The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1915-04-06

"NAHN""A|
incredibly cxorbifanf. and the problem
presented itself Of how TO give then
letter pfieca fof their cane and actually
let them receive the benefit instead Of
the respective landlords For instance
man was paying ti.00 or $t.25 per ton
cane A. rr1tal he needed more helT
from his landlord than be did from the
plantation. and what Insurance would
me plahtaIioh have that these rentals
would not BE- further Increased Il the
plahtatioh paid larger prices for his
crop 70 get around tkis point paras
graph az ~ the 1913 Landowner Con-
|traet Nn8 Inserted Mhieh relieves the
plantation Of the Obligation Of making
advancfs Of any Kind when Il ascef-
tains that rentals c<eeeding sI0 per
acre are being paid
II l. not nh|ike|f that some Of the
londest local ehappi6ns Of the down
tfoddch z small planter who are now
calling, IN he behalf. FOR what they
term square deal are charging
these excc1oiv6 rentals.
The hyerof6 rental charged BY the
Olaa Sugar Co., Lid. for lands leased IN
M Olak section "a practically $500 pei
acre, and q The 'PnuA ttition IL Is H.15
per acre. ~
General Atttudk 81 The Planter To
ward the 1915 Conffatt es
The 1918 c6htfatl vas apparently
very favoreoIy reeeived By the plant
ers- They we're given more than they
asked for and the plantation had gone
Is far a. Il possibly could with safety.
some final requests FOR further eonees
iiohs We're made, among them the priv
'ilegc Of having their cane harvested
free Of charge, but when IL was explain
"a that the plantation. had reached its
INIT In what Il could 40 for them Their
apphrently tere Satisfied. Cane TO the
extent Of $4,000 tons was bought under
this contract during the year 1914, and
during the present year the demand for
land to be taken up under Il has been
% great that the plantation has been
ibliged 70 restrict the new area to-
ibcut 800 acres to keep the crops in adj
iustmeip Enough applicants have pre-
'ented themselves to take up at least
one thousand acres.
No disputes have arisen as vet con
earning the Interpretation Of its terms
and conditions, and the community as
whole has apparently been satisfied
with what the plantation has endeavor-
VI to do for them. War prices have
naturally made the 1913 contract com
pare unfavofably rs to rates when
viewed alongside the other existing con.
tracts, but II Is generally realized, ]
bclieve, how very abnormal the present
price levels are, and how impossible it
was TO foresee them.
When the contract In question was
irswn up il was felt that once in
great while fatty good prices might
prevail for a short period, and II only
seemed proper for the plantation to
AXE advantage Of such spells to
strengthen ita position by taking the
iarger share Of the profit, since 1t
would not only be financing the plant
81, hut also giving him the greater pro.
Fit during times Of greatest stress. So.
strengthened II would subsequently, be
In better shape 70 weather the unto.
ward conditions Of extremely low sugar
periods And this would certainly be
to the mutual advantage Of the planter
and the plantation. The principles in
yolved are obviously broader than the
pockets Of an aggrieved individual
IL doubt should be expressed by some
as to the average cost Of production Of
the small planter, as estimated by me,
and It should be contended that the
figure employed in my calculations Is
too lew, then the contention must con.
sigtently follow from the same source
that under such prices, as mny be ex-
pected to prevail with low sugar, the
losses TO the planter under the 1905
contracts would be larger than have
Indicated. Should a man claim that
the average cost of production is more
than 1925 per ton and at the same time
extol either form Of the 1908 contract,
as the only reasonable one for an
American citizen planter, il is evident
the be should he saved from himself
|. In conclusion it pleases me to state
thu, the large majority Of small grow
ers, both in Olaa and Pna, arc com
scientious in their dealings with the
plantation, and are faithful workers in
their fields. With few exceptions they
have proved themselves to be honest
and dependable men, and they have re-
ciproeated the spirit of fairness with
which the plantation has endeAvored 70
treat them. believe can safely say,
without fear of contradiction, that the
relations between the plantation and
the average outside planter are mutual
~ satisfactory and friendly.
II has been suggested TO them, on
many occasions, that should any doubt
axfat &, tkas. ...fnH. -. ras.o "A 81. fho
accuracy of the mill data concerned
with the quality Of their cane, that the
plantation would be very glad to have
them appoint chemist TO periodically
check the work and review the ealcnla-
tons. Special pains have also been
taken by the ONCE staff to explain, TO
their satisfaction, any points concern
ing their financial statements ON which
| information was desired
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