New-York tribune., 1902-06-08
AMERICANS SUGAR LANDS IN CUBA
OWNERS SAID TO HAVE WAR CLAIMS FOR
OVER sn.oeo,oOO AGAINST THE
UNITED STATES.

1vosbine+on June Truman G. Palmer. of Chi
cago continued his statement on the subject VI
American holdings of sugar lands IN Cnoa peIore
the subcommittee of the Senate Committee on
Relations with Cuba to-day. He added to the two
classes of American owners four others Summar-
izng the entire presentation, he placed the NUMBER
of Cuban estates held by Americans individual and
corporate at 172 with total acreage amounting
to 14s2 SOL Of which 330St6 acres are cane produc-
ing The annual cane capacity of this land ne
placed at Ss0445 tons, but he said that the lands
were not of course producing their full capacity,
and some OF them not at ALL These American
owners have claims against the United States
he asserted, amounting to s41 1,335.SO3
Mr.. Palmer began his statement with the pres
enation of the third of the series of cassicatons
two having been presented by him when he testifled
on Thursday. The third classification consisted OF
ten Cuban-American corporations. the names of
which had come into his possession within the last
ten days, and he did not know whether they were
operating or not. Estimating that the holdings OF
these companies are at least so per cent OF those
of the companies whose holdings are known ne
placed the acreage owned by these ten companies
at 17S 155 with an annual sugar producing capacity
of 75 125 tons.
The next classification that OF Cuban sugar
centrals owned by American citizens, most Of them
naturaIized living in Cuba There thirty-one
estates in this list, and the war claims presented
on their account aggregated s1O,577569- The total
acreage of these estates placed at 21S70 part
of IT estimated. and the total capacity at loo'ioo
tons of sugar.
The fifth list was that of eighteen Cuban cane
growing estates which do not own centrals or manu-
facture their own cane, and are owned by Ameri-
cans The total acreage of these lands Is 4S,62S;
the total capacity of lands in cane $3.50 tons;
total war claims on file before the American Claims
Commission, 81, ,592,6 ,661-
The next list embracing the sixth classification.
was similar the preceding except that the owners
in this instance while Americans. still live in Cuba.
This list included hfty-fve estates. none of which
own centrals or factories, with aggregate acre
age partly estimated. of 91Os8. and total sugar
producing capacity of 1852 tons. This class of
estates has war claims amounting to s5I49,S99.
Having closed his statistical presentation. Mr..
Palmer said that the estates mentioned contain
nnety-nine central sugar factories, with total
producing capacity of 330445 but from purely
cane growing point of view the lands would produce
S27 us tons. He added:
Some of these American factories for which claims
for damages have been presented Undoubtedly haye
insurgents could have destroyed the land which
was in cane The cane undoubtedly Was DESTROYED.
cane after years OF ideneSs than it was several
years ago. when Cuba produced over million tons
Whatever additional scaling down may be done
on the statements submitted on the basis o. n
claimants for damages. the fact must be patent
that the holdings by American citizens of land in
Cuba. which is or has been in cultivation are of
entire island turned this year and this is less
than one-fourth of the total area owned by Amer
ican citizens and corporations.
Mr.. Palmer said there were other large acreages
OF Cuban lands owned by outsiders which he had
referred the 10000 acres of land which Sir Will
lam c. Van Horne had informed the committee had
come into his possession. L. ..
When Mr.. Palmer finished his statement the
committee adjourned for the day.