The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1888-02-17
The Arcade -EGAN & co.
Cents Furnishing Goods
Finest Custom Made Clothing,
Ladies' IL SCENTS Nine Shoes.
THE SUGAR WAR;!
It's Present State !
The Prospect!


late meeting of the Chamber of
Commerce, at which sugar" was
discussed; but his friends say, and
they should know, that the enter
prising Steele, is of truth, going
to Germany, not to study the manu-
facture of beet sugar, but to tell the
Germans how they ought to make
it. When he returns he will pro-
badly find Hawaiian capital to back
him in an effort to duplicate Colo
mel Spreckels' beet factories; and
his hackers will probably also lose
their money. Who knows? This is
u wicked commercial world, and +.
l.. G. Steele is one of its reformers.
But Mr.. Steele is no longer Presi-
dent of the American Sugar Rein
cry. Mr.. Welch, until recently
treasurer of that organiza ton, is
now its president, and Mr.. Steele is
on the outside. The new president
is well known on the Islands, having
been identified with its shipping
trade for many years, but until re-
Gently he has had no connection
with sugar refining. He is now on
the high road to knowledge, and
what he is not likely to learn in the
next twelvemonth will not be worth
knowing.
President WEIGH evidently under
stands what is before him. There
| has been "little unpleasantness,"
as you probably may be aware of
for some time past, between the
American and California refineries,
brought about by the attempt of the
American people to cripple its pow
erful competitor. This was the
Steele policy, and President WEIGH
is in command now to carry on the
war. His Scotch blood is up, and
he means fight. sit is q fight" he
said in an interview published by
the Examiner" of the Sth inst,
"between q Dutchman and Scotch
man, and the latter can stand con-
siderable war. OF course | do not
know to what extent the fight be-
tween the two refineries will be car
ried on, but Mr.. Spreckels is play
ing for the keys of the American
Sugar Refinery. He will not have
them, because / think that the pub
lie interest demands that no monop-
oily in sugar shall exist. We will not
underbid Mr.. Spreckels, but we will
meet him fairly and sqnarely on any
proposition he may make
Now, this little speech shows that
President Welch is green hand.
He is new to the quarterback, and
may lose his head and his ship as
well if he gets into troubled waters.
What on earth have the "public inte-
rests" as seen through his gold
trimmed spectacles, to do with the
price of sugar? Its production and
sale are conducted for profit, and
not with the slightest reference to
"public interests.
Commercial philanthropy may be
q rule of business with President
WEIGH, but if persisted in, the Anne
rican Sugar Refinery will soon be a
"burst institution" And indeed
the bellicose "son of Old Gaul"
seems to have u glimmering percep-
ton of this, for, despite his $50
gam of war, he gives tongue over a
tri6ing under-cut in his first encoun-
ter with his Clutch" antagonist, as
he is pleased to style Colonel Spree.
kels; for he says: "We will meet
Mr.. Spreckels on every proposition
as long as he reduces the price OF
sugar he has ON hand. He has now
quoted the yellow sugar at and 81
cents per pound, knowing that we
have large quantity in stock, while
he has not one pound in his rein
cry" Poor Mr.. WEIGH! And you
met the demand at the California
Retinery's quotations. You have
yet to learn how benevolent one
feels at reducing competitor s
prices-giving the masses cheap su.
gar-while keeping ones own price.
list up to paying figures.
All this has very serious side
for the planters, Their interests
are being played with, that is, Of
those who have contracted with the
American Sugar Refinery; and thu
fact that they hold the majority o
its stock does not help them. They
don't manage it. They don't con
troll its business policy; and if they
had had business sense anyhow they
never would have got themselve
into their present position. TheI
are voluntary dupes of their owl
prejudices and antipathies, and viii
probably pay the full penalty befor'
their business folly has run it
course. This, however, is not tin
point in hand. 1t is the status o
the sugar question on the Coast anC
in the United States to-day.
1t is needless TO go into de
tails. Suffice it that the Eastern
Sugar Trust has already taken sew
eral million dollars in profits ont 0
the American people. The amour
has been stated at Sl2, 600, 200, bu
this seems to be excessive. 1t is
very large sum however. The Trps
has reduced the price of Cuba cen
trifugals SO test to jg; the actua
vaIua i'm tha Wnrld's market is Gc