Evening star., 1902-03-15
CUBA WATTS WEAR|LY
Every One Anxious for Recip-
rocal Legislation.
CONSIDERABLE CENSURE
ECONOMIC SITUATION IS BAD,
BUT NOT DESPERATE.
Money is Idle Because Possessors
Won't Lend on Sugar Except
at Prohibited Rates.
CONSIDERABLE CENSURE
Special Correspondence OF The Evening Star.


But these complaints are only passing
ones. If Congress finally enacts recipro-
cal legislation the troubles Of the present
period will be forgotten.
There is also impatient waiting on the
part of army officers and other American
officials They do not care especially about
tariff concessions, but they want to get out
Of Cuba soon. On the surface little is
shown Of the activity Of departure, but in
every department the getting ready is no
ticeable. Officers who year ago said that
the United States could nc. end would not
and should not get out Of Cuba have
changed their minds Their one thought
now is the getting out creditably and with
good faith Any hint Of delay or Of
changed plan meets with impatient COM
ment on their part. Probably their reasons
are good. They know the conditions fairly
well, and the overwhelming sentiment now
is for the United States to keep faith with
Cuba. It does not matter how long the ac
tual withdrawal requires provided that the
beginning is made and the responsibility OF
the American military authority ended at
a fixed date. II possible. not later than
May.
Economic Situation is Bad.
Viewed In the present light. the economic
situation is bad. but it is not desperate,
can Congress skaters the hopes which
have been entertained for a year. or since
the adoption Of the Platt amendment. that
concessions would be made in the tariff on
Cuban products. The grinding season will
not be over until the 1st Of May. and most
of the big sugar plantations have got mo-
mentum enough to carry them forward till
that time. After then comes the problem.
The small planters have suffered about all
the damage that Is possible. Many OF
them have gone by the board Possibly
that would have happened anyhow, but
they do not think SO.
While the shadow Of sugar Is over every
thing. the public is not In a ferment Of
disorder. I have listened to calm discus
sion where 1 was led to believe nothing
was to be heard except charges OF bad
faith by the United States. I have also
heard interested parties explain that the
United States ought to do certain things
instead of saying that 1t must do these
things. There Is distrust and mistrust;
yet trust is not lacking Also
The situation Is about the same as in the
states when tariff legislation was pending.
The worst feature Is uncertainty. The ques-
ton what the United States will DO now
has less force than the inquiry when 1t
Will do something. Whenever the purpose
to do something becomes clear. conditions
will get better.
l should not care to say that the present
conditions are as bad as they were in the
United States during 'e3 and '04: because
they are not. But the similarity is marked.
Havana Is an unusually rich city with an
abundance OF reserved capital 1t could live
or IT'S savings for several years yet, and
Its people would not starve: but the rest
OF the island is not 80 happily fixed.
Vast Sums Of Money Idle.
While there Is plenty Of money in Havana
today. the people who need 1t can't get 1t,
and the people who have it are keeping
vast sums idle because they will not lend on
sugar, except at prohibited rates. That Is
the real financial situation. Speculation
cuts little figure. Something OF this sort
has been done and will be done again be-
fore the final action OF Congress, but there
is far less speculation than in the United
States when tariff legislation Is about to
be enacted.
1 was told that two reasons exist which
account for this condition. A few months
ago some sugar was bought on specula ton
in the belief that by March / the American
Congress would have remitted forty or fifty
per cent of the duties. The failure of such
legislation and the reports that whatever
concession was granted would be less than
the figures given discouraged speculation
and along with this came a drop in the
price. Then the planters from the begin
ming made very determined efforts to hold
their own sugar In the belief that they
would get some concessions on this years
crop. and would have the benefit for them
selves Now they are holding 1t because
the banks and the buyers generally won't
buy 1t. 1t Is about the hardest proposition
in Cuba today for an ordinary planter to
secure an advance on sugar
The warehouses in Havana, Matanzas,
C1enfuegos and other ports Of shipment un-
doubtedly are filed with sugar which will
have to go on the market before many
months. Holding 1t SO long already has af-
fected the ships engaged in the carrying
traoe. Their cargoes are unusually light
for this season.
The Countryman's Condition.
wanted to know how the Cuban coun-
tryman Is standing the strain, and sent for
an American farmer who lives in the south
eastern part OF Havana province He has
lived In Cuba for eight or ten years, knows
the language and the people. He greeted
me quite cheerfully. and said he himself
was doing pretty we'll
How are you getting along with your
sugar cane?'' / asked
Not so bad as l feared" he replied. II
won't lose more than $500 on the caballeria
be out $500 $500"
'caballeria" is thirty three acres. When
farmer In the west who is raising wheat
or corn loses - an acre on his crop there
Is apt to be a new birth OF the populist
party and political upheaval. whether the
drought is responsible or something else
The Cuban farmer is not that far advanced
In his political education. and he is not go
Ing to take that course But In a blind way
he Is apt to feel that his own government,
or the government which was in power
just before the republic, has something to
do with his troubles
The young American farmer with whom I
talked fs colono or tenant; that is, he
leases his land. raises the cane himself and
has II ground by central mill which gives
him back fixed percentage Of sugar, or
pays him In the price prevailing at Havana,
less the difference for freight and other
charges. In his way he is a representative
OF a very large number of Cuban producers
who are sometimes forgotten in the talk
about the planters. He cannot prosper un-
less the big planter and the central mill
prosper.
Still Get His IS Per Cent.
asked him whether as a sugar producer
he really would receive any benefit If the
tariff were lower, or whether it would go
to the middle men and the big capitalists
"Why, Of course, I would be benefited"
he replied. I'D get more for my sugar,
The mill would have to give me more"
How much advantage would you get" I
asked, 'if the tariff on cane sugar should
be lowered 80 per cent??
"Well." he answered. Il suppose that the
consumer In the United States would get
his sugar a little lower. but I certainly
would get 10 per cent more for what
raised"
! explained that the opinion in the United
States was that the proposed reduction
1