The Hawaiian gazette., 1915-05-07
SUGAR !.
IS BIG INDUSTRY
-" /.
Recent Entry Of Argentine Rein
ed Into World Market
Aroused Interest 4

The recent sale of twenty thousand
tons of Argentine graduated TO the
United Kingdom at prices much under.
the New York market has aroused
more than a passing interest in the. ex-
tent Of the sugar industry in the South
American republic. IA fi. i.'
According to statistics compiled by
d. l.. Simois, director of the National
School of Agriculture at Tueuman, Ar
gentina, about 100000 acres Is devoted
to the cultivation of sugar cane in the
whole republic Over go, 900 acres was
planted to this crop in Tucuman pro,
vince in 1918.
Started Long Ago
The Jesuits founded the sugar indus.
try in this province in 1870 at their
convent at Sules. When the order was
expelled from Argentina, seven years
later, sugar manufacture ceased, and
was not again undertaken until 1891.
At first only molasses was made, In
1884 a sugar tax of four cents per
pound was imposed on sugar imported
to supply the wants of the foreign
population, and by 1850 twenty -four
small factories were at work.
In 1860 an effort was made to, i'm!
prove the industry by importing heavy
modernn machinery, but because the
only means of transportation was by
bullock cart over 600 miles Of mud
roads this attempt was financially dis
astrOus Nevertheless, Professor Simois
says, this failure of 1860 marks the real
beginning of the Tucuman sugar indus
try. The sugar industry has made
Tucuman today one of the most i'm.
portant economic and social centcrs in
South America.
Plantations In an Oasis
The Tucuman plantations occupy a
narrow belt at the foot of the Aeon.
qpia mountains, between twenty six
and twenty-eight degrees South lati,
tude, a sub-tropical oasis surrounded
on three sides by an absolutely rain.
less desert, out protected by the noun.
tains, from which its rainsrand water
supply for irrigation oriKlAAe
The average mean temperature Of tho
last fortv.fve years has been 66.7 de-
grees Fahrenheit. Summer Icnipera.
lures range up to l12 deeteaN and win
ter temperatures to the fretNpg point.
The climate of The Argentine sugar
belt is more like that of Louisiana than
Hawaii.
The first crop of plant cane is ALWAYS
a short one, because plaptings made in
September or October are harvested
the following June or July. when nine
or ten months old. The rotoon cropa
last ten or fifteen years or moro.
About One-third Of the area undcr
cane is irrigated. The remainder dc
bends on rainfall
The Labor System
Three systems of management are in
operation. Either the plantation is
worked by the owner with hired labor
or the land is worked by tenants on a
share basis, or the lands are rentel.
The first or plantation system, comra"a.
BILE to the Hawaiian practise, yields tn
largest profits.
On the share basis laborer or g~onp
of laborers contracts for the "tiya
ton Of a given number of care rows,
each $50 feet long. The factory adj
vances funds at an agreed rate Of in.
terest and at harvest time purchases
the cane at a previously. agreed rate or
W " 'pPphA'HS bnb
of the sugar market. The usual price
is 1924 to $685. per ton of cane de
livered at the mill.
The average yields are about ten
tons of cane per acre. On this average
the "Gontratista makes a net profit
Of from eight to twelve dollars per
acre.
Where plantation lands are leased |
The rentals run from Sl.02 to 81 40 per
acre. The renter supplies his own cap-l
ltal, but usually works under a selling ,
with some factory. There are
very few renters. Most of the cane il
grown by contratistas.
Mills Are the Best
Very little has been done in the way
Of scientific improvement of cane p,o.
tuetfon in Tucuman, The mills, on the
other hand, are the, best that money
san buy. There are thirty eight sugar |
factories in Argentine. Total invest
nent In the industry was over 10000.
BOO in 1913. There are two large re-
ineries and two small ones. The Ar
sentine duty on refined sugar is so per
ton.