal purposes being diverted, 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, ands as far as may be deemed
practicable, that they be collected and dis
bursed by properly constituted local author
tiles, The rural districts of Santiago have
been so depleted that it will be impossible
to collect taxes over and above those needed
for the bare necessities of the schools for
the poor, and probably small sums to i'm
prove sanitary conditions. The dawn of
prosperity, however should be the signal
for inaugurating systematic work on the
country roads. The British government
spends annually for the roads in Jamaica
about $5C0,OC3 where there are now two
thousand miles already constructed. The
money expended 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 dis
tricts in the West Indies.
The banana can be grown at a profit and
as it takes only fourteen months to grow.
unlike 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 remitted in this part of Cuba.
but the authorities are now preparing to
enforce them. Now that the customs tariff
has been disposed of Mr.. Porter recon-
mends that an immediate scheme be pre-
pared for levying and collecting internal
revenue for the entire island. The question
of separating these taxes from purely muni-
cipal taxes should also be considered The
large amount of delinquents during the last
three years, which have amounted to about
$6,0O0,000. was, of course, due to the war
In normal times there is four or five million
dollars of revenue that must not be over
looked, revenue which, if properly and
economically employed, would aid in the
industrial rehabilitation Of Cuba. Some of
the more onerous eXactions, however, should
be abolished.
Mr.. Porter makes several other recon-
mendations, principally with regard to i'm
provements in the harbor and the estab-
lishment of lights and buoys and the re-
moval of distractions. Mr.. Porter speaks
in high praise of the administrative ability
of General Wood. the military governor at
Santiago, as shown in his admirable man
agement of the affairs of the province under