CUBA. 



257 



which would be reduced from 6 per cent, to 

 4 per cent, yearly, while the time the new 

 bonds would have to run would be extended 

 to seventy-five years instead of the present 

 fifty years. 



In June, 1888, the excise duty on fresh meat 

 had produced since its establishment, three 

 years previously, $118,187 to municipalities, 

 and $899,133 to the treasury. 



Railroads. During the spring important 

 sums were subscribed at Puerto Principe for 

 the construction of a narrow-gauge railroad 

 from that city to Santa Cruz del Sur. Simul- 

 taneously it was decided to extend the Caiba- 

 rien and Sancti Spiritus railroad to Santa 

 Clara, with a new branch line from Placetas 

 to Hernandez. 



Telegraphs. In August a cable was laid 

 between Cuba and Hayti, connecting Cuba 

 with Puerto Plata, Santo Domingo, Curacoa, 

 and Venezuela. 



Telephones. By a decree of May 12, the 

 Queen-Regent of Spain set forth the conditions 

 upon which telephone enterprise may be un- 

 dertaken in Cuba. Porto Rico, and the Philip- 

 pine archipelago. The state is to receive at 

 least six per cent, of the gross receipts. The 

 concessions are to last twenty years, at the 

 end of which period everything passes to the 

 state. The telephones, as regards taxes, way- 

 leaves, and hours of service, are to be on the 

 same footing as state departments. The 

 concessionnaires will have to guarantee the 

 service, and erect offices open to the pub- 

 lic. The maximum charge for places situated 

 within municipal boundaries is $102. This 

 charge is increased to $204 for flats, and $333 

 for hotels, clubs, etc. An additional $1.50 

 may be charged for every 100 metres outside 

 the municipal boundaries. 



Xew Ports. The port of Mariel was made 

 a port of entry in March ; it is believed 

 that this port will have a most prosperous 

 future. A railway will eventually connect it 

 with the Western Railroad ria Guanajay. 

 Asphaltum is found in the neighborhood of 

 Mariel, and it is expected that a good export 

 trade can be established therein to the United 

 States. Another new port soon to be made a 

 port of entry is San Cayetano, near the town 

 of Esperanza. 



Commerce. The American trade with Cuba 

 is shown in the following table : 



On comparing the total amount of sugar and 

 molasses produced during the quinquennium 

 1879-'83 with that of the last quinquennium, 

 1884-'88, an increase of 504,225 tons will be 

 found to result in the latter, or about 15 per 

 cent. 



During crop-time, in 1888, field-hands were 

 scarce, and commanded without difficulty $20 

 wages a month and found. 



Average prices paid for sugar at Havana, in 

 rials, gold : 



1 



Crop of 1&S8. Crop of 1S37. 



Sngar and Molasses Prodnction. The following 

 tabular statement shows the amounts of sugar 

 and molasses produced in the island during the 

 last decade : 



VOL. xxnir. 17 A 



The cheapened production through improved 

 processes and perfected machinery, together 

 with the higher prices realized, materially as- 

 sisted in placing sugar-planting in Cuba once 

 more on a basis of moderate prosperity, de- 

 spite the still heavy taxes and the abolition of 

 the " patronato." 



Mining. According to the official statistics, 

 the mineral production of Cuba during the 

 year 1886 was 2,066 tons of asphaltum, 112,755 

 tons of iron-ore, 40 tons of manganese-ore, and 

 45 tons of copper-ore. The exports during the 

 same year were 112,755 tons of iron-ore to the 

 United States, 1,403 tons of asphaltum to the 

 United States and England, 45 tons of copper- 

 ore to England, and 40 tons of manganese to 

 the United States. 



In May, 1888, a royal order was published 

 dividing Cuba into two mineral districts, the 

 eastern district being composed of the prov- 

 inces of Santiago de Cuba and Puerto Prin- 

 cipe, and the western district of the provinces 

 of Havana, Santa Clara, Matanzas, and Pinar 

 del Rio, each district to be placed in charge of 

 a special mine-inspector. Among the mines for 

 which at the same time titles were granted by 

 the Government were two quicksilver-mines, 

 covering an area of 27 hectares, and one for 

 antimony, covering 60 hectares. The Govern- 

 ment declared it was willing to offer all the 

 advantages possible with a view to developing 

 the country, but that there would be a difficulty 

 from insufficiency of labor for working on a 

 large scale a difficulty which, however, could 

 easily be surmounted by importing miners from 

 Spain or elsewhere. In June an American 



