The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-08-05
EVIDENCE AGAINST RATHBoNE.
Judge Expected to Order Proceed
ings to he Taken

HAVANA. Aug. 4.-Evidence to prove
culpable negligence on the part Of ex-
, Director OF Posts Ratheone is being banded
| daily to the judge. who will probably or
| der proceedings to be taken under sections
4O2 and 4O3 OF the Spanish penal code
which refer to the culpabllity and nsgli-
gence of persons in the public service.
In regard TO the delay in the Nicely case
in the United States It is said the same
dilatoriness would result here owing to its
close connection with Rathbone's affairs.
At meeting of the municipality of Ha-
yana it was decided to send a petition to
President Mckinley asking him to order
the repeal of the decree empowering mu~
inequalities to levy taxes up to certain
limits. The limits. it is said are higher
than the previously existing rates of taxa
ton. 1t is argued that the island already
has surplus from customs receipts and
that this money should be apportioned
among the municipalities according to pop
ulation, and in this way avoid increasing
local taxes on impoverished neighborhoods
This protest appears strange, coming as
it does from the municipal officials elected
by he Nationalist party, whose great cry
has been to decentralize municipal govern
ment and give the municipalities local au-
tonomy- One councilman opposed the mo-
ton on the ground that as the law was
general for the island Ii was not right for
the municipality of Havana to protest and
further, that If any protest were made
it should be put forward by the taxpayers.
He also claimed that the municipality was
not compelled by the decree TO levy in
creased taxes. but WAS simply empowered
to do so at its own option.
This affemut m the mart af nua small
body to voice the opinion of the whole ISL
and is something very common in Cuban
politics. The first act of the resent mu-
nicfpality was to propose that the Cuban
army should be paid. Ii is also remem-
bered that attempts have been made from
time to time by party conventions in Ha-
vana to draw up rules which should bind
all branches of each particular party
throughout the island.
As q matter OF fact rents haye risen to
such al extent in Havana that h5use-own-
ers are able to pay a higher proportionate
rate OF taxation than under the new
scheme. Furthermore. the municipality IL
not bound to exact the limit of taxation
under the decree.
All the American troops that are no,
considered necessary in Pinar del Rio Ha-
vana. and provincial stations have been
ordered to the outskirts.
The injunction secured by Contractor
Michael Dady against Governor-GeneraI
Wood. on account of certain contracts
which have been declared Invalid, is re-
garded here as absurd. II is argued that
the Attorney General of the United States
has ruled that the Cuban courts had juris-
dietion in the case of the murder of an
American soldier in Cuba. The same Off
ctal also ruled that the Cuban courts were
supreme in matters affecting Cuba. Be
sides this the charter will not be adopted
by any order of the Governor General, but
viii be accepted through the free will OF
the city council. The proposed charter
does not IN any way interfere with vested
or ACQUIRED rights