Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-01-26
Governor Magoon Reports This
Condition in Cuban Isle.
MAKES REPORT TO WAR DEPARTMENT
States That Provisional Administers
ton Has Met All Expenses OF Gov.
Much Other Indebtedness,

WASHINGTON. ID. G.. Jan. 25.-ln
ais second annual report for the year
ending December. 1908. to the Secre-
tary of War made public today.
Charles f. MagOOn. Governor OF the
Provisional Administration of the
Government OF Cuba which will Gem"
o an end with the inauguration OF
president Jose Miguel Gomez next
Thursday. states that the Provisional
Cove rnment of Cuba has proceeded
.atisiact Orily during the past year.
During the two and one half years or
IS existence there has been con
litiCn of peace and tranquility in the
Islands that is creditablc to the high
'nSt degree All of the laws which
he Peace Commission of 1906 deem
d Indispensable have been either
enacted CT are now so far advanced
r process of enactment that they will
|, hecCmc laws before she termination
If the present government. In ad
1ition many other laws essential to
ne welfare of Cuba have been enact
d. During the past year two i'm
oortant elections have taken place.
lameiy the municipal and provincial
election and the national election both
If which were Conducted without con
fusion or disorder. The national cleo
ion marks an epoch in the history OF
:-'ura. The registration for both cleo
tons was secured by a national
census.
The provisional administrator has
peen able to meet not O'.N The u'ual
and ordinary expense CT the Govern
ment. but in addition thereto to dis
charge the cost OF the Instruction
including the obligations incurred BY
the Government in attempting TO pro
vide for the national uefenSe. and
also the damage inflicted by the in
surgent forces. 1t has also discharg-
I'd a large amount of anterior lndebt-
rdness CT the Cuban Government. in
GLIDING the execution of the contrac,
COR the purchase of the church proper
Y entered into by the military gov
,rnment in 1901: it has maintained
the Rural Guard at force fixed d.
he Cuban Congress at the Tine OF
the ins-rrection Of 1906. being an eX-
cess OF 400 over the size OF the
Rural Guard prior 10 August. 1906;
t succeeded in eXtirpating an epidem-
ic Of yellow fever pre:ailing in the
ISLAND at the time the Provisional
Government was established.
Inc Provisional Government has
lone much for the sanitation or the
cities and towns Of the Island, and
N addition entered upon and made
substantial progress in the execution
IF broad plan CT publlc improve
mellts. including read and brlusc
building. harbor improvements. water
works. the erection of court houses,
custom no. seS. school houses. marx
ct houses. slaughter houses, anu
ether municIpal works; also the con-
.;truction, repair. AMI reconstruction
of OF the charitable, penal and re-
tormatcry institu, ions: rebuilt and ex-
tended the government telegraph and
telephone systems: increased the
number of postoffices and improved
the mail service: accomplished mahE
reforms in the customs house ana
adopted methods TO encourage and
promote trade and commerce. ES-
pcc:al attention has been given to ex'
banding and increasing the efficiency
Of the public schools system OF the
Island. instruction in English being
introduced and special attention de
voted to instruction in the domestic
sciences.
While on the establishment of tho
Professional government in CUBA there
was apparently s10.000.O00 in the
Cuban treasury, get of this amount
the congress had Iy" special law
appropriated approximately 5000.
o0O for various public purposes in al
dition TO the regular budget. There
were numerous acknowledged an
audited debts OF the Cutan Republic
remaining unpaid. and a number oil
additional obligations incurred as a
resulting increase cf the Rurai GUAR
II was also manifest that It would DC
necessary to pay large amounts be
cause of damages due to the insur
rection. An examination Of the treas.
ury within a month Of the establish
uent o! the Provisional Government,
showed an estimated deficiency oil
"a. 00C, 900 after meeting existing oh,
iigsfionS. In making this appraiss'
ment il YVES necessary to estimate the
cost 10 Cuba Ct the instruction OF
1906. Resvrs have shown that this
estimate was something over H,oo0.'
00n less than what to be actual cost
of this brief disturbance.
As a result of this condition CT the
Cuban treasury It was necessary tenn,
porarily TO suspend number Of the
special acts. Of tine C1ban Congress
appropriating money. IN order to ap-
piv those sums To liquidate obliga-