Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-12-11
MEETING SUGAR CONDITIONS.

Editor Honolulu Star-Bulletin,
Sir: IL the sugar industry OF these
islands is - be carried on, under
present conditions, there viii need to
be a great change in almost all OF
the various departments Of the mills
and plantations. ~'-,. =.
In the first place the construction
work win have to be studied out as
never before; for none but those that
lave had a long experience In planta-
lion work can form any idea OF the
large amount of money that has been
lost on works of this kind, and which
might have been avoided II more con-
sideration had been given to the sub
ject, or more expert men had been
employed to calculate, figure out, and
do the work. Mistakes have been
made in locating and digging OF ditch
es and tunnels and In laying fumes,
and railroad tracks, also in building
camps, and various other things.
In sugar mills also money has been
wasted through improperly designing
and erecting the machinery and IN
the improper placing of it in the mills,
and in making costly changes that
were absolutely unnecessary. .&s5s
More labor saving devices will have
to be used in both mills and on plan
tations and more attention given to
the waste products. n. 60. TT =
More attention will have to be
given to entrainment, combustion and
the general efficiency Of the whole
plant 4 ~ -s=.ss
More attention will have to be given
to the sugar boiling. for 1t takes but
a very little inattention to make a
false grain and to cause no end OF
trouble and waste of sugar. Very few
have any idea how much sugar may
be wasted by this cause alone.
More attention will have to be Civ.
en- to the ripening Of the sugar cane.
Millions of dollars have been lost
through inattention to this subject,
The writer once saw large field
of sugar cane cut in one Of our wet
districts that had never been stripped,
and which polarized but is and the
loss was immense. But with the best
of are there is always waste in the
beginning and at the end of a crop,
because II is impossible to wait until
all of the. cane IS mature. For this
reason many Of the mills would make
more money If less cane were planted
so that 1t could all be cut wheneit Is
ripe or mature.
Many mills areacramped with q lack
fof evapofatingscapac ~, and In conse-
quenee the work of the milling is de-
Ilayed.
Fields that have such poor soil, that
no amount Of fertilizers can improve
them sufficiently to produce q good
crop will have to be cut out, also
those that are so difficult and costly
to cultivate will have to be dropped.
New method of irrigation is badly
needed that win prevent the waste Of
SO much water; also new methods
of cutting and loading cane.
The agents viii have to be con.
tented with less commission and man
ayers and others with less salaries.
To pay manager $40. 900 to SIS 900 q
year while owners and stockholders
get nothing seems a little peculiar to
say the least and calls for some at.
EteHIlou. III our last experience Will
free sugar, some of the managers cut
their own salaries as well as others
under them.
The wages of the laborers. win, 1t
is said, regulate itself, by the supply
and demand, but whether this viii
work in time to save many planta.
tions from ruin is a question. and it
seems a little unfortunate that by
this method many plantations must
fail before enough laborers viii be
liberated to give the survivors q
chance to get men at a lower cost
| BUTT is said that much can be done
to help along by cutting out the con:
| tract system, ~
Very truly yours, ~.
~ - 4 K. Y. u.