The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1897-06-19
OUR TRADE WITH CUBA.
Disastrous Effects Of the Existing
War on the Island.
A STARTLING ARRAY OF FIGURES

A STARTLING ARRAY OF FIGURES
The Report of Chief Hitchcock. of tn,
Foreign Markets section Of the Az
ricultural Department, Indicates 1
Falling or OF Eighty Per Cent.
Washington, June ia Significant
report on our trade with Cuba from
1887 to 1897 prepared by Chief Hitch.
cock of the foreign markets section OF
the agricultural department, has beer
| promulgated by Secretary of Agricul.
ture Wilson. Tho statistics show very
clearly the effect of present hostilitie.
| In Cuba upon the commercial inter.
course of the United States with thai
island. During the fiscal year 1896 the
total value of our Cuban trade amount.
ed to only S47, 54S, 6lO, as compared witt
$lO2, ,S64204 in 1893, the year preceding
the breaking out of the war. This was
falling off of more than 90 per cent.
in three years. Returns already avail
able for the current fiscal year indi-
cate a still further decline, the records
for the nine months ending March 81.
1897 placing the total value of the
trade for that period as low as s14.926. -
Sl7. At this rate the figures for the
fiscal year 1897 viii hardly reach 500
100000, or less than one-fifth the value
recorded for 1893
During the early years of the present
decade our Cuban trade had received
a material impetus, the years 1887 to
1898, inclusive, showing uninterrupted
gains, and but for the opening of the
war still greater expansion. it is pre-
dicted, would probably have followed
As 1t is, however, commercial inter
change between the United States and
Cuba has been very largely abridged.
Continuing, the report says
Our imports from Cuba have general
ly been much In excess of our exports
TO that island, the balance of trade be-
ing decidedly against the United
States. During the 10 years 1ss7-1s96
the value Of the merchandise import-
ed averaged 500, ,163, 556 per annum. and
that of the merchandise exported only
$l4OlI572 per annum. In 1896 the i'm
ports fell to sac, OF, 73O and exports to
$3.50, $50.
The remarkable decline in our trade
with Cuba from July 1, 1896 to March
81, 1897 occurred chiefly in the case of
the Imports the total value of the mer-
chandise imported during the nine
months amounting to only $s,S41,SS1. or
little more than the value of the ex-
ports Tor the same period, the latter
being returned at $685., ,9S6.
OF the merchandise imported into the
united States from Cuba fully 80 per
cent is agricultural. Sugar, the most
important of the products imported
from Cuba, amounted in value to more
Il no
Tor the decade. The heaviest shipments
on record were in 1894, reaching in that
year as high as g,127,5 O2.81g pounds.
valued at S63141745, Importations Of
sugar We're much smaller In the two
succeeding years, amounting In 1896 to
only 1,O93, 3,171,S12 pounds value $24.1O2.-
SS5 Returns for the nine months end
ing March 81 of the present year. ex
hipit still greater fS ling off, the
total Importation then being only gO5.-
BiSl9p pounds valued y $4,251,654,
Aloiasses imports from Cuba. which
in 1894 amounted TO 15,S93679 gallons
valued at $l,14s,4l2, We're reduced In
1896 20 l7i0,18l gallons, value s12S 474
The largest Importation of leaf tobac-
co, the next important commodity.
prior to the financial year 1896, was in
1898, reaching 21, 694 ,S91 pounds value
SS,94O,O5S. In 1896, however, these fig
ures We're considerably exceeded, the
quantity then imported being 25. M
alf pounds value $40, ,46S.
These uninterrupted shipments are
probably accounted for by the fact
that the western end of the island |
where the chief tobacco growing dis |
tricts are situated, has only recently |
been invaded by the opposing forces. |
Since the invasion of this region, how |
ever, there has been a great decline in |
our importations of Cuban tobacco, the |
records for the nine months ended |
March ], 1897, placing the total amount
received during that period at only |
g. 4l3,329 pounds, value $16S1 ,29S. Ac- |
cording to the returns for the corre-
spending months of the fiscal year
1890 the importatlons during that ne
riod amounted to 21,0S5, PSI pounds |
value $S,O53,647
The report contains numerous tables
showing in detail the extent to which
The importatlons of all kinds have
steadily declined since the outbreak of
he rebellion. The most important man
fractured product imported. cigars.
cigarettes and cheroots, comprised In
value more than half of the non-agri-
cultural imports for the decade The
'eturns for them last year were $2.O78,-
as, against 3,957,955 in 1890
AS 20 exports from this country to
Cuba the relative importance of the
agricultural articles has increased dur
ng the last few years The shipment
II lard to Cuba during the ten years
aggregated S25 OOO,OO in value. form
ng nearly one-half of the total agri-
cultural exports. For the last fiscal |
'ear there was an extraordinary fall |
n this class Of exports, amounting to |
'nly $l.55l,1S5. Bacon and hams at
aimed their highest figure in 1898. since /
which they have steadily declined, as
AVE all articles of food.