THE CUBA REVIEW 



15 



barely exceeded the cost of production, and, 

 as the exportation of tliis product amounted 

 to $110,000,000, or 66 per cent, of the exports 

 for the fiscal year 1912-13, an idea of the 

 effect on general business conditions can be 

 readily formed. It is a common custom in 

 Cuba for the owners of sugar estates to anti- 

 cipate the zafra (grinding) season, and when 

 returns fail to equal the advance received, 

 extension of credit is Ijut the natural result. 

 After the outbreak of the European war 

 crude sugar with a polarization of 96 per cent 

 advanced from 2J^ cents per pound in July 

 to 4^8 cents per pound in September. Due 

 to advices that there were large amounts of 

 sugar in storage in various countries, and to 

 the proximity of the grinding season, the 

 price has receded to 2^1 cents per pound, the 

 average for November. The usual average 

 cost of production varies from 1 9-10 to 2 

 cents per pound. 



As Germany, Austria-Hungary, France and 

 Russia, which have heretofore supplied a 

 large part of the world's consumption, are 

 not expected to produce a great amount for 

 export for some time, confidence in good 

 prices for several years is universally ex- 

 pressed, and planters who were unable to in- 

 crease their output for the year 1914-15 are 

 generally preparing for an increased acreage 

 for the year succeeding. The total world 

 production of sugar, both beet and cane, is 

 estimated at 18,000,000 tons. Of this amount 

 Cuba supplied for the fiscal year 1912-13 ap. 

 proximately 2,400,000 tons. It is believed 

 that the production for 1914-15 will be ap- 

 proximately the same as the year preceding, 

 in which case, under present prevailing prices, 

 the purchasing power of the coimtrv would 

 be increased to about $200,000,000." 



The foreign tobacco market has been seri- 

 ously curtailed since the war began. Ware- 

 houses are reported full, many factories have 

 been obliged to decrease their output and there 

 is an apparent inclination to decrease acreage 

 pending an adjustment of market conditions. 

 Negotiations are reported to be under way 

 for more liberal trade relations with the coun- 

 tries still offering an outlet for the unrivalled 

 Cuban product, and this, together with the 

 probabilities of an increased demand on the 

 cessation of hostilities, sufficiently sustains 

 the hopes of the Cuban producer and manu- 

 facturer. 



Transportation companies have long rec- 

 ognized the value of Cuba's trade and the 

 protection of her natural land-locked harbors, 

 the more important of which are Havana, 

 Cienfuegos and Santiago. During the year 

 1912-13 over 4,800 foreign and coastwise ves- 

 sels, including sail boats, entered and an- 

 chored at her numerous ports. The Harbor 

 of Havana alone was visited monthly by 

 165 foreign vessels, 37 coastwise steamers 

 and 180 sailing boats. 



Among the more important lines entering 

 Cuba at present are the New York and Cuba 

 Mail SS. Co. (American) with bi-weekly ser- 

 vice between Havana and New York, for both 

 passengers and freight, bi-monthly passenger 



service to Guantanamo and Santiago, weekly 

 freight service to the same ports and weekly 

 service to Mexico; the United Fruit Co. 

 (American), which has recently augmented 

 its service with weekly passenger and freight 

 vessels between Havana and New York, New 

 Orleans and Boston, and bi-weekly ser\'ice 

 to Panama and Central America; the "P 

 & O." Line (American), with daily, except 

 Sunday, passenger and freight connections 

 with Key West; the Southern Pacific Line 

 (American), with weekly passenger and 

 freight service to New Orleans; the Munson 

 Line (American), having 125 steamers, with 

 weekly freight service to Mobile and frequent 

 freight connections between important Cuban 

 and United States ports; the United SS. Co. 

 (American), with bi-weekly freight service 

 from Galveston to Havana; the American & 

 Cuban SS. Line, with twice-a-month service 

 between Cuba and New York, freight only; 

 the Herrera Line (Cuban), with twice-a- 

 month service, Santiago to Porto Rico: Royal 

 Mail Steam Packet Co. (English), with bi- 

 monthly service between Antilla and Europe, 

 Antilla and Panama, and Central and South 

 America, and the Florida East Coast Ferry, 

 which is to be inaugurated in January; the 

 General Transatlantic Line of France (French) 

 with monthly passenger and freight service, 

 Havana to France, and the Transa', lantic Co. 

 of Spain (Spanish), with monthly service to 

 Spanish north coast ports via New York and 

 a monthly service to the South of Spain and 

 Mediterranean ports. 



The merchandise imported by Cuba for the 

 fiscal year 1912-13 totalled $132,000,000, or 

 $58 per capita. Of this total, 53 per cent, was 

 supplied by the United States. Of the more 

 important imports received during that year, 

 the greater part of $6,800,000 worth of iron 

 and steel came from the United States, yet 

 Germany, the United Kingdom and Belgium 

 supplied a share, which should hereafter be 

 available to the United States. Of $4,200,000 

 worth of chemical products, the United States 

 supplied the larger part, nevertheless a good 

 quantity of salts, pharmacy products, vege- 

 table oil and soap material came from the 

 United Kingdom. France and Spain. The 

 LTnited Kingdom, France and Spain main- 

 tained a long lead over the United States in 

 cotton manufactures and mixed woven goods, 

 the value of which was $12,000,000, and Ire- 

 land and the United Kingdom supplied prac- 

 tically the entire amount of linen fabric. 

 Shipments of $3,600,000 of lumber and other 

 vegetalale material came almost entirely from 

 the United States. Of $1,700,000 in paper 

 and card board, one.third came from coun- 

 tries other than the United States. The 

 leather goods, including boots and .shoes, 

 were valued at $5,000,000, $900,000 of which 

 came from Germany and Spain. Of $4,700,- 

 000 vegetable fibers, including sugar sacks, 

 the United Kingdom furnished the greatest 

 part, the amount coming from the L'nited 

 States being less than $1,000,000. 



The general machinery imports from the 

 United States, United Kingdom and Ger- 



