American Legation,
Habana, October 28,
1904.
No. 1104.]I especially desire to call the Department’s attention to the paragraphs
on sanitation and water supply.
[Inclosure.]
Mr. Little to
Mr. Sleeper.
American Consular Service,
Santiago de Cuba, October 26, 1904.
Sir: I have the honor to submit the
following report of the political and similar conditions in this
city for the month ended September 30.
* * * * * * *
sanitation.
In regard to the sanitary condition, I can only reiterate that which
has already been said in previous reports from this office. Nothing
whatever has been done to place the city in a more hygienic
condition. The streets are very bad; full of holes where water
stagnates and rots. Were it not for the frequent and abundant rains
which have served to clean the streets and prevent the accumulation
of filth in them they would unquestionably be in a very insalubrious
condition, as the force employed for this work is so small that it
is impossible for it to keep the streets in the condition which they
should be kept.
The garbage is not removed regularly, nor as often as it is supposed
to be, and when collected it is not burned, as the city claim that
they can not afford to buy petroleum with which to burn it;
consequently it is simply dumped on the near outskirts of the city
and allowed to rot.
It is the same old story—lots of promises, but no money—so nothing
can be done. The alcalde and ayuntamiento are supposed to govern the
city, but they are greatly handicapped, as everything must first be
approved by the superior authorities at Habana.
* * * * * * *
The situation with regard to water continues the same. The supply of
late has been scanty, in spite of the heavy daily showers. The water
has often been turned off several hours in the day in the center of
the city without warning. There is no actual work being done toward
the construction of a water system, and apparently no prospect of
anything being done toward bettering conditions in this respect.
I am, etc.,
