Statement showing the exports from Baracao, &c.-Continued.

Articles, and whither exported.

United States, for the ports of New York, Boston, Charleston, Philadel

phia, Baltimore, and Savannah:

Statement showing the imports and exports between Baracoa and the United States for the year ending June 30, 1883.

Statement showing the production of cocoanut oil at Baracoa, and its exportation and value, in the fiscal year ending June 30, 1883.

Statement showing the navigation at the port of Baracoa, for the year ending June 30, 1883.

CARDENAS.

Report by Commercial Agent Nunez on the commerce of Cardenas for the year 1883.

Sugar and molasses are the staples of overshadowing prominence to this district of the island of Cuba, though there are others, such as asphaltum, honey, mahogany, and cedar, that are increasing in importance.

The centrifugal sugar is the article principally manufactured for and exported from Cardenas, and its manufacture is increasing, while that of melada is decreasing, having fallen off from 18,345 hogsheads in 1879 to 3,935 hogsheads in 1882.

Melada is a low class of sugar, and is nothing more than the juice of the cane boiled to a certain consistency, but without reaching the full point of crystallization. The centrifugal sugar passes through several processes, and finally through the centrifugal apparatus, after which it is ready for package and shipment. It is possible to cut the cane from the field, run it through the press, extract and clean the juice, and pass it through the various boilings and evaporations, and finally through the centrifugal apparatus, and have it stowed and ready for its market, all in one day.

The following table will show the sugar and other crops that have been shipped from Cardenas for the past four years:

Sugar, melada, molasses, honey, and asphaltum shipped in 1879, 1880, 1881, and 1882.

In 1882 there were 559 mahogany and cedar logs shipped from this port.

Coal oil of a very superior quality has been struck near Cardenas, and is being pumped to advantage. It is said to be a purer oil than any crude oil imported from the United States.

The number of vessels cleared from Cardenas for the United States, during the year 1882, was 391, of which 263 were American and 128 were foreign, principally English.

Official statistics have not yet been published here, but it is generally estimated that there is a falling off of the sugar crop of 1882 and 1883 in this district of 20 per cent., as compared with the former year, although much new land had been brought into cultivation for cane culture. The promise of a large crop in the early part of the season was generous, but the failure of rains caused that promise to be compromised and has proved disastrous to many who are interested in the cultivation and shipment of that great staple.

It is too early in the season to predict what the year 1883 will do for this part of the island. Until the past few days there has been an unusual drought, but the abundance of late rains has been encouraging, and hopes for a full crop this year are now becoming the basis for mercantile calculations.

There are many considerations which cloud with doubt the future prosperity of this island. The first is the competition of the sacharine

matter of other countries from other vegetable productions than the sugar cane; and another consideration, more formidable than the first, is the oppressive burdens which land and improvements here have to bear.

The tax on city property in Cardenas is 16 per cent. of its income, less 25 per cent. of the tax allowed for repairs; while the tax on plantations is 2 per cent. on the capacity of production, less 62 per cent. of the tax allowed for expenses.

The export duties on sugar and molasses, which necessarily are borne by the estates producing these commodities, are as follows:

On sugar, 85.45 Spanish gold per hogshead of 620 kilograms, and in proportion as the hogshead is larger-$5.45 Spanish gold is equivalent to $5.07 United States gold; and 620 kilograms are equivalent to 1,347.82 Spanish pounds, or to 1,368.31 American pounds.

100

The export duty on molasses is 82 Spanish gold per hogshead of 600 kilograms, which, in United States currency and measure, is $1.86% American gold per 124.22 gallons-a gallon being equal to 4.83 kilograms. These duties are collected now with a reduction of 15 per cent. Another element that works silently but injuriously against the material interests of the island is the lottery system, which takes from the labor field a large number of hands, and diverts the wages of labor into a very unproductive and demoralizing channel; for the laborer is continually fed with delusive hopes, and his energes are paralyzed, while his resources are diminished and withdrawn from the support of his family.

JOSEPH A. NUNEZ,
Commercial Agent.

Cardenas, June 8, 1883.

UNITED STATES COMMERCIAL AGENCY,

Statement showing the exports from Cardenas for the year ending December 31, 1882.

There are no means of ascertaining the imports to this port.

Statement showing the navigation at the port of Cardenas for the year ending December 31,

CIENFUEGOS.

Report by Consul Pierce on the trade and commerce of Cienfuegos for the year 1882.

Pursuant to consular regulations I beg to submit the following commercial report. The foreign trade within this jurisdiction during the year 1882 was much larger than usual owing to an unusually good crop, and for counter reasons it bids fair to slacken during the coming year. The following tables giving the exports at this port, in periods of five years each since 1858, of sugar and molasses, to which the export is nearly limited, will show the general tendency of the export trade:

During the period mentioned the importations from the United States as compared with those from Europe have increased at a greater ratio than the exports. At the present time about 65 per cent. of the total imports are from the United States, and cooperage, lumber, lard, furniture, corn, glassware, drugs, tools, and implements are imported almost exclusively from the United States. This increase of importations from the United States may be attributed to the quality and price of American merchandise, increase of advertisements in the Spanish language, and to the social intercourse brought about by the sojourn in the United States of refugees during the late Cuban rebellion. The heavy discriminating customs duties in the island have seriously retarded American trade; besides, as a rule, the prosperous merchants are Spanish born, with sympathies inclined to Spanish trade, while there is not an American exporting or importing house in this city, and 14708 C R, PT 2—28

I doubt if there is one in this consular district. The American trade, however, has more than held its own, and whenever vessels for Cuban sugar shall be more frequently chartered in American ports, and Spanish laws and officials shall have relaxed their undue rigor, the American trade must necessarily increase to a much greater extent. There is at this time a wide-spread belief in the island that the production of sugar in Mexico, and its entry into the United States free of duty, will be blasting to Cuban interests, and efforts are being made to influence the Spanish Government to seek a commercial treaty with the United States whereby the effects of the proposed ratification of the pending treaty with Mexico may be forestalled, Spanish discriminating laws relaxed, and a more active commercial intercourse between the United States and Cuba secured.

The following tables give the navigation of the three ports of this district-Cienfuegos, Trinidad de Cuba, and Zaza-during the year 1882: Navigation at Cienfuegos for the year 1882.