Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-12-04
Dlst EMBER i. 1916.
PROBLEMS BEFORE THE Planters.


The thirty SIKH annual meeting Of The Hawaiian
Sugar Planters Association which begins tomor.
row. brings 10 Il focus the usual and several new
problems in Hawaii's backbone industry.
Year after year the planters meet 10 talk over
such problems those Of cultiraiom. milling
portation. machinery. labor and wagesraIeS. Each
year chronicles steady advance IN perfecting the
processes ofraw sugar production and in ronmuniz
ing and satisfying the labor element bnt al some
annual meetings The business is. hardly more than
Teriunctort.
Not SO with the session which begins tomorrow.
The labor situation, while by no alarming.
needs some discussion. Certain of tile plantations
have had their difficulties in securing sufficient lab
or supply and all have had troubles Of detail under
the new bonus system. One apparent nequty in
that system is that the bonus payment is made on
the market price of sugar through every month and
even in the "off months of Hawais industry the
bonus payment continues. Thus the recent record
figure Of 652 cents ruled al a time when virtually
no sugar was being marketed. vet the local panta
tions continued pay bonus based on 60. There
is some talk OF a bonus based on what the panta-
tions actually receive for their sugar
The bonus system is. however here to stay. until
other plan has been devised equally effective
in satisfying the Iaorers that their wages pro
portionate TO the returns TO employers
On a number of plantations. the past year has
seen steady development of building UP homes and
me.interests for The unskilled and semi skilled
laborers. so thar the plantation becomes happy
community itself. Such development on one island
was recently told in considerable detail in the Star
Bulletins special Maui edition. While other planta-
tions than tfose@en Mani are doing great deal for
the health. comfort. recreation and amusement of
their laboreis Maui il CARRYING this plan of commun,
abIy be found to be a rule that lr plantations which
do most better the conditions of their laborers
have the least trouble in holding satisfactory sup,
ply of labor.
The increased cost of the labor factor-an in
crease particularly marked this year--makes neces
sary greater economy and efficiency in production.
and consequently the planters ready give close
attention to any labQrsaying device and any i'm.
proveIaenf in cultivation which promises 10 cut
costs. An instance of the renewed attention given
10 ab6nsaving devices is in the report of the com
mittee on that subject printed in advance of tonor
row IS meeting One Of the members of the associa-
iion points out That the development of harvesting
mdehiQery has been rather slow. since hand labor
ieal eader that win compete with hand labor
methods but adds that 1.-The recent increase in the
rate OF wages to laborers and the lower price of
sugarf~hich is hound to follow the end of the great
war; make II advisable that the committee shoufu
continne its Investigations as to secure mechan
ical leader that will compete with hand labor.
These same reasons have turned renewed attention
10 the HindOgg eonyeyor or dry hune.H and e
Severed other mechanical inventions which become
more desirable the cost of hand labor and the
necessity for rigid economies emphasized on the
sugar men of Hawaii.
The meeting Of the planters this year also brings
before the territory that oftdiscussed problem of
ship transportation This problem is becoming more
ACUTE and the uncertainty of the future regards
= Ne team -eaded Inv K