The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-08-20
AMERICAN MONEY

WIN be the FatWrs Medium OF Exchange
In Cuba-Many Abuses Have Deon Rec.
tlnsd In santiago.
Correspondence Of the Associated Press.
SANTIAGO DE CUBA, Aug 1.-THE
past week in Santiago de Cuba has seen
the furtherance Of reforms and Inn
provements already under way. New
complications have arisen which we are
called upon to settle. There has been a
slow ana steady increase in the death
rate.
The question Of Spanish and Ameri-
can money and their respective values
continues to agitate the town, and this
viii probably last until Nttle Of the
Spanish money remains Notwithstand-
ing General Woods announcement that
Spanish gold would be deprived OF Its
Cuban increase OF 6 per cent on ITS face
value, and that silver was at so per
cent discount, many have persisted In
considering the centen, Is francs, as
worth S. 30 as formerly; and at no
money changers could one get $40 In
silver for IS in gold. Nine dollars in sill
yer was offered, and this only on small
amounts
There has been a meeting of mer-
chants in the place with the object Of
discussing this matter OF values With
General Wood, and the question OF Its
legality was raised, further assurances
that the measure applied to all transac-
tions being asked for. The question OF
legality, however, was not discussed, as
the merchants were assured that the
ruling applied to ait transactions, so
that the meeting was rather abruptly
terminated.
1t is being recognized that American
money VIII be the money Of the future
in Cuba Workmsn are publicly advised
TO insist upon their wages being paid In
that currency. But until the financial
situation is cleared up by the disappear
nuce OF Spanish coin and the entrance
in a sufficient quantity OF American coin
abuses in the way OF exchange VIII
probably continue. Already small
change Is becoming very scarce. One
cannot exchange gold for Spanish sill
yer, and there Is go little American sill
yer that small sales are hard to con-
summate and the poor are always Inn
posed upon by the money lenders.
Harsh measures from the palace could
remedy this by stringent application
of the law and the severe treatment OF
offenders.
One abuse that has been rectified was
the exorbltart prices asked for food--a
dollar q pound for meat, three dollars
for a bag OF charcoal that once sold for
so cents, and a general continuation OF
blockade prices long atter their tuStif-
cation had been removed. This matter
the palace has ably taken in hand; and
after careful consideration and q dig
cusslon OF tho subject with leading
Wholesalers and retailers tariff in gold
money on provisions has been arranged.
Retailers have been notified that In
frlngement Of this tariff or schedule VIII
be severely punished, and the commun-
ity at large Is requested to report any
overcharge. The prices given out are a
great reduction from those prevailing
hitherto; but even in the new arrange
ment there Is ample oportunlty for good
profits, even to 30 per cent In some IN
stances. Thus the retailer has no right
TO complain. AT some future day. when
the commercial situation Of Santiago Is
Improved, further reduction will prob
ably be made.