THE CUBA REVIEW 



13 



The Good Roads Association of Cuba, 

 represented by Messrs. Alzugaray and Az- 

 carate, had a lengthy conference recently 

 with President Menocal. Senores Cancio 

 and Villalon. Secretary of the Treasury 

 and Public Works respectively. The com- 

 mittee vigorously urged the construction 

 of new roads throughout the six provinces, 

 asserting that owing to the chaotic condi- 

 tions of the Gomez administration, the 

 sums annually appropriated were ineffect- 

 ively used. They also urged the construc- 

 tion of a central highway through the 

 island, the absence of which in the light of 

 the great advantages it would confer on 

 the people was a national disgrace. 



A general overhauling of the Depart- 

 ment of Public Works was also advised 

 and that incompetent and indifferent em- 

 ployees be dismissed. 



The strict observance of laws for the 

 preservation of the roads was also urged. 



Governor Manuel Rodriguez of Oriente 

 Province believes that for geographical and 

 economical reasons the city of Santiago is 

 certain to be a port that will be the popular 

 stopping place for the ships of the world 

 on their way to and from the Panama 

 Canal. It is amply protected and is a deep 

 and safe harbor. The approach to it is 

 also free of reefs and ships can steam full 

 speed right into the harbor itself and se- 

 cure supplies of coal and provisions. 



The governor is also urging the govern- 

 ment to make Santiago a free port. 



A free port is an area into which goods 

 may be imported without payment of duty. 

 then manufactured or remixed or repacked 

 or handled in any way whatsoever and 

 either re-exported free or made Hable for 

 duty only when brought out of the free 

 zone. 



The goods can be either stored or sent 

 to foreign countries. Of course, if shipped 

 to the interior they would have to pass 

 through the custom house. Samples and 

 stocks of goods on consignment might be 

 held in the limits of the free port without 

 payment of duty, and manufacturers for 

 the export trade might there receive im- 

 ported raw material duty free. 



General Gomez has not hesitated to 

 criticise the administration of General 

 Menocal, says the Havana Post. "His 

 honeymoon," the ex-president said, "must 

 already be very bitter. He must, even 

 within this short time realize that many of 

 his ideals about government are impossible 

 to carry out." 



A life saving .station at Havana is asked 

 for by Col. Jane, Captain of the Port. 

 There are frequent severe storms with 

 vessels in dire distress and up to the pres- 

 ent time there has been no adequate relief 

 system. 



President Menocal wants all municipal 

 judges to be lawyers, even though they 

 may have to serve the smallest courts in 

 the island. It is believed that competent 

 lawyers who will accept small offices in 

 interior villages will not be easy to find, 

 as the salaries are not over $150.00 per 

 month. 



Captain Edmund J. Frederick, the well 

 known American who fought with the Cu- 

 bans during the revolution, handhng the 

 dynamite gun which proved so effective on 

 various occasions, has been appointed by 

 Secretary of Public Works Villalon an in- 

 spector in the department. The office car- 

 ries a salary of $200 per month. 



According to the Director of Posts and 

 Telegraphs there is no objection to the 

 establishment of the treaty which has for 

 a base the receiving and forwarding 

 through Cuban telegraphic lines of mes- 

 sages to be sent out from the wireless 

 plant at Guantanamo to vessels on high 

 seas, fixing the rate of four cents a word 

 for forwarding the message through Cu- 

 ban lines. 



The Department of the Interior has ap- 

 proved and forwarded to the State Depart- 

 ment a report of the Director of Posts 

 and Telegraphs accepting on general terms 

 the proposed telegraphic treaty offered by 

 the United States government in connec- 

 tion with the wireless station at the Xaval 

 Station in Guantanamo. 



The report will now be submitted to the 

 United States government and if the terms 

 are acceptable it will lead to the estab- 

 lishment of a treaty in the regular form. 



The President's cabinet has decided that 

 in the future Cuban commissioners would 

 not be sent to various places in the world 

 to attend various kinds of congresses un- 

 less it was clearly apparent that some good 

 could be accomplished by such an expen- 

 diture of money. Therefore a commission 

 will not be sent to San Francisco to select 

 a site for the Cuban building at the coming 

 fair, but the nearest consular agent in Cali- 

 fornia will be sent to choose a location. 



Secretary of Sanitation Xunez recently 

 suspended a decree issued by the Gomez 

 administration concerning the sale of pat- 

 ent medicines in Cuba of foreign make. 

 This law would have compelled them to 

 print their formulae upon the labels. 



Foreign manufacturers naturally objected 

 to this ruling which required them to re- 

 veal trade secrets. Secretary Xunez will 

 investigate the matter fully before applying 

 the law. • 



Manuel Sccades has been confirmed as 

 legal adviser to the Department of Gov- 

 ernment. He occupied that place und'er 

 the (Jomcz administration. 



