The Hawaiian gazette., 1911-11-03

Sugar Is king In Hawaii to Tar
greater extent than cotton was in the
old south, announces Ray stannard
Baker in the opening paragraphs Of
the first Of the series Of articles con
oerning the Islands he has written for
the American Magazine which reached
Honolulu yesterday. Mr.. Baker deals
in his opening article mainly with the
sugar corporations and with what he
regards rs the reasons why the cor
porations have attained their strength
in Hawaii. On che political conditions
he touches lightly, crediting the cleo
toral majority, the Hawaiian voters,
with Ca good deal Of Independence, "
independence from the corporations
from the fact that living conditions
in this semitropies is easier than is the
case on the mainland.
In part, Mr. Baker writes:
"Hawaii has been called, and Justly
called, the Paradise of the Pacific. But
it is a paradise not only of natural
beauties and wonders; it is also a para
disc of modern industrial combination.
in no part of the United States is n
single industry so predominant rs the
sugar industry is in Hawaii, and no.
where else, perhaps, has the centralized
control of property reached state of
greater perfection. Hawaii furnishes a
vivid illustration of the way in which
private business organization in its
final stages of development permeates,
Influences, and controls the life of a
country.
seSugnr is king in Hawaii to a far
greater extent than cotton was in the
old South Says the United States
Commissioner of Labor in his 1905 re-
port;
90 Directly or indirectly all indus
tries in the Territory of Hawaii are
ultimately dependent upon the sugar
industry the social, the economic, and
the political structure of the Islands
is built upon foundation of sugar.
ssThe fact that out of $46,O00,000
Of exports last year from Hawaii over
$4,000, 600 represented sugar will give
some idea of the relative Importance of
AuuuobAy w bhC lnAAhuos
"The dominance Of King Sugar Is
also becoming more pervasive. Five
years ago there were forces at work
which suggested limitations upon the
power of sugar, but few of them have
been in the least effectual.
ttThe sugar industry, thus being
dominant in Hawaii, it becomes a ques-
ton of how, by whom, and for whose
a =. IL
s'UnIike the old South, where the
cotton plantations were owned by in
dividuals or by families who lived upon
them in sort of isolated grandeur,
these great sugar estates of Hawaii
are without exception owned by cor
porations. In few cases the original
or controlling owners of these corpora
tions continue TO live upon and man
age the land, but in a majority Of
cases-and the tendency is constantly
grOwiDg-the men who really control
the plantations live in Honolulu and
employ salaried managers to operate
the land. Modern aristOeracy is urban
and absentee, not agricultural and
local, as was that of the last century
the aristOcrat is n financier rather than
p farmer
eve thus have over fifty corpora
tions controlling the sugar land of the
Territory; bnt these corporations them
selves are grouped together, so that in
all essential matters they act as a unit.
"In the first place they are organ
ized in the powerful sugar planters
association, which, while it is nominal
y n voluntary organization, exercises
the prOfoundest control over industry
in the Islands.
"ThrOugh the planters association
the centralized money interests in the
islands act as a unit upon the labor
question, they present solid front in
every political contest, and they con-
duct large cooperative enterprises, like
the highly efficient planters expert
ment station, for the good of the in
dustry of the Islands They raise and
dispense large sums of money every
year. The planters association is more
powerful far than the territorial gov
ernment it has well been called the
Hawaiian House of Lords.
"Behind the planters association
and really directing its operations, are
the trustees. all of whom are represen
tatives OF the great sugar agencies oil
factors Of the Islands. There are min,
such factors, but the great bulk OF
the sugar business is done by Eve OF
them-the No -called Big Five
"AIexander & Baldwin, Brewer
Co., Castle & Cooke. Hackfeld q Co.
and Theodore II. Davies 4 60.
"These five powerful hnaneia
agcneiea represent as faetors nearly al
Of the plantations on the Islands
They hnanee the plantations, they bu,
the supplies, they attend 10 the ship
ping and the sale Of the product.
Not only are these agencies th
business representatives. Of the planta
tlons, bui more and more they are ue
tuaiiy eoming into tho stock oNnrrhi
o. eonirnl Of the plantations ! pre
sums that from tiY 20 ten mrn rol
neetei aiih the np0urios paciicail
dleiHio tho policies of ihe Island mga
indnniTy.
fOne ~ ihe hsi things AIih whie
ihe investigator i inpnfd lu fhf +
lHnas and Il b. lhe faHllIaf argumnH
~ ~ hR husinnf corporations
HNnN ffT ainFH nn mans I'D I.. iH ....f.