THE CUBA REVIEW 



HAVANA CORRESPONDENCE 



May 21, 1920. 



INTERNATIONAL TELEPHONE & TELEGRAPH COMPANY: This company, 

 a merger of the Cuban Telephone Company and the Intercontinental Telephone & 

 Telegraph Company, has recently been organized with a capital of $25,000,000.00 for 

 the purpose of greatly extending the telegraph service between Cuba and the United 

 States, and also laying new cables between Cuba and Central and South American 

 countries. It is estimated that telephone connection with New York and other North 

 American cities will be established by December of this year. The Cuban Telephone 

 Company has recently placed orders for thousands of new telephones for installation 

 in Havana, as it has been foimd that the present installation has fallen far short of 

 the growth of the city and many new firms are miable to secure telephones to answer 

 their business needs. On account of unusual demands in the States for telephone 

 equipment, much delay has been experienced by this company in the filling of orders 

 for equipment. A great many new trunk lines are being laid throughout the city 

 and it will be another year before the demands will be met. The stock of this new 

 company, when placed on the market, was oversubscribed more than twenty per cent. 



VALLEJO STEEL WORKS' WAREHOUSE IN ANTILLA: Close to the railroad: 

 tracks of the Cuba Railroad in Antilla, the Vallejo Steel Works are constructing a 

 large warehouse to accommodate the large shipments that they are making from^ 

 the States. Antilla will be the center of distribution for this important concern for 

 the provinces of Oriente and Camaguey, and other centers of distribution are ex- 

 pected to be established shortly. Messrs. J. A. Palacios & Company have let a con- 

 tract for the construction of a warehouse for the storage and manufacture of flour 

 and "Gofio" (a food made of toasted wheat and other ingredients, much relished in 

 Cuba). This building is to cost some $60,000.00 and the land on which it is to be erect- 

 ed cost this firm $40,000.00. ; 



NEW BREWERY FOR HAVANA: Not content with the many millions of bot- 

 tles of beer that are yearly manufactured by the Tropical, Tivoli and Polar breweries, 

 Havana is to have another large brewery and ice plant in the near future. Land 

 has been purchased for the new industry and it is expected that a large business will 

 be done by this concern, as it is generally understood that the breweries that are in 

 existence in Havana at the present time have entered into a combine to control prices, 

 etc. This new brewery, it is understood, will also manufacture soft drinks in very 

 large quantities. 



Announcement has been made by the Italian Consul-General in Havana that 

 several large wine merchants of Italy are desirous of establishing branch houses iH 

 Havana for the marketing of their products. Encouragement has been advanced to 

 this industry because most of the wines received in Cuba are of Spanish vintage, and 

 Italian wines are understood to be of excellent quality. 



NEW DOCK COMPANY FORMED: With a capital of $4,.5OO,000.00, the "Lite- 

 ral de Bahia, S. A.," has been organized for the purpose of building in Havana 

 Harbor docks and warehouses to meet the increased demand for this class of accom- 

 modation. Among the directorate of this new company are many large business men 

 of Havana. It is rumored that three large docks will be constructed. 



NEW COASTWISE STEAMSHIP LINE FORMED: A company with a capital 

 of $1,500,000.00 has been organized to operate vessels between Cuban ports and it 

 will establish this line with three vessels of 1,000 tons each, which will be augmented 

 later as the business develops. 



