The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-12-09

New YORK, Dec. S-The commercial treaty
between the United States and Spain is regarded
with great interest by all business men whose
trade is affected. A prominent sugar importer
said TO Post reporter:
with the exception of the Pacific coast,
which was becoming independent in the sugar
trade, because of Spreckles, the Hawaiian sugar
king, the people of this country, some 81, 100000
we're wholly dependent for their sugar upon
some twenty refining concerns in this city, Bos-
ton and Philadelphia; no raw sugar was consumed,
except little in tobacco manufacture which
was not worth mentioning. About 1000. 900
tons Of suar were imported into this country an
nually none of which reached the consumers
except through little circle of refneries which
had the sugar trade by the throat 1t was only
natural, therefore, that refners should be salts
fed with things as they were, and oppose any
change which would give the sugar consumers of
the country some degree of independence.
They obtain this sugar from all parts of the
world and they wished to balance the interests
of the different countries against each other.
About one-half our annual imports of sugar
came from Cuba and Porto Rico and if this half
was made free of duty its producers could al
ways find market here, as other people would
buy it at reasonable prices and hold it if the re-
fners were not ready to purchase. This state of
affairs would partially emanciate planters and
merchants from control of the reiners. and
therefore the latter, with the importers from
other countries and the Louisiana plant
ers, would join in bitter opposition to
the treaty. The treaty would amount to the
commercial annexation of Cuba and Porto Rico
10 the United States, giving all the benefits of
political annexation without any of its disadvan-
taces The German government has lately pro
teeted and encouraged the beet-root sugar indus
try by large bounty on exports, so that Ger
many, which, few years ago was an importer
Of sugar, last year was an exporter of about
800. 900 tons. OF this amount, 81 0O0 tons came
10 this port alone, the enormous profits of which
accrued to the early beet-root factories, though
the bounty system had the effect of developing
the business to its present extent, and overpro
dpction had become so great that IN manufacturers
now sold sugar at positive loss
In regard to the claim that the treaty would
be injurious to the interests Of American work
men in refnerieS, the same importer declared
that the statement was preposterous argument
as the refining interest employed fewer skilled
workmen than any other branch OF manufacture
in proportion to the value of the produce
Nearly all the work was done by machinery
and most Of the worknen connected with the
business were simply laborers.
A Cuban planter, who has II large estate, said
the sugar crop OF the island could be doubled
within two years. Ratification of the treaty was
the only hope for the island to live.
H. o. Havemeyer, of Havemeyer & Elder, eX
tensive sugarTefners expressed the strongest OPP
position to tine treaty. All the refners were
opposed to it, he said not re--s=s< in their capac-
ity as business men, but as American citizens.
He objected to treaty discrimination in favor
of the trade of any particular country,
which was an injustice, and he objected,
N2rhfe oh Xnf1lI
further slave labor in another country
when we had abolished it in our own, and would
encourage the importation there Of cooie labor,
which we had shut out from our own shores.
We had already stimulated the employment OF
Chinese labor on the Hawaiian islands by our
commercial treaty with their government All
the benefit of the Spanish treaty would accrue
to the planters of Cuba, who if it should be rat
fled, would Immediately put up the price OF
theirsuGars 20 as tOinclude the amount OF the old
DUTY For the year 1888 the total value Of all
or1r exports to Cuba was only Sill OO0, 900, while
the duties which we collect on Cuban sugar were
about ,p25, 900, 000 This $50, OO0, 600 lit was
now proposed to transfer from the United States
Treasury to the pockets Of the Cuban planters,
without one cents benefit to our people. If our
government was going to give bounty for
growing sugar it would be better to pay two
cents per Mound to the Louisiana planters. If
we were to make a discriminating treaty with
any country it would be better to make 1t with
England and her colonies, with whom we could
have extensive commerce, instead OF granting
such privileges to a miserable impoverished
ISLAND like Cuba, two hundred years
behind lie age. He was in favor of importing
raw suaurs free from all parts of the world, and
renners in general favored this policy, so as to
do away with this tariff agitation. lie mad been
in favor of it, but had foolishly deferred to a
handful Of planters in Louisiana. who could
never compete successfully with the en-
movers of slave labor or the pro
ducers of beetroot sugar. The treaty,
l,s remarked, not only admitted raw
sugars free, but grades between Nos - and 16,
Dutch standard which we're partially refined.
This would cause transfer of that branch Of
refining to Cuba as the refners here could not
rnmnets with slave labor In consequence Of
Ills treaty his firm had closed two large re-
lneiies at Williamsburg u fortnight ago. These