The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-06-30
Island Interests Not Inim-
ical to Coast.
By Present Arrangement Cane Su-
gar Does Not Compete With
California Industry.
(Concluded.)

We have no right to confound the
private interests of Mr.. Spreckels with
the public interests, and we have no
right to take the assurances of the fu-
ture when we have the records of the
past before us. Will our Government
deal with promises, even though with
all the warmth of truth impressed, or
will it deal with cold-blooded. facts of
history recorded upon the mind of
every citizen of this Pacific Coast?
That Mr.. Spreckels is transferring the
major portion of his interests to this
State is reasonable, and but one of the
many acts of foresight and good busi
ness judgment that has characterized
him in his whole carer, but this is not
brought about by the possibilities of
the beet sugar industry, nor by the
possibilities of the abrogation of the
Hawaiian treaty, but is the result of
shrewd calculation and keen appreci-
alton of the facts of the Pacific Coasts
future and it's possibilities.
1t would appear, however, that in
the Hutchinson plantation, it would be
his duty to enhance the value and pro-
tect the shareholders in this corpor-
alton, and not destroy it's possibilities
and prospects. We cannot understand
the argument in the same article,
which it is difficult to conceive, could
have emanated from him, which states:
mot even the workmen employed on
sugar plantation and in the factory are
native Hawaiians, but Chinese and
Japanese coolies" when we have before
us the report of the Hutchinson Sugar
Plantation for the year ending May
1895, subscribed to by Claus SpreckelS,
as President, and by d. G.. Hewett,
wherein we find the clause: Our labor
has given us some trouble during the
past year, but we find that by being
able to get a mixture of different ma
tionalities, we are better suited than
with all the labor of one race. Pros
poets are good for the introduction
again of the Chinese labor, and present
indications are that laborers will be in
sufficient numbers for the requirements
of the plantation"
Thus it will be seen that there is a
contradiction in this which could hard
Iy have emanated from Mr.. Claus
Spreckels, that he himself, or the plan
tation of which he has subscribed him
self as President, shall flatter them
selves upon their most promising con-
ditions that the Chinese will again be
introduced upon their plantation, and
yet in an article decry the fact that
such should be the case. Certainly it
would appear as though, if Mr.. Spree
kels has prejudice against this foreign
element upon the plantation, he at
least had it within his power, if he so
elected, to remove them from his own,
and we desire by these arguments, not
to show any disrespect for Mr.. Claus
Spreckels, for whom we all, as fin
ancier, must have the very highest re-
gard, but simply desire to show that
the arguments purporting to be an in
terview with him must have been mis-
understood or misrepresented.
There is no industry on the Pacific
Coast that we are familiar with, that
for the years 1S94-5-6-7 has paid any
such returns as has the beet sugar in
terest, and during all the hardships of
the last two years to our knowledge
the beet sugar industry has paid hand
some returns and offered extreme en-
couragenent to those interested, all
of which we hail with delight. But we
also must not lose sight Of the fact that
any act on the part of that industry to
further it's own cause which will act
with hardship upon a large portion of
this population and upon many lines
of business, and that any act which
will have a tendency to sever our con-
nections with the Hawaiian Islands and
lead to disturbance, financial, CONNER
cial, political, and, for all we know,
geographical, will reflect upon the beet
sugar industry, and create a feeling
of retaliation that will unquestionably