14 T H E C U B A R E V I E W 



LABOR SCARCITY: Sli(>rtiii,'c ul' labor in ('iil)ii is :ij:;iiii cvichMiccd l>y tho fact that 

 various sufiar n-iifriils :in> hriii^'iiig into Cuba a coiisiderahU' nuiiibor of laborers 

 from otiier coimlrii's. Anions Ibose are the Trinidail Sngar Coinpany, which has 

 obtaimnl iMMMiiissioii from the Goveriiinent to import two himdrod and fifty negro 

 lal)on>rs from Kingston, Jamaica. The Baguanos Sugar Company, owners of Central 

 Bfiguanos, liave obtained permission to import a thousand Haitian laborers, who 

 will be brought to Cuba via the port of Antilla. ALso, Sr. Alfonso Jose Lin, Immigra- 

 tion Agent, has been autliorized to import two hundred Chinese laborers, who will 

 l)e bnaiglit from llong Kong to Havana. 



POLITICAL ACTIN'ITIES: During the month parties contending for the Presidency 

 of the Republic have lieen extremely active. Both I'residential candidates have made 

 extensive tours of tiie Niand and, according to newspaper reports, great demonstra- 

 tions were afforded them wlu-rever they went. The elections will doubtless be very 

 close as the Liiteral party has a tremendous following and the Conservative, or what 

 Is now known as the "Xatlonal League" party, are also well supported since they are 

 the party in power and influence a lieavy vote. 



On Sunday, October ir)th, the Liberal party had a tremendous demonstration in 

 Havana which indi<'ate<l the strength of General Jose Miguel Gomez to be greater 

 than was admitted. The parade, consisting of about 4,<100 mounted farmers from the 

 surrounding country, and thousands upon thousands riding in automobile trucks and 

 other thousands walking, passed in review before their leader. General Josd Miguel 

 Gomez, and took aboiu four hours to pass. It was indecKl a very picturesque array- 

 and nnich good feeling was evident throughout the day. There were no disturbances 

 of any kind and the affair iiassed off very orderly. 



On Thursday niglit, ()ctoI)er 20th, the "National League" or Conservative party 

 had also a grand rally and nuich speechmaking was on the program. Flyei'S were 

 strung across streets and liamiers bearing different inscriptions were much in evidence. 



FIRE IN BAY OF HAVANA: Ships in the Harbor of Havana were threatened by 

 Are on the morning of October 15th, when the American steamer, "Cracow," moored 

 opposite the Tallapiedra wharves, burst into flames. The fire started in Hold No. 1 

 and spread quickly to adjoining compartments. Tlie fire burned for three days, 

 although the Havana Fire Department did good work in keeping the flames confined 

 to the shij) alone. It is estimated that the damage to merchandise alone amounted 

 to .$;i(JO.<KjO and the ship itself was a total loss. One of the ship's officers was arrested 

 on a charge «»f having committed arson to cover thieving that had been going on 

 aboard the vessel, but he was latei' released. 



KRAJEWSKI-PESANT DRY DOCK DISABLED : Havana shipping interests were much 

 disturbed when it was learned that the floating dry dock of the Krajewski-Pesant 

 Corporation in Regla, the largest dry dock of its kind on the Island, will be a total 

 loss. This dry dock suffered a leak and sank several weeks ago and its loss will 

 seriously hamper many concerns that were in the habit of using its services for tha 

 making of repairs to their larger vessels. It is understood that the company carried 

 considerable insurance on the dry dock and, if it is found to be damaged beyond 

 repair, it will lie reniove<l and replaced by a dry dock of even larger capacity. 



CUBA NAVIGATION COMPANY INAUGURATES SERVICE: The first vessel of the 

 newly formed '"Cuba Navigation Company," the "Maceo," sailed from Havana for 

 Galveston, Texas, there to load cargo for European ports. This company is the one 

 which recently took over the five German tramp steamers seized when Cuba entered 

 the World War. All of these vessels have been renamed after famous Cuban jiatriots 

 and are to enter the cargocarrying trade between Cuba, the United States and Euro- 

 pean ports. The fleet aggregates about 28,000 tons of shipping. 



