THE CUBA REVIEW 



21 



CUBAN COMMERCIAL MATTERS 



PITCH PINE IMPORTS 



Combined lumber shipment from the 

 various Gulf ports to Cuba in the first four 

 months of 1914, totals 31,579,435 feet, a 

 figure which makes unfavorable comparison 

 with the 52,268,001 feet sent forward in the 

 corresponding time last year. However, the 

 trade was never in its history so active as in 

 opening months of 1913, and in view of the 

 unsatisfactory sugar situation, with its 

 consequent reaction upon aU lines of Cuban 

 industry, the dechne is no more than could be 

 expected. 



The season's business, so far as advanced, 

 is upon a smaller scale than in any year since 

 1909, and export is not greatly larger than 

 in early months of 1909. Prospects for the 

 early future contain notliing of promise, and 

 with sugar at the lowest level on record, 

 Cuba is despondent over the business position. 



The week's outgo for Cuban ports was the 

 smallest so far this year. — May 9. 



As for some time past, trade with Cuba 

 is very quiet, and the quantity of lumber 

 moving to the island is far below the usual 

 average. 



Improvement in the Cuban trade appears 

 as far distant as ever. Current orders are 

 scarce, and usually taken at such figures as 

 to afford little profit. 



Cuban shipments of the week was about 

 1,400,000 feet.— Week of May 23d. 



Business conditions tend to restrict pitch 

 pine imports from the Gulf coast which are 

 now the smallest in four or five years. With 

 exceptionally low freights ruUng, the time 

 is a favorable one for island buyers, but few 

 seem inclined to order beyond current re- 

 quirements. Two million feet went to Cuba 

 during the week ending May 16th. 



Cuban orders are no more frequent, and 

 the volume of shipment moving is disappoint- 

 ingly small when compared with a year ago, 

 or with any of several recent seasons, but 

 business is not entirely at a standstill. Cuba 

 has had much to contend with in the price 

 shrinkage of sugar, her chief money crop. 



About one and one-half million feet of 

 lumber was exported to Cuba diu'ing the 

 week. — May 30. 



MATCH FACTORY FOR HAVANA 



A patent has recently been secured by 

 Mr. L. G. Kates, of New York, for a new 

 process of making matches which, it is claimed, 

 will make this necessity much cheaper and 

 better. The matches are of a noiseless 

 variety, safer than the common Cuban wax 

 article. It is said that a factory will at once 

 be established to manufacture these matches 

 in Havana. 



The local product does not at present 

 supply the entire demand, as is shown by the 



large importation of French and Belgian 

 matches. 



—1911— 



Gross Value 



United States 260 $261 



Germany 30 



Belgium 6,726 5,957 



France 31,267 30,412 



Italy 4,242 3,485 



Norway 50 12 



1913 



Gross Value 



United States 276 $216 



Germany 483 240 



Belgimn 39,354 37,990 



France 486 180 



Italy 5,520 7,009 



United Kingdom 10 6 



HAVANA'S CUSTOMS COLLECTIONS 



The custom house collections of the port 

 of Havana for the three last fiscal years, 

 compare as follows: 



1911-12 1912-13 1913-14 



July $1,574,059 $1,609,223 $1,770,523 



August.... 1,597,533 1,628,150 1,866,382 



September. 1,557,851 1,560,017 1,957,918 



October. . . 1,647,752 1,739,174 1,941,320 



November. 2,022,293 2,191,747 1,929,107 



December. 1,623,514 1,884,225 1,912,191 



January... 1,860,941 2,037,103 1,755,675 



February.. 1,534,354 1,693,914 1,522,886 



March.... 1,746,462 1,634,219 1,623,415 



April 1,696,918 1,966,711 1,534,812 



Mav 1,654,466 1,872,087 1,644,562 



June 1,623,893 1,830,492 



Totals.. 20,140,041 21,647,867 19,459,797 



IRISH LINEN TO CUBA 



The province of Ulster, in Ireland, sent 

 exports of linen piece-goods to Cuba as 

 follows : 



Yards Value 



1911 7,065,400 $1,051,329 



1912 7,811,100 1,096,598 



The Costa Rican Government late in 

 May, placed a quarantine against vessels 

 from Havana. United Fruit steamers will 

 accordingly call at Bocas del Toro, Panama, 

 instead of Limon. 



TOBACCO NOT SO GOOD 



Good as Cuban tobacco is to-day it is not 

 as good as it was a few yeaas ago. What is 

 the reason? That is something that will have 

 to be left to the Cuban experimental station 

 to ascertain. — Havana Post. 



