The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-01-09
would be felt all over the United
States"
OBLIGATIONS TO CUBA

l
| Regarding the argument that the
United tSates has duty 10 perform
in placing Cuba on a prosperous bust
ness basis and that reciprocity is the
best medium as we'll as help to Amer
| lean trade, Mr.. Gregg said:
| 1T is not fair to say we have a duty
to perform in giving Cuba an amount
OF prosperity through reciprocity that
will ensure the success of the independ-
ent government. In the face of the ex-
penditures of this government to free
Cuba and to keep order for the last
three years and in the face of the po-
litical reciprocity arrangement through
the Platt amendment, which guaran-
! tees Cuba stable government and po-
ilitical protection, it is hard to see what
more Cuba has a right to ask of us.
| For as we have done for her and
expect to do for her in the future, the
net result to us amounts to little more
than a few coaling stations.
In spite OF the glib way in which
! correspondents refer to Our Posses
sions" and include Cuba in the list with
Porto Rico Hawaii and the Philip
pines, we all know Cuba is an indie
pendent country over which we pre-
tend TO exert no permanent authority.
1.-The Cuban people have a wonderful
IL fertile island, which can produce
vast quantities of sugar and tobacco,
but Cuba doesn't have to raise sugar
and tobacco alone. Diversified farming
is just as good a gospel to preach to
them as to preach to our own farmers.
They can just as we'll raise rubber.
hemp. rice, coffee, copra, quinine,
spices, tea tropical fruits and many
other similar products in vastly larger
quantities than they do now. But they
do not want to bother with these
things: they want to raise sugar and
tobacco. and if we play into their
hands they will do it to the ruin of the
beet sugar business of the north. the
cane sugar business of the gulf States
and the tobacco interests throughout
the East and South.
In short, if we refuse reciprocity to
Cuba, we will force her into diversified
farming.
CUBA DOESN'T NEED 1T.
Cuba is not in danger of bankruptcy
if we do not grant her reciprocity.
on the islam are better
than most people are aware of. This
has already done a great deal
for the Pearl of the Antilles. Look at
the condition of the Cubans when the |
United States interviewed in her affairs. |
and restitution We're gen. |
eral. Today the Improvement II con- |
ditions can best be shown by the fact |
that common labor on the plantations |
IS receiving 81 per day. That does not
ook like bankruptcy. This wiz not |
change for the worse except as the |
market is manipulated for political Ell |
feet.
The Cubans are delivering sugar
now in New York at 3A cents per
pound; they paying the duty. Before
he sugar trust made it's recent great |
they were getting aoout Az
'ents. Out of the present price of 81 |
;ents per pound. must be deducted the
following:
Duty. s1.6o1a; ocean freight, pack
lges. storage and transportation in
Cuba, about 50 cents per hundred
weight. which leaves to the planter f
}. b. his works in Cuba, about $I.71IS |
Der pound
1t is probably true that under pres
ent methods of cultivation the Cuban
planter cannot show any profit 'at tbs 1
igure. But If his methods of cutiva- /
ion and handling We're somewhat i'm
proved they could come out a little
more than even on this basis. But on
he basis OF the average price from
January to June of this last year they
would be getting a half cent per pound !
more, or $2.1212. / am satisfied That
Tuba can raise sugar at this price anu
make some money. l presume Porto
Rico can raise sugar on some of it's
and on abtu the same basis est. al
hough the island being small. the bus
ness can never be sufficient to reach
he lowest cost of Cuban sugar
Hawaiian islandS :,
dvantage of the long distance from
ur country. Then, they are also ham
cred by lack of rainfall. which COM
els more or less irrigation with pump
lg systems. The Philippines are I'M
oubtedly on nearly the same basis as
uba; but instead of being 100 miles
rom our coast they are 5000 miles
way from our west coast. This would
a difference of 80 to so cents
er hundredweight for ocean freight.
LORE THAN SUGAR INVOLVED.
Cuba has produced in the past a
lillion tons of sugar or export under
panish control, and without any trade
dvantages which she now desires
ON the United States. I think it is
lir estimate to say that Cuba can
reduce between 5000, 900 and 10000, 900
ms of sugar per annum, if she can
nd the market for it: so that if the
nited States were determined to get
s sugar cheap, and to throw all Of ,..e
lsineSs to Cuba regardless of the bus
less interests of the country, we could
get more sugar for doI-
+, but we would drive the sugar in
lstry of Louisiana and the gorth and
IT dependent islands to the wall.
I'VE would also seriously injure
he
ow exceeds the worlds production.
he increased production is alarming =
roducers the world over. If I'VE en-
ourase Cubans oy reciprocity, they
i'll rush into an enormous production
sugar which will react nthemselves
| lowered prices. l insist that [ force
lem into diversified agriculture is
uch more of a kindness than to place
lem in this position.
Then we must look some to the flu
Ire. The American people must not I