The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1903-07-31
REFINING
OF SUGARS
At HOME
Advantages Might
Be Gained by
Change.

Refining Hawaiian sugars at tn
mills. or at least in the islands, a toni
which has been discussed often. Is on,
which has engrossed the attention a
such men as Edgar l.. Lewis for a Ions
time, and since his recent arrival from
the Coast to devote his attention to the
local business. Mr. Lewis has gone into
the matter more thoroughly even than
ever before. The subject appeals to Mr.
Lewis the more since his business has
always been that of a distributor of
staples, and brings to the subject
familiarity with the trade.
The 100000 tons of sugar shipped and
being shipped from these islands this
year, at the low price of the raw prod
uct and the high price comparatively
of the refined sugars, means a profit on
HAWAIIAN sugar aioHe 10 tne trust OF
s12, 10000 or more. This amount would
be material addition to the profits of
local growers, and would mean light
investment for machinery at the mod
ern mills. AS it now stands there
would be In the light of the testimony
of some of the mill men, as given to
Mr.. Lewis, very little new machinery
to be purchased to enable such mills as
Eva, Olaa, Puunene and the best OF
recent construction, to make sranu-
lated sugar, though of course there
would have to be material investment
to build a new refinery to melt over
sugars or to make all grades. Discuss
said:
I'm my opinion there should be great
er attention given to plan of securing
all of the possible profits out of the
great tonnage of sugars now being
turned out in Hawaii. If the sugar
cannot be refined at the plantations
direct, then by the creation of a sinking
fund there could be secured such CAPT.
tai as would enable a combination of
the planters to erect reiineries at New
York or Philadelphia The refining OF
ers would mean that Hawaiian sugar
would become known as a staple arti-
Gle of pure cane sugar. and would find
a market as such all the time. If there
should be fear of the railroads making
rates which would operate against the
shipping of this product inland the
ent at least. at the coast ports along
the Atlantic and Pacific, and in fact
the inland might be reached by an all
water route by shipping by way of New
Orleans and the Mississippi river.
IF the fear is of the Trust driving
the local product out of the market,
for 1t can be seen that as the producers
of the raw material, the Trust would
be losing $40 to every 81 lost by the
local grower-reflners. This would mean
drain which would not be stood long
by the Trust, and the result would be
that the islands would secure material
concessions or a share of the market.
which Is always sure for staple arti-
Gle as sugar. reduction OF one cent
a pound on the refined article, which |
would be a material cut for the Trust, |
would simply mean the cutting off of |
the profit to local refiners on the fin
ished product, leaving them just the
same profit as is now secured on the
raw sugar. The price would have to
come back to a profit-making basis,
and that would mean the addition of
$50 to the price OF each ton OF local
sugar. AS the producers OF the raw su-
gar the local refiners, under a COM
would be sure to have the
ong end of the bargain, and would
,ome out all right.
AS 10 the details OF handling, IL at
irst 1t was deemed undesirable to I'M
lertake the boxing or barreling of SUI ,
'ars, they could be double bagged, and
hus made ready for shipment, and lat
r there might be the wooden contain
rs added. Another side of this would =
e the bringing here of mechanics and
killed laborers. so that the expense of 7
efining would mean that much money
Dent at home instead of being paid out j.,
broad. In the local conditions there
little which should stand In the way I
( the earnest consideration of every
Ian which would mean the addition of
ny sum to the profits on sugars, and u
18th such a production as that of the
'lands now. there would be no doubt
the success of the plan of making