THE CUBA REVIEW 



33 



materially reduce their indebtedness; but after IMay, when the grinding season is over, and 

 no money comes from the mills, further payment on their account ceases, and frequently 

 there are no further payments until the following February, the merchant in the meanwhile 

 honoring all demands for goods and carrying the account. Considerable care is exercised, 

 of course, in opening an account with a colono; but property interests and a long time contract 

 with a mill, are considered good assets, and the man is given the credit desired. Asked what 

 proportion of these debts remains unpaid, the reply was, that the losses did not exceed over 

 2 or 3 per cent. The colonos, after ten years experience in dealing with them, he found 

 scrupulously honest. No dunning letters were ever sent, but occasionally a statemeni was 

 forwarded simply on request or for the debtors' information. Competition in the town made 

 necessary that most tactful handling of this trade which could be easily lost as salesmen 

 from Cardenas, Sagua, Caibarien, and Havana were constantly visiting the colonos in order 

 to secure their trade. 



CENTRIFUGAL SUGAR PRICES 



The prices at Havana for centrifugal sugar, 

 9t)-degree polarization, from Decemoer, 1912, 

 to and including April, 1914, is officially 

 quoted by the Agrarian League of Havana 

 as follows: 



The prices are quoted in reales, per arroba 

 (25 pounds). 



Dec, 1912.. .4.68.5 

 Jan., 1913... 3. 90. 9 

 Feb., 1913... 3. 80. 7 

 Mar., 1913. .3.97.7 

 April, 1913. .3.69.7 

 Mav, 1913... 3. 52. 6 

 June, 1913... 3. 57. 7 

 July, 1913... 3. 91. 2 

 Aug, 1913.. .4.40.8 

 Sept., 1913... 4. 39 



Oct., 1913. ..3.86.3 

 Nov., 1913... 4. 15. 7 

 Dec, 1913... 3. 62. 7 

 Jan., 1914. ..3.65.9 

 Feb., 1914... 3. 78. 8 

 Mar., 1914... 3. 55. 5 

 April, 1914... 3. 53. 5 

 May, 1914. ..4.10 

 June, 1914.. 4.33.8 



FIRM FOR FREE SUGAR 



There have been rumors that the present 

 .ates of duty on sugar in the Underwood Bill 

 are to be retained and the clause regarding 

 free sugar after May 1, 1916, eliminated. We 

 have had these rumors looked into in Wash- 

 ington and find that, contrary' to such ex- 

 pectation, the rumors have had the effect of 

 confirming the President in his purpose of 

 having free duty sugar in 1916. — Willett 

 and Gray. 



Attempts are being made in the United 

 States Courts to challenge the right of 

 Cuban sugar to continue receiving a rebate 

 of 20% of the duty, but we do not suppose 

 that any final decision in this matter will 

 be reached in a hurry. The reduced duty 

 is of course now in force; and the chief hopes 

 of the sugar interests of the United States 

 and its territories will henceforth rest on 

 the possibility that the Government will 

 find it advisable at the eleventh hour to 

 retain a small duty on sugar for revenue 

 purposes; if this only amounts to one-half 

 cent per pound it may save the situation 

 for the sugar producers, even though outputs 

 be reduced and numerous weak concerns go 

 to the wall. The loss of revenue from tlie 

 total abolition of sugar is not likely to be 

 readily made good, and certainly it seems hard 

 to understand why Preisdent \Mlson should 

 totally dispense with so cenvenient a source 

 of revenue; the experience of the sugar duty 

 within the United Kingdom points to the 

 highly equitable incidence of this form of 

 taxation. — Inlernaiional Sugar Journal. 



WHITE SUGAR IN PORTO RICO 



A sugar Central, near Mayaquez, Porto 

 Rico, has been manufacturing a white sugar 

 direct from the cane, with excellent results. 

 It has brought $4 per hundred pounds in the 

 local market, while raw sugar has been selling 

 at a trifle over $3. 



The white sugar is made by the sulphitation 

 process, and is intended solely for local con- 

 sumption. It is packed in cloth bags con- 

 taining twenty pounds each. Its flavor is 

 nearer that of molasses than refined sugar. 



SUGAR ESTATE OWNERS FAIL 



It was annoimced on June 10 that Juan 

 Pablo and Santiago Murray, who formed a 

 co-partnership a year ago to exploit the sugar 

 mill "Jaragua," in Santa Clara Province, 

 belonging to the Terry estate, had failed with 

 liabilities amounting to nearly .$100,000. 



The Murray brothers made their co- 

 partnership a year ago and rented the 

 Jaragua, agreeing to pay an annual rental of 

 $20,000, after which they worked the mill, 

 discovering that the business was unpro- 

 ductive at the end of the crop, and on the 

 failm-e to pay the present year's rental which 

 was due in advance they were dispossessed. 

 The mill is now rented to a corporation in 

 which the American Trading Co. and several 

 local capitahsts are members, under the name 

 of the Santa Clara Sugar Company. 



Among the creditors are Nicolas Castanos, 

 for $20,000; The American Trading Com- 

 pany, $17,000; Garcia and Hnos, $12,000; 

 Cardona and Co., $20,000, and others. 



SUGAR PRODUCTION FIGURES 



According to the figures supplied by the 

 Aquarian League of Havana, the production 

 of sugar to June 30, in the six provinces of 

 the republic total as follows: 



Bag.s Tons 



Province. 320 lbs. 2240 lbs. 



Pinar del Rio 3.56,600 50,942 



Habana 1,950,143 278,592 



Matanzas 3,727,603 532,515 



Santa Clara 5,060,633 722,948 



Camaguev 2,068,909 295,558 



Oriente 3,923,412 560,487 



Totals 17,087,300 2,441,042 



