THE CUBA REVIEW. 



THE ISLE OF PINES. 



Many New Roads. 



The new roads building in the Isle of 

 Pines is the biggest improvement yet con- 

 templated. The appropriation aggregates 

 $160,000, and Col. Black and Lombillo Clark 

 of the Department of Public Works, and 

 Mr. Corrales, chief engineer for the Prov- 

 ince of Havana, are giving the work their 

 personal attention. When completed the 

 inhabitants of the island will be in communi- 

 cation by means of good roads with nearly 

 ail the towns. Three calzadas, over thirty 

 miles in all, have been contracted for. The 

 principal roads are between Jucaro and 

 Nueva Gerona, between Nueva Gerona and 

 McKinley and between Santa Fe and La 

 Ceiba. The second named is the longest 

 and most costly. A road between Jucaro 

 and Santa Fe is completed, and work has 

 already begun on the others, and much of 

 it will have been done before the rainy sea- 

 son begins. 



A New Bank, 



A new bank was organized at Santa Fe, 

 January 29, taking its name from that town. 

 This is the second on the island, the other 

 being located at Nueva Gerona. The or- 

 ganizers and officers elected are all Ameri- 

 cans, having large property interests on 

 the island. A. P. Bush is the president; 

 R. I. Wall, vice-president, J. I. Anderson, 

 cashier, and Walter Doe, assistant cashier. 

 Population of the Isle of Pines. 



The official returns of the 1907 census 

 give the Isle of Pines a population of 3,275. 

 The number of Americans on the island is 

 given as 450. 



The figures will be somewhat of a sur- 

 prise to many Americans on account of the 

 small proportion of Americans to the to- 

 tal population, says the Isle of Pines Ap- 

 peal. It must be remembered that on the 

 date of taking the census, many of the 

 American residents were in the north on 

 summer trips, and the government officials 

 admit that the American population of the 



island has greatly increased since then. 



It is probable that if a new census could 

 be taken within a short time the American 

 population would be found to be double 

 the figures given. 



The Isle of Pines in Congress. 



While President Roosevelt was making 

 it plain that our troons would be ordered 

 home in one more year. Senator Dick, of 

 Ohio, says the Philadelnhia Inquirer, was 

 introducing a resolution in Congress to the 

 effect that until there should be a special 

 treaty entered into with Cuba or until other- 

 wise provided by act of Congress, the gov- 

 ernment of the Isle of Pines should be held 

 to be incumbent on the United States. Pro- 

 vision is made in the resolution for vesting 

 full powers of government in the President. 



That is an excellent proposition, although- 

 it is by no means a new one. The real busi- 

 ness of the Island is done by Americans, 

 and protection for American interests is 

 demanded. Until the problem of Cuban gov- 

 ernment is definitely settled, the Isle of 

 Pines should not be turned over to Cuban 

 mismanagement. Congress has neglected or 

 feared to deal definitely with the matter. 

 The resolution proposed by Senator Dick 

 places the whole subject before it and calls 

 for serious attention. 



News from Los Indios. 



Mr. C. S. Brown, president Canada Land 

 Fruit Company, is now on the Isle of 

 Pines and he reports things in first-class 

 shaps at Los Indios. There are several 

 new homes going up, and things in general 

 are very prosperous. 



Improving the Casas River, 



The work of dredginsr the Casas River 

 on the Isle of Pines is progressing rapidly. 

 It is expected that the river will be suffi- 

 ciently dredged very soon to allow the 

 large new steamboat, the Cristobal Colon, 

 to resume the run between Batabano and 

 the Isle of Pines. 



ROAD-MAKING IN THE ISLE OF PINES. 



