SSiSIBWKiRSSttl
8 ICbe Conservative *
CUBA LIBRE.
Formerly shunned alike by tourists
and commercial travelers , Havana is
getting- bo more attractive than
Barcelona and promises to become the
Nice of a new Western Riviera. Poor
conccntrados , impoverished by the
cruel practices of Gen. Wyler , have
either been set to work making roads
or were intrusted with implements
and cattle to till for their own benefit
small farms. As a consequence , fields
devastated by war begin to teem with
sugar cane and tobacco. The tillable
soil of the island , under actual culti
vation , is inconsiderable as yet , but
the area is almost as great as it ever
has been.
' The expenses have chiefly been met
by carefully collected imposts , the
onerous export duties being at last
abolished. The fourteen million dollars
lars annually derived from this source
have been distributed in about the fol
lowing proportion : For sanitation , 25
per cent ; for municipalities , 15 per
cent ; for instruction and administra
tion of justice , 10 per cent ; for chari
ties and public works , 10 per cent ; for
guarding rural districts and suppress
ing brigandage , 10 per cent.
During twelve mouths in 1895 Cuba
imported merchandise for the value of
$61,448,384.65 , and exported , inclus
ive1 of an extraordinary large crop of
sugar for $110,285,020.81. The foreign
trade of the island for six months ,
ending June 80 , 1900 , consisted of im
ports for $37,821,366 , exports for $30-
972,031 ; ending on June 80 , 1901 , it
consisted of imports for $84,129,959 ,
exports for $42,707,144.
Of sugar the island has produced :
Worth
Year. Tons. per ton.
1891 810,760 104.92
1892 970,789 05.74
1893 815,894 72.90
1894 1,054,214 54.55
1895 1,004,264 41.89
1896 225,221 5383
1897 212,051 45.00
1898 805,543 , 4542
1899 835,668 51.87
1900 800,078 58.59
1901 600,268 50.00
The provinces of Havana , Matauzas
an Santa Clara are almost entirely de
voted to the cultivation of sugar cane.
The boast that ultimately they will
be able to supply the world with all
the sugar it needs is probably au exag
geration. But more acres are constant
ly planted ; without being replanted
they can produce new crops for ten
consecutive years , audit is fair to pre
sume that Cuba will soon raise more
sugar than it ever did in the past. As
the largest consumers we are in the
position greatly to stimulate produc
tion by reducing or abolishing the
duty. Since 1876 , when wo conclud
ed a reciprocity treaty with Hawaii ,
the export of sugar from those islands
to the United States has grown from
26,000,000 Ibs. worth $1,227,000 , to 545-
000,000 Ibs. worth $21,898,000 in 1899.
The value of laud suitable for sugar
plantation has always been greater in
the densely populated island of Porto
Rico , where it sold as high as $80 an
acre , than in Cuba , where equally fer
tile ground went begging for $8 an
acre. Sugar from Porto Rico is now
admitted free ; unless the United States
reduce the onerous duties on Cuban
sugar , the difference in the values of
land on the two islands will become
greater , and Porto Rico will continue
to thrive at the expense of Cuba.
Porto Rico contains about 8,600 square
miles , a population of 958,248 , or 265
persons on a square mile. Cuba has a
population of 1,572,797 and 41,655
square miles , or thirty-eight inhabit
ants to one square mile.
If any excuse could be made for in
dulging in the use of tobacco , it is
the divine fragrance of a cicar made
of Havana leaf. The finest , called
' ' Vuelta Abajo , ' ' is produced exclus
ively in the province of Pinar del Rio.
A never-ceasing demand keeps up
prices and renders the production
lucrative , so that a careful grower is
rewarded for his pains by a profit of
25 per cent. The entire production
of tobacco on the island was in 1896-7 ,
875,000 bales , against 460,000 bales in
1899-1900.
Values of exports of tobacco and
manufactures thereof amounted in
1895-6 to $24,047,841 ; 1899-1900 , $21-
712,435 ; eleven months of 1900-01 , $27-
848,445. While the exports of leaf to
bacco have increased , chiefly to Key
West and New York , exports of manu
factures thereof have diminished.
Against 250,000,000 cigars exported in
1889 less than 125,000,000 were ex
ported in 1899.
A large portion of the tobacco and
cigar business is controlled by two
combinations : The Henry Clay Bock
Company , an English syndicate , with'
a capital of $7,000,000 ; the American
Havana Commercial Co. , with $8,000 , -
00 capital. Other important firms are
the German of H. Upman & Co. and
the English Partagas Co.
The iron ore , containing nearly two-
thirds of metallic iron , is chiefly ex
ported to Philadelphia. Last year the
principal mines produced : The Jur-
agua Iron Company , 151,000 tons ;
Spanish-American , for the American
Steel Company , 298,000 tons. De
clared values of the exports were :
For 1899 , 886,900 tons , worth $506,997 ;
for 1900 , 409,815 tons , worth $514,750.
Values of some exports have consider
ably fallen off : Fruit , in 1895-6 $2 , -
188,770 , 1899-1900 to $510,125. Cacao
in 1895-6$551,628,1899-1900 to $281,211.
In the first part of the last century
1,600 plantations produced in Cuba
better and more coffee than Java.
Nearly a million arrobas were export
ed in 1815. She does not produce now
enough to satisfy home consumption ,
since it can bo raised cheaper else
where.
Exports could be increased of tim
ber , asphaltnm and mineral ores other
than iron , if their production were
stimulated. Rates for the use of
money , rule on the island , in cities at
6 per cent to 7 per cent for bankers'
loans , at 8 per cent to 9 per cent on
bond and mortgage secured by im
proved real estate , the value of which
lias advanced , and from 12 to 20 per
cent per annum on plantations in the
rural districts. Titles to this kind of
property are of questionable value ;
laws which prohibit foreclosures of
farm mortgage have often been enacted -
acted and again were enforced in 1897.
They begin now to be partially col
lectible , but to borrow money on the
security of plantations is as difficult
as ever.
Cubans , Spaniards and Germans
control the banking and whoslesale
business. The retail business is in
the hands of Spaniards , who charge a
profit of 50 per cent , and give long
credit. Cubans are accustomed to pay
liberally for it. Some attempts have
been made to introduce the system of
American "department stores" on a
cash basis , but they did not succeed.
Since the Treaty of Paris cancelled
the bonded debt of $500,000.000 , held
in Spain , the island is free of debt.
Municipal debts ( Havana , about $10-
000,000) ) are comparatively small.
There are three political parties on
the island , who profess the following
opinions : Republicans are in favor
of absolute Cuban independence. Un
ion democrats , comprising the conservative
vative elements , wish for a United
States protectorate. Nationalists vac-
cilate between these two extremes.
The Platt amendment to the new Cu
ban constitution , by which Cuban in
dependence is practically abandoned
for a United States'protectorate , was
at first violently opposed by politi
cians solicitous for a semblance of
freedom and the continued prosperity
of the country , the majority , compris
ing even some of the radical leaders ,
finally voted for this amendment. It
must be admitted , however , that our
military rule is not popular. Our sold
iers may bo respected , but they are
feared by the icnorant , and generally
hated. We have reason to be proud
of the achievements of the officers we
sent to govern the Cubans. They may
be grateful themselves for improve
ments that have been made , neverthe
less they chafe under our military
regulations and consider them harsh.
Few of our representatives there have
learned the art of diplomacy ; the Span
ish language is not familiar to them.
Juan Gualberto Gomez , a radical ,
who , though of African descent , is a
most influential leader , has been quot
ed as saying that he preferred Spanish
slavery to American rule.
When the excellent constitution is
put into practice , independence per
manently established and stability
assured , we may , by careful consider
ation of Cuban rights become popular ;
especially if we offer them a reciproc
ity treaty , to which , as our political
wards , they are entitled. Their pros
perity never has made practical pro
gress. If wo accelerate and place it
on a firm footing the islanders will
wish to become Americans free in re
ality , as well as in name. Journal of
Commerce and Commercial Bulletin.