The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1895-12-10
Rockefeller to Lend Hawaiian
Planters a Helping Hand.
CLASH OVER PRICE OF SUGAR.
Full Representative Re-
fuse to be Interviewed-MIIIion of
Dollars Lost to Cane Growers.

The greatest deal in the sugar in
dustry that has been projected for
years is now being carried on in this
city. The millionaire planters of the
Hawaiian islands have determined to
bring Claus Spreckels to their terms
or they will form combination
greater than ever known to fight
trust.
No less a man than John d. Rookie
feller will be asked to head the new
combine. Though the planters of the
islands are immensely wealthy they
desire to bring such strong men into
their scheme that even the powerful
trust will have to sue for peace.
The planters of the Hawaiian islands
have a grievance against Spreckels
and the other members of the trust,
and if their grievance is not set right
they mean to fight. Five of the prin-
cipal planters are now in this city and
they are in almost daily consultation
with Claus Spreckels. They are G.
NJ. Cooke, II. p. Baldwin, J. B.
AthertOn, Heinrich Renjes and Paul
Isenberg. Cooke, Baldwin and Ather-
ton are stopping with relatives in
Oakland, hut Renjes and Isenberg are
at the Occidental Hotel.
None of these men will talk for pub
| lication about their scheme and they
take particular pains to avoid every
one who may desire to converse with
them on the subject. Friends of Cooke
and Baldwin say that they are on
weeks trip in the interior of the State
and that no one knows Just where
they are. Atherton cannot be locat-
ed. Renjes is "not in" when called
upon and IseDberg refuses to send any
answer to cards forwarded to his
room.
The fact is that the men are here
determin ed to get what they believe
are their rights. The trouble is over
the price paid for raw sugar. Under
the contract the planters have with
| Spreckels they are to be paid accord
ing to the quotation in the New York
markets, less small percentage
If ship arrives with a cargo of
raw sugar today the planters are paid
for that cargo just what the New York
price is less about one quarter of a cent
pound, according TO the grade. This
quarter of a cent pound means an
immense sum of money on years
crop.
The islands produce, on an average,
| 80, 600 tons of raw sugar a year. The
deduction of one quarter of accent on the
entire output amounts to $3.50 600 a
| year. This is gain to the trust and
| loss to the planters of IA fortune
every year. The planters are deter
mined that this money shall go to
them hereafter or they Will wag e q
sugar war with the trust.
The planters are now demanding of
Claus Spreckeis that he pay them the
full price quoted in New York. If
this demand is not granted they will
build a refinery of their own and ship
sugar all over the United States in
mpetition with the trust.
The contract the planters have with
Spreckels and the trust runs for two
years longer, and they Will have to
supply their raw sugar at the low price
for that length OF time. The reason
they have made their objection so
early is that in case the trust refuses
TO give them the full price they will
make preparations To refiue their own
product.
1t has been agreed among the plant
ers that for the next two years they
will tax themselves 81 ton on all the
sugar they sell. By these means they
will accumulate fund Of $500, 900 or
more. This money will be expended
in the fight against the trust. A re-
finery will be built either in this city
or Honolulu, and a stubborn war will
result
Isenberg has been East already, and
1t Is supposed he has formed a COM
binatiOn with John ID Rockefeller and
other men of money and power, who
will manage the warfare in the East.
Isenberg was at WatsOnville yester-
day with Claus Spreckels. The two
millionaire sugar men returned to this
city last evening, but they refused to
discuss the situation.
If Isenberg has succeeded in Joining
forces with Rockefeller the ut will
be one of the greatest fights ever
known between capital. The trust
has its millions, owns banks and con-
trolls many men. The new combine
would prove equally as wealthy and
powerful.
If the combine erects refinery in
Honolulu it will iDjure this city.
Many men employed by Spreckels
will be thrown out of work, and COM
merce will receive heavy blow 1t
is probable that great deal of the
sugar will be shipped from Honolulu
to New York by the way of Cape