New-York tribune., 1902-06-13
DISTRESS IN CUBA.
URGENT NEED FOR RECIPROCITY LEG
ISLATION DEMONSTRATED
BY STATISTICS.

Washington. June Il (SpeciaD.-The precari-
Gus condition of Cuba's two staple products and
the urgency for the removal of virtual discr11n-
ination against the chief industries of the island
in order that, by finding profitable market in
the United States they avert ruin are in
disputably demonstrated in official statistics,
compiled by Major Tasker n. Bliss. recently in
charge of the customs service at Havana. They
show a decrease of S10Oo0.O00 in the sugar and
tobacco exported from Cuba in the last ten
months compared with the amounts sold from
the island during a similar period of the pre-
ceding year. According to the regular monthly
bulletin of Cuban commerce just issued from
the InsuIar Division of the War Department.
from which these statements are taken, the trade
balance is steadily growing against the island,
and remedial legislation on the part of Congress
which will facilitate trade with this country
cannot be too soon completed, especially after
Cuba the United States is the principal sufferer.
It appears that the total value of merchandise
imported at Cuban ports in the ten months
ended April 30 1902, was S553J0 9o2 as against
S54, 262 for the corresponding period Of 1901:
and the exports of merchandise in the ten
months ended April 80. 1902, amounted to
S39 727, ,965. as against $40 800 0J0 for the same
period of 1901 These figures represent
increase of . per cent in the imports, and
decrease of p per cent in the exports.
Gold and silver were imported in the ten
months of 1902 to the value of SS5S0os: in the
! corresponding period Of 1901. SI14,692; exported
in the 1902 period. $3.172,93S; corresponding
period of 1901. $992, ,S36.
The value of merchandise coming from the
United States for the ten months ended April
80 1902, was S23, ,S2I .04S, increase of about
. per cent over the corresponding period of
1901: while the exports to the United States
l6,l (. a decrease
about 81 5000 900.
In the comparison by classes for these periods
the import figures show a decrease of nearly
S200,0o in articles Of food and animals, this
class of merchandise amounting TO SO, ,6SS, ,591
for the ten months of 1902; manufactured ar
ticles in the period Of 1902 were imported TO
the value of S22.S5S.4 1913, a gain of nearly So
000.O00: raw materials show an increase OF
about 4 per cent over the period of 1901, and a
decrease of about per cent is shown in the
Importation of articles of voluntary use. luxu-
ries etc
show a decrease of about $40 100 0O0 as COM
pared with 1901 the expectation in the ten
months of 1902 amounting to $50. .424 49, manu-
factured articles amounted to 166
Slight increase over the previous year; products
Of the forest show increase, and products of
mines show an increase of $3.50 .333. or 6S per
cent. in favor of the ten months Of 1902.
The loss in exports is confined almost entirely
to the sugar and tobacco trade, shipments of
sugar for the period showing falling off of
about S6000000 In the expectation Of tobacco
for the ten months ended April 1902. it would
appear that the demand for leaf tobacco from
practically all countries, and particularly Ger
many, materially less than in the CORE
spending previous period this fact being
counted for by the inferior character of the
export crop due to heavy rains at an unsea-
sonable period of the cultivation.
II. o. HAFEMEYER SAYS HE GAVE $500.
H o Havemeyer. president of the American
Sugar Refining Company, when asked yesterday If
he wished TO make any comment on the testimony
of F. B. Thurber given before the United States
Senate Committee Relations with Cuba regard
ing subscriptoin of & 500 from Mr. Havemeyer to
the United States Export Association. answered.:
So far the contribution OF the American Sugar
Nennlng Company is concerned, the testimony of
Mr. Thurber was correct But that is not new; il
was brought out in the evidence of another witness
The only new thing in the Thurber testimony the
fact that the War Department has been contribu-
ting TO the campaign for reciprocity
Mr- Havemeyer added that it was his belief that
the majority of the newspapers and of the people
Of the United States were in favor of reciprocity
pet"een this country and Cuba.
CUBAN MINISTER N WASHINGTON
Washington, June 12.-Gonzalo de Quesada the
CUBAN Minister TO the United States arrived here
iate TINS afternoon with his family. He is estab-
nshed temporarily In hotel, but will soon take a