Evening star., 1934-12-02
Cuban Treaty Helps Agriculture
BY FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.

things-were enormous. When the
price OF sugar sank there was no more
money with which to buy these things.
American sales to Cuba fell rs per
cent. Cubans had less varied diet
and American farmers lost a large
market.
It has long been Secretary Hulls
belief that tariffs kill trade with an
insufficient compensating benefit.
Whatever might happen in other
trades, in the Cuban-American trade
that seems to be true. The trade
agreement which went into effect
in September will give Cubans
$24,000,000 a year more to spend
merely in saving Of sugar duty, for
that much has been removed.
The agreement grants Cuba lower
duties on sugar and tobacco and this
means that Cubans will be able to
pocket this saving. The price level
IN the United States is rising rather
than falling now but the duty will not,
as heretofore, have to be shaved of
what the Cuban exporters receive for
both sugar and tobacco. To be sure
quota of 1902 900 tons has been set
on the Cuban imports, but the very
fact that there Is limit will prevent
dumping and price-breaking. The
same is true Of tobacco.
Helps Flour and Lard Sales.
The agreement, reciprocally, pro-
videS for reduction Of the Cuban
duty on imports Of American -four
and lard, two important farm prod
ucts, and also two vital staples of
I1oy n ,af
standing items, the Cuban rates also
are lowered on American vegetable
oils. beans, fresh and canned vegeta-
bles and fruits, dried fruits, nuts,
canned meats. These are all agricul-
tural products and number Of others
also are included. There are some rs
items of agricultural origin in all.
That, with what they save on the
American tariff on sugar, tobacco
and other items, the Cubans will fail
to purchase what they desire from the
United States, is not to be expected.
Although some effort was made, dur
ing the depression, TO induce Cubans
to diversity their crops and grow
more of their op n foods, the habit of
| depending on sugar and, to a lesser
extent, tobacco is a hard habit to
break. A single crop Is easier to con-
centrate upon and the Cuban Is a
fanatic on the subject of ease.
Perhaps he is not greatly different
from the American cotton planter
who, generation after generation,
plants only the cash crop, cotton, and
| although surrounded by fertile acres,
continues to buy canned and other
| food from the North. Nor is the per-
sistent wheat farmer in any different
category. Even where Cuba has
stimulated the growth Of Winter veee-
tables, they have been grown, not for
local consumption, but as a cash crop
TO be sold in the United States. When
Winter cold has killed the market
gardens Of the Northern States, fancy
vegetables for the tables of New York,
Chicago, and other big city hotels
move by the ship load and train load
from Cuba as well as from Puerto
Rico. Florida, the Gulf Coast and the
Southwest. There have been such
tariff concessions on the imports Of
these Winter vegetables that another
source of income is provided the
Cubans. They will sell their broccoli
in Philadelphia and buy canned pork
and beans to eat themselves.
While the farmer appears as the
| principal beneficiary Of the Cuban
/ agreement, sales of non-agricultural
goods also are expected to increase as
result of the enhanced Cuban pur-
| chasing power.