22 



THE CUBA R E \' I E W 



COMMERCE AND RAILROADS 



CANNED GOODS IN DEMAND 



]^Ir. J. E. Ray, trade commissioner for 

 the Dominion of Canada at Havana, Cuba, 

 in a recent report says a number of in- 

 quiries have been received at his office in 

 Havana for dried codfish, tinned lobster 

 and sahnon. He finds that for herring, 

 canned sahnon, sardines and lobsters, 

 Spain continues to be the favorite countr3^ 

 Condensed milk to the value of over one 

 million dollars is imported by Cuba, of 

 Avhich forty per cent is from the United 

 Kingdom. 



It is often argued that Cubans have such 

 3. supply of fresh fruit that canned goods 

 are not required. The contrary is the 

 case as the import tables of the island 

 show and canned peaches,, apricots and 

 pears were imported last year to the value 

 of $142,260, of which $87,780 worth came 

 from the United States, Spain supplying 

 $4.5,000 worth. These canned goods are of 

 fruits which do not grow in Cuba and are 

 on that account more largely in demand. 

 The duty on canned fruits is 32.5 per cent 

 ad valorem from Canada and other coun- 

 tries, -and 19.3 per cent from the United 



Commissioner Ray concludes his report 

 bv saying that it cannot be too frequently 

 affirmed that the Cuban market is open 

 to first-class goods only, particularly 

 canned products and articles of a perish- 

 able nature. One Havana firm advises 

 shippers to send only first-class produce, 

 as price is of secondary importance if the 

 quality is high. There is danger too of 

 seriously jeopardizing future business if 

 the initial transactions are unsatisfactory. 



UNITED STATES TRADE WITH CUBA 



The trade of the United States with 

 Cuba for May and for the eleven months 

 ended May 31st compares as follows: 

 Month of INIav 



1910 1911 



Imports $1.5,033.5n $17,337,919 



Exports 4,12.3,50.3 .5,082.610 



Eleven Months Ending }^I.\v 



1910 1911 



Imports $107,370,637 $100,409,544 



Exports 48.319,865 56,176,966 



These figures are very much in excess 

 of those for 1909, the imports in that year 

 aggregating $84,518,792 and the exports 

 $40,245,686. 



Havana's custom house collections for 

 July, 1911, was $1,574,059 as against 

 $1,496,572 in the same month of 1910. • 



CUBA S COMMERCE FCR TWO YEARS 



Cuba's trade with the world is given b\- 

 the United States Department of Com- 

 merce and Labor as follows. The figures 

 are for the calendar j-ears 1909 and 1910 

 and are exclusive of coin. 



1909 l!il0 



Imports $91,448,000 $103,657,000 



Exports $124,711,(100 150,0i)().000 



NEW RAILROAD IN ORIENTE 



Tl.e Guantanamo-Baracoa railroad line 

 will be 110 kilometers long, extending 

 from the city of Guantanamo to Baracoa, 

 the subsidy allowed by the government 

 being $11,000 per kilometer, or a total of 

 $1,200.0()() which will be the total amoint 

 received by the company in instalments 

 as the line is constructed. 



This line was authorized ])y a recent act 

 of Congress. 



The compau}- constructing the new line 

 is the Campania Inmobilaria de Cuba and 

 is a new general public service and realty 

 company, which was organized recently in 

 Havana, with a capital of $15,000,000. 



The com.pany, it is said, intends to build 

 two large sugar mills on the territory 

 covered by the line and for this purpose 

 has purchased a tract of land measuring 

 7,000 caballerias. The company has as 

 officers Jose Alarimon, president : Fran- 

 cisco B. Reyes, vice-president : Marcelino 

 Dias de Mllegas and Jose B. Aleman. 

 directors. 



President Gomez has signed the decree 

 granting the concession. 



The Maine commission are figuring that 

 the wreck will be raised and the coffer- 

 dam removed by the first of the year. 



Interior of plant of Uie American steel 

 works on Havana harbor 



