The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1883-03-03
PORTLAND AND SUGAR REFINING.
is. F. Merehant.l

W. SHANNhNtC " 10 VI ~ NSH@H 49, 49,
any part of the United States without being
waylaid by importunate interyiewers, some
times causing serious Interference with their
nights rest. Mr. c. A. Spreckels lately took
q short run to Oregon with some friends of
his own age, on pleasure bent The IRE
DresSible interviewer went for him, and we
Sc the result in the Oyegonidn. Ii is well
known here that Mr.. Spreckels' Sen'r. has
for years hid his eye on Portland and been
watching with keen and kindly interest the
+ pid growth of population in Oregon and
Washington Territory. 1t is not disguised
in San Francisco that some one or more
places in the North probably Portl nd will
be one, must become great manufacturing
centres. Everything in those States is favor
able TO manufacturing; climate and water,
the abundance Of lumber, the proximity to
the coal fields, the vast agricultural COM
munlly already tributary to their merchants,
a community which is growing in number
year by year with increasing ratio in a man
ner almost unprecedented in the United
States. The railroad enterprises nearly com-
pleted when in thorough working order will
probably double the population of that Sec
ton within three If not two years from their
opening to traffic. A man must be blind
who cannot see the opening grandeur of the
opportunity for manufacturers on or north
of the Columbia River, and the worst ene-
mics of Mr.. Spreckels do not charge him
with short-sightedness. Mr.. G. A. Spreckels
made no denial that while that was not the
main object of his visit, he was looking about
as to the advisab.lity OF, at some future day.
establishing a sugar refinery at Portland.
But this young gentleman can speak for
himself, and therefore we condense his state
ment to his interviewer as follows, without
altering his language:
II do not think that n refinery at the pre-
sent ii ne would pay. My father had an
eye on Portland for several years. and as
soon as he thinks that the business will war
rant it-and it will not be many years either,
perhaps inside of three = he will set up an
establishment here At the present, sugar
can be refined in San Francisco and shipped
to Portland much cheaper than ii could be
refined here, for the reason that we refine
in very large quantities, and the cost per
unit is always less in proportion to the
amount refined"
Speaking OF the machinery in the present
refinery in San Francisco, which will be idle
when the new one with all its Improvements
is completed. he said " That part of the old
machinery still serviceable was too small for
the great establishment at San Francisco,
but would perhaps come in well in a smaller
establishment at Portland. The capacity of
the new works is about 500 tons per day.
The capacity of the old works = the works
now in operations about $50 tons PER day.
We expect to have the new esta blishment in
operation in about two months.
When questioned bout substituting rail-
roads to prevent Eastern competition. he
said Il know of no arrangements. 1t has
been common talk, | know, but the idea of
such Il small interest as sugar refining on
this coast being able to subsidize two or
three tran~s-continental railways Il quote the
gossip is preposteFous. Such carriage has
always been tw" cents per pound across the
continent until about three years ago. when
it was reduced IN the interest of California
iobbers. They failed in the business compe-
tition with US at this reduced rate. while the
railroad company lost money by it through
loss of tariff on the British sugar, which il
carried through in bond for British Colum-
bia. Their loss If one cent per pound on
this foreign sugar freight amounted to about
s. 10000 per year q speak in round numbers),
while there was absolutely no compensation
in sugar freights in the coast trade, for none
was brought cross. To protect themselves,
they put up the figures to the old rate, and
out of this move. with which our house had
nothing to do, has grown the talk to which
your question refers. AS to the Northern
Pacific, they are now carrying sugar for us
into Montana and southern Idaho. We
shall have no other relations with them than
as producers on the one hand and carriers
on the other.
any father has gone to New York on
business in connection with our new re-
finery, and has no interest in the extension
or abrogation of the treaty."
Question DO you expect to control the
@roIo 4f nro@an tNAeh.-koH I1oh4 --I
Montan,, when the Northern Pacific is COM
pleted, against Eastern competition?
Answer-We do. We expect to supply
from our esta blishment at S,n Francisco,
and from our proposed works at Portland all
that region west of the Mississippi river
Question-As to your control of the Is
land sugar crop?
Mr.. SpreckeIs answered promptly:
1t is true that we do control nearly the
entire Island crop which amounts to sixty
five thousand tons per year, by means of
purchase thereof; which control may be had
by anyone who is willing to pay as high a
price IS we do for the same. Eastern re-
timers have ut various times sent their agents
there for the purpose Of buying the crops;
but $ they Were not willing to match our
offers, they could not succeed"
w brought the Manila sug.r
which arrived in S N Francisco last week.
and how were they able to do it in com-
petition with Island sugars. which come
free7
Answer -'' We brought the Manila sugar,
and can always BRING Manila sugar In com
petit n with the Island suga+ Tor the reason
that we pay the H. waiian planters the same
price as a like grade Of Manila sugar costs
less the duty, laid down in the port of San
Francisco duty paid We brought the Mania
because the Island supply was not sufficient
for our uses. BY this you will see that as
.refiners we are not benefited in the least by
the reciprocity treaty, as the planter and not
the refiner receives the benefit Of the amount
of duty waived"
Regarding the advantages to Portland of
ha vino a Local roHparv he ea;d.