22 



THE CUBA REVIEW 



on the one hand, they found the promise of an 

 excellent sugar crop, and, on the other hand, 

 they had a large reduction in expenditure, he 

 thought they could look forward with confi- 

 dence to the report which would be submitted 

 in a year's time. 



With regard to the prospects of 1914-15 the 

 outlook generally, in view of the devasting 

 war, was not very hopeful. He believed, how- 

 ever, that Cuba occupied an altogether ex- 

 ceptional position. Cuba, to such a large 

 extent, depended upon its big table crop of 

 sugar that when they found prospects of an 

 unusually abundant crop at very remunera- 

 tive prices — and he might mention that one 

 cent per lb. increase in sugar meant an in- 

 crease to Cuba of 56 million dollars, or over 

 £11,000,000— he thought they would realize 

 that with so much more cash likely to come 

 into the island there must be favorable re- 

 sults for Cuba generally. With toabcco the 

 outlook was different. Cigars were a luxury, 

 and he was afraid that the prospects of that 

 industry were not very good for the current 

 year, as the cultivators were mostly small 

 planters who were dependent on the proceeds 

 of their crop for carrying on their business. 

 Looking over the whole ground, however, he 

 felt that Cuba was one of the few countries 

 of the world which would benefit by the war, 

 although she might suffer here and there. If 

 Cuba did benefit and was more prosperous, it 

 was almost unnecessary for him to point out 

 that their railways could look forward with 

 confidence to doing pretty well in the yeai- 

 1914-15. Moreover, they had been negotiat- 

 ing with the Florida East Coast Railway Com- 

 pany to estabUsh a steam ferry between Key 

 West in Florida and Havana, by means of 

 which good trains in their entirety would be 

 transported between those two points, and 

 this would give direct communication between 

 Cuba and the railway systems of the United 

 States and Canada, from which fruit growers 

 and shippers generally should greatly benefit. 

 The Chairman, also described the results of 

 negotiations for the acquisition of the Caracas 

 Company, and stated that a syndicate had 

 been formed to acquire that company, on 

 behalf of the United Havana, at a cost of 

 .'i;3,000,000. The fall in sugar had given 

 them their opportunity. Prior to the fall an 

 offer for the purchase of that line at $4,000,000 

 had been refused. By the acquisition of that 

 system they had obviated the passing of the 

 line into hostile hands. 



Last year the chairman reported the forma- 

 tion of the Cuban Central Northern Extension 

 Company, and power was taken to transfer 

 to that company the line built from Caibarien 

 to Dolores and the work done to Yaguajay, as 

 well as this company's right to build to N uevitas. 

 The new Board had not completed the agree- 

 ment for transfer, feeling very strongly that 

 before going into any big expenditure like that 

 they would like to study the scheme for them- 

 selves, and they had not yet come to a proper 



decision as to what they would do in the 

 future. A good deal of work had been done 

 from Dolores towards Yaguajay, and in ordi- 



nary circumstances that would have been 

 completed and the line opened to Yaguajay 

 in time for the present sugar crop, but on 

 account of the difficulties of finance they had 

 thought it much more prudent so shut down 

 all capital expenditure. At the present time 

 there was also a rival scheme for a railway 

 running from Caibarien to Nuevitas. Nat- 

 urally, the Board were watching that and 

 doing all they could to protect the interests 

 of the shareholders. 



CARDENAS DISTRICT ESTIMATES. 



Factories Estimated 



Yield 1914-15 



Alava 220,000 bags 



Aguedita 65,000 



Covadonga 140,000 " 



Dolores 50,000 " 



Dulce Nombre 45,000 " 



Dos Rosas 60,000 " 



Esperanza 165,000 " 



Guipuzcoa 50,000 " 



Mercedes 240,000 " 



Progreso 140,000 " 



PorFuerza 65,000 " 



Santa Gertrudis 180,000 " 



Soledad 140,000 " 



Tinguaro 210,000 " 



Washington 175,000 " 



Union 90,000 " 



Arango 7,000 " 



Total 19 Factories 2,207,000 bags 



REMEDIOS DISTRICT ESTIMATES 



Estimates of the 1914-15 sugar production 

 in the Remedios district have been compiled 

 by Sr. Jose Herrero and are as follows: 



Bags 



Zaza 100,000 



Fidencia 90,000 



San Jose 80,000 



Fe 130,000 



Adela 90,000 



Altamira 60,000 



San Agustin 90,000 



Reforma 120,000 



San Pablo 35,000 



Narcisa 130,000 



Vitoria 145,000 



Rosalia 36,000 



Julia 12,000 



Rosa Maria 20,000 



Total 1,148,000 



Central "San Lino" has been acquired by 

 the well known Cienfuegos firm, Messrs. 

 Suero Balbin y Acisclo del Valle. New ma- 

 chinery will be installed and much new terri- 

 tory planted to cane, placing the Central 

 among the leading sugar factories of the 

 province. 



