The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1870-11-12

small mill or from not having clarifying power
enough sometimes from bad setting of kettles ;
sometimes from too small q boiler sometimes
from too small fues sometimes from too small
a chimney, and almost always from damp trash
or bad frewood, Or, again, there are too few
coolers, or too few centrifugals or not power
enough to turn them with the needful ~rapidity.
We repeat that the whole organization, machine
~ aud apparatus on a sugar estate. might just as
well be reduced to the capacity of the least effect
i've portion. BY a weakness in any OF the points
we have mentioned, and many more that We
have not mentioned, works that cost say $4,000
are reduced to the capacity of works that need
not have cost more than say $4,000 is an
axiom in engineering that any structure has only
Athe strength of the weakest part. A similar
axiom also is peculiarly applicable to a sugar
plantation,-it is not more powerful than its
weakest part.
But this is not the worst of a faulty link of
this kind. The great loss arises from being be
hind time in getting in the crop. This not only
gives the cane the chance of spelling on the
ground, but it spoils the prospects for the next
crop. We believe this is the most serious fault
with all our plantations, especially with the Hilo
Ouco, dHO tHOSc III d riLuIld llmdlC tS CiOP
takes too long to get off. In such a climate de-
lay is ruinous, and we believe that everywhere
immense advantages would accrue from more
rapid work.
We have had, on the other hand, some in
stances Of unlimited amounts of money freely
spent to have everything right, and still failure
has resulted. But in these cases the head has not
been a practical sugar planter, and the money has
not been spent to advantage-on the contrary the
widest extravaganza has resulted in remarkable
ineficiency. ze,--s
Again, if the money that has been directly lost
to different sugar plantations by inefficient mana
gers. or by wretched sugar boilers, could to-day
be reimbursed to them, we believe that most of
the owners would be rich men. We appeal to
their experience.
Want of a supply of labor when required has
been a great cause of loss TO our planters but
they have themselves TO blame in a great measure
for this. There was no organization to procure
labor till it was almost too late. There has, we
venture to think, been a sad want of practical
management and pulling together in this matter.
We rcmember not many years ago when this
question came up. One man would say he had
all the labor he wanted (but soon found his mis-
take), another would not have a Chinaman on his
place on any terms. One wanted South Sea
Islanders, and another wanted Irishmen-so that
there was no cooperation. In the mean time the
Board of Immigration saw fit to practically put
a stop TO the Importation of Chinese coolies, who
were coming as fast as they were wanted, and the
result of the whole is, that we are to-day badly
eornered on the labor question. This difficulty
however, we believe, can and will be got over,
but it will take u long pull and a strong pull,
and a pull altogether. Amongst all these
numerous disadvantages, the foundation of
which We maintain is simply ignorance,
the wonder is that we have got on as well
as Eve have, and that we keep making 10, 900
tons of sugar a year, and increasing the quantity.
But having got the sugar, ignorance again as
serts it's sway in the way we have disposed of it.
We were all alike ignorant. We have been as
sured by the agent of one of our plantations.
which turned out last year a fair crop of rather
dark sugars, that it would have made a difference
of $l8, 900 to the owners, if that crop had been
sent southwark instead of northward. How
many other plantations are there that have lost
thousands of dollars in the same way?
Should we be right, or might, to a great extent,
In these views, there is really no cause for despon-
dency in looking forward to the future prospects of
our sugar planting interest. We have gone
through the mill. We have been taughtby the best,
if the severest lesson-experience. Let us try to
profit by it. One misfortune is that we have no
written record of our twenty years. experience.
Properly drawn up and summarized, it would be
a most valuable one. We ought to have some
planters Journal published here where every
man could register his wants, his troubles, and
his experiences, for the benefit of all. Where
every new method in sugar growing or manufac-
turing could be set forth. whether it ultimately
proves good or bad, let it be known. We have
thought of devoting a portion of this paper to
this object, but find ourselves cramped for room.
We want more cooperation and interchange of
ideas, views and experiences. We would just
ask, in passing, those planters who have expe-
rienced the benefits of kopuaoLe what their plan
tations have lost by not knowing them at fret?
The more sugar each man can produce the better
for his neighbors. Our trouble is, not that we
produce too much, but too little. We want more
light. We cannot do better than conclude these
remarks with the remainder of the quotation
from Bulwer, a quotation equally applicable to
the wide range of thought which it is intended
to embrace, as to the details of every mans
actions or business. But as ignorance, then, is
the sole spring Of eul, SD. as the antidote to
ignorance is knowledge. it necessarily follows,
that were we c~onS11nniate in knowledge, we should
be perfect in good. He, therefore, who retards
the progress of intellect, countenances crime
nay, to a state, is the greatest of criminals
while he who calculates that mental light, more
precious than the visual, is the hottest improver,
and the surest benefactor of bis race Nor let
us believe, with the hopes of a shallow policy,
that there exists upon earth one prejudice "a
train of kettles-Ed.) which can be called salu-
tary, or one error (slack cultivation-Ed.) bene-
fetal to perpetuate."
OTHE Friend appends q postscript to an item of
ours on the coolie ship Macao, as follows
P.fS.-The. master also left a poor sick sailor to
be supported by the Strangers Friend Society, who