The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-05-11
PROBLEMS OF EXPANSION.

STATES is already up for discussion. 1t
is not easy to decide off-hand If the ,
tariff barrier were broken down, it |
would presently result in a great in
crease in the commerce crossing the
Pacific and calling at Hawaii, and prob
ably a new steamship line from San
Francisco to Manila, with Honolulu as
stopping place both ways. A trade
quite worth consideration might gradu-
ally grow up between the Philippines |
and Hawaii, and it goes without saying
that we would be glad to receive Manila |
cigars duty free. 1t would add one to
the many advantages of our geographic |
cal and commercial situation; and as a
general principle it would seem fair |
that we should desire for the other new
possessions of our foster mother equal
good fortune with ourselves. 1t would
seem natural and right and proper that
the tariff should be thrown around the
whole of the United States, and not
leave one section outside and make it's
products, grown ON American territory,
pay our tariff before they can be admit
ted to its other portions.
The point, however, is how free trade
with the Philippines would affect our
chief industry. Would it lower the price
of sugar? 1t would not do so immea4-
ately, but it would be very apt to in the
not distant future.
Inc United States consumes about g.
$50 90 short tons of sugar per year. The
domestic production is about 100000
tons. Hawaii will soon export about
400, 900 tons. The Porto Rican product
has been about $1,000 tons, and it may
grow little, despite the provision IN
the Territorial bill limiting the amount
Of land which may be held by one cor
poration to 500 acres, and providing
that no member of one corporation
shall be interested in any other. Inc
pressure of population in Porto Rico
ensures an abundant labor supply.
Still, the Porto Rican crop is probably
not capable of being increased more
than so per cent, which would make it
100000 tons. The cane sugar produc-
tion of the Mainland is stationary, but
the beet sugar crop is steadily increas-
ing, though not rapidly enough to equal
the advance in the domestic consump-
ton.
> Subtracting the sum of the domestic,
the Hawaiian and the Porto Rican pro-
ducts from the total domestic consump-
ton, there are left AGO. 900 short tons
imported which pay duty. 1t may be
supposed, for che sake of avoiding COM
p.- ,ations in reckoning, that the grow N
of the Porto Rican and the beet sugar
crops will for ONE time keep pace with
the increase in the domestic consump-
ton. The Philippine crop of 1893 "a
was about $4,000 short tons. If this
amount were allowed to come in free
Of duty, there would be left approx
mately 100000 tons which would be
dutiable
Now, this is precisely the amount of
, the Cuban crop in its best year-the one
just before the instruction of 1895 I .e
possibility of Cuban sugars being adj
mitted duty free, under some reciproci-
. ty treaty or some other arrangement,
is not to be ignored True, present in
dications point away from closer
union with the United States; but an
: nexation has many powerful friends in
both countries, and Cuba's geographi-
! cal position points to that as an ever
a present and very real possibility 1t
e may come with little warning. Even if
I 1t does not, her situation as a ward OF
= the United States makes a reciprocity
= treaty very likely. If Cuba were to ask
/ for it, the chances are nine in ten that
f Sic would get it. The workingmen
\ who us great deal of sugar every
( year, would favor it. This Cuban crop
S has paid duty of perhaps more than a
! cent pound. If this duty were sud-
a denly removed the devastated planta-
5 lions would start up again, the mills
= would be rebuilt, and millions of CAPT
e tai in the United States, which only
t await such a chance, would rush into
q Cuba and develop it. The crop would
equal the former one very soon, and
would then pass it and go on up. The
e Cuban crops have always been produc-
ed Under the poor methods of cultiva-
e ton in vogue over there--no fertilizers
S no irrigation, and two tons of sugar tc
e the acre. The production would be
4 enormously stimulated; new land, Of
e which vast tracts can be had from SIC
: an acre up, would be cultivated, with
: or without the help of the new central
: railway; and intense cultivation, better
machinery, and progressive, scientific
L Hawaiian methods might be introduced
l. because it would be worth while to in
e troduce them. Cuba's sugar could be
I and would be, greatly increased over
: It's maximum within few years.
: If, then, Cuban sugars were admitted
r free, and the tariff on the Philippine