THE 

 CUBA RLVILW 



"ALL ABOUT CUBA" 



Copyright, 1910, by the Munson Steamship Line 



LIBRARY 

 NEW YORK 

 BOTANICAL 



QARDBN. 



Volume VIII 



NOVEMBER, 1910 



Number 12 



CUBAN GOVERNMENT MATTERS 



ORDERLY ELECTIONS — CONGRESS CONVENES — MANY CABINET CHANGES 

 — THE president's MESSAGE 



On November 1st, general elections for the house of representatives and provincial and 

 municipal offices were held in Cuba. When the polls closed, all parts of the country 

 reported that the elections had been exceedingly orderly. In Habana there were no 

 disturbances and no arrests. A light vote was cast in the country districts. 



The electoral laws provide for a four-year term for members of the house of represen- 

 tatives and for members of provincial and municipal councils and eight years for sena- 

 tors. By decree provision was made for the retirement of one-half of each of these three 

 bodies at the end of two j^ears, and, as now arranged, one-half of each body is chosen 

 every two years, with a simultaneous election of one-half of the senate every four years. 



Election returns came in slowly and on November 6th were still incomplete, but enough 

 had been received to indicate a majority for the Liberal Party in all the six provinces, 

 and this will give them practically the same majority in the house that they now have. 



There was no such repudiation of the administration by the voters as had been fore- 

 told and anticipated by the conservative leaders, although the party of General Menocal 

 made considerable gains, but not enough to alter their actual representation in the house. 

 On November 9th Sr. Enrique Jose Varona,the leader of the conservatives, resigned, owing 

 to differences with several members of his party. 



President Gomez was, naturally, pleased with the good order that marked the elec- 

 tions. His comment was that "this is, indeed, a Cuban triumph which Americans also 

 should appreciate highly, for it proves the justice of the government of the United States 

 in handing back to Cubans in 1909 the administration of our country." 



Congress convened November 7th and adjourned after listening to a reading of the 

 President's message. This recommended a general revision of the tariff, especially look- 

 ing to the protection of Cuban manufactures of paper, soap, bottles, shoes and textiles. 



Attention was also called to the exports of the first six months of 1910, which showed 

 an increase, over the same period in 1909, of $20,000,000. The health of the island, the 

 President declared, was pronounced, with no yellow fever anywhere. The revenue from 

 the lottery was greater than anticipated, aggregating $4,000,000, instead of $2,000,000. 



Sr. Lopez Leiva, secretary of the interior, resigned November 7th, and the secretary of 

 state, Sr. Sanguily, took temporary charge. On the report that the President intended 

 to appoint General Riva to the vacancy, with control of all the armed forces, Postmaster- 

 General Nodarse also resigned. It is not believed that Sr. Nodarse's resignation will be 

 accepted. 



On November 5th the President appointed General Gerardo Machado to serve m the 

 place of General Guerra as commander-in-chief of the permanent army while the latter 

 is incapacitated by the wound received when an attempt was made to assassinate him. 



Secretary Pasalodos, acting upon instructions of the President, sent a telegram to five 

 provincial governors and a letter to the governor of Havana, congratulating them on the 

 orderly way in which the elections had been held. 



All the independent parties, of which there were three groups, met with defeat. 



The new representatives, elected on November 1st, will not occupy their places before 

 the next session convenes, which will be on the first :\Ionday in April. 



