The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-05-28
4 MONOPOLY TWO e Turtles ON.
The Tax on Cattle in Havana for the Ben.
eft Of the O,Reilly Family.

The Tax on Cattle in Havana for the Ben.
eft of the O'ReilIy Family.
HAVANA. May 22.-Bv Civil Order No. 8. Gen.
Ludlow yesterday annulled the so-called
O'Reilly concession, which has been a monop.
oily since 17O4. Under this concession tho
grantees had the exclusive right to cart all
beef from the public slaughter house to the
butcher shops. and collected so cents q carcass
from the butchers for the service. As there
are 2l3 cattle killed every day on an average.
this gives them an income OF more than $780,
600 a year. For the last ten years this conces-
sion has been owned by the Countess OF Buenx
vista OF the OReilly family and q DR.. Duples-
sis. and they have sublet It to a Senior Canossa,
The lessee bears all the expenses Of the work
and pays the owners 26k per cent. OF his gross
receipts. 30 that the holders Of the concession
receive $4,000 a year and render no service
forit, The lessee naturally makes his profit.
which Is estimated at $12. 900 a year from his
own statements. In his order Gen. Ludlow
has directed the city to perform this service
and has RENTED to the courts the question
whether under the treaty OF Paris the holders
OF the concession have a right to compensation,
This action was taken after a study OF the
matter by the Havana Finance Commission,
which Is composed OF one Cuban and one
American lawyer. two Cuban business men
and two Americans. with the City Auditor.
The monopoly Is a characteristic example Of
the working OF the Spanish Government, and
Its history for the last two centuries is very
interesting.
In the ancient Spanish municipal organiza.
ton there existed a functionary called the
Alguacil Mayor high constable), vested with
powers and duties analogous to those OF the
English or American marshals and sheriff..
Tn office carried with IL privileges and pre-
negatives in the way OF peouniary exactionS
which he was permitted to impose as q recon.
pehse for his services. according to monarehial
and feudal principles. In 1704 the Royal
spanish Treasury granted the ONCE in Ha.
Vana to Don Nicolas de Gatica, with many
honors and privileges. among which was that
the persons furnishing the city supply OF meat
should pay to the Alguaeil Mayor three reals
for every. head Of cattle they killed for con.
sumption in the city. In return for this tax
the AlRuacil Mayor was to provide slaughter.
men. carts and mules for carrying the meat to
tho market and also to pay for cleaning the
slaughter house. 1t was also recognized az
the exclusive right Of the AlGuacil Mayor to
appoint the butchers OF tho public meat market
Of the city.
In l72S the cflce OF Alguacll Mayor was sold
at public auction. and was acquired by Sebas-
tian Calyo de la Puerta. from whom 1t was In.
herited by Francisco de la Puerta. who was. In
1871. appointed Alguacil Mayor OF the city, In
q royal decree OF l7S5 Francisco Calvo de Ia
for every twenty-five pounds OF meat tarrobaj
ahd certain powers as sanitary. quarantine
cree modified these rights somewhat. but left
the mon9pHly Of carrying the meat. as a per;
to the Count o'Reily do Buena Vista In the
early part Of this century.
The lay q civil Judgment, promulgated in
their fees. in judicial proceedings; the reforms
IL the criminal procedure deprived them Of
their fees from the public Jail; the alterations
In, the organization Of the police took away
other OF their emol9ments, The fees from tho
slaughter house still continue. The native au-
t~horities seem very loath To do anything which
would disturb the O'Beilly family. whose social
and political intigepce Is very great. II is char
such influences, count for much. and there has
been contlnual opnesitiop. both open and
Throughout ali the Investigation which has led
to Gen. LudloW's order,