The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1893-10-09
HAWAII AND SUGAR.
AN INTERESTING LETTER TO
THE "SUN."
With Remarks About the Spreckels
Family by One Who Knows
the Situation Here.

SprecKelS ABOUT the ruin that is star
ing him in the face. Let us overhaul
these ruins and see if something can
not be saved for poor Mr.. Spreckels.
We must first understand and un-
derstand thoroughly that Mr.. Spreck
els has but one interest: the interest
of Mr.. Spreckels. This stands first,
last, and all the time.
Mr.. Spreckels has been telling us
for some time past that the annexation
of the Hawaiian Islands to the United
States will ruin his business as a
sugar planter Well, what of it2
That is no concern of the United
States. But let US see if he has told
us the whole story.
We have heard that sugar can be
prohtably grown only where labor is
very cheap. If raw sugar be such a
cheap product, how is it, then, that
refined sugar is so dear? Raw sugar
can be bought to-day for 81 cents in
New York, and fine graduated sugar
is sold by rehners there at 5R cents
per pound. Does it cost 2 cents per
pound to refine the sugar? We
thought the cost was but So of cent,
which would leave handsome mar
gin for the rehners, of whom Mr..
Spreckels is one. This does not look
| like ruin.
But it may be different on the Paci-
fc coast, where Mr.. Spreckels has his
refinery. Let US see. There he pays
less than the New York price for the
sugar that is grown by the Hawaiian
planters. They have no other market
and nobody else to sell to, so he de-
ducts a OF cent for the privilege of
selling to Spreckels, and pays them
only 81 cents. Does he sell any
cheaper? Not much. We see in
the San Francisco Chronicle of Sept.
8 that Mr.. Spreckels refinery was
offering dry graduated sugar at 6H
cents net cash, and fine granulated at
6A cents net cash, full cent and
more per pound above the price in
New York. Buying at d cent per
pound less and selling at one cent per
pound more does not look like ruin.
The refiners there are able to declare
big dividends out of their profits, and
surely Mr.. Spreckels must be able to
keep the wolf from the door with his
still larger profits.
Although Mr.. Rehner Spreckels
docks a of a cent per pound from the
price that he pays to the Hawaiian
planters, we do not suppose that he
docks anything of the price paid to
Mr.. Planter Spreckels for the sugar
that he grows. Even if he did it
would be so much more profit for Mr..
Refiner Spreckels, and, if Mr.. Planter
Spreckels were getting ruined, we
know that Mr.. Retiner Spreckels
would not be starving.
But then there are yet other MI.
Spreckelses on the horizon. There is
Mr.. Beet Sugar Grower Spreckels.
This gentleman grows sugar beet in
California, which he sells to Mr.. Beet
Sugar Maker Spreckels, and we sup
pose there is money, both in the grow
ing and the making, for we have heard
nothing of ruin IN the beet sugar
branch of the Spreckels family. Then
Mr.. Beet Sugar Maker Spreckels re-
ceives bounty of 2 cents per pound
from a paternal Government for all
the beet sugar that he makes, over
and above whatever profit, if any,
there may be in the making. And
again Mr.. Beet Sugar Maker Spreck-
els sells his raw beet sugar made in
California, and on which he has earn
ed the country's bounty, to Mr.. Sugar
Refner Spreckels, who no doubt
makes a profit in the purchase, and
without doubt in the selling by Mr.
Rehner Spreckels, because we have
heard nothing about ruin in these
transactions.
Suppose we take as gospel the
statement that Mr.. Hawaiian Cane
Sugar Grower Spreckels would be
ruined by the annexation of the Ha
waiian Islands to the United States
we yet have satisfactory degree o.
assurance that Mr.. Refiner Spreckel'
would be making money in his bust
ness of refining and selling what h,
! buys from Mr.. Cane Planter Spreck
els. Then again, we know that Mr.
Beet Sugar Grower Spreckels and Mr.
. Raw Beet Sugar Maker Spreckels art
, making money with the aid of {
Government bounty; also that Mr.
y Rehner Spreckels comes in again tt
: make his share of profit out of wha
y he buys from Mr.. Beet Sugar Make
9 Spreckels, and in the selling thereof
: Thus we have handsome famil,
4 tree of sweet Spreckels, and all of thu
t name of Claus Spreckels, only one o
n whom is afraid of being ruined. W.
7 feel quite sure that the other mem
t bers of the family, who are presum
: ably making money and earning
fair livelihood and fair wages, woulC
b. not let this one member of the famil,
!. starve. We need not feel uneasy
/ The President, Mr.. Paramoun
r Blount, and the people of the Unite,
0 States need have no alarm that MI
a Cane Sugar Planter Spreckels wi
e ever be in need or go hungry. Th
rest of his family are doing well, and
D if needs be, there is friend Nordho
willing to share a crust of bread wit
y the hungry Hawaiian sugar planter