THE SUGAR INDUSTRY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 3450, 30 September 1913, Page 3

THE SUGAR INDUSTRY.

CHAT WITH A NEW ZEALANDER. [BY TF.LEGRAPI!-SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT-] AUCKLAND. Sept. 29. Mr Harry Armitage, who was born in the. Waikato and has now large sugar interests in Hawaii, is visiting his Native town. Chatting with a reporter, Mr Armi : tage said lie had seen the output of sugar grow from a few thousand tons a year to about -500,000 tons, the amount now shipped away annually. Owing to the control, of the Sugar Trust the Hawaiian sugar goes only to certain parts of the States. About 200,000 tons is shipped direct to San Francisco and the balance goes to Philadelphia and New Orleans, via Panama. This Philadelphia trade is a small instance of the advantages that will follow the opening of the Panama Canal. At present the sugar is shipped to Salina Cruz, taken across the Isthmus to Tehuantepec and there reshipped to its destination. The canal will save all this expensive double-handling. The price of sugar when Mr Armitage left was 3 dollars 79 cents per lOOlbs, so the value of the industry to the islands can he gauged. Mr Armitage was rather surprised to see some of the old-fashioned methods still in use in Fiji. The labor employed on the plantations is very mixed, including Japanese, Koreans, Natives of, Port Orinoco, Philippine Islanders, Spaniards, Portugese,. and Russians. The Japanese alone number about 60,000. The pay. of this motley crew runs from 13 to IS dollars per month—£3 12s to £2 12s. Some idea of the size of the industry can be gathered from the fact that from one of. the biggest mills (-not only in the group, hut (in the world) the return is from 35,00 to 10,000 tons of sugar a year. The rearrangement of the United States customs tariff is likely to hit the sugar people somewhat. In Honolulu previously they were on exceptionally favorable terms, but under the new tariff all countries will have to start off the mark. It is anticipated that the Philippine Islands, where much attention is now being paid to sugar, will make a big for the States’ trade- The Philippines have the added advantage that labor is. ridiculously clieapthere. It is an ill wind that blows nobody good and New Zealand should, according to Mr Armitage, do a largely increased trade with the -States in wool, meat, and butter as the result.of the tariff.