The San Francisco call., 1897-04-22
there. 1 have bank there, and my sons !

there. 1 have bank there, and my sons
Adolph B. and John D. are interested in
the firm of w. G. Irwin 6 Co.
II have heretofore remained neutral in
the matter OF the abrogation of the re-
ciprocity treaty with Hawaii, but when
you ask me the direct question as to my
views Oh the subject /, as an American
citizen. feel compelled to say that it is
one-sided affair.
''In the first year of the treaty there
were only 16, 600 tons OF sugar produced in
the islands. Last year the product had
increased to 225 900 tons, and this years
estimate places the crop at 235, 900 tons.
This vast industry has been built up by
our country In permitting the sugar from
the islands to come in heGe free of duty.
The remission OF duty on Hawaiian
sugar amounts TO date 10 the enormous
sum of $73, ,000, 900. II the present treaty,
as included in the tariff bill under con-
slderation by the Senate at the present
time, remains in operation it will give to
the islands about $1,000. 600 per annum as
virtual bounty on the sugar raised there
and exported TO this country, and this
amount will practically come out of the
pockets OF the citizens OF this country. Ii
the treaty is continued they will eventu-
ally bring their annual crop OF sugar up
to 800 QUO tons. New plantations are being
opened up right along, and with the re-
ClpIOClly treaty us All luC6ntlFG 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 to-day. 1t is all one
sided. The balance of trade in favor of
the islands amounts to about 81, 000 600 or
IS, 600, 600 per annum. The articles i'm
ported from this country are only such as
they cannot obtain cheaper elsewhere.
Since the advent OF the Canadian line thev
have imported hav, lumber grain, pota-
toes and other merchand ise, formerly pur-
chased in This country, from Canada. N ost
OF their other 1mportauons now come
from England, France and Germany, as
the import duty is only 10 per cent, not
enough to favor importations from this
country.
For these reasons | am in favor of the
abrogation Of the treaty. as | look first to
the protection of home industries"
How about Pearl River Harbor, which
was ceded as a coaling station to the
United States as one of the conditions of
the reciprocity treaty? Would that not
be lost to the United States s?' was asked.
Not at all. L believe that the right that
the Government of this country acquired
10 the harbor when the treaty was made
gave it q title for all time, whether the
treaty was continued after it's original life
were lost TO our Govern:ne it would not
b. anything to mourn over, as the harbor
would be useless in case of war.
''Surrounding the entrance TO the har-
Dor is coral reef, and it would cost sew
! eral millions of dollars to blast enough of
| this away TO make passage for ships 10
! enter the inland body of water, which is
| trance free o. obstruction would also be a
continual source of expense TO the Gov
eminent, as the coral insects would re-
sumo operations at once and at
tempt to close the gap that had been
artiticially made. But even assuming
be kept SO, the harbor would simply be a
trap for the vessels that would attempt TO
use it during period OF war.
LAS l have alrea stated, Pearl River
Harbor is an inland sheet of water four or
five miles from the ocean, and to reach
it vessels would have to thread narrow
and devious channel, which would place
them at the mercy OF any hostile feet
lying outside; and should one of our war
ships be sunk in the channel it would ef-
fectua ly blockade all the other vessels
that were sheltered in the inner harbor.
Or the enemy might, by some strategic
move, sink one of its own vessels in the
channel, and this would not only blockade
all our vessels that were inside, but would
prevent the use of the harbor at Just such
time when we would have the most
urgent use for it"
This is the first time that Mr.. Spreckels
has openly avowed his opposition to the
renewal of the Hawaiian reciprocity
treaty, but it has been known TO the
sugar beet growers for some time. When
the Rect farmers of San Benito, Monterey
and Fresno counties were securing sigma
lures to petition to be presented to Con-
gress favoring the abrogatlon OF the treaty,
he was approached with great diffidence
by the officials of the Fresno and
Hollister banks, as they did not know
how he felt about the matter. They were
therefore, agreeably surprised when he
informed them of his being in favor of
abrogation.
Just before concluding the interview W
Mr.. Spreckels stated that in year from
now the two factories at Watsonville and
near Salinas will be able to supply the
whole Pacific Coast with sugar. He also
took occasion to say that the trust did not
control either The Watsonville beet-sugar
factory or the Western Sugar Refinery
that they simply owned an interest in
each OF these establishments, neither of
which was in the trust.
1t was further learned from other sources
that the trust had not secured any inter-
est in the two beet-sugar factories, located
at Chino and Alvarado, and owned re-
spectively by the Oxnard Bros. and the
Alameda Sugar Company.