10 THE CUBA REVIEW 
Law, it is generally conceded that Dr. Alfedo Zayas is the choice of the Cuban people 
for President. While in the Provinces of Santa Clara, Camaguey and Oriente the 
Supreme Court has found that some of the electoral precincts showed irregularities, 
it is not considered that the result of their findings will materially affect the victory 
of Dr. Zayas. General Enoch HW, Crowder, who was sent to Cuba by the American 
Government to investigate the recent elections as well as other questions of im- 
portance, has not been able to find that the irregularities which were so much talked 
of by the Liberal party really have a material effect upon the ultimate outcome of 
the elections, and we understand he has communicated this information to the Wash- 
ington Government. Rumors that President Menocal would resign the Presidency 
as a result of the findings of General Crowder have been officially denied and we 
are not inclined to believe that any credence can be given them. 
SUGAR: On the 15th of January there were 121 centrals grinding, as against 
197 at this time last year. This fact is significant of the price that will doubtless 
maintain for this crop. The growers of sugar cane are, and we believe with justifica- 
tion, alarmed at the failure of sugar to rise out of the depressed low level to which 
it fell the latter part of 1920, At present prices (about four and a half cents) there 
is absolutely no profit in manufacturing or growing sugar and one of the main reasons 
given for the fact is that labor, administration and operating costs have not been 
reduced in anything like a reasonable proportion to the drop that has been ex- 
perienced by sugar. The present price is on a parity with pre-war prices, but ferti- 
lizers, fuel, labor and administration have made no appreciable concessions and the 
ingenios and growers find themselves operating with scant, if any, profit. 
The attitude of labor has been the cause of some alarm to sugar planters on the 
eastern end of the Island, since they have practically refused to work in the fields 
at any material reduction in their wages. It must be acknowledged that they have 
‘some argument on their side of the controversy, since foodstuffs, clothing, shoes, 
-etc., have been reduced only slightly as compared with the reduction in wages that 
tthe laborers are required to accept. It is true that here in Havana on every hand 
are to be seen announcements of great reductions in prices, but a close analysis of 
‘these reductions reveals that, in many instances, the dealers are simply working 
off surplus stocks of shop-worn merchandise, In the interior, we are reliably in- 
formed, even these reductions have not taken place, and had they done so they would 
not materially affect the common laborer, as his principal requirement is food as 
the is usually scantily clad and only possesses enough clothing for his immediate 
meeds. The great majority of the laborers who come to Cuba are here for the sole 
purpose of accumulating a few hundred dollars and returning to their native land. 
An effort has been made by the plantation owners to improve living conditions tor 
the laborers, but their efforts have not met with much encouragement since the 
foreign laborers, and particularly those from Haiti, are of a very low grade of 
intelligence and cannot adapt themselves to sanitary living conditions. 
Freights on sugars have been lowered somewhat, but here again we find that- it 
is next to impossible to adjust the freight rates, if the cargoes are to be shipped in 
Shipping Board vessels, since the wage concessions that have been accorded organized 
seafaring men will not permit of profitable operation of these vessels. Consequently, 
foreign yessels are making great inroads on this trade. 
Planters and mill owners are trusting that the next month will show an increase 
in the price of Cuban sugars, a level of six cents being conceded as that on which 
sugar can be produced with a profit on the investment made. Present indications are 
that the United States is fairly well stocked with sugar from last year and the crop 
of Louisiana cane sugar and Northern beet sugar would indicate a smaller demand 
from that source. Europe, from reports we have before us, is to produce considerably 
more beet sugar this year than last and the demand from that source will doubtless 
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