The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-04-27

of 1000 to 5000 feet. are extremely rich
in nitrogen.
The greater portion of the islands is
not susceptible to cultivation, being
covered with rugged lava and deeply
gulched, or with poor soils incapable
of large production. The dry plains and
seacoasts are made fertile by irrigation.
The fertile valleys are highly produc-
tive. but of very limited areas
Only small portion of the Islands
is capable of sustaining a dense popula-
ton. The most fertile belts are near
the ocean The interior is mountainous
and craggy, with a very thin soil,
adapted in many instances to pastur-
age, but unfit for cultivated crops
Many parts of the shore belt are bar
rem without irrigation, but extremely
productive with an abundance of water.
Other parts are covered with lavas not
yet converted into soil, and still others
are gulched and carved into ravines so
deep and precipitous that access is al
most impossible. Deep, rich soils at
low attitudes form, probably, not over
one-fortieth of the islands. Thinner
soils. perhaps capable of producing
profitable crops of some kind. are far
more abundant
A HONOLULU CABLE.
Among the important measures
Congress will be called upon to con-
slider next December" said Represen-
tative George w. Smith. of Illinois,
when called upon for what he thought
would be some of the first measures
taken up by the next Congress, will
Ia hill ~i1fya he Cfr1rn lon
of a cable from San Francisco TO Ho-
noluIu and thence to the Philippine
Islands. 1t must be evident 10 every
body that cable to the points named
is of national Importance. In the Con-
gress which adjourned on the 4th Of
March last there were several bills on
the calendar of the House authorizing
the construction and maintenance of a
cable from San Francisco to Hawaii,
and thence to Manila, via Guam. These
bills were carefully considered by the
committee on interstate and foreign
commerce. One of the bills passed the
Senate. They were not considered in
the House, however, because of the
lateness of the session and the pres
sure of other matters There Will be
no occasion for delay in taxing up this
subject next December, because the
House will have the benefit Of the labor
of the interstate and foreign COM
Tnerce committee in the last Congress.
DO you think the government will
construct the cable?" Mr.. Smith was
asked.
That viii depend. ( would much
prefer that the cable be laid by private
enterprise, the government, however,
to have the right to control it when
ever the occasion should arise and the
right TO fix the charges to be paid by
the patrons of the cable. If this. could
not be agreed to then l would favor the
government building and owning the
cable.
II do not think the time has YET come
for the government ownership of the
telegraph and telephone lines. And il
the government should undertake to
construct the cable between the United
States, Hawaii, and the Philippine ISL
ands it might be considered by the
people as the entering wedge TO the
ownership by the government of the
telegraph, the telephone, and even the
railroads. l am inclined to think that
the cable in question will be built by
private enterprise, under the conditions
/ have suggested. l believe it would
be a paying investment. The Philippine
Islands, 1 am told contain untold
wealth in minerals, iron, coal, ETC., for
ests of rich woods, oil, mines, and In
fact everything to be found In this
country. What is needed to develop
the islands is Yankee pluck and CAPT
IL
point a cable is a necessity to the DuSi-
ness interests of the United States L
am satisfied that Congress will take up
the cable question early in December
and that some measure providing for
a cable between the United States, Ha-
wall. and the Philippine Islands will
become law next year. 1t is a ma
tional matter, and the interests OF the
country demand It.
SUGAR BEET INDUSTRY.
The sugar beet industry of the world
has gone forward during the last sixty
years with giant strides. The rapidly
increasing share of the worlds sugar
consumption, which is supplied from
sugar beets, is pointed out by publi-
cation in the Monthly Summary of
Commerce and Finance" just issued
by the Treasury Bureau of Statistics.
Under the head of The Worlds Sugar
Crop of 1900,'' is is shown that the total
beet sugar production of that year
was $3.50. 600 tons, and the cane sugar
crop 2,S50.o00 tons. more than two
thirds Of the worlds sugar supply
thus being produced from beets. In
this latter cane sugar crop Hawaii
ranks fourth, being preceded only by
Java. Cuba, and Louisiana.
Following this is a table showing the
cane and beet sugar production IN each
decennial year, beginning with 1910.
and the percentage which these rival
sugar plants have in supplying the SUI