Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1897-06-30
Astonishing Position of senator
whise-vslue OF Reciprocity
sharply Not Forth.

13 editorially discusses treaty
matters thus:
Senators White and Perkins
have caused dismay among their
friends in California by the posi-
ton that they have assumed on
the question Of the Hawaiian re-
ciprocity treaty. After shufiling
over a decision for a month, the
two Senators appear to have
pumped down on the Sugar
Trust side of the fence and to be
ready to vote for the abrogation of
the treaty. If Senator White is
correctly reported, he would break
the treaty at once. Senator Per-
kins would let the advocates of the
treaty down easily with years
notice, 'jolly them along" with
suggestions of q new treaty and
impose partial duty on Hawai-
ian sugar.
1t is astonishing that Califor.
nian sentiment should be thus
misrepresented in the Senate.
Senator Perkins is, to be sure,
close friend of Claus Spreckels,
and Mr.. Spreckels is very warmly
interested in the effort to abrogate
the treaty with Hawaii. But it
was the people of California and
not Mr.. Spreckels who put Mr..
Perkins in the Senate, and the
people of California are very
materially interested in maintain
ing the treaty.
Senator Whites position is
more astonishing than that of
Senator Perkins. 1t is hardly to
be supposed that Senator White
is influenced by friendship for
Mr.. Spreckels. So far as known
there is no personal tie between
them. 1t is still more incredible
that he has been taken into camp
by the Sugar Trust. Senator
Whites record does not favor
such a supposition. He was
elected to the Senate as a poor
man. He established the princi-
pie that a man of ability may be
sent to the Senate from California
without money, and encouraged
other men without money to
aspire to the position. He has
taken an honorable place in the
Senate. Yet why he should be
fighting the battle of the Sugar
Trust on the reciprocity treaty is
one of the things that the people
of California would like to have
Explained.
| 1t is true that the Senators have
received number of resolutions
of official and unofficial bodies
here and there, calling for the
abrogation of the treaty on the
ground that it would in some
mysterious way help out the beet
sugar industry. But the Senators
know very we'll that these resolu-
tions mean nothing. They we're
got by the local friends of the
trust by the simple expedient OF
sending hired agents about the
country with vague promises OF
beet, sugar factories to be estab-
\ lished if only duty was put on
Hawaiian sugar. And in the
second place. the Senators
are men of intelligence enough
to understand the absurdity
of the idea that the beet-sugar
business is going to be helped by
shutting out Hawaiian sugar
They know that the profits of beet
sugar are set by the price fol
which sugar is sold in this coun-
try, and that the Hawaiian supply
is not a factor in setting the
price. So long as Hawaii fur
nishes but 250,C00 tons out OF
nearly 100000 tons imported
7 from outside this country, the
price of sugar will not be raised
by shutting out the Hawaiian
product, or lowered by admitting
It.
The Senators know that the Ha
waiian trade is of great profit t.
California. We get from $l0,-
100000 to $15,000,000 worth o
products year from the island
by sending thither from $4,000, ,0O|
to $5,00O,0O0 in goods and specie
The trade, therefore, shows di
rect profit of from Sb,O00,OO0 t.
Sl0,O00,OOO year. This profit j