THE CUBA R E V I E W 



17 



ALL AROUND CUBA 



INTERESTING NEWS NOTES REGARDING VARIOUS MATTERS PERTAINING 



TO THE ISLAND 



RECORDING DEEDS IN CUBA 



Transfers of deeds entail more red tape 

 in Cuba than in the United States. Deeds 

 are recorded in Havana. A notary trans- 

 acts all official business, and the office of 

 notary is one of dignity and importance. 

 To become one first requires ten years' 

 education in colleges and in the university. 

 He is responsible directly to the govern- 

 ment and a deed imperfectly recorded by 

 him means forfeiture of office. Moreover 

 he is under bonds to the amount of $50,000 

 to $100,000, and his bondsmen must pay for 

 any mistakes he makes. He holds office 

 for life, if he be of good behavior. 



The notary is the custodian of the 

 original deed ; certified copies are filed with 

 the treasurer of state, the state recorder 

 and the Supreme Court of the republic. 

 That makes four records on file of all 

 transfers, and these records can be traced 

 back several hundred years. 



It will be seen that the old Spanish 

 method of recording, transferring, etc., is 

 far superior to the inaccuracies and uncer- 

 tainties of the American methods. This 

 method is still in vogue in the Cuban re- 

 public and will no doubt remain so for 

 years to come. 



It has, at least, the advantage of making 

 the owners and buyers absolutely certain 

 of a clear, perfect title to their land. — 

 Ideal Home, Milwaukee, Wis. 



NO POSITIONS OPEN 



The Cuban postal authorities have de- 

 nounced to the courts an American em- 

 ployment burea'u which is advertising ex- 

 tensively in the United States, offering for 

 a fee of several dollars to obtain situations 

 in Cuba for its patrons. 



Americans have been attracted to Cuba 

 by these promises and have found on ar- 

 riving at Havana that there were no vacant 

 situations. Several Americans have ap- 

 pealed to the American consul for trans- 

 portation home. 



Mrs. Mary L. Peirson, one of Omaja's 

 oldest and most respected colonists, died 

 on November 22d. 



SHIPPERS WANT DUTIES REMOVED 



The firm of Kent and Kingsbury of Ha- 

 vana presented a petition recently to Sec- 

 retary Nunez of the Department of Agri- 

 culture in which a strong plea was made 

 in the interest of the Cuban fruit industry 

 for the removal of the duty on "knocked 

 down" crate material. The petition was 

 signed by every prominent fruit shipping 

 or forwarding firm in Havana and also by 

 many growers. 



The petition states : 



"That Cuba now produces annually about 

 1,250,000 crates of pineapples, 200,000 boxes 

 of grapefruit, 250,000 to 300,000 crates of 

 tomatoes and 100,000 crates of other vege- 

 tables, such as eggplant, peppers, etc., all 

 of which are exported to the United States, 

 and that the business has been largely ex- 

 perimental and unprofitable up to this 

 time, due to many causes. 



"That all of the carriers or packages re- 

 quired for transportation of said fruits and 

 vegetables are manufactured in the United 

 States and shipped to Cuba, it being im- 

 practicable to produce the same in Cuba at 

 competitive prices, and that Cuba assesses 

 and collects an import duty on said pack- 

 ages, when imported as shooks, of 16c. per 

 100 kilos net (being less allowance for re- 

 ciprocity), plus 7 cents per kilo net (being 

 less allowance for reciprocity), for port 

 improvement tax, and asks that these du- 

 ties and tax be removed for the develop- 

 ment of the fruit and vegetable growing 

 industry of Cuba which requires govern- 

 ment protection." 



The shooks imported into Cuba are man- 

 ufactured by many different firms in many 

 different places — in Georgia. Florida, Ala- 

 bama, Louisiana and Mississippi. 



BETTER HOSPITAL SERVICE 



The two automobile ambulance service 

 in Havana were placed in commission on 

 December 1st. The ambulances with which 

 horses were used will be sent to the suburbs 

 Jesus del Monte, Cerro and Vedado. 



The chief of the Sanitary Department 

 recommends the purchase of two addi- 

 tional ambulances. 



The new five-story hotel of the Qlba 

 Company, built on the site of the Casa 

 Granda and facing the plaza, will be 

 opened for business on January 1st. 



The United States Naval Aviation Corps 

 will spend the winter at Guantanamo in 

 experimental work and in the training of 

 additional officers. 



