18 



THE CUBA REVIEW 



THE TOBACCO INDUSTRY 



NEW STAMP CAUSING TROUBLE ITS USE COMPULSORY 



CIGAR EXPORTATIONS 



THE NEW GUARANTEE STAMP 



Every cigar manufacturer in Cuba is 

 now compelled by law to put a stamp on 

 all boxes of cigars destined for export, and 

 the failure to do so is punished by a fine 

 of $500, and eventually by from three to 

 six months' imprisonment in addition. The 

 Union of Manufacturers of Cigars and 

 Cigarettes of the island of Cuba is charged 

 with the duty to advertise these stamps in 

 future. It is planned to advertise them 

 in all countries where Havana cigars are 

 consumed in quantities, as well as to ferret 

 out all possible falsifications, and with the 

 aid of the Cuban government to prosecute 

 all evil-doers to the full extent of the laws. 



All shipments of cigars exported from 

 Cuba since October 23d must bear this 

 stamp, and the public is cautioned that no 

 box without this stamp should be accepted 

 as coming from the island of Cuba, unless 

 the box came out of a previous shipment. 

 To stop the refilling or re-use of the im- 

 ported boxes must of course be left to the 

 watchfulness of the different governments 

 in the countries to which the cigars are 

 shipped. 



It remains to be seen whether the ex- 

 pected stoppage of frauds in future will 

 be in reality accomplished, which is the 

 point aimed at by the lawmakers. 



The cost of the guarantee stamp is the 

 smallest item, as it probably will not aver- 

 age over five or six cents for each thousand 

 cigars, but the vexation in having to keep 

 a sepearate set of books, to be always on 

 the lookout, that the stamps are properly 

 placed in front of the boxes, or on the 

 left side, and that none are lost, are the 

 greatest drawbacks of the new law. 



The precinta, or guarantee stamp, is 

 printed in green, is 17 V2 centimeters long 

 by 5V2 wide, and has the following word- 

 ing: 



Republica de Cuba 



Sello de garantia nacional de procedencla. 



Para Tabacos 



torcidos y picadura. 



This inscription is printed below a re- 

 production of the Cuban coat of arms or 

 of a vega field of growing tobacco. 



It is punishable by a heavy fine to borrow, 

 lend, or give away any stamp. Cuban con- 

 sulates in foreign countries will be in- 

 structed to place a legitimate stamp for 

 public inspection in their offices. 



This is a law of July 16, 1912. All boxes 

 must be so sealed that when contents are 

 removed the stamp is torn. 



PREPARATION OF TOBACCO BY 

 ELECTRICITY 



A short article in the Journal d' Agricul- 

 ture Tropicale for June, 1912, states that 

 the journal De Indische Merkuur has re- 

 cently given notice of the discovery by an 

 engineer of Sourabaya of a new process 

 for preparing tobacco : in place of sub- 

 mitting the leaves for several weeks to the 

 action of warm air, as is usual, they are 

 exposed for twenty-four hours to the action 

 of electricity. Unfortunately, nothing is 

 said as to the way in which the operation 

 is conducted nor concerning the manner 

 of action of the electricity: whether there 

 is an electrolytic action on the very damp 

 leaves, or if the change comes about 

 through discharges at high voltage or in 

 any other way. 



The matter of importance is, however, 

 that this mode of working should not only 

 greatly shorten the time required for the 

 operation, but should bring under com- 

 plete control the extent to which the color- 

 ing of the product takes place. It should 

 be added that, according to the report, the 

 results are yet far from being conclusive, 

 but if they are eventually confirmed, the 

 new manner of procedure will completely 

 overthrow the ordinary methods for to- 

 bacco preparation that are employed up to 

 the present in the many factories in Java, 

 which, it is said, are eager to adopt its 

 application. The journal mentioned first, 

 above, states that return will be made to 

 the subject when an opportunity has been 

 given for obtaining additional information. 



CIGAR EXPORTATIONS 



Cuba's exportation of cigars from Janu- 

 ary 1st to September 30tli compares as 

 follows : 



1912 1911 



January 11,398,380 14,256,918 



Februarv 12,494,267 12,736,368 



March 15,011,982 17,429,043 



April 12,794,245 14,694,037 



May 15,470,102 17,313,332 



June 11,778,538 13,112,478 



July 10,286,106 13,834,708 



August 18,036,467 17,917,277 



September 20,506,159 14,211,694 



Total 127,776,246 135,505,555 



German and Austrian buyers have taken 

 this year all the tobacco they could get. 



