Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1915-02-27
CONDITIONS in CUBA
VERY BAD
Former CharlevOix County
Resident Writes Interestingly

The below letter from Enrique Bee
man, formerly of this county and now
in Cuba, was received by Com'r Mil
ford this week. It gives valuable in
formation relative to conditions on the
island and shows conclusively that
the green fields far away are often
barren. The personal" part of the
letter is eliminated.
MatanZas, Cuba, Feb. 10.
Dear Mr. Milford:
This winter has been a very bad
winter in Cuba. The worst they've
had in many years. AS you know they
have but two seasons here, the wet
season from May to October, and the
dry for the rest of the year. 1t is now
supposed to be cool and dry, instead it
has been very wet. This is bad for the
health, but especially bad for the agri-
cultural interests. This is the best part
of the sugarcane season. Sugarcane
requires at this stage, a cool, dry
climate, this it has not received. Conse-
quently it has a superabundance OF
water with very small percentage OF
sugar. This fact has struck severe
blow at the plantation owners as the
yield of the cane has been far in ad-
vance of previous years.
When the sugar industry is suffering
kAIxt faalc ~ far thic nd, cf,.ui ic
the life of the island, even as the
lumber industry is the life of Boyne.
The condition of the people on the
island taken on the average, is poor.
The rich are becoming richer, the poor
poorer. The main factor which is ad-
vancing this condition is the existing
National Lottery.
The government issues three times
month lot of tickets numbering about
100000. These they sell at twenty
cents apiece to the wholesalers, who
in turn sell to retailers" at twenty
three cents, and they sell to the public
at twenty-five cents. Premiums amount
ing to 1864, 900 are paid three times a
month. The poor people in this
desire to win, buy as many tickets as
they possibly can. In many cases the
family goes hungry in order to allow
the money to go towards buying tickets
The fact that they are constantly losing
only makes them save more so as to
buy more tickets. The condition is
really pitiable. Am afraid that Cuba
will not amount to much until this
gigantic evil is done away with.
Besides the income which the govern
ment derives from this source they levy
an annual tax of over forty million dol
lars, which as you can guess falls most
heavily on the shoulders of the poor.
There is also an immense in
come from duties on imports which
are excessive. Where the money goes
no one seems to know, but it is
known fact that the Presidents who
come into their office penniless, or
nearly SO, leave it wealthy. The last
president was penniless when elected.
He is now worth about ten million
dollars.
The farmers are abandoning the
farms and rushing tosthe cities to secure
positions as policemen or street-sweep-
ers or anything at all under the head of
the government. Because of this en-
migration from the farmers, farm pro-
ducts are unbelievably high. Sweet
potatoes, as an example, which ought
to be as cheap here as potatoes are
there, are now selling at five cents a
pound. But there is bound to be a
change, the poor people won't be able
to stand it much longer. How that
change will be brought arouud don't
know, but am afraid that it will be by
the sword. Visitors in Cuba who tour
over the best roads, put up at the best
hotel and meet only the wealthy class
of people, do not even guess at the real
existing conditions. know them be-
cause am living in the neighborhood
of the poor people, my people belong
to this class. But can't begin to tell
of the conditions here, to really under
stand them one must see them.
Very sincerely,
Enrique Beeman.