r II Li C U B A REVIEW 



17 



GENERAL DIAZ IN HAVANA 



General Porfirio Diaz, former president 

 of Mexico, arrived in Havana on board 

 the steamer "Ypirauga" from Vera Cruz 

 June 3d. 



As soon as the ship received her heahh 

 papers, permission to go aboard was given 

 to the American minister, John B. Jack- 

 son; the Mexican minister, J. F. Godoy ; 

 Senor Pasalodos, the presidential secre- 

 tary, representing President Gomez ; Chan- 

 cellor Patterson of the Cuban Foreign Of- 

 fice, other foreign ministers and represen- 

 tatives of the Cuban army and navy and 

 of various Spanish social and comrnercial 

 organizations. They were accompanied by 

 scores of women bearing large bouquets 

 and baskets of flowers. 



General Diaz talked animatedly with 

 Minister Jackson and the other diplomats, 

 apparently much pleased at the meeting. 



He resumed his voyage next morning, 

 the ship leaving for Havre before noon. 



CLAIM FOR REFUND 



A claim has been filed with the secretary 

 of the treasury by the Spanish- American 

 Iron Company, which seeks to have re- 

 funded the sum of $12,960 spent by it on 

 account of salaries for custom house in- 

 spectors since 1903. 



The secretary has denied the claim alleg- 

 ing that the inspectors were furnished to 

 facilitate the operations of the company in 

 the landing of machinery to be used by the 

 company. 



A new complaint has been presented by 

 the company. 



CO-OPERATION FARMING BEGUN 



A number of Cubans, employed at the 

 offices of the Cuba Railroad, have formed 

 a $10,000 company for conducting a farm 

 near Camaguey fronting a good maca- 

 damized road. They sold their shares of 

 $100 each by collecting $5 a month from 

 each share-holder. Thus each subscribed 

 has 20 months in which to pay up the 

 par value of his share. 



The company is called "Compania 

 Agricola de Camaguey;" they will start 

 with one caballeria and enlarge accord- 

 ing to the returns. 



I feel greatly encouraged to see Cubans 

 employed in offices, earning from $60 to 

 $100 a month, raising in several days 

 $10,000 to go into modern farming; for 

 raising near the town, the produce the 

 town needs. — Letter from Prof. Paul 

 Karnts, industrial agent Cuba Railroad. 



NO SUITABLE DESIGN FOUND 



None of the twenty-three designs pre- 

 sented in the international concourse for 

 the construction of the Presidential Palace 

 have been accepted by the committee ap- 

 pointed to designate the best one and to 

 award the prizes of $10,000 and $5,000 

 which were offered. 



Only four of the designs were found 

 worthy of any consideration, and these in 

 the final examination were likewise re- 

 jected. 



HAVANA S CUSTOM RECEIPTS 



The customs receipts at the Havana de- 

 pot for the month of May compare as fol- 

 lows : 



1911 $1,641,649.36 



1910 1,410,790.48 



1909 1,343,434.38 



1908 1,370,889,04 



1907 1,573,055.22 



NO CHANGE IN DUTY 



Cuban cigars cannot be imported into 

 the United States at the rate of a duty 

 of 20 per cent less than that paid by the 

 importers of Philippine cigars, is a de- 

 cision of the United States Supreme Court 

 rendered May 29th. Consequently, no 

 change in the present ad valorem duty on 

 Cuban cigars can be looked for just now. 



The contention of the importers of Cu- 

 ban tobacco was based on the treaty be- 

 tween Cuba and the United States by 

 which the duty on Cuban cigars was to be 

 20 per cent less than that on cigars im- 

 ported from any "other country." 



Senorita Manuela Gomez, eldest daugh- 

 ter of President Gomez, was married at 

 the Presidential Palace on June 3d to Lieu- 

 tenant Colonel Morales Coello, captain of 

 the port and ranking officer of the Cuban 

 navy. It was the largest and most impor- 

 tant social affair since the accession of 

 President Gomez. 



The Cuban cabinet, the mayor of Ha- 

 vana, the governors of six provinces and 

 leading politicians, merchants and profes- 

 sional men were present. 



The bridal gifts are said to aggregate 

 $500,000 in value. 



A marine band is to be the newest acqui- 

 sition to the naval forces of, Cuba accord- 

 ing to the plans of Lieutenant Colonel 

 Morales Coello, head of Cuba's navv. 



Arbor Day exercises were observed in 

 Havana June 5th. There were interesting 

 ceremonies by the public school children, 

 which included the planting of many trees. 



Work will shortly be started on the navy 

 oil station at Guantanamo. 



