Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1900-03-29
SITUATION IN CUBA.
Gen. Wood Urged to Tax Valuable
Properties Rather Than Sugar.
ARRANGEMENTS FOR The ELECTIONS.
Senior Pierra Thinks Municipalities Should
Not Have Unlimited Autonomy NJ Once
"A Meeting for Universal Suffrage
Shiny Attended.

Havana, March 26.-Gov. Gen. Wood
has recently had interviews with per-
sonsof influence who have strenuously
urged the taxation of valuable prop
critics, rather than each bag of sugar
as it is manufactured Those who
hold this view contend that under the
present system impediments are
thrown in the way of production.
They point out that many valuable
estates have been lying idle and I'M
productive for years, some even hayi
ing complete sugar plants. The own
ers, who are rich men, are living
in Paris, Madrid and other European
cities, quite untaxed for their prop
erty in Cuba. Gen. Wood feels that
il, these properties are taxed, their
owners will be forced either to sell
the more to make them productive.
Senior Pierra, a member of the sub
committee who drew up the majority
report on the electoral commission,
discussing the matter yesterday, said;
SIN our reports we have endeavored
to arrange for the elections in such
way as to secure fair play for oil
concerned. The plan proposed by the
minority report, drawn up by Senior
Tnmayo and Gen. Rivera, which sug-
gests that the board Of registry be
elected by suffrage, has the drawback
Of leaving too much power in the
hands of civil governors. Under the
minority scheme the civil governors
would nominate election officers in
the various provincial districts; these
officers, being charged with the con-
duct OF the elections would choose
the electoral boards of three. In
this way the civil governors would
have too much individual influence in
conducting the elections, as all the
officers controlling them would be
their nominees"
With regard to the representation
OF mnorities, Senior Pierra said; al
though no political parties have been
formed, there are two well marked
political tendencies, the radical and
ahe conservative. Moreover local in
terests will play prominent part in
the elections. For instance, in Ha-
vana, the principal issue will lie be-
tween the workingmen and the land
owners. The former are majority.
Nevertheless the committee has ar
ranged so that the land owners will
not be left unrepresented.
"The votes are to be taken accord
ing to the ten existing sections into
which Havana Is now divided.
"Personally, ] feel that the munic-
qualities should not have unlimited
autonomy at once, hut only in the
course of time. At first there should
be n strong central control. There is
great difference between Cuba and
the United States, Cubans have been
accustomed to look to the central
government for all initiative and also
for the support of new enterprises.
II would be impossible to change all
that in one day"
The recent interviews between
leading 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 keep on printing alleged ac-
counts of what was said. The Nuevo
Pals, organ of the autonomists, in re-
ply to an attack by the Discussion,
says. that none of the statements yet
published represents the facts.
The meeting called yesterday of
those favoring universal suffrage re-
suited in failure, The only persons
present were about so negroes and
several small boys.