12 THE CUBA REVIEW 



they will become subject to sale at auction to recover customs duties and accumulatec 

 charges. 



Building Activities — Increased Freight from New York 



The building trades continue to pick up. Large projects under construction anc 

 planned are few and are reported as being held oft" the market until the condition; 

 surrounding the sugar industry become more settled. Smaller projects, especially thf 

 building of dwellings, have shown much greater activity, with a corresponding improve 

 ment in demand for lumber, cement, and other building materials. Stocks of lumber art 

 moving off satisfactorily. 



Freight from New York to Habana has increased sufficiently to justify one o! 

 the local lines in putting on a steamer for an extra voyage to Habana. 



Iron and Steel Imports — Machinery Trade at Low Ebb 



The iron and steel imports into Cuba reached their low point in July, August anc 

 September of 1921. During April, 1922, conditions improved very much as comparec 

 with January and February. Imports included over 55,000 items, of which all bu 

 about 200 came from the United States. The rest came from Germany. About 1,10{ 

 machinery items were imported, of which about 85 per cent, came from the Unitec 

 States. The chief items imported in March and April were bars, beams, galvanizec 

 sheets, and pipe. 



The machinery trade is at a low ebb. There are still large local stocks on thi 

 market, which are moving very slowly. Except in sugar-mill machinery, the Cubai 

 market is not large and the unfavorable conditions which surround the greatly increasec 

 sugar-producing capacity of the island have delayed purchases in this line. Reexpor 

 of quantities of machinery purchased abroad, chiefly in the United States, is under wa> 



Automobile Imports — Reduced Taxicab Rates 



During April, 132 American automobiles, 22 trucks, as well as 1 German and 

 French cars, were imported. This compares with a reported export of 153 cars am 

 motor trucks from the United States during March, 1922. Cuba imported 2,824 autol 

 mobiles in the fiscal year 1919 and 5,560 in 1920. Over 6,400 packages of automobilj 

 accessories were imported in April, 1922. Of these 6,160 came from the United States! 



The automobile trade continues inactive. Purchases of accessories show up bette 

 than those of new machines. 



The owners of the large number of low-priced cars in the taxicab service in Habanj 

 have reduced their prices to 20 cents per trip (the pre-war rate), but this does no 

 foreshadow an increased use of taxicab facilities, such as will result in purchase o 

 more cars. The readjustment rather represents an attempt to induce the public to mak, 

 greater use of the already large equipment. The number of high-priced cars offered aj 

 second hand is large. 



Liquidation of Textile Stocks 



The adjustment of outstanding textile accounts and the liquidation of stocks ari 

 still in progress. As merchants have come to understandings with their creditors thai! 

 stocks have gradually been offered in liquidation and a healthy revival was under waj 

 which, for the moment, has been checked by the Upmann failure. The clearing c 

 stocks, however, has already brought some liquid capital again into the textile market. 



Manufacturers have also agreed to take back large amounts of stocks which hav; 

 proven unsalable. To date British firms are reported to have done this to a greatel 

 extent than American companies. These British reexportations include large shipmenti 

 of woolen goods on which the duties on the original invoice value would in man' 

 cases be equal to to-day's net value. 



Imports of unmade-up textiles in April were 3,800 packages, practically all fror 

 the United States. Of ready-made clothing, 232 boxes arrived, of which 217 cam] 

 from the United States. Of the 522 boxes of stockings imported, 459 came from th 

 United States and the rest from Germany. 



