The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-03-29

225, 900 in silver dollars, and the balance
in small change. This, of course, Will
materially change the character Of the
circulation, a change which the flying
dimes and quarters of the American
soldiers are materially accelerating.
Cuba has exported over $2,000,0 900 in sill
yer since January l. Banking facilities
have been wretched. Under Spanish
rule there were but two chartered
banks in all Cuba, neither of them CT
first class reputation. A few private
banking houses exist, but usury in its
worst form has been regularly prac-
tised, and even orderly financial facili-
we been almost entirely lacking.
| Under Spanish rule there was not a
bank in Cuba where money could be
placed at interest, and the condition of
the poor man can be imagined when l
add that such a thing as a savings
bank is utterly unknown.
The best contribution of America to
| Cuban business conditions is the intro
duction of honesty and obedience to
law in official life. The laws under
which Cuba has been nominally gov
| erned were not bad. There was even
an act corresponding to our habeas
corpus act, and law forbidding the
summary execution without trial OF
rebels. Neither were ever enforced.
| The ST eculation at the custom house
was notorious, and the sale of a Ger
| tain class of prohibited pictures and
| literature openly conducted in the pub
lie cafes and book shops.
| So accustomed were the Havanese to
utter disregard of law that their news
papers protested of the cruelty to retail
merchants when the vendors of this
foul stuff were punished and their stock
| in trade, presses and plates, destroyed
| There were even protests from the
merchants of Havana when it was
made impossible by the American col
lector for them longer to bride the
appraisers at the custom house, re
geularly recognized institution. The
/ importer, for example, of folding chairs
| quote a known fact had an under
standing that his goods should always
be examined and valued by one ap-
praiser. The appraiser regularly
assessed duties on one dozen
chairs for every twenty dozen import
ed 1t is a matter of common know
ledge that guns and ammunition for the
Cuban rebels went straight through
the Havana custom house as ''furni-
ture."
Something nearly approaching a riot
ensued when methods like these came
to an abrupt stop on the first of Jan
uary.
1t is a matter of fact that a crowd
assembled, utterly incredulous when
the rumor passed from lip to lip that
the collector was actually going to re
fund money paid under mis-
taken valuation to a merchant. Every
part of the halls and office was filed
and when the man actually received
back his money the amazed crowd first
held it's breath and then cheered.
IL you ask where is the opportunity
for a young man in Cuba, l can only
answer, Everywhere.
Is he a farmer? Market gardening is
even today most lucrative, even with
only Havana as a market, and future
possibilities are enormous. No attempt
in particular has been made at fruit
raising There are no frosts in Cuba
and the same energy that has been be-
slowed on the orange trees and pine
apple plantations of Florida cannot
| fail to produce more fortunate results
| Is he an engineer? Almost every
| town III Cuba needs drainage or z
water system, or both.
| Is he railroad man? Cuban rail
roads are in their infancy, and the roll
| ing stock already decrepit with old age
old age.
Is he in finance? A smart bank OF
two more than anything else is needed
| in Cuba, and some have been started.
| Cuba needs steamboats,, wharves
electric lights and railroads, modern
hotels, agricultural implements, factor
les, to make the common necessities OF
life. 1t is not an Ell Dorado where the
dull can succeed, but with an honest
government and the sounder business
morality that is coming, the island Of
fers an endless variety Of employment
for Yankee hands and Yankee brains.
AS the ringing words Of the orator
died away the assemblage arose and
under the direction Of Arthur j. Bias
sett and with the assistance of thu
glee club, Joined in singing America,
which formed most fitting close O.
the most representative gathering o
Worcester business men ever held il
the city and one which will be remem
bered with pleasure by those who were
in attendance,