New-York tribune., 1882-04-27
SANDWICH ISLAND SUGAR.
EFFECT OF THE RECIPROCITY TREATY.
now THE PLANTATIONS HAVE INCREASED IN THE
LAST SIX YEARs-CONsIGNMENTs OF SUGAR
NOW ON THE WAY TO THIS CTTY-wHAT THE


NOW ON THE WAY TO THIS CTTY-wHAT THE
ABR0GATIoY OF IHE TREATY WOULD MEAN. -
An old Sandwich Island sugar planter, Il. q.
Hitchcock, of Hitchcock q Co., who was born IN
Hawaii, but whose manners and style OF talk Tor
bid denial of his American parentage, on recent
visit TO this city, cOnversed with tribune re-
porter The condition of the sugar interest IN tne
Sandwich Islands Mr.. Hitchcock has been IN the
together his plantation OF about 1900
acres, of which about 600 are planted with cane is
near Hlo, on Hawaii, by far the largest island IN
the group.
Before talk about sugar" said Mr.. Hitchcock,
81 must remark that have seen little reference IN
the American papers to the stoppage of the great
lava flow from -Alauna Loa Oh our island AT one
time 1t threatened TO destroy our town. The flow
began on November ., 1850, and only ceased en-
tirely n the latter part of last September-on Sep
before before the the liquid lava began to pour
fcom ont the volcano immense quantities
and piled up at the base of the mountain. M9una
Loa nearly $4,000 feet high; it at the height
OF 10, 900 feet that the lava broke forth 1t first
flowed about southery to within ten miles OF Mount
kiIauca and then, about month from the begin
ming Ol the flow. the stream took course easteriy-
by-norherly toward HilO, stopping within three
quarters of mile of tue ocean beach; Its course
was about midway between the lava How OF 1907
on the one side and that OF 500 on the other. Al
lis widest the How was four miles IN extent;
Its nurrowest width, where the lava came
with the force of torrent, $500 feet, but tne
average width OF the How almost one mlle-and-
a-haif. The average depth OF the stream was eight
feet. / have watched the stream wnen 1T was not
at white heat and when the flow was sluggish, ana
II went from three 10 five feet minute. AT white
heat-well, the lava went faster than you could
possibly get away from IL. Will mention as a Gu
rious cOincIdence-not to imply that am ietlsn-
worshpper-that the How stopped III last September,
"a day two after the Princess Ruth OF the Royal
family had performed elaborate ceremonies of III
cautation appease the evil spirit of the volcano.
ITO from lava and incantatiOn 10 nine
teenth century business matters" cont lllued Mr.
Hitchcock. There are from 5000 70 1000 tons
OF our sugar on the way, aro1nd Cape Horn, TO
New-YOrk. The first consignment OF about l 600
tons ought TO be here in about eight weeks. The
sugar Is sent from Honolulu because the shippers
think there can be found better market lorft here
than in san Francisco. | notice that recently the
Eastern sugar refining interest has been making Ell
forts TO create a ointment against tne
and the sandwich Islands Charges are
made that the san Francisco Bay Refinery proposes
10 extend Its monopoly OF the sugar business on tho
Pacific coast to the East. Claus Spreckels. member
of the company, first planted sugar cane III Hawai-
i'll November and December, 1879. The first crop
he raised was in 1851, taxing from 800 acres under
cultivation about 200 tons OF sugar. This year
his plantation of 900 acres Will yield more
than 10000 tons. The first plant OF the cane will
in twenty months. After cutting the crop
yield OF two and half 10 three and
half tons an acre can be gathered IN about fifteen
months. InIs second yield Is called crop from
first rattOons. 1t pays, however, 10 plough up the
cane, after the first ratto0D crop, aud plant again.
because OF the greater product Oi sugar from plants
compared with rattoOns."
" IL Is claimed that the imports of sugar from the
Sandwich Islands into the United states have shown
abnormal increase in the last few years. said
The reporter IL is declared that since The duty on
sugar from the Islands removed sugar from
Manila and China has been imported coming from
the Islands to the injury of domestic rcIncTs de-
pending on the Louisiana and West lndlan supply"
d" Ii IL ridiculous 10 talk about Manila or CHINA
sugar being brought to the Islands" replied Ar.
Hitchcock, and then sent 10 the United States as
Island production. 1t is not done. ana could not be
done without discovery, and We are Interested III
preventing any such fraud. To say nothing of the
duty the freight charges are largely IN favor OF the
Hawaiian planter as against Manila The Increase
the sugar production OF the Islands is perfectly
natural as result OF reciprocity with this country.
Inc Treaty Of Reciprocity went into effect III An
gust, 1876. Before that time there were about
thirty plantations Oh the Islands, with an
average To each of, say 800 under cultivsI-
ton. Now, there are 90 plantations oil an average
of about 900 each. That Is a low estimate of
acreage. Almost all of tins Increased acreage Oc-
Cured within a year or two after reciprocity was
adopted. Before that time our sugar interest was
Frustrated ; know that only four plantations were
out of debt. Within twelve months diser recIproc-
ty fifteen new plantations were started, and Ia 1873
about ten more new cues were opened. Capital
at the Islands was encouraged ana new cap
than tia tn that, we were ere led to adopt
new improvements III the Islands. ihe
Haiku Company, IN the interest ot the planters.
constructed works To lrrIgate East Maul, which
formerly had been practically "A desert, as desOiae
as your alkah Western PLAINS, at expense of
$lJO,OOO. AtterwdTd Claus Spreckels built lrrl-
= 900, 900. ILese Improvements opened large
area to new cultivation. The islands nave piac-
ticany reached their limit OF production. because
the lands adapted to the cultivation OF sugar are
nearly all under cultivation. No new plantations
being opened.
Another reason for the great increase in our
sugar productiOn," continued Mr.. Hitchcock,
was our OF sugar canes from the
Marquesas Islands. There is no seed Of the
sugar cane 1t Is pTOpagated nom Its own
stalks After the crop has been cut the stalls are
repantod for the next crop; cut again when grown,
and replanted this process being continued for
years The native cane, by this process OF repiant
Ing mad been greatly exhausted, and the yield of
sugar from the was decreased just as races are
delerlora ed, by too much intcr-Drcedmg. The
native cane. 1t Will yield about five tons
OF sugar per acre on the average Nhee
the naive cane Will yield only about TWO aud
half TONS IN fact there have been many instances
where the Marquesas cane produced seven tons of
sugar to the acre. Last year BALDWIN n AiexandePs
plantation on our Islands produced sugar at that
rate from eIghty Thus since reciprocity, We
have not only doubled the number of our pianta-
tionS but We have increased tAe average number of
10 each plant iatOn, and the amount ot average
yield of sugar from each acre"
" Ii is alleged that the production of sugar at the
islands Is practically controlled by Mr. spreckes,
thus enabling hlIn 10 mOnopohle the trace OF the
Pacific Coast, ana III eject TO dIlYc out Eastern
petition from the central regions OF the cOni
nent. hat have you tO say TO Chat =. the reporter
There is no foundation for such statement:
Mr. Spreckelss plantation interest Is only SINAI
fraction OF the entire planting interest OF the
Islands, aud as To controlling or crop, he has no
other advantage than THAI which money gives.
Whenever ne wants to buy sugar he has TO pay The
market price, just he would Tor corn III Chicago
OF pork III Cincinnati. IL Is no new thing Tor un-
rivals IN business 70 plead The baby act
What, III your opinion, would be the clicct of
the abrOgatIOn OF the treaty ~
"It would Iuin many planters and completely Grip
nile the sugar interest and Whatever trade m1gDt
Then be lett IN the islands would be diverted into
ot her channels. We bringing almost al our
agricultural Implements, clothing FUR
ulture. h0u sen0ld goods, provisions and goods OF
ali INSCRIPTIONS from The United States and our pur
chases are rapidly increasing and will eventually
If not equal uur sugar exports. see
L,vf 4 .t 4 ID