32 



THE CUBA REVIEW 



CUBAN COMMERCIAL MATTERS 



DECLINE IN DOMESTIC HARNESS BUSINESS 

 OF CUBA 



There are minierous small sackllery shops 

 and harness-making establishments in Ha- 

 bana, Santiago, and several other cities of 

 Cuba. In fact, there is scarcely a to\\^l on the 

 island that does not have at least one shop for 

 the manufacture and repair of harness. The 

 use of automobiles is increasing rapidly, now 

 that the roads throughout the coimtry have 

 been so generally improved, but horses and 

 mules are still extensively used for every day 

 travel. 



Cmise of Decline. 



While no statistics are available showing 

 the extent of the saddlery and harness man- 

 ufacturing industry in Cuba, an investiga- 

 tion, just completed, covering all parts of the 

 island, shows a considerable decline in the use 

 of harness of domestic manufacture. This 

 falling off first became apparent two years ago, 

 and at least two reasons can be given for the 

 increasing use of imported goods. In the 

 first place, a gradual change has taken place 

 in the type of vehicles commonly used in 

 Cuba. For the old-fashioned two-wheel cart 

 drawn by oxen, horses or mules, there has 

 been substituted very generally the four- 

 wheel farm wagon and the dray. This change 

 has necessitated a new kind of harness, which 

 the domestic manufacturers were not in a 

 position easily to make. The second, and 

 most important factor in the decrease of 

 domestic harness sales, has been a growing 

 willingness on the part of American manufac- 

 turers to change their product to meet the 

 peculiar requirements of the Cuban market. 

 Several harness manufacturers in the United 

 States have sent trained men to Cuba to 

 secure samples of the type of harness and 

 saddles in general use, and, with these as a 

 model to work by, have increased their Cuban 

 sales considerably. 



The Cuban Federal cavalry, the rural 

 guard, and the mounted police all use saddles 

 very similar to those ased by the United 

 States army. Most of the leather from 

 which harness and saddles are made in Cuba 

 is tanned in Cuba, principally at Matanzas or 

 Cardenas, on the northern coast. 



In the fiscal year 1913-14, Cuba imported 

 from all countries harness and saddles to the 

 value of S34,016. In 1914-15, this amount 



wjis increased to $52,350. Of this increase- 

 90 per cent, wivs due to greater imports from 

 the United States. The official Cuban statis- 

 tics of imports of harness and saddlery for the 

 two vears follow: 



'Countries: 1913-14 1914-15 



United States .$31,282 $48,907 



Mexico 200- 



Germany 630 88 



Japan 7 600' 



France 1,771 574 



Netherlands 338 



United Kingdom 326 1,643 



Total $34,016 $52,350 



— Spccin! Agent H. G. Brock, Santiago. 



CUBAN EGG AND BUTTER PURCHASES IN 

 UNITED STATES 



Cul)a imports annually from 5,000,000 to 

 6,000,000 ilozcns of eggs, nearly all of which 

 come from the United States. Butter im- 

 portations in the fiscal year 1915 were valued 

 at $408,185, compared with $357,675 in the 

 preceding year. Fresh butter is all imported 

 from the United States, but there is a large 

 consumption of tinned butter which comes 

 principally from Denmark, Spain and Hol- 

 land. Of this product, in 1915, Denmark 

 fiu-nished 873,613 pounds, valued at .$241,841; 

 Spain, 272,252 pounds, valued at $57,131; 

 and Holland, 149,082 pounds, valued at 

 $40,337. The imports of butter of all kinds 

 from the United States in the same period 

 were valued at $60,264, the quantity being 

 206,450 pounds. 



Preferential Reductions fcr Products of 

 United Stales. 



Eggs are classed in the Cuban import tariff 

 under No. 252, and with the 20 per cent, pre- 

 ferential reduction allowed to the product of 

 the United States, are dutiable at the rate of 

 $5.20 per 100 kilos (220 pounds). There is 

 an allowance of 25 per cent, for tare in com- 

 puting the weight. Butter is chissed under 

 No. 244 of the tariff, and deducting the pre- 

 ferential allowance of 30 per cent, to the 

 product of the United States, is dutiable at 

 the rate of $6.37 per 100 kilos. Oleomar- 

 garine, when the product of the United 

 States, is dutiable at the rate of $7.28 per 

 100 kilos. The tare allowance on butter and 

 oleomargarine, in ordinary boxes, tierces, cans^ 

 etc., is 12%; in brine or otherwise packed, 

 with wooden, glass, or tin receptacles com- 



