The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1899-10-20
SUGAR SITUATION
In Two Provinces o,
I Cuba.
Extracts From Report Of General
Wilson to the War Department
Just Made Public.

The War Department has recently
made public an abstract from the re-
port of General Wilson, military COM
mander of Santa Clara and Matanzas
provinces. which contains the follow
ing valuable information:
The two provinces produce almost
equal amounts Of sugar and together
furnished 20 per cent in 1889 and 81
per cent in 1878 of all the sugar pro-
duced on the Island of Cuba. Forty
one centrals operated In 1899, and
twenty-one others did not operate, but
were in working order. About 81 were
destroyed during the war. Some of the
large centrals were only preserved by
their owners paying one or both sides
to protect their property. Many Of
those destroyed were lying idle and
did not have modern machinery. which
10 now requisite. and had been largely
driven out Of business by the compe-
tition between beet and cane. The
tendency Of sugar-making IL to the
concentration Of the work at the large
centrals. The mills now operating are
supplied with modern machinery, EN-.
ploying more scientific processes. Their
capacity will be sufncient for all the
cane which can be raised in the next
two or three years and 1t Is believed
by experts can be enlarged to accom-
modate any probable increase Of produce
ton. The ownership of the centrals in
operation Is divided as follows: Four
American. one Spanish and twenty-one
Cuban In Santa Clara and seven Amer
lean, twenty Spanish, Twenty-Five Gu
bans. two Germans and one French at
Matanzas. The pay of laborers on the
sugar estates varies from 40 cents q
day for unskilled labor to $1.75 for
skilled. General wilson thinks that
daily wages must necessarily rise as
work is undertaken, because the sup
ply Of labor Is very limited. The skilled
lab0rers are generally Spaniards or
foreigners. The field hands are Gu
bans, colored or white. Many Chinese
are employed about the sugar mills in
business requiring close attention rath-
er than mechanical skill. The cost Of
living is given as follows: Rice, 6 cents
per pound; cornmeal. cents per
pound; beans, Z cents per pound; dried
meat, Is cents per pound. The NOR.
tality due to recommendation and con-
seQuent starvation appears to have
been In the province Of Santa Clara
about one-seventh population $40 1000
In 1898. against 354.000 In 1S97) % COM
pared with the loss of one-third of the
population Of Matanxas province. This
difference Is attributed to the differ.
ence In the character Of the country
and the more widely and scattered
population. which enabled more of the
Inhabitants to evade the strict c0mpli-
ance with the orders OF reconcentra-
ton. General Wilson says that the re-
vlval Of agriculture has rapidly prog
ressed under very Encouraging circum-
stances. but that the people very great
ly lack animals. Cienfuegos, the chief
port Of Santa Clara province. has a
hrst-class harb0r, which could be Inn
proved 20 that the largest ships might
come up to the dock. The province
has an aggregate railroad mileage of
$50 miles. not including numerous
branches belonging to plantations. The
value Of sugar land ranges from Is to
600 per acre. Farms vary In sise from
Q single caballeria (36 acres) to Co
lonias" and "ingsnios" OF many thou.
sand acres. The foreign investor will
'be at Q disadvantage In the examina-
ton OF titles. ~ compared with the
resident. until responsible companies
are established TO look up deeds and
grants.-Willett 4 0ray's Circular.