The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-09-18
Planter Barnett Tells Of the ST.
gar Industry There.
NEGRO LABOR WILL NOT DO HERE
Italian Labor Successful on Southern Plat
tarions-Has Faith In Future of
Hawaii's Industry.

-
in the steamship China was Mr.. J. A
Barnett, proprietor of the Shady Side
plantation, at Bayou Teche, Louisiana
Mr.. Barnett has long been engaged in
his present sugar business, and is we'll
known throughout the United States
He is accompanied by his wife and
daughter, and they are making the
tour of the world. The party have al
ready been to the volcano, via Kau,
returning via Hilo. The party will
leave for Japan on the Nippon Maru
tomorrow. Mr. Barnett has been eX-
tensively engaged in the sugar indus
try in Louisiana since 1869 and he be-
lieves that there is a great future for
that industry all over the world and
especially here. He said yesterday:
Il believe the sugar industry wher-
ever existing to be a growing one. In
these Islands it will have an unprece
years. largely, l think, because of the
discovery of artesian water. We have
the best of you in that regard in
Louisiana. There is no necessity of
irrigating there. In fact, natures sup
ply is in excess of the demand, in con-
sequence of which our fields are divid-
ed into 3acre plots around which are
bitches for the purposes of draining
Mr.. Barnett has no fear for the flu
ture of cane-grOwing in the United
States and it's island dependencies. He
said, as to that:
There are now thousands of tons
of sugar imported into America from
countries other than Hawaii, and
there is a fast-growing demand for the
staple. Admitting sugar free into the
United States from Cuba and Porto
Rico will not affect us in Louisiana,
| am sure, and why should it affect
the Hawaiian trade? We can now
produce sugar cheaper in Louisiana
than it can be done under the new con-
ditions in Cuba and Porto Rico. The
planters of those islands will have to
contend with great difficulties in Sc
curing necessary labor should there
be an extension of the industry. At
any rate, it will be a good many
years before they can increase their
production to meet the now existing
and fast-growing demand from for
eign countries. And so long as the de-
mand for sugar in America exceeds
the supply put out by it's own cane
fields and those OF its island depend
encies q except the Philippines, of
cOurse) there can be no material
change in prices. 1t is generally con-
coded that the products of the Philip
pine Islands will not be admitted duty
free into America, and in consequence
this output of that country will not
affect our trade conditions.
"Cane-culture in Louisiana has been
extensively engaged in for many years,
and it is now estimated that there are
over 100000 people, including labor
ers, directly connected with it.
THE varieties of cane are slightly
different from those grown here. On
account Of the frOsts our cane is not
allowed to mature, but is cut annual |
ly. The yield is, therefore, much less
than it is here, being only about two
tons to the acre, and the refuse is
not adequate to the fuel supply, as it
is here. One and half barrels of coal |
is needed in addition to work out
every 1000 pounds Of sugar.
Our plantations are not incorpor- |
ated affairs, as here, but individual
concerns and are, of course, much less |
extensive One mill generally does the |
WI n LII SSSSl al INCiAhlhS
was formerly done on the plantation, |
but is now handled by the New Or
leans refneries. The machinery and J
methods employed by us are the same |
as in use here.
Although our immature cane yields |
less than the Hawaiian, one must re- |
member that our crops are annual; |
we have no irrigating to do; our land |
is level and easily cultivated, and our |
markets are near at hand.
The labor question is not a particu- |
larly serious one with Louisiana plan |
ters Many Italians from Sicily are
now being employed on our planta-
tons and we consider them the best |
labOrers we have. The Hawaiian |
planters will certainly be fortunate if |
they are able to secure Italian labor. |
Most of our work is, of course, done |
by negroes They are brought from
the cities during the season. The prop |
osition of bring negroes from the |
Southern States to this country is not
tenable. We have no more negro la
borers in the South than are needed
to do the work there. We have a |
great many lOafing negroes that we
would be pleased to be rid of, but |
fear they would not be desired by the |
Hawaiian planters. The negroes are
extremely tenacious to that little spot
called home, and it is even difficult to
keep them on the plantations for a
few months. l. myself, have gone as
far north as Virginia to secure negro
laborers and found great difficulty in
getting as many as twenty to return /
with me to the plantations Most of
that twenty returned home at the l.
first opportunity. Our Italian labor
IifTprnnr the
are peaceful, frugal and
Mr.. Barnett has visited many plan
tations since he has been in the ISL
ands. He does not believe that Ha-
waits sugar plantations are to be
short-lived as paying investments, but
hat their future will be brighter and
brighter as time goes by.