The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-09-01
San DOMINCO'S AFFAIRS
IRE Controlled to q Great Extent by An
American Corporation.
GOVERNMENT is GIVEN AN ALLOWANCE
The Rest of the Revenues Go to the
Foreign Dondhoidcrs ana To the
Improvement Company.

New York. August Sl.--The officials of
the San Domingo Improvement company.
whose offices are in this city, express no
concern over the revolution in Santo Do
mingo. Vice President C. w. Wells said
he had perfect confidence that the con-
tract between the company and tho ex-
listing government would be repeated by
the power OF the United States govern
ment would be exerted to that end.
Since 1898 the Santo Dlmingo Improves
ment company. by virtue of contract
with the Heureux administration, has ex
| ercised large measure Of control over
Dominican affairs. BY virtue of this con-
tract 1t became the agent for the pay
ment of the Dominican debt. amounting
to E4.3i5,O00, the principal and interest
being payable in gold in London. The
rate of interest on Dominican bonds
varies from On to per cent and the com
pany has established sinking fund FOR
the payment of the principal obligations.
some of which have nearly hundred
years TO run According to prospectus
issued by the company the revenues ot
the government in 1892, the year before
the contract became operative amounted
to s1,SO5,000, the Mexican silver dollar be-
ing the standard. In 1885, the income
amounted to S400, 900. All of the reve-
nues are collected by the company, which
turns over $4,000 a week to the native
authorities for the support of the govern
ment retaining the remainder. OF course
the company hopes to reap a large profit
from the arrangements
Besides this direct relation with the
government, said Vice President Wells,
our company has other important inter-
eSts in San Domingo. We own the prln-
cipal railroad in the country, which runs
from Puerta Plata. on the sea coast. to the
interior city of Santiago, distance OF
about fifty miles. We now have n force
of 500 men engaged in building an extern
sion of the road from Santiago TO Mosa,
about twenty miles in length, and when
this is completed We expect to extend the
line twenty miles further to Macoris.
where it will connect with the only other
road in the country. The latter is about
fifty miles long, extending from Samana
bay to Lavega. 1t is owned by the Bairds
of Glasgow, who are anxious to dispose
of it to us Our road runs through
mountainous country, which presented diff
ficulties too great for the Belgian engineers
who built it for the German company,
from which we purchased. We are now
rebuilding several miles of the original
line in order to do away with the steep
grades which have interfered largely with
its operation.
1.-The commercial affairs of the country
but there are important American inter
ests besides those controlled by us. Many
of the largest sugar and banana planta-
tions are owned by Americans, the plant
ers living in the islands in the winter
months and coming north in the summer
We have no fear that any American In
terest will be hurt by any change OF gov
eminent. .,
Artn n a
the ports as soon as we can Obtain the
right men, We have dozen representa-
tiyes mostly Americans. res4iing IN ths
principal towns They have informed US
that the insurrection has not thus iar IN
terfered with our interests or WIN ine
general prosperity of tf1 island MS
revolution has not been bloody affair
In fact in the only battle of serious mag
nitude which has been reported the In
surgents were defeated by the govern"
ment forces. But there appears to be a
general desire for change, mainly due
to the currency question. which has been
the cause of popular upheavai IN the
United States and other countries.
THE banking facilities are inadequate
and the people are in the habit of hoard
ing any money which comes into their pos
session. When times began TO improve
there vas a shortage of silver coin with
which to do business, and President Heu-
reuX who was not the corrupt tyrant ne
has been painted, decided on an issue OF
paper currency to meet the demand. The
foreign firms started campaign TO deDase
this currency, and succeeded better than
they expected-so well that they ruined
themselves and involved the country in the
present trouble.
at is probaby--but by no means certain
that General Jimenez will be elected
president of the republic. There will GER
tainly be other candidates. among them
will be General Horacio Vasquez, who is at
the head of the present government and
established by the regulations. He in
brother of Leonte Vasquez, the former Do
minican consul general in this city"
General Gruellon. the New York repre-
sentative of General Jimenez and OF the
Dominican revolutionary party, when
asked if the overthrow of the old repub-
lie would affect the contract of the San
Domingo Improvement company.
LAS 10 that ] can not say he replied
Most of the men who will be charged
with the duties of the now administration
have been absent-practically exiled-
from the country. II the contract Is
fair one and in the interest of the country
IL will be respected by the new authorl-
tes If not, they will do whatever is in
their power TO protect the people from I'M
business. That is all can say at present.
lions with President Heureux and his
death and the overthrow of his govern
rrcr-rr-srf selte4
confident II may be of the support Of the
United States government In enforcing the
provisions of It's contract"
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rsruu .rIIG MATCH VRIfST