The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1894-02-27

| MR.. EDITOR In the Hawaiian
star of the eth appears an article
headed us Ii Cheap Labor" by one
who claims 10 be an intelligent and
responsible man, who spent several
years on these Islands, and who
strives To make comparisons between
the labor in Louisiana and on these
Islands, and claims that one negro
produces as much sugar in Louisiana
as nine and a half Chinese do here.
This intelligent gentleman must
have thought the Hawaiian planters
very ignorant To believe such mis-
statement of facts as he has commun-
icated to his friend, and who seems TO
have doubted the correctness of same,
as he asked him to carefully verify
his figures and report again, which he
did on the 23d December. using these
words: 'In regard TO the output of
sugar and number of hands employed,
1 am correct except in one matter.
We buy cane from four or five small
planters at 81 a ton. These men for
whom we grind employ not to exceed
one hundred men not counted in the
first estimate"
These are the facts in regard TO this
plantation as gathered from that reli-
able and progressive sugar journal,
the Louisiana Planter. Under date OF
December Il, 1892, their ST. Mary
special correspondent writes the fol-
lowing: "Belleview Plantation has
finished and has three and one-half
million pounds 10 its credit, or 1850
tons. This is good crop for Belle
view" Also, under date December
%, 1898, entitled "a Visit 20 Belleview
Plantation" the writer states: 1.-The
sugar house has been worked TO its
fullest capacity-SS0 to 400 tons of
cane per day-for ten or twelve weeks
and on the most economical basis,h
and they completed their crop Deem
Der %, 1895.
The average sugar per ton of cane
as credited to this parish is $50 pounds,
so by their highest figures 400 tons
would yield 80 tons per day, and
twelve weeks or seventy-two days run,
would make total crop of 2160 tons,
which shows great discrepancy be-
tween the totals for either of the two
years, and the 10000 tons as quoted.
The writer says that they grind $780, |
900 TO 100000 pounds of cane per day, |
and turn out $4,000 pounds of sugar. |
Taking his highest figures, two hum |
dred tons would require n yield of |
two hundred and fifty pounds per ton |
while anyone conversant with the |
sugar business of Louisiana, knows
that fair average is $50 pounds,
but it has been increased TO 100 pounds /
in some instances.
The total output from st. Mary's
Parish, as stated in the same paper,
for the years of 1S90-91-92 Is II ,002,
IS, 0O6, 29,S71 tons and / believe the |
estimate for 1898 is 20 per cent greater
1892 in this parish were 50 planters,
classed as follows: 80 small, IL
medium, large.
AS there are several large central
factories in this parish, such as
franklin, Coffuys, Lompsons, Shady
side, Oak Lawn and Adiine, whose |
output is from 5000 TO 5000 tons each,
and the total for the six mills named
Is %, 900 to $4,000 tons, or 90 per cent
per cent TO be divided among the
,ther 76 small and medium planta-
ions.
There are 800 men employed to pro-
luce 216O tons or 40 tons per man on
and, taking the figures of
,preckelsville as quoted, would be
J tons per man. / have an average
4 several plantations, as given by the
Planters Labor and Supply Com
'any's returns, showing the produc-
ion to be 81 tons, or one-third more
,er man than in Louisiana, go that /
nfer there is not such a great differ
nee IL the average producing capac- {
ty of that class of labor the world
yer, when due allowance is made for
Innate conditions, soil, etc. 1 re-
nain Very truly yours,
JOHN A. SCOTT.
Wainaku, Hilo, Feb. %, 1894. Z