18 



THE CUBA REVIEW 



AN AMERICAN PRINTER IN CUBA. 



A note of warning is sounded to the 

 American printer who contemplates a 

 trip to Cuba without having something 

 in sight by the Typographical Journal 

 of Indianapolis, Ind.. in the following 

 letter from its correspondent in Havana: 



After a vain search all over the island, 

 this printer found an office in Cienfue- 

 gos that was really hard up for help. 

 The proprietor told at some length the 

 trouble he was in to get his work out 

 on time, and the printer inquired about the 

 wages to be paid, thinking that such 

 great need would be profitable to him. 

 He was offered the sum of $30 a month, 

 Spanish. Where wages were so low, he 

 thought, living should be cheap. He ac- 

 cepted the place tentatively, and went 

 out in search of board. The best he 

 could do was $30, American ! Allowing 

 an exchange rate of 16 to 18 cents, it is 

 easy to see where the printer got off. 



Being one of the old school of print- 

 ers who are able to take a hand at sev- 

 eral occupations, he was also a musician. 

 He came to Havana and looked over 

 the theatrical field. A local theater 

 was in need of a trombone player, and 

 after a satisfactory trial the "maestro" 

 said he would do. Upon inquiring about 

 the pay, he was told he would get more 

 than any other member of the orches- 

 tra — $8 a week, Spanish. He finally 

 made up his mind that any place was 

 better than Cuba, and accepted employ- 

 ment with a construction gang on a 

 new railroad in South America. 



The wages paid by the two American 

 papers in Havana look large to printers 

 in the States. They are a big induce- 

 ment for them to come here, but after 

 they find what it costs to live they do 

 not stay very long. A resnectable room 

 anywhere near one's employment will 

 cost from $15 to $20, American money, 

 a month — more often the latter figure. 



Board, under any circumstances, will be 

 expensive. Possibly the best bargain 

 that has come to my knowledge is a 

 house that gives seven dinners for $3, 

 American money. If one eats at the 

 different cafes, as is often done, his liv- 

 ing expenses will be great. If married, 

 housekeeping is almost out of the ques- 

 tion, unless one wants to live in an 

 oven in the city proper. 



There are no amusements here such 

 as obtain in the States, and the printer 

 must either make his own pastime or 

 sit still. If he wants amusement, and 

 must make it himself, it will make a 

 hole in his pocketbook. If he sits tight, 

 he will save inoney and soon get tired 

 of the place and go back to the States. 

 This has led to a new man coming every 

 now and then, and situations change 

 hands often. It is in this particular 

 case that a word of advice should be 

 given to the men who are sent for in 

 a "rush." They should insist on a con- 

 tract as to their hours and duties, and 

 especially overtime pay. 



On the basis of the New York opera- 

 tors' night scale of $31 a week, the New 

 York man will make $38.76, counting the 

 seventh night at the overtime rate. Tak- 

 ing from $45 about 25 per cent, for the 

 increased cost of living here — and this 

 is a very moderate allowance — it is easy 

 to see where $45 is not so big as it looks. 



There have been rumors for some 

 time that an American company was 

 about to be organized in the States for 

 the purpose of erecting a large office 

 to be devoted exclusively to printing. 

 The intention was to turn out every- 

 thing in the printing line, from com- 

 position to binding. It is said the suc- 

 cess or failure of the scheme depends 

 on the length of the American occupa- 

 tion. 



JOHN H. CLAPHAM. 



Automobile Roads of Isle of Pines. 



Considerable attention has been attracted 

 to the Isle of Pines through the new roads 

 which have been built and which make the 

 tour of the island in a motor car a matter 

 of real pleasure. The newly completed road 

 from Havana to Batabano is a favorite 

 with those who enjoy this form of travel- 

 ing, and from there a rate by steamer of 

 $7.50 is made on the "New Cristob^l Colon" 

 for the transportation of the machine, mak- 

 ing it a comparatively cheap matter for 

 the autoist to extend his trips in Cuba to 

 the Isle of Pines. 



Commencing January 1, 1909, the Hav- 

 ana Post will publish a weekly edition for 

 the colonists and farmers of Cuba. It will 

 contain "All the News Once a Week," and 

 will be known as The Havana Post- 

 Weekly. 



Blue hospital tents in Cuba have 

 been found extremely effective in the 

 case of patients suffering from nervous 

 strain caused by the sun's glare. Fur- 

 ther experiments are now in progress 

 along the line of protection for officers 

 and men from the sun's powerful actinic 

 rays. 



