The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-03-01
CEN T R Al
MILLS.
Sugar Planters in
Australia and
Java.
UNFAIR TREATMENT
BY PRIVATE FIRMS
The Capital for Construction Is
Advanced by the Govern
ment to Farmers.
A n INTERESTING article is pub
"A lished in the Planters Monthly

a n INTERESTING article is pub
"A lished in the Planters Monthly
for February, just out, on the
sugar industry in Queensland and
Java. 1t is by Ernest E. Hartman, of
Papaikou, Hawaii, and is as follows:
The sugar industry in Queensland
is in the hands partly of large cor
poration, the Colonial Sugar Refining
Co, Ltd. and partly OF Individual
planters, owning more or less extensive
plantations or farms. The largest OF
these plantations have their own mills,
while the smaller planters either sell
their cane to one of the private mills,
or have it manufactured into sugar at
are shareholders, i. e.. they are respon-
sible for the interest to the Govern
ment who advanced or guaranteed the
capital for building these mills.
The farmers, in many instances,
clamored for these mills, because they
considered themselves unfairly treat
ed by the private mills. Whether this
was the case or not, it is at present
very questionable, whether they are
better served by the central mills, as
many of the shareholders-aT sugar
farmers-have not only been unable so
far to repay. as agreed. part of the
capital advanced, but have even in
some cases failed to pay the interest
in full. This unsatisfactory state of
affairs is to a considerable extent due
to d number of dry seasons, but to a
greater extent it is due to lack of ex-
perience, shortsightedneSs and dislncli-
nation on the part of the sugar farm
ers to follow advice. The Colonial Su-
gar Refining Company owns and con-
II
mills, some of which are run in con-
nection with a plantation, although the
greater part of the cane ground at
their mills is bought from farmers,
who grow the cane on their own
leased land, generally with the compa
nys financial assistance in the shape
of advances on the growing crop. These
farmers have the benefit of the compa-
ny's experience in cane growing in
Queensland. Experiments Doth IN re-
gard to agriculture and manufacture
have for years been systematically car
plantations. each of their mills being
provided with a staff of two to four
chemists and analysts.
To the fact, then, that the farmers
do not avail themselves of the advice
rendered them by the experienced off,
GERS of the coInpe ny-the cane inSpec-
tors-it is greatly cue that the results
of such a system are not only not al
ways satisfactory. but mostly unsatIs-
factory. Other circumstances natu-
rally contribute towards the poor OF
irregular results.
In Bundaberg district | visited
number of ably managed plantations
outside of the Colonial Sugar Refining
Compary's. Some of the land in that
vicinity is similar in appearance and
composition, according to the analyses
shown me there, TO some of our best
sugar lands Growers In that district
are however handicapped by a scant
that by irrigation they could obtain
heavy yields, as in particularly favor
able years up to 100 tons of cane We're
obtained from one acre. The difficult
ties in the way of adopting system
of irrigation were or are only financial,
and as the cost of such a system would
in that locality be comparatively low,
the water could be taken from the
river, ana the lay and slope of the
fields is most favorable. The planters
there hope to overcome the financial
difficulties in the near future.
Some of the mills in this district are
kept well up to date, though there are
still a number of small. old fashioned
mills going. The majority of the mill
owners combined couple OF years ago
to engage the services of a capable
sugar expert. The finances of the
ical changes being at once made in
their mills; but many savings have
been effected by concentration of the
work
Some of these smaller mills have been
stripped of their somewhat Anticipated
evaporators; their work is now re
stricted to grinding cane, the juice of
which, after being lined very heavily
10 to IL pounds Gao per 100 gallons) is
pumped to the refinery, pipes for this
purpose being laid to distances Of over
five miles. At the refinery the juice
undergoes a double carbonation
process. While this manner of working
undoubtedly entails waste of fuel,
and the action of large quantities OF
lime on the juice for such long time
can hardly fail to do some damage,
the system seems to suit local require
ments Wen. Mills situated at too great
a distance from the refinery send their
juice similarly prepared in tank cars
by rail
1t is the custom in most of the mills
in Queensland 10 macerate heavily,
and all mills require and use other
fuel besides bagaSSe. The advantages
of this system of working are not quite
obvious, particularly not to visitor
from these Islands where we are
agreed that it is not profitable to buy
fuel in order to De able to use more
water for maceration. Before rushing
W COuUcIIlu The SlueenSidtlQ CuStOHi
however, We ought to bear in mind
that conditions there are entirely diff
ferent and that this heavy maceration
is considered to be suitable by the
chemical staff of the Colonia1 Sugar
Refining Company. who are thorough
iy acquainted with the peculiar local
conditions
In regard to the mechanical efficIen-
cy, the new powerful nine-roller mills
as they are in use here are superior
to those in use in Queensland. The
principle of a compact nine-rolier mill
with short intermediate carriers, the
whole driven by one engine, has not yet
obtained a footing in the colony The
objections brought against it. are first
that the relation of the speed of the
mills to each other cannot be varied
an objection which does not appear to
me to carry any weight, and second.
the inhibition or diffusion of the mac
Grafton water with the juice In bagasse
is less complete on account of the
shorter time of contact. This is Ger
tainiy the case; but the advantages in
saving in steam, in reducing the time
between expression and lining, and In