Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1905-08-07
A NEW CUBA
Continued From Page /.

United States, the gain in 1904 of
about half Il million dollars being far
in excess of gains made by other cOun-
tries during the same period of time.
In boots and shoes the share of the
United States in the total imports has
risen from 81 per cent in 1908 to 4O.3
per cent in 1904. the value of Ameri-
can shoes imported in 1904 being
S1.2O2, 200. as against $5S4,3O0 in 1908.
Spanish boots and shoes. which as
late as 1900 supplied almost 80 per
cent of the total demand for the for
eign article constituted 61.3 per cent
of the total shoe imports i'm 1903 and
$50 per cent in 1904. The change of
taste and habits illustrated by these
figures is after all the product of slow
growth, and no sudden changes in the
import figures could be expected.
The total import figures of machin-
cry, exclusive of machinery for sugar
mills and distilleries, show a larger
relative growth than those credited
to the United States, Notwithstanding
the 20 per cent differential in favor
of the American article. The progress
made by American machinery for use
in sugar mills and distilleries is more
satisfactory. the import figures for the
year 1904 showing substantial gains
over those for 1903, and the relative
share in the total imports for the
year 1904 being 1872 per cent, as
against 66.7 per cent during the pre-
ceding year.
Considerable gains are shown in the
imports of paper and paper manufac
lures. Out of S1,304,2OO worth of these
articles imported in 1903, the share
supplied by the United States was
$319,S00, while in 1904 the imports
from all countries amounted to $780,
piled $42S,20O, or 31.3 per cent. The
imports of manufactures of wool and
textile fibres from this country are sull
inconsiderable, Cuba drawing. upon
Europe for these articles The i'm
ports of manufactured linen, jute, and
other fibres have fallen off considera-
bly, during the last year. while the i'm
ports of wool manufactures show a
slight increase.
The improvement in the economic
condition of Cuba is attested by the
growth of imports of food stuffs from
$21SO0.0O0 in 1903 to about SIS, 0O0,0 900
in 1904. Practically all the flour, corn
and lard had been coming from the
United States even prior to recipro-
city and naturally continues to do so
now under reciprocity. OF these three
articles of popular diet, the imports of
flour have increased about AZ per cent. /
from $2,OS5,0OO to $2,97O,OOO; those of
corn over As per cent, from 5000, 500
to $S9S,OO0, while those of lard have
decreased from $2,SS5,OOO in 1903 to
$2617,S0O in 1904. 1t is but proper to
add that the Cuban duty on, American
flour, from 81 per 22O pounds before
reciprocity, was reduced to 30 cents
by the reciprocity agreement. and then
increased to 81 cents by act of the
Cuban congress of February 3, 1904,
raising the general rate on the arti-
Gle. The rate on American corn was
likewise reduced from 80 cents per 22O
pounds to p cents, and then increas-
ed to 27.3 cents, while the rate on
American lard was lowered at first
from $3.50 per 100 kilOs to 1924 by a
20 per cent reduction according to the
reciprocity agreement and then rails
ed TO 1921 through an increase of the
general rate by so per cent by act of
Cuban congress under date of Febru-
airy 9, 1904.
In other words, imports of those
foodstuffs on which the rate of duty
stands lower now than before reci-
procity show increases, while the i'm
ports of lard, on which the rate OF
import duty is higher now than before
reciprocity, have been lower during
1904 than the year before.
The 20 per cent differentiaI in IA
vOr of American grown coffee has
benefited the Porto Rican product, the
imports of which into Cuba have in
creased from $2O7,4O to S711,4OO, con-
stituting 3S.4 per cent of the 1904 cof-
fee imports, as against 1876 per cent
only of the imports for the proceed
ing year.