The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-02-04
Cubans Not Idle.

and that wages range from $22 to $50 per
month, American money. There is no in
dustrlal distress, no suffering among the
| people. ~ -: -, ..5e,::..' - -
Should the, concessions be made and the
sugar plantations as a consequence grow
! IN size, 1t is said that the additional Ia
! Dor required to work the plantations
| would have to come from Europe or
South America. Conditions in Cuba are
not such as to invite American labor The
sugar plantations there must always be
| worked by South Americans or people
from the south Of Europe.
Everything herein set forth as having
| come out in testimony before the com
| m1ttee emanates from Cubans and their
I friends who are in favor of the proposed
! tarlH concessions. It was brought out,
&, among other things, that American cap
ia, no" owns only enough sugar land in
| Cuba to produce 10000 tons per annum;
| the rest of the yield, up to 500, 900 tons,
! IS owned and controlled by Cubans or
Spanlards, many of whom are non-resi-
dent, holding their homes in Spain, or
+ who, living in the island, have not re-
nouneed. their Spanish allegiance. Only T
I per cent OF the sugar plantations in the
| island are owned by native Cubans =.
Cubans who appeared before the com
! mittee give the lie direct to theory that
has become current in the west and
| northwest that Cuba has had no Euro
pean market as result of the Spanish
! war, and that the refusal Of the United
! States to grant tariff concession will pre-
vent her from getting market here,
which will mean Industrial and CONNER
I cial stagnation.
No Market in Europe.
1t was stated positively to the COM
m1ttee by Cuban witnesses that their
! country never has had q market in Europe
TO Spain, even In the old days, and are
not expecting to sell it there now The
! United States always has beeen their SUI
| gar market, even under the old-tirne high
rates of the Mckinley bill. That mar
ket has been kept open under the Ding
icy Dill, and 1t is open to-day. 1t will
! continue to be open, and Cuba's surplus
sugar will come here year after year.
whether there are tariff concessions or
not. !
1t was brought out before the committee,
| from Cuba's own witnesses, that the SUI
gar plantation owners, overwhelmingly
Spanish and nonresident, are the peo-
pie who would be, benefited, and not the
common people. But listen to bit of the
verbatim testimony. The witness was
CharIes r. Armstrong, representing the
New York Produce exchange. He was
| deeply interested in having the conces-
! slons granted and said so in detail and
| with great frankness. 1t is said that he is
! one of the brightest men who has testi-
! lied. n cross examination he fell into
the hands Of Representative Tawney of
Minnesota. Here is chunk from that
cross examination bearing on the ques-
ton of who would be benefited by the
proposed concessions:
Questioned by Tawney.
Mr.. Tawney-You are familiar with the
/ manner of fixing the worlds price of raw
sugar. would like to ask one question with
| reference to bringing out the fact OF who
would be benefited by this preferential or re-
moval OF the duty On sugar coming from
Cuba. You say the price of raw sugar is
liked at Hamburg. If that is so, and we re-
move the duty on raw sugar coming from
Cuba, will the price of raw sugar still be
fixed at Hamburg, as now?
Mr. Anmstrong-Always
Mr. Tawney-It will be fixed there without
reference to the removal Of duty on Cuban
sugar?
Mr.. Armstrong-You cannot have two prices
of sugar in this country.
Mr.. Tawney-Then the benefit Of the re-
movaf, of course, will not be enjoyed by the
consumer Of sugar in the United States?
Mr.. Armstrong-No, sir. But let me ex-
plain that For instance. If large amount
of sugar is held back IN Cuba until this thing
passes, then, OF course, temporarily it might,
but In the end the Cubans will get all the
benefit as long as they do not produce enough
sugar to fill this market entirely
Mr. Tawney-Either the Cuban planter or
the rehner It would be divided between
them, would it not?
Mr. Arrnstrong-The refner could not get
any at all; there is no chance for It,
Mr. Tawney-The evidence last evening
showed that an acre Of average sugar land in
Cuba produces 27s tons Of raw sugar. The
only effect then, OF the removal OF this duty
would be to give a bounty Of about SIS al,
acre annually to every sugar planter on the
island?
Would Go to the Producer.
Mr.. Armstrong; have never figured it out
per acre, bu. whatever duty you take off it |
would give to the producer eventually That |
as what they are asking for and are here for /
/: Mr.. Tawney-A gentleman here last evening
stated the average sugar land Of Cuba would |
produce 21s tons OF sugar per acre; the re- ]
moyal OF the duty would then increase the
value OF every acre OF sugar land in Cuba to |
the extent Of that duty. The duty is about |
$34 9 ton and the production per acre 21l tons,
SO that Mr.. Hawley OF Texas. or the sugar
trust, or any American or Spaniard who has |
gone down there and bought these large plan- |
tations, would reap benefit OF about SIS an /
acre annually on their plantations by reason |
OF the removal OF this duty.
Mr.. Armstrong-They would not nut that |
money in their pockets; nobody would invest I
In sugar lands to sell sugar at the present |
prices 81 8sss
Mr. Tawnev.-It would add that on,,oh Il, L