Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-01

every one has work. Lands are rising and
real estate sales made every day.
] here referred to the increase in circula
ton from the sugar surplus and the loan,
whereupon the consul general said:
Yes, but that is not all. The sales of
lands will bring in many millions of new
money this year, and Cuba's foreign trade
with the balance in her favor has enormous
ly increased Indeed. I don't know of a
country which has much good new
money this"
The Sugar Surplus.
But much of Cubas surplus is from
sugar. the price of which is liable to fan?"
Sugar may fall" replied the consul gem
eral. Indeed, I believe that lower price
would be for the good of this island. It
would prevent imitation and put a
sounder business basis. Sugar is bound to
bring fair price in the future, and this is
the chief sugar country of the world. Cuba
can produce more the same area at
a lower cost than any other country.
They talk about the Philippine Islands
as a possible competitor of Cuba in the
sugar industry. That Is ridiculousi We
can raise sugar here for less than the
freight on the manufactured product from
the Philippines to the United States. We
can lay our sugar down in New Orleans at
a lower cost than sugar can be produced
on the Louisiana plantations. The con-
ditions for this industry are almost perfect
in Cuba. There is no land like it
New Sugar Mills.
rs most of the sugar land under cult
vation?"
No replied our consul general. our
sugar industry is only about a half CEN
fury old and the product altogether amounts
to million tons per annum. 1t might be
quadrupled If all of the available lands
were under cultivation. There are vast
sugar areas which are yet to be opened up,
and some parts of the island are practi-
cally untouched as far this industry is
concerned. Take Santiago. There are tens
of thousands of acres which will produce
sugar. for sale there at from 81 per acre
and upward, and there are similar lands in
Puerto Principe and Santa Clara Many
new mills are now building and that espe-
cially along the line of the Cuba railroad
which has been constructed since the war,
opening up the eastern end of the island"
Americans In Cuba.
Are many Americans coming into
Cuba?"
Yes, from all parts of the United States,
and many of them are investing in lands
and other properties. The majority of
those now here are men Of money, who
make large purchases. They are entirely
different from the Americans who overran
mostly the struggling offscouring of our
army and adventures without money,
whose chief idea was to get something for
nothing and to sell 1t for big price
Those now arriving bring money with them
or have such backing at home that they
can pay for what they buy. Indeed cash
Is necessity in making purchases here.
The Cubans who sell want a goodly pro-
portion of their money down. and the bal
ance on very short time. The lands
held in large tracts 1t is easy to find good
Investments embracing from one to 100000
acres each but it is almost impossible to
buy small farms of Cubans Such farms
for sale at much higher prices from
the Americans who buy the large tracts.
Money in Cattle.
but does 1t not take a large tract for
any kind of an agricultural undertaking
here?'s
1T does as far as sugar is concerned.
Such plantations often run into the thou
sands of acres. and it requires several
thousand acres to support one good-sized
sugar mill. 1t is different with tobacco
vegetables, fruit and coffee. Those crops
can be raised on small farms. That is
also the case with cattle, although stock
farming is more profitably conducted on
large ranches.
This country is one of the best cattle
countries of the world" continued the con-
sui general. I'VE have land here which
raises grass from twelve to fifteen feet high
upon which the cattle will keep fat the year
round. They need no grain whatever and
there is no expense for barns or stables
Our cattle were all killed off during the
war, but prior to that time there were as
many as 3,0O0.000 head on the island Since
the war closed we have been getting our
meat on the hoof from Texas, Venezuela,
Porto Rico and elsewhere. We have ven
ture, something like 100000 cattle-m Cuba
now, and more than 100000 on the regis
ter books. Our farmers are surprised at
how well cattle do here. You can bring an
old American COW with hollows over her
eyes as big as your fist to Santiago and put
her on grass. Within a few months she
will fill out fatten up and be az spry as q
cat Indeed, look for the time when Cuba
will be exporting beef. Just now meats are
high and the stock men are doing we'll
American Trade.
what should Americans do to increase
their business here. Mr.. steinhartf'
They should send their best msa 70