The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-07-28
Markets OF Cuba
and Porto Rico.
Special to the Scranton Tribune.

Washington, ID. c., July "a.
G1 HE markets which are likely TO be
III opered in Cuba and Porto Rico
III to American producers and manu-
facturers arc the subject OF much
attention and inquiry just now.
Large numbers of letters reoch the treas
ury department and bureau of statistics
asking for information regarding the
class of articles imported into those
islands and the countries Which nave
boon supplying these articles This IN
formation will be givn In elaborate form
in the next publication OF the bureau OF
statistics. the summary of Finance ana
Commerce" and will show that Cuba has
been. under normal conditions, buying
nomnally about so, 100000 worth OF goods
from Spain, about A.O0O,OJO worth from
Great Britain less than million dolla's
worth from France and less than a mill
ion dollars worth from Germany, while
from the United States her purchases
have ranged from eight to twenty-four
million dollars In value. The imports INTO
Cuba have been of course light during
the past year or more, and a fair estimate
of her purchases can only be Obtained
by examination of the figures OF the
year 1896 or earlier years.
The imports into Cuba and Porto Rico
from Germany in 1892 amounted to e.
$50 COO marks the value of mark being
% $40 cents; in 1893 Ii dropped to o,OOo,-
900 marks, in 1894 to 3,s10OJO, in 1888 to D.
$50 900 marks. and in 1896 to 4,5O3,OOO marks.
The largest item in these imports from
Germany was iron and manufactures OF
iron, which in 1896 formed nearly one
third of the total exports from Germany
into Cuba and Porto Rico.
From France the importations II u
Cuba and Porto Rico amounted 10 5,I'"-
$50 francs in 1893, the franc being valued
at 10 $40 cents: 3,7i7095 in 1894, 279J. S32
in 1895, and 1,713,SS0 in 1896. The largest
item among these imports into Cuba and
Porto Rico from France was iewelry and
fancy articles which formed nearly one
third of the total, the next largest being
textiles of wool 133, 753 francs, and pre-
pared medicines, Ill, 234 francs.
The imports into Cuba and Porto Rico
from the United Kingdom were valued at
l.47s,11 pounds sterling in 1892 1,32l,926 in
1893. 1,12l, ,096 in 1891, 943 1893 in 1895, and
722550 in 1896 The largest of these i'm
ports from the United Kingdom in 1896
were cotton goods, 233,673 pounds sterl-
ing; linens, 1854; iron, wrought and un-
wrought, 7S,66S; machinery. 1921; hard
ware, cutlery, etc, 22,936; coal and other
fuel, 5,429.
From Spain the imports of the year into
Cuba 1896 were 134, SIS pesetas, the
value of the peseta being. according to
the mint bureau, 10 $40 cents. The inl-
ports from Spain in the year 1896 were
larger than those in any preceding year
| in the decade The largest item of the
| 1896 imports into Cuba from Spain was
flour, 20.326,Ss2 pesetas in value; shoes, A.
| 2i9,760 pesetas, sandals IS, 4S3510 pesetas;
| fire arms, 9,3tl2O0; wine, T,3iI0i5; pre-
| served food, 4,742, ,56l; OIL S,3l6,2lS; manu-
| factures of fax and hemp, 3,700,OS7; soap,
3,116,S6; wax and stearine, 2,095,622; man.
| ufactures of wood. 2,2j7Si0; smoking pa
per, 1SS5,2S1; beans l.s1S,Oi3; rice, 1,i9i.-
Si9 corn, 1i32, Slj onions and potatoes,
| 1,205, ,ll5; pressed meats, 1jSl,570 soup
| paste, l,i35, ,999; saffron, lii ,z6O packing
paper, 1420, ,235; woolen blankets, 1903, ,S56
| no other article passing the one million
| pesetas line.
The exports from Spain to Puerto Rico
amounted in 1896 to 81, 66O, ,609 pesetas in
value, larger sum than any other pre-
| ceding year in the decade. The largest
item was cotton manufactures 12;439. 76l
| pesetas, shoes $3.50 40. sandals 3,60l, 80
rice 2,6526l1, soap 1,255.Sl4 oil 1,zO2075, nc
other item reaching one million pesetas
| in value.
The imports of the United States into
| Cuba in 1897 were, according to our owr
| official reports, SS29,77G in 1896. 81 $50, $50
in 1895 Sl2, S07, ,66l in 1894 $50 125 ,321 and II,
| 1893, when they reached the maximum
$24, l57,69S. having been in 1892 ST., 1853, so
| and in 1891 Sl222isSS The reciprocity
treaty with Spain. made under the Tariff
Act of 1890, went into effect Sept. I, 1871
| and continued in force until Aug. 2S. 1894
so that the business of the fiscal years
| 1892, 1893 and 1894 was transacted under
| that treaty with the exception of July
| and August of the fiscal year 1892.
The following table shows the total *.
ports from the United States to Cuba
| during the past 10 wears: