The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1901-12-26
TROUBLES OVER HAWAII
Fierce War Raging Between
Two Factions,
WORKING AT CROSS PURPOSES.


Them Export Prices = The other
Says They should Have All Privi-
Ieges of United States Citizens.
The war between the two factions of
our protected manufacturers goes mer-
rily on. One faction believes that the
Hawaiian islanders became full fledged
Americans as soon as we annexed Ha-
wall and that they should be charged
full American prices for all goods or
dered from our manufacturers. The
other faction believes that it is impos-
sible to make full blooded Americans
of these benighted foreigners with one
stroke of the legislative pen and that
little time should be allowed for them
to evoute up to full appreciation OF
the blessings of American citizenship,
Including our high tariff trust prices.
These manufacturers, therefore, as
sumo that the Ha waiians prefer low
prices and put them on their special or
foreign price list, which permits them
to get our goods at saving of from
10 per cent to 80 per cent on the cost to
ordinary Americans.
The faction which treats Hawaiians
as foreigners is selling goods in Homo
lulu at such low prices that great guam
titles of them are being brought back
to California and sold there at profit
in competition with similar goods on
which freight has not been paid to
Honolulu and return. This is what
makes trouble for the members of the
other faction. They air their griev-
ances in occasional letters to trade pa
pers. Several have appeared during
the last two years in The Iron Age.
The following is part of letter signed
"Western Manufacturer" which ap-
peared in The Iron Age of June q.
| 1901
at so happens that at present the
price of our goods Is about 25 per cent
higher for domestic consumption than
| the export prices. We had an inquiry
for export prices. which we quoted.
The order now comes in to be shipped
to Honolulu. Is it fair to consider the
Hawaiian Islands entitled to export
prices?
"Our own opinion is that they have
become part Of the United States and
should be considered domestic territory
as much as Alaska; also we under.
stand our tariff applies to this territory.
so that they are prohibited from buying
outside, and we are thus enabled to get
domestic prices"
This manufacturers reasoning ap-
pears to be sound. but 1t does not ap-
pear to have had the desired effect on
the other faction. which, judging from
the following letter in The Iron Age
of Dec. 5. 1901, is still continuing its
pernicious practice Of treating Hawai-
lans as foreigners:
"Your journal has from time to time
called attention to the demoralizing
practice of many American manufac-
turers of still continuing export prices
in the Hawaiian Islands notwithstand-
Ing the fact that these islands are now
part and parcel of the United States.
"There are no custom house restric-
tions between the two countries to pre-
vent goods sold at the export price be-
ing re-entered in the United States,
which has been and Is being done, to
the great detriment of many Of your
readers.
"It would be the proper thing IL all
manufacturers would take the same
view of it as leading manufacturer.
who recently wrote a letter as follows:
"'We discontinued the use Of export
prices for the Hawaiian Islands some
time ago, as we now consider that this
united country is part of the great
republic. We do not see any logical
reason why its inhabitants, in consid.
Grafton of the great privilege Of flying
the stars and stripes. should not pay
the present high American values on
the commodities they consume"
The Iron Age says that "this hits the
nail on the head, and we hope the pub
lication of this letter will enlighten
some American manufacturers who do
not seem to know that the Hawaiian
Islands are no longer export but do
mestic trade"
The situation Is clear. Our tariff fos-
tered "infants" have become over
grown, dictatorial trusts. They charge
us two prices for their goods and point
to the tariff wall which we have put
around ourselves to show our detesta-
tion of cheap foreign goods. Judging
from our legislation, 1t certainly is a
fair inference that we detest cheap
ness and love high prices. 1t Is not
strange. therefore. that Mr.. Charles M.
Schwab. president of our billion dollar
steel infant. told the industrial COM
mission in burst of confidence that
"eXport prices are made at a very
much lower rate than those for domes-
tic consumption. =" think you
ran safely say this-that where a large
export business is done nearly all the
people from whom supplies are bought
for that purpose give you a good price
for the materials that go into the ex-
ports. The railroads will carry them q
little cheaper. and so on down the
line.
"What is true of the iron and steel
business is true of every other. Ex-
porters must take less for their goods
than they receive at home. and that is
only natural. - In this connec.
tion, however. | want to say that Amer.
lean steel has been sold In the Ameri.
can market at as low prices In times
of extreme depression as In foreign
markets. but II has been sold without
n profit"
1t is really consoling to learn Off.
cially that there are times "of extreme
depression" when we are permitted