Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1899 American Edition.djvu/287

 IMPORTS FROM CUBA — RAILWAYS

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SUGAR INDUSTRY The British consul-general gives the following details in regard to the sugar trade in 1895 and 18U0 :

Description

Exports Stocks

Local consumption Stock on Jan. 1 (previous crop) Total production Decrease in 1895-96 Equivalent to. ..

Quantity

1895

Tons 832,431 135,181

967,612 50,000

1,017,012 13,348

1,004,264

1896

TOHH 235,628 36,260

271,888 40,000

311,888 86,667

225,221

779,043 77.574 per cent

The exports of sugar to Spain during the three years ending in 1896 are given as follows in a British Foreign Office report (Annual Series, No. 1851, 1897): Tons 1894 24,240 1895 26,991 1896 14,642 It should be noted that during the same period the exports of sugar from Porto Rico to Spain increased from 13,000 to 18,000 tons. RAILWAYS According to a report published in Special Consular Reports, "High- ways of Commerce," there are ten railway companies in Cuba, the most important being the Ferrocarriles Unidos ; upw^ard of 1000 miles of main line belong to these companies, and there are, besides, private branch lines to all the important sugar estates. The Ferrocarriles Unidos has four lines, connecting Havana with Matanzas, Batabano, Union, and Guanajay. The roads pass through the most populous part of the country and connect Havana with other lines. The Western Railway was begun some forty years ago, and in 1891, w'hen it was acquired by an English company, had reached Puerto de Golpe, 96 miles from Havana and 10 miles from Pinar del Rio, the capital of the province of that name and the centre of the tobacco-gi'owing dis- trict. The line has been completed to Pinar del Rio, and improvements have been made in the old part, many of the bridges having been replaced by new steel ones, the rails renewed, modern cars put on, etc. The other companies are : Ferrocarriles Cardenas-Jacaro. the main line of which joins the towns of Cardenas and Santa Clara ; Ferrocarril de Matanzas, having lines between Matanzas and Murga, and also between Matanzas and Guareiras ; Ferrocarril de Sagua la Grande, running be- tween Concha and Cruces ; Ferrocarril Cienfuegos-Santa Clara, connect- ing those towns ; Ferrocarriles Unidos de Caibarien, from Caibarien