The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1918-09-13

the effect of war on food production
| gets under our skin, affects us more
promptly and more thoroughly perhaps
than in other communities where di-
versified industries are general and
the resident 3 eye is less directly focus
ed upon food production.
"War has not disturbed our natural
resources, but in intensive agriculture,
the artificial and human elements must
essentially be in comb nation with ma.
| tural resources, in order to get even
mediocre results. The two prime es-
sentials in Hawaii are,
tn) the human hand, and
(b) fertilizer Nitrate of Soda.
| Without either one of these, we would
be immensely handicapped; without
both, we are practically down and
out, and our 100000 tons of sugar, L.
/ 100000 cases of canned pineapples and
production of rice sufficient for more
than our own needs even as augmented
by stationed and occasional troops, are
cut at least in half, and the balance
, could only be produced at a cost loss
that would put the finishing touches
upon the collapse of Hawaii's food
producing industries.
How About Man Power
eve are told that our nitrate re.
/ quiremcnts will be in some measure
supplied, after munition requirements
are served. Good. We admit that
munitions have the first call, as ex
plosiVes only will down the Hun; but
how about the man pOwerf We have
recently been through the mobiliza-
ton of our national guard and the first
draft,-the two together calling some
six thousand 10000 men. This is
right, too, and Hawaii wants to fig,
ure in the fighting. However, it will
be easy for YOU to see, in view of
what ] have above explained, where
these men are drawn from; from what
pursuits in life they 60 to the great
I army. In state where agriculture is
ninety percent of all industries, ninety
percent of the call to arms must be
answered from the agricultural class;
SO with US nearly all the men go from
the cane, pineapple and rice field to
| do their bit.
"They leave one essential field, that
, of agriculture, to take another, that
of arms. We gain fighters and lose
VI lOOu. mere can only De
one result a reduction in volume of
our agricultural products. Thousands
of field workers cannot be taken away
without a decided fall in usual outputs.
Areas must be restricted and the re
naming available labor applied only
on the better lands, leaving out the
, inferior areas until after the WA,
unless substitutes for the absentees are
to be had.
Even Children Help
"To show you that all in this Ter.
ritory, are earnestly striving to meet
the situation, | will state that business
recently called me to one of the other
islands where | found every child,
girls as well AS bOys-above ten wears
of agr-old women and old men physi.
raIly capable, engaged in planting or
cultivating food products, the Younger
and Older working On home gardens
not only the main products-sugar.
pincappIcs and rice, and thus all were
assisting to the limit of their ability
N helping to keep up food production.
! saw scores of women working in the
cane fields, but Notwithstanding this,
the work in the fields was far behind.
Planting for future crops which il
usually well under way at this time of
, the year, has vet hardly begun and in
some instances cannot be undertaken
but in u limited way because of labor
shortage, which means reduced crops:
, continued labor shortage next wear and
for the next few wears, when all food
products will be so badly needed, means
reduced output in spite of all efforts
which can be made.
From Oriental letters which have
passed through my hands it is evident
/ there is a rice shortage in Japan to
such an extent that in a certain part
of Japan the people attempted to mob
the minister of agriculture, they hold
ing that because of lack of foresight on
his part this shortage was caused.
This has caused very serious con
dition to arise here and the price of
rice in spite of price control has al
vancrd until what was once a low cost
diet requisite has become a high cost
one.
AS there is much rice land in the
Territory living idle many advocate that
1t be utilized and relieve the situation.
Again does the man power shortage
confront us, as none but Chinese are
able to work in the rice fields, and if
YOU take the Chinese from other agri-
cultural pursuits to grow rice YOU sac
rlfrr sugar and pineapples which must
necessarily decrease as it is from these
industries that Iaborers can be recruit
ed for rice
Conditions Different Here
Conditions here are wholly differ,
rnt from those on the mainland. On
the mainland shortage of labOrers in
one part of the country can be quickly
supplied, at least partially from some
other part while here practically all
are Engaged in agriculture and all are
at work, consequently there is no source
from which to recruit laborers except
without the Territory. Europe and
America are of course impossible as
BrId. Action must be taken at once
or there will follow tremendous re
durtiOn in food products. In some IN.
stances local sugar companies have re
Strlrtrd their planting area in order to
make sure that they have labor enough
to cultivate and harvest what they do
plant. ! believe that unless some re
lief is afforded the number of acres of
sugar land permitted TO lie fallOw will