The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-08-20
MAKING REFORMS EFFECTIVE.
spanish and American Money the
Cause of Agitation.

Correspondence of the Associated Press.
Santiago, de Cuba, Aug. 1.-THE past
week in Santiago de Cuba has been the
furtherance of reforms and improvements
already under way.
New complications have arisen which we
are called upon to settle, and there has
been a slow and steady increase in the
death rate.
The question Of Spanish and American
money and their respective values con-
tinues to agitate the town, and this will
probably last until little of the Spanish
money remains.
Notwithstanding Gen. Woods announce
ment that Spanish gold would be deprived
Of its Cuban increase of . per cent on its
face value and that silver was at so per-
cent. discount, many have persisted in
considering the centen twenty five francs,
as worth $3.50 as formerly; and at no mon
ey changers could one get ten dollars in
silver for five dollars in gold Nine dol
lars in silver was offered and this only
in small amounts.
1t Is being recognized that American
money will be the money of the future in
Cuba.
One abuse that has been rectifed was
the exorbitant prices asked for food, 81
a pound for meat, 50 for a bag of char
coal that once sold for so cents, and a gen.
eral continuation of blockade prices long
after their justification had been removed.
The prices given out are a great reduc-
ton from those prevailing hitherto, but
even in the new arrangement there Is am
pie opportunity for good profits even to
30 per cent. In some instances.
The advent of an American Trust Com
pany is considered rich in promise of fu-
ture prosperity. During four centuries
Of Spanish CONTROL" said FL Cubano, I'VE
have not had an agricultural bank. Such
an institution is absolutely Indispensable
in country where agriculture is the
source of all wealth. We have been in
the hands of usurers who have robbed
us on all sides. The operations of this
bank, which is to be the savior of the
land and which viii help our farms end
plantations to produce, as with the touch
of magic wand Will be in American
money What We have not obtained from
SPAN IN lour centuries has been given Us
by the United States in three weeks"
The cleaning of the city and the health
of the people are matters receiving much
attention. Probably the srangest odor
Santiago ever knew, and Santiago has
had an unusual experience in odors, the
new odor of dlsinfectants that are being
scattered through the city. The street
cleaning department has been hampered
by lack of carts.
The death rate continues very high, from
fifty to sixty cases per day. There are
nearly 10000 inhabitants and this rate, if
it continues, would carry off half the
population in a year The situation is Sc
rious.
The natives think they are not being so
we'll served by our postoffice department
as they were under the old Spanish
regime. In those days lock boxes were
used and there was a regular house to
house delivery of letters. Now all that
has been abolished, and the people say
the American clerks are so busy attend
ing TO the American mail matter that
they have no time to attend to anything
else.
A complaint on the subject has been ad-
dressed to Gen. Wood through one of the
daily DaDeTS,