206 THE POLITICS OF INTERVENTION
The actual work was performed under the supervision of
Army Engineers in the Army of Cuban Pacification or by
officers detailed to the Department of Public Works. Because
of the shortage of trained engineers in Cuba, American civil
engineers were also hired. Although some of the construction
was done by government workers, much of it was handled
by Cuban and American contractors. A common ploy to
silence potential "rebels" was for Lieutenant Colonel Bullard
to see the "leader," make him straw boss, and get road work
for the whole crew.^53 Only then did the Cubans learn that
American officers would be in charge, an unpleasant discovery
for the contractors and workers alike.^54
Magoon's original (April, 1907) plans called for the con
struction or improvement of 2300 kilometers of road at a cost
of $13 million. The entire public works budget was to have
been $22 million, as compared with $13.8 million appropriated
in 1906 by the Cuban congress. By September, 1908, the
Provisional Government had built 570 kilometers of road,
expected to finish 190 more before February, 1909, and had
repaired 200 kilometers. The cost had been $13 million.
Though Magoon's plans outstripped his accomplishments, his
government doubled the mileage of Cuba's paved roads and
halved the costs of transporting sugar and tobacco in the
affected areas.^55
The entire public works program, which included the
improvement of harbor facilities, water and sewerage systems
and the construction of public buildings, was the Provisional
Government's answer to cyclic unemployment, and by this
standard it was successful. In assessing the sizable investment
in public works (1907—$19.5 million; 1908—$16.2 million),
Magoon believed the expenditures had "greatly stimulated"
trade and commerce because the money reached all sectors
of the population. The Cubans agreed, for in June, 1908,
when the Provisional Government announced that no new
contracts would be let, the entire Cuban press predicted
chaos.^56 Magoon's final judgment on his projects was more
benediction than report: "I doubt if history presents an
instance of more good in more ways resulting from an