Bisbee daily review., 1909-06-23
CUBAN IDLERS PLACATED WITH
 MORE OFFICES
Offices Filled With Those Who Would Make Trouble If
 Not Provided For

HAVANA, June 21.-Cuba's most vexing problem at this moment is how to make her receipts balance the disbursements.
 The principal strain on her treas ury comes from the greatly increas- ed salary lists. due to tremendous political pressure for office. This is said to be the price that Cuba is com pelled to pay for tranquility. and there is apparently no help for it. Every department of government is
 filled with idlers, but the govern ment is helpless to make reductions and compelled to be content to stem the pressure for still more offices.
 Among the extravagances charged against the government are the pur chase of a considerable scale of auto mobiles for the use of high officers of the army and the secretaries of the various departments.
 The executive department expenses have also been increased. the total on account of the palace being $152,- 620 against $116.020 for the current year. the increase being due in the main to the addition of $25.000 to the presidents salary. $25.000 for a secret service and $12,00O for enter. tainment, and an increase in the number of servants with new uni forms for the palace stan.
 While 1t has been realized that the financial situation is embarrassing and promises to be more so, Cubans were astounded to learn from cabled reports of articles in American news papers that the government at Wash ington was so concerned about it as to be seriously considering another intervention.
 Another reason why the budget presented to congress calls for much more money than Cuba has every be- fore been called upon to raise in ages Is that it must meet the extraordi- nary expenditures of $7,5S3,S31 on account of the new army. the pay ing and sewering of Havana, the wa ter works of Cienfuegos, the assump- ton by the national government of half the cost of the police of the capital city. the extension of the de partment of agriculture, payment of
 
 tions created by decrees of the pro visional government.
 Excluding these extraordinary ex- penses, President Gomez shows that bis total budget would have been about $500 900 less than that of the current year.
 The conservatives have announced their intention to demand heavy re auctions in the budget. but have not ,iefihe,i their points of attack. The danger now appears that in the short | time left before the closing of the fiscal year congress will not be able ' to come to an agreement and that no budget will be passed, thus fore | ing on the president the dangerous | alternative of ruling by decree.
 Jn the passage of appropriation bills. or indeed any other measures of importance. congress has done practically nothing. An encouragine
 step in the direction of a policy oi
 economy is the recent determipatior of the house committee on public
 works to approve of no more projects I for public works until the condition
 of the treasury is more satisfactory
 The fate of the lottery bill. or which the government depends t6 make good a deficiency of s2.000.000
 still hangs in the balance. the dela, being due to the rivalry of the pres
 ident of the senate, Moroa Deleado
 and Secretary of the Treasury Vile gas for the coveted post of directo
 of the national lottery.