THE CUBA REVIEW. 



, The work of the present 



'^''j session of Congress has 



„ °i so far shown meagre re- 



Congress. ^^^j^^^ Probably the most 

 important law that has passed the house 

 and which now goes to the Senate is 

 one providing for the reorganization of 

 the Patent Office, and containing a sec- 

 tion designed to do away with the pirat- 

 ing of foreign trade marks, which has 

 long been a crying abuse in Cuba. 



THE HOUSE. 

 On Nov. 8 a bill was presented to amend 

 existing water laws of Cuba, that any pri- 

 vate individual, corporation or stock com- 

 pany in the island may apply for a franchise 

 to supply towns lacking a supply with 

 potable water. It was referred. 



On Nov. 18 Congressman Celso Cuellar 

 said that Magoon forgot all about Alatan- 

 zas when he was building roads, only hav- 

 ing had the road connecting Havana with 

 Matanzas and Matanzas with Cardenas 

 constructed, leaving the vast, productive, 

 rich sugar-growing" and otherwise pictur- 

 esque province without any roads. He 

 asked for an appropriation of $70,000 to 

 build necessary roads in the province. 



On Nov. 20 a bill was introduced in the 

 House providing for an equestrian statue of 

 General Antonio jMciceo, in Havana, to cost 

 not more than $100,000, the sculptors' work 

 to be competed for by tne artists of the 

 world. A petition was also presented ask- 

 ing for a law exempting from duty prime 

 material and machinery required in manu- 

 facturing, and sulphuric and muriatic acids 

 were reported on favorably. On the same 

 date a bill was introduced asking for 

 $200,000 to continue work on the Malecon 

 and streets of Havana, which was sent to 

 committee. 



On Nov. 25 Congressman Roig petitioned 

 the majority to find out under what law 

 the National Red Cross of Cuba was in- 

 corporated and who authorized members 

 to wear uniforms like the soldiers and 

 even adorn themselves with gilt sabres and 

 other shows of militarism. 



THE SENATE. 



On Nov. 16 a bill was introduced in the 

 Senate for an appropriation of $35,000 for 

 the construction of a breakwater at Baba- 

 bano, Havana province, on the south coast. 

 Another bill called for the creation of the 

 position of envoy extraordinary and min- 

 ister plenipotentiary, also for vice-coun- 

 sel to Berlin. 



On Nov. 18 a bill fixing the duty on 

 cattle except those brousrht into the coun- 

 try for breeding purposes at 3.00 per 100 

 kilograms was favorably reported by the 

 Tariff Committee and approved. 



■ , On November 24 the 



n-jf Cuban Government assured 



Kiglits ^j^g United States that the 



Umnjuiea. present commercial treaties 

 being negotiated with Spain, Venezuela and 

 other countries will in no way injure the 

 trade rights enjoyed by the United States 

 under the Cuban reciprocity convention. 

 Louis Octavio Divino, acting Secretary of 

 State of Cuba, said that Cuba would do 

 nothing in violation of its agreements with 

 the United States. He added that before 

 taking any action in regard to the negotia- 

 tion of treaties the Cuban Government 

 would consult the United States. 



Contracts 

 Lost to 

 Havana. 



The Arteaga bill passed 

 during the last legislature 

 by the House providing 

 that the purchasing of all 

 supplies for the army and rural guard 

 should be made in the provinces where 

 these are detailed for service, was approved 

 by the Senate November 20. 



The bill is designed to prevent all the 

 large contracts from going to Havana, 

 when there are business and commercial 

 houses in the province which could obtain 

 the contract if advertised in their district. 



The bill also aims to give protection to 

 harness and equipment factories in the 

 provinces which are able to furnish the 

 troops with their equipments. 



President Gomez of Cuba 

 has expressed his apprecia- 

 tion to the United States 

 Government of the selec- 

 tion of Gonzalo de Ques- 

 minister from Cuba to the 

 United States, as the arbitrator repre- 

 senting the United States in the dispute 

 with Venezuela concerning the Orinoco 

 steamship company claim. 



Gonzalo 



de Quesada 



Honored. 



ada, former 



A Lighter in Havana Harbor. 



