THE 



CUBA REVIEW 



"ALL ABOUT CUBA." 



Copyright, 1908, by the Munson Steamship Line. 



LIBRARY 

 NEW YORK 

 BOTANICAL 



GARDEN. 



Volume Vn. 



APRIL, 1909. 



NUMBER 5. 



GOVERNMENT MATTERS. 



The Cuban Congress. The Lottery. Vice-President Zayas on the Reciprocity 

 Treaty. Carlos Garcia Velez on Annexation. Cuban Comment. 



Congress adjourned March 

 The 16 and convened April 5. It 

 Cuban lasted 43 days, in which 21 ses- 

 Cuiigrcss. sions were held. It was con- 

 sidered more fruitful in a legis- 

 lative way than any yet held. Representa- 

 tives attended strictly to business and the 

 minority accepted adverse decisions good- 

 naturedly. In this short legislative term 

 Congress passed the law amending the mu- 

 nicipal law, which is now being appealed to 

 the supreme court ; the amnesty law, the 

 judiciary law and finally the sundry army 

 and rural guard appropriations, which rov- 

 ers a complete reorganization of these two 

 forces and which permits the president to 

 increase the army in compliance with a 

 decree of the provisiotial law. The law 

 restoring bull-fighting, the public instruc- 

 tions bill and a score of others are in the 

 hands of committees. Cuban newspapers 

 are not in favor of the restoration of the 

 lottery and bull-fighting. 



A 

 Good 



Report 



The statement of the treasurer 

 of the new Cuban Government 

 shows that in February, 1909, 

 receipts exceeded expenditures 

 by $225,196, while in February. 

 1908, expenditures exceeded receipts by 

 $506,908. The Cuban administration effect- 

 ed an increase of receipts of $132,000 and 

 a decrease in expenditures of $599,000. 

 cr> A further statement showed that out- 

 C^ standing roadwork contracts provided 

 ^j for by special laws of Congress or by 

 _. decrees of the provisional government, 

 ^ which amounted to $7,500,000, could be 

 carried out without having recourse to 

 DC making a foreign loan, as authorized in 

 Cl Governor Magoon's decree. 



The codes committee report- 

 Tlie ed favoral)ly on the lottery bill 

 Lottery. before adjourning on March 15, 

 but the report will be discussed 

 when Congress convenes again on April 5. 

 At present preparations are being made at 

 the Treasury department for the implanta- 

 tion of the lottery. The two large globes 

 where the numbers are placed have been* 



Senor Ortelio Foyo, the new Secretary of Agrir- 



culture, Industry and Labor, Republic 



of Cuba. 



