Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-08-31
suit their POPULARITY was shortlived and
complaint and fault finding were extern


suit their POPULARITY was saortlived and
complaint and fault finding were extern
sive.
ITO avoid serious confusion numerous
inspectors are kept constantly employed
| looking out both for the interests of the
department of state and government
and that Of finance.
1T will be seen that some alcaldes
have been suspended, some removed.
and that others are charged with serious
offenses.
THE secretary Of finance informs me
that only comparatively small portion
of the municipalities are keeping their
| accounts as they should be kept. BY
constant exercise of the supervision re-
| ferred to the municipal administrations
i have been secured against serious losses
or confusion, but the indications are
clear that without this supervision and
watchfulness and constant untangling
serious confusion would have arisen.
confusion which would have jeopardized
the municipal governments in question"
The absence from the report of any
account of the work of the constitutions
al convention and the difficulties en-
countered with the Plat amendment is
particularly noticeable. Gen. Wood ex-
plains the call for the convention and
remarks:
The election of delegates was without
disturbance and I regret to say with
out that general interest which l had
hoped to see aroused. The contest was
entirely one-sided, the vote cast being
comparatively SMALL and the conserva-
tive element displaying practically no
activity or interest in the campaign
General Wood gives a history of the
rural guard of Cuba and expressed the
opinion that as now organized it will
be fully able to maintain order in the
| island even after the withdrawal of the
American trops.
In reviewing the work of the depart
ment of justice he says:
THE weakest portion of the entire
government has been in the courts,
and, unless this weakness can be cor
rected and the correction vigorously
maintained no free government can eX-
list in this island. Too much stress can
not be laid upon this point, as it is of
vital Importance.
Conditions now existing in the adj
ministration of justice are much better
than they We're, but it is difficult to
change in day methods generations
old. 1t was difficult at first to get any
person on the island of Cuba to sign
his or her name to complaint against
| a person of Importance or an official.
| The only way to show the poor man
in Cuba that he is equal to the planta-
ton owner before the law is to assure
him that he will be protected in telling
the truth and that his evidence as to
facts shall be as good as the evidence of
any other man. This is state of af-
| fairs hitherto unknown in the island.
AT present it is commencing to be APP
preciated. The law is excellent, the
procedure alone is bad
| General Wood recommends the es-
tablishment OF agricultural banks in
Cuba to loan money at reasonable
rates to planters. farmers and stock
raisers. He says the work of the aud
| iting department has been extremely
difficult. The amount of the work
called for by the senate resolutions was
enormous and entailed a considerable
additional expense to over $4,000.
1 He refers to the arrest of Nicely,
Rathbone and others saying:
| Mr.. Rathbone was succeeded by NJ.
| G. Fosnes as director general of Posta.
\ The frauds and irregularities We're
brought to summary conclusion and
at present the department of posts is
| turning in much larger receipts to
the general government, and is. be-
llieye, being ably and efficiently adj
ministered. The irregularities dis
closed in investigation were scandalous
in character and / believe indicated a
conspiracy Systematically to defraud
the island government"
The report deals extensively with
the public school system of the island.
General Wood comments upon the crit
icisms of the failure to provide Ameri-
/ can teachers and declares that it would
be mistake to do SO, as they do not
speak Spanish. The report shows an
Expenditure monthly of 100000 for
public instruction. and General Wood,
i while acknowledging the schools are
j far from what he hopes to make them
says they are in efficient operation.
He reports that under the direction
of the department of public works,
harbors have been improved, new roads
built, and much sanitary dredging car
ried out. Many of the harbors still
need Improvement. and plans are under
way for the construction of several
government wharves. He also regards
lit as important that all of the coast of
Cuba be surveyed