The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1907-05-24
CUBAN SUGAR PLANTERS
PROFIT MARGIN SMALL

1 the island. valued ali the way from
haif million TO four million dollars
each The largest. called Chaparra, r.
In Santiago province. and is controlled
by the Cuban-American Sugar Com
pany. a New York concern, OF which
FORMER Representative r. II. Hawiey
OF Texas IN the president. II has a
large number of stockholders In New
fork and other parts of the United
States. and 1t owns Ave OF the finest
plantations In Cuba and a refinery at
Cardenas. The Chaparra plantation
produces an average OF $4,000 bags of
sugar annually. Weighing s25 pounds
each. 1t IL under the management OF
Mario Menocai, nephew of Engineer A.
g. Menocal OF the United States navy.
Don Mario Is a competent and enter
prising engineer who was educated In
washington. He was one of the most
effective leaders in the insurgent army,
ts,prominent in the liberal party, and
has been talked OF as a candidate for
president. The five plantations and
the extra refinery owned by the Cuban
American Sugar Company represent an
investment of many millions OF dollars.
The United Fruit Company of
New Your, usually known as the
fruit trust. comes next in the magni-
tude of its interests. 1t has two large
estates. The Terry family. who are
well known i'm New York and Paris,
have the third largest interest. Their
estate. called the Caracas. is next to
Chaparra in size.
There are several other very large
American interests. They have not
been increased recently because of the
on Inf, al
corning the political situation. There |
Is not much doing in lands at present. |
The old Cuban families are the largest |
land owners, but they are not selling
as readily as they formerly did They
anticipate peace and better times.
They are confident of American perma-
nent occupation sooner or later. and as
they are not required to pay taxes on
their idle land they can afford to hold
1t for q rise. 1t is possible to buy small
tracts of land, however. along the Cuba
but sugar growing is large
and the margin is so mar
row that 1t is necessary to do a big
business in order to pay profits. Pres
snt prices are unusually low. Last
year Q9O6) they were still lower, due c
% a forced market and the eagerness
If the planters to get their money.
cuba sold 1884 .000,0 900 pounds of sugar
o the United States in 1906 for $780,
"a, 1874, while in 1905 she got $72,649,818
or 2.447 100000 pounds.
PERMANENT AMERICAN CON-
troll.
Yes" continued Mr.. Skate in an
wer to an inquiry, "all people who
ave live interests in the island expect e
ornament control of the government u
vi the United States in some form a
ooner or later, and everybody favors
who has anything at stake. All
linking men were long ago convinced L
nat the American military government q
It, go too soon in 1902, before the peo-
lie of Cuba were prepared to govern
The responsibility was e
laced upon men without knowledge @
r experience. and they did not know !,
ow to meet it. Now that the Amer
ans are back again, they ought to
.ay until the Cubans are educated up lc
their responsibilities and the gov M
'nment is much better organized than =.
efore."
What will be the effect of with oil
'awal?" m
There will probably be another up m
sing, with very serious losses by the
irning of plantations, the blowing up 81
mills and other forms of destruc- bl
on. A lot of railroad property will &c
!, ruined. Tracks, bridges, machine =,
ops, machinery and rolling stock -
III be destroyed. The entire popula- re
IN will be demoralized, credit will be
lpaired, capital will be driven and n,
pit away. immigration will be stopped
I'd the island will be set back several o'
ars. The improvements and adj To-
ncements in Cuba have been rapid nc
nee independence. 1t is now pros o..
rous island and its wealth has in y
eased at least so, and some think 100, WI
r cent since the American occupa- 50.
IN in 1898. Therefore, the damage tb
,uld be much greater than ever be-
re from political disorders. The more q"
ere is to be destroyed, of course the no
eater would be the loss" pc
What would you advise President a,
'osevelt to do?"
Leave things as they are today in WI
finitely. We have a good govern no
mt. Magoon is doing all right. and tn,
we want is honest courts, peace, JUS Al,
e and good order. The courts III
,uld be reorganized, guarantees and
Ter proVisiOnS OF the constitution Dei
'uld be enacted into law. which has
yer been done. We should have a Pc
'islon of our commercial treaty with
United States on much broader 50
rs than at present and closer COM All
rcial relations In every respect. The 1T
sting treaty Is of greater Importance dri
the manufacturers of the United 40
ties than 1t Is to the planters OF Gu
although the latter enjoy reduced e'a
les upon machinery and supplies i'm my
ted into Cuba as well as the re,
ton OF duties on sugar imported
} the United States" A
THE MERCY OF THE MARKET. dol
II IL often asked In our Congress turf
7 u treaty can be arranged no that in
trust Will receive less and tina and
lters more benefit from itP' I sug, =.
ted NV
don't see how that In possible" cav
led Mr. Skaifc. Your Congress froI
not ia the price of sugar; the seller of
ways Al the mercy Of the market II y.
'pt in times OF scarcity, when n
who has good crop makes blk WE
~, for he can command the situa, wor
lint that II a rare accident tho