Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1920-03-05

/ manufacturers, on the other hand, did no
guessing at all. They had to have sugar at
any price in order to stay in business, and
they bought all they could get, with the re-
suit that prices steadily mounted until today
they are at level that would have staggered
the Cuban imagination five years ago.
! The present crop is estimated at about four
! and half million tons by H. A. Himely, an
agent for American refiners, who has the
reputation of guessing every year within one
or two per cent what the crop will be. This
is nearly half million tons more sugar than
| Cuba produced last year. Mr.. Himely adj
mits, however, that the crop may be reduced
| by labor troubles, which are the bane of
| Cuban business just now. Except insofar as
it is interrupted by strikes and revolutions, a
steady increase in the Cuban sugar crop is
| expected Stimulated by high prices which
promise to last for some time, Cuba will prob
ably produce in the next few years fifty per
cent more sugar than 1T is now producing. 1t
is doubtful whether the capacity of the island
will make it possible for the increase ever to
go much beyond that.
| The prosperity which sugar has brought to
the island is widespread and much in evil
dence. Everyone who raised any sugar cane,
from President Menocal, who recently sold
one of his great sugar estates for nine million
dollars to the little fellow operating on few
acres of rented land, has made more money
than he ever dreamed of making. This pros
perity has naturally extended to the mer-
chants, and to almost all other classes of bust
ness. Trade, especially in luXuries, is very
brisk A manufacturer of high-grade walking
sticks down there from New York on a selling
trip, reports that he is selling thousand dol
lars worth of goods to merchants who never
before took more than three hundred dollars
worth. And the demand is for ornate canes,
with gold, silver and amber heads. A local
merchant bought canes for fifteen dollars
apiece, and Immediately placed them on sale
at thirty-five dollars.
"You are a profteer," the manufacturer
told him.
81 give them what they want" he replied.
IF marked those canes twenty dollars they
wouldn't look at them"
A thriving business is also being done in
automobiles, with which Habana is literally
running over. Big touring cars painted in
very bright colors and jitneys deliberately up
holstered in stamped leather are the favorite
types.
Much building is also going forward, slim
ulated by very high rents.
An especially prosperous class are the
colonos, or countrymen, who own sugar land
but mills. 1t should be explained that a
large part of the sugar industry is controlled
by few great concerns which own the mills
or centrals and lands in addition Hitherto
the co1ono has not made much money. Most
of the profit on sugar cane at low price went
to the mills which ground it. But now the
colono is getting tremendous prices for his
cane, and he is not the type of man to con-
ceaI his prosperity. These Cuban country
men are emerging from the tall timber in
crowds, building themselves houses in Vedado,
the fine residence section, riding about in the
biggest cars they can buy, loading their
women with the jewels which the Cuban so
loves. Never have the cafes been so bright
with flowers and diamonds and the eyes of de-
lighted senoras and senOritas. Never has the
Prado presented such charming spectacle
of life and color as it does now every evening
AFT the hour of the promenade.