10 THECUBAREVIEW 



The question of supplying suf^ar sacks is still worrying the mills. They have contracted 

 for their requirements, l)ut as yet very few deliveries have been made, but it is exi>ected that 

 their needs will be taken care of when the proper time comes. 



Ovvins to the shortage of steam coal, a large number of sugar mills are arranging to use fuel 

 oil, which is being brought in tank steamers from Mexi(;o and the United States to be dei)osited 

 in storage tanks at the different Cuban ports, and thence distributed to the consumers. 



In addition to the National Defence Committee, local committees have been organized 

 and are in operation throughout the Island. Statistics have been gathered showing the con- 

 sumption of the principal foodstuffs such as flour, lard, etc., and this data is being furnished 

 to Mr. Morgan, who has been sent to repre.sent the U. S. Food Administration for the purpose 

 of arranging for the importation of the necessary quantities of these commodities for the use of 

 the Island. At the present there is no lard in Havana and very little flour. The shortage of 

 lard is especially felt in view of the fact that before Spain put in effect an embargo on the ex- 

 portation of olive oil, this commodity was largely used for cooking purposes in Cuba, and as 

 this source of supply was cut off, American cotton seed oil was imported in large quantities as 

 a substitute, but the exportation of this article is now also forbidden by the United States. It is 

 well known that what is called "palmiche," which might be described as the fruit of the royal 

 palm tree, contains a great deal of grease and is used as a food for the fattening of .stock. Ex- 

 periments are now^ under way with the assistance of government experts to see if commercial 

 use may not be made of this "palmiche" by extracting the grease which is stated to amount to 

 from 15 to 18% , after which the residue may be fed to the stock. 



The Government has established Monday of each week as a wheatless day. and for the 

 purpose of further reducing the consumption of wheat flour, the manufacture of sweetmeats, 

 known as "dulces," is prohibited, and bread at present may be made in one form only, namely, 

 a small roll which must uniformly w'eigh two ounces and sells at the established price of 2c. 

 each. The local Defence Committtee announce that it is their intention to confiscate all the 

 flour on hand in Havana, making a close search for same if necessary, and will distribute same 

 proportionately to all the bakers. Shortly before the holidays the Junta Nacional de Defensa 

 Economica issued through the newspapers the following appeal the the Cuban people : 



"This association exhorts all the inhabitants of Cuba: 



1st: — To make the effort to diminish, in the greatest degree possible, the consumption of bread 



and all other commodities of which wheat flour is an ingredient; sugar and sweets, meat, 



lard and olive oil, gas, electricity and gasoline. 

 2d. To make greater use of vegetables, bananas and legumes as substitutes for the foodstuffs 



mentioned above. 

 3d. To have at least once a week one meatless day, and not to have a greater illumination in 



their houses and stores than necessary. 

 4th. To manage it so that there is no waste at their Christmas and New Year's dinners. 

 5th. To grow vegetables or breed poultry in every case where one has the land available for 



so doing. 

 By eliminating superfluous consumption and practising economy, both things that are 



absolutely necessary to-day, we will contribute to make the actual scarcity more tolerable 



and we will at the same time perform a high social and patriotic duty." 



The public market which was recently inaugurated on Carlos III Ave. has proven so popu- 

 lar that additional similar markets have been established in the Jesus del Monte andCerro 

 districts of Havana ; it is expected that there will be much more such as the demand warrants. 



Three of the Havana banks are engaged in building operations, as previously reported. 

 The Royal Bank of Canada will be located in the new building, being built at the corner of 

 Aguiar and Obrapia Streets, while work is now going on of tearing down the building adjoining 

 the National Bank of Cuba, on which site the latter will put up an edifice equally^ as large as 

 their present building. Also the private banking firm of Pedro Gomez Mena is tearing down 

 the building at Aguiar and Obispo Streets preparatory to erecting a new one in which to con- 

 duct their business. Building in general holds up very well considering present conditions, and 

 this is especially true in the outlying suburbs of Havana. Work on the extension of the 



