Gilpin observer., 1900-06-14
USING cueAN.s MONEY. :,
Americans at Havana Are Not Setting .
Good, Example.

0OeA sASAhAuPics
Havana, June 12.-Insular funds
seem to be leading source of extrav-
agance In the American administra-
tion of Cuba. They are almost entire
ly customs receipts. Local and inter-
nal taxation furnish practically moth
ing. Every month Colonel Bliss, the
collector of customs, takes in $1,000
OOO or more, and it is out of these re-
ceipts that the expenses of island ad-
ministration are paid.
There is nothing like the check or
safeguard which comes in the United
States from the congressional oversight
ana review of the appropriations.
Every head of department and ev-
erybody who has any responsibility in
the public service knows about what
Collector Bliss is taking in. Then he
makes an estimate of what is wanted
for his own department and clamorS
for its full allowance.
The estimates have to be reviewed
and passed on by the governor gener-
al, but 1t is impossible for him to give
the attention to details which Is nee
essary where large sums Of money are
to be expended.
General Chaffee for fifteen months
filled the position of watchdog of the
ou'o' LIE cut SliSDA-.
estimates, and his recommendations
were usually followed by the governor
general. Sometimes the governor gen
eral went further and made additional
reductions. Nevertheless, with the GER
tainty that there was money constant
ly coming into the treasury and that
the insular funds would stand the
strain, the officials who wanted plenty
of money to carry out their projects
usually managed to get more than
they should have had.
The result was seen n few weeks
ago when Special Commissioner Rob
ert Z. Porter announced that a new
tariff was necessary in order to bring
in sufficient revenue to meet the extra
ordinary expenditures of the island
administration. The insular revenues
are the constant temptation. The fault
is of the system rather than of indi-
viduals or officials.
While temporary economics may be
effected, new abuses will spring up as
fast as old ones are routed out, and
new means will be found for spending
money, which will be urged with plauS-
ible reasons. and which, in most cases.
ultimately will be allowed.
Regarding the personal allowances
VI AMERICAN olllctTS out Oh lHe lSlaTu
revenues. / have made careful inquiry
among Cubans and Spaniards and
have found less criticism than might
have been expected. No one has had
anything to say against Governor Gen
eral Woods extra allowance, and the
same is true of other officials
But there is bitter criticism and com
plant of favoritism to the officers of
iIInipr prp1n and M pnipnr A ,n,.i,, n,
officials. One source of great irrta-
tlon seems to be that of carriages. 1
have seen worse instances of bad taste
and vulgar display in Washington Mt
the beginning of new administrations
than have been shown in Havana yet
the instances have been bad enough
here
The CubanS are all irritated, or pro-
fess to be, because their cabinet men,
bers are not allowed carriages. There
are half n dozen of these insular cab
met positions.
1t is true that nearly everybody con-
nected with the American administra-
ton, especially with the engineering
department, seems to have carriages
and horses. Often the army ambu-
lance and mules constitute the outfit,
but nevertheless it enables the Ameri-
cans to ride where the Cuban officials
must either walk or go in an ordinary
cab, and this affrOnts the native SEN
sibilities. Even the Spaniards complain
of it.
Another source of irritation Is that
all the government residences are oc-
cupied by the Americans. Under the
Spanish rule the various officials had
their apartments set aside in the gov
ernment buildings. Some of these edi-
fees are commodious and make fine
homes.