The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1917-01-26
W. G. Cooke Of AIexander and
Baldwin Surveys Past
Years Harvest +
CONFIDENT Of ABILITY TO Nj.
MEET REFiNERS' DEMANDS
Hawaiian Planters Courage Ii
Face Of Free Sugar Is
Praised

w. q. Cooke, manager of the New
York branch Of Alexander q Baldwin,
ltd. In q comprehensive survey OF the
Hawaiian sugar industry, for the read.
ers of Facts About Sugar, expresses
confidence that local planters will be
able to satisfy the standards Of Eastern
refineries for raw sugar. He forecasts
that the Investigation now under way
viii ego to the bottom TO attain the
quality features demanded by the re.
6neries TO improve the refining value Of
Hawaiian raw sugars.
Mr.. Cooke gives an intensive study,
of the results recorded in the local in;
dustry during the past year, and in
commenting on the outlook for the flu.
ture says: s
"For the season ending September
30, 1916, sugar prices averaged five and
one.half cents. During this year large
profits have been made by the planters,
but when compared with those Of the
big shipping interests, the great earn.
ings of the steel industry and other
heavily capitalized corporations, they
unquestionably do not look exorbitant.
Production Cost Increases
"The cost of sugar production in
Hawaii has gone up anywhere from
three-quarters of cent to one cent per
pound higher than was the case before
the war. ..rfa,r o. r,.,Tr ~ aein. (
; cit must be borne in mind in this
connection that there Is one important
characteristic Of the Hawaiian sugar
planters that is not generally under
stood, viz, practically all Of them are
in the Hawaiian sugar industry as fix
lures. High prices do not tempt them
&c sell out, even when it is possible to
see ahead reimbursement which may
bring a long range of low prices. ~
81 As far as 1916 is concerned, large
percentage of the increased profits and
dividends aeeruing TO the Hawaiian
sugar companies is now being reinvest /
ed to make their plants and conditions
more efficient. ~ ~ a.t,#g
Undismayed BY Free Sugar RI !.
When sugar was 10 be put on the,
free list as provided in the Underwood
tariff law, the Hawaiian planters I'M.
dismayed continued to. plan and pref
pare to produce sugar even against this
contingency. fH.-h"g..l 80. So 4
"This stand took great measure
of courage, because big losses were un-
questionably to be faced and probably
rs per cent of the plantations would
have had to be operated at a consider
able loss; and if such prospects con.
tinued long, at least so per cent of the
plantations would have been forced to
go entirely out of business. F.. II
Therefore, If the Hawaiian planters
had not been commercial soldiers they
would have been unable to reap the
advantages of the era of high
prices during 1915 and 1916, and which
may be extended Tor a good
part of 1917. The war did not come
early enough in 1914 TO add much to
the profits for the Hawaiian sugar
season that year. !
Preparations For Future
Concerning the future the Ha
waiian planters are carefully prepar-
ing for the future readjustment in the
world 3 sugar industry, which must
come sooner or later when the present
war is over. They realize that com.
modify prices, sugar included, will go
down faster than cost of production,
and probably much faster than the
present high cost of transportation.
"They fully realize that what has
been made in these seasons Of plenty |
can easily be lost at some future time
when conditions have reacted and
prices become abnormally low. X
During the coming season the Ha-
waiian planters have decided to try to
improve the quality of their raws from
a refining point Of view. The grain of |
the crystals will be made much larger,
more uniform in size and the polariza.
ton slightly higher, -.
Hawaiian Sugar Keeps Best
Hawaiian raws for years have been |
the best keeping sugars shipped to the
United States markets. 1t is not ex!
pccted that even the best grades of |
Porto RioOs and Cubas will be able to |
compete on this keeping quality feature
FOR some years to come r.. 49,,
The Hawaiian planters have been
so much about making their
raws on the most economic basis pos
sibie that they may have unco ciously
overlooked some of the quality features
llked best by refners, although the
Eastern ,refners themselves are not in
unison as to exactly what lis the best
kind OF sugar for them to buy.
Now that the Hawaiian planters
have started to look into this matter
they can be counted on to 90 to the
bottom of this question. I