THE CUBA REVIEW 



THE TOBACCO INDUSTRY 



STATISTICS OF EXPORTS AND IMPORTS MEXICO S TRADE SPURIOUS 



CUBAN CIGARS IN LONDON 



AUGUST, 1913, EXPORTS AND \'ALUES to be fully ten cents a pound higher than 



Quantities 1913 191'^ ^^^^ former, but this year we have again the 



^ " anomaly that Remedios commands even a 



Leaf tobacco (bales). 22,619 42,965 better figure than Vuelta Aba''o. 



Cigars 14,679,147 18,036,467 The manufacturers say that the demand 



Cigarettes (packs)... 1,530,732 1,448,304 for clear Havana tobacco in outrunning the 



Cut tobacco (kilos) . 20,683 16,832 supply made it often necessary to use the 



Yalues 1913 1912 1^^^ from a new crop before it had been 



Leaf tobacco $1,316,204 $2,039,528 §>^^" sufficient time to become properly 



Cigars 1019,287 1.228,554 ^"'"^d" ^' ^ consequence the cigars hat 



Cigarettes 43 733 58,531 ^^'^re "lade were not as mild and sweet as 



-- ° , , nn'Arx -,'~\-o was desirHDle, and smokers were beginning 



Cut tobacco 20,o49 17,9d8 ,,• r^i-i, ^ u 



to tire of this heavy tobacco. 



T- . , a>o onn r.~o <tooo( -r-i Now thc Cuban crop in 1912 was prolific 



1 otal $2,399,7(3 $3,334,.d<1 -.i, r nru^^ i-u 



^ ' ' ^ ' < !,-[ tobacco of an unusually light type, which 



did not require to be stored as long as 



CUBAN EXPORTS TO ENGLAND "^ual before it was properly cured and sea- 

 soned. As a consequence cigars made from 



[Reportof the British Vice-consul Cowan at Havana] the 1912 tobacco have been of more pleas- 



„T,, ^ ^ , , r ^, ^ , ing quality, and more satisfactory to the 

 .u T^^- total value of the tobacco sent to ^^g^e of the discriminating smoker than 

 the United Kingdom m 1912 was iSOO,600, ^^^.^ ^^^ Havana cigars made in other re- 

 ef which amount £< 91,300 represents cigars. ^^^^ years 



The crop of 1912 was a very good one in -phe improved qualitv in the cigars has 



quality, and the fact that the quantity fell ^^^^^^^ ^ j j increased consumption. 



short of the estimate enabled the growers p^^. example. Great Britain alone imported 



to obtain good prices. The total export ^^^^■^ ^-^^ million more cigars from Ha- 



was greater than in either of the two pre- ^.^^^ j,^ ^j^e first six months of 1913 than in 



ceding years. The crop of 1913, which is ^^^ corresponding period in 1912. 



already harvested, will be a large one of j^ j^ ^.^^ generally admitted that the 



very good quality, although there are rarely ^^^^^^^ tobacco crop for the current year is 



two good tobacco crops in succession The ^^.^^ ^^^^^^ ^,^^^„ that of 1912, it must 



weather has been more favorable than in j i^allv follow, therefore, that the finer 



the past two years, and there has been no nuality'of the cigars made from this vear's 



eye ones or prolonged rams to necessitate tobacco will still further help the business 



replanting. The Pinar del Rio tobacco has ^^ ^^^ manufacturers during the final 



provided exceptionally good filler tobacco. ,„onths of this year and the early months 



though there has been a shortage of wrap- ^f un4.— Tobacco of Nczv York. 

 per leaf. But it is expected that this shortage 



will be corrected by a good crop in Havana "^ " 



and Santa Clara provinces. A law was SPURIOUS CUBAN CIGARS 

 passed last year compelling all manuiactur- 



ers to put a national guarantee stamp on all "If the truth were known it would prob- 



boxes of cigars intended for export. Gen- ably be found tliat a good many cigars sold 



uine Cuban cigars may, therefore, now be in London as Cu))an have never come from 



recognized by this stamp, which is printed that part of the world at all," says the 



in green and bears the words 'Repul)lica de Dublin Express. "To meet this difficulty a 



Cuba, Sello de garantia nacional de pro- law. it appears, has been passed in Cuba 



cedeneia. Para tabacos torcidos y picadura,' compelling all manufacturers to put a na- 



and is so placed that it is broken when the tional guarantee stamp on all boxes of 



box is opened." cigars intended for ex])ort. Genuine Cuban 



"■ cigars may therefore now be recognized by 



TOBACCO CROP NEWS |'"^ ^^amp. which is printed in green and 



l)ears the words Rei)ublica de C ul)a Sello 



The early strong rlemand for Remedios de Garantia Nacional de Procedeneia, Para 



leaf is surprising, but it seems that most Tabacos Torcidos y Picadura,' and is so 



of the American seed and Havana cigar ])laccd that it is broken when the box is 



manufacturers give the preference to Re- opened. It is to be feared that even this 



medios leaf over thc heavy bodied Vuelta will not wholly accomplish the purpose 



Abajo tobacco. The latter Ijy rights ought aimed at. 



