THE CUBA REVIEW 



27 



CUBAN COMMERCIAL MATTERS 



CUBAN POTASH 



A large amount of space has been devoted 

 recently in the American press to certain 

 alleged discoveries of potash deposits some- 

 where in the vicinity of Matanzas, Cuba. 

 The importance of potash in the manufacture 

 of fertilizer is very great, and it is much to be 

 regretted that after rigid investigation, it 

 seems quite evident that the report of the 

 discovery of this bed of potash is without 

 sufficient foundation. In any event, the 

 potash deposit is not so large as was originally 

 claimed, and furthermore, it has been claimed 

 in the Cuban press that certain unscrupxilous 

 persons placed false samples in the vicinity 

 and the result of the analysis of these samples 

 gave rise to the unduly optimistic reports. 



INTERNATIONAL RESIDENT BUYERS. 



This concern, whose head office is at 33 

 Union Square, New York City, has branch 

 offices in the West Indies, South America, 

 Europe, Australia and the Far East, and is 

 desirous of securing the exclusive agency for 

 any saleable line of merchandise. At the 

 present time, this company has buyers in 

 town from Cuba, Panama and Venezuela, 

 who control large bodies of trade and also 

 act as manufacturers' agents. These buyers 

 are in a position to sell goods, staple lines, 

 provided they can obtain the exclusive agency 

 on a commission basis. 



PORT REGULATIONS AND CHARGES IN CUBA 



Foreign vessels entering Cuban ports pay 

 tonnage dues at the rate of 10 cents per net 

 ton, the total dues collected in any one year 

 not to exceed |1 per net registered ton. The 

 following vessels are exempt from the pay- 

 ment of tonnage dues : 



Ships belonging to a foreign neiitral Gov- 

 ernment and not dedicated to commerce. 



Yachts belonging to an organized yacht 

 club of a foreign neutral nation. 



Ships entering Cuban ports on accoimt of 

 stress of weather or for other causes beyond 

 their control. 



Vessels entering any port of entry of Cuba 

 are subject to the payment of the following 

 port improvement dues: Each steamer on 

 entry, $8.50; each sailing vessel on entry, 

 $4.25; for each ton of cargo discharged from a 



steamer, $0.25; for each ton of cargo dis- 

 charged from a sailing vessel, $0,125; for 

 each ton of coal discharged from a steamer,. 

 $0,125; for each ton of coal discharged from a 

 sailing vessel, $0.10. 



Requirements for Pilotage and for Landing 

 ■ Cargo. 



The maximum for pilotage from simrise ta 

 sunset is .$34. Pilotage is doubled at night. 

 It is compulsory to take a pilot. The rate is 

 the same inward and outward. For moving 

 ships in the harbor the charge is one-half 

 of the regular pilotage inward or outward. 



The docks at which cargo may be landed 

 are: The Port of Habana Docks; Muelles y 

 Almacenes de A tares (A tares Wharf & Ware- 

 house Co.); Almacenes de Deposito de la 

 Habana, commonly known as "San Jose" 

 Docks; Habana Central Docks. 



Should a vessel not go to the dock, but dis- 

 charge cargo into lighters, the lighterage is for 

 the account of the steamer at a cost of from 

 80 cents to $1, American currency, per 1,000 

 kilos (kilo =2.2 pounds), and upon discharge- 

 of the cargo at a public wharf the cost of 

 assorting and separation, including taUy 

 clerks, is approximately 20 cents per 1,000 

 kilos. lighters are plentiful in the harbor of 

 Habana. and arrangements may be made for 

 them to reach the steamer's side immediately 

 upon dropping anchor. 



Tugs are not necessary for docking steamers 

 except when the wind is exceptionally strong. 

 The charge tor the services of a tug in connec- 

 tion with docking a vessel is from $40 to $50, 

 and tugboats are always available. As there 

 are no strong currents or tides in the port of: 

 Habana, vessels may usually go to and from 

 the dock at any time without difficulty. 



Stevedores, Fresh Water, Coal and Manifests. 



The charge for stevedores is usually about 

 28 cents per 1,000 kilos, but if the steamer goes, 

 to the dock stevedores are furnished there,, 

 and the cost is somewhat in excess of this 

 rate. Wages of stevedores are about $2.50 a. 

 day on board steamer or $2 on the dock. 

 Work for overtime, or between 5 p. m. and 

 6 a. m., is subject to double charge. 



The cost of fresh water f. o. b. steamer is- 

 $1.25 per ton. A good quality of coal is al- 

 ways available at Habana. There are three 



