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THE CUBA REVIEW 



Santa Lucia Stops Harvesting 



Havana, Sept. 1. — Central Santa Lucia 

 has given orders to its colonos to stop cut- 

 ting cane, so the grinding should finish 

 next week, completing the Cuban crop of 

 1922-23. This will be approximately five 

 weeks earlier than the termination of the 

 1921-22 grinding, which ended with the 

 closing down of Central Preston on Oc- 

 tober 14. Santa Lucia last year finished 

 during the last week in September. 



Rains have been scattered during the 

 past week, and reports from the eastern 

 part of the island are not at all favorable. 

 The entire north coast district of Oriente 

 is suffering again this year, but in the 

 center of the province cane is said to be 

 growing well. Camaguey has been favored 

 with sufficient rain, as have parts of Santa 

 Clara. The three western provinces of 

 Matanzas, Havana, and Pinar del Rio are 

 hoping for good rains this month, without 

 which it is felt that very little spring cane 

 will be available for next crop. At this 

 date all indications point to a rather small 

 crop for 1924, which will probably be only 

 slightly larger than that just completed. 



The strengthening of the sugar market 

 during the past week was expected by 

 Cuban holders, who felt that as soon as 

 adjustment of the refined situation took 

 place Cuban raws would command a higher 

 price. 



The official promedios, or average prices, 

 have been issued by the Secretary of Agri- 

 culture, Commerce and Industry for the 

 first half of August as follows, in cents per 

 pound: 



Havana 3.528450 



Matanzas 3.618750 



Cardenas 3.556250 



Sagua 3.601875 



Manzanillo 3.540625 



Cienfuegos 3.590625 



— Facts About Sugar. 



One Percent Sales Tax 



Dr. Hernandez Cartaya, Secretary of the 

 Treasury, has announced that 1 one per 

 cent sales tax will produce about $10,- 

 000,000 annually, thus refuting the cal- 

 culations of the former secretary. Colonel 

 Despaigne, who believed that at least $14,- 

 000,000 would result from this source. 



Sugar Situation in Europe 



With the exception of Germany, all 

 sugar-producing countries in Europe have 

 substantially exceeded last season's acre- 

 age. Sugar-beet plantings are reported 

 11.5 per cent under last year in South 

 Germany and 23.3 per cent lower in the 

 Rhineland. Late reports confirm the esti- 

 mate that beet acreage for all Germany 

 is between 5 and 6 per cent lower than 

 last year. 



The deadlock between beet growers and 

 sugar manufacturers in Sweden has been 

 settled by conceding higher prices to the 

 growers. The area planted to beets in 

 Sweden will probably exceed that of last 

 season by 200 per cent. The Swedish 

 Government has suspended the sugar 

 monopoly and price fixing, effective June 1. 



The Rumanian Government has pro- 

 hibited the export of beet root and its 

 sugar derivatives. In Czechoslovakia, 

 State regulation of sugar prices brought 

 out hoarded stocks that had been with- 

 drawn from consumption for a speculative 

 rise. It is estimated that 60 per cent of 

 the sugar released for consumption in 

 April and May was not placed on the 

 market. At present, stocks in Czecho- 

 slovakia are much heavier than had been 

 supposed. 



Consumption in the principal sugar- 

 using countries of Europe since September 

 1, 1922, has been reported as 7.4 per cent 

 higher than for the same period last year 

 and 37.8 per cent higher than for the 

 corresponding period of the sugar year, 

 1920-21. The countries covered by this 

 estimate are Germany, Czechoslovakia, 

 France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and 

 England. — Alfred P. Dennis, special repre- 

 sentative of Department of Commerce, 

 Berlin, June 6. 



Exportation of Pineapple Buds and 

 Shoots Prohibited 



The exportation of pineapple buds and 

 shoots from Cuba is prohibited for a period 

 of four years from July 23, the date of 

 publication of the prohibition in the Gaceta 

 Oficial. — Consul A. C. Frost. 



