The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-02-01
SUGAR !

CINCHED THE HAWAIIANs.

. CINCHED THE HAWAIIANS.
E. c. Burr, of the Union Sugar Com
pany, gives some striking Illustrations
of the methods by which the sugar trust
has cinched the Hawaiian producers and
consumers. He declares that the scheme
to abolish the tariff on Cuban raw sugar
lis characteristic of the trust.
Burr says:
The outlook is blue, very blue, indeed,
| for the beet sugar men in the United
States with Congress likely to renew The
tinkering with sugar duties. Our stock,
for instance, and in fact the stock of
| every beet sugar company not in the
| trust, is hardly saleable owing to the
fear of the monopoly. 1t is all a fraud,
a fallacy, a delusion, to think that the
consumer is going to get any benefit
.com the removal Of the duty on Cuban
raw sugar
The United States is still a buyer OF
sugar The production of beet and cane
sugar at home has to increase 1861 900
tons a year before the demand is met
fully by the supply. What better or
grander thing can there be done than to
develop this industry and draw out to
some extent from the cereal industry,
which is overdone? At $50 a ton, the
present price, this development would
add about 100000 a year, most of
1 maintain that the greatest good to
the greatest number lies in the protec-
ton of our own people in relation to the
sugar industry of the United States and
Hawaii. 1 am in favor of applying char
ity at home and not going abroad to re-
leve people whom we have rescued from
d life worse than slavery.
If Congress removes the duty on Gu
ban raw sugar. in spite of what Mr..
says to the contrary, 1 shall
venture the prediction that the only con- |
sumers in the United States who viii |
profit by it are those that refine sugar |
In other words, the money will be di- |
vided between the Cuban planters and |
the refners in the trust.
Sugar is cheaper in San Francisco than |
IN New York, but not for the consumer. |
The trust has exacted a reduction in /
price from the Hawaiian planters. To-
lay the trust cuts the planters down
of a cent pound below
The New York price, and why? Simply ]
because the trust has the power to buy
At its own price, or leave the product
IN the planters hands The same result
will be experienced in New York soon
rs the proposed reduction on Cuban su-
gar Is effected.
This three-eighths Of a cent a pound
n the hands of the trust has an awful
,ower over domestic beet sugar produc-
ion. 1t Is supposed that the Spreckels
'eople are independent of the trust, but
IN the street it is well known among
ugar men that they and the trust are in
They make no secret of it
o sugar men. They cut the price on the
lanter but charge the consumer the
rice prevailing in New York. whereas
he consumer ought TO pay three-eighths
{ cent less
At the close of the war in Cuba the
of sugar had fallen from LOO
% tons year TO 10000 tons Since then
has grown to 100000 in 1901, and it is
that at least 500. 900 tons will be
reduced in 1902 and 10000 in 1903. I
lfer from this that Cuba does not need
ur aid in regard TO removal or reduction
{ the duty on her raw sugar
We have given Cuba what she wanted
now she is showing signs
ability to take care of herself. Cuba is
ot asking for removal of this duty.
here is no commission N Washington
Congress to abolish the I
lty. 1t is purely a move on the part of
lie sugar trust for its own benefit.
FREDERICK O'BRIEN.