26 EH \QiG BAS Sr Vy 
CUBAN COMMERCIAL MATTERS 
ADVICE TO CUBAN SHIPPERS 
From recent weekly cables received 
from Consul General Hurst, Havana, 
which have been published in Commerce 
Reports, and from other sources of in- 
formation, it would appear that the con- 
gestion at Havana is being considerably 
relieved by the energetic action of Col. 
Manuel Despaigne, the newly appointed 
supervisor of the port. The wharves are 
being cleared of accumulated merchan- 
dise by moving it by trucks and other 
means of transportation to spaces ac- 
quired by the Government for use as 
temporary warehouses, and to privately 
bonded warehouses. The clearance of 
goods currently received is facilitated by 
permitting partial dispatch, clearance 
with guaranty rather than payment of 
custom duties, and by other means. <A 
real and fairly successful effort is being 
made to put into practice all of the rec- 
ommendations of the Joint Cuban-Ameri- 
ean Commission on port congestion. 
However, there are a number of dif- 
ficulties still to be met. One of the most 
serious of these is the disposal of mer- 
chandise refused by the consignee and 
not removed by the shipper. If no action 
is taken by the consignee, the goods will 
be removed to Government storage and 
held for about 10 days (the length of 
time depending on the kind of goods). 
after which it will be auctioned off, prob- 
ably at a low price. In considering this 
condition, American shippers must realize 
that no matter where the responsibility 
lies, they are apt to be put to great loss 
unless they can make prompt adjustment. 
In some undoubtedly the only 
justifiable action is to refuse to take back 
the goods and to initiate suit against the 
consignee. 
cases 
In other cases an adjustment 
ean be reached by the two parties which 
will lead to acceptance of the merehan- 
dise by the consignee. . But in perhaps 
the greater number of cases adjustment 
has been tried without and the 
shipper has let things drift without tak- 
ing stock of his interests. He would do 
success 
well to consider whether it would not be 
to his advantage to take back the goods 
and appoint an agent to dispose of them 
on the ground. Especially is this true if 
he is not certain of his legal position or 
is unwilling to place the case in the hands 
of the congested courts. 
The agent must be local so that he will 
have a thorough knowledge of the con- 
ditions, coupled with sufficient local 
standing and influence to secure prompt 
action. 
tlement with the consignee under the 
original contract or enter into a supple- 
mental agreement of a definite nature. 
Failing this, he will probably be able to 
sell the goods at a sum which may be 
below their real value but above the 
amount they would later bring at public 
auction, 
The best way of working this out prac- 
tically will differ with different firms. 
Some already know of reputable Ametvi- 
can houses which can act for them. 
Others can combine to send a representa- 
tive to Havana to choose a local agent. 
Still others can adopt neither of these 
If these latter will bring their 
problem to the attention of the Latin 
American Division of the Bureau of For- 
eign and Domestic Commerce, Washing- 
ton, D. C., an effort will be made to se- 
the consulate general's office 
in Havana the name and address of u 
reliable American which will act 
courses, 
cure from 
house 
as agent. 
FROM NUEVITAS TO THE 
UNITED STATES 
Sugar is the principal item of export 
EXPORTS 
from Nuevitas, Cuba, to the United 
States ; SSS,871,560 pounds, valued at $97,- 
903,240, during the past 
year, as compared with 592,298,694 
pounds, valued at $35,538,196 in 1919. 
This accounts for the increase from $35,- 
771,780 in 1919 to $98,267,955 in 1920 in 
the total declared exports from that con- 
sular district to the United States. 
were shipped 
He may be able to reach a set- _ 
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