Evening star., 1923-10-13
Cuba PLEDGES AID
TCSUGAR CAPITAL
zayas Denies New Tarafa
Bill Would Curb Rail or
Other Rights.
Nv the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press
NEW YORK, October l3.-The
Cuban government has every desire
to continue its assistance to foreign
capital in the sugar industry, mot
disregarding other interests" in which
foreign capital also is concerned, 1t
was declared in q letter made public
by President Zayas of the Cuban re-
public to attorneys for American
sugar companies who have directed
criticisms at the Tarafa railroad bill.
The letter was given to the Asso-
ciated Press by +. n. Robaina. corre-
spondent for Havana newspapers.
At the outset President Zayas said
he had nothing 10 do with the draft
ing of the bill and learned nothing
of it until it had passed the Cuban
house of representatives. lie SAID ne
realized the original draft contained
features Objectionable To American
sugar interests, but in its modined
form as passed by the senate ana
signed by him, he believed that i.
may benefit the established railway
companies without causing perccp-
tible prejudice TO any other interest
which ought to be protected.
Rail Restrictions Denied.
IN answering criticisms from Ameri-
can sugar men the Cuban president
denied the bill prohibited them from
building private railways on their
own lands in provinces of Camaguey
and Oriente, which adjoin a pubic
service railway The bill does pro-
hbit them, he said, from conversion
of a private railway into a puollc
service railway in the municipal dis-
trict in which the consolidated ran
ways may be giving service The
hi provision,
said, those railroads already buiit ana
those that may be constructed, pro-
vided the latter are not used oy an
industry connected with a conscll-
dated public service railway or SO
long as there is no pubic service
railway in the port to which they
run.
The interpretation that the bill
prohibits railways which do not JOIN
the consolidated from constructing
new. or extending existing lines, was
declared erroneous by President IA
vas. He said the bill only gave the
consolidated a preferential right for
such construction.
Infringements Denied.
1t also was denied that the Tarafa
tIii infrlnges upon the rights OF
sugar companies to load and unload
their product in existing supports
private ports and embarkation points
but, in reality. continues to recognize
this privilege without limiting these
operations to determined amount
He pointed out, however, that a con-
cession to one company for a SUPPORT
is not transferable to another COM
pany who does not possess the in
dustry for whose products the con-
cession was granted" He declared
1t was fitting that such a SUPPORT
should not be used by the same con
cessionnaire for products other than
those for which the grant was made.
Confirmation of existing permits
could not be denied, President Zayas
stated.
The right of u company TO ship
its own products, Transporting them
by sea to port authorized for ex-
portation, is not denied by the bill.
said the letter, although a license
will be required in order TO dc
this"
Regarding the constitutionality of
the act, President Zayas said he
would prefer not to discuss the mat
ter AS soon as the law is enforced,
he said, any interested party could
determine that fact by taking the
case to the supreme court.