THE CUBA REVIEW 



CUBAN GOVERNMENT MATTERS 



BRITISH MISSION 



The British mission, headed by Sir Maurice 

 de Bunsen, which has been visiting the coun- 

 tries of South America, arrived in Havana on 

 August 27. Elaborate preparations for the 

 entertainment of the mission were made, $10,- 

 000 having been appropriated for this pur- 

 pose by the city council of Havana. The city 

 was decorated with the flag of Great Britain, 

 intermingled with the banners of all the 

 Allied nations, and patriotic music was fur- 

 nished by bands. 



The official program of the entertainment 

 of the British mission as prepared by the 

 Department of State, included a Presidential 

 reception at the Palace, military review 

 at Camp Cokmibia, Red Cross benefit 

 performance at the National Theatre, a 

 private banquet to Sir Maurice de Bunsen 

 by Dr. Cosme de la Torriente, chairman of the 

 Foreign Relations Committee of the Senate, 

 lunch tendered by the Mayor of Havana at 

 the Coimtry Club, English Minister's recep- 

 tion, official banquet at the State Department 

 Building, and a ball at the Vedado Tennis 

 Club. 



URUGUAYAN MISSION 



The Uruguayan Minister of Foreign Af- 

 fairs and President Elect of Uruguay, Dr. Bal- 

 tazar Brum, accompanied by the Vice-Presi- 

 dent of the lower house and a group of promi- 

 nent Uruguayans on a special mission to the 

 United States, arrived at Santiago de Cuba 

 on August 14. At Santiago the commission 

 were the guests of honor at a luncheon. On 

 August 16, the distinguished visitors arrived 

 at Havana, where they were officially wel- 

 comed at the palace by President Menocal. 

 In the evening the commission were banqueted 

 at the Hotel Sevilla, Secretary of State Des- 

 vernine and Dr. Brum exchanging felicitous 

 speeches on the participation of the two 

 countries in the war for world freedom. 



ELECTRIC PLANT 



THE BUDGET 



The budget of the Government of the Re- 

 pubHc of Cuba for the fiscal year 1918-1919 

 estimates the receipts at S'64,4e0,000 and the 

 expenditures at $54,394,865. Of the esti- 

 mated revenues 137,000,000 are from cus- 

 toms duties and 14,000,000 from sugar.^| Of 

 the expenditures $15,099,170 are for the 

 account of the Department of War and 

 Marine and $9,831,127 for public instruction. 



CUBAN CLOSING LAW 



The "closing law" recently signed by Piesi- 

 dent Menocal became effective for the Repu- 

 lic of Cuba on August 1, 1918, and provides 

 that all stores, warehouses, shops, etc., situ- 

 ated in municipalities of the first-class will 

 close and cease work at 6 p. m. on week days. 

 On Sundays and holidays all activity in them 

 is prohibited. Retail food stores will close 

 at 8 p. m. on week days and at 10 p. m. on 

 Sundays. Barber shops will remain open 

 until 7 p. m. on Mondays and Fridays and 

 until 11 p. m. on Saturdays, but will not be 

 permitted to sell perfmnes or other articles 

 while general stores are closed. They will re- 

 main closed on Sundays and holidays except 

 where a holiday immediately precedes or fol- 

 lows a Sunday, in which case they may re- 

 main open the day before or the day after the 

 affected Sunday. 



In all stores and workshops affected by the 

 new law, clerks and other employes may vol- 

 untarily remain at their posts one hour after 

 closing time for the purpose of balancing 

 books, arranging stocks, and janitoring, but 

 shall maintain no communication with the 

 public. ^George A . Makinson, Consul Assistant, 

 Cardenas. 



A presidential decree of Aug. 21 authorizes 

 Senor Secundino Garcia Gumar to establish 

 an electric power plant in the town of Guasi- 

 mal, in the district of Sancti Spiritus. 



CUBAN GOVERNMENT EMPLOYES 



Antonio Giraudier, an employe of the 

 Department of Agriculture, has been commis- 

 sioned by the department to study certain 

 special types of agricultural machinery in the 

 United States. 



Another Government employe, Francisco 

 Andreu, representing the city of Havana, will 

 make a study of the organization and opera- 

 tion of the New York City fire department. 



