The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-12-27
CLEAN STREETS FORHAVANh.
HARD TASK N STORE FOR ANERl.
CAN ARMY OFFICERS.
While This Question Casses the
Most Worry. There Are Several
Other Matters That VIII Require

NEW YORK, Dec. IA dispatch 10
the Tribune from Havana says.
I1oa III feeling tie benefits OF prospective
ana OF aetoal American aim. q. s. rat Ion.
Some cs the ssrestS are really eseaE. Gen.
+. v. Gseen had 81 ~ for public saasl-
ton authorized BY the department az
Washington, bat sssnsAsa sovereignty had
70 be respected, although Il vas unable
20 remove TIE garbage from a s!nsIe a.
ley. Tie Havana a4lataEgienso, or COM
mon council. had no, u dollar to spend.
Sc. By permission OF the Spanish author
ties. the United States took hold os the
work.
Request de Estaban, the alcade. or may
or OF the city. had proc.anat.ons pasted
IN which the Inhabitants of the streets
cleaned were told that is Was done b. tns
American government and they were ex-
hortet 20 second the efforts az the United
States military authorities. This removal
OF the Accommodations Of garbage does no.
solve the sanitary problem Of Havana.
however Il shows that the streets can ba
Kept fairy clean and the city be made hAb-
liable. while the changes that mus be
mace In the sewage system ard other hy-
ziers improvements are carried cut. Five
years may 6e necessary before the plans
which George W. Warning prepared can be
made effective. This VIII not prevent Ha-
wanna from being KEEP, aaean for the next
five months. which Is the period sa shica
IL Ia important to ioreatali dissases among
the American troops. Gen. Ludlow will
probably DC appalled, by the task before
aim as military and civil governor OK Ha-
yaBa city. Every American army COM
m4Hder when he faces his responsibility
probably has that feeling. Bur there Ia
usually some simple point at which a be-
ginning can be made. Ia Havana It Is clean
sirssts.
Americans who are in Cuba engaged 81
business are chiefly concerned in an ina
provement ia the mail service, both doraes-
tic and foreign. 1t would not be fair TO
Judge Spanish administration by the com
plSte desnGE aIization which has appeared
in the postofiiee arrangements In the last
few weeks. Some disturbances was newt
able. The knowledge OF the employees that
they would receive none OF tae back pay
increased their Indifference. Most OF them
viii necessarily ba kept for a time and they
know they will receive their wages. That.
and the desire 10 please the American Of
ncsal. viii spur them along 10 better
performance Of their duties. Though the
service II nearly csSorgan:zed. the methods
Of administration are simple ard they are
easily adjusted to the change. This Ii
xhown In tho case with which the MILL
tary possoface for the American troops
has been put In operation.
Under the Spanish ruso the government.
owned the telegraph lines and operated
them In connection with the postoifies de-
parsmens. The railroads were not permit
ted 10 use lines OF their own. The ordinary
business was transacted under vexatious
restrictions. The official regulations were
as volum.Doas and as intricate as the code
OF civil law. II cannot be said that the
system. under Spanish methods. at least.
offers encouragement 10 those who favor
a government postal telegraph. Tie United
States viii not have 10 meet that qaes~
nm h,p 81 q flf!tCSIi.
ties In tina way Of administering the tele-
graph system as part of the possoftico sys-
tenn Under the military rule which f. 10
be established for the entire Island the tel
egraah lines will he military ones. The
signal service corps viii have charge of
that. These lines are In bad condition.
To repair them and get the system In work
ing order vii. require several weeks. When
this 10 done, In addition 20 the use by the
army, ths lines viii afford ample faeiB-
sies for the Transaction of private bnsi-
ness The volume Of commercial messages
Is not likely 10 be large for year or more.
Seine of the Havana merchants DO not
have a clear idea Of what the American
military control means. They do not uD-
dersfand why Col. Bliss. m army officer.
should be named for collector OF customs,
or why similar positions are IN DO under
military control They have been mslod
inta believing that all ctysl enptoymonIs
are to be turned over TO the military arm.
A little experience under actual admins
tratinn viii remove their uissis:ngs. Nil
itary responsibilities VIII exist In al admin
strat.on and for that reason army officers
viii. he al the head of all important de-
partusents, but there Ia no intention or
having soldiers To discharge the duties
which can only he satisfactorily performed
by civilians Many OK the spanish em-
,sloyes IN both military and eiyn life.
whose functseas viii erase on January /.
have been led 10 think that the United
States will make good the due bills or
II q. US which the Spanish authoFi-
ties have been Issuing III satisfaction of all
obligations This belief - rot universal.
hut II IN general enough 10 RAISE hopes
h. iza4astsairiat