The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-01-13


people In looking over some papers a
few DAYS aGO. ue found a copy OF the
treaty submitted 90 the United States ~
1896 What was done at mat slime IN
the matter Of terms met with the APP
prevail OF President Harrison. and ne be-
lieved that President Mckinley will en-
dOrse everything that was done by Pr-si-
dent Harrison. As against insisting upon
terms. Mr.. Jones related story often
told by Captain Crosby Of the old whaling
bark Europa. which sailed out or Edgar
town. Mass With others. he started a
shoe factory ON limited capital. and in
little while they found themselves with
nothing in the treasury but lot OF notes
that were not due for some months The
treasurer OF the company called on Gus
toner for "a settlement, but he could Of
Ter nothing but butter CROSBY was VIII
ing 20 take IL at any price, but the 9TH
ers wanted 20 dictate terms For the
time the deal was declared of. The COM
Dauy held another meeting, and decided
10 accept the butter at the mans price.
and sent the treasurer 70 collect, but
sign on the door Gone 20 COnassett TO
buy hogs" and 50 they never got money
OF butter. They had missed a good Op-
pOrtuuity. Tie felt that II this Govern
meut attempted now 10 dictate terms
they might send a commission on 10
Washington and find on their arrival
a sign on the door: Gone 10 California
TO plant sugar beets-'
l.. A. ThurstOn called for expressions
from other persons present, and -
none were forthcoming he said
II has been brought up tonight by the
other speakers that the sugar men were
considered the opponents OF annexation
but IA king a broad view Of the matter he
did not soc now they could oppose IL.
However other classes il this cOmmu-
nifty may be affected by annexation, there
Is one class which cannot afford 20 have
annexation deferred.
This class consists of the sugar plant
ers and all who are financially Interested
In sugar.
Aur-ewaffor, ia sesarrfaI 70 rho s4resar in
terests for the following reasons:
The United states Is practically our only
market for sugar.
II IS certain that in one form or an
other 10 viii be "a protected market. There
Is little probability that bounty Will be
given, because there is now deficiency
of income in the United States treasury
OF about $3D.O0O.0OJ per aunum and a bOun-
~ takes out OF instead OF putting into
the treasury, and a very strong prob
ability that the tariff will be continued
and increased, in order TO meet the pres
ent revenue deficiency.
If Hawaiian sugar is admitted duty free
to this protected market, there viii be q
profit 10 the planter, even though the
price OF labor may be somewhat higher.
II, however, the United States tariff re-
mains or is increased. and Hawaiian SUI
gar has To pay the duty, Hawaiian sugar
plantations, with the possible exception
OF few exceptionally favored ones, will
disappear like morning mist II is not
necessary to argue this point. The duty
is now one cent pound, or $50 ton. 1t
may probably be raised to one and half
cents or two cents a pound 1t does not
require much financiering to demonstrate
where the sugar planters Will be If they
have TO pay $50 10 $40 on every ton of
sugar, with present prices in force; and
the Indications are that prices are liable |
to be lower rather than higher
At one cent a pound the duty on a |
5000 ton crop would amount to 100000
AT one and half cents IL would am |
cunt to $4,000.
At two cents IL would amount to $780,, |
COO
In 1896. with prices lowering around
four cents a pound. and a free market, |
how many plantations paid dividends OF
500, DOOR
m prices had Appropriated three cents.
as they did in 1895, and as they do now,
and $40 ton duty had been exacted by
the United States, it needs no higher
to prove that instead OF cal
.uIating dividends nearly every plantation
from Hawaii to Kauai would have been
figuring on the increase in their debt, and
burning midnight oil to discover a method
Of avoiding bankruptcy during the fol-
lowing season
There is no certainty that with con-
tinued independence there Will be a con-
tinued free market for Hawaiian sugar
In the United States.
Some of our optimistic planters have
come to look upon free sugar market |
10 Hawaii while all the rest of the world
pays duties. as the natural order of |
things, as much to be expected as the
sunshine and the rain, and the tax as
SCISSOR.
In fact it is a most unprecedented and
artificial condition.
The sugar planters of Hawaii are today
ike a man driving team of horses at
full tilt along a straight road on the
brink of precipice- The longest road
has it's turning, and an unexpected turn
in the road may precipitate them into the
abyss without warning
The regular term of the reciprocity
treaty expired in 1894 BY a years notice
il can be terminated at any time.
our chief danger does not consist in
direct attack on the treaty, however;
that requires an affirmative act, and the
power OF obstruction in Congress is great;
but from the fact that any act of Con
greSs passed after a treaty is made,
which is inconsistent with the treaty
Overrides the treaty
The meaning of this is, that every time
a tariff bill passes Congress, and that is |
nearly every session, there must, by at
A special clause eXempting Hawaiian pro-
ducts therefrom, or they would nave to |
pay, treaty or no treaty
IL is not generally known, and but lit |
tie appreciated by those who do know 1t,
that the enemies of the treaty always |
make a fight on this point, and that upon |
ago their opposition was so strong that /
at one time il was believed by our /
strongest friends that the exemption |
clause would be defeated II II nad not |
been for the sympathy created for HAWAII /
by Cleveland's course, il would probably |
have been defeated, and we would nave |
been paying duty on our sugar ana rice
today.
THAT this danger is not imaginary is
shown by the fact that upon the passage
Of one tariff bill. Hawaiian rice was &C
cfdentaIly omitted from the exemption
clause, and until the next session of Con-
Zress remedied il all Hawaiian rice which |
went to the United States paid duty, al
though the treaty was then in full force
one further point must be considered in
this connection. From the time that re-
ciprocfty was first proposed to the pres
emit day the sugar planters of the United
States have been our strongest opponents,
and the California delegation has been
Dur continuous supporter
Within year there has come change
The beet sugar business of California is
growing rapidly, and already both the
California press and political representa-
tives are assuming the tone that Lou
siaua has used for all these years.
Not only California, but Utah and Neb-
-aska, are raising beet sugar. and as its
success is a little better demonstrated