THE CUBA REVIEW 



A break lias occurred in the 

 Conscn'ii- Conservative Party and a 

 fives group led by General 



St>lit Emilio Nunez, former gov- 



ernor of Havana Prov- 

 ince, lias declared itself independent, and 

 has constituted an independent party. The 

 scceders do not intend to join the lil)cral 

 party at present, hut will support the liberal 

 jj;overnnicnt. In his puhlic letter loaviiiR 

 the party. General Nunez said the opposi- 

 tion of the conservatives to the government 

 "is not efficacious, neither does it tend to 

 furnish the country with practical sulutidns 

 i)f its problems." 



The light that the Conservative Party 

 now has on its hands promises to result in 

 even sjrcater bitterness than that which is 

 still rankling among the Liberals. 



On June 2.'5th La Discusioii. 

 l.d Pisiiisioii the strongest organ of the 

 ChaiH/es conservative party, in a 

 Front strong editorial expressed 



its determination to sepa- 

 rate from the party in the work of opposi- 

 tion which has for the last two years been 

 carried on. La Discusion intends hereafter 

 to maintain its campaign as an interpreter 

 of the Cuban ideals of peace and good gov- 

 ernnunt, but does not, for the present, con- 

 template upholding any political doctrine. 



La Lucha says that the cause of the 

 change is lielieved to be a speech made at 

 a meeting of the executive committee of 

 the conservative party by General Freyre 

 de Andrade. who attacked the position 

 taken by Tm Discusion against the increase 

 of the salaries of members of Congress. 



A bill was read before the 



Nc'a' House July 4th for a proj- 



/hc'cniics ect for two new avenues in 



for IIoTana Havana, designed to reach 



important sections of the 

 city. It is understood that a foreign com- 

 pany is already prepared to bid for the con- 

 tract. This company pays for the con- 

 struction work, the city to recognize the 

 transaction as a municipal debt, plus 25 per 

 cent, for the company. Bonds issued 

 against this indebtedness to bear interest 

 at .'5 per cent, paid by the city from the pro- 

 ceeds of a general assessment upon prop- 

 erty holders benefited by the improvement. 



On June 2Sth the Senate 

 iiilnni passed the bill for the re- 

 Army organization of the armed 



Changes forces, declaring that the 

 Rural Guard is a distinct 

 service from the regular army, the func- 

 tions of the former being confined in time 

 of peace to patrolling the rural districts, 



but in time of war the members of the 

 Rural Guard are subject to service with 

 the regulars under orders of the command- 

 ing officer of the latter, who ranks as gcn- 

 cral-in-chief. 



The object of tlie bill is to eliminate dan 

 gerous rivalry between the Rurales and the 

 regulars. It jirovides also for the establish- 

 ment of a military academy. 



Property owners having 

 l-urllicr land encumbered by "cen- 

 n.vtnisioii SOS," or milimited time 

 Granted mortgages in favor of the 

 state, who have been grant- 

 ed several extensions already to cancel 

 them by the ])ayment of only 2.^) per cent, 

 of the value in case of rural estate, and 

 40 per cent, in case of urban real estate, 

 lave four years more in which to accept 

 (his benefit. The senate ai)])roved the house 

 l)ill, granting this extension, on Jimc 24th. 

 There are additional benelits allowed 

 those making payment before tiiis exten- 

 sion ends. 



The Arsenal-Villa-Nueva 



Nciv exchange was discussed in 



Exchange the House on June 29. An 



M odifications amendment then intro- 

 duced provides among other 

 things that, while the President may ex- 

 cliange a part of the lands and edifices 

 l;elonging to the state at the Arsenal, for 

 the Villanueva lands, a strip twenty-five 

 meters wide of the arsenal property along 

 the bay front, measuring from the water's 

 edge back to be reserved for public uses. 



That the titles to the Villanueva property 

 be carefully examined. 



That 1>m1Ii properties be examined and 

 assessed liy experts to lie named by the 

 President and the railroad company and 

 the difference in value to be paid in cash 

 by (he railroad company to the state. 



The state will immediately proceed to 

 construct along the littoral three wharves 

 with steel warehouses on each. A modern 

 cremation plant of sufficient capacity to 

 incinerate all citv garbage will also be 

 built. 



The amended bill passed the house on 

 July 11th, forty-two liberals voting, con- 

 stituting a majority of one, of the whole 

 lii)cral membership of eighty-three. It was 

 made a strict party question and so passed, 

 the majority vf)ting binding all numbers in 

 favor of the bill. 



All government de])arlments have been 

 notified to prepare documents and estimates 

 and to start at once in making up the 

 schedules for the next budget, in order to 

 allow ample time for consideration and dis- 

 cussion. 



