The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1882-12-23
Mr.. William &. Irwin
Interviewed in Boston, and What he has
to Say.

Gu LII OOSbOAs LIZ ~ ~
to Say.
There was in Boston. last week-a guest
at the Parker House--a gentleman whose
home is in Honolulu, the chief city of the
Hawaiian Islands, his name is W. g. Irwin,
He is a partner in what is known as the Is
land business of the extensive sug' r raising
and refining firm of Spreckels 81 Co. of San
Francisco and Honolulu, better known othe
people Of the East as the concern which has
monopolized not only the whole sugar pro-
duction of the Hawaiian or Sandwich Is
lands, but also the sugar refining business
of California, and, in fact, of the whole Pa
cifc slope. Not only is this firm the only
sugar refner of that section, but it has sue
ceeded in monopolizing the trade of supply
ing sugar to the whole Pacific slope as we'll
as east of the Rocky mountains to Kansas
and Nebraska. Mr.. Spreckels, the founder
of the firm. has been in the business OF rails
ing sugar and refining for a number of years,
and it is charged by the sugar refining In
terests in the East that his influence had
much to do in bringing about the reciprocity
treaty between the United States and the
kingdom of Hawaii, which went into effect
in 1876. There is no doubt but the opera
t on of the treaty h s greatly favored the
DuSllICSS u IpICNhNi ~ W. Ah0
to make a large profit out of its enormous
business. This fortunate combination OF cir
cumstances seems to have aroused the Jeal-
ousy If our eastern refiners, and lead TO All
agitation TO have the reciprocity treaty with
Hawaii repealed. Mr.. Irwin, who had come
East on business connected with the in
terests of the plantations on the Hawaiian
Islands, W. found at the Parker House.
II have come to this section of the coun-
try, said he, partly on business connected
with the firm of
sPREcKELs AND co.,
and, in part, in the interests of several of
the Hawaiian sugar planters. Nearly all
the machinery used on our plantations is got
from manufacturers in and around Boston
and New York"
"Is the business of sugar raising an ex-
tensive one in Hawaii 2"
d" 1t is quite a large business in those ISL
ands, and is nearly altogether carried on by
American capital, the plantations being
mostly owned and their operations directed
nv American citizens. There are OH al. the
islands about go sugar plantations, some
larger and some smaller. The product of
these plantations the present year will be
about go. 900 tons of sugar. This will net
to the planters who sell their sugar about
$3.50 per ton, or at the rate of about 81 cents
per pound
." Is the firm of Spreckels & Co. a large
owner of plantations in the islandsP
Yes--in quantity of and owned and
cultivated. On one of our plantations we
have about a 1000 acres of sugar cane under
cultivation. On this plantation alone Mr..
Spreckels has expended over $l,500,0OO,
and has altogether about 81 ,000, 900 invested
in LIMITATIONS, agricultural and sugar-mak-
ing machinery ard implements, etc. Of the
$4,000 tons of sugar--the stimated yield
this year-our firm raises and represents
plantations which produce about one-third
of the whole crop"
sit is said that your house has m0nopo.
lized the whole production of sugar of the
Hawaiian Islands? ?"
THAT is true. We control almost the
entire crop. Our monopoly, however. is a
matter of business, of pure, competitive
dealing. Mr.. Spreckels is one of the smart
est business men in America to-day. He
has been identical with the sugar interests %
the Hawaiian islands for many years, and
has built up his present enormous business
by his superior business ability. As | told
YOU, our firm directly controls one-third o.
the sugar crop of the islands. The Other
two-thirds we purchase of the other plant
ers paying them cash for what we get, oil
its equivalent, and as much as any enc else
can afford to give them. They are not com
PEELED to sell to US. Any one else can go il
and buy from them, and if any responsible
firm or man would offer them a fraction more
per pound for their sugar than we could give
they would surely take it. Representations
were made to the planters of the islands
year or two ago that if they shipped their su
- Nm, Vail fheU wonld
REALIZE MORE FOR IT
than Spreckels & Co. were paying. They
did ship about a 900 tons on to New Yorl
last wear. but have found trouble in dispos
ing of it, owing to a peculiar Interpretation
of the reciprocity treaty between the tw'
countries"
"On what basis is the sugar sold by tn
planters ?" -,
.'We give them a choice which they vii
take as a basis-the Manila or Cuba stand
ard. Then when they make their selection
we find, by polariscope and Dutch standar'
tests, Just what tie equality of their sugar
is, and on the time Of their arrival in Sal
FIR. ncisco we compare these tests with thos
prevailing IN the markets of the world 70
Manila or Cuba sugars ut the lime If tn
Hawaiian sugars exceed in quality the kim
selected as q standard-and they usually d,
we pay so much for them the allowAnc
being about one-eighth OF l per cent. Oh
every degree they show by poIariscope ties
above the standard, and one sixteenth of
per cent, on every degree above the prevail
ing Dutch standard. Mr.. Spreckels goe
down TO the Islands every year and make
his own bargains with the planters for thei
coming crops. Thi7 is all the monopol.
there is to it,"
a But has he not the planters of the Is
lands at his mercyf".
mot more so than any business contrac
would bind those who made it to fill il. Be
sides, as | before explained, some of tn
planters last year sent a quantity of suga
to New York. and it remains there to tn