THE CUBA RE VI E W 



31 



CUBAN COMMERCIAL MATTERS 



Cuba continues to be one of our best customers for railway materials and equipment, 

 machinery and hardware generally. The export of these materials and equipment from the 

 United States has more than doubled since 1914 as shown by the following statistics: 



August 8 mos. ending August 



1915 1916 1914 1915 1916 



Value Value 



Agricultural Implements and Parts. . $42,636 $106,827 $1,104,139 $1,569,077 $2,507,564 



Railway Cars and Parts 73,882 72,739 552,968 489,183 1,834,708 



Steam Engines 150,650 203,476 329,896 259,042 904,962 



Machinery, machines & parts there- 

 of. Also structural materials; gen- 

 eral hardware, etc 342,388 1,114,408 1,180,926 2,397,086 4,845,932 



Grand total $609,556 $1,497,450 $3,167,929 $4,714,388 $10,093,166 



The activities of the sugar mills in new installations and improvements has created this 

 abnormal demand for machinery, steel construction and hardware generally. A great deal of 

 electric machinery, accessories and supplies are being exported to Cuba, and in this connection 

 indications seem to point to a much more general use of electricity in the sugar mills — -in fact 

 some well informed parties express the opinion that the day is not far distant when electricity 

 will be used exclusively as the motive power in the manufactiue of sugar. This would of coiu-se 

 imply the expenditure of many milhons of dollars, but it would to a great extent resolve the 

 fuel problem, and also reduce the cost of the production of sugar by introducing economics in 

 the labor biU. 



DYESTUFFS 



It is reported that a number of business 

 men of Grand Rapids, Mich., are about 

 to form a company to manufacture dj^'estuffs 

 from Cuban woods. Dyestuffs manufactm-ed 

 in Cuba and imported into the United States 

 would receive 20% preferential under the 

 treaty with Cuba. 



AUTOMOBILE TIRES 



The Havana Post states that a company 

 has been formed in Havana which will be 

 devoted to the manufactm'e of automobile 

 tires. The rapid increase in the number of 

 automobiles in Cuba has provided a larger 

 market for automobile tires, and it is thought 

 that it will be possible to cater to this trade 

 through a Cuban company rather than de- 

 pending on mported tires. The proposed 

 company will have a capital of $1,000,000, 

 and the tires will be sold under the trademark 

 "Nacional." 



EXTENSION OF CUBAN TELEPHONE LINES 



Practicalh aU of Cuba is now covered by 

 long distance lines, the Isle of Pines being 

 the only considerable territory which remains 

 isolated. It is not imlikely that the Cuban 

 Telephone Co. may turn its attention to this 

 field in the near future. A previous con- 

 cession exists, but as little or nothing has ever 

 been done under it to give the island a tele- 

 phone service, it is not mireasonable to 

 suppose that it must either be cancelled or 

 transferred in due time. An inexpensive 

 cable laid in the shoal waters between the 

 Isle of Pines and the mainland of Cuba, in 

 connection with an insular service on the 

 Isle of Pines itseh, would bring the colonists 

 and natives into quick touch with the out- 

 side world. 



FERTILIZER 

 In western Cuba there is an increasing 

 interest shown in the use of fertihzers, in 

 the possibilities of irrigation, and in the 

 use of mechanical as opposed to manual 

 cultivation of the cane. 



TOBACCO SHIPMENTS TO HOLLAND 



A new ruling recently made by the Govern- 

 ment of Holland provides that all tobacco 

 and cigars shipped to that country' must be 

 consigned to the Netherlands Oversea Trust 

 Company. Previous to the issuaace of this 

 order, tobacco in all forms could be shipped 

 to various private firms in HoUand. 



