Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1907-06-09
N|PROVING HAVANA,
Cuban Capital Is to Be Put Into
Better Sanitary Shape.
WORK OF OUR GOVERNMENT.

government, through which the Unit
ed States Is temporarily administering
the affairs Of the republic Of Cuba, is
replaced by q Cuban and wholly indie
pendent administr ation, says. a Wash
ington correspondent Of the New York.
Post. To this course the Washington
government Is irreyocably committed.
The first step in that direction will be
the paving and sewering Of the Cuban
capital, Since his return from Havana
Secretary Taft has held several confer
ences with the attorneys OF a construc-
ton company In the effort to settle the
long pending questions growing out of
the cOmpany's contract for doing this
work. As result Of these conferences
Representative OF the company have
gone to Havana to take up, with Pro-
svistonai Governor Magoon and Colonel
Black, the officer In charge OF public
works, the details OF the contract,
which may require modl ication because
of the long delay In Its, execution.
Objection has been raised by the peo-
pie OF Havana In the past to the carry
ing out Of this or any other contract
for the paving and sewering OF their
capital on the general ground that the
work was extravagant and unneces-s
ssary. When the contract was LET, this
was the objection they offered, and
they do not appear to have changed
their point Of view since that time.
Another reason advanced In opposi-
8tion to this hygienic measure in the
last few years is that the city Of Ha-
wanna Is not financially In condition
to shoulder the burden Of this project,
and vet the finances Of the city are
certainly not less able TO stand the
strain today than they were when the
contract was let. Furthermore, the
Cuban treasury Is in excellent condi-
ton, and 1t has always been under
stood that assistance could be expect
led from this source in defraying the
cost Of the work. It Is estimated that
about Ave years will be required for
the execution Of the present contract,
and all payments which fall due in
the next two years or more could GER.
tainly be paid. a. ss.sS
Exactly how the work is to be. financ-
ed Is q question yet to be settled. One
way out OF the difficulty would be for
the island government to advance the
funds necessary to supplement those
obtained by means Of taxation in the
city The issuance Of city bonds has
been suggested, but the plan may
prove impracticable. It is unlikely
that the beginning of the work will be
delayed until the details of the finan-
cial questions involved are worked out.
Cockfighting will not be permitted
in Cuba under the American regime.
This has proved troublesome ques-
tfon to decide, because 1t involved a
great popular movement which was in
favor Of leaving the regulation or sup
preston OF the sport to the towns of
the island. This is the Philippine
method Of dealing with the subject,
and It was supposed that Secretary
Taft would favor the same method Of
control In Cuba that he adopted in the
Philippines while he was civil govern
or. Had the question of cockfghting
been q new one, and had 1t been per-.
mitted by law at the time the pro-
yisional government was established
last fall. It Is. certain that Secretary
Taft would have taken the position
expected and would have directed that
this matter be left to the towns to
regulate or suppress. as they saw fit.
This "local option solution of the
problem would doubtless have proved
naY,Y1Jar ;amanc tho Cnha no 81!