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THE CUBA REVIEW 



The larger and more responsible houses generally exact discount by paying cash in 

 advance. In this particular, market price is the only consideration in deciding between 

 competing lines. On the regular terms usually granted there is plenty of time for the 

 merchants to receive goods, pass them through the customs, and arrange them in stock 

 before making payment. 



Competition is very keen, and as each merchant seeks special individual concessions, 

 uniform terms on part of American manufacturers could hardly be adhered to. However, 

 on provisions and all perishable goods cash in advance or on delivery of the bill of lading, 

 or its equivalent, are the only terms that lead to satisfactory results for the exporter. 



I have seen offers from German manufacturers to a reliable dry goods firm here 

 granting 6 months' time without interest or commission, and one-half of 1 per cent 

 monthly rebate for money paid in advance of maturity. An American concern offered 

 the same firm 90 days net, 3 per cent 10 days, or 2 per cent 60 days, which thei latter 

 considers good and a move in the right direction on the part of the American manufac- 

 turer. The 2 per cent in 60 days feature especialty seems: to appeal to the local mer- 

 chant, as it gives him sufficient time and a reasonable cash discount. 



Whenever American manufacturers and exporters realize that the capturing of this 

 market can be more easily accomplished by meeting the European competitor's credit 

 terms and uniform courtesy than by any other minor details, a long step toward securing 

 the proper proportion of Cuba's import trade will have been taken. — United States Consul 

 Max J. Baehr. 



IMPROVEMENTS AT SANTIAGO DE CUBA 



One of the many Southern harbors 

 which are being improved, perhaps both in 

 anticipation of the impetus to be given 

 Latin-American commerce by the opening 

 of the Panama Canal and on account of 

 the growing local business interests, is that 

 of Santiago de Cuba. As those who re- 

 member the blockade by the ships under 

 Admiral Sampson's command in 1898 will 

 readily agree, the harbor itself is a safe 

 one. But for Admiral Cervera's desire to 

 make a record for doing something of 

 some sort, his fleet apparently would have 

 been safe there for an indefinite period. 



The work in progress at Santiago relates 

 to wharfage. A bulkhead wall nine hrn- 

 dred meters long has been built, together 

 with a platform on the inshore side, over 

 -the rock filling of twenty-five feet in width. 

 From this bulkhead to the shore extensive 

 flats have been filled, reclaiming about 

 810,000 square meters. 



Santiago harbor entrance has a depth of 

 twenty-eight and a half feet, and at the 

 wharves, except the Juragua Iron Com- 

 pany's which affords twenty-six feet, the 

 depths are sixteen to eighteen feet. San- 

 tiago at present affords no public wharf- 

 age, no generally available cranage nor 

 dry-dock facilities for large _ craft. But 

 large ore cargoes are loaded in a modern 

 manner at private wharves near Santiago, 

 and when the new quay is available large 

 steamers will be assured of accommoda- 

 tion. 



Presumably no improvement on nature, 

 unless it is a little deepening, will be at- 

 tempted at the bottle-neck entrance to the 

 bay which Hobson in 1898 corked up, and 

 which is just as convenient for the in- 

 sider's protection as for the outsider's 

 bottling-up tactics. 



A full page illustration of this great im- 



provement, showing bulkhead, inner plat- 

 form and flats, was printed in the March 

 issue of The Cuba Review. 



MARSEILLE S TRADE WITH CUBA 



The last available figures are those for 

 1911 found in the report of the Cuban Con- 

 sul. Values given are in francs. 



Exports to Cuba. 



1911 

 1,013,573 



1910 

 1,002,500 



Tiles form the largest exports, the total 

 in 1910 being 8,277,252 kilograms and in 

 1911 12,580,963 kilograms. Cement follows 

 with 2,122,006 kilograms in 1910 and 2,422,- 

 980 in 1911. These two items form nearly 

 seven-eighths of the total exports to the 

 republic. The exports for the previous 

 j^ears show considerable variation and are 

 given as follows : 



From the low figures of 1909 there has 

 been a pronounced rise in 1910 and 1911. 



Imports from Cuba the consul finds are 

 of too insignificant a character to merit 

 tabulation. Cuban tobacco, which of course 

 is largely used in France, comes to Mar- 

 seilles by way of New York and in Amer- 

 ican ships and hence does not figure in 

 the statistics of Cuban trade. Cuban 

 cigarettes, the consul says, are not accept- 

 able in France. Consumers prefer the yel- 

 low tobacco and hence the Turkish, Egyp- 

 tian, Russian and American cigarettes con- 

 trol the mark'Ct. 



