The Hawaiian gazette., 1918-08-23
SHIPS IN PLENTY
|. TAKE SUGAR. WHEN
I ISNEEDED MOST
Departures This Month Give a
Z Ration For Halt Of the
People OF Mainland
SHIPPING BOARD RISES
TO MEET SITUATION
Indication Is That Next Season
Supply WI Not Have To
Lie In StorehouSeS


While only about $500 tons of sugar
have left the islands since Wednesday
of last week this has not altered the
Indication that the present month will
easily and far exceed any. previous
month in the sugar year and the ship
pers have been facing a reversal of the
shipping situation for instead Of a
shortage Of bottoms they have had
superabundance, Recently there were
three vessels loading sugar at this point
all at one point and there was at least
one vessel in every sugar port in the
Islands.
1t was estimated early thic week at
the Sugar Factors Company that the
shipments for the month would GER
tainly exceed 1900 tons and might ex-
coed 5000 This takes away a large
amount of the sugar on hand awaiting
shipment, in fact at some ports the
sugar is said to have been cleared up.
1t Is indicated that there will be an
abundance of bottoms next month as
well as this so that October may see
practically everything but the late
grind on its way to the refneries.
Grind Is Late
While about ninety percent of the
grind has now been completed the in
dications, coming from various planta-
tions in the way of reports, is that
some of the plantations will be very late
in finishing production for the year and
that most of them are somewhat behind.
The reasons for this have been the fact
that ships were 80 scarce there seemed
to be no reason for hurrying the grind.
A more recent reason, and one that still
prevails, is the scarcity of labor.
Inquiry at the various agencies in
dictate that the last of the grind will
be late and the same Information was
gathered by the Planters labor bu-
reau, that the grind viii go into Sep
TENDER and October for larger num-
; her than usual of the plantations, even
for some of the Maui companies which
are usually among the first to enh.
Advices to the Sugar Factors company
indicate that some mills may be run.
ming into November.
Hope For Next Crop
One of the encouraging features of
! the sudden relief for the shipping prob
, lem is the probability that there will be
no repetition another year of the con.
! ditions that prevailed this year up to
, the present month. The shipping board,
/ Handicapped tremendously carried out
+ the best program it was able for the
rst seven months of the year, the last
: two showing the beginning Of the real
| speeding up. Indications are that for
! the next crop there will he available
! constant stream of ships that will move
| away sugar practically as fast rs it Is
| able to go.
This year has seen the speeding up OF
! building of storage capacity and IN"
! stOrcroOm has been taxed practically t"
the limit but has met needs 30 that
! there has been no waste Of sugar. The
delay in shipments has merely meant a
: delay in getting returns. This has up-
, set bookkeeping methods but has re-
I suited in no serious losses or waste. The
companies adjusted their dividend plans
accordingly and have waited patiently
for the shipping board to accomplish
Just what it has brought about. On all
sides the ship building program and the
work of the shipping Soard is being
commended. Without doubt the plans
of the shipping board for the move
ment of Hawaiian sugar were stimu-
lated by the shortage that now pre-.
walls on the mainland.
Supply Is Timely
What the movement means is better
figured in pounds than in tons. Ship
ments for August will be somewhere
| between l50,0O0,OOO and l75,0O0,0OO
which will furnish month 5 three
pound sugar ratiop for from 10000, 900
to 6O,O0ODO0 people, for say half of the
entire population Of the mainland Unit,
ed States.
On the first of the month there re
maj med to be moved about 1872 900 tons
and movements this month will take all
but 10000 of this at the lowest con
serYative figures. 1t is likely the grind
for the month may reach between 80,
600 aud 10000 tons which would make
available for shipment in September
about the same amount as August and
if this he moved, AS is expected, Ha
waiian shipments In two months will
have been one month ration for every
man, woman and child in the United
States.
Thus for the mainland, coming in the
midst Of a period of careful cOnserva,
| ton, the Hawaiian stock is most OppOr.
tune and will 90 further than had it
moved with the regularity Of past
years