Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-06-16
ENTHUSIASM WAVES
Cubans Less Concerned for
Reciprocity Than Formerly.
PREFER A FREE HAND
ESTIMATED EFFECT ON IMPoRTA-
TONS FROM AMERICA.
Another Record Sugar crop-People of
All Glasses Have Confidence
in President Palma.
PREFER A FREE HAND

Mr. Herbert ]. Browne OF this city has
lust returned here from Cuba, where he
had an excellent opportunity to observe
conditions on the island and to talk with
leading men in the business and political
life of the little republic.
1.-The Island of Cuba said Mr.. Browne
to Star reporter today, lis doing very
we'll indeed. Havana is clean and healthy,
and. above ALL it is we'll governed"
How do the people of Cuba feel about
reciprocity" he was asked.
Less Concerned for Reciprocity.
1.-THE enthusiasm of the Cubans has
waned on the subject of reciprocity" he
replied. They did want reciprocity with the
United States and the merchants and
manufacturers put up fund of $4,000 to
advance reciprocity a year ago. Now they
saw they got nothing for their money, and
they claim they have been buncoed from
the beginning and there is nothing in the
pursuit of that policy for them They de-
clare that they are better off In playing
absolutely with a free hand If reciprOc-
ity comes to them they will regard it as
all right, but they care nothing especially
about 1t.
the Munson steamship line, and one of the
most prominent and representative business
men Of the island, and he told me the in
terest that had once existed there In favor
of reciprocity had died out. He was be-
fore the committee of the House of Repre-
sentatives a year ago in favor Of reciprocity.
Other business men talked with seemed to
feel the same way about it
1.-THE officials of the island still favor
reciprocity With them that is a matter OF
politics. Apparently they maintain the
same interest for reciprocity as OF old, but
the business men say that after a critical
examina ton of the schedule proposed by
that there is not sufficient of cut in the
Cuban tariff to materially affect the i'm
portaton of American goods. For instance,
they say that Germany would still control
the knit goods business, Spain the shoe
trade, Spain and Great Britain the linen
and cotton goods business, and Scotland
will still have the trade In sugar mill ma
chinery leaving the United States with
only that trade which it at present pos
sesses.
while there would be a somewhat ma
terial cut in the Cuban customs receipts on
American imported goods they do not figure
out that there would be to them any CORE
spending benefit. ~
Second Record Sugar Crop.
Cuba is doing well in every way The
sugar producers have made this year the
second record crop in the history Of the ISL
and, the crop being over 100000 tons. Next
year the crop is expected to be the largest
ever produced. At the present price of sugar
all of the .centrals' equipped with modern
machinery are making some money-enough
to encourage them with respect to the fu
ture.
THE United Fruit Company, an Ameri-
can concern, and the largest fruit com
pany in the world, is now putting in 100000
orange trees around Nipe bay.
THE tobacco trust has acquired all the
important brands of cigars on the island,
and while it has been putting into respon-
10 ,,la h,,cf 1nr, tn
ing economies, it has displaced men of great
experience in preparing some of those we'll
known brands which for twenty years have
been absolutely reliable and to be depended
upon by smokers who have wished to at all
times get exactly the same grade of goods.
Whereas formerly it was the custom of
experienced managers to select certain
brands of tobacco from the same fields and
then to test 1t for quality nor much of the
tobacco is mixed. The result of this policy
has been to build up some of the small con-
Germs of the island which are not in the to-
bacco trust and which are extending their
trade especially in Germany and in certain
English quarters where a reliable high
grade of goods is in demand.
Confidence in Palma.
The government of Cuba is conservative,
safe and economical. President Estrada
Palma has the unquestioned confidence of
the Cuban people of all classes. Notwith-
S'aHuiilS tiIC lat tldt d H1dJOIlty VI Tie
Cuban congress was in favor of a govern
ment lottery a recent interview with Presi-
dent Palma, placed on high moral grounds
has, 1t Is believed absolutely killed the
project for a lottery.
while the scheme of taxation in the
island Is by the old Spanish method of tax
ing incomes of property rather than prop
erty values, President Estrada Palma says
first stability and then reform.
The Cuban congress seems to be an earn
est and energetic body. There are remark
ably few scandals of administration and
the good work done by the American adj
mlnistratio is being carried out.
'One is impressed with the cleanliness
and orderly condition of Havana the mo-
ment the harbor is entered. The quaran
tine and other government boats of the GUS
toms service are spck and span and look
as If they belonged to a yacht club. The
customs administration so far the ham
ding of the baggage of passengers is con-
cerned is model which could be copied
with advantage in New York. passen-
gers baggage is handled in three minutes
and not held up for a couple of hours as is
often the case in New York
--<-SeS-<-