The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-01-23
CUBA'S EXPENSES.
Customs Receipts Will Pay the
Bills--Bank of Spain Dis
pleasing as Collector.
[By Cable to The Associated Press. ]


HAVANA, Jan. %. 1S9Is-All the ex-
penses of the island for January, pro-
vincial and municipal, will be met out of
the customs receipts. There will be no
attempt to collect other taxes to meet
the first months pay roll. 1t is possible
that the expenses for February will be
provided for in the same way. Until the
tax system has been revised, the civil
salary list will be met out of the customs.
which will be ample for this purpose, as
no new public wonks will be begun until
the revision is completed.
The military administration now has
cash. in hand to the amount of 5000, ,000-at
Havana, s525,OOO; at Santiago, $250,0e0; at
Cienfuegos, $4,000; at Matanzas, $4,000,
and at eleven minor ports, $4,000. These
amounts will be increased % per cent. by
the end of the month.
The Provincial Governors have been di-
rected by Governor General Brooke to
prepare estimates for January. Havana
police, sanitation, street cleaning and
other items will probably require $4,000
at the lowest estimate; but as the annual
custom receipts of the island can safely
be computed at $12,000,O00 the Cuban ex-
chequer is not likely to run short. At all
events there will be enough for ordinary
expenditure.
The large sums necessary for sewerage
in Havana could not properly be made
a charge upon the island revenues. Ma
jor General Ludlow, Governor of the
Military Department of Havana, is pre-
pairing to suggest to Washington muni-
cipal bond plan to raise $10,000,000 or so.
Havana now has an Indebtedness, bonded
and floating, of $125oO.O 900 and can bear
much more.
If President Mckinley decides not to
utilize the services of the Bank of Spain
as Government fiscal agent for the
island, there will be established in each
province fiscal Government official re-
placing the banks branches. This ar
rangement could be carried out in two
weeks. The military authorities are
awaiting reply from Washington to
their taxation recommendations last week
before taking any steps.
1t is in the plans of General Brooke to
abolish many of the existing taxes, as,
after close examination of them he
has come to the conclusion that they are
undesirable and burdensome. The remis-
sion will begin from the waite of a special
order to that effect, which will not be re-
troactive. In cases where, as in the
Provinces of Santa Clara and Puerto
Principe, the taxes have been paid, they
will not be refunded. but the military aa-
thorities do not desire to collect any taxes
which later might be abolished.
The special commission appointed last
week. by the Municipal Council to call
upon the Governor General today with a
formal protest against the Bank of Spain's
appointment as collector of taxes, post
poned the visit on the understanding that
such protest is now unnecessary, as
General Brooke has forwarded recommda-
tions in line with the proposed protest to
Washington.
Action toward the constitution of a SUI
preme Court is not to be taken until the
arrival from Washington of Colonel Jose
Gonza1oz Lanuza. Secretary of the De-
partment of Justice.
If General Leonard Wood, Governor of
the Military Department of Santiago, OBJ
tains permission for the independent use
of the customs receipts in that depart
ment, 1t is believed here that all the other