Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1900-03-31
TAXATION IN CUBA.
Valuable Properties Rather Than the In.
suiRr Proeucts should Pay
tho Taxes.

uds iNHtnllN Hdu lIltlNltMo WIN pci-
sons of influence who have strenuously
urged the taxation OF valuable proper
ties, rather than each bag of sugar,
as it is manufactured. Those who hold
this view contend that under the pres.
ent system, impediments are thrown
in the way Of production.
Idle Estates Should he Taxed.
They point out that many valuable
estates have been lying idle and UNI
productive for years, rome even having
complete sugar plants. The owners,
who arc rich men, are living in Paris,
Madrid and other European cities, un.
taxed for their property in Cuba. Gen.
Wood feels that if these properties are
taxed their owners will be forced either
TO sell Their. or 20 make them produc.
tive.
Senior Pierra, member of the sub
committee who drew up the majority
report on the electoral commission,
discussing the matter Sunday, said:
To Secure Fair Play.
an our report we have cndeavored
TO arrange for the elections in such a
way lis to secure fair play for all con
cerned. The plan proposed by the mi
nority report, drawn up by Senior
Tamayo and Gen. Rivera, which sug.
gests that the board of registry be
elected by suffrage, has the drawback
of leaving TOO mucn power in the
hands Of the civil governors. Under
the minority scheme the civil govern
ors 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 individual influence in con
Quoting the elections, as all the off
GERS controlling them would be their
nominees"
With regard to the representation Of
minorities Senior Pierra said:
Minority Representation.
although no political parties have
been formed, there are two well.
marked political tendencies, the rad.
ical and the conservative. Moreover
local interests will play prominent
part in the elections. For instance, in
Havana the principal issue will lie
between the workingmen and the land
owners. The former are a majority.
Nevertheless the committee has al.
ranged so that the land holders will
not be left unrepresented. The votes
are to be taken according to the ten
existing sections into which Havana
is now divided.
shouldn't Have Unlimited Autonomy.
Personally, | feel that the munich
paities should not have unlimited All.
tonomy at once, but only in the course
of time. At first there should be a
strong central control. There is u
great difference between Cuba and the
United States. Cubans have been &C.
customed 10 look TO the central govern.
ment for all initiative and also for the
support of new enterprises. 1t would
be impossible to change all that in one
day"
Senior Pierra remarks that the COM
mittee had chosen judges as registry
officers because judge is or should
be above suspicion by virtue of his Of
fee, and is also likely to have an init.
mate knowledge regarding the people
of his district"
sim Subject of Comment.
The recent interviews between lead.
ing autonomists and the members of
the senate commission are still the
subject of comment The autonomists
assert that the details have not been
and will not be published, but the pa
pers keen on printing alleged accounts