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

SuUleCl IIIOt UuSiHJ
Absolute necessity for greater
warehouse and storage facilities fol
Hawaiian sugar Re brought out in the
report of the committee on Ware
housing and Storing Of Sugar. OF
the Hawaiian Sugar Planters associa
ton, prepared for the annual meet
ing.
The report discloses the fact that
the storage capacities Of the various
plantations range from 10 to SO 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 for
the next season brings X to the fore
front, has been compiled by the fol
lowing committee: F. F. Baldwin,
chairman; John A. Scott, George +.
Renton, George Chalmers. John Nj.
Ross, F. A. Alexander and George c.
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 I: What type Of building
and floors therein do you consider
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 q substantial unanim'
ity Of opinion or practise in the con-
struction of sugar warehouses.
Most of the replies indicate a con-
Viction that the buildings should be
moisture proof. However, building
that would satisfy this condition In
some localities might be totally I'M
suitable in others. Only four OF the
replies definitely recommend fire
proof building. 49,.
"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 standardiEing details OF
construction. Nevertheless, we ven
tura the opinion that fundamentally
sugar warehouses should be both fire
proof and weatherproof III y
"Your committee is also OF the
opinion that a warehouse should be
well lighted, as q dark warehouse Is
usually dirty warehouse and light is
the only universal sterihzing agent.
Question 2. % you think sugar
warehouses should be Sentllated2
From the replies It appears that
there 10 q wide variation Of opinion
on this point. This 10 no doubt due to
the variation In atmospheric condi-
lions on the vindwafd and leeward
sides OF tho islands. However, your
committee ventures the opinion that
ventilation would prove beneficial 70
the sugar IN storage = any time
when the humidity ofthA atmosphere
outside the warehouses. Is appreci.
ably lower than inside. These condI.
lions can be certainly and cheaply
known by the use Of hygrometsrs pro-
periy placed. 1t Is an established fact
that sugar will absorb moisture from
humid atmosphere and give up mois.
ture in dry atmosphere.
Question 9. What effect has the 10.
cation Of the warehouse In relation
sugar In storage?
From the data furnished Il cecms
that the most 1nfavorable location is
on the windward side OF tho islands
close proximity to the ocean, unpro-
tected by trees or other buildings. In |
such locations Il appears that the |
buildings must be air tight and |
Siamp.proof to be satisfactory. The |
possible exception being when the |
warehouse Is on the top Of cliff high |
enough 70 escape the lower stratum |
OF moisture-laden air coming off the |
ocean.
"The deduction your committee !
draws from the replies to this and the |
former question is that 10 prevent de-
terioration Of raw sugar In storage 1t |
must be protected from moisture; that |
moisture IL recognized as the principal |
factor I'm deterioration: that Il II an |
economic waste to spend money in
making dry sugar and then store II in |
4 warehouse that VIII not preserve It /
IN as dry a condition as when It was |
put in; that sugar properly manufac-
tired viii keep indefinitely IN pro-
perly constructed warehouse"
Question q: What percentage Of your
IOtOt OUTPUT VI O0Suf W wv BSttSNGl Il
YOU should be able 10 warehouse safe |
~ IN case Of emergency
s.The replies DO not evidence any !
unaniniity OF opinion.
"Until the year 1916, this factor was
practically latent, for which reason 1t |
has not entered heretofore into the
problem, each factory merely providing |
sufficient room to take care Of their
output between the scheduled sailing |
OF the vessels In the sugar fleet. theii |
ullctnents for each vessel being known
and arranged for between the com.
naencement of each crop.
some of the plantations, however,
felt a new need In this respect during /
fhe Iongshoremen's strike in San Fran
risco last year. This strike empha.
sized the faet that II our shipping ia
eilities we're suspended during the har
yesting season, then this factor would
IN 4 short time become 30 acute that
the lack OF reserve capacity would in
terfere with harvesting the crop.
"The loss to the plantations In such
an eventuality would be very large
with the investment neces-l
sary to provide ample storage capacity
- 4ha nlanfafi0nr tn tide over silch