THE CUBA REVIEW 



13 



REDUCTION IN HAVANA COACH FARES 

 The increasing competition of automobile 

 cabs in Havana has induced the owners of 

 horse drawn cabs to consider the reduction 

 for ordinary drives within the city Umits to 

 10 cents Spanish. 

 The horse drawn cab has alwa's's been one 



of the characteristic sights of Havana, and 

 one wliich impresses the tourist, and its dis- 

 appearance from the streets of Havana would 

 seem to be not unlikely, but it only goes to 

 show that Havana is changing perhaps more 

 quicldy tJian we realize, and is becoming a 

 cosmopoUtan city. 



PARCELS POST 



UNITED STATES MAY MODIFY LAW FOR CUBA'S BENEFIT 



Mr. William E. Gonzales, the American minister, with Secretary of State Desvernine 

 discussed recenth^ th6 parcels post treaty which is in progress of negotiation between the 

 United States and Cuba. 



This treaty has been pending between the United States and Cuba for several years and 

 has never been finallj^ agreed upon, owing to the fact that those persons charged with the welfare 

 of Cuba have always reasoned that Cuba was entitled to more benefits in such an arrangement 

 than the United States has up to the present time been disposed to give. The objection of 

 Cuba has always been that the United States had many products which would be benefited 

 by a parcels post treaty because they could be shipped with httle difficulty through the mails. 



Cuba, on the other hand, has only one product which could be shipped to the United States 

 if such an agreement was made. That one thing was manufactured cigars, but even that was 

 prohibited, owing to the fact that the law of the United States so reads that no cigars shall be 

 imported in lots less than $3,000, wliich, of course, renders it impossible for them to be shipped 

 by parcels post. 



During the reginie of every American minister to Cuba the matter has been broached, but 

 in every instance this republic has refused to consider such an arrangement unless proper con- 

 sideration was shown to Cuban cigars. Governor Magoon came very nearly making such a 

 treaty when he was provisional governor of Cuba, but was dissuaded by Colonel Charles Her- 

 nandez, postmaster-general then as now. He convinced him of the injustice of such an arrange- 

 ment. 



It is understood now that Minister Gonzales, on behalf of the government of President 

 Wilson, has assured Secretary Desvernine that it will be agreeable to arrange the treaty in 

 such a form that provision wiU be made so that Cuban cigars will be benefited, the adminis- 

 tration in Washington, in the meantime, doing all that it can to induce Congress to see the 

 necessity of making the laws conform to the treaty which is now being negotiated. 



It is understood that Minister Gonzales has recognized the justice of Cuba's claim from 

 the first, but it appears that until yesterday he was unable to enter into active preparation of 

 the treaty which would f redound to Cuba's as well as the United States' benefit. 



