The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1889-05-23
SUGAR IN THE UNITED STATES.

There is no reason for any surprise /
at the advance in sugar. We are
merely experiencing the inevitable .
reaction from the unwarranted de-
preston of 1856, when dry granu-
lated sole at 5! cents. The thing
has worked in a circle, as usual. By
Offering bounties and bonuses the /
Germans caused an excessive pro
ductiOn of beet sugar, which led to
a decline in the price; the decline
made it Improbable to work some
of the plantations in Cuba, where
the crop Of cane sugar has fallen off
10000 tons, and the reduced stock
has now again stimulated speculation
and prices have risen. Taking dry
granulated as a type Of the market,
it Is now i cents higher than it was
at New Years and Il cents higher
than it was at New Years in 1888.
The advance is based on reduction
equal to 10000 tons, as compared
with this date last year, though, of
course, the upward tendency has
been assisted by the manipulatioDs
Of the trust. An increased pro
duction is sure to follow, and at
some point, probably not far distant,
downward turn in prices will come
The important feature in the case
is the probable effect of the recent
advance IN the development of the
sugar industry In this State, and its
dependency, the Hawaiian Islands.
The Hawaiian crop this year viii
probably amount to 125,000 tons;
but the demand for raw sugar from
our two refneries IS so large that a
small fleet of vessels are now on the
way from Manila loaded with sugar.
The product Of beet sugar on this
coast is thus far only nominal But
Mr.. Claus Spreckels states that the
last of the capital in his new 3d.
100000 beet sugar company has just
been taken up, and that in short
while ten fact )ries, each costing
100000, will be in operation in this
State, making raw sugar from beets.
If the price OF the commodity can
be maintained anywhere near pre-
sent figures, the profits of these
concerns will be large and other
refneries will be established. We
may thus yet come to see the day
whom, as Mr.. Spreckels predicts, the
+ United States will not import a
pound of dutiable sugar, California,
Louisiana and the Sandwich Islands
being able to supply the whole
demand
SO startling a change in the tide
Of commerce could not fail to be fol
lowed by political consequences Of
moment. In the times in which we
live politics are more frequently
ruled by commercial considerations
than by patriotic sentiment. If, to-
morrow, the reciprocity treaty with
Hawaii were repealed, the islands
would have to sue for admission to
the Union to save the sugar pIanta-
tons, and the United States would
have to admit them to save them
from the clutches of some European
power. Again, if ever, as Mr.
Spreckels says, this country comes
to grow it's own sugar, Cuba will be
ruined; and all the armies of Spain
will not suffice to prevent its inhab-
itants from begging for annexation.
1t is thirty odd years since James
Buchanan and Pierre Soule issued
the Ostend manifesto, in which they
advised the United States to give
Spain hundred millions for Cuba,
in order to add more slave States to
the Union; and now here comes a
quiet business-ike German gentle
man, who sets up beet sugar fact
cries and so works things that Spain
may presently be offering the island
to Us for a small consideration.
The effect OF a cessation of sugar
imports into the United States
would be felt over the whole com
mercial world. We pay now to for
eigners without counting the Ha-
waiian sugar - some S75,000,O00
every year for sugar and molasses.
This payment, which passed through
the worlds clearing house-London
goes a long way to defray the cost
Of the food which we supply to
Europe. If it stopped Europeans
would have to pay for that food in
money; and the new departure
would in the course Of few years
make New York and San Francisco
the financial centers of the world,
instead of London S. T. Paper.