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

man should not do stroke of work.
but to gos over the island and live
on the plantations and see how the
| work is done and what machinery is
needed. Such a man will plan machines
which will revoutionze the sugar business,
and which will make your sugar mills and
your farming implements Just what Cuba
| wants"
II said the same thing to the Fairbank
people a few months ago" continued Gen.
Steinhart 'and they sent a man down at
salary of $4,000 year. That man has been
on the plantations studying the situation.
He was in my office the other day and dur
ing his stay told me that he had already
made plans which would drive the English
and German machinery out Of Cuba
The Future of Cuban Trade.
do you look for much increase in our
trade with Cuba, Mr.. Steinhart?" l asked.
Yes if our merchants will send the
proper men here and will take advantage
of the opportunities now offered to increase
the trade They should realize that they
are working not only for the Cuba of today
but the Cuba of the future This island is
just at its beginning. 1t Will rapidly grow
in population and wealth. The Cubans are
money spenders and their market will be
worth far more to us than that OF any
South American country. Our manufactur-
ers should appreciate this future Ihey
should send men here to study the held
branch here in which to educate drummers
for the Cuban trade, and work 1t. The Gu
ban has his own business methods, ana
we should adapt ourselves to him rather
than force him 10 do business our way
The Matter Of Credits.
The European nations give time here on
everv bill sold On some things they give
three. six and nine months, and in GER
tain branches of business eighteen months
There is no reason why Americans should
not trade with Cuban merchants on the
same basis that they trade with home mer-
chants The commercial houses here are
old and well established. ~ Their financial
standing can be easily ascertained, ana
many of them are perfectly good: II the
United States would have the bulk or the
business here it must give as good terms as
other nations.
American Goods In Cuba.
l find American goods for sale almost
everywhere in Havana. They are handled
by Cubans, Spaniards and Americans and
are imported both direct from the United
States and through commission houses.
There are altogether about twenty-five
American mercantile firms and also ageh-
cies of many large American houses: The
Armours, Swfts and Cudahys have tfieat
establishments selling lard, hams and
canned stuffs. There are several American
OruS stores, an American news staEQi q
whisky dealer 49, and a large humber
of real estate firms.
One of the biggest American establish
ments is that of the Harris Brothers or
O Reilly street not far from the Pfade. This
firm sells all sorts of American office fur
niture and supplies, stationery and notions
II has big acetyline gas business, having
put in hundreds OF aeetyline light plants
throughout the island, which 1t supplies
with carbide. The Harris boys came here
from Florida just about the time the war
closed with less than $1,000 and opened
store for typowriters, bicycles and office
supplies. They did about kt0o 900 worth of
business the first year, and since then have
steadily increased, until now they have hot
only this retail establishment IN Havana
but also a considerable wholesale trade
throughout the island They tell me there
are plenty of chances here for sober and
industrious Americans with honesty and a
fair amount of brains. They have trouble
in finding good men for their own work,
and say that this is the with others
American Newspapers and Magazines.
find that all the leading American news
papers and magazines sold in Cuba.
You may buy them In Havana in the
various passagxays upon which the stores
open, and there is large news stand just
above the national theater which belongs to
German American who has general news
business in other cities well. This man
tells me that he sells 1900 American mag
azines and 10000 American newspa pers ev-
cry month He charges good prices All
American papers cost from to 10 cents
apiece. The 10-cent magazines cost about
10 cents and other things in proportion.
The only books sold are paper novels, al
though one may occasionally buy English
bound books in the Spanish book stores.
American Goods by Mail.
find that many of our American houses
are sending goods here by mail This is so
with the big Chicago mail-order houses and
also the Leading merchants of other cities.
Lord Taylor. John Wanamaker. Arnold &
Constable and other New Workers are doing
such q retail business with Cuba, and a
number Of such houses have open accounts
with people throughout Cuba. Many
Cubans come to the United States and there