The Hawaiian gazette., 1918-01-11
SUGAR CROP MOVES
TOMARkET SLOWLY;
NEAR
Old Crop Almost Cleared Up and
New Crop Only Eighty Per-
cent Behind Last Year
ARRANGEMENTS FOR MORE
SHIPS MAKING HEADWAY
Companies Are In State Of Some
Uncertainty On What War
Taxes VIII Mean !

For the purpose OF estimating the
amount Of cargo space that will be re-
auired for Hawaiian sugar during the
year 1918 the estimated outturn for the
year has been placed nc $4,000 tons.
This includes the sugar that win be
used for home consumption which is
estimated to have been in excess of
$4,000 tons last year. It does not,
however; include the refined product
from Honolulu Plantation.
Shipments Of the old crop have not
vet been fully cleared up. Thus far
they total 636,270 tons and the total
shipments will prove to be not far
from 640;000 tons. This also does not
include the shipments of refined sugar
from Honolulu Plantation which were
last year larger than the normal. The
comparison, therefore, is for q crop
Of about 10000 tons less than the. 1917
crop which may vary 10000 tons
Shipments Of the new crop thus far
total 1880 tons up o-and including
January o. As against this there had
been shipped to the same date last
year $1,000 tons. Thus the shipments
Of the new crop are about eighty per-
cent of what they were last year on
n crop which may be expected to be
about So percent as large as the 1917
crop. Is, ~. @..'. - 49,.
Shipping facilities thus far, while
they have been indefinite and some
what uncertain and unsettled, have
been, IL is evident, not wholly unsatis-
factory to the local shippers and there
are Indications that conditions will
soon be manifestiy improved. Shippers
yesterday said the shipping board was
evidently undertaking to do its part
and to meet its promise that bottoms
to carry Hawaiian sugar product
would be forthcoming. It il true that
some Of these vessels, at the outset at
least, win be sailing craft and this
will make arrivals at market somewhat
Iundertain, it Is true, but win mean the
moving Of the crop in the end. Later
10 Is hoped, and in some circles expect
ed, that some of the newly constructed
shipping from the Pacific Coast yards
will 90 into service between the Is
lands and the sugar markets and great
~ improve and facilitate freight move
ments. r.s II. u / .'t'. .....'l 49,. -. gfsG
IT was learned yesterday that ar
|fangements, are in progress between
the representatives of local shippers
and the shipping board which will re-
move all doubts as to how and when
the crop is to be moved. Those ar
Irangements, II is said, are progressing
well but are not yet ready for an
nouneement. They will be, IL is ex-
Ipeeted, as satisfactory as can be asked
for these war times and with demand
for shipping such as it is on the At
lantie Ocean. '...,
y There still remains good deal Of
uncertainty as to what shipping ia
cilities, IL any, are to be supplied for
all water shipments to the Eastern
market. If there is to be no such IA
eilities or, IL they are not sufficient to
carry all of the Eastern sugar, then
lit will mean considerable addition
TO freight costs, for boat and rail will
be several dollars a ton higher than
will be all water shipments,
AsAyht there is much uncertainty
attaching to the sugar industry and
probable profits. There are still num-
Der of agencies that are at sea as to
o number OF the war tax provisions, es,
pecially those which relate to the ques.
tion of invested capital. To determine
these questions several of the sugar
Eeompanies have retained the services
Of Ralph s. Johnstone, the former ac-,
ting collector of internal revenue here
ms an expert adviser. -. -, ",
Already some of the companies have
laid their plans for reduction of divi-
dends by declaration of lower rates
while others are counting on letting
such reductions come through the dee
Narration Of fewer or smaller extra div.
idends or both, None of the planta-
tions are expecting year that will
be in any way commensurate with
either 1917 or 1916.