St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1900-05-09
BUSINESS VIEW OF CUBA.

United States. Our peoplo AaNo hou
the liveliest kind of regard for the is
land for many years, and now more
than ever before everything relating to
it appeals to our sympathies. Though
its future political condition is yet sub
iect for conjecture one fact at least is
certain-viz that the period of Spanish
rule and oppression has passed away
forever. While indulging in specula-
tion relative to the island we may also
feel assured that there is nothing con-
iectural about the impending improved
conditions which are certain to ensue
under the new regime which will be
introduced by the United States gov
eminent. AS consequences Of the
changed order of affairs there will be
security to life and property, something
that has not existed there for some
length of time. Industry will not be de-
prived of its reward as heretofore, and
enterprise will be stimulated and at
tracted to new fields.
Cuba as a sphere of American enter
prise and investment is certain to 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 it to their sorrow to be second
Klondike. 1t is safe to say that adj
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 ric4 will undoubtedly find
Cuba a good field for their enterprise and
their investments. Its resources, we'll
nigh inexhaustible, have been but very
partially developed, and there are un-
luestionably many opportunities there
for men of capital and business capacity.
In an interview held recently with
| Mr.. Emile Chemidlin of New York
city, who has had for years extensive
business connections with Cuba, he
said: cit would be 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 if there are fortunes
to be 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 es
tablish branches of their business in the
commercial centers and thus deal witt
the customers directly.
"The leading business men in Havana
and elsewhere throughout Cuba are al
most entirely Spanish. They are shrewd
active, enterprising men of business an(
thoroughly trustworthy and reliable
A few of them perhaps may leave the
island now that it has ceased to be {
Spanish possession, but | believe tina
the great majority will not permit thei
love of country to prevent them from
realizing the advantages certain to fol
low state where freedom from disor
der and security to life and propert,
are guaranteed.
1.-THE island is wonderfully fertile, ;
he added in conclusion, land there i
scarcely limit to its productiveness
Almost anything is possible in the lin
of industrial progress in such place
and in view of the certain and speed,
improvement in the social and politiCa
condition of the people it is, l think
quite safe to predict prosperity fo
, Cuba"
e The gentleman quoted presents on,
S side of the picture, not the brightest b,
any means. He regards the situation
in Cuba from the point of view of I
man of business, whose relationship ha
been with other thorough business mel
, in the island who have been and are en-
| gagged in we'll 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 capita
: to develop and for skilled labor t.
= work. Of this sort of labor there is blu
e very limited supply in Cuba.
The negro portion Of the population
/ by far the majority of the whole people
4 influenced by environment and inherit
i ed tendencies, will in general not wor
u if they can avoid it. They can rarely b
Il depended upon to work steadily unles
forced by the spur of necessity, an
usually can only perform the roughes
= and rudest kind Of labor. The libera
n ton of the slaves in Cuba affected ad
L versely the vast sugar interests of tn
e island, not to the same extent as it di
in Jamaica, but yet sufficiently so t
~ seriously reduce the profits of the pre-
prietors of plantations and curtail th
production. This, together with tn
restrictive policy of Spain and otht
causes, has had disastrous effect upo
O the sugar and other industries.
6 Sufficient attention has not been PAL
I'd by students of the Cuban question I
ir facts wholly unconneGted with bad GOV
q prnmppt and 0f a nOrplV economic ohio