The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1882-12-02
Hawaiian Sugar.
WHAT ONE OF THE MONOPOLY HAS TO SAY ABOUT TIE
RECIPROCITY TREATY.

1nere was nj the Palmer House yesterday Mr..
W. e. Irwin, of Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands.
MIR. Irwin is a member of the well-known sugar
raising and refining firm of Spreckels & Co., of
San Francisco and Honolulu. There are
sixty sugar plantations on the island" said Mr..
Irwin to a Tribune reporter, % and we represent
fifteen of them, which produced about %, 900
tons of sugar this year. On one plantation
which Dir. Spreckels own, and upon which he
has some 1000 acres of sugsr-cans under cult
vation. he has expended over 81 600, 600. The
islands produced about so, 600 tons of sugar this
year, OF which We furnished nearly one-half. Mr..
Spreckels is a man of vast wealth, and he has in
the neighborhooa of 81, 600, 900 invested in
plantations in the islands"
His wealth. said The Tribune reporter,
" enables him to monopolize the sugar market
of the islands,"
" Yes, L suppose SO. He comes into the mar
ket and buys the total crop, but the market is
open to every one else in the world who desires
to do the same thing
"But no one can come IN, as 1 understand it.
to bny the sugar"
MIR. Spreckels is a man of brains and bust
ness, and he does the largest business in sugar
with the planters. He purchases their crops
from year to year, and he ships them to his re-
finery in San Francisco"
- suppose he is the most interested in con-
tinuing the reciprocity treaty between the United
States and the Sandwich Islands ?"
"To you that may seem a small matter, but it
is OF great moment to u.s."
"Bdt the cry is that he monopolizes every
thing on the island. and gives nobody else a
chance 2"
81 suppose that he does monopolizs the sugar
trade, but each plantation is at liberty to sell to
anybody else. The planter can deal with whom
he pleases.''
Is sugar raising profitable generally ?"
"An the planters are not wealthy by any
means. Everything on the islands is done on
credit. Notes are a great commodity there. The
planters have received an immense impetus
since the reciprocity treaty went into effect in
1876. But the scarcity and high price of labor
has kept many planters heavily in debt ,"
I" You employ Chinese labor 2"
"Yes. We employ some on our plantations,
but the Chinese Government has interdicted
more from coming"
"What are you doing now to secure labor ?"
1--WE are importing men from Portugal. 1t is
good labor, but it is very expensive to secure. on
account of the large families which they have,
and which we allow them to bring with them"
WHAT If THE AVERAGE PAY OF LABoRHRs?,,
"About 81 per day. and our Superintendents
get from $4,000 to $4,000 per year"
"What about the impositions which are in
flicted upon your laborsrs on the islands?"
"Ther0 are nome"
What about enslavins Norwegians whom
You imported?"
There was no truth in that. We imported
Soma S00 NorUaOiap moIac uho nra~a1 O @a;I,-.
as plantation hands. They are unsuitsd to the
heat and labor, because they are accustomed to
their own more northern climate. We now i'm
port labor largely from the Azores. 1t costs Us
about 500 per man to secure the passage of a
Portuguese, and we make a contract With him
for three years. at the expiration of which time
he is at liberty to remain on the island or 90
wherever else he pleases."
Have all the Norwegians left the island?"
'No sir; some of them are there yet working
as plantations hands. but the climate is too
much for them"
Suppose reciprocity is abolished?"
cit will leave a great many of the plantations
in a very bad state. Reciprocity went into effect
in 1876. and it has more than quadrupled the
trade between the Pacific States and the Islands"
Its adjustment. I suppose, will affect your
folks the worst?''
at won't affect Sprsckels & Co. particularly,
except upon the plantations in which they arc
interested. The duties on sugars are paid by
the planters"
"Won't the effect be to close your refinery"
1T will have no effect on Spreckels so far as
tho refinery is concerned. At the present time
Cramp Il Son, of Philadelphia. are building two
fine steamers, at the cost of $500. 600 each. for II
direct s~emi-mothly line between tbs Islands and
San Francisco, and this all results from re-
ciprocity."
1.-The benefits of reciprocity seem all to have
been on the side of Spreckels L Co."
"No sill. The United States have profted
by reciprocity. Through its means the Islands
have purchased all the agricultural and other
machinery in this country. They have nine
American built inter-island steamers, constructed
in San Francisco; and also some twenty-five
sailing vessels for the island trade. which carry
the sugars, machinery, etc. The English and
French Governments wonld like to see rscipro-
city between the United States and the Islands
abolished. These Islands ars the key to the
Pacific, and the United States should continue
to control them. Nearly all important Govern
ment positions are held by Americans, and the
Islands are really an American colony"
Il suppose that Spreckels is virtually the
Cover nment?"
Mr.. Spreckels naturally has something to
say in the government of 80 small a country,
where he has SO much invested"
SIf. Irwin is accompanied by Mr.. Sam Parker.
a friend of King Kalakaus. who is the owner of
a ranch and 40. 900 head of cattle on the Islands.
and n gentleman worth several millions of dol
lars. He s.rrs to Europe to buy fine cattle to
mingle with his herds. They leave for New
York this afternoon.
Entertainment at the Honolulu Library
Rooms.