The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-04-19
I cuBA,s FINANCIAL BURDEN.
How dis. War ma. ltairsd iIsr--sbs could
4 MT liza n pa N 10. II eeti M y 81

How tiie War mas ltaiisd iisr--sbe coald.i
Z, n,ti,avr Paid foI Freedom.
= New York Press: Fidel @. Pierrn. for.
!Imer secretary Of The Pan.Amerlcan
Congress. gives 10 q reporter for The
Press u statement on cuba,s financial
condition that Is uneommonly interest
ing. II shows, In the Grat place, how
impossible 1t would have been for the
island to pay Spain one or two hundred
millions for freedom. as Mt one time
serious are the financial problems that
Will confront the new republic,
ID when the idea OF paying n sum OF
money TO Spain was first broached,"
said Mr. Pierra. "ln order 10 secure
Spain's withdrawal from the island the
destruction OF Cuban property had not
begun. Those who made the proposal
were moved by humane feelings and
most ,pralseworthy motives, but they
i did notreallze how heavy would be the
! pecuniary burden placed {, on Cuba II
Spain accepted the offer. They wished
to save the country from devastation
and bloodshed. They knew the horrors
sure to come In case ofwar with Spain,
and they would avoid them. s5t
Il Financial writer's In Cuba hive
shown that even before property was
destroyed the island could not endure a
burden OF 100000, 900. During the years
preceding 1895 the net income OF Cuba
was $S5,ooo,0Oo TO s4o,0oO.Oo0 annually.
She could not afford a budget OF expen.
.diture above $4,000, 900. Cuba Is itch In
possibilities. but capital und labor are
necessary to develop them. AZ the out
break OF the war she was, apart from
this latent wealth, almost exhausted.
Spain had done nothing practically to
stimulate industry. She had ,bled the is
land mercllessly with no thought OF the
future. The Spanish officials were too
greedy 70 have foresight. IN
Nearly 60 per cent OF the capital ex-
listing before the war has been destroy
ed. From Cape Maysl to Cape San
Antonio there Is dcsolatlon. Nearly all
the villages OF the interior have been
RACED, as have the buildings on the! su-
gar estates and cotton plantations. The
richest districts on the island are now
barren waste. and 400, 900 OF the inhabl
tants are dead.
with the country In such q condition
It Is the same as with a human being
lying desperately Ill. After the disease
Is checked there Is so little strength
and Vitality to build on that health 70.
turns very slowly at first. II Spain weff
to leave Cuba now It would take the r
land fifteen years to regain Its normal
state under the most helpful conditions.
Everything IS taxed, I might say
confiscated, for taxpayers were paying
not merely a percentage OF their net
personal earnings, but the whole Of
them, and In many. cases a part Of their
capital besides. There are both direct
and indirect taxes on real estate, on,
every door, window and chimney, on
each letter In every business sign, on,
food, animals and also on their horns,
hoofs and hides; a license is required TO
build q house or even to paint one: the
interest on the debt has been wrung
from Cuba, also the large salaries Of
the horde OF officials. In fact, Cuba and
the Philippines have kept Spain from
absolute bankruptcy. si,4s.
What Is the customs revenue? EX-,
cept s3,0O000O annually. obtained from
the Havana lottery, that would be abb
olished under the republic. the customs
furnished two-thirds of the remaining
revenue. of the island-about s12,000,000.
Duties have been levied on both I'M
ports and exports. AS Cuba has nothing
but agricultural and forest products
wherewith to pay for what she imports.
! It is evident that owing TO the wide
spread devastation she would not be
able to pay for much In the first few
years Of peace. NThe customs revenue
would be surely not more than one
third what 1t was before the war. The
necessities OF life. which constitute the
chief imports. would ralseJn price. Both
living and labor would cost more, With
labor dear Cuban products would not
reach. ;their accustomed markets, be
cause Cuba could mot compete with
counties where labor was cheaper.
THE import duties would needs be
reduced in order to lower the cost OF
necessities, Of labor. and OF living. Du-'
ties on exports would be abolished.
Furthermore. Il would be to the interest
of Cuba to enter into a treaty OF COM
mercial reciprocity with the United
States"