Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-01-30
MONEYS The ONLY THING
Needed to Make Havana an Ideal
City.
GENERAL LUDLOW THINKS FROM
TEN TO TWENTY MILLIONS
WILL BE NECESSARY, AND IS
REVOLVING IN HIS MIND THE
BEST METHOD OF GETTING IT.
THE PRESENT TOTAL DEBT
ABOUT TWELVE AND ONE
HALF MILLIONS.
Correspondents Associated Press.)

Correspondence Associated Press.)
Havana, January 24.-Major General
Ludlow has on his table several pro-
jects for underground sewerage, street
paving, an up-to-date school system
and improvements of lesser import
ance. He has had pressed on his at
tention a series of suggestions OF how
to create an ideal city. The only OBJ
stacle is money. A million is moth
ing; something between between ten
and twenty millions is wanted, and
Gen. Ludlow is turning over in his
mind the best way of asking Washing
ton, through Major General Brooke,
for leave to bond the city, so that the
next generation, as we'll as this one,
may have an opportunity to pay for
the renaissance.
Ernest Lee Conant, chairman of the
Financial Inquiry Commission, deputed
by Gen. Ludlow to go into the finances
of the city, has prepared a memoran-
dunn on the subject. From among an
orderly arrangement of many dry facts
the following paragraphs are ex-
tracted:
The debt of the city of Havana, Oc-
tober 81, 1898, according to a statement
signed by the alcalde and comptroller,
was as follows:
Loan of April %, 1889, SO year 6
per cent bonds mortgage Spanish
Bank of the Island of Cuba, $6,721, 900.
Loan of October 10, 1892, so year 6
per cent (mortgagee Bank of Com
merce, United Railways and Regla
warehouses;, S2,8S2, 900.
Notes, $23, 83O.94.
FLOATING DEBT for salaries, mater
ials, interest and sinking fund,
ST. 50, O64.7 70.
Total, $12,O7 ,S94.72.
CAT the close Of the year the floating
debt was still greater. and the total
debt was about $12, 500, 900.
THE mortgage for the loan Of 1889
to the Spanish Bank is a document of
1853 printed pages, including the index.
1t recites that in 1877 the city borrow
ed from the Spanish Bank a sum of
money which, together with its inter
ests, amounted in 1889 to S3,177, 653.25;
that the city was in arrears for inter-
est and sinking fund, and that law
suits had been in progress to compel
the city to pay; that the city also de-
sired funds to complete the water
works and for other purposes, and it
was agreed that the city should issue
5 6 $4,000 six per cent so year bonds to
take up the debts and finish the water
works, the expense if which was estim-
( ated at S1,850, 900, and that the bal
ance of the loan which was taken at
so, be turned over to the city for gen.
eral purposes. There was a further
provision that the loan might be in
creased to $1,000, 600, and this was
done"
This promises to be a lively week in
Cuban politics. The special committee
from the Cuban military assembly will
return to Havana after its interviews
with the Washington government and
popular interest is increasing in the
preparations of the mass meeting on
February 9th at the Tacon theatre,
when a separatist party, proclaiming
the principle Of independence, will be
founded under the direction of such
men as Senior Giberga, a noted autono-
mist; Gen. Leyte Vidal, Gen. Lacret,
Senior Font Sterling, and other oppo-
nents of annexation.
Havana, January 29.-Four thousand
persons, men in their best clothing,
| and wCmen gaily dressed, stood amid
a pouring rain in Paula Square to-day
listening to six intensely patriotic
eulOgies upon Jose Marti, the Cuban
patriot and first president of the Cuban
revolutionary government A tablet
to his memory was unveiled at the
house where ne was born, in a street
nearby, and 50 societies, consisting OF
$500 persons, with banners, flags and
five bands, marched through the prin-
I cipal thoroughfares to the square.
The procession, whose distinguishing
feature was five hundred girls wearing
white dresses and red liberty caps,
started at one O'Clock, reaching the
square two hours later. The streets
were gaily decorated with Cuban and
American flags, and though the interest
ran high, there was no disorder of any
kind.
The euIogies contained few refer
enceS TO the United states or the mill
tary administration and the only two
vituperative references TO the Span
iards were quietly received.
The tendency Of all the speeches
was toward the ultimate independence
of Cuba, which the orators recognized
as a fact not yet accomplished. They
declared that all Cubans should unite
TO reach that great end. and to make
their desires known to the world and
TO claim independence as a right when
the proper time arrived.
All references to Cuba Libre were
applauded, and Marti was held up as
an example for all Cubans. A telegram
of salutation was sent TO Gen. Gomez.
Only two Spanish flags were on view
throughout the day, one over a build
ing used by the Spanish steamship
line, and the other over the Banco Es-
panol.
The plan of Gen. Gomez TO unite the
Spaniards in Cuba with the Cubans
proper in a party whose platform
should be the independence Of the is
land, does not altogether thrive in the
Spanish mind.
Some Spaniards say YES. give us the
Gomez programme OF amity." Others
are silent. As for the annexationists.
they are very OutSp0Een in Havana