14 THECUB A REVIEW 



AiitiilitT tVatinv of tlu' ciiiiijt'stioii ii> Il;iviiii:i is the tn'iiuMulons aiiuniiit <if rice 

 thill is Itciii^' li»'i(l in liglittTS in the r.:iy ui" IlMViiiia iiwaitinir scti Ifiiicnt of the con- 

 tntversy ln'twoi'ii tlio rico nu'rchants of the I'nittHl Stairs and tlir <'uliau luercliants. 

 Tht'i-i' are. ir is estimated, over l.rKKMKM* l»ays of riee in tlu- Bay of Havana at the 

 present time, and several vessels are expected within the next few days tliat will 

 raise this amoimt to possihly l,7oO,(Ki<> hajTs. enoii^rh to last the Island of Cuba for a 

 year at least. Tlie value of this tremendous amount of rice is estimated at some 

 $2r),(i<Ht.(ilHt.(K). Settlement of the controversy would immediately release a great many 

 barpes now tied up which could perform other important work were they unloailed. 



The controversy arose over ilie ]iiite of this rice upon its arrival in Havana. 

 When the orders were placed for the rice the price was high and a jrood profit s.-emed 

 certain. However, about the time that shipment was started, Knt;land released 

 immense quantities of this commodity, and wlicn tliese large shipments began to 

 arrive in Havana the price dropped abruptly and the merchants who had purchased 

 the ri<-e stood to lose considerably. This was over two months ago, and now, with 

 the natural deterioration that has taken effect and the demurrage that has accrued 

 on the ligiiters in which this rice is stowed, the question has been greatly aggravated 

 and settlement will mean serious losses to many. In the meantime the retailer has 

 not redu<ed his price to the ultimate consumer to any apprecialile amount and the 

 public is still paying a high price for its rice. It is understood that the American 

 State Deiiartment has taken a hand in the matter and a meeting was called by the 

 banks of Havana recently to consider means of settling the question. Blame is laid 

 on the Cuban merchants by American exporters, and the Cuban mercliants claim that 

 delays in shipment caused the glutted condition of the market. 



An idea of the activities at the different wharves may be gleaned from the 

 following statistics of the number of packages extracted from the various wharves 

 in Havana during an average day (June 22d), making due allowance for the fact 

 that the San Francisco and Machina wharves are practically at standstill, owing to 

 strike conditions : 



General Wharves 0.."i7."i Packages 



San Francisco Whaiv< s Tt'A " 



Machina Wharves 47 " 



Paula 8,4S.-> 



Havana Central S,471 " 



San Jose H.SCS 



Ward Termina 1 ."'.,.'',44 



Arsenal 7,13.'? 



Tallapi.'dra 1.7S1 



Atares (;.4:51 



Retrla ::2.ss4 



Total ni.072 



HARBOR NOTES: The Kmpresa \:iviera de Cuba, the coastwise steamship com- 

 pany which operates a fleet of some sixteen steam vessels between Cuban ports, has 

 applied to the Allied Governments' Peace Commission for replacement of the steamer 

 "Chaparra." which was sunk by a Geriua.n mine dining the war. Replacement on the 

 basis of ton for ton, as siii)ulated in the Peace terms, is asked. This Company 

 requested that one of the (icrnian shiiis. seized by the Cuban Government when Cuba 

 entered the war, be allotted to ir. hut it develops that these vessels have licen offered 

 for lease to the highest bidd r and for This reason the recpiest could not be granted. 



On the morning of .fnly ".»tli the Siianish Battleship Cruiser "Alfonso XIII" 

 arrived in the Bay of Havana an<l was accorded a welcome seldom accorded a visitor. 

 Cuban, American and Spanish flags were everywhere in evidence as this l.j,000-ton 

 Cruiser entered the Bay. The many Spanish societies and clubs <tf this City have 

 prepared an extensive program for the visitors, both officers and men, and their 



