The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-03-23
Compound ! 4!
Tells

that period that the Free Street Fair and
Carnival for which elaborate preDara-
tons are being made. VIII be held, qnd
ness of Richmonders may be relied on TO-
make 1t a grand success. The, unde rtak-l
ing is a novelty in Virginia, and the
whole State will be relied on to aid in.
king it an occasion worthy of our
capital, city. We hazard nothing in as
surfing our friends across the James that
Petersburg will be foremost among OUT
side cities in substantial efforts to that
end"
That is kindly said, and we assure the.
Index-Appeal and its large constituency
in Petersburg that if hard and entnuslas-
tic work on TIE part of the several COM.
1nittees can accomplish 1t, Rachmond's s
Free Street Fair will be the greatest show
ever seen in Virginia. It will not do to
promise too much, but the bright young
men who are in charge of this p.blics
enternrise are. we believe, equal to the.
occasion, anG it is at least safe to prom
Use our friends in Petersburg and in other
cities and sections of Virginia and North
Carolina that they will be amply repaid
for the expense and trouble Of the trip,
if they come to Richmond during Car
niVal Week
General Emilio Nunez, Civil Governor
of the province Of Havana, is visiting
80. Washington, and in an inter-
~ c,.,, view concerning the situa-
ton in Cuba, he said: Cuba
is in what may be called PROSPEROUS
condition to-day when compared with her
condition twelve months ago, for at that
time no less than $4,000 people might have
been seen on the street begging for bread
and pleading for work, whereas to-day
it is a rare thing to encounter beEgar
on the streets and the people are gener-
ally, employed on the tobacco and sugar
crops In subsequent interview he
said:
THE condition Of the country financial
~, industrially and politically is showing
marked Improvement. The tobacco crop
this year will be as big as ever it was be-
fore the war, aggregahng 100000 bales,
valued at s24.0OO,e00. On account Of the
extreme dry season: the sugar crop will
be SMALL but the planters hope to do bet
ter next, year.
THE great trouble in every branch Of
Industry and trade in Cuba is the scarcity
OF working capital. Planters whose es-
tates were damaged during the war have
not the means to repair these losses, and
this is true in every line Of business.
There are excellent opportunities for
American capitalists. Havana has al
ready n shoe factory and a brewery
operated by Americans, and every branch
of manufa cture awaits development. To-
bacco and sugar plantations also require
ready cash to be worked to advantage.
When asked if Americans were embrace
ing these opportunities, General Nunez
replied:
SLOWLY. The, trouble is, it seems to be
the opinion among Americans that condl-
tons in Cuba are unsettled and will re-
main so until the form OF government
becomes decided upon. Such is is not
the case.
Cuba is one Of the richest islands on
the face Of the earth, and its nearness
to the United states makes its lands and
ali its enterprises SO much the more val
liable But as Governor Nunez says the
island will not prosper as it deserves
to prosper until there is a settled gov
eminent. There can be no doubt that in
the course of time the island will be an
nexed to the United States. We believe
that if the vote were to be taken to-
morrow the annexation proposition would
pass by an Overwhelming majority. 1t
seems TO us, therefore, that the sooner
the Inhabitants of the island take this
course the better it will be for them.