Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1912-09-12
FISHER HEARING
(Continned from Page u

morning by Secretary Fisher. He
told of Waialuas operations, the
plantation having about 1900 acres
under cane, the leased lands amount
ing to two-thirds of the whole and
none of 1t being government land.
There are about 500 stockholders in
the plantation, about 100 of whom
live on the mainland. Three large
tracts of leased land are owned by
the Bishop estate, the Holt estate and
the Gay estate Most of the planta-
ton lands are In cane, but on the up
per slopes some pineapple lands have
been leased TO pineapple companies
or individuals engaged in growing
pines on. tracts of from 5 to 20 acres
en- ten-year leases at rental OF $40
per acre for selected lots. On large
areas and not selected leases are as
low as 81 per acre Orientals are the
holders, no Caucasians being tenants,
said Mr.. Goodale.ss -.5.@.~
Manager Goodale said he himself
began as small cane grower just
after athe, old, reciprocity treaty with
the United States was negotiated and
told of his experiences on what is
now Hawaiian Agricultural Company,
operating on a 200 acre tract.
Asked as to his opinion of-the prac-
ticability tof installing a system OF
small cane growers here, Mr.. Good.
ale said: ~
II think the difficulties are almost
finsurmountable.
He then went into the difficulties,
pointing out the enormous expense
of building irrigation systems, rail-
roads, mills, etc.
I'm harvesting a. crop it is neces-
sary to run q. millssfull time. Any de-
lay. is expehsive9S In harvesting the
crop lit Is necessary to take off large
areas systematic n.y." he said, point
ing. out the necessity Of doing planta-
ltion work on a Big scale. He said
the plantation cannot undertake to
meet the wishes Of small cane grow
.ers in taking OFF. individual crops.
Asked for an estimate as to min
imum size holding. he said at least
from $50 acres up. He said q less
size would not se.a y worth pothering
Secretary Fisher questioned the
manager at some length regarding the
use Of water on the tracts Of land
under the present system and under
system uof smaller holdings, refer;
ring to the possibility Of governments
ownership of the water rights. Man
ager. Goodale saw number Of diff
cnIties in the way of handling water
to e. number of small consumers. He
thought generally speaking 1t Is
wiser in a case OF water shortage to-
concentrate the water than to spread
it out, and Under q. system of small
holders all would have to be treated
alike and the total sugar output
would suffer in comparison to irri-I
CATION by the other method
Mr.; Fisher went on in this line Of
inqniry.tO amply it to the milling and
harvesting operations. He thought IT
cutie possible that part of the opera
lions in the field might be done on
an organized scale for many. small
growers, such as plOWing. Time and
some hard knocks would be neces-
sary to get an effective co0neration|
between small farmers, he prophesied.
Qneried as to- the efficiency OF var.
ious classes of labor, G9odaie thought
Chinese labor, is the best for routine.
He said Hawaiian labor is as good as
the best where it is available. He
said the Japanese are good at organ
ization under their own supervision.
He said the Spanish immigrant la,
borers are often from cities and
have to learn the business, the Pur-
tuguese heing more usually OF the
agricultural class.
Mr.. Fisher then began to ask about