THE CUBA REVIEW And Bulletin. 



13 



THE INDUSTRIAL SITUATION. 



Loans to the sugar planters 

 Business amount annually to between 

 Conditions $5,000,000 and $10,000,000, and 

 in Cuba, this year the hanlcs are hesi- 

 tating about advancing so 

 much monev because of general disturbed 

 conditions, due more than anything else to 

 widespread labor troubles. At last reports 

 the United Railways was moving all its 

 trains, but the Western Railway was badly 

 crippled. The former has numerous branch- 

 es and subsidiary lines forming a network 

 of track along the north coast to Cardenas 

 and beyond, and up through the center of 

 the island to Esperenza. The latter road 

 taps Pinar del Rio province as far west as 

 San Juan and is one straight line without 

 any branch connections. No serious violence 

 has yet been reported, or clashes between 

 the strikers and the strike-breakers. But 

 the hesitancy of the bankers in money mat- 

 ters leads the Diaris de la Marina, an in- 

 fluential paper in Havana, to predict that 

 the next sugar crop will fall 40 per cent, 

 below the normal, bringing the output down 

 to about 900,000 tons. The newspapers gen- 

 erally see a most serious con- 

 Disturbing dition of affairs confronting 

 Conditions Cuba, unless the general 

 Everywhere, doubt and uncertainty regard- 

 ing the political future, and 

 the labor strike, be removed. The demand 

 of the strikers in all parts of the island for 

 p.iyment in American money is also another 

 'disturbing factor. This matter could prob- 

 ably be easiest settled by a currency de- 

 cree from the Provincial Governor, but 

 there is no reason to believe that Mr. Ma- 

 goon will depart from his well-known de- 

 termination not to interfere in controversies 

 of labor and capital. 



Members of the Federation 

 Arrested of Labor who gave testi- 

 for mony in court to prove that 



Perjury. De Menocal and Manager 

 Robert M. Orr, of the United 

 Railways, had infringed on the immigration 

 laws by importing strikebreakers, have 

 been indicted on a charge of perjury, as 

 their testimony was found to be false. They 

 ■depended mainly on the testimony of two 

 alleged strikebreakers, Americans, who had 

 signed statements declaring that they came 

 to Cuba under contracts, for whom_ the 

 police are also searching. This practically 

 ends the Federation's case against Man- 

 ager Orr. The United Railways announces 

 that all applicants for the places of the 

 strikers, if acceptable and capabl_e._ are sure 

 of the permanency of their positions. 



The striking railway employees had a 

 conference with Governor Nufiez, of Hav- 

 ana province, on November 12, and refused 

 the terms of settlement offered by Manager 

 Orr of the United Railways. The strike 

 is therefore still on. 



The terms of the strikers refused were 

 debated at a meeting at which were present 



a committee of the railway strikers, Robert 

 M._ Orr, general manager of the United 

 Railways, and Governor Nunez, of Havana 

 Province, and are as follows : 



The men who are now occupying posi- 

 tions with the United Railways are not to 

 be disturbed. Firemen's salaries to be 

 raised to $55 on passenger trains and $50 

 on freight trains. There is to be no eight- 

 hour day at present, and payment in Am- 

 erican money is refused. Similar conces- 

 sions were offered by the Western Rail- 

 way, and, as already stated, were refused 

 by the men. 



The Association of Archi- 

 275 tects and Builders have re- 



Cases of ports of 275 cases of violence 



Violence. ■ against working masons. The 

 strike has seriously hampered 

 building operations in the Vedado and else- 

 where. Buildings under construction are 

 guarded by police to prevent overt acts of 

 strikers. These charges were brought to 

 the attention of Governor Magoon and as 

 a preliminary to the prevention of further 

 violence the police force has been increased. 



Strikes have taken place at two planta- 

 tions in Havana province and at the Ha- 

 vana Coal Company, where the workmen 

 struck because the firm would not agree to 

 apply to the workmen's asociation when 

 it needed new men. At last accounts Chi- 

 nese had taken the places of the strikers. 



Labor conditions show no 

 Strikes improvement. The railroad 



Extending, strike continues, and the offi- 

 cials complain that they are 

 not getting sufficient police protection. Loyal 

 employees have quit because of threats of 

 strikers. There is considerable talk by the 

 British railroad officials of appealing to their 

 government to obtain more protection. 



The threatened cartmen's strike in Hav- 

 ana was averted by the Chamber of Com- 

 merce and Produce Exchange members 

 agreeing to pay the men for their unprofit- 

 able idleness caused by the railroad strike 

 and general business stagnation. 



Representatives of the workingmen called 

 Gov. Magoon's attention to statements in 

 their proclamations disclaiming any connec- 

 tion with political parties and protesting 

 against the charge that they were in sym- 

 pj'thy with conspirators. They only desired 

 to see the re-establishment of 

 The the Cuban republic, and firm- 



Rcpublic to ly supported Cuban indepen- 

 Be Restored, dence. Governor ^lagoon 

 said in reply "that the Am- 

 erican government is bound to keep its 

 word to the Cubans and restore the re- 

 public. "The Piatt Amendment compelled 

 the American government to keep order in 

 Cuba and protect the interests of all citi- 

 zens. Cuba will not be annexed to the 

 United States; the latter does not wish to 

 annex Cuba. They only wish to _see Cuba 

 enjoying happmess and prosperity." 



