The Hawaiian gazette., 1877-01-31
WEDNESDAY,. JANUARY 81, ls55,
A QaeenSlander In America.
'ANE-EIELpS OF rHE UNITED STATES AND
wBSr INDIHS.



As We hsvs sen ~ Martiniqae. the Preach
wsrs the frsi 70 adopt as 3 system the purchase
o. cane fror, farmers and grOwess. and 10 nane-
fscts-e ssgsr trOm canes gro~o IN this way,
Taas they did By applying the principle iolloSed
In beet sugar eocuirss 70 care tsrrniug. The
islsnSs Of GG26eloope and MsrtiRique are Pser-
lrssiy well fitted for an experiment % the kind,
Eaeh Of the islands is thieSly populated, large
sections Of the lard are he'd by small OWneCs--
q steady. eOnteutei. remarkably welito-iO PEG
pie. Al the preSsnt esy these small land owners
an vel s1ppllsd with excellent cattls, The
first factory Was commenced Soule thirty years
aro ard by N Ergiishman. according 10 the 10
mantle tales Of ssriy sugar growing Of The eoun-
Try. Al that ,iue The French Islands exported
fruits and grain. ard vessels tradirg in the West
ludiss ioa8d supplies; this was while voyages
we're locg, asd steam less eomuOn than nos.
The plantations were then all large but this
EughSbuan thO1ght he eoG.d Induce the farming
Class 0i laBd owners to grOs cane, he offered
20 purchase ard IN order 20 make the care into
sugar be baiit The factory COS kaO~n as POints
SiuO0s. he did nOs s1eeeed. After a slrug-
gle be dropped cat Of the business but ere that
tune Others bad commenced 10 purchase cane.
Frou all | can gather IL would seen that the
system made but little hsadwsy uosil the French
6r1 u Cal L Co. Of Paris. took the factories
IN hani. IL appears that this 6rm were and are
still. manufactures Of sugar machinery. They
introduced into Martinique the mneh-imprcved
system f0llOHsi ia the French bess ssgAr FAC
tories. Srn success came. but slowly. Ire 1t
sss secured, Gail 4 Co bad iakea over several
Of the sugar estates into their own hands. aud
placed them under the eontrOl Of what proved 10
BE- very superior class Of uis1-S0rking ne
chanieal engineers. mostly, / believe, trained IN
their oWn E0rkS in France
Gail L Co. set to work IS though satisfied
that the way 10 make sugar pay was to separate
eane-groUlng from sugar making. They were
aided b the Fre1eh Government and officials
IN The Effort to encourage the smaller land owners
% gtoW eans for sale They went further. and
induced persons who did not own and. or who
bad not 3 suficie1ey 0f their own. to lease or
rent portions Of the estates that bad fallen into
Jhsir hands, 10 grow cane st stipulated prices.
and 70 dispose OF It AZ their factories 0oly. This
appears 70 have been the successful commence
msut q the usineS or central factory system
ia the French Islands. At the present day that
system Is aimlttedly ioGg way ahead Of any
thing seen II the Australian colonies. yet IL il
almost matter Of surprise, % seeing these gigsu-
tic French works Tor the first time, and 90 learn
iOg the "details Of the system, to 6nd hos closely
they approximate 20 what has been dGue il the
Logan district by NesSrs. FryAr and Strachan,
and other gentlemen
II seems to me fortucste circumstances that
the 6rst decisive efforts to aSSimilate the pro-
daetiou q sugar cane to that Of the beet sugar
f4esory system were made IN the French West
indies. Holders Of small areas Of land we're as
that tine more numerous IN these French Islands
than n any other sgSsr-prodeeing s0Vutsy-Aus-
trslia being unknown Is u sugar-producsr for
many years afterwsris And the people are az
s. - I -, n.
desire 70 leave their Islands. they seen quite
satisfied when living Is earned for the main
tena1ce Of their families. They are the most
eJntsuted people l have seen yet: and, as
whole. are better 0E-haye more Of the real plea
surers and e7joynents Of hfs-thsn any others
net Up to date-
From the outset Of the atteup, to separate
cane-SruEiOs FROM sugar making, the French Co
yerunent aad officials have encouraged the sys-
ten. They have aided the Subdivision Of plan
tatio1s into fsrms. Where property Of this kind
vas owned b. or under Government eontrol,
every iiidaesmsnt was held oct foJ the growing
Of cane by tenant farmers and this. too, daring
s long series Of years while planters in the other
Islands, and the executive Of the Islands as well
80 an tod sueered and laughed at their
French ueigboors for their romantic notions Of
cane farming.
It vas fortunate, too, that the house of Gail
s Co. took the Business in hand. This 6rm. a.
believe, have bad l0ug experience il the beet
root sugar business, both as uanufaeturers OF ma
chinery and Is owners Of factories in Europe.
They sent. and have eontinaed to send, the very
best Class Of machinery to Guaielogpe snd Mar
tiuique. They also sent 6rst-elass men as man
ayers The huge mills 10 use there, the triple
effect apparatus for reducing the liquor to syrup,
the filters, vacuum pans. and eenuifugals are al
Of the best kind that European beet s1gar-makers
employ. and although the appliances are not
each snd all the best Of their kind known TO and
seen 1p0u the sugar plantations OF The present
day. they are still, as Z whole. ahead Of any stu
PIE system seen during the whole Of this trip.
Snail holdings are common II the French IS
lands In Martinique there are independent
care farmers who have not more than few say
tSelTs. acres. and evan this small holding the /
owner, If be is family nan, Is disposed to sub /
divide al over the territory colonizsi By the
French, II Louisiana a. vel IS the Islands, We
see that The parents VII sabdiTide and subdiEids
n theE desire TO have their hEIiIies settle uear
them. Il Is quite common thing to see the I
old homestead and around tit may Re yards I
O. rods or acres apart, according to the SIZE Of 4
the holding-gTgrps u cottages oeeapied by the .
so1s and daughters Of the old toIks, and their I
families Perhaps there il rot much to admire I
u All- y eAEAls D-Iold Tue reQ4rk4oiy uQDeeLc D
character Of the people Bat We do not see the 4
povsrt! and squaI0r that might be expected we're {
the system followed By others than French and 1
BIKE satsr that becomes TOO much uuidied It 4
sorks It's Osn cure In travelling over the - 4
lands. oae Is constantly hearing Of nambers OF 1
suall holdings that have cone into tie care Of 4
large Proprietors. and been By them converted /
into cznsEalds; FOR here the end and aim Of I
everyoos. even close 70 the towns, is TO have as
much hnd IS possible under cane.
Tie French csire system has double aspect 4
SeEeral q The factories purchase az, reEy
nearly al. their cane from land OWNER n their
asighborhOod- Others oE1 the land, ard rent or
lease il cat to eoutributory tenants. IRON the 4
Turner Class Of farmers. OF those who ON the 4
la1d they work, the factory agrees to parchase
the Whole crop: and the laS, While it eonpeIs 1
the factory 20 take Or pay for ali the cane grown
under agreement. provides for the infection Of 4
severe penalty shoad the grower sell his cane to
an0iker uanafsetGrsr. There i, l should ssJ. /
considerable composition between the factories
bat there does rot sppear TO Be much disturbance
through breaking Of contracts By either grow
ers G. manufacturers. In this respect the
Frsoch have evidently reached degrees Of PER
fsction that accounts largely for The Comparative
prosperity Of their Islands even at the present 4
tine, when ne hear eTeryshers else that sugar
L nor inTe<.ueus-.hzt neither industry nor