New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-22
CUBAN REVENUES.
REMOVING CONFUSION IN THE ISLANDS
FINANCES
GENERAL BROOKE DEsIGNATEs THE USES
TO WHICH CUSTOMS SHALL BE AP-
PLIED-CLEANsING PEsTHoLE.

PLIED-CLEANSING A PESTHOLE
my CABLE THE TRIBuNEl
havana April 21.-General Brooke's recent or
der specifying the uses to which the receipts
from the Cuban custom houses are hereafter to
no applied will do much to Danish the confusion
which has reigned for some time past In the
Islands finances. Hitherto complaint has been
made in the outlying provinces that a consid-
erabe share of the customs revenue has been
diverted monthly to Havana. whose expenditure
has brought no possible local or general return.
Thus since January the Province of Santiago
has contributed to the island treasury over
100000 of customs receipts and received In
exchange public benefits except those of the
newly organized postal service. which. again,
expected through stamp sales to pay its way In
whole or in part. The expenses of the civil
administration. of the rural police. Of the main
tenance of forts and lighthouses Of sanitary
inspection and of all the other general functions
Of a central government were charged to the
remaining customs dues and to local taxation.
THE PROVINCES GRUMBLED
Naturally. there was much grumblng, and the
CRY was raised that the old system of draining
the provinces for the benefit of Havana was
still being kept in force. With the Custom
House here yielding an annual revenue of from
100000 TO $12000,OOO, and with no debt to
meet no army or navy to support and no swollen
civil list TO carry 1t seemed injustice to the
smaller cities that they should not be left TO
arply their total customs revenues to local and
provincial needs General Brooke's new order is
drawn apparently to meet such criticism from
the departments. for it designates the general
purposes for which the Islands revenue is to be
spent under heads which cover all sorts of local
wants From the customs fund the cost Of all
barracks for troops will be paid of the rural
guards enlisted for each province. Of the signal,
lighthouse and quarantine services. Of road con-
structon and harbor improvements all over the
island Of charity work and hospitals and Of
civil administration in all the departments.
MONEY ENOUGH FOR ALL PURPOSES.
Municipalities also to be aided from the
general fund when conditions justify such
sistance AS the customs revenues for the year
ending December 81 1899 promise to reach
S13OO0OtO or $14 900. there will be money
enough on hand TO meet the most liberal de-
mands that may be presented by the depart
mcnt commanders. Indeed. II customs receipts
continue to hold at the present ratio. they could
not only he made to satisfy all the present neces-
stiles of an insular government, but also to pay
the expense of an army of occupation of from
10000 to 1900 men.
The decree constituting Supreme Court for
the island was published to-day in THE Official
Gazette" Sehor Antonio Gonzalez de Mendoza
will he the Chief Justice of the new body.
The announcement that Morro Castle and Ca
banas Fortress will be occupied by troops dur
ing the rainy season is accepted here as notice
that these two fortifcatons have at last been
brought into habtable condition. The work
on the MORO was not prolonged. but 1t took
seventy-fve days with a working force OF loo
men 10 cleanse out the pesthole Cabanas had
become under the Spanish administration fel-
low fever was chronic in this huge fort, and
several lives were lost in the process of purifca
ton
. One case Of yellow fever was reported to-day
IN the medical authorities. the first for several
weeks