THECUBAREVIEW 15 



the cartmen recently refused to handle freight from the wharves which was loaded on 

 their vehicles by the convict labor employed on these wharves. It is feared that this 

 will force the Port of Havana Docks Company to remove the convict labor now being 

 used. The natural result of this effort to relieve the congestion on these docks will 

 be that storage charges will accumulate and the cost of the merchandise stored thereon 

 will be advanced accordingly. Efforts have been made to effect a reconciliation between 

 the Port of Havana docks officials and labor, but recognition of the delegates will not 

 be tolerated and the end of the controversy does not seem to be in sight. 



The four German ships which were seized by the Cuban Government during the 

 war were auctioned on July 22nd, and were turned over tq, the Cuba Navigation Com- 

 pany (Cia. de Navegacion "Cuba"), who offered $3 per gross ton to the Government 

 for the privilege of operating these ships. It is understood that this company proposes 

 to use the vessels in the carrying of Cuban sugars to Europe and general cargo on the 

 return voyages. It is stipulated in the bid of the Cuba Navigation Company that they 

 will permit a naval cadet to accompany each of the vessels at the expense of the 

 company — this for the purpose of gaining experience in navigation. 



The Secretary of Public Works and a party of Senators and Representatives 

 recently visited the Port of Santiago de Cuba for the purpose of reviewing the facts 

 with regard to dredging in that important part of the Island. The projected work 

 will cost several hundred thousand dollars, but it is pointed out that the undertaking 

 would be compensated for by the ability to receive steamers of all sizes in the harbor 

 -that now only affords berth to smaller craft. 



The ships in the Bay of Havana have been averaging in the neighborhood of SO 

 vessels for the past month and it would seem that as fast as a vessel is discharged and 

 sails another enters the harbor to take its place. Each vessel is discharged in turn and 

 the average delay, before obtaining berth, is usually from fifteen to twenty days. The 

 discharge, when commenced, is usually very slow because of the fact that only as 

 much cargo can be discharged as is extracted from the wharves during the previous 

 day. 



The first steamer to enter the Bay of Havana fiying the Chinese flag, and engaged 

 in the cargo carrying trade, is the "Hwah .Jah" (Chinese for "The Beautiful No. 1"), 

 which arrived here on .July 23rd and has a romantic story to relate since she was 

 formerly an Austrian cargo carrying vessel which sought refuge in the Port of 

 Shanghai, China, after having been pursued by a British war vessel. After the 

 Chinese entered the war and took sides Avith the Allies, the "HAvah .Jah" was used as 

 a transport for American soldiers between American and French ports until the 

 armistice was signed. She had defense guns mounted fore and aft. The Chinese flag 

 is the flag which she sailed under during all those eventful times. The crew is 

 Chinese, the captain Irish, and ten officers of various nationalities are aboard. 



UNIVERSAL PRESS CONGRESS Agricultural I^nion to do a fire insurance 



„, „ , ^ V- 1 1 ■ ■^. 1 business in the Republic. 



The Cuban Goveimment has been invited 



to participate in the Universal Press 



Congress to be held in Sydney, Australia, 



in October. NORMAL SCHOOL 



The Department of Public Instruction 

 INDUSTRIAL AGRICULTURAL UNION has been authorized to purchase land on 



The Secretary of Agriculture, Commerce which to build a normal school in the 

 and Labor has authorized the Industrial Province of Pinar del Rio. 



