The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-05-11
It Signified Reciprocity in
Name Only.
He Will Devote Energies to Develop
ing Beet Sugar Industry in
California.

SAN FRANCISCO, Cal, April Is
The Call announced yesterday that
deal had been effected between Claus
Spreckels and John E. Searles, secre-
tary of the American Sugar Refineries
Company, during the latter's recent
visit to this city, by which the trust
would participate in Spreckels' beet
sugar interests on this Coast and also
assist in promoting other sugar enter
prises. Accompanying the statement
is an interview with Claus Spreckels,
from which the following extracts are
taken:
by this transaction" he said, ''the
trust did not, as you will perceive, Sc
cure controlling interest in the fac
tory. That is still in my hands, so
that we will always be in a position to
compete in the open market 1t is
understood that the trust will cooper
ate with me in the work of developing
the beet-sugar industry in this State
by the erection of a number of fac
tories as fast as they are required
Their establishment will depend. of
course, on the rapidity of the growth
of sugar-beet plantations. 1t is also
their intention to develop this indus
try throughout the United States"
"There has been great deal of talk
of your being opposed to The renewal
of the reciprocity treaty with Hawaii,
by which sugar is allowed to come in
free from the Islands," remarked the
interviewer
Il have large interests in the Ha-
waiian Islands, began Mr.. Spreckels.
Il am large owner in three sugar
plantations. Likewise l have a good
deal of property there. I have a bank
there, and my sons, Adolph B. and
John D., are interested in the firm of
w. G. Irwin e Co.
81 have heretofore remained neutral
in the matter of the abrogation of the
reciprocity treaty with Hawaii, but
when you ask me direct question as
TO my views on the subject, I, as an
American citizen, feel compelled to say
that it is a one-sided affair
I'm the first year of the treaty there
we're only $1,000 tons of sugar pro-
duced in the Islands. Last year the
product had increased to 1000 tons,
and this years estimate places the
crop at 235, 200 tons. This vast indus
try has been built up by our country
in permitting the sugar from the ISL
ands to come in here free of duty.
--e remission of duty on Hawaiian
sugar amounts to date to the enorm-
Gus sum of s73, 100000. If the present
treaty. as included in the tariff bill
under consideration by the Senate at
the present time, remains in operation
it will give to the Islands about ST.
100000 per annum as virtual bounty
on the sugar raised there and export
| ed to this country, and this amount
will practically come out of the pock-
cts of the citizens of this country. If
the treaty is continued they will event
ualIy bring their annual crop of sugar
up to 100000 tons. New plantations
are being opened up right along, and
with the reciprocity treaty as an in
centive the amount of production will
| increase every year. This will result
| in injury to the sugar industry of this
and other States of the Union.
"There is really nothing reciprocal
about this treaty today 1t is all one
sided The balance of trade in favor
of the Islands amounts to about ST.,
OO0, 900 or sS,O00,O0O per annum. The
articles imported from this country
are only such as they cannot obtain
| cheaper elsewhere Since the advent
of the Canadian line they have i'm
ported hay, lumber, grain, potatoes,
and other merchandise, formerly pur-
chased in this country, from Canada.
| Most of their other importations now
come from England, France and Ger