THE CUBA REVIEW 



17 



CUBANS PREFER AMERICAN SHOES 



A cable on Alarch 31st to the A^^ic^ York 

 Herald said that complaints, originating 

 in Havana, have come back to Havana 

 from the United States that the Cuban 

 customs officials discriminate against 

 American shoes in favor of those of 

 Spanish manufacture. The Herald repre- 

 sentative accordingly inquired into the 

 matter. His statement is as follows : 



All shoes pay ten per cent ad valorem. 

 Men's shoes pay fifteen cents a pair addi- 

 tional, sizes 6 to 11. Women's shoes pay 

 ten cents a pair additional : children's, five 

 cents, plus in each case thirty per cent of 

 the amount of these charges. Then 

 American shoes, under the treaty, enjoy 

 a reduction on the total tax of thirty per 

 cent. Thus duty on a $2 pair of Spanish 

 made men's shoes amounts to about forty- 

 five cents ; on a $2 pair of American made 

 shoes it is about thirty-two cents. 



If, now, the American manufacturer 

 finds that nevertheless the Spanish shoe- 

 maker is getting ahead of him and under- 

 takes to discover the cause he will not have 

 to look far for it. 



It is probably true that goods can be 

 laid down in Havana from- Barcelona 

 quicker than from Boston. The Spaniard 



looks to his routing, and when he de- 

 spatches goods it goes. It is probably 

 true that shipments from Barcelona get 

 through this custom house quicker than 

 those from Boston. Barcelona makes out 

 its shipping documents correctly, packs 

 properly, weighs accurately. 



It is very doubtful that the Spanish 

 maker dishonestly undervalues his goods. 

 He doesn't have to do it to beat the Ameri- 

 can, but if he does resort to trickery it is 

 one safe bet that he will beat the American 

 at that little game every time. 



It is not true that the Cuban when he 

 buys a shoe leans toward the Spanish 

 make. On the contrary, he prefers the 

 American shoe because he believes it to 

 be the better article. But if the retailer 

 to cover losses through poor packing, ex- 

 pensive delays due to mistakes in papers 

 or poor routing, must sell the American 

 shoe at a higher price than the Spanish 

 (despite thirty per cent perferential), then 

 the Cuban is going to buy the Spanish shoe, 

 without rememberijig the "Maine" or the 

 fact that his grandfather was a Gallego. 



At the United States consulate it was 

 stated that there was no discrimination 

 against American shoes. 



Cuban Mahogany in London in 1911 



[Exclusive London correspundence of THE CUB.\ REVIEW] 



London, April 3, 1912. 



From figures now available, London imported last year 6,569 tons of Cuban mahogany 

 logs as compared with the previous year of 413 tons, the amount being 826 tons under 

 the average for the last ten years. The lumber chiefly consisted of Santa Cruz wood, 

 with smaller amounts from Jucaro, ]\Ianzanillo and other ports. The demand was 

 strong and the consumption shows an increase. The total sales, however, were really 

 less, as in 1910 four cargoes were disposed of for overside delivery, whereas only one 

 was disposed of on these conditions in the year under review. 



Demand was active at all times, for small and inferior logs a slight lapse in the 

 demand was noted. All the wood was. however, firmly held and a recovery in the 

 demand for these inferior grades took place at the end of the year. The prices reialized 

 for all of the wood were good. Brokers were practically cleared of stock at the end 

 of the year, and prospects all point to a continuance of a firm market. 



Last 3'ear"s imports of Cuban mahogany logs compared with 6,982 tons in 1910, 

 3,157 in 1909, 7,046 tons in 1908, 4,647 tons in 1907, 2,024 tons in 1906, 6,667 tons in 

 1905, 11,134 tons in 1904, 8,051 tons in 1903. and 3,288 tons in 1902. The total imports 

 of Cuban mahogany logs into Europe last year may be given as follows : London, 

 6,569 tons; Liverpool, 6,400 tons; and Glasgow, 76 tons, giving a total for the United 

 Kingdom of 13,045 tons : Germany, 2,470 tons ; Holland, 1,090 tons ; Belgium, 1,850 tons ; 

 and France, 5,775 tons. These give a total European import of Cuban mahogany 

 last year at 24,230 tons, which compares with 16.649 tons the year before last, 9,713 tons 

 the year before that, and 17,102 tons in 1908. 



More Money Required for Roads. — Ac- 

 cording to President Gomez' message there 

 has been spent between Xovember 1911, 

 and March. 1912. the sum of $318,619.42 in 



repairs and other work on 1,702 kilometers 

 of roads and its complementary buildings. 

 He asks Congress to vote more money, and 

 tliinks $850 per kilometer sufficient. 



