The Honolulu republican. [volume] (Honolulu, T.H.) 1900-1902, 1900-10-20
BEET NelR INDUSTRY
N UNITED STATES
Still Young But in
Position to Grow
Rapidly.
Growers AFRAID Of EXPANSION
FIAR THE CANE PRODUCTION
IN NEW INsULAR Pos
SESSIONS.
Great Interest Aroused Over e Rs
cent Editorial in The Repub-
Ecan-Labor Question
All Important
GROWERS AFRAID OF EXPANSION
From the Bee, Sugar Gaaette.I

One has 10 60 away from home TO
hear the news This old saying Is ex
eInplifed by the article printed else
where in this issue. under the head
line. Cane Sugar to be Dethroned-
IL ID taken from the Honolulu Repub
lican. bright and lively paper that
is published in the territory or Ha-
vail To what extent it represents the
views of cane sugar planters IN those
islands il seems impossible TO say with
out Investigation, but it is probable there
is such sentiment among the sugar IN
terests. otherwise the appearance of such
an article in a Hawaiian papar would be
most extraordinary.
1t seems to be case OF ones afraid
and the other daresn't' between the cane
sugar planters and the beet sugar men.
The beet sugar men in the United States
are afraid Of an unnatural expansion or
the cane planting business in case the
markets of the United States should De
thrown open to the sugar from the trop-
ical islands, and think it would be diff
cult to compete with the product OF trop-
ical labor 1t now develops that on the
other hand the cane sugar men are afraid
of the beet sugar factories in the United
States. thinking the latter will develop
and multiply 80 fast as soon TO reduce
the market for Hawaiian sugar.
One mans misfortune is another's OPP
portunity. This principle, cruel as It
is, lies at the bottom OF ali commercial
relations and on the strength of it this
journal cannot bring itself to feel any
poignant regret at the prospect opened
UP by its Honolulu contemporary. On
the contrary. it is happy to confirm the
view taken by that paper. at least TO
certain extent.
Unfortunately, the beet sugar industry
is not yet far enough along in the United
States to cause any serious apprehension
of speedy substantial diminution OF
sugar imports. for which. the American
people paid out $1OO,OO0.0O0 during the
fiscal year ended June So 1900, feeding
me sugar refiners at the same time at
the rate of $2OO,0OO.0O0. But the con-
dition which the Honolulu Republican
fears may set in at any moment.
1t is certainly true, as our friend in
the Pacific islands apprehends. that po-
tentially the beet sugar industry in the
United States has sounded the death
knell of tropical cane sugar. Only po-
tentially, however, for ut present the
production of beet sugar in the United
States is but drop in the bucket. 1t is
true. even this drop has only grown up'I
within few years, and certainly has
demonstrated the possibilities that lie in
this industry: If capital will for few
years give up mining and other specu-
lative or gambling pursuits, where most
of the investments are dead loss. and
devote itself to legitimate business. like
beet sugar making, where profits are
large. although not so enormous as those
realized in one case out of twenty-five |
in mining, and at the same time certain. |
if the enterprise is started and managei |
with little judgment, then the beet su- |
gar industry will take on a form that |
will enable it to cut an important figure |
in the sugar market. And if the current |
of investing capital, once turned in this |
direction, continues to flow, there is every |
reason to hope that before very long |
Americans will use only domestic sugar. |
that no hundred million dollars a year |
will 90 abroad for raw sugar. and that no |
trust fattens of refining monopoly. |
but the vast sums now thrown into its |
lap. together with the money used to buy |
sugar from foreign countries. will be kept |
at home and distributed among the farm |
srs and laborers Of the United States
The warning of the Honolulu Republi-
can should be taken BY the people OF the |
States as prediction full of the bright |
est promise 1t is not likely Hawaiia |
sugar win be forced out of the United |
States markets The consumption OF |
sugar in the United States is great |
enough to take care of the cane sugar |
produced in the Territory of Hawaii |
even though the beet sugar industry /
should grow to the dimensions 10 which |
its economic Importance and the physical
conditions of the country entitle il. The
Hawaiisns are long way from stsrva-
ton yet, and it is hoped viii always re
main co. TIE beet sugar people can
afford to be generous when the time
comes 70 deal with their quondam rivals
What this utrerance. coming from the
middle of the Pacific ocean. really signi-
ies 10 that the cane sugar interests.
which ought to understand the situa-
ton thoroughly. are beginning to appre-
ciate the growing Importance OF beet
sugar in the United States and TO recog
nire that the conditions are all favor
able for such vast Development of this
industry as would seriously endanger
the ru3e Of King Cane II IS no longer
the friends and advocates OF beef sugar
alone that point out these facts, hut the
admission row comes from q source
which one would suppose TO be the last
70 become reconciied TO the ,houghu
that the Unstad States could produce
their own sugar. Ii is now recognized
hy those whosc interests naturally in
cline them to deny the fact as long es
possible, that the United States. with =
little tioe, win be IN position TO ses
alanx WITHOUT importing any cane sugar
The position takss jx .he Eees Sugar
Gs-<ite IN tsis reacck s.sss snse.s vim
t,se nsoss sezfS Il sri.
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