THE 



CUBA REVIEW™— 



"ALL ABOUT CUBA." 



Copyright, 1909, by the Munson Steamship Line. 



NEW YORK 



BOTANICAL 



GARDEN. 



Volume VIII. 



DECEMBER, 1909. 



NUMBER 1 



CUBAN GOVERNMENT MATTERS. 



The National Budget — The Political Situation — Another Negro Party — New 

 Revenue Stamps — Proceedings of Congress, etc. 



The 



National 



On November 12 the na- 

 tional budget for 1910-11 

 was transmitted to Congress 

 by President Gomez. The 

 receipts on account of the regular budget 

 are estimated at $29,805,698, and on account 

 of the fixed budget with revenue derived 

 mainl}^ from internal taxes, $4,973,982, a 

 total of $34,779,680, including the lottery, 

 $3,000,000 which previously had been es- 

 timated at $2,000,000. 



The national expenditures are estimated 

 at, regular, $24,645,549, and fixed, $4,973,- 

 982, a total of $29,618,531, this amount 

 being $4,294,917 below that of the last 

 budget as presented to Congress, which, 

 however, was reduced by Presidential 

 action after the adjournment of Con- 

 gress by about $2,000,000. 



The present budget indicates an apparent 

 surplus of $5,159,149. This, however, does 

 not take into account an instalment of about 

 $2,225,00 on the Speyer loan of $16,500,000 

 for the Cienfuegos and Havana sewer and 

 waterworks and some other items, which 

 reduce the apparent actual surplus to about 

 $2,400,000. 



The 

 Political 

 Situation. 



The Havana correspond- 

 ence of both the New York 

 Tribune and Times recent- 

 ly do not present the situa- 

 tion in e very favorable light. The New 

 York Times said recently "The re-estab- 

 lished republic is cscarcely nine months old, 

 and already rumors have become persistent 

 that some way is being sought to secure 



the retirement of President Gomez, 

 either by persuasion or by compulsion, 

 and to place Vice-President Zayas at 

 the head of the nation." 



The Conservatives regard the administra- 

 tion a failure but their opposition has not 

 yet been manifested in Congress, leading to 

 the impression that negotiations are going 

 on either with the administration or with 

 the -|-ayistas, the followers of Vice-Presi- 

 dent Zayas. The relations of the latter with 

 President Gomez continue strained. Fus- 

 ion has between the Zayistas and Mig- 

 uelistas has not yet been secured perma- 

 nently a truce at critical times is as far 

 as matters have gone. 



President Gomez, however, decided re- 

 cently that real fusion had been accom- 

 plished and notified the leaders that he in- 

 tended to make appointments to office in 

 the future without reference to either wing 

 of the Liberal party. A committee was 

 promptly appointed to confer with the Pres- 

 ident and secure more information but 

 nothing has since been heard of the com- 

 mittee. 



Another 

 Negro 

 Party. 



There seems to be a re- 

 newal of agitation for the 

 formation of a negro party. 

 There have been many 

 meetings in Oriente province and colored 

 leaders have come to Havana from all sec- 

 tions of the island to confer with Senator 

 Morua Delgado, President of the Senate, 

 and acknowledged leader of his race. 



The grievance of the negroes is the old 

 one of not having received the number of 



