Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-04-27
aAwAIIAN RECIPROCITY IFfECls

We have received copies OF petitions
originating In Californis, which ask
Congress to sbrogate the existing
reciprocity treaty with Hawaii, on
the ground that IL is q serious mi ry
to American producers, and is in
fleet a scheme OF giving TO foreign
producers OF sugar heavy bonus
from this couatty. The substance OF
the argu nents raised against the exist.
lug treaty are, first, that in effect II Is
only partially and nominalIy recipro-
cal; second, that the United States has
been Unnecessarily deprived Thereby
oil vast amount Of customs rsve.
nue., through admitting Hawaiian
sugar free, though charging duty on
other sugar; thru, that ia the pfscli-
cal operation Of the sugar business, the
precise amount OF sugar duty lost to
the government aecrues to the Hawai-.
ian planter AMI to the American sugar
uuil; fourth, that while the Sandwich
Islands sugar can be produced there
with coolie labor at much lower cost
than 1t is possible to produce beet sugar
befe with white labor, by the reel.
pTocily treaty the government is
actually paying the Hawaiian planter
premium TO throttle the local
II dastry; and fifth, that while at the
lime the treaty was entered into, In
1915 II was OF reciprocal bene.
fit TO the United States to have
Hawaiian sugar brought in free, ow-
ing to the limited production here, the
conditions have changed, AMI 1t 10 the
duty OF governmeGt to encourage the
local beet sugar industry by cessing
its fostering care to the Hawaiian
planter and American eugar trust, who
now possess a decided advantage.
The arguments in favor OF these
auti-Hawaiian treaty propositions are
backed by an elaborate array OF figures
too intricate to require the ordinary
reader TO delve into. On the frs.
proposition, that OF comparative non-
reclpr city, 1t 10 shown that In the six
|
from the Sandwich Islands into this
country free OF duty goods to the
value uf sl5, ass, $50 IS, or rs per cent
OF the total volume OF traie, leaving
only 22 per cent on the side OF this
country.
AS 10 the customs revenue lost,
this IL figured out to be, al
the came rates which sugar from
otber countries has to pay,
s72, COZ, l58 "a, as the exact cost OF the
treaty to this government in twenty
one years.
Ga the third proposition, that OF the
virtual premium paid 10 the Hawaiian
planter and the A metl sugar trust,
1t is shown that the trust receives Its
sugar at a quarter OF q cent q pound
less than 1, is possible to obtain DUTY
paying sugars, anu as the trust ham
dies the whole Hawaiian yield 1t has q
decided advantage over all Compel
tors and yet received from this Rov-
etnment In 1896 virtual bonus OF
81, 1876, O00-a subsidy which accounts
for the Irresistible power OF the trust In
iis dealing with sugar producers In
this country.
The fourth proposition Is backed by
the argument that with the low pfics
Of coolle Iabsr In the Sand VI ch Is nnds
raw sugar can be laid down la
San Franclsco Mt one and three. lou rths
to two cents per pound, while 1t Ia NJ {
possible to produce beet sugar al this
cost. Thus the Hawaiian planter al d
the sugar trust have an overwhelmiI g
advantage on their side In the cost q
production, and the premium that
goes to tnsm is nothing less Than
direct assistance from this country to
aid them In throttllng the local beet
sugar industry. As to coolie labor, the
statistics show that 10 per cent OF the
labotere on the Hawaiian sugar plan.
tations are japanese and Chinese. an
more than half o. these work under
The contract syetem.
The nth reason for treaty alb. ogR'
ton, "a to changed Conditions, is sup.
py rIed by showing that while in 1875
there was only one small best sugar
factory In the country there are now
enough to produce about $4,000
tons, and 1t is asserted that II tie
government assistance now given
through the treaty to the sugar tru4.
aud HAw allan planters be Withdraw u,
within two years there Will be snlIl-
cient factories to supply the Pacific
COST demand, Willie the average OF
81, O00,O 600 yer Buuum, In one year
3 reaching Sl3,O0U,0OO, which Is now
going from the Pacific coast to the
. sandwich Islands for sugar would be
Kept home for local producers anu
( workers, promoting LEGAL prosperity
I and yet not increasiug the cssl O
A sugar TO the consumer.
2 1t ia admitted that "iguTes dom
r lie;" yet they can be made the mean
o oil an Immense amount Of deceptive