28 



THE CUBA R E \- 1 E W 



HENEQUEN-FIBER SEPARATORS 



Tlie Cuban customs authorities, in 

 response to the petition of importers, have 

 been instructed by the secretary of the 

 treasury to admit the machinery to be 

 used for the separation of henequen fiber 

 at the reduced rate of duty applicable to 

 agricultural machinery and apparatus. The 

 duty on such machinery will, accordingly, 

 be levied at the rate of 3 per cent 

 ad valorem upon importation from coun- 

 tries other than the United States, and at 

 the rate of iVa per cent ad valorem upon 

 importation from the United States. 



To secure the benefits of this reduced 

 rate, certain regulations have to be com- 

 plied with, most notable among which are 

 the requirements that the machines must 

 be imported complete and must be im- 

 ported in a single shipment, unless special 

 authorization has been granted by the 

 customs authorities for the importation to 

 take place in two or more shipments. — 

 From Cuban Customs Circular, February 

 7, 1912. 



A fire on March 30th destroyed the home 

 office of Bea, Bellido & Co., large hardware 

 and sugar merchants of Matanzas. The 

 origin of the fire is unknown. 



CUBA S COFFEE IMPORTATIONS 



Official statistics of the Culian govern- 

 ment regarding that country's importation 

 of coffee during the eight fiscal years end- 

 ing June, :iO, J 910, are as follows: 



Fiscal year Pounds 



1902-03 21,6.j2,507 



1903-04 19,007,436 



1904-05 24,002,236 



1905-06 20,690,539 



1906-07 24,749,381 



1907-08 22,600,649 



1908-09 24,749,381 



1909-10 25,197,444 



The first six months" figuring for the 

 fiscal year 1910-11 showed importations of 

 14,389,428 pounds. 



The production of coffee in Cuba, ac* 

 cording to the statistics of the Santiago 

 Chamber of Commerce, increased from 

 30,000 quintales (3,000,000 lbs.) in 1902 to 

 68,339 quintales (6,833,900 lbs.) in 1905, and 

 to 191,600 quintales (19,160,000 lbs.) in 

 1908. 



The crop estimate for 1911 is for 20 or 

 21 million pounds. 



Oriente Province has a large number of 

 coffee plantations, especially in the Guanta- 

 namo Vallev. 



Constructio'i work in Cuba. Plant of Snare iS; Trie.st at Casa Blanca on Havana Harbor for 

 making reinforced concrete piles. 



Trabajos de construccion en Cuba. Instalacion de Snare y Triest. en Casa Blanca, en el 

 Puerto de la Hahana. para constrnir pastes de rormigon rejorzado. 



