The Hawaiian gazette., 1918-04-16

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Although two reductions in the price
Of rice have been secured through tho
publicity recently given to rice prices
II is still too high, is the assertion Of
w. H. Hogs ST., of the food commission.
Hawaiian grown rice has sold higher
than the Japanese import, despite tho
high freight rates from the Orient, is
a surprising development from the in 4
vestieations he is making. There are
supplies Of rice in storage over at
Kailua, some Of which have been there
since last November, awaiting an i'm.
provement of the roads to permit trans.
portation. There are also stocks of pc
tat0es and corn there, held up for the
same reason, and Honolulans pay more
because of their absence from the
market.
How the price of rice has been
brought down is shown by a bill of
goods sold on April when a sack of
Hawaiian rice sold for $S25 and Il
sack of Japanese for IS. Yesterday
rice sold at from $7.40 to 7.6O q sack.
Why the Hawaiian flee sold for twenty
Eve cents more than. the imported Mr..
Hogs does not know, but it did.
Figures Are Secured
To show that the price of rice is
too high the food commissioner has
secured three sets of figures One OF
these was furnished by A. Gartehberg
who for many years sold the greater
part Of the export rice.
Mr.. Gartenberg figures on 200U
pounds of paddy delivered at mill in
Honolulu at n maximum of 81 cents
pound, say on an average $65. Losses
In milling, one third, 500 23 pounds
leaving 1888 ] 5 pounds of clean rice
that have cost four and seven eighths
cents a, pound or $487h for
the hundred pound sack. To this
IL added charges according to fig
ures submitted by l.. All LeOng Of
Kailua, as follows: Milling fifteen
cents, bag twenty five cents, carriage t,
customer three cents, insurance two
cents, loss by rats fourteen cents, in
all fifty nine cents, which brings cost
of production up to $5.46h cents ana,
allowing one dollar n sack profit, makes
the selling price to the wholesaler
$6.4615.
o. Other figures were furnished by W.
l.. Hopper, recognized authority on
rice, whose father long conducted the
only rice mill here. He said it takes
$50 pounds Of paddy rice to make 100
pounds of clean. At three and a half
Honolulu iS|$5.25. Add $l.25 profit and
the selling price is $3.50.
Estimate Of Grower
l.. All Leong, rice grower of Kailun,
gave the following figures: Cost Of
raising rice on land $3.50 a hundred
pounds net, cost of hauling thirty-one
cents, milling fifteen cents, bag twenty
five cents, delivery to customer three
cents, loss in weight, rats and interest
fourteen cents, insurance two cents
bringing costs to S6.40. 70 this he
added q profit of seventy five cents a
sack of one hundred pounds, making
selling price $hlG
Averaging these prices, $G46h, 90. 80
and $7.l5 the selling price should be,
Mr.. Hogs says, 1910, which is the
cost to the retailer. Present prices,
compared with such costs show a profit
being charged of seventy to eighty
cents a SEX. more than ten percent.
Bad Roads Blamed
To account for shortage Of rice and
other vegetables, with consequent in
creases in prices, Mr.. Hogs blames the
bad roads on the other side Of the
Island His Investigations have devel
Opsd the fact that there is paddy rice
at KAilua and vicinity in considerable
quantities and some of it has been
awaiting transportation since last No
vember Bad roads have held it there.
Were the roads good there would be
an ample supply of rice.
What Ii true of rice is true of pot l.
toes and other vegetables and were
there good roads there would be an
ample. supply of rice and vegetables at
lower prices for the poor people who
chnnot pay the prices that now pre-
vail. He, therefore, blames the people
of Honolulu for present high prices be
cause Of their prolonged neglect of the
road question for that section of Oahu
1.-THE city and county should put and
keep this road In good repair" HI
says, $50 that we can get the rice and
vegetables to Honolulu at an seasons
l understand there Is large deposit
of coral right alongside the road way
so that cost or road making materin
would be almost nothing, labor anG
carriage would thus be the only expense
II the property owners out there were