The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-07-17

| emuance-
But what are the real conditions il
Cuba? Are these statements correct tina
labor is fully employed, and that tn
wages are higher than in the Unite'
States? The evidence before our com
mittee showed that during the grindin.
season from January 1 10 May ! labor wa
fully employed. at good wages Their
was at that time but little distress ans
want in the island. The planters wer
HARVESTING their crop, and expecting 4
place the sugar on the market whel
| congress had granted reciprocity Raw
sugar was selling in Havana at that tim,
/ from $3.50 10 81. so per 100 pounds. II costs
s. per 10 0pounds on an average to mak'
| this sugar. While the labor was ther
! fully employed in the production of sugar
| it was with the expectation that oul
duties would be lowered 50 their sugar
would be admitted at such rate as L
leave them a fair profit
This hope was dispelled by the ad
| journment Of congress without action.
Present Conditions in Cuba.
What are the present conditions ir
/ Cuba? President Roosevelt in his special
message TO congress quoted from cable
/ gram from President Palma of the Gu
ban republic on June Z. 1862. in which
/ President Palma pleaded for legislative
relief before it was too late and mis- coun-
try should be ruined. a press cable
gram on June 80 said:
" The failure of the United States to
grant reciprocal concessions to Cuba has
had the effect of driving from the island
practically all the large American bust
ness interests that have been established
during the period of Intervention.
% The fear of an approaching CONNER
cial and financial crash has assumed the
proportions OF a panic, and ali who can
leave al all are doing so. The past week
saw the departures Of Armour & Com
parry and Swift & Company, the TWO
great packing concerns which have sup
piled the Cuban markets with northern
meats, etc, for the past four years.
Their departure from the field was
decided upon as soon as it became ap-
parent that Cuba was to receive no trade
relief at this session of congress. A
number of other concerns are now pre-
pairing to evacuate the island as soon az
their affairs can be gotten into shape.
so that within a few weeks Cuba will be
in truth turned over TO the Cubans.
While the commercial evacuation has
been far more gradual than was that Of
the military government, it has appealed
strongly to the people of the island. who
think they recognize in it the intuitive-
ness which actuates the rat on leaving
the sinking ship.
Charles NJ. Pepper, on June %, 1902
of III 1,
Cuba, said
=" Within twenty-four hours have
been asked a hundred times or more Of
what is the real news from Cuba The
real news is the stale news of deferred
hopes FINAL yended and a new nation
heartsick.
" AS to the real conditions, they can
only be described by distressing reitera-
ton. Though the story meets with the
sneers and the mockery, it is one which,
the people of the United States can ap-
preciate, because they went throughit IL
1894 and subsequent years. The genera
conditions in Cuba today are about what
they were in Michigan or Nebraska or III
West Virginia in the panic of 1894, WITH
the tendency to grow as bad as they be-
came in the following year. This is a
statement of actuality regardless of |
whether the United States is in any way /
for what is happening or
whether Cuba has any more claim on it
for relief by tariff reciprocity than would |
COrea or Kamatchtka.
g The depression is an agricultural /
one and is largely due to sugar How |
genuine it is anyone who wants to know I
IAN determine by visiting half dozen /
IF the big plantations within a day
irive of Havana. l know a good many
If those plantations, and it does not take
he affidavits of the planters or mana
gers to satisfy me that where one thou
sand hands are ordinarily employed not
hree hundred today have regular work
What General Wood Says.
General Wood in a recent interview
iaid
'Advices that have received from Cuba
ecently show a disposition among intel
igent planters to praise the nUited States
or the splendiGly-restored condition on
which they left the island. But these ad.
ices also say in effect that we have Iefs
he island TO its ruin. There win now be
progressive increase in the number OF
Gle and unemployed
"A New York trade paper under the
late of June q. 1902. speaking Of condi
ions in Cuba. said that thousands of Ia
orers We're without work
Are these statements worth OF belief
$ President Roosevelt mistaken? Is Cen
raj Wood a willful falsider VIII on
axe the information of gentlemen whv
ave assisted in the defeat Of this legis-
alton and are now explaining VIII they
Id It. in preference to the statements Of
resident Roosevelt President Palma. {
ieneral Wood and other eye witnesses Of
resent conditions in Cuba7
Everyone who had given considsra-
on to the question knew what would .
appen. The revenues of the eovernmen, ,
re falling or. for the people can only I
irchase articles from other countries
hen they can sell their products al q {
roft- As iong IS they are compelled 70 7
FL hundred pounds II sugar al from, I
g eto $l-s3 when il costs 500 10 fro- 2
nee it. it does not require much OF =
.athematiciar or prophet 10 tell whit I
1e end viii be- The employed Iabor.ts T
care for their last years crop r., Z
Vpectation OF reduction ia our duties
~ when that hope was gone bv the al
urnment Il congress without action
iere was nothing left to DO but discharge II
le laborers and reduce expenses.
AS stated BY Mr. Pepper. the consi
on in Cuba Is similar to that which 81
ted in this country in lsss You all re- !.
ember those conditions. and you DO no. ].
ant repetition 4 them IN the United
-ates- Those conditions were relieved j,
! leelslatlon. and The condltlors IN c.lh.