The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-04-01
TRADE WITH THE CJBANS
REPORT ON A THOROUGH INVES-
TIGATION MADE BY SOUTH
ERIN MERCHANTS
CONTAINS MUCH OF INTEREST
Clearly Reveals Opportunities for
American Enterprise Which Are
Only Waiting to BE Taken
Advantage OF.

| Marion E. Taylor who was president
of the committee of Southern Merchants
and Manufacturers association, appointed
| last month, sent March "a his official re-
! port to the Louisville Board of Trade
The report is a lengthy one and contains
much fresh and interesting matter, espe-
cially such as have a direct bearing on
possibilities of close trade relations be-
tween Cuba and this country. They spent
exactly one week in Havana, and came
back with varied and interesting fund
of knowledge
Mr. Taylors report includes much that
has a purely local interest but 1t also
touches on some topics of general value
and interest. From the latter class the
following passages are selected:
There seems to be a good opening for
a brickmaking plant near Havana, one
that would. it seems to me. pay hand
somely: This plant could be put up at
little village named Ragla, where there is
an abundance of fine fire clay that can be
bought very cheap; Good bricks could be
made from it and sold at SO per 1000,
whereas Imported brick now cost $50, and
the native article, very brittle rough and
inferior, cost $50 per 1000.
From the best information we could
secure we learned that the wholesale
houses of Havana are not buying this
year as much as they would buy if the
political conditions Of the island were not
us that If the United States would only
lay down definite line of policy
and give the Cubans a government sufu-
GENTLY strong and stable fSad a favorable
tariff the probability is that in very
short time capital would be forthcoming
TO Improve the city and business would
Increase rapidly.
The British seem to show more conf
dence in the outlook of the island than we
do. One English syndicate Messrs Brock
q e, controls nearly all the cigar manu-
facturlng industries of Havana, and an
other English syndicate has bought up
all the railroads.
so far as their own internal methods
or trade are concerned, they are to q
large extent different from our own In
stead stead Of having statesmen to visit retail
fl,;Ig; in the city, they have a large
building which might be termed their
B4ard OF Trade. In that building all the
wholesale houses in Havana of any i'm
winch constants samples of the goods
handled by each house Each of these
booths has in attendance a competent
man who attends daily from a. m. till
l n. M, and who exhibits samples and
makes prices to retailers who come to
''These goods are delivered PROMPTLY the
same day, Or the following morning, and
all settlement on accounts is made on
saturday of each week, and in many cases
settlements are paid for right at the
booth when the purchase IS made There
Is no banking system to amount to any
thing in Havana. Everything is paid for
III CttSll OpdIlISn BOlQ is discounted at
per cent for United States currency,
| and Spanish silver Is per cent.
There are many large and wealthy
concerns In Havana, especially in the
drug, dry goods, hardware and grocery
lines, doing a business of from $4,000 600
to SIS, 100000 a year.
Havana is a beautiful city of about
35O,0C0 inhabitants, situated on Havana
bay. The buildings are all of limestone,
which is obtained in the city limits. and
Is soft enough when quarried to be cut
with knife In any shape desired, but
becomes hard after several days exposure
to the air.
''The sanitary condition of Havana IS
100 per cent better than it was before, or
| during the war, in fact, 1t is much clean
er than many Of our American cities
| The work of cleaning out the bay and
giving havana underground sewerage
will soon begin, and when completed win
make Havana as healthy as any city in
the world, and yellow fever will be un-
known Already the death rate has ma
ministration.
Cuba is not as large as Kentucky In
area; MAJ. Gen. Leonard Wood is gov
Spanish American war each province. of
| Which there were five, had a capitol and
governor general, who lived in as grand
style as any king. The people of the pro-
vince were burdened with excessive taxes
to pay the expenses
The population of Cuba may be divid-
ed into three classes. First, the Span
D.
erty; and control and operate so per cent
OF the business Of the island. They are,
as class, a very, high type of business
all their dealings. The merchants, as a
rule, buy and sell for cash. l was reIia-
ply Informed form 4 that there was not single
mercantile failure during the late war
! and only one failure Of a Spanish firm
in the last forty years. -
! Second. native Cubans, who have had
! advantage of education and refinement
| uyn1 Hrn
go0d blood Their greatest desire and
ambition to to hold Office, and nothing
! else seems to interest them
Third. native Cubans, peasant class
| In all of my travels have never seen
such a conglomerated mixed race of peo-
PIE pie spanish parish american. Chinese and ne
gro. making when thoroughly blended a.
composite being curious to look at and
9lHerent from any living being to be
d9 Gtl anywhere else on earth. The warm
c1lnate the year around. the abundance
OF FRUITS Indigenous to the soil, and the
nsh that are so easily caught out of the
ocean 9 and streams. doubtless accounts
pie possess and the amount of rest thew
can stand. The majority spent most Of
are numerous, eating, drinking and smok-
Ing. Where they get their money is a
mystery | was reliably Informed that
| three-fourths of the native population Of
Cuba could not read and write
Gen. Wood told me that the salvation
| OF the island lay in the coming genera
eloA, anu tHat the children both in the
country and city were anxious to learn
English. and that he had already estab-
lished over 100 schools, and was arrang-
ing to start others as fast as possible.
compulsory education of six months an
nually and an education qualification.
which requires that every voter NSsii
KKnow how to read and write, is now law.
! Gen Wood also informed me that there
| We're over $2,OOO,0OO now in the treasury
Obtained from custom duties over and
above running expenses, which they were
| going to spend, and spending for the
betterment of the people generally. One
sees this good work going on by our gov
eminent on all sides under the careful
Glrectlon of Gen. Wood. governor of
Cuba. and his able aids"