10 T H E c r 1! A u K ^• I i: w 



NKW STKA.MSHIl* LINK IIKTWKKN MIAMI, PAL.M HKAC H. IJAHAMAS 

 AM) HA>A\A: This lu'w stciUiisiiiii line wiM uiu'iMic pjisseiitrtT jiiul rrt'i;L,'li( vessels 

 bt'twfcii tlif ;il")V('-iiiriitioiKHl pni-ts jiiid ^rt';it su|ip">i"l I'iiJ^ ln'fii oft'crcd from livisiness 

 cuiK-cnis ill llaviiiiii. Coloiu'l Silvii of tlu' ("iihiui Army liiis Itccii iipi)oint('(l KeiuTiil 

 Agrt'iit ill II;iv;iiia and is now occupifd witli a close study of the ]ii-opositioii. 



<;(»\KI{\MKXT WOHK IX BAY: The work proje<ted liy tiie (uliaii Covern- 

 ineiit ill tile T.ay of Havana and the huilding of a large wharf is to cost in tlie neigh- 

 borhood of .S1.(i(.Ki.(HM ».<:<•. This work will be done by the I>ep:'i'i"''"f^ "I" I'uhiic Works 

 and will give employnu-nt to many hundreds of persons. 



Among the first vessels arriving at a Cuban port direct from (lermany with a 

 full cargo of toys, dry goods, hardware and drugs was the steamer "Septima," which 

 reachetl Havana on April 117th, having been enroute from Hamliurg twenty-nine days. 

 Trade with Germany has been resumed and large imi^ortations are expected to be 

 made during the next few months. 



MAY 1).\Y DEMOXSTKATIOXS: ^lay Day saw the coiiiiiu'iicciiiciit of a three- 

 (lay strike called by strike leaders in Havana as an evidence of lalxir's disapproval 

 of the ret»Mition in the local Carcel (.iail) of Havana of one of the strike leaders 

 who was recently given a sentence of sixty days for liis activities among the workmen 

 of the bay. The street cars iiiid l-'ovd liusses in the city susitended operations for 

 one day only. Imt tlie liay workers lield out for three days and retiu'ned to work, 

 having failetl in their endeavor to have tlieir leader released. Since this date the 

 president and the secretary of the Boiler Makers" Union have been deta.ined l)y the 

 Havana police for alleged activities in connection with bomli outrages which occurred 

 in different parts of the city. Very little damage was done Ity these liomlis. Threats 

 of suspensi(»ii of the Constitutional Guarantees were made by high Government of- 

 ficials if tlu' strikers maintained their opposition to the Government, and when labor 

 realized that I'resident Menocal would tolerate no nonsense they resumed work. 

 However, they were granted a raise in wages as had been previously agreed by the 

 sihii'ping interests in Havana. The .strike of the ice plant workers and ice wagon 

 drivers in Havana cau.sed more concern than did the balance of the strikers' activities, 

 as a heat \\ave was sweeping the Island and consideralile distress was caused to 

 infants and tlie sick on account of shortage of ice. 



GOYEHXMEXT MATTEHS: In a message addressed to Congress, President 

 Menocal recently appointed a commission which will undertake the task of paying 

 claims for damages caused during the last revolution here, which took place in 

 191»i and is known locally as the '•February Revolution." It is reportinl that Gov- 

 ernment employes have presented a petition to Congress recommending that prompt 

 action I e taken on the proposition to increase their salaries. 



On April 30th President Menocal signed a decree authorizing an appropriation 

 of $202,0: )O.CtS for the purpose of completing the erection of the building to be occu- 

 pied by the "Instituto de Segunda Enseiianza,"' which is similar to a high school in 

 the States. 



The President has recently signed several decrees authorizing the expenditure 

 of various amounts of money for the puriiose of terminating the construction of roads 

 throughout tlie Island and covering the exiieiise of the repairing and upkeep of others. 



On May 4th I'resident Menocal authorized the Secretary of Sanitation to dispose 

 of funds -up to $15,000.(X> to be used in coimection with a National Baby Contest, 

 said amount to he exiiended in prizes, donations, etc. This contest was duly lield on 

 the l."ith and, we imderstand, was a great success. 



Apropos of the labor shortage in Cuba, the Secretary of Agriculture, Commerce 

 and Labor has recently authorizetl several hundred Chinese laborers to be brought 



