The herald., 1921-11-10
In a Cuban Sugar Mil.

t(Prsparsd by the National Geographic So
Al ciety. Washington. D. CO.
Cuba, which Immediately following
The World war climbed to heights Of
prosperity seldom attained by any
other small country. has passed now
INTO the valley Of hard times and the
reason In both cases was the same
I, sugar. For though the islands annual
tobacco harvest is very valuable and
Enough 1t has many other potential,
e undevelOped, resources, 1t is hardly
accomplishing the importance Of
sugar production to say that Cuba Is
. one-crop country. When European
md Eastern sugar was unobtainable
prices scared skywnrd and Cuba not
only cashed In heavily on her usual
production but feverishly increased
her cane acreage and sugar mills. Now
that sugar from the eastern hemis-
phere is reaching the world markets
while Europe has little buying power,
sugar prices have fallen to low levels
and Cuba is finding her war-increased
srop a drug on the market. Financial
doom has followed upon the heels Of
. most hectic prosperity, "as the night,
the day"
Sugar-cane is grown by three classes
! ~ planters In Cuba. Perhaps the
major part of the crop is grown by
hare farmers, or "colonos," as they
are called. The owners of the sugar
mills furnish them with a given num-
Der Of acres Of land to plant and give
Them an agreed share Of the sugar
they produce.
They Made Money Rapidly
4 The next class is composed of the
land-owning farmers, who grow their
OWN cane and have It. ground on
shares. after the fashion of the rural
grist mill. The remainder Of the cane
is grown by the owners of the mills
themselves. At some centrals the
administration" cane, as that grown
Under central" management is known,
amounts to only per cent Of the
rent.
Even the share farmer, at pre-war
prices, made money. According to
rCuba Before the World" the official
handbook Of the republic at the Pan
ama-Pacific exposition, when sugar
Was selling at 262 cents a pound, his
hare of the sugar brought him, on
me basis Of twelve sacks to the acre,
ID return Of from $40 to S51 per acre.
When one remembers that the selling
price Of sugar in 1920 was from four
10 six times as high as before the war,
he size of the per-acre income at the
high tide Of prices is apparent.
II Boom In Sugar Lands.
4 A great deal Of the cane land pro-
duces much more sugar to the acre
han the modest twelve bags that
formed the basis Of the calculations
eited from Scuba Before the World"
According to figures furnished by the
puban depsrt agriculture, much
land - lags to the acre.
"a pound, brings a
" more than $1,000 an
= conditions brought about an
pFecedented boom In sugar lands.
Dne sugar estate, which was bought
ebout 1917 for $8,O00.O 900, sold In Jan.
eary 1920 for $9.5OO,OO0. Another
which was valued at about $4,000. 900
, few years before, changed hands at
b1B,0 900.
4 Numerous new "centrals" were built.
Ill capitalized on the basis of earn
lngs during the early months Of 1920.
Thousands Of American capitalists in
rested In these hourishing enterprises.
How Cuba's receipts from sugar ex-
banded Is shown by the fact that the |
fo15 crop brought a total return Of |
|sss than s200. 000, 900, while two-thirds |
u the 1920 crop Zone third remains
snsold) brought $400,0oo,0 900.
Production Cheaper Thsrs.
Cuba has the advantage Of every
country In producing sugar cheaply.
4ost countries have to plant every
.wo years and some Of them every
Ieason, but the average in Cuba is
'nce In from 7 to IL years.
In most parts Of the island the
season Is six months long
from December to June; but In
4