The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1899-01-20
FINANCE CONNIE lSSlON
RUSHING THEIR WORK
First Mortgage Indebtedness ot hAyaoH
Found 20 10 tiOoC. 90 Method OF
Tax Collecting Changed

NEW YORK. Jan. i9-A dispatch 70
,he Tribune from Havana says Tho
finance commission which l. examining
into the financial condition ot the city
discovered what aocms TO bo an Increase
in tho bonded Indebtedness. Tho debts
have been thought 10 consist of nrst
mortgage bonds 10 tho amount " roo d.
GO. and municipal mortgage bonds 20
tho amount Of 5000 Tho ngurcs 60.
day mako tho apparent rrsI mortgage
indebtedness 10000 ~ An lnluirs VII
De- pursued further to determine whether
,hl- ls thr actual indebtedness. Witnesses
will be summoned under oath and much
light IL cxpcCtr. to b, ,hrowu on mu.
n!rIpaI transactions under the spanish
authorities The yiRor with which the
Inquiry h being pressed dislrratvs the
former officials,
The now council has decided that Il
will not enforce collections FOR municipal
taxes prior to January /. und that lt viii
not employ the Spanish bank 10 collect
taxes which we're levied undcr the old
regime The municipality allowed the
bank TO collect city taxes ana withhold
i've per cent In the sam" way ah the
government taxes determined EFFORT
u being made TO have the Spanish bank =
privileges OF collecting FOR tho tinted
states revoked. Tho foreign merchants
have announced that they will not pay
back taxes, though thcy viii pay for
tho present period 20 whatever agency
tho American military authorities direct.
Tho CubanB are encouraged In their
opposition by the report that Collector
Bliss and the military governor have
protested 70 Washington against the
bank being designated as a tax col
lector. Shares Of tho bank were lower on
the stock exchange today. duo " ngitu-
tlon.
The sanitary inspection Of Havana be-
gins. tomorrow. The city Is divided into
iOO districts and Cuban doctors are as
signed TO each district. The people viii
bo forced TO clean their houses and after
that corps Of plumbers will ylnit each
district. II will be the first time In the
history Of Havana that plumbers have
been acquainted with the inhabitants
The plan OF gathering mp vagrnnts and
unfortunatcs from tho streets at night
has nlIed all institutions provided for
them and additional quarters must b.
| found.
( Navy officers are impressns upon As
slstant Secretary Allen tho Importance
Of the United States obtaining floating
| dock which lies In the harb0r, now the
| property OF Spain. Captain Peral is ir
/ command until the Madrid authorities
| decide what shall be done, Bids whicl
were submitted under the conditions ad
ycrtlsed by the Spanish authorities arr
said 10 be unsatisfactory and another
advertisement was ordered. The dock Il
new and cost tl,OOO.00O. Some Of tn
firms bidding are reported to do 80 viii
the expectation OF selling the dock I,
tho United States.
CAPTAIN Durfree, Of the engineer corps
bas gone to Sancti splrItus. with IN
reported purpose Of arranging for sur
yey Of Santiago. Tho plan Is oppoSet
by many army officers. IT has beef
learned that the price paid to contract
org for excavations at Guantanamo 70
Colonel Heckers six-mile military roa'
ia sl.1O a cubic yard, and that the tota
excavation will be about 10000 cubl
yards.
private Hayden Of the Second soutl
Carolina died In camp today from yellow
fever. Smallpox IN the One Hundred
and sixty-hrgt Indiana does not decrease
The troops in camp are rejoicing owe
tho unauthorized report that the regi
nents are TO be called home.