New Britain herald., 1917-02-21
ISLE DE CUBA, THE
 LAND OF CHAPTERS
Mayor Quigley Gives Impressions
 of Southern Republic

1 of Southern Republic
 ] Cuba, the land of graft" is the
 way Mayor George A. Quigley char acterizes Cuba. The mayor and Water ] Commissioner w. B. Rossberg arrived 1 home last evening after several 1 weeks trip to Cuba and Florida. l Americans rule Cuba, and don't for l get 1t. The Cubans are in office, but
 are reached by American interests" ;" | the mayor states.
 Ideal Sanitation.
 The city of Havana, where the 1 mayor and water commissioner spent 1 much of their time. is ideal from a sanitary point of view. Mayor Quig- 1 ley says that during his entire stay there he did not see single house. ] fly or any mosquitoes. The Cubans give all credit for these sanitary con- ditions to General Leonard Wood of l the United States army who cleaned up the city during the Spanish Amer ican war and the days of occupation following it At the time the local party was il, Havana Q. small reVolu- ton WasSJust breaking out among the 1 natives In the San Juan and Santiago districts. he secretary of state in Cuba is an American named Patter- son, the mayor states, and he in re- ality rules the island. Speaking of all the graft that goes on there, Mayor Quigley says that he saw a number of large public buildings partly fin 1 ished and abandoned, and was told that the original appropriation was enough, but the grafters had taken so much of it that enough was not left to complete the buildings. Rich American sugar industries and other concerns also exert a great influence on the island because the officials can be "reache1." the mayor was told. Almost all of the natives are crooked and, if the American tourist is not careful he will be cheated at every turn. The Cubans have a cent that resembles d dime. 8 two cent piece that resembles a nickel a twenty cent piece that looks like quarter, and a forty cent piece thai looks like a half dollar, and if the American does not look our he will be short Mayor Quigley stated that in the Western Union Telegraph office he was short-changed by the clerk
 The cost of living is also high in Cuba and hotel rates average about Ss per day. Cigars cost about seven
 cents each, but native cigarettes are
 cheap; costing about four cents for a
 package of sixteen. Fatimas and
 Pail Malls. imported from the States,
 cost forty and fifty cents package
 respectively. The duty on Cuban cig-
 arettes brought into the United
 States is one cent each. Mayor Quig-
 ley says he innocently brought in 333
 cigarettes and was taxed $3.33, but
 fifty cigars he had in his pockets were
 passed unouestioned.
 Cuba Loyal to United States.
 When the news of the break be-
 tween Geruany and America was re
 Ceived in Cuba there was much en-
 thusiasm expressed, the mayor says
 The country as one man expressed.
 sympathy and loyalty to the United
 States and the newspapers editorially
 promised that in case the United
 States went to war with Germany Cuba would also declare war against the Teutons. Mayor Quigley saw
 fight in the lobby of the Plaza hotel at Havana shortly following the an- nouncement of the diplomatic. Two New York jockeys, one a German and the other an 1rishman, became embroiled in an argument of nations which resulted in a fight and the ar rest of both.
 While the native Cubans, those of Spanish blood. are all loyal and
 friendly to the United States the
 large negro population is not so kind ly disposed. This was explained to the mayor by a native who said that during the time Cuba was occupied by the American soldiers following the Spanish war most of the officers were southerners or westerners with an inborn contempt and hatred for the negro. The result was a feeling of emnity that has lived in the breast of the Etheopian. While not vouch- ing for it's 'veracity, the mayor tells a story of corruption in connection with a recent election. The president had ordered a new election because in one province where there were only seventy voters he had received only 10000 votes and he had been promised 12,0O0. The negros have all the rights of a citizen in Cuba l and can vote, but they are all ignorant and illiterate and hinder the govern ment. Another story told by the mayor concerns an alleged honest | native. In talking with the New Bri- tain men, this man told with horror how certain politician had bought votes by spending freely with the crowds and giving numerous dinners. But I don't approve of such methods l and ] helped to get even on election day for I voted against him nine times. Some of the men got in as
 many as thirty votes,' the native proudly exclaimed.
 GreWSOmc Cemeteries.