The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1911-02-20
SAYS HAWAIIAN
Continued from page 81

GnJ time, according 10 the GNlauStlNe
report of Mr. Walker, the Bureau of
Science expert VITO spent the larger
part of last season making hundreds
Of mill tests and analysing almost ev-
cry crop of cane grown in the San
Carlos district, it is shown that the
planters are now losing "A per cent of
their sugar, or in other words, they
are burning it up in their furnaces
Tic writer can we'll remember Ms n
boy seeing farmers at home burn.
ing corn for fuel because the price
per bushcl was so small it did not
pay to haul it to the market. The
farmers derived some benefit. howev.
er as burning the corn saved buying
coal, but with the sugar planter it is
quite different. He is put to addition
al expense when he burns his sugar
cane, because, owing to the poor ex-
traction of the cane juices he is forced
TO spread the bagas out in the sun %
dry before it can be burned. and if 10
mas not a surplus of dry refuse on
hand in his sheds he is forced to shut
down his mill every time it rains. TAX
en- collectively the planters are also
put to additional expense for the hire
OF extra labor needed to operate so
many small mills since the labor used
in just two of the mills now in opera
ton is sufficient to grind all the cane
in the district if a modern central
mill was in operation.
There are now twenty small mills in
operation in the San Carlos district,
while with large central mill operat-
ed in the district the economical adj
vantages are too real not to be readily
acknowledged, as for example:
One of the best sugar experts in
the Philippine Islands has recently
completed his estimate for this years
sugar crop which he places at 10000
piculs. Under the present system of
many small mills the loss to the plant
ers averages 40 per cent, whereas If
that 40 per cent was saved to the
planters the crop would be equival-
ent to $4,000 piculs of No. 1 sugar,
against present possibility of 100000
piculs of inferior grade sugar. TAX
ing the present market price of No.
l sugar in New York the No. sugar
would be worth in Iloilo at least $50
pesos per picul as against 5 pesos per
picul for inferior grades as is now
manufactured. The present crop of
the San Carlos district if ready for
market would now bring 100000 pesos,
whereas if the crop was manufacture
ed in modern central mill it would
all be No. grade and sell at $50
pesos per picul, thus bringing into
the islands 2,394,OOO pesos, thereby
making gain of 1,494,00O pesos and
naturally the question arises, who is
the gamer in raising the standard of
grade? The answer may be readily
obtained by considering all the factors
that bear on the question. The sugar
( central operating company will re-
ceive about forty per cent for the
work of turning the cane into number
! sugar, but must necessarily distrib-
ute large part of this sum in the
immediate vicinity for the hire of lab
or, purchase of supplies, and various
other items of expense, thereby leav-
ing the planter with the same quanti-
, ty of sugar QSO,OOO piculs) as at pres
ent, but of number one quality.
AS estimated the crop would bring
the planter 100000 pesos for his in
ferior grade of sugar, whereas the
same grade of number one sugar
would bring him 1,71O.OOO pesos, or a
gain of $4,000 pesos, beside the addl
tional saving of expenses for all mill
| ing, transportation to the mill, bag
ging and storing and loading into
steamers, which factors alone would
leave the planter with large number
of laborers for other purposes. Hence
directly the planter is the gamer Df
this addition $4,000 pesos, and he Is
not likely to bury this sum of money
under the house, but he will more than
likely improve his hacienda, live bet
ter and enjoy life and indirectly ev-
cry business firm and individual will
be benefited thereby. No country can
be prosperous except the people pros
per with it.
The planters of San Carlos are an
enterprising and prosperous commun-
ity, and it is owing to their enterprise
and thrift that this opportunity for 4
sugar central has been offered to them.
And it is the hope of the Star (Iloilo)
that nothing will occur to prevent the
closing Of the deal between the plant
ers and the Honolulu capitalists. Our