The Hawaiian gazette., 1918-09-27
Louisiana Walls At
Shortage
.Oi Labor For Sugar
Planter Denies Report That
Workers Can Be Had II Paid
Sufficiently and Says Many
Planters WM abandon Cane
Hrnn ~ ~ ~"

Most pessimistis on the subject Of
the Louisiana sugar crop and labur
issue of September says the state
has been drained Of labor and farmers
are expected to abandon cane growing.
The Planter has been inclined to bit
terness on all points connected with
sugar control as the government has
handled it and usually refers to the
sugar committee as the "nariOnal su
gn committee of refiners
ITS article OF the labor situation
follows:
Planners protested loudly this week
against the statements made by ertain
agents Of the government employment
boards to the effect that II the sugar
DrOdu"era were willing to pay money
for their field labor they could get
all that they wanted. This Is not 80,
and figures and facts prove that these
declarations are extremely incorrect
1T has been authoTitatiVely Psti
mated that something like 10000 labor
ers have left Louisiana to becoms en-
plOyed in the ,fabulously high, wage
districts Of the United States. It has
also been estimated that the draft has
taken 10000 labOrers from the state.
and if We add to this total Of 10000
IabOrers out OF the State that were at
one time in it, the 10000 who have
found employment within the State in
new war industries, at wages that un-
der present sugar price conditions the
sugar planters cannot commence to
think about paying them, we shah have
q grand total of 10000 men taken
ont Of the AGRICULTURAL labor CLASS
which had, before the war, been hard
ly adequate to meet the sugar belt
and other agricultural sections' needs
The labor outlook has not one more
ray Of hope now than it had a month
or two months ago. Everybody is
working hard to trv 10 solve II. but
the only solution possible seems to be a
high enough price for sugar to Justify
very much higher wages. Some Texas
farmers and hands in districts Of that
state that were damaged by the
drought Of this summer are expec ted
=" come for the sugar harvest, and
there is still considerable effort being
made along Mexican lines.
Growing Conditions
'Thp weather continues warm and
drv and the cane Isl therefore, showing
remarkable development. None Of the
factories have yet started to talk Of
starting TO grind, while the thought
of the planters is now turning to the
subject of cooler weather soon. Ma,
turing temperatures will soon be de
sirahle.
"In PlaQuemines Parish, under the
influence of rains about two weeks
ago the cane for the new Stella factory
has jumped ahead considerably. 1t is
"rcttv hiVh and thick. Elsewhere on
the east bank the cane looks very sat
isfactOry Harlem plantation, In Pla
NuemineS. has a very creditable crop
Of cane this year
"The only spots in the sugar belt
where rain was had this past week
were Franklin, Opelousas and New Or.
leans. and the rainfall in all of these
sections nut together would not equal
two inches in the last week. II has
been an exceptionally dry week in
the sugar cane parishes.
"Thrre is a steadily growing feel
ing among sugar cane men against the
planting Of cane for next year A re
port from ". Martin says that the
planters feeling that the price of sugar
is not in keeping with the cost of 9th,
er products and price of production,
are disposed to abandon cane growing
nnl 90 into other less aXnenRiVe rroDR
The report adds that it would not sur,
prise the reporter to see stubble as the
only cane grown in some section Of st.
Martin for the next years crop. This
feeling is prevalent all over the belt
and is not confined to any Particular
parish or locality.