The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-06-16
CUBA GETS MORE FROM TOBACCO
 THAN SUGAR


 her enormous sugar industry. Cuba does not receive a great sum of money for her sugar production. In propor- ton to the total annual yield from that crop, her returns are meagre.
 The sugar income of the island re- public ts ten times as great as her tobacco income, yet tobacco brings much more money into Cuba than sugar does. This statement, which is contrary to the general accepted be- lief. was made by Right Rev. Hiram Richard Hulse, D. D., Protestant Episcopal Missionary Bishop of Cuba, now in New York to raise money for esta blishing schools in Cuba. Alp sentee ownership of Cuba's sAgar mills is the reason.
 Americans own one-third of the Cuban sugar mills and produce one half of the yield" said Bishop Hulse. The sugar crop this year, will bring a return of about s70O,0o0,000 which is S200,000,000 more than the 1918 yield, but most of the profits will go into the pockets of the American owners and stockholders.
 The tobacco plantations on the other hand. are mostly owned by the Cubans and the money which comes in from that source remains in Cuba
 "The principal reason why Amerf- cans own so many of the sugar plan tatfons and sugar mills is that it re- quires so great an amount of money to enter profitably into the business. It reqires about s1.000.o0o to start a sugar plantation. In addition to the necessary machinery, the planter must buy a large tract of land-enough so that he can raise sufficient cane to keep his machinery in use all the year arond. It is difficult for Cuban, or a group of Cuoans, to raise such an amount, hence American capital must be sought, with the result that the profits go to the American own CTS.
 "A tobacco plantation can be start ed on a capital of from S20,0OO to s5o,o0o. Because of the much smaller sum needed. great many more Cubans enter this. industry and the money which Is made remains m Cuba.'
 Often the sugar workmen on plan tattons owned and operated by Cubans do not see one cent in actual money from years end to years end and as they are paid off in orders on the company store. When the year is over. it is found that they have worn or eaten up the total amount they have earned, and often more.
 Cuban agricultural and industrial development was greatly hampered and stunted by the policy pursued for hundreds of years by the Spanish government which forbade the Span ish colonies to produce any of the commodities which the mother coun- try could produce. By this policy, Cuba was restricted to the single ef- fort of agriculture, and limited even in this to the production of sugar and tobacco. Many of the Americans who have gone to Cuba to live since she won her Independence have en- gagged in the citrus fruit industry,
 The 40 pupils at the Limonar in- dustriaI school are all Negroes. For ty per cent. of the inhabitants of Cuba are Negroes and they provide capable and willing tillers of the soil ana efficient ones if they have had instrue- tion in the clements of agriculture
 .arhe retail traders in Cuba" he said, "ars all Spariards. The Cubans do not seem to be able te break into that business, Banking there is done mostly by Americans and Canadians although more or less frequently Cub- ans are employed as directors of branch offices in the interior of the island.
 '.rhs National Bank of Cuba is managed by Americans, but some Cubaas may be found in the branch offices The Bank of Canada has sev- eraI Cubans as directors of its many branches in the interior. Although many CubaHs are engaged iH agr1cai' turai pursuits, they prefer to be over seers, directors and politicians. Basi- ness is almost wholly barred to tbem."
 Living expenses in Cuba are from fifty to sixty per cent higher than they are in the United States, Bishop Hulse stated, because Cuba imports most of the necessities of life from the United States instead of rais- ing them herself