Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1898-11-08

ALONG THE wHAEFs IN HAVANA.
prived Of its reward IN heretofore and
enterprise will be stimulated and at
tracted to new fields.
Cuba MS a sphere Of American enter.
prise and investment IL certain 10 be.
come very popular In the near future.
Thousands will rush there from all
parts Of our country, and many doubt.
less in their search for treasure will
find II to their sorrow to be second
Klondike. II Is safe to say that ad
venturers Of any kind, business adven.
turers included. will BE- in the majority
Of cases woefully disappointed. Men
with solid business methods, not too
eager to get rich, will undoubtedly find
Cuba good field for their enterprise and
their Investments. Its resources, well
nigh inexhaustible, have been but very
partially developed. and there are I'M
questiouably many opportunities there
for men Of capital and business capacity.
In an interview held recently witt
Mr.. Emile Chemidlin Of New York
city, who has had for years extensive
business connections with Cuba, he
said: 1T would be q mistake for men
to flock to Cuba from this country In
the expectation Of making fortunes.
The island will take long time to re-
cover from the effects Of the disorders
which have prevailed there for num-
Der Of years, and il there are fortunes
to he made easily in Cuba the Spanish
business men there are sufficiently alert
and enterprising not to allow such
chances to escape them.
Zone effect which believe the recent
changes will have upon the business
transactions between this country and
Cuba will be to largely do away with
middlemen In the shipments Of goods
to the island. Many Of our leading
merchants and manufacturers engaged
In the Cuban trade. instead Of consign.
ing to merchants in Havana and else
where as heretofore, will probably e.
tablish branches Of their business In the
commercial centers aud thus deal with
the customers directly.
1.-THE leading business men in Havana
and elsewhere throughout Cuba are al.
most entirely Spanish. They are shrewd.
active, enterprising men Of business and
thoroughly trustworthy and reliable.
A few Of them perhaps may leave the
island now that IL has ceased TO be q
Spanish possession, but believe that
the great majority will not permit their
love Of country TO prevent them from
realizing the advantages Gel tain to fol-
low state where freedom from disor.
der and security to life and property
are guaranteed.
1.-The island il wonderfully fertile"
he added in conclusion, land there 10
scarcely limit to its productivenesa
Almost anything Is possible in the line
Of industrial progress in such place,
and In view Of the certain and speedy
improvement in the social and political
condition Of the people it ID, I think.
quite safe to predict prosperity for
Cuba"
The gentleman quoted presents one
side Of the picture, not the brightest BY
any means He regards the situation
in Cuba from the point of view Of .
man Of business, whose relationship has
been with other thorough business men
in the island who have been and are en-.
gagged in well established lines Of trade
There are, however. other industrial
fields that have scarcely been touched
as yet which offer inviting opportuni-
ties for American enterprise and capital
to develop and for skilled labor to
work. OF this sort Of labor there il but
q very limited supply in Cuba.
The negro portion Of the population,
by far the majority Of the whole people,
influenced by environment and inherit
ed tendencies, will in general not work
If they can avoid it. They can rarely be
depended upon to work steadily unless
forced by the spur Of necessity, and
usually can only perform the toughest
and rudest kind OF labor. The liberia
tion Of the slaves In Cuba anet 80 a.
versely the vast sugar interests Of the
island, not to the same extent as 1t did
In Jamaica, but yet sufficiently % to
seriously reduce the profits Of the pro.
prietors Of plantations and curtail the
production. This. together WITH the
restrictive policy Of Spain and other
causes, has had disastrous effect upon
the sugar and other industries.
Sufficient attention has not been paid
BY students Of the Cuban question to
facts wholly unconnected with bad gov.
eminent and Of q purely economic char.
acter. Foremost Of these IL the depre.
citation in the commercial value Of To-
cal produce. especially the loss on
sugar, which 10 mainly due TO the
cheapness and popularity Of beet root
sugar on the continent OF Europe. The
tobacco trade has also been less -four.
fishing than Il formerly was. and this
decline in both these industries. though
much moro pronounced since the insur-
rection started, was very apparent before,
and in fact had much to do with causing
the uprising. Many plantations ceased
cultivation, and Thousands Of half Nv.
age colored folk, thrown out Of em.
ployment were ready for any enterpei0
that held out = promise Of suhsisteucs |
to them without the necessity Of labor. |
Though the diadvantass Of competi-
ton above referred 70 may still react |
unfavorably upon Cuban products the
island will henceforth be cure Of Z
market for many Of her products IN |