Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-12-03
Report Prepared for Planters
Annual Meeting Goes Into
Subject Thoroughly

Hawaiian sugar Is brought out In the
report OF the committee on Ware
housing and Storing OF Sugar. o,
the Hawaiian Sugar Planters assocta'
ton, prepared for the annual meet
ing.
The report discloses the fact that
the storage capacities Of the various
plantations range from 10 to 90 per
cent OF their yields and only one
plantation, Kahuku. reported that II
could store its entire output The re-
port on this important subject, which
since the uncertainty Of shipping Tor
the next season brings to the fore
front. Las been compiled by the fol-
lowing committee: F. F. Baldwin
chairman: John A. Scott, George r.
Renton, George Chalmers. John NJ
Ross. p. A. Alexander and George o.
Watt
The committee sent out list OF
questions on the subject to each
plantation and the questions and the
summary of the replies follow:
Question 1: What type OF building
and floors therein do you eonsloef
best suited for sugar storage?
From information gathered in the
replies to the foregoing question: II Is
apparent that experience has not YET
brought about a substantial unanim-
fly of opinion or practise In the con-
struction of sugar warehouses.
+ Most of the replies indicate con-
yiction that the buildings should De
moisture proof. However, a building
that would satisfy this condition 10
some localities might be totally un,
suitable In others. Only four OF the
replies definitely recommend a ire
proof building. .-.,~.. s..<.
"A summary Of the replies shows
such a wide range Of individual pref
erence that apparently 1t Is useless
for your committee to offer any
scheme for standardizing details OF
construction. Nevertheless, we ven
tura the opinion that fundamentally
sugar warehouses should be both IRE
proof and weatherproof.
..Your committee is also OF the
opinion that a warehouse should be
wSH lighted, as dark warehouse Is
usually a dirty warehouse and light Is
the only universal sterilizing agent.
Question 2. Do you think sugar
warehouses should be ventilated2
Prom the replies IL appears that
there Is q wide variation Of opinion
on this point. This 10 no doubt due 70
the variation In atmospheric condl
lions on the vindward and leeward
sides OF the islands. However. your
committee ventures the opinion that
ventilation would Prove beneficial to
the sugar IN storage at any time
when the humidity Of the atmosphere
outside the warehouses - appreci,
ably lower than inside. These condi;
fions can be certainly and cheaply
known by tie use of hygrometers pro-
perly placed. II is an established fact
that sugar will absorb moisture from
humid atmosphere and give up mois-
ture in dry atmosphere. z
Question 8. What effect has the 10.
cation Of the warehouse In relation
Ia trade winds and the ocean on the
sugar IN storage
From the data furnished It ceems
that the most rnfayorable location Is
On the windward side Of the islands
close proximity to the ocean. unpro-
fected by trees or other buildings. In
such locations II appears that the
buildings must be air tight and
dsmp-proof to be satisfactory The
possible exception being when the
warehouse Is on the top of cliff high
enough to escape the lower stratum
Of moistureladen air coming off the
ocean.
The deduction your COMMITTEES
draws from the replies to this and the
former question is that to prevent de-
terioration Of raw sugar In storage It
must be protected from moisture; that
moisture is recognized as the principal
factor In deterioration: that II Is an
economic waste to spend money In
making dry sugar and then store It in
4 warehouse that will not preserve Il
IN as dry a condition as when It was
Put in; that sugar properly manufac-
fired will keep indefinitely in q pro-
perly constructed warehouse"
Question 4: What percentages Of your
total output Of sugar do you believe
you should be able to warehouse safe
" IN case Of emergency
The replies do not evidence any
unanimity Of opinion.
Until the year. 1916, this factor was
practically latent, for which reason it
has not entered heretofore into the
problem, each factoty merely providing
sufficient room to take care OF their
output between the scheduled sailing
Of the vessels in the sugar fleet, theii
allotnaerts for each vessel being known
and arranged for between the com.
Inencenent Of each crop.
some Of the plantations, however,
felt q new need in this respect during
the longshoremen's strike in San Fran.
rieco last wear This strike enipha-
sized the fact. that II our shipping IA.
cflifieS we're suspended during the har.
vestlng season, then this factor would
IN short time become SO acute that
the lack OF reserve capacity would In
terfere with harvesting the crop.
sThe loss to the plantations in such
an erentuality would be very large
compared with the investment neces.
sary to provide ample storage capacity
at the plantations to tide over such
contingency. =.
Your committee Respectfully SUD-
tnits that preparedness In this direc-
ffon Is no longer an abstract prop
osition. but condition which calls not
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