The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1875-03-17
The Sugar Clause.

The pending Tax and Tariff Bill and the
Hawaiian Reciprocity Treaty taken together,
I vii, if both be adopted, introduce quite modi-
/ hcatiou into the conditions Of the California
sugar trade. The Bill as passed BY the House
provides for an increase OF . per cent. on the
existing import duties on sugar The present
average rates are-oa raw sugars of refining
grades 20 per cent, aud 90 refined 81 per cent.
The new rates will be therefore-on refining
raEs, so per cent, and on refined az per cent.
The annual import Of refining grades into the
United States is nearly l 800 million pounds.
and its invoice cost so millions of dollars, equal
to little less than SO cents per pound. Upon
this, an average import duty Of 40 per cent or ?
cents per pound produces revenue 81 millions of
dollars. The proposed increase of Is per cent
should therefore produce, as estimated. millions
Of dollars. aud raise the average duty per pound
to 2ls cents. The cost Of this raw stock 10 the
rehner is thus increased \ cent. per POUND The
necessities Of the trade require him to distribute
this, 10 bis selling prices, chiefly between his re-
fued white and his syrups; in other words. il
will be apt to enhance bis price for white refined
nearly one cent per pound. Upon this condition
Of the general market superveues the Hawaiian |
Reciprocity treaty, removing all import duty
from the sugars Of the Island Kingdom. In the |
absence Of any disturbing cause the removal Of /
the duty ought to inure TO the benefit Of the /
consumer Of the sugars. They would be deliver 4
ed to the ref0er so much the cheaper, and be
would pat out bis refined product proporiiouate
ly cheaper. Bot the California refner. ike the
California manufacturer Of whatever other sort
Is . protected BY the rate of freight which the
competing product from the Eastern States uust
pay before it eau come into competition with his
own. The prcs Of California refined supars
heretofore has been made by the Eastern price.
with freight added, and, as the factors that 60 To
make up the situation IS to competition. will ~
main without change after the adoption Of the
Hawaiian tresty, it follows that the California
refner viii be under no obligation to let 20 his
prOduet at anything below the competing price
rom the East as enhanced By the increased tariff
that viii be in force IN that quarter Furtbsr
he highest price that the Hawaiian grozer can
-AAet HoM the Ialfornfa renner Is defined bT the
highest price that he can obtain from sny other
quarter, which IS in fact, the price that be can OBJ
ain from Australia That price has hitherto 6red
he rate that California rshuers have had 10
e it remains unaffected b. our tariff legislation If
blows that the hawaiian planters cannot conueI
he California rshner to pay aay more for his sugars
han heretofore and consequently II the planters
hould eoutinue TO produce their sugars in the
irades Of refining raws, the whole amount Of the
IMPORT duty heretofore levied, together with the
lew increase, would find is way into the pockets
4 California rsfuers- But the planters nav meet
be situation By turning much as they please OF
heir sugzrs into grocery gr1des,n which embrace
be soeaIied coffee sugars and as fine grades us can
< made short Of crashed white Il Is apparent !,
bat his Majesty got ahead Of the State and Treasury
DEPARTMENTS, who were misled By the following i
e1nifion: Brown aud al other uurenned suZsrs.
1eaniuz thereby the grades Of sugar from the
iaEaiian Islands and known in the markets Of San
rzEeiseo and Portland as saudEieh Island suzars.
5r1Ps Of s1Zzr cane, zelado and nolasses.n Tbe Z
rei1slon OF @rgHned" shows the purpose Of the
nerie11 usg0tiators 70 preserve the san Francisco