The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-09-20

such a. Brazil and the East Indian islands
| OF Java and Manila but the receipts from
those countries are actually less to-day
| than at Il corresponding date last year.
According to all the accounts gathered
alike here and in Europe, including the
admissions Of the Havana papers, this
years crop Of Cuban sugars shows dcfl-
cheney of about 20 per cent. or say about
140 600 tons, as compared with that of 1916
while the deficiency of molasses produced
| this year IN cuba l. over 70 per cent, com-
pared with that OF last year. The cause Of
this is uuqucstionahly the destruction Of
sugai-producing estates 10y the Cubans. Il
destruction which Spain was unable 10
prevent, although She massc1 all her
forces I'm the districts which the Cubans
had latcy invaded. Since January last
the Cubans have destroyed over one
hundred aud twenty estates in the
Department Of the villas and in the
moro westerly jurisdictions of Colon, Car
denas, and Matanzas which are comprised
in the Western Department of the island.
But neither the positive nor the relative
strength of the Cubans can be fairly APP
prcciated by the destruction of these
estates. The Cuban forces in the vanguard
have been very considerably increased by
achievements from the eastern end OF
the island and from Camaguey, in which
districts very few men suffice to bcsege
the decimated Spanish garrisous inside the
intrenchmcnts of their beleaguered towns,
while on the other hand the effects of the
present rainy season have more than doci-
mated the Spanish forces.
Moreover, during the last active cam
paign, which ended with Gen. JovELLAR's
defeat at the Cafetal Gonzalez in Febru-
airy, the Cuban commanders, who, after that
victory, had clean sweep Of the Villas de-
pnrtment, refianed, by order of Gen.
GOMEZ, from destroying many estates
which were Mt their mercy, on the solemn
promises entered into by the owners OF
these estates that IL their property was
spared they would pay TO the Cuban Gov
erumcnt out of the proceeds of the crop
which they were allowed TO harvest an
amount of money equal TO that collected
from them In the shape OF taxes by the
Spanish Government. These planters have
been induced by the Spauiards TO believe
that the Cubans could be driven
back into Camagley, and have de-
faulted in their stipulated payments. and
an order has been issued by the Cuban
Government that the plantations of these
dcfaulters are To be- burned 20 the ground
as soon as the cane is sufficiently dry.
And rs the Cubans are to-day far stronger
in the Villas and the Western Departments
than they were Il wear ago, and the SPAN
iards much weaker II is fair TO predict
not only that the order referred to will he
carried into effect but that the devasta-
ton will be pretty general
Hitherto tho Voc.
gar-producing estates in the Eastern and
Central Departments of the island has
been only partially cstimable for the rea-
son that the field hands of the estates de-
stroyed were removed to others further
west. while the high price Of labor and
the necessity Of making sugar ms rapidly
as possible to avoid destruction, have in
duced very large proportion of planters,
who formerly used open Jamaica kettles,
TO replace them with vacuum pans and
centnfugals, which will produce, on an
average, from Il given amount of cane of
a given gravity, not less than forty per
cent. more sugar than under the old
system
To-day labor in Cuba by reason or the
enormous taxation by Spain imposed upon
agriculture has cheapened-a good field
hand who in 1868 was worth a thousand or
twelve hundred dollars would not bring
at present date four hundred; and even
If sugar making were profitable, there are
no suitable lands further west than those
Of Colon, Cardenas and Matanzas, which
JovELLAR, with all the reunforcements he
may receive, will be unable to save from
devastation.