THECUBA REVIEW 



Since the establishment of 

 Evils the lottery nine months 



of the ago, the government has 

 Lottery sold to the people some ten 

 million dollars' worth of 

 lottery tickets. During the first few 

 months the tickets were resold by the gov- 

 ernment dealers at large premiums, which 

 would greatly increase the amount men- 

 tioned. While it is true that only 30 per 

 cent, of the eight millions went directly 

 to the government, the other seventy being 

 paid back in prizes, yet the sum total was 

 taken from the pockets of the many and 

 transferred to those of the few lucky prize 

 winners. But even that is not the worst 

 of it. The generality of Cubans believe 

 that, with a lottery ticket in the pocket, 

 they need not worry about the rent — they 

 will have plenty of money after the next 

 drawing (which is never more than ten 

 days off), and, consequently, they light- 

 heartedly squander whatever they have 

 left over after buying the lottery tickets 

 which are so sure to make them rich. 



The little country stores explain their 

 inability to meet their obligations to the 

 wholesaler by the impossibility of their 

 collecting their accounts ; from everywhere 

 comes the complaint that collections were 

 never so bad. The same story is told 

 by boarding and lodging house keepers in 

 the cities. But, perhaps, the most telling 

 evidence of the extent to which the lottery 

 has drained the people is afforded by the 

 increasing difficulty found in disposing of 

 the tickets. Whereas at first the tickets 

 were to be obtained only at the regular 

 government booths (colectiirias) , and the 

 sign "No Tickets Left" was to be found 

 in front of these on the very day of each 

 new issue, they are now being hawked by 

 beggars through the streets, who, in every 

 cafe and at every street corner, importune 

 one to buy, up to the evening of the very 

 last day before the drawing. 



As soon as the sales began to fall off, 

 because of the growing scarcity of money, 

 the government split the tickets from twen- 

 tieths, at a dollar a fractional part, to 

 eightieths, at twenty-five cents, so that not 

 the poorest father of a family might be de- 

 barred from contributing. But the twenty- 

 five cent pieces have followed the dollars 

 and the sale of the tickets grows more and 

 more difficult. 



Under the eyes of President 

 Cuban Gomez, Minister _ Jackson 

 Officers and other high dignitaries. 

 Proficient Captain Parker, the U. _S. 

 army officer, appointed in- 

 structor by his government, and his cavalry 

 school of officers at Camp Columbia gave a 

 splendid exhibition of horsemanship on 

 June 11th, showing great proficiency with 

 the rifle and pistol. 



The mounted exercises, embracing riding 

 at the trot and the gallop without stirrups, 

 demi-volting, in unison and individually, 

 changing foot from right to left and from 

 left to right, hurdle jumping, individually, 

 in twos, in fours and in eights, were finely 

 done, both horses and men showing a de- 

 gree of training that won Captain Parker 

 the warmest commendation, which he 

 modestly declared belonged rather to his 

 pupils, whose ardent desire to excel has 

 made the task of teaching easy. 



President Gomez declared himself more 

 than pleased with the proficiency of his of- 

 ficers. 



All registered mail going 



Better to the United States from 



Mail Facilities Cuba, or coming from the 



Demanded United States to Cuba, 

 passes through the post- 

 office at Tampa, and there are four trains 

 a day from northern points, or points north 

 of Tampa, coming into that city; but there 

 are only two boats a week carrying regis- 

 tered mail between the two countries. 



If an important letter, registered, is com- 

 ing from New York to Havana and the 

 train which is bringing it on its way ar- 

 rives in Tampa 15 minutes after the boat 

 has left the dock there, it will be held up 

 in the Tampa post office until time for 

 the next boat and this means a delay of 

 at least three days. 



On June 15, the Postmaster General, 

 Colonel Orencio Nodarse, intimates that a 

 daily registered mail service between Cuba 

 and the United States will shortly be estab- 

 lished. The necessary steps have already 

 been taken by the postal authorities of 

 Cuba, and the matter is now pending be- 

 fore the Postmaster General at Washing- 

 ton, who has expressed his desire to carry 

 out this improvement. 



According to statistical in- 

 Cuha formation recently issued 



Sparsely by the Cuban Department 

 Settled of Agriculture, Commerce 

 and Labor, the island has 

 approximately fifty-one persons to the 

 square mile. With all of her natural rich- 

 ness, Cuba can easily sustain more inhab- 

 itants per square mile than any of the fol- 

 lowing countries, which show a much 

 larger ratio : The population of Java is 

 595 to the square mile ; England, 425 ; Ja- 

 pan, 317 ; German Empire, 315 ; Italy, 310 ; 

 Holland, 454 and Belgium, 600. 



The department points out also that those 

 casting their lot with Cuba must infallibly 

 benefit by the natural enhancement in all 

 values sure to result as the country de- 

 velops. 



