The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1891-12-03
OUR SAN FRANCISCO LETTER.
Per O. s. S. Australia, San Francisco,
November "a, 1891.
From our own Correspondent
(Concluded.)
Sugar.

A new beet sugarie is projected in |
the Cahuenga Valley in Southern
California. A guarantee of $3.50 per |
ton for II per cent. beets is offered to
farmers as an inducement to plant
beets, and everything above that will
be divided among the producers as
the projectors propose to work on the
cooperative plan.
Auditor E. II. Miller, of San Diego,
has returned from few days trip
over the county with two representa-
tives of Eastern capitalists. These
men have two sugar refneries in
course of construction in this State,
and their agents have been looking
over San Diego county to see what
arrangements could be made with
ranchers in regard to raising beets in
large quantities for manufacturing
into sugar. The company will pledge
itself to pay $3.50 ton for the product
if it contains II per cent. sugar, and
will add 25 cents ton for every per
cent. over that amount.
United States Minister Ryan, who
is stationed at Mexico, has left for
that city after a conference of some
days duration with Blaine at Wash
ingtOn. He has about concluded a
reciprocity treaty by which Mexican
coffee, hides and sugar will be adj
mitted free after January l, 1892.
Sir Neville Lubbock, who has been
sent to Washington to negotiate
reciprocity treaty between the United
States and the British West Indies,
called on Secretary Blaine recently,
and was introduced to the Secretary
and other officials of the department
by Sir Julian PauncefOte, the British
Minister. Sir Neville and John w.
Foster, representing the State Depart
ment, had conference on the subject
of reciprocity.
The United States Navy in the
Pacific.
Admiral Brown has expressed him.
self very fully as to the needs of the
navy in Pacific waters. at will not
do to keep steel boat like the San
Francisco at sea longer than six
MONTHS" he said, "and if it had not
been for the necessity of putting her
in the dry dock we might have been
down there yet. If we had plenty of
harbors and docks it would be differ
ent matter; but it costs large sum
of money to move vessel like the
San Francisco five or six thousand
miles. Copper sheathing adds per-
haps 10 per cent. to the cost of con-
struction, but such vessel can stay
at sea two or even three years if nee
essary. What the government needs
for service in the Pacific is six or eight
smaller boats, of, say, 1000 tons each.
They should be sheathed with copper
so that they could remain away from
the dry docks for long time. A crew
of about one hundred and thirty-five
men, all told, is sufficient for such a
ship, and the cost of maintenance is,
therefore, great deal less than for
the larger boats. They should also
have some sail power to save coal
when winds are favorable and still
further reduce expense. That is the
sort of boat the English send to the
Pacific, and as they cruise about from
island to island or from one port to
another, the moral effect is Just as
good as that of the largest vessels in
their navy. No officer in the service,
however, is disposed to quarrel about
the rate of progress in the American
navy. 1t has been satisfactory to
OOOJ UI1C 1CtoU lew NcdISs
We have as good ships as anybody,
that beat the world. The sight of the
more, as they lay together at Iquique,
and the men all through the service,
ter work than they used to, simply
because they have better tools to
work with and feel that they are on
footing with the best navies on the
globe"
Chilean Affairs.
The Chilean Government is con-
sidering the very important subject of
the finances, which were left in an
extremely bad condition by the war.
The consideration of the question is
with view to resumption on metal
lie basis and the gradual withdrawal
of the paper issue. The following
programme is proposed:
The Council of State, to rehabilitate
Chilean finances gradually, at the
earliest time advisable will retire the
issue by Balmaceda of $21,OOO,OOO
paper; it will also repay the banks
$9,000,000 obtained from them by
forced loans by Balmaceda, and will
authorize President Montt to issue
$3O,O0O,O0 bonds for the purpose of
retiring the above paper and paying
the banks.
These Government bonds are to
bear interest at 5 per cent. The banks
are to guarantee all paper money
issued prior to 1891. The reduction is
to go on until it reaches $4,000, 900,
and the Government is to withdraw
fractional metal coins which are now
only per cent. of silver.
President Montt has proposed to
Congress to cut the army down to
60O0 men and the navy to six first
class, six second-class and three third
class ships, two transports, two school
ships and eight small launches and
torpedo boats.
San Francisco News.
Traffic Manager Richard Gray, of
the Southern Pacific Company, has
gone to the Orient on the Rio de
Janeiro to inquire into the loss of the
tea trade by San Francisco.
Buckley still remains in Montreal.
Sam Rainey, his side partner, is in
hiding in this State or Nevada. The
Grand Jury is resting, awaiting a
decision on test case as to its legal
ity, now pending in the State SUI
preme Court.