The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-01-11
ARE READY FOR WAR
SUGAR TRUST MEN AFTER BEET
MIN.
Immense Stocks on Hand or The
Coming Fight-sugar Mems Plans In
Cuba

LACROSSE, CwlsD, January g. Al
strategic move on the part Of the cane
sugar interests OF the United states In
theiri war for supremacy with the beet
sugar producers has come TO light in
this city I'm the shape Of heavy cOnsign-
ments Of cane sugar being stored here.
1t was learned today that there are In
Lacrosse $50 carloads Of cane sugar In
excess Of the amount actually needed
for home consumption or usually dis
posed of in the regular course Of busi-
ness. Similar heavy shipments Of cane
sugar have been made to Milwaukee,
Winona Redwing, St. Paul, Minneapo-
lis, and, in fact, to all distributing
points Of Importance throughout the
Northwest The approximate value of
the excess product stored in Lacrosse
is $50 600, and, computing upon com
parative basis, IL Is presumable that the
entire amount stored through this sec
ton of the country aggregates several
millions in value.
The sugar trust proposes to flood the
market with this heavy output in the
near future. 1t is known that this is
the course planned for the embarrass-
ment of the beet sugar manufacturers.
That there is well-develOped jealousy
on the part of the sugar trust against
the beet men is well known, nor is this
strange in the light Of the fact that 10
past year was beet sugar and. that its
manufacturers have been able to place
1t on the market at 10 cents per hundred
less than the cane product and stul
make a handsome profit.
WASHINGTON, December 29.-One
Of the principal motives behind the ag-
itation for a reduction of the Cuban
tariff has been discovered. A member
of the tobacco trust who was here dur
ing the past week speaking to a local
financier, admitted in burst Of conh-
dence that the sugar and tobacco trusts
have secured options on most Of the
lands and crops in Cuba producing
those articles, and are now awaiting for
the action of Congress to decide whe-
Their the options will be taken up or
not. If Congress reduces the duty the
lands and crops will be purchased &C
cording to the options, and the trusts
will reap the full benefit. If Congress
refuses to reduce the duties the OPTIONS
will be surrendered, and the Cubans
will be left to shift for themselves. In
either case the Cubans Will be the last
persons to receive the benefit and the
consumers in this country will not fare
any better.
Both the sugar and tobacco trusts
have men here constantly working to
bring about a reduction in the tariff.
They hold out the threat of annexation
Of Cuba if the tariff is not reduced, and
declare that with financial ruin In Gu
ba which Is sure to follow a high tariff,
that country will apply for annexation
and that sentiment in this country viii
demand the annexation Of the island
In some quarters there is a conviction
that President Mckinley gave the
Cubans some expectation that they
would be cared for commercially on the
line of reciprocity or tariff reduction.
This according to believers in this
theory, would explain the readiness
with which the Plat amendment was
adopted by the Cubans after the visit
of the Commission to this country and
the subsequent attitude of General
Wood, Secretary Root and President
Roosevelt. II is not believed that any
promise was given to the Cubans, but
that they may have had reason to eX-
pect some advantage in trade matters
following their organization on lines
laid down by the Plat amendment. 1t
is significant that Senator Aldrich has
come around to the Administration
view and is ready to grant tariff reduc-
tiOns to Cuba. He gave as a reason for
this his fear that annexation would be
inevitable if the Cubans were not fav-
ored by a tariff dfferential but some
| signs point to other reasons as the real
basis for his changed attitude
The whole matter of Cuban relations
| is assuming an aspect of pressing i'm
! portance and developments are being
/ keenly watched in and out of Congress