Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1899-01-12
EMPLOYING CUBANS.
4 Chance Given for the Needy to
Work on Public Improvements.
The ORDER ON The CUSTOMS DUES.
A misapprshsnsion m to Ita PurpOse-
Order Issued by Gov. Ludlow Pro-
hibiting Immoral Dmnces-No
Yellow Fever Cases.

Washington, Jan. 5. Regarding the
sensational reports from Santiago that
the whole province had been inaamed
by the recent order OF the war de-
partment, concentrating all customs
money in Havana" thus threatening a
stoppage of all public improvements
and threatening to throw thousands OF
Cubans out of employment, it may be
authoritatively stated that any excite.
ment existing in Santiago is due to a
nisapprehension Of the war depart
ments order. II seems to have been
taken for granted that the order con-
templates sending all currency col
lected for custom dues TO Havana, and
thus cutting off the governor Of San
tiago province from the employment
Of local labor. The fact is that the
officers in charge of customs at the
various ports Of entry are merely or
dered to make weekly reports to the
collector of customs OF the island at
the chief port Of all transactions at
the SUPPORT over which he may have
jurisdiction, with copies Of entries Of
merchandise duly certified"
The customs from all the ports OF
the island are to be used for the bet
terment of the condition OF the Gu
bans, not only In Havana and Santa
20 but elsewhere. Expenditures will
be divided as equitably as possible, so
Is to relieve distress existing in vari-
GUS quarters. Ii would be Just as
equitao it is argued, for the port OF
New York TO retain all the customs
funds collected there for expenditure
In the island Of Manhattan as it would
be for Havana or Santiago or any
other town in Cuba to gobble all OF the
customs receipts for expenditure with.
In Its own borders.
80 far from the war department con-
templating any curtailment Of the re-
lief work In Cuba, an order already
has been issued to the governor gen.
eral directing him to furnish work to
every able-bodied Cuban Applying for
1t at fair rate of weekly wages,
measured by Cuban standards. The
order suggests that the best lines Of
employment are in sanitary work, road
improvement and municipal work of
various sorts.
II is intended to offer chance for
remunerative work to all who are able
70 take advantage Of it. and to cut off |
the gratuitous distribution OF ratons
among those natives able to work for
what they eat The employment con.
templated will not be offered, how
ever. to any resident Of the island who
retains his allegiance to Spain.
The plans so far formulated by the
department do not touch the payment |
Of the Cuban army, which has been
urgently requested by Gen. Gomez,
but this matter Is now under advise.
ment and it is not impossible that the
war department will hold that it has
quite as much right to apply the in
come to paying off these men and thus
giving them new start in life, as IL
has to employ laborers on public
works, with the same general end in
view.
MORAL REFORM IN HAVANA.
Havana, Jan. 5. Maj. Gen, Ludlow,
governor of the department of Havana,
has issued an order forbidding "im.
moral dances" in the theaters and the
circulation of indecent literature.
Col. Louis M. Maus, chief surgeon of
the Seventh army corps, asserts that
there is not single case of yellow
fever in the whole force There is one
case of smallpox in the First North
Carolina regiment, but the regiment
is quarantined and has been for eight
dave