The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-04-24

n enough tohssr~ 10 supply the
island Tohaccv plantations.
u = ike the sugar fields. lie IN
ruins. For want of io.sSscco the
cigar factories of Havana are nearly all
idle. FACTORIES which formerly employed
30 men now employ only fifty. Where aa
Cuban girls used 10 make r. living a. roll
ing cigars. only twenty are row al work.
The industry is At the point az death
Who IS responsible? First Weyla-. Sec
ond. the In5ans. The captain l. nerai
said: Thou shalt not make cigars" The
insurgents replied. Then We will destroy
the crops" From the palace IN fssss came
the famous decree forhsddsng the exlsorta-
ton OF Havana leaf tobacco. In he field
followed the burning of the crops and
stored tobacco. by the cubans. A petition
has been recently sent 10 Capt.-Gen.
Bianco. asking him 10 revoke the decree
OF his predecessor. His answer was an
emphatic Mo-
Why Weyler stepped Exporsation.
What actuated weyier 10 forbid the ex-
portation OF Havana tohaceog First. the
captain-general. always ready % adopt
stringent measures. believed in good faith
that manufacturers and dealers In the
United States would buy up all the tobacco
In Cuba, and consequently oblige all the
factories In Havana TO close. In this his
belief proved well founded. American to-
bacco dealers FASTENED to buy up all the
tobacco they could get before the decree
took effect. And, OF course. all the faeto-
ries in Havana put up their shutters.
Second. Weyier knew that the Cuban
cigarmakers In Tampa and Key West each
gave 81 a week from their wages for the
cause of Cuba Iibre. To prohibit the ex-
port OF tobacco, therefore, would throw
these Tampa and Key West clgarmakers
cut of employment and deprive The insur-
gents of that important source of revenue
Consequently, in the Florida agar towns
there were soon hundreds OF idle. half
starving Cubans. Third Weyler was a
gold grahber. He loved TO make money
He made 1t. He was a millionaire when
ne left Cuba. am told that This famous
tobacco decree netted him fortune.
:.exv Weyler Filled His Purse.
Many so-called American tobacco firms
exported several thousand bales of tobacco
In spite of Gen. Weyier's prohlbitive de-
cree. under the pretense that 1t was the
outcome of diplomatic transactions be-
tween Washington and Madrid. But the
real secret in the affair was that Weyler.
by charging commission on every bale ex-
ported, graeiousiy gave permission for
shipments To be made. Thus Weyler made
money as he waged war.
The Great Tobacco Province.
The province or county of Vuelta Abajo
Is, or rather was, Cuba's principal tobacco
center. 1t might have been called Cuba 5
klondike. But today every tobacco plan
tation in Euelta Abajo Is in ruins. aban-
doned. The direct cause of this wholesale
destruction was Weyler's tobacco decree.
All the farmers, farm hands. dealers and
persons directly or Indirectly engaged In
raising or dealing in tobacco, had hitherto
been sacred to the insurgents: all tobacco
property was respected, in direct contrast
to sugar plantations. No sooner was Wey-
ler's decree known In Vueita Abaio than
the rebels changed Their tactics Phe
sacred plant was attacked with fury. Over
100000 bales of tobacco tapproximat!ng
4o,Wb,e0 poundsD were destroyed IN 1896
and 1897 In vuel1a Ahajo. and the war on
the weed continues TO the present day.
In 1881 very little tobacco was gathered,
representing not one-tenth of the normal
crop. Even this small percentage was
grown In the yards OF houses In welI-for-
titled villages. and In the much-taIked-
about Zonas de Cultivo. which We're de-
signed by Gen. Weyler for the planting OF
vegetables for the unfortunate recon
centrados.
Ii will take ut least twenty years before
Vueita Abajo can again be in as flourish
ing condition AS in January, 1896. Not even
IL the war should come 10 an end could /,
regain its former wealth in a shorter pc
Rod. Whole villages and towns have been
destroyed, and 80 per cent. of the popiIia-
ton has persisted. Even genuine auton-
envy would not much benefit the tobacco
trade of Cuba. since Spain il under 80
many obligations to the Compania Gener-
aide Tadacos. a monopoly In that country.
from which the government derives an
enormous revenue. Absolute independence
alone can help matters.
The Ruined Cigar Factories.
The condition of things in the cigar fac
tories of Havana could not be more hope
less. Here is statement mad: by the
head of the leading cigar factory one year
ago: I'm the department devoted 10 the
preparation Of raw tobacco We employ 800
men and 200 women. Average daily pro-
duct!on. $4,000 pounds. In the cigar max
ing department we employ 200 men and 100
women. Average daily output !00o 90
cigars Now. compare these figures with
others which | have just obtained by
visit to that same factory. In the raw
tobacco department. thirty men. ter
women. Average daily output. $50 pounds
OF tobacco. In the cigar making rooms,
twenty men. five women. Average daily
output less than $500 cigars. From 1000.
0f1 cigars a day 10 1850 a day in 4 single
factory, How long before the smokers OF
the United States will seek In vain for
real Havana cigars? All the hes. Havana
cigars are exported. Havana, Itself must
be contented with a second-rate smoke az
a first-rate price. Half the cigar stands,
formerly fiourishiDE. are now boarded up.
Half OF the cigar stands still doing bust
ress are stocked, very nletgerly. with
genuine LOT of poor cigars. Moreover.
leading New York cigar manufacturer
now In Havana, tells me that half the
cigars sold here and In the states az
"clear Havanas" are made OF virginia to-
bacco The raw material IL seat direct
from Virginia 10 Porto Pico. At Porto
Rico IL is repacked and shipped TO Ha-
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