The Honolulu republican. [volume] (Honolulu, T.H.) 1900-1902, 1900-08-18
TOPICS OF INTEREST
70 SUGAR PLANTERS.
EFFORTS TO ESTABLISH CEN
TRIAL FACTORIES FOR USE
OF STALL PLANTERS.
State Of Ohio Files Suit Against
the American Sugar Refining
Company = Louisiana
Cane Crop.

There seems to be considerable dill
Guilty in establishing central factories
In the smaller islands OF the British
West Indies In Trinidad and Deme-
rara large establishments have been
the rule for many years. but IL is doubt
full IL any or many OF these have been
true central factories, that is, factor
les buying from the planter anu
paying cash for the cane, or the market
value thereof These factories DO nos
seem to have been very successful, Out
they were consumers OF sugar cane not
produced by themselves, but carried u
them or sold to them as central fac
tories by cane growers producing the
canes at points more or less remote
from the central factory.
We advert to this matter now from
the fact that Commissioner Morris, IL
his West Indian Bulletin No. 2, pub
lished some weeks back in Barbados,
refers TO the difficulties in inaugural
ing central factories in Barbados, An
tigua and st. Kits, where they couio
probably be made very effective anu
successful If introduced.
1t has always been a wonder TO US
how our British cousins in the West
Indies could hope to exist and TO carry
on their sugar industry with their old
fashioned apparatus, driven by animai
power, wind power and water power,
with no material change of methods
during the last century and a half. We
should naturally say that any sugar in
dustry was doomed to destruction ii
it rested upon such a basis, and tne
quicker that some change was brought
about the greater the chance to avoid
extinction.
There will be no difficulty about
starting central factories in the British
West Indies when adequate knowledge
! Of the actual results is obtained. Fol
| instance, it is imperative that the
sugar cane consumed in any establish
ment. no matter how small, be care
fully weighed before grinding. The
general unit of scale for sugar cane IS
that of the ton, long or short as the
case may be. If Barbadian cane
planter and sugar manufacturer Will
separate his expenses carefully into
two portions, the one identified with
| ,1r- on6 include
to the extent of one dollar any OF Tue
expenses incident to sugar manufac-
ture, he can then determine exactly
what the cane costs him per ton deliv-
cred at his own sugar house or factory.
| II then, in like manner, all of the ex
| penses incident to sugar manufacture
from the time and including the weigh
| ing Of the canes into the factory ana
on through with all the expenses up
to the sale of the sugar, are carefully
colated, then it may be determined
Just how much the cost is OF manufac-
turing a ton of cane into sugar. OF
course the crop proceeds divided by
the number of tons of cane consumed
would indicate the money proceeds per
ton of cane consumed and the cost per
ton for cultivation and delivery, and
the cost per ton Of cane for its manu-
facture into sugar, and the sale OF the
produce added together and subtractec
from the gross proceeds will determine
the gain, if there be any.
So long as there is any gain the av-
erage sugar planter will be very 10th
to discontinue his old processes, but
when he finds 1t impossible to make
both ends meet, he would naturally ca
deavor to ascertain the cause of the
loss. BY following the plan of opera
lions we herein suggest, the Barbadian
sugar planter may find that he can gel
more net money per ton OF cane y
selling his cane to his next neighbor
than he can by grinding it in. his OWL
sugar house When this is ascertained
and when the cane in any quantity
large or small, is sold to any neighbol
because the neighbor's house may be
more effective, may secure better re
turns in produce, or securing the same
returns with greater economy in tbs
process Of manufacture, then the CEN
trail factory is established. This neigh
Dor who buys the cane is the incipien'
central factory, and if he can make
money he will eniarge his establish
ment Just as rapidly as his means ma.
admit, and as rapidly as he can secure
increased supplies Of cane. In ths
meantime the other planter becomes
cane farmer. admits the ineffectiyenes:
of his own sugar house. devote:
greater attention and energy TO fn'
economic production Of his own cau'
crop. increases il in size by this con
centration Of effort, and may maxi
money in his business, instead OF losse.
as previously.
We believe that the reluctance dis
played In the British West Indies Ii
developing central factories is from III
lack Of this knowledge that we heresl
suggest. and 1t can be brought abou
very rapidly by the use Of scales 10
the weighing of the sugar cane con
sumed. and hence the acquisition o
knowledge Of how much per ton it ma
cost to produce and deliver sugar CAM
and how much per ton 1t costs to con
vert IL into final produce.
Scales weighing from three to TEL
tons can now be bought from our seal
manufacturers quite cheapiy. The,
can be bought at very low prices. and !
is well worth the while OF every Yves
Indian cane planter to begin at once 4
weigh his sugar cane. and he will the
find his view of the future rapidly clear
ing its way before him In other word