24 



THE CUBA K E \' I 



W 



COMMERCIAL MATTERS 



HAVANA S CUSTOM HOUSE REVENUES 



The custom house receipts of Havana 

 for November compare as follows : 



1911 $2,022,293 



1910 1,769,859 



1909 1,759,682 



1908 1,446,351 



1907 1,739,743 



TARIFF REVISION 



It is believed, says the New York Globe. 

 that the next revision in the United States 

 tariff will in all events call for free duty 

 on iron ore. The last revision reduced the 

 duty on this commodity from 40 cents a 

 ton to 25 cents. If iron ore is placed 

 on the free list, Cuba will be the centre 

 of operations. Steel makers in the Pitts- 

 burgh district will be able to bring ore 

 from Cuba cheaper than they are now get- 

 ting it from the Lake regions. Cuba is 

 now the fifth largest producer of iron ore 

 in the world, being exceeded only by the 

 United States, Germany, the United King- 

 dom and France. 



CANADA S TRADE WITH CUBA 



Canada's importations from and exporta- 

 tions to Cuba, during the five years ended 

 March 31, 1910, according to the figures 

 just issued by the Cuban Department of 

 State, are given below. The Cuban trade 

 figures represent 22 per cent of Canada's 

 total imports and 55 per cent of her exports. 



IMPORTS 



1906 $445,100 



1907 475,319 



1908 515,163 



1909 496,485 



1910 841,209 



EXPORTS 



1906 $1,221,766 



1907 992,832 



1908 1,366,319 



1909 1,403,442 



1910 1,737,385 



HINTS TO AMERICAN MANUFACTURERS 



Mr. Charles W. Harrah, Cuban consul 

 at Detroit, Mich., in an addr-ess a few 

 weeks ago before the export committee of 

 the Board of Commerce of that city, spoke 

 on trade conditions and opportunities in 

 Cuba as follows : 



"Although many automobiles are used 

 in the country, most of them are of foreign 

 make. In auto trucks there is a field in 

 Havana and a few other cities. Wind- 

 mills to draw water in the cattle-raising 

 section which lack running streams, motor- 

 boats for the wonderful harbors and other 

 waterways, engines for the farms and 

 paints and brick machinery are some of the 

 things in which exporters could work up 

 a considerable trade." "Flies," he con- 

 tinued, "are few in number, but mosqui- 

 toes are often very numerous and beds 

 are enclosed in screens to protect the in- 

 mates." He recommended that an attempt 

 be made to introduce more wire netting 

 for windows and doors, something almost 

 lacking now. 



"In working up a trade I would suggest 

 that it be done through manufacturers' 

 agents," said the consul. "The Cubans 

 have to be shown before they are ready 

 to take up with new things or discard the 

 German, Spanish or English for the 

 American make." 



NOW HAS TWENTY-TWO BRANCHES 



President Gomez signed a decree on 

 November 19th, making the National Bank 

 of Cuba the depository of the govern- 

 ment's funds for four years more. This 

 bank has been the disbursing agent of the 

 government since Cuba became a republic. 

 The bank also offered to furnish a place 

 for safe keeping in its vaults of the funds 

 which are daily collected in the fiscal zone, 

 for which it will make no charge to the 

 government. 



The bank announces also the inaugura- 

 tion of another branch bank in Cuba, lo- 

 cated at Placetas in Santa Clara Province. 

 The city is in one of the most important 

 centers of sugar industry on the island. 



Cuba's Imports and Exports of Merchandise 



(From latest available official sources.) 



12 months ending with December : 

 Average per month during period : 



1910 



Imports $91,448,000 



Exports 124,711,000 



Imports 

 Exports 



$7,621,000 

 10,393,000 



1911 

 ;i03,657,000 

 150,824,000 



$8,638,000 

 12,5fi9.n00 



