1^' 



THE CUBA REVIEW 



:(--(q,Uc 



CUBA'S FUTURE HOPEFUL 



In a letter to the Baltimore Sun, Presi- 

 dent Menocal renews his earlier promises 

 regarding his administration. He favors 

 "the promotion of primary schools wher- 

 ever the nucleus of population war- 

 rants it, and the creation of normal col- 

 leges to better prepare our young men 

 and women for the noble task of teach- 

 ing; the increase of our present means of 

 communication, the enlargement of our 

 established industries and the encourage- 

 ment of new enterprises. He said fur- 

 ther : 



We should also cultivate the closest 

 commercial relations with the United 

 States. Your country is the natural and 

 principal market for all our products and 

 we should exert ourselves to make per- 

 manent the advantages that both countries 

 have undoubtedly obtained through the 

 present Reciprocity Treaty. 



I am most favorably disposed toward 

 immigration. In my opinion, it is es- 

 sential to the progress and permanent 

 prosperity of our country, especially im- 

 migration by families, and I intend to de- 

 vote careful attention to this problem. 



The heartiest encouragement and sup- 

 port will be given to all foreign capital 

 that may desire investment in Cuba and, 



the greater the volume, the warmer the 

 greeting, especially when the purpose is 

 to increase the manufacturing capacity of 

 the country. 



I hope that our promises may be as seri- 

 ously taken bv your readers as they are by 

 ourselves. All the energies of my Gov- 

 ernment will be devoted to one end — -to 

 put Cuba in the place that rightfully be- 

 longs to it in the concert of nations. 



Construction and building work of all 

 kinds is being done, new railroad 

 lines laid down and every legitimate en- 

 terprise heartily encouraged. The people 

 generally are confident and look forward 

 to better times. 



The future is hopeful. Chief among 

 other things looms the opening of the 

 Panama Canal to international commerce, 

 for which event some of our bigger cities 

 are already making preparations ; Cuba's 

 geographical position gives her an unusual 

 interest in this, the event of the age, whose 

 ultimate effects on her neople and her 

 commerce it is impossible now to foretell. 

 In the light of what history teaches us, we 

 can only prepare for the delicate task of 

 guiding our country amonp^ the multitudin- 

 ous, and often diametrically opposed, in- 

 terests that surround us. 



Government Activities 



President Menocal on July 30th annuLed 

 the concession which had been made by 

 the Gomez administration to the Nipe Bay 

 Company to import 1,000 Haitians in the 

 work at its sugar mills. 



The opinion of the cabinet 



Other was that the new workers 



Concessions would prove undesirable and 



Annulled likely to become public 



charges, for what reasons is 



not stated. Spanish labor is favored for 



Cuba and this will be encouraged. 



' 'The other concession killed was one 



granting the right to cut all the wood in 



the keys and islands of Cuba on the north 



coast. 



'"' -. The Secretary of Agricul- 



■ ;^' Must ture has sent a letter to all 



^:'Use Real the Mayors in Cuba asking 

 Money if the law of June 23, 1909, 

 is being obeyed in their lo- 

 cality and ordering a full report of all in- 

 fractions. 



The ^aw mentioned prohibits the payment 

 to. laborers of salaries or other obligations 

 ■iti chips or counters either of metal or 

 paper instead of the real coin. 



MINOR GOVERNMENT NOTES 



Target practice with revolvers is urged 

 for Havana's police on the ground that they 

 were not sufficiently acquainted with their 

 weapons to use them effectively. 



The government officials look upon the 

 suggestion with favor and a shooting gal- 

 lery will soon be established. 



The government is having trouble col- 

 lecting the taxes and rents of the occupants 

 of the workingmen's homes built about a 

 year ago near Havana for the laboring 

 classes. These homes: were given the ij|en 

 for a small price and payr)i,ent by inS|t;al- 

 ments was also permitted. An official col- 

 lector has been apppin,ted to locjik ,aftei; the 

 dflir^querits. . ','^, "Vji;, ',...,,,,,. ... 



President Menocal at the requets of the 

 Secretary of the Interior has signed a de- 

 cree prohibiting the use by persons outside 

 of the army and the police forces of- the 

 island of the .45 caliber Colt revolvers. A 

 fine and the loss of the gun will follow 

 violations of the decree. 



