THE CUBA REVIEW 



21 



ENGINEERING IN CUBA 



Several of the sugar factories added to 

 their plant and machinery during the 

 year, and at least one new factory was 

 erected and equipped. There was estab- 

 lished a fibre factory at the instance of 

 the Government, which is encouraging 

 the cultivation of textile plants, as well 

 as a factory at El Carno, near Havana, 

 for the manufacture of vegetable fats 

 *rom palmiche, or the fruit of the palm 

 tree. New machinery and equipment 

 were ordered for a cordage factory, and 

 heavy machinery and equipment were in- 

 troduced on the oilfields of Bacuranao, 

 where a fourth well was opened with a 

 flow of 125 barrels a day. 



The extensive docks and warehouses 

 belonging to the United Railroads were 

 very largely refitted with machinery and 

 plant for loading and unloading steamers 

 of the Ward Line. Work was begun 

 upon the new water supply for the city 

 of Habana, and other towns in the Re- 

 public for which efficient installations 

 were arranged were Santiago de Cuba 

 and Camaguey. New national highways 

 were started in the Provinces of Pinar 

 del Rio, Habana, Matanzas, Santa Clara, 

 and Oriente. The total length of the pub- 

 lic roads and highways of the Republic 

 exceeded 1,250 miles. Congress author- 

 ized the immediate construction of an 

 aqueduct at Santiago de Cuba at a cost 

 of £500,000. A public dock was begun at 

 the port of Matanzas, and new sewering 

 works at the city of Camaguey. A new 

 shipyard has been authorized at Cabanas 

 Bay, near the city of Habana, equipped 

 to construct vessels of from 8,000 to 

 10,000 tons displacement. The plant is 

 being provided with facilities for building 

 six vessels at oite time. A contract was 

 signed for the construction of 10 sailing 

 vessels each of 500 tons burden, to be 

 employed upon the coastwise trade of the 

 Republic. 



A Commission was dispatched by the 

 Government to the United States for the 

 purpose of studying the types of agricul- 

 tural machinery suitable for use in the 

 Republic. One of the most notable events 

 was the increased use of the plantation 

 tractor, in place of the time-honored ox 



team. A sugar-mill company working 

 near Cienfuegos, which had employed two 

 tractors as an experiment, increased its 

 equipment to six machines. The short- 

 age of labor in Cuba is very severely felt, 

 and the tractor and steam cable-plough 

 now fill the place of human workers. The 

 fuel used is petrol and kerosene. Work 

 was started on the new wireless telegraph 

 station at Nueva Gerona, Isle of Pines. 



EXPORTATION OF SUGAR 



The War Trade Board announces in a 

 new ruling (W. T. B. R. 527), after con- 

 sultation with the United States Food 

 Administration, that applications will 

 now be considered for licenses to export 

 sugar after February 1, 1919, to all des- 

 tinations, except the United Kingdom, 

 France, and Italy. Purchases of sugar 

 for shipment to the United Kingdom, 

 France, and Italy will continue to be 

 made by the Allied Provisions Export 

 Commission, acting in behalf of the Gov- 

 ernments of these countries. 



Exporters should acquaint themselves 

 with the import requirements of the 

 country of destination before consumma- 

 tion of their business, as in some coun- 

 tries the regulations which were in force 

 prior to the signing of the armistice are 

 still in effect. 



EXPORTS FROM NUEVITAS TO UNITED 

 STATES 



Declared exports from Nuevitas, Cuba, 

 to the United States during 1918 were 

 valued at $15,893,575. Sugar, of which 

 339,966,786 pounds valued at $15,501,761, 

 were exported, was the principal item. 

 Returned American goods amounted to 

 $14,799. 



RUBBER TIRES 



Rubber tire exports from the United 

 States to Cuba during the fiscal year 

 ended June 30, 1918, were: 



For automobiles All other tires 

 $1,336,233 $116,859 



