New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-20
LEGAL REFORMS IN CUBA
SPANISH OBSTRUCTION NOT UPHELD
By PUBLIC OPINION.
A TIMELY EDITORIAL EXPRESS1ON-DE-
CREAsING DEATH RATE OF HAVANA
MAYOR BACARDI CALLS ON
GENERAL, BROOKE.
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GENERAL BROOhE.
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Havana. April 19.-That public opinion III
Havana does not support the Spanish ana Span
ish-speaking lawyers who have organized 10 ue
fend the excellences of the Latin law over 'he
Saxon and retard the legal reforms no" III
contemplation by the Military Administration IL
demonstrated by the appearance in La Lucha
to-day of a vigorous editorial advocating rad
ical changes in the existing legal system La
Lucha" wants both the criminal and the civil
procedure revised, and condemns not only 'ne
harsher criminal practices. like incommunica-
ton and the imprisonment of witnesses nut
also the delays. the Celebrations and the costh-
ness Of civil Justice Reforms in legal processes.
II argues should be undertaken at once ana not
he nostponed until that uncertain period when
q stable and permanent form Of government
shall be declared existent in Cuba This timely
expression OF opinion is highly encouraging to
the American authorities who see the need or
legal revision but hesitate to set up new sys-
tenn of law while exercising purely military ana
interregnum powers.
Work at Vedado on the Cuban army lists Is
practically finished. Five of the six corps nave
undergone the winnowing process. and ABOUT
10000 men have been found entitled to snare
in the arrearage fund of S3O00O0o offered by
the United States. Some 3OOO names were
stricken from the rolls on the ground of enlist
ment subsequent to July II. 1898. Each soldier
paid will probably receive about $40.
The health record Of the city continues sur
prisingly good One day last week the number
of deaths reported was only nine an extraor-
dinsrv minimum For the last FIVE days the
average has been below twenty-five. Returns
for the first two weeks Of Apri, show only ~
deaths a decrease of Is per cent from the rec
ord of last month. whose total of deaths was,
nevertheless, hardly half that Of March. 1898
These figures show the effect Of Colonel Davis
paInstaking and admirable sanitation work
The head Of the Health Department has also
done the city a highly appreciated service In
ending the plague of begging on the streets
Within the last day or two these noisy and un-
slightly offenders have been exiled. some to the
publc iail and some to the various institutions
Of charity.
Emilio Bacardi. the Mayor Of Santiago, was
one of General Brooke's callers to-day. lie
came to urge some changes in the recent de-
cree remitting various municipal taxes on which
the city Of Santiago has been depending 10
carry out much-needed local improvements.
According to the Mayor, the people are willing
to pay the taxes so long they see the reve-
nues applied TO works of local benefit. The de-
cree has indeed, already made serious breach
in the local revenues Of the smaller cities of the
island where taxation on real property is diff
cult to collect, owing TO the general stagna-
ton In industry and the prostration of realty
values