The Saint Paul globe., 1900-03-26
TAX IDLE SUGAR PLANTS
GEN. WOOD THINKS THAT SUCH
ACTION WOULD BE HELPFUL
TO CUBA
PRESENT TAXATION BY BAG
Many Owners Live Abroad md
Their Properties Are Closed Up
Planning for the Elections
ON the Island.

HAVANA, March 25.-Gov. Gen. Wood
has recently had interviews with persons
or influence who strongly urged the tax
alton of valuable properties, rather than
each bag of sugar, as it is manufactured
Those who hold this view contend that
under the present system impedfnents
are thrown In the way of production
They point out that many valuable es.
tates have been lying idle and unpro-
ductive for some years, some even having
complete sugar plants. The owners, who
are itch mon, are living in Paris, Madrid
and other European Cities quite untaxed
for their property in Cuba. Gen. Wood
feels that If these properties are taxed
their owners will be forced either to sell
them or to make them productive.
Senor Pierra, member of the subcom-
mittee who drew up the majority report
on the electoral commission, discussing
the matter, said today:
In our report we have endeavored to
arrange for the elections in such a wav
as 10 secure fair play for all concerned
The plan proposed by the minority report
drawn up by Senor Tanayo and Gen
Rivera, which suggests that the board
Of registry be elected by suffrage, has the
drawback of leaving too much power in
the hands Of the civil governors. Under
the minority scheme, the civil governors
would nominate election officers in the
various provincial districts; these officers
being charged with the conduct Of the
elections, would choose the electoral
boards Of three. In this way the civil
governors would have too much indi-
Vidual influence in conducting the cleo
tons, as all the officers controlling them
would be their nominees
With regard to the representation Of
mlnorities Senor Pierra said:
Although no political parties have
been formed there are two we'll marked
political tendencies, the Radical and the
Conservative. Moreover local interests
VIII play prominent part in the
elections. For instance in Havana the
principal issue will be between the work
ingmen and land owners. The former
have formed a party, while the land own
ers will not be unrepresented. The votes
will take in ten sections into which Ha-
vana is now divided
PERSONALLY ] feel that the municipali-
ties should not have unlimited authority
at once, but only in the course of time.
AT first there should be a strong central
control. There is & difference between
Cuba and the United States. Cubars
-A~~' GNSiA ciNtt+olOiIlSO 10 look 10 the
central government for all initiative and
also for the support of new enterprises,
1t would be impossible to change all that
in one day"
Senor Pierra remarked that the COM
mittee had chosen judges as registry Of
tcers because "a judge is, or should be,
above suspicion by virtue of his office
and is also likely to have the confidence
of the people of his district
The conferer ce between leading auton.
omists and the senate committee are
still the subject of discussion. The
autonomists declare the details have not
and will not be published, but the papers
continue to publish alleged scraps of the
conversation
The Nuevo Pals, organ of the autono.
mists, replying to the Discussion, says
none of the statements published are COL
rect The Cubans In a position to know
say the Discussion article attacking the
Nuevo Pals was written for the purpose
of stirring up feeling against the auton-
omists and the new political organiza-
ton about to be completed, which will
include autonomists and a large number
of representative Cubans.