The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1862-10-30

estate without improvements is no better. Peo-
pie who have always lived in towns or old settled
countries can scarcely realize tie fact that Wild
lands have no value, because, where they came
from, land was the most valuable of all proper
ty, and perhaps commanded miraculous prices,
forgetting that immense sums have been expend-
ed in improvements and, if in Europe, a thou
sand wears of labor more or less skilled. have been
layished upon it.
In Honolulu, owners Of lots fence them in,
plant trees, build q dwelling and outhouses, and
then rent them at SO much per month or year,
keeping the same in repair. That is all right.
They improve their land and keep it improved.
If the land-holder will get a sugar or coffee
plantation underway on his wild lands and then
lease 1t, that too, will be all right otherwise 1t
is all wrong, as every years experience more
plainly proves. Every native landlord who has
a sea attached TO his estate, finds the former
more valuable than the land. He has a sort of
piscatory skill, but neither skill nor capital for
agricultural operations. Let him keep the sea,
and sell the land for what he can get the inter-
est on the money will be larger, yearly, than his
land rents. 1t will be the duty of the Legsla-
ture to devise some kind of tax system that will
make wild lands too hot to sleep on.
As the sugar question is now uppermost, and
as there is a strong tendency in the community
to invest in that direction, we will say a few
words of caution and advice, which doubtless
will be very %edifying, as re know no more about
the business than they, and not half so much.
First and foremost of all, dear friends, see
that you have the funds Prorided. Mrs. Glass
maxim will not apply in this case, 8 don't catch
the hare till you are ready to cook him" We
shall suppose that if a person wishes to start a
sugar plantation, he will take the trouble to
select the best location to be had ON the islands
for that particular business, and not the poorest,
because the climate happens to please him, or he
happens To hold property there, or perhaps his
grandmother's aunt happens to have a kuieGna
there, which he can get for nothing, and thereby
save q few reals to start with. We predict fail
ure to all such economists. Select a locality
that "erer fails to produce a crop Of cane, where
the curse of drouth is never talked of, then select
the best land for a plantation in that locality,
taking into consideration the facilities for get
ting to market. If there is sufficient water
available for motive power, which is apt to be
the case where there are no 6rouths, ignore
g steam" as something highly intoxicating, 1--WE
mean to ones vanity,) and dreadfully expensive.
90 Our sugar boiled by steam" is a fine aristocra-
tic thing to talk about to the common folks, but
we notice it commands no higher price in San
Francisco market than sugar boiled in an open
train. AS for refining sugar on the plantation,
let no novice dream of it at his peril. If there
Is little or no water power, use steam for every
purpose, and not a little water for grinding.
mules for drying, hand power for pumping, and
steam for boiling or ring any o.hor oh.nso 81
q~uadriid and quaggy power. Such an
is about equal to four separate
heads to manage Il plantation.
After selecting your locality, if water power is to
be used, provide sixty thousand dollars subject to
order, perhaps you may not require so much,
put there is an even chance that you will require
more before realizing on Il crop. If the proprietor
understands the business thoroughly, is his own
ngineer and overseer, it will make from ten to
.wenty thousand dollars difference in first cost than
f he lived in Honolulu and employed from good to
officers in his stead. We have not now in
leases of any kind. Plantations Gan be started
or less money, but they are not so profitable.
Plant from four to FIVE hundred acres of cane to
commence with, get manufacturing apparatus to
orrespond. and put it up in the right tcay first and
the right place, so that there shall be no altera-
aItST"dIus. ciHply huulnR-tO IL auIulSSlDle.
me must forelay for every minutiae before striking
he first blow; = organize victory as the French
ny, in order to avoid doing and undoing, which is a
rightful contingent, and often causes SO much delay
to prevent securing the first crop, besides it is
ositive evidence of incapacity in the manager. 4
now days is considered little else than a crime;
is something worse in starting a sugar plantation.
Then everything is fairly underway. it does not
equire n high order of ability to manage. Learn
x can be dispensed with then, but vigilance, energy
nd tact, never, in an overseer. Besides possessing
lie last named qualities, he should have patience and
erfect command of his temper, rendering exact jus
ce to all under him, and exacting a fair days labor,
onestly done. no more, no less. This can always be
one without ofense to the laborers, if the overseer
generous in his nature; but, if he is mean, suspi-
Gus, c~owardly, vain and supercillious, no one detects
qualities sooner than natives, and nothing pre-
them from breaking his head except the fear Of
I ~taiIiOnis.
Many lazy would-be gentleman will tell you not to
UGH hands to any kinds of manual labor lest you
ose your dignity and authority. aud gain the con-
of your laborers, as they would consider you a
mnon " mudsill' like themselves. Believe 10 such
uf none but . veritable mudsill. clothed with a
tie authority, will talk in that way; in fact, moth
z secures the esteem of workmen for an overseer
much as his manifest ability TO do every kind of
2rk required of them, and his willingness to aid in
ing it when he has leisure. To be as much as
ssible among your laborers, companionable with
!, yet familiar with none. is an extremely salutary
i profitable habit. We have dwelt a little on the
hject Of overseers, knowing the importance of hav-