22 THE CUBA REVIEW 
CUBAN COMMERCIAL MATTERS 
EXTENSION OF PROHIBITION ON 
IMPORTATION OF RICE 
The Cuban prohibition on the impor- 
tation of rice has been extended to March 
31, 1921, by a decree of November 19th. 
(The former prohibition on the importa- 
tion of rice was to be in effect until Janu- 
ary, 1921.) This new decree differs from 
the old one only in the text of article 6. 
The decree cannot annul itself auto- 
matically, and the shipper is not respon- 
sible for the clearance of docks, as pro- 
vided for by the original article 6. Ac- 
‘cording to article 6 of the new decree, the 
right of annulment is reserved to the 
President, 
CUBA AS A MARKET FOR ELECTRICAL 
FIXTURES 
Cuba is an important field for the sale 
of electrical fixtures because of the in- 
creasing use of electricity on the island 
and of the comparatively slight develop- 
ment of the trade there up to the present, 
according to the Foreign Trade Bureau 
of the Guaranty Trust Company of New 
York. Moreover, physical and social re- 
lations between Cuba and the United 
States tend to make the latter the 
natural source of supplies. Before the 
war the United States furnished more 
than three-fourths of Cuba’s electrical 
supplies, and all of them during the 
war. With the elimination of German 
rivalry, there is now no important com- 
petition, and with right methods the 
United States should continue to control 
the market for these goods. 
The largest cities, including Havana, 
Cienfuegos, Santiago and Matanzas, are 
the best fields for the development of 
electrical trade. Day service as well as 
night current is furnished in them alone. 
The trade in Havana has been most high- 
ly developed and this city is practically the 
only one where both electrical fixtures and 
combination gas and electric fixtures are 
in demand. The other localities have no 
gas plants and therefore use fixtures de- 
signed only for electricity. The varicus 
sugar estates have their own electric 
power plants which furnish electricty for 
the sugar mills and also for the homes in 
their vicinities. 
In the smaller cities, the fixtures used 
in the illumination of houses and stores 
commonly consist of drop lights with re- 
flectors. The fixtures should be suitable 
for high ceilings, and for store use 
especially, and should be capable of light- 
ing large spaces. In the larger localities 
some kind of chandelier is generally used, 
and the most popular is that covered with 
crystal. The two-arm or four- 
arm pendant is in common use, with the 
arms and ceiling rod covered with glass 
and often different sorts of glass orna- 
ments. 
More elaborate fixtures are found in the 
homes of the well-to-do, and in hotels and 
glass or 
clubs. The designs vary widely accord- 
ing to the purchasing power and. taste 
of the buyers. Most are made of crystal 
or crystal and bronze. Cubans are yery 
fond of the ornate types of fixtures sur- 
rounded with ropes of crystal and numer- 
ous diamond or pencil shaped pendants, 
etc. American designs are said to be 
suitable to Cuban trade, but our dealers 
must meet competition in price from the 
Spanish dealers. 
Supply dealers in Havana are pushing 
the sale of American domes, indirect and 
semi-indirect fixtures and table lamps. 
There are practically no manufacturers 
of electrical goods in Cuba, and only a few 
minor concerns there make chandeliers 
and drop lights. 
Fixtures for store use are very crude 
in most places, and the buildings are old- 
fashioned. The merchants on the whole 
have been conservative about the intro- 
duction of modern fixtures. The newer 
stores, however, are using well-designed 
fixtures. Show-window lighting has been 
slow to develop. 
Street lighting fixtures should find valu- 
able markets in Cuba as many cities there 
are installing electric street lighting 
systems for the first time. Other cities 
are bringing their antiquated systems up- 
