The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1894-11-02
NOT A SUGAR TRUST.
PLANTERS DENY TuE "HOLOMUA'S"
STATEMENT.
No Politics in it-Eacts In
the Case.

Thursdays Holomud stretched its
optics over a mares nest and appeared
with the editorial given below. The
item was printed under large headlines,
and it smells of an effort to arouse a
sleeping sensation. The evening papers
editorial was as follows:
Our leading planters, or at least a
coterie of them, have been pursuing Il
still hunt, with the object of forming
all our sugar-planting corporations and
individual planters into a huge Sugar
Trust, under the name of the Hawaiian
Sugar Planters Association. 1t is pro-
posed to assess each member of the
Trust 81 per ton per year of its sugar
output for a period of years,
with provision for raising the
tax to 50 per ton. The
fund thus raised is to be placed
in the hands of nine Trustees" to be
by them Invested" in their discretion,
"for the protection of the planting in
terests of the members OF the associa-
ton" which in plain English, means,
that the assessments will constitute a
huge corruption fund, to be placed
where it will do the most good" in the
maintenance of lobbies in Congress, the
Substituting of newspapers. the suborn-
ing of officials, and other projects best
known to our planter pursts.
Each subscribing producer of sugar
obliges himself to dispose of his or its
crop during ten years, only as instructed
or permitted by the Trust. There are
some va ue suggestions of the pur-
chase or building of refinery thrown
in by way as moral floaters, to facilitate
the floating of the pretty scheme, but
the open and obvious purpose of the
deal is the collection of a corrupt on
fund, and the corralling of the sugar
crop where the Trust can levey black.
mail upon the producers before allow
ing the owners to sell their product.
Very nice, and very sweet, and, as us
ual, with such nefarious plots in Hawaii,
it is being engineered by some of the
holy deacons of Central Union Church.
The small stockholders will, if this plot
succeeds, see the money that should
come to them in dividends, diverted into
the hands of the Trust, for use in their
most peculiar and moral ways. More
later"
Upon inquiry from best authority we
have ascertainrd that Hawaiian Sugar
Planters Association is being formed.
1t Is neither trust nor political or
ganization, and its object is solely to
dispose of the sugar crops of its mem.
bers for the best advantage of all CON
cerned. And being an association
established strictly on business principles
and open to all sugar planters, it is ex-
pected that all the planters will avail
themselves of the benefits likely to ac-
crue therefrom.
The above refers to an association
of prominent planters in Honolulu for
the purpose of securing the largest
profits possible for their products. The
idea originated out of the experience of
the past several years, during which the
sugar industry has been subjected TO
detrj I1ental influences that might have
been avoided by joint discretion and
management. 1t is thought that de-
gree of independence can be attained
under the system proposed that will in
sure better prices and a basis may be
reached for cheaper production.
The movement is distinctively one for
the protection of the chief industry of
this country, without detriment to the
interest of any person in the Hawaiian
Islands, and for the benefit of small and
large sugar stockholders alike. There
is absolutely no discrimination under
the terms of the contract as insinuated
in the item above. Every holder OF
sugar stock is placed upon the identical
footing and will reap proportional adj
vantages or disadvantages.
Some of the men most interested were
seen this morning and expressed then
views upon the matter. They were all
astonished at the stand expressed in the
spirit of the HoiOnlud editorial and al
characterized the article as an exten
sive fabrication. Its the general opin
ion that the article was backed by Ger
tain influences unfriendly to the inter
ests of the promoters for politica
reasons. The effort is made to max,
political significance of the matter whel
it has absolutely none.