14 



THE CUBA REVI EW 



COMMERCIAL MATTERS. 



Foreign Trade of Cuba — California Wines Seeking the Island's Trade — Returning 

 of Crates — Cuba as a Soap Market — Customs Collections, etc. 



Matches. — The production of matches trade of Cuba from the standpoint of the 



in Cuba amounts approximately to forty consumer habitually purchasing wine from 



thousand gross of boxes (480,000) per retail grocers in case lots or less. He says 



month. As to the importation of for- that a well-known moderate priced Cali- 



eign matches, it is distributed in the first fornia wine sells in Cuba for 10 cents per 



half of the year 1906 in this way: bottle more than a European wine of sim- 



United States 174 Gross ilar character, the dealers claiming the for- 



Spain 1,250 " mer cannot be sold cheaper, and the latter 



Italy 6,780 " therefore getting the trade. Assuming that 



France 16,600 " the California producer made the most fa- 



The importation of matches into Cuba vorable prices possible, it follows, he 



is estimated at one million gross of thinks, that the Cuban market is closed to 



boxes annually, because in the last two California wines and can only obtain a 



years it has increased considerably. footing by receiving a proper concession 



It is unnecessary to say that the Unit- in the duty to the new reciprocity treaty. 



ed States could compete successfully in The Cuban market for light wines is im- 



this line of exports for Cuba, provided portant, as they are, just as in all Latin- 



they send wax matches and not wooden American countries, in universal family use 



matches, which are not acceptable in the and are a staple commodity. 



Cuban market. "In the present Cuban reciprocity," com- 



The American manufacturers are ad- ments the Chronicle, "American products 



vised to take as their model the Italian, receiving advantages in Cuba are in three 



Spanish or French match, in artistic, schedules, receiving reductions of 20, 25 



well decorated boxes, making the price and 30%, respectively, from the regular 



three cents per box of fifty matches to Cuban tariff. American beer, cider and 



the retail dealer, and if they could man- mineral water are all in the 30% schedule, 



ufacture smaller boxes with thirty but no advantage whatever is given to Cali- 



matches at one cent each, it would bank- fornia wines. A market for our wines in 



rupt the Cuban match industry. Cuba would be worth somethmg to us. 



The American manufacturer can do We believe that the omission to provide 



all this, because the Cuban match manu- for American wines in the present treaty 



facturer must import all his raw mate- with Cuba was due to the fact that our 



rials. negotiators were not sufficiently impressed 



with the importance of our wine industry, 



. . and that with the proper representations 



California Wines in Cuba. ^^hich will now be made to the State De- 



A writer discusses in the San Francisco, partment our wines will receive due con- 



Cal, Chronicle, the condition of the wine sideration in the new Cuban treaty." 



i* P 





PLRSPtCTIX,^ DL LA M)\^A ^ "^ ^ANTIAr,o pr CVPA 



■ra. DEPARtAMENTODEOBBASPVI'liCAS f <<Ni.STRV( t lONF"* rivilFS -ol- 



I'ei spective of the new Custom House for Santiago de Cuba. 



