Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1903-05-22
Sugar Trust Grip on Hawaii
Bars the Way to
Jim Hills Monster Steamers

! Edwin H. Clough, correspondent for
the Examiner, writing from Yokohama
under date of April 20, says:
The reasons that have operated to IN
duce James Hill to sidetrack HOMO
lulu in his transpacifc schedule is one
Of the most emphatic commentaries
upon the growing decadence OF Ha-
waiian commerce that could be offered.
When J. ID. Farrell, vice-president of
the Great Northern Steamship line.
reached Honolulu during the last ot
March he utilized the few hours Of his
stay at that port by interviewing b. #.
Dillingham;, general manager Of the
| Oahu railroad, and an authority on
| commercial conditions in the islands.
The result of this interview confirmed
Mr.. Farrell in his preconceived notion
that II would be a waste of time to
make Honolulu a port Of call for the
steamers Of the Hill line. He learned
that aside from fluctuating tourist
traffic and incidental commerce in cur
los, tropical fruits and the by-products
of the islands, there was nothing worth
the expense and trouble of conveying
away.
Mr.. Dillingham; made the best OF a
bad argument in favor Of increased
transportation facities for Hawaiian
exports, but they we're not sufficient
TO convince Mr.. Farrell and he finally
informed Mr.. Dillingham; that until
better demonstration OF Hawaiian
profit to the Great Northern could be
made the track Of that company's
steamships would follow the thirty
fourth parallel. plying directly as pos
sible over the great circle between
Seattle and Yokohama.
Mr.. Farrel's decision In this matter
was based on very simple PROPOSE
ton. Hawaiian sugar interests, the
only Immediately valuable interests in
the islands. are in the clutch OF the
sugar trust. With the shrewd fore
sight that characterizes trust-being
a necessary mental equipment of all
modern commercial enterprise, as it
was formerly primary requisite in
the best laid plans OF the Morgans and
Kids of the good old buccaneering
days-this great American sugar trust
has cornered the output OF Hawaiian
sugar plantations during the ensuing
three years. This output during 1902
amounted to $4,000 tons, and the
planters calculate that the product this
year will aggregate between 100000
and 100000 tons. 1t has now dawned
upon the belated comprehension Of
these planters that they have been
squeezed" by the trust.
I. WILLING TO SWITCH.
When it was bruited in Honolulu
that James Hill would operate a great
steamship service across the Pacific
ocean these planters came together
and resolved to ask the railroad man
TO erect refinery in Seattle to handle
the entire product OF the Hawaiian
islands. This proposition was pre-
scented to Mr.. Farrell with somewhat
elaborate statistics concerning the con-
sumption of sugar in the United States
II was represented that the sugar i'm
ports amounted to nearly 1000, 900 tons
foreign cane and about 100000 tons
beet sugar. These figures were, segre-
gated to show that the import from
Germany amounted to $4,000 tons;
from Austria. 1900 tons, from Bel
GUM, $4,000 tons; from Cuba. 550,0Ot
tons; from Brazil. $4,000 tons; from
the British West Indies, 10000 tons
and from other sources about half @
, million tons. 1t was argued by thes,
vassals OF the American sugar trust
that II Mr.. Hill would come to theil
, rescue with sugar refinery that would
insure to the Hawaiian planters tbs
= market value Of their product, he could
achieve personal profit by cutting int
the foreign import. They promised
that with this substantial encourage
ment the sugar plantations OF Hawai-
woull increase four-fold within thu
next decade and eventually. perhaps
expand into the greatest sugar-produc
ing region OF the world. The Hawaii
! an Is born to a vivid. imagination ana
the poesy Of his expression is unlic
ensed.
. Three phases of this glittering pre-
; sentation were sufficient to give Mr.
Hills representative long pause In con
siderations Of the Hawaiian PROPOSE
tion-three riffs in the taro-patch fid
, die with which these poets OF the sun
kissed isles sought to evoke their com
, merce-compelling melody, struck dis
cord upon MIR. Farrells ear attuned d
the harmony of practical and feasibl
enterprises. 0r ..E..1. g. .....
'g IN GRIP OF MONOPOLY,
In the first place, Mr.. Hill Is not Il
the sugar business except as a com
mon carrier. Furthermore, even II h
- were inclined to include the promo
I ton of the sugar interests of Hawa
among his merely transportatio
schemes he must wait until the cor
tracts OF the sugar planters with th
sugar trust should expire, Then agai
II would be the poorest business polio
imaginable to attempt competitio
Y with "a com hinatian that cnuld Onarat