THE CUBA REVIEW 



THE BOTTLING INDUSTRY IN CUBA 



Tlicre are lirst-class bottling works in 

 the larger cities of Cuba, all fairly equipped 

 witli modern apparatus, l)ut llie smaller 

 places could be much improved. These 

 continue to operate with the old-style Span- 

 ist equipment, costly and poorly installed. 

 Others again use crude home-made appli- 

 ances. One dilliculty the bottling interests 

 have to contend witli is lack of water, ex- 

 cept in Havana and Matanzas. Those 

 works that are well e(iuip])ed do a profit- 

 able business of from $2(),0U0 to $.")(),()(to a 

 year, paying handsome dividends. Out in 

 the country the water supply is unsatisfac- 

 tory, and although there are government 

 chemists to test the water, yet much that 

 is tainted and bad is frequently ])ottled. 

 Some csta! lishments boil the water before 

 using, and in others there are lilters, some 

 .American, for purification purposes. 

 Drought and consequent water famine com- 

 pels the storing ahead of water, which is 

 kept in huge jars. 



There are bottled stuffs made up from 

 l)ineapples, oranges and even from the meat 

 of cocoanut. Sugar is of course cheap, 

 and is stored, and syrups are also easily 

 obtainable, but others are imported. Spices 

 can be secured as easily as elsewhere, for 

 they are kept in stock in the local stores, 

 also flavoring extracts, which are, however, 

 ten per cent, higher in price than in the 

 United States. I'Vuit juices and preserva- 

 tives are also available, and there is no 

 reason why the management of the bottling 

 establishment in Culia should not be able tt) 

 secure whatever is needed. 



The demand for bottled goods the writer 

 finds is always good. The character of the 

 climate indices thirst, and Culians, Span- 

 iards and the foreign element in Culia are 

 noted for the liberality with which they 

 use wines and soft flrinks, and the latter 

 niatle from the fruits of the country are 

 the most po])ular. Lemonades, orangeades, 

 pineapple and guanabana refrescoes are al- 



ways in request. Thousands of pounds of 

 ginger ale paste are consumed, for the Cu- 

 lians like this drink. Soluble extracts and 

 colorings of all shades, foam, sugar color- 

 ing and the like, are being used now. 

 Cream ale is in use and soluble kola cham- 

 pagne. Soda water flavors that used to 

 be imported from Spain or made poorly 

 at home are now imported from the United 

 States in goodly lots, for I saw consider- 

 able of this article of a New York manu- 

 facturer there. 



?iIorc progress will lie made in the Cu- 

 ban bottling industry when the manufac- 

 turers of machinery, bottles, cork and gen- 

 eral supplies for bottling establishments in 

 the United States pay more attention to the 

 needs of the Cuban industry. The Cubans, 

 like most of the people of foreign coun- 

 tries, want to see actual working models 

 of machinerj- which they may be consider- 

 ing. The old-time method of selling bot- 

 tling machinery to the stranger by exhibit- 

 ing photographs or drawings to him no 

 longer appeals to the buyer of bottling ma- 

 chinery in Cuba. The beautifully colored 

 picture will not close a bargain there now. 

 The dealers in harvesting and woodwork- 

 ing machinery carry lines of full-sized ma- 

 chines on the ground floor of their agen- 

 cies. A sugar manufacturer can see just 

 what his machine is before buying it. The 

 machine is often sold for cash on the spot. 

 Washers, soakers, carbonators, packing 

 boxes, fountains, ice-making machinery, 

 refrigerating machines, and all kinds of 

 bottling machinery should ])e carried in 

 stock for the careful Cuban manager of a 

 bottling establishment. The manager will 

 select his machine then and there. He will 

 pay for it. He will have it freighted to 

 the works, and there the bargain ends. He 

 knew what he was getting. He selected 

 the machine and he will abide by the con- 

 tract. — George Rice in the .lincrimii Hot- 

 tier, New York. 



Wireless Station at Havana Refused 



On June 1st President Gomez signed a 

 decree deciding negatively in the matter 

 of the request made by the United Wire- 

 less Telegraph Company, to establish a per- 

 manent wireless station at Havana, instead 

 of the one which the companv has in 

 operation in Vedado. The decree grants 

 an extension of time, until August 1, I'.Ml, 

 to the company for removing the Vedado 

 wireless station, unless the company should 

 reach an agreement w^ith the Cuban gov- 

 ernment before that date. 



Laborers are being advertised for in tlie 

 local press of Santiago. Men are wanted 

 at Banes and at many other places in the 

 province. The Xine Bav Co. at Preston 

 also wants workmen. Wages at those 

 places are stated to 1 e not less than $1.30 

 per day. ^ 



General ]\Iario Menocal has completely 

 recovered from a recent attack of appen- 

 dicitis, which required an operation in Ha- 

 vana. On June 4th he returned to his post 

 of general manager of the great sugar 

 mill of the Chaparra Sugar Co, 



