The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-05-23
CUBAN SUGAR PLANT TIERS
PROFIT MARGIN SMALL
Must Cultivate on Large Scale to Make Any
Money---Another Disastrous Uprising Is
Predicted on the island

the trust in New York, under the au-
thority of the board of directors. But
it controls comparatively small num-
Der of plantations.
SPANIARDS THE LARGEST
PLANTERS.
THE largest sugar interests in Cuba
are owned by spaniards; the native
Cubans are a close second; there is
very little difference. Americans come
next, then the English and Germans.
There are about $50 sugar estates on
the island, valued all the way from
half a million to four million dollars
each. The largest, called Chaparra, is
in Santiago province, and is controlled
by the Cuban-American Sugar Com
pany, a New York concern, of which
former Representative r. Fl. Hawley
of Texas is the president. 1t has a
York and other parts of the United
States, and it owns five of the finest
plantations in Cuba and a refinery at
Cardenas. The Chaparra plantation
produces an average of $4,000 bags Of
sugar annually, Weighing 325 pounds
each. It is under the management OF
Mario Menocal, nephew of Engineer A.
G. Menocal of the United States navy.
Don Mario is a competent and enter
prising engineer who was educated in
Washington. He was one Of the most
effective leaders in the insurgent army,
is prominent in the liberal party, and
has been talked of as candidate for
president. The five plantations and
the extra refinery owned by the Cuban
American Sugar Company represent an
investment of many millions of dollars.
THE United Fruit Company of
New Your, usually known as the
fruit trust, comes next in the magni-
tude of it's interests. 1t has two large
estates. The Terry family, who are
well known in New York and Paris,
have the third largest interest. Their
estate, called the Caracas, is next to
Chaparra in size.
There are several other very large
American interests. They have not
been increased recently because of the
general anxiety and apprehension con-
corning the political situation There
is not much doing in lands at present.
The old Cuban families are the largest
land owners, but they are not selling
as readily as they formerly did They
anticipate peace and better times.
They are confident of American perma-
nent occupation sooner or later, and as
they are not required to pay taxes on
their idle land they can afford to hold
it for a rise. 1t is possible to buy small
tracts of land, however, along the Cuba
railroad, but sugar growing is large
proposition. and the margin is so mar
row that it is necessary to do big
business in order to pay profits Pres-
ent prices are unusually low. Last
year 1906) they were still lower, due
to a forced market and the eagerness
of the planters to get their money
Cuba sold 2,6S4,0 600 pounds of sugar
to the United States in 1906 for 500
624.164. while in 1905 she got $72,649,S1S
for 2,447, 100000 pounds
PERMANENT AMERICAN con-
troll.
Yes" continued Mr.. Skate in an
swer to an inquiry, "all people who
have live interests in the island expect
permanent control of the government
by the United States in some form
sooner or later, and everybody favors
it who has anything at stake. All
thinking men were long ago convinced
that the American military government
let go too soon in 1902, before the peo-
pie of Cuba were prepared to govern
themselves The responsibility was
placed upon men without knowledge
or experience, and they did not know
how to meet it. Now that the Amer
leans are back again, they ought to
stay until the Cubans are educated up
to their responsibilities and the gov
eminent is much better organized than
before
What will be the effect of with
drawal?''
There will probably be another up
rising, with very serious losses by the
burning of plantations, the blowing up
of mills and other forms of destruc-
ton. A lot of railroad property will
be ruined. Tracks, bridges, machine
shops, machinery and rolling stock
will be destroyed. The entire popula-
ton will be demcralized, credit will be
impaired. capital will be driven and
kent away immigration will be stopped
and the island will be set back several
wears, The improvements and al
yancements in Cuba have been rapid
since independence. 1t is now pros
porous island and it's wealth has IN
creased at least 80, and some think lOo,
per cent since the American occupa-
ton in 1898 Therefore. the damage
would be much greater than ever be-
fore from political disorders. The more
there is TO be destroyed, of course the
greater would be the loss"
What would you advise President
Roosevelt to do?"
Leave things as they are today IN
definitely. We have a good govern
ment. Magoon is doing all right, anu
all we want is honest courts, peace. JUS
tice and good order. The courts
should be reorganized, guarantees ana
otbar provisions of the constitution
should be enacted into law, which mas
never been done. We should nave
revision of our commercial treaty WIN
the United states on much broader
lines than at present. and closer com
nercial relations in every respect inc