The Hawaiian gazette., 1917-05-18
Direct TAX ON n,
ALL CUBAN SUGAR
War Necessities CalI For Small
Export Charge Amounting
TO Eighty Gents ion

NrANt% NfhNFO ~ AffhAN NHfft 49, HihA
a6--sevcral mills in Camagucy and ORR
entc, located along tho railroad dJu-
Meeting Santa Clnra and Santiago ie
Cuba, are said TO be nearing the ebd ~
their grinding seqson and facing lhrge
output reductions from earlier Xiii
mites There was no damage done to
the machinery Of these mills, according
to the reports received here, and tne
losses sustained by these ce1trpIs have
been confined to the fields, stores, rail-
roads and dwellings,. ~
President Menocal has Just Sigoed a
governmental decree advancing S1.0n0,t
600 20 the Cuba Railway from .he Gu
ban treasury for the purpose Of aaahhng
the company TO commence the repairs
ON its track and rolling stock which are
made necessary by the damage inflicted
during the recent revolution. The gov
eminent recognizes that il win eventual
~ have to pay for the damages this rail-
road has sustained and the loah is really
an advance payment ON account Of the
indemnity that will undoubtedly be
awarded later on.
Repairs TO BE Rushed
These repairs are 20 be made as fast
as possible in order that the govern
ment may be able shortly TO move, its
troops and supplies through the eAst-
efn provinces should military develop
ments require sneh action. It is also
forcseen that the United States may
need adequate transportation facilities
in Cuba in connection with moving sup
plies to its naval station at Guahta-
namo.
The operations Of the rebels at pres.
ent seems to be largely confined to the
province of Oamaguey, Semi official in
formation obtainable indicates that
there are still eight bands Of rebels in
the field in that section. Only two of
these bands have any great following.
Further information from the same
source is to the effect that the govern
ment is concentrating large bodies Of
troops for the purpose of pushing an
aggressive pursuit Of these few remeiu-
ing guerrilla bodies and thereby putting
an end 20 the last remaining sparks OF
the revolution. 81
Many Grave Problems Ahead .
THO interest in the revolution and the
steps taken to crush IL which has been
80 acute during the past two months Is
giving place to perhaps a greater inter
est in the read Gstment of national
economic policies made necessary by the
entry of Cuba into the war. Many
grave problems confront the Cuban CON
gress which is now An session, and the
county is anxiously awaiting their be
ing solved.
President Menocal has presented a
special message to that body covering
many of these problems. The greatest
! interest locally eenters IN his recomHieh-
dalton relating TO the authorizing Of q
$50 900 900 bond issue first, for the bur-
pose of paying the indemnities arising
from the recent internal disturbances
and secondly to enable the government
10 perform satisfactorily its larger du.
ties as an ally of the Omitted States and
the European Entente.
| The president in his message says:
"Cuba is no lukewarm ally which re,
jects sacrifices and begrudges efforts to
aid the common cause, but proposes to
do her duty in any circumstances that
/ may arise. 70 '' sA
Many New Taxes Planned ! "
| He recommends the immediate use
Of bonds 10 the extent Of thirty million
dollars, bearing interest not to EXCEED
six per cent, amortization Of which
should begin Immediately after the con.
emsion Of the European war. To pro,
vide for the payment Of the interest on
this bond issue, and later the amortiza-
ton of the debt, he recommends many
new taxes, such as stamp tax on all
stock exchange certificates, on all re
ceipts, commercial paper, rentage, con.
tracts, insurance policies and all public
, documents. The most important OF
these tax recommendations, in so far as
the sugar interests are concerned, il
that a special export tax be levied on
all sugar, amounting TO -four cents for
each one hundred pounds, equivalent Il
eighty cents per ordinary ton. This
tax, it is estimated, would raise a'reve
nuc Of about 81, 100000 annually.
Several attempts have been made N
recent years to place a direct tax OF
sugar, but the sugar planters have
always fought the proposition on this
ground that il would be o diActiminat
iRT tax and that'any successful attempt
of this kind, even though very innocent
looking and harmless at first, would cas-
ily lead TO abuse. The planters have
also always claimed that they already
bear in a substantial measure their pro
portion of the taxes necessary to sup
ipOrt the government and that new
sources of revenue should be sough
from other interests Special eifcum
( stances, however call for special action
and in national emergencies general,
bring about a right about face in opin
ions held, so that no objections 70 Chi
tax ON the part of the sugar interest
have been reported 50 far.
Food Control Boafd Appointed (.
An0fheF legislative measrfe reeehtl,
adopted shows that tie Cuban govern
ment has not entered the war in an,
lightness Of manner or without propeJ
consideration of its consequences. A ma
tional board Of food control has boer
appointed, which will regulate both tb'
:, supply and sale of all foods, whether
the fact that cOrh caTbuTe'or fonti
could not he used because the alcoho