The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-12-05


HONOLULU, May 20.-Sugar is king
in Hawaii and viii continue to be for q
long time 10 come. 1t is estimated thai
there are approximately 569, 900 acres
| of arabic land in the Hawaiian Islands
of which 1900 acres are appropriated
to rice culture, and 1873, 900 acres te
cane. and there are 10000 acres that
may eventually be put into cane. OF
the possible sugar land, $4,000 acres
may be classified as irrigated land
| that is, land that requires irrigation to
produce any crop: and $4,000 acres as
rainfall land
The crop of 1905-1906 was harvested
from 95,44O acres. yielding 427.865 short
tons of sugar, or an average yield per
acre of $500 pounds of sugar. 1t must
be borne in mind that there are already
two crops and part of third in the
ground. and that it takes the cane
eighteen months, and in some locali-
ties longer, to mature.
might be stated that the crop of 1895
was harvested from 1889 acres, yield
ing 1888 short tons, or 6,472 pounds
average per acra. The increased ton
mage per acre, as shown above, is
largely due to improved methods of
cultivation and fertilization and the
introduction of more thrifty varieties
of cane: also to the establishment of
the large plantations bordering Pearl
Harbor, where the largest yields per
acre in the islands are obtained, the
soil being very good and a steady sup
ply of water available by pumping.
Increased technical skill in the mill
and sugar house, with a resulting de-
crease in losses of manufacture, has
also added to the output per acre.
CUBAs FUTURE A VITAL CUES
TION TO HAWAII.
Because sugar is the mainstay and
backbone of these people and their
principal source of wealth, nowhere in
the world is the future of Cuba being
more closely watched than in the Ha-
waiian Islands. Nobody has a keener fl
nancial and business interest in the
outcome of the present occupation of
Cuba than the Hawaiian sugar plant
ers. Whether the Cuban people de-
clare for an independent government
of their own or whether they make
necessary a permanent control of the
island by the United States means al
most the difference between poverty
and riches 20 the planters of Hawaii.
1t may be said, also, that not only are
the sugar growers of Hawaii the clos
est watchers of the destiny of Cuba,
but they have made up their minds
almost unanimously as to the ultimate
political fate of the island.
Almost without exception the chief
sugar men of the Hawaiian Islands
expect to see Cuba. come under Ameri-
IAN control. Some place the limit of
Cuban independence at ten years, but
1 large number believe that five years
will tell the story. It is rather difficult
% get adequate comprehensive rea-
sons from these Hawaiian planters for /
he belief to which they adhere so
closely. Some of them have been in
cuba and profess to base their belief !,
IN the tendencies they observed in Ha-
,ana and other principal cities of the
sland.
WHY PLANTERS ARE APPRE-
HENSIVE.
I have visited many of the principal
plantations, and talked with the
managers and proprietors about the
future of Hawaii, and what
he effect would be on their principal
if Cuba came under the polit-
eal control of the United States, and
he present tariff on Cuban sugar was
bandoned With hardly an exception,