THE CUBA REVIEW 



CUBAN COMMERCIAL MATTERS 



AMERICAN SILKS IN DEMAND IN CUBA 



American women residing in Havana ex- 

 press considerable wonderment that this 

 market is not given more attention by silk 

 makers of the United States. It is asserted 

 that the .\merican silks wear longer and 

 do not "crack" as the French silks do in that 

 climate. Of late some small quantities of 

 .Vmericans silks have been noticed in the 

 stores, but the prices are about three times 

 those of the European silks. American rib- 

 bons are not to be had on the market gener- 

 ally, and they are high priced. In fact, all 

 dry goods are high priced in Cuba, and it 

 appears that unless a large profit can be made 

 on an article the dealer is scarcely interested 

 in carrying it . The American women profess 

 to believe that if a large, first-class American 

 dry goods, millinery and notion store were 

 opened in Havana, handling goods on a basis 

 of reasonable profit and managed like a first- 

 class establishment in the United States, it 

 would have an impregnable position and a 

 tremendous trade. 



MOTOR-TRUCK M.A.RKET IN CUBA 

 ATTRACTIVE 



There is a considerable present and future 

 market in Cuba for motor trucks of ever}.- 

 description. While the sale of pleasure cars 

 has been large (see Commerce Reports for 

 Nov. 19, 1915^ and the market for them still 

 presents good features, the use of motor 

 trucks, deliver}- wagons, and the like has not 

 kept a corresponding pace. At this time, 

 when the island has just realized on a sugar 

 crop of more than $200,000,000 and the mills 

 are grinding on a new crop that promises to 

 exceed it in volume and in price, optimism 

 prevails on aU sides and prosperity is appar- 

 ent generally, and the work of introducing 

 new motor vehicles should meet with fewer 

 diflSculties than ordinarily. 



The cost of feed for drafting animals is 

 high, practically all the grain and hay being 

 imported. The arguments of lower cost of 

 upkeep and greater deUverj- capacity in 

 favor of power vehicla should appeal strongly 

 to wholesale houses, importing concerns, 

 breweries, factories, and stores and establish- 

 ments making a specialty of prompt dehverj-, 

 and it is likely that many sugar estates could 

 use trucks to advantage. Moreover, there 

 seems a fine prospect of developing a trade in 



motor busses. The streets of Habana are 

 all well paved, and the rural roads through- 

 out the island are good and are being extendel. 

 Attempts to sell by mail are usually futile, 

 and corres]3ondenc€ in Enghsh and catalogues 

 in the same language a waste of time. Com- 

 petent Spanish-speaking salesmen should be 

 sent out, or arrangements should be made 

 \vith Cuban firms to act as local represent- 

 atives. — Special Agent Garrard Harris. 



(A list of Habana automobile dealers and agenta 

 may be obtained from the Bureau of Foreign and 

 Domestic Commerce or its branch offices bv referring 

 to file Xo. 802.) 



GREETING CARDS HAVE LARGE 

 SALE IN CUBA 



There is a large demand in Cuba for Christ- 

 mas and New Year's greeting cards, but 

 Easter cards are not so extensively employed. 

 There is also an important sale of view cards 

 depicting local scenes. The printing on cards 

 used here is usually in the Spanish language. 



As this trade is already well established 

 with American and European firms, which 

 send traveling representatives to cover the 

 territorj-, it is not thought that new concerns 

 will make much progress in securing a share 

 of the business except through the efforts of a 

 well-qualified salesman making a personal 

 canvass of the houses specializing in this mer- 

 chandise (a list of which may be obtained from 

 the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Com- 

 merce or its district offices by asking for file 

 Xo. 74241). Salesmen \'isiting Cuba should 

 have a thorough knowledge of Spanish. — 

 Consul H. M. Wolcott. 



CONDITION OF THE CUBAN TOBACCO CROP 



An American tobacco planter of this vicin- 

 ity who has jast returned from an extended 

 trip through the tobacco zone of the Pro\'ince 

 of Santa Clara reports exceedingh' drj- 

 weather since November in the Manicaragua 

 district, where the current crop is estimated at 

 30 per cent, that of normal years. A 50 per 

 cent, jield is expected in the district that 

 embraces Bocas del Toro, Gener, Minas 

 Ricas, Minas Bajas, Bagdad, Tomento, etc., 

 which has had no rain since October; and in 

 the Cabaijuan and Sancti Spiritus district, 

 the largest tobacco-growing center in Cuba, 

 only half a crop is looked for. The body of 

 the tobacco will be heavj-, requiring a longer 

 time in which to cure. — Consul R. M.Bartle- 

 man, Cienfuegos. 



