CUBA. 



277 



that the American flap: in the direct trade with the 

 islands of Cuba and Porto Rico shall be put on a 

 complete equality with the Spanish flag in the trans- 

 portation of products proceeding from the United 

 States. Kespecting navigation ^dues, although the 

 equal treatment of American with Spanish ships is 

 not provided for in the agreement, adhering to this 

 spirit of deference to the said nation, it is the will of 

 his Majesty that, as soon as it is shown by the rep- 

 resentative of the United States in your island that 

 his Government has granted this treatment to Span- 

 ish vessels, your customs officers shall apply it to 

 American vessels, in just reciprocity and in con- 

 formity with the royal decree of June 4, 1878. By 

 royal order I communicate this to you for your infor- 

 mation and its proper observance. 



Three months after the foregoing order had 

 been issued it was repudiated by royal decree, 

 the Foreign Office at Madrid ignoring its inter- 

 pretation as proclaimed. Spain wishes to have 

 the privilege of carrying cargoes from Cuba to 

 the United States, previously not conceded, 

 being subject to 10 per cent, additional duty, 

 to correspond with the 10 per cent, extra du- 

 ties levied in Cuba on importations under the 

 American flag. The different duties were 

 enumerated under three heads for the Spanish 

 flag, and a fourth for the American or foreign 

 flag, the fourth column being the 10 per cent, 

 extra in the agreement between the two gov- 

 ernments. As stipulated, the agreement might 

 apply only to products of the United States, 

 coming from there. Products of the United 

 States have been admitted on the third col- 

 umn; but other merchandise, such as fish or 

 other commodities from the British provinces, 

 has had to pay according to the fourth column, 

 while such importations from New York under 

 the Spanish flag have paid duties under the 

 third column. As for the tonnage dues, 

 steamers arrived in Cuba from Spain were 

 loading sugars for New York, and paying no 

 tonnage dues, while American vessels were 

 paying in Cuba 62^ cents a ton inward and 

 62^ cents a ton outward. 



The President of the United States, in con- 

 sideration of the lack of reciprocity on the 

 part of Spain, under date of Oct. 13, 1886, is- 

 sued a proclamation containing the ensuing 

 passages : 



And whereas proof is given to me that such com- 

 plete suppression of the differential flag duty in re- 

 spect of vessels of the United States and their cargoes 

 entering the ports of Cuba and Porto Eicp has not in 

 fact been secured, but that, notwithstanding the said 

 agreement dated at Madrid, February 13, 1884, and 

 in contravention thereof as well as of the provisions 

 of the said section 4228 of the Revised Statutes, higher 

 and discriminating duties continue to be imposed and 

 levied in said ports up_on certain produce, manufact- 

 ures, or merchandise imported into said ports from 

 the United States or from any foreign country in ves- 

 sels of the United States than is imposed and levied 

 on the like produce, manufactures, or merchandise 

 carried to said ports in Spanish vessels: 



Now, therefore, I, GROVEB CLEVELAND, President 

 of the United States of America, in execution of the 

 aforesaid section, etc., do hereby revoke the suspen- 

 sion of the discriminating customs imposed and levied 

 in the ports of the United States on the products of 

 and articles proceeding under the Spanish flag from 

 Cuba and Porto Rico, which is set forth and contained 



in the aforesaid proclamation, dated the 13th day of 

 February, 1884, this revocation of said proclamation 

 to take effect on and after the 25th duy of October 

 instant. 



Immigration. A decree of the Minister for 

 the Colonies, appearing in the Madrid official 

 " Gaceta " of December 7, regulated and de- 

 termined the assistance the Government will 

 give to societies that promote free immigration 

 into Cuba. The Government will pay the 

 passage-money for Spanish immigrants and 

 their families from Spain and the Balearic 

 Isles to Cuba. It will pay the cost of passage 

 of free foreign immigrants from Europe and 

 Africa to Cuba only, and will grant $40 to 

 each free immigrant from Asia and Oceanica. 

 Special favor will be shown by the authorities 

 in Cuba to white immigrants and Spanish- 

 born immigrants from Spain or Spanish- 

 American countries. After one year's resi- 

 dence, white immigrants will enjoy the same 

 privileges as " time-expired " soldiers settling 

 in Cuba. 



Coal and Steel Rail Imports. In 1886 the arri- 

 vals of coal in Cuba have been almost entirely 

 on contract, and the prices from $4.50 to $6 a 

 ton for American, and from 25 to 29 shillings 

 a ton for English. The latter was rapidly- 

 losing favor in the Havana market, being 

 only used where good coal is really necessary. 

 Of the common sorts, the American is cheaper, 

 can be obtained at shorter notice, and the gas- 

 works company claim for it the advantage of 

 containing more gas than the English, good 

 Welsh and Staffordshire being the only British 

 coals that find a ready sale there. Iron rails 

 are mostly imported from Belgium, and ma- 

 chinery from the United States. The impor- 

 tations of Bessemer steel rails have amounted 

 to about 5,000 tons, at prices varying from 

 $42 to $27 cost, freight and insurance. The 

 greater part was imported from Belgium, 

 Germany, and France, the English manufact- 

 urers not having been represented until the 

 beginning of ]886. About 1,500 tons of light 

 portable rails were also imported from the 

 United States. 



The Cigar-Makers' Strike. In October a cigar- 

 makers' strike assumed gigantic proportions at 

 Havana, throwing 20,000 operatives out of 

 employment. The strike, originating in a de- 

 mand for increased wages from the makers 

 of Partido tobacco cigars, extended to those 

 working Vuelta Abajo leaf, and to the adjoin- 

 ing cities of Santiago de las Vegas, Bejucal, 

 San Antonio, Guinea, and other towns. The 

 factories remained closed until Nov. 18, when 

 the men went to work again on an agreement 

 to form committees to arbitrate their claims. 

 The committee fixed the claims in some fac- 

 tories, but other claims were pressed, which 

 the committee refused to arbitrate, as they 

 had risen since Nov. 18. The matter was held 

 in abeyance, and the men went out again on 

 the 20th. On Nov. 26 they all returned to 

 work again. 



