Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-03

property and very few taxpayers. Its
entire membership Is composed OF pro-
luttonfsts. professional patriots" who
believe that the government should sup
port them without any labor on their
part and ignorant. illiterate plantation
negroes who follow them blindly.
Although the matter has not been dis
cussed here. various suggestions have
been made in Cuba as to the form
which the guarantee should take. The
most popular Is the retention CT the
troops the permanent occupation of
Cuba by a brigade of the United States
army, which shall be a perpetual re-
minder of the authority Of the American
government to intervene at any time
that it is necessary to protect the foreign
interests and preserve the peace OF
Cuba.
Resident Adviser Proposed.
It Is also a popular idea to have Gov.
Magoon or some other man OF tried
wisdom and experience remain in Cuba
indefinitely as an adviser to the gov
eminent, similar to the residents who
are stationed by the British government
at the capitals of all the native Princes
in India. It will take some time TO
work out this problem, and the author
ity Of Congress must be obtained for
the President to assume any further
responsibilities
The provisional government in Cuba
Is using it's ingenuity as we'll as its au-
thority to organize the various depart
ments of administration on permanent
basis and to give them an impetus that
will carry them along after the natives
are allowed to resume independence The
matter most important to us is sanitation
and the protection of the public health,
which has now been nationalized under
a plan prepared by Surgeon kean OF the
United States Army and has been put In
such shape that the central government OF
Cuba and not the local authorities will
be compelled to carry 1t out. When Gen
Wood and the army of intervention with
drew from Cuba they left every city and
town in a perfectly healthful condition,
and, for a time the natives continued to
enforce the regulations for cleanliness
and quarantine; but they gradually lost
interest, and when the present interven-
ton began most of the cities and towns
were in a deplorable condition. To pre-
vent any such reaction in the future all
the activities affecting the public health.
such as sewerage, water supply, hospitals,
quarantine, street cleaning, and other
sanitary laws, have been placed under the
control Of member or the cabinet, with
revenues at his disposal to pay the eX-
penses of the service and the responsible
ity has been so fastened upon such Off
cial that he cannot throw it on any one
else.
Sewer and Paving Contracts.
The contracts which were made by Gen.
Wood shortly before he retired from the
governor generalship for sewering and
paving Havana and for increasing the
water supply will now be carried out.
They have been hanging ever since. The
Cuban government did nothing, although
it had an abundance of money in the
treasury, and the contractors have been
waiting around all this time idle. The
tn
form with the growth of the city and
work will soon begin. In order to pre-
vent any future lapse this work will be
placed under the supervision of an Ameri-
can engineer who will be employed with
definite authority to the completion of the
contracts. and the necessary funds will
be placed under his control, SO that he
cannot be interfered with when the Gu
bans are restored to power.
Similar arrangements will be made in
Cienfuegos, the second city of the repub-
lie. under contracts made by President
Palma, but never carried out. Cienfuegos,
although the second city in population,
has no water works at all. The water
supply is peddled around the streets and
sold by the bucket.
Other Public Improvements.
Col. Black of the United States Army,
who is acting as commissioner of public
works, is carrying out other important
contracts made by the Cuban government,
but held up by President Palma. In or
der to remove the temptation that lies in
tie $4,000, 600 surplus in the treasury
plan prepared by him has been adopted
for the expenditure of a large portion of
that sum in building roads through the
country districts, where they are very
much needed. in sewering and paving
the cities, in providing water supplies for
cities and towns where there are none,
in building schoolhouses, courthouses and
other public buildings, in erecting light
houses and improving the harbors.
Among these plans is one for the i'm
provement of the harbor of the city of
Havana, the construction of a system of
docks where vessels can receive and dis
charge their cargoes with modern ma
chinery In an economical manner instead
of compelling commerce to pay an enor-
NOUS tax to monopoly which now con-
trolls all the tugs and barges in the har-
Dor and handles all the imports and ex-
ports at heavy cost TO the shippers. It
is also intended to widen the streets that
chance to reach the docks with side
tracks instead of hauling all freight with
OK carts through the city.
There can be no peace in Cuba as long
as the Offices remain prizes to be
fought for, and, to remove them from the
reach of the spoilers, it has been pro-
posed to enact a civil service law placing
every clerkship and official position on a
merit basis; prohibiting all appointments
except after competitive examination to
the lowest class; requiring promotions to
be made on merit only, and prohibiting
dismissals except for cause. The liberal
party, which expects to obtain control of
the offices next spring. is fighting desper-
ately against any such arrangement,
which would leave no spoils for the victors
ably be able to prevent the adoption of
the complete plan, although they will no
doubt be willing to agree to a compromise
in the form of modification limiting the
application of these rules to officials who
are intrusted with the care of the public