The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-04-07

Il can be seen at a glance that the con-
ditions are worse than confounded.
General Brooke. though not laying
claim to beirg n statesman. lawyer or
politician, Is yet engaged in attempting
TO transform the Napoieonic code. penal
and civil, into an AmeriCanized system.
General Lee seems to have become
mere flgurehead through having been
side-tracked I'm an Office carrying with
II distinction, perhaps, but absolutely
no opportunity to display his ability In
functions of statehood. Governor
General Ludlow is making a most eN-
Ctllent military governor of Havana,
preserving the peace under conditions
tull of dangerous possibilities and put
ting the city I'm better sanitary condt-
ton than ever before. But tits strictly
within the limits of truth TO record that
ne is being called upon to perform
duties of p nature belonging 10 the con-
stitutiOnal lawyer rather than to the
military officer. There are many
Americans In Havana. accustomed 10
civil governmental affairs, whose per
sonal observations GO to convince them
that some such commission as was sent
To Honolulu should be sent to Havana
at once to take hold of the numerous
complexities OF the situation and bring
order and discipline out Of the con-
fusion now existing
%
our people were received with re-
Juicing two months ago. Already they
are being looked upon with suspicion
| and antagonism. Arbitrary methods
| and the confusion and dstrust arising
out of the complications referred to
| are largely the cause of this change
| Of heart. Prospectors and, investors
! have come to believe that they are
| considered legitimate prey. There
seems TO be great deal of friction.
| Complaints are heard on every street
| corner and people are returning to the
states disappointed with the way
things are being conducted. and cry
| ing Not yet' when asked about the
| advisability OF investing In the island.
| 1t seems to the observing onlooker as
| if MIR. Mckinley might conserve the
! best interests Of both peoples if he
could spare some of his experienced
statesmen and jurists to come to Cuba
and set things going upon a legal and
business-like basis at the earliest pos
| sible moment
| Life is made up of little things. The
flea is more annoying than tn" elc-
phant. In Cubas business affairs lit
tie things irrtate and annoy people
and thus cause rritations of greater
proportions. An American citizen en-
gagng in highly creditable business
project received a delivery wagon a
short time ago. The municipal tax
for operating it is $l7 year The tis-
cal year was eight months gone but
he had to pay the full amount for the
! four months use. 1t would have been
the same had he brought it in the last
day of the year. The case was taken
before the military authorities, but
that's the way Spain did business. Mr
Mckinley has proclaimed Spain's law
In force, and the imposition stands
The city license for retail drug store
! is about $3.50 year payable in foul
quarterly payments, at the end oi
each quarter. Not even If man
| wishes to pay in advance may he dc
SO. And since, under this regulation
the last quarters tax Is not collected
during the quarter, an interest charge
of per cent. for the three months
Immediately falls due. Under the ole
regime the railway employees paid II
per cent. of their salaries to the Span
ish government. The Spanish govern
ment has been driven from the island
but the laws have been continued. anC
this tax is still being collected 1t /!
also required that a merchant give {
! bond for 1nipo bnSipesS ratail drIl
gist for instance. is required to Civ,
bond in the sum of $1,000 that he viii
do no wrong. The bond secured anC
accepted, this ordeal being attended
by many annoyances. and the licens
being paid. he has yet tn pay cent
tax for every letter on his shop.
he buys out an old business he mus
pay for the old letters as well AS TO
the new ones which take their place
This is the way Spain did it, and he
laws still govern Cuba. The medica
profession pays a sum of $1,000 pc
annum to the government The doc
tors meet toward the end of the fisca
year and the honest ones report tn
amount of business they have done
The others name whatever sum the
please. Upon the aggregate amour
) the S. 900 is assessed each paying hi
proportion. If the doctor is dispose
to be niggardly he has had a har
: year. There is also IL nominal cit
tax amounting, it is stated. 10 abou
= $50 a year. payable quarterly. No on
4 seems to be able to tell to whom thi
must he paid. nor where, nor when
A physician is languishing in an I'm
ComuniCado" cell under "A charge q
; criminal malpractice. He was con
tract surgeon during the late war AN
= upon being discharged decided to Ia
I cate in this city. Almost immedatel
, he was arrested for practicng withou
a n license and for wearing his uniforT
. after having been discharged. His dc
+ fense was that he had not receive
= ! his formal discharge: that his CiVi.
+ ian clothing had not yet reached hin
T from the states. and that as the Amer
: lean flag was floating he presumed h
e had right tO practice until some GoN
: ernmental regulation should make
, | necessary for him to procure "A pei
3 init. Upon these explanations his cas-
v was dismissed and he was admonishe
p to leave the island Not accepting III
+ ! admontion, not believing the militar
authorities had the right To order a