The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1905-01-04


sugar trust.
Presaging the foregoing action and
accounting for it,, the San Francisco
Chronicle OF December % publishes
the following:
The withdrawal this week Of four Of
the principal san Francisco job
bers i'm sugar from the Pacific Traffic
and Commercial Association seems to
presage the dissolution Of that organi-
cation. The seeding firms are Haas
Brothers, Tillmann & Bendel, Suss-
man, Wormser & co. and the Levin
Meyer co. Approximately 40 per cent
Of the sugar purchased from the re-
fineries by the association was taken
by these four concerns, so that,
whether or not the association is able
to continue, there Is no doubt it Will
be considerably weakened. II. ID. Love-
land, the president and sole eXecu-
tive officer-there Is no board of dlrec-
I tors-insists that the association Will
continue in existence as heretofore.
He Is said to be receiving 100000 "A year
for his services as president under a
contract which has still three years to
run Several other firms are known,
to be watching the trend of events,
and, in certain circumstances, they
also will resign, leaving the Pacific
Traffic and Commercial Association in
a still further emasculated condition.
Among these are the William Cuff
Co., the M. Ehrman Co. and Wellman,
Peck & Co.
Responsible members Of the firms
that have Withdrawn have some diff
dence about stating the precise rea-
sons. They say the step has been
taken for their self-protection, and
they charge other members Of the as
ISOLATION with having broken the
price agreement, and with secret un-
dercutting. 1t seems evident how
ever, that there Is some connection
between the four designations and the
imminence of the arrival of the first
cargo of refined sugar shipped by the
Honolulu Plantation Company. And
in this connection II is at least curious
that leading members of three of the
seeding firms are large stockholders
in the plantation company.
/ This company was formed I'm San
/ Francisco about four years ago with
capital of $jOOO,0OO. The present
directors are John A. Buck (presl-
denD, Nicholas Ohlandt, Samuel Suss-
man (of Sussman, Wormser & COZ,
NJ. Ehrman (of the NJ. Ehrman Com
panY, John Roster, William G. Irwin
and Captain Matson. Among other
large stockholders are Frederick TIL
mann Of Tillmann q Bendel and VIII
liam Haas of Haas Brothers The
company has shipped raw sugar for
four years but has made no profits,
it is claimed. A refinery has been
q erected at Honolulu, and has been
running for week or two. The first
shipment OF refined sugar Is expected
to arrive I'm this port early in January,
and thereafter at regular intervals. The
{ company viii be I'm a position to ship
about $4,000 tons Of refined sugar a sea .
, son-or about one-seventh the quantity
| consumed I'm this market-and by 1906
1t Is asserted that about 10000 tons can
be brought here. The company has a
/ plantation Of 1900 acres, Of which GtOO
are producing. SO far $1,000, 900 has
been invested in the corporation, so Il
may be taken for granted that no ef-
fort VIII be spared TO carture this mar
ket and thus secure returns on the inn
mense outlay. Whether or not rate
war between the local refinery ana the
Plantation Company Is about to take
place Is matter upon which the Job
bers are unwilling 10 hazard an opin-
ion, but all agree that whatever hap
pens the purchasing public Is not likely
to be advantaged In any way The
fact that raw sugar is advancing IN the
markets OF the world, owing to the
shortage OF the beet crop IN Europe,
may lead to an amicable arrangement
between the rival interests. Next
month should tell.
The enemies Of the Pacific Traffic