CUBA: The Best Policy

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Bosses of Havana's embattled bus company, the Cooperativa de Omnibus Aliados, have suffered and bled for years over the old Cuban custom of filtración. Under this time-honored racket, unscrupulous conductors on the company's rickety, orange-painted guaguas (pronounced wah-wahs) have filtered up to 40% of each day's fares into their own pockets. Last year, in a desperate effort to replace the conductors with temptation-proof turnstiles, the company offered to retire all surplus conductors at full pay. Their union—the Sindicato de Empleados de Omnibus Aliados—refused.

Last week the company struck a shrewd blow at filtración. Under a new plan, the conductors (many of whom are women) were required to hand out a ticket for each fare received. When a passenger had collected 25 tickets, he would turn them in for a numbered "gift certificate." Holders of each month's lucky numbers would win: a $15,000 house, six refrigerators, six console radios, six washing machines, six bicycles, 99 table radios, 99 pairs of shoes, 700 towel sets and—just to keep the gambling wheel spinning—2,277 tickets in the National Lottery.

Lottery-happy habaneras, who support five flourishing policy games in addition to the National Lottery, thus had a vested interest in keeping the conductors honest. Guaguas, always jammed to the fenders, grew even more crowded. Marveled one conductor: "Before, we had to chase down some passengers for their fares; now they chase us down for their tickets." A jubilant inspector reported that his job had suddenly become a lead-pipe cinch; "Some people try to pay twice just to get an extra ticket." The company estimated that fare collections would climb some $70,000 a month; the prizes would cost only $40,000.