The Hawaiian gazette., 1917-12-21

to throw some light on the eontrover.
sy that has been partially aired within
the last few days before the SENATE
special committee which Is investigat.
ing the sugar shortage. That letter
says: A.
IAN uncertainty with regard 70 the
Cuban basis for next years. crop was
believed to be removed. yesterday when
II was announced that on returning TO
Havana the delegation, which had been
in conference with the food commits
sion here, reported TO their conferees
with the result that the compromise
offer of 4.60 cents r. o. B. Cuba WINS
accepted. Based on this figure the duty
paid price in New York for Cubas will
be Approximately $50 cents provided
steamer freights are fixed at 30 cents
per 100 pounds.
f'For some Centrals In Cuba this
may not be very remunerative price
but for those efficiently managed and
equipped with up to date machinery
II Is. we think, more than satisfactory.
Whether this price win be maintained
right through the crop will, we pre-
sumo, depend upon circumstances still
unforeseen. :
Relief Is Looked For
cit is hoped that the unusually early
start made by two Centrals, Palma
in Santiago de Cuba district and q Man.
ati'' also in the 0riente Province will
be followed by others so that the scare.
ity of sugar in Eastern territory mag
be relieved as soon as possible. We
do not think, however, that grinding
will become general until the end Of
the year In most parts Of Cuba the
cane is green and watery and il will
require prolonged cold spell to ripen
it sufficiently to make grinding profit.
able.
cit is thought that this unusually
early start is being made for the pur.
pose of holding labor which is, in Cuba,
an uncommonly liquid commodity and
very difficult to control, especially
when planters begin bidding against
one another as they invariably do.
There have been disquieting rumors
from, time to time indicating that the
conditions Of last year are liable to be
repeated. |
"The international committee made
further purchases of Cubas, Demeraras,
Nenezhelas, Perus and BraEils this
week all on the established basis Of
600 cents for 96e. centrifs duty paid,
but in no case was there any large
quantity available. @F&h. ~
"Stocks Of sugar here are very near
exhaustion and except the refneYs get
ting Hawaiian sugar and the Jersey
City refinery Of the American Sugar
Refining Company, which is working
on Peruvian sugar for the use of the
army and navy, the refining industry
is at standstill.
Louisiana reports indicate that in
spite Of ideal harvesting weather the
yields are very disappointing.
Refined Sugar Short
t'Refned sugar is being doled out by
the various refiners with stocks on
hand on the S.35 cent basis. 1t is re.
ported that q considerable quantity
of beet sugar is on the way East, some
of it coming by way Of Galveston and
New Orleans thence by steamer, and
some by rail consigned to New Eng.
land. Quite a merry war is on between
one of our refners and the American
Sugar Refining Company over the ques.
ton of package or bulk sugar and one
OF our aggressive brokers is acting al
spokesman for the independent -efner
1t looks like the old story about Goblin
being the friend, not Short. Whether
or not, there is great deal of canon.
fiage and poison gas being disseminated
and in times like these good many
people are going to lose their sense Of
direction. " Z. ,-m .s..t .,
). :. .