Evening star., 1907-08-29
Bringing the Provinces Into Closer
Connection With Seaports.
MARKETS MORE ACCESSIBLE
Effect of the Decision in Favor of the
Cigarmakers - First Time Govern
ment Has Favored Workingmen.
BY WILLIAM f. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence OF The Star and the Chicago
Record Herald.

4HF SlNudllph III SuDd 10 quite dS ldNOt-
able as anybody could have expected The
settlement of affairs by Secretary Taft
during his visit there in April has proven
satisfactory to all concerned. and not only
postponed the crisis until after the next
presidential election in this country, but
will enable the Roosevelt administration to
20 before the country in the campaign
of 1!DS with a clean and satisfactory rec
ord so far Cuba is concerned. Further
more the next president of Cuba in all
probability will not be inaugurated before
President Roosevelt's successor and. there
fore If he falls the next administration
will be compelled to assume the RESPONSE
bility and take up the white mans bur-
den In the meantime local politicians
In Cuba will be compelled to find employ
ment. and in that way many will doubtless
be eliminated from the idle class of dis
turbcrs. There no Indications that the
two factions of the liberal party ever
agree either upon platform candidate.
At present Gomez appears to have the ad-
vantage, but Zayas is active and persistent
and has behind him the strongest
most influential clement in the liberal party.
The conservative class of the population
is gradually getting together, and seems
to be making progress toward agree
ment on principles and policy. Before the
presidential and congressional elections oc-
cur IN tuDd lney may De reOTSdnlZeu
GENTLY 10 take part in a campaign.
An even more important result of SeCre-
tary Tafts visit was to insure the plant
ing, harvesting and grinding of the next
sugar crop, and the curing of another to-
baCco crop. by giving bankers an assurance
that the United States troops will remain
ON the island for eighteen months at least.
If that promise had not been made the
planters could not have borrowed the mon
ey necessary to make their crops. and Cuba
would have been thrown into an agriCul-
tural and Industrial crisis. Nearly all the
sugar and tobacco operations are conducted
on borrowed money and no banker would
be reckless as to advance funds to a
planter whose crops were in danger of
destruction by revolutionary armies or
whose workmen were likely to desert him
for military service. But there is no dan
ger of revolution as long as the American
troops remain. Their presence is
suranCe of peace, and, in Cuba, peace
means prosperity, Industry and content
ment
The settlement of the strike of the cigar
makers by Gov. Magoon was the most i'm
portant event that has occurred since the
intervention The circulating medium in
Cuba has been gradually changing. More
American money and less Spanish has been
used every successive year in commercial
and mercantile transactions, but the plant
ers. manufacturers and other employers of
labor have insisted upon paying their en-
ployes in Spanish money, which is worth
from 10 TO y per cent less than gold, while
most of them sell their goods for American
money. This is particularly true OF the ci-
gar. trust. and last winter the cigarmakers
in thirty-four of it's factories demanded
their wages in American gold, which was
actual increase of 10 per cent. The
strike continued into June. when 1t was
referred for arbitration to Gov. Gen. Ma
COON. After hearing arguments and evil
dence on both sides. he decided in favor of
the cigarmakers, and since then they have
been paid in American money. This deci-
sion was not unexpected, and it was far
,i,,rr ttr nprA = Id r.
rency question in Cuba and increases the
wages of practically every workman on the
island because none of them will be willing
to accept Spanish money since the governor
general has. in effect. commanded employ
ers to pay their hands in American cold.
The wOrkingmen of Cuba appreciate this
change in their condition most profoundly
because in previous years the government
has always been against them. The rea-
son that the working classes have been al
most unanimously against the government
so far back as any one can remember is
that the government has always been
against them. That Is the bitterest COM
plant you can hear from one end of Cuba
to the other. And therefore the decision of
Gov. Mago0n inaugurates new era, being
the first official recognition of the rights of
labortng men The illiterate Cuban knows
enough to realize what has been done for
him. The revolutionary leaders have been
able 10 call the plantation hands into their
service by promising to improve their con-
ditiou. Che peOn is easily persuaded and
has strong faith. But. until now. he has
had nothing but promises. and all remain
untiulf.ied. Gov. Magoon made no promise,
but gave him 10 per cent advance in
wages without hesitation Hence you NAV
understand how the decision in the cigar
makers strike has brought to the support
OF the provisional government and Amer
ican authority every wage-earner in the en-
tire island.
Gov. Magoon is doing still more for the
working classes Seventy per cent of the
MI. h.y1,l- To-
in the year, between harvests. The idle
season began about th1 middle of June.
Almost Immediately after Gov. Magoon in
auguVated system of public improvements
which will not orlS be of the greatest i'm
portanCe 10 the Industrial and commercial
interests of the island and provide for neces-
sites that have been neglected for centuries.
hut Will also secure employment for hun
dreds of thousands of men who would
otherws- he idle between crops.
l received letter from Gov. Nagoon the
other dav in which he said The first stage
OF tie work OF the provisional government
was 10 rc-estabiish tranquility, correct the
Injustice under which the large number of
TIE people Were suffering and IN general to
smooth out the political complications lead
ius up to and resulting from the ins-rrec-
ttnu of last August and September nd to
maintain financial conditions which would
permit Of the growing and harvesting of at
least one more crop OF sugar and tobacco
In peace The second stage. now at hand.
consists ~ doing the work necessary for
the Industrial and commercial development
o. the Island The next stage will be the
reform OF the laws. Improvement of the
school system and. if permitted read
justm-nt Of the tariff schedules and the
establishment OF stable. subsidiary coin
age
For the moment l am engaged in get
ting under way the work OF public improve
ments, but will shortly arrange for an over
hauling OF the penal code and the law of
criminal procedure. | expect TO appoint a
commission composed OF judges and fiscals
OF the courts. This work ought not TO oc-
cupy very much time. FOR they can take
the penal code and law of criminal pro-
cedure adopted by the Philippine commits
sion or the recent reformed code of Italy
as a basis In fact. the principal purpose
OF the commission would be TO decide which
OF the two codes is better adapted TO Cuba.
''ThS school system" Gov Magoon con-
tinued needs TO be taken out of politics
and to have better qualified i,achers.
normal school is a necessity nd will be
established. To establish normal school
is easy. but to take anything out OF politics
In Cuba is difficult. 1t IS also difficult to
secure Spanish-speaking teachers who have
a knowledge of modern methods OF instruc-
ton From a practical standpoint the
easiest and best thing to do would be to
turn over the schools to the Christian
h,s hat would he