Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-02-02

the several prov IIit' y ol \upa anu
rates of wages raid for labor are de-
scribrd In the foil wing repor, by
ConsulGencral James S Rodgers. OF
Habana The rrpor' is dated Dec
Il. 1905
The tobacco districts OF Cuba broad
IL speaking. can be defined AS those
f Oricnte Province, OF Santa Clara.
and OF Habana, and pinar del Rio
In the first named the tobacco indus
try has never assumed large propos-
tons and the product Is not OF
sSfu variety as Cuban tobacco Is
indgCl In the markets u the world
The Santa Clara lohacc Is much bet
ter and is widely grown for hiiers
of medium priced cigars. FIN" Ha
lana and Pinar del RIO tobacco j.
that which has given the great ana
deserved reputation to n" Cuban pr"
due, and bessie n" output OF IN"
western third of the island. all other
tobacco of Cuba appears inferior
Every PR vincc grows tobacco III
greater n less quantity but III" dis
tricts are as stated and Will" santa
Clara is promin"ni i'll the industry
every standard is established by COM
uarison with the western district,
which, through Clmatc. soil and LABOR.
produces unques,ionably tobacco OF
the finest aroma known to the world.
In considering the cost OF growing
tob:cc We therefor" must necessarily
be guided BY tn" experience OF the
western district
Cost Varies With Location.
Ii must be stated i'll advance thai
The cost OF raising lobacco-and that
means essentially III" cost OF labor.
since the development of the plant
even up, II good land is largely a qIeS-
of efficient labor intensely applied
varies with localities in the district
named. Practically 60 per cent. OF
The uouulaticn Of western Habana
Province. and OF that section of Pinar
del Rio lying to the South OF the
mountain range which blsects the
Ilovincr, has for generations been
connected in one way or another with
tobacco growing. In the old days
this labor was cheap. being half slave
and half free However, with the ad-
vent OF American capital in the bust
ness. with the coming Of the so-calied
ci;rlIs-trrit colonisas. and with the re-
vival of government road work under
the intervention, the conditions as
20 labor changed rapidly. and from lis
being cheap tire ensned a high Price
considering the work performed. IL
is true that the, old sayie Cuban. with
the members Of his family constitut-
ing clan, was not affected much. FOR
tobacco raising meant the livelihood
of all upon the "finca" tobacco farm
and they prcspered in proportion I"
the advanced price OF the product.
So also did the small groups OF the
industrious Canary Islanders who Sc
cured tobacco land by lease or pur-
chase, But hired labor has steadily
commanded higher wage, and such
hired labor affords the only basis for
cost figures, since the other kind
participates only in the benefit OF
the crop as far as can be aScert ainei
by on, siders.
Affected by Local Condt ons.
The tobacco farm. therefore. which
is owned BY capitalist of greater o:
less degree. can only be considerei
at present as the type from which
to draw conclusions as 10 the cost OF
labor. In the general district named
there are three district subdivisions,
the "Partido,' which occupies western
Habana Province: the "Semi-FGeta.
being The eastern and central portion
Of Pinar del Rio Province. and the
celebrated "Nu lla-Abajo. so called.
around San Juan and San Luis IN
western Piuar del Rio Province. The
cost OF lGtvr varies in the cas- and
vest OF the district. but as IL is I'M
possiblc to tab. into account the local
conditions aff, ing the industry. the
figures which fUllow are supp sod 10
be the avcrag" fer the general d.
trict during a ar Of normal weather
conditions. i"y a drought or "xc"'-
siv" rainfall II ay alter matters nj
tcrially and --"atly increas" coS;s.
Tho cost Of lah ! on one acre is given
fer. taking all hings into consid"ra-
lion. that i Il" faircst way Of not
C"iy averaging Cuban Tobacco" ;arm
work. hut all f showing n" re
turn.
Cost Per Acre.
Assuming 'H"rcfore. thai On" Eng
lish acre is und"r review. tn. cosi Of
labor 30 prod''',. the tobacco from the
yaung plant So ~" loaf in lraIc would
b. as follow
Shade (u,der cheese cloth tobacco:
Flowing. 90 Nr:'S. at 81. -" per
40, 81 ~