The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-08-20
CUBA IMPORTS AND EXPORTS
THE BALANCE OF TRADE NOW
LARGELY AGAINST THE ISLAND.
most OF the Imports Foodstuffs.
Which Could he Produced Local
iy-Must Either Increase Exports
or Else Raise Her own supplies

Special Dispatch 10 the Post-Inteliigencer.
WASHINGTON. Aug. lathe conf
merce OF Cuba in 1899 Is described by the
British consul at Havana in report
which has just reached the treasury hu-
reau OF statistics. II specially calls at
tention to the fact that the imports OF
1879 largely exceed the value Of the ex-
ports, and that more than 30 per cent.
OF these imports were food products mucn
of which might have been produced IN the
island. and produced with a proportion
ately less investment Of capital than that
required for the chief producing industry
sugar. The following is an extract from
the report:
Judging from the more detailed re-
turns which are available as TO the M
ture OF the imports at Havana. which con-
stitute IS per cent of the total merchan.
disc imported into the whole island il
does not appear that any large amount
OF tools, industrial machinery or material
for public works were introduced. which
might represent the investment Of Cor
eign capital to be employed in the OPEN
ing up Of new enterprises. the great bulk
or the imports being rather for food cloth
ing liquors and other articles of habitual
consumption which call for periodical re-
plenishlng.
The greater part of this excess Of I'm
portation was covered by the amount
realized by the sale last year OF certain
railways and cigar factories TO foreign
principally British companies but, of
course. the permanent alienation OF prop
critics 10 meet current necessities cannot
be indefinitely repeated, and unless there
is large increase In the exports in the
current year, great falling Off must be
expected In the import trade
The following statistics OF the trade
OF the whole island In 1912 las compared
with 1890, though not very recent. are
not without value as affording baeis
for comparing the movement today with
that Of two fairly prosperous years under
the Spanish regime''
Year Imports Exports
1891 .................. E16sis07 fiss5s .isi
i ,ssa '......'''........ Slo2 ess is es sSs
III" ......*.....-..... lS,2Zlbl1 S,0ls.s $50
Further on in the same report the con-
sui general writes:
''The island of Cuba presents the anon
ally of a purely agricultural and exeep-
tionally fertile country dependent very
largely on foreign countries for Its food
supply. The limits OF this report do not
permit OF examining at length the causes
which have led 10 this state OF things:
It Is sufficient to point out Its existence
and the important bearing II has on its
foreign commerce.
The value of the food products dnclud-
Ing liquors and two-thrds OF the live
stock, which must he reckoned as food
imported into Havana in 1899 amounts TO
over 300. or 81 per cent. OF the total
imports into that port. without taking
into account the differentiation 10 which
! have called attention In the paragraph
on imports and exports. IL the same rro-
portion be applied 10 the total imports
into the whole island, we find that ca no.
600 represented imports of food alone tin
other words. absolute necessitiesl In which
II is hard 10 see how any economies could
be effected except perhaps IN quality, and
that only TO a limited extent. III we de-
duct this amount from the value OF the
exports. we find a surplus of only G2272.-
600 with which to provide for clothing
and all the other necessities Of county
containing population OF 100000 and
without any manufacturing indus RES
whatever. sum which is manifestIy in
adequate
1.-THE deduction to be drawn IL Suri-
GENTLY obvious. The island must either
produce more articles for export or Il
must raise more food products Mt home
and impor. less from abroad The most
practical solution Is undoubtedly the lat
ter. as far less capital IL required for
cultivnting maize. brans. rice and vege-
tables than for producing sugar. which
has hitherto been considered as the staple
export.
Whatever solution may be ultimately
found, there can be no doubt that the
island will In the Immediate future have
20 pass through a period Of poverty. dur
ing which the lmporfations win fall con-
siderabiy below last years figures. and
viii be restricted 20 absolute necessities
OF life. and 10 the cheaper grades Of otaer
commodities.
Return showing the imports and ex-
ports of merchandise into and from II,
island Of Cuba, according 20 ports oc
entry, in the year 1859.
---Nalne Of