The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1908-12-30
PINEAPPLE MEN
APPEAL To CONGESS
Continued from Page One.)


strued, the production in Hawaii has
increased until total of 419,072 cases
was produced this last season.
1t is safe to say that practically all
this growth of the industry was the
result of protection and would not have
been possible without it.
Some 10 companies are now engaged
in the growing and canning of pine
apples. They represent capital in
vestment of about S1,5OO,OOO. Ninety
five per cent of this capital is American
and only per cent is foreign.
| The stock in these companies is wide
ly distributed throughout the islands
A considerable amount is also owned
| by individuals on the Pacific Coast and
in the Eastern States
| But the companies above referred to
! by no means represent the entire pine
/ apple industry of Hawaii. Individual
/ farmers grow pineapp'es and sell them
! to the canneries, just as mainland
farmers grow beets and sell them to
sugar beet factories.
Thus through the benefits of pro-
lection an important new industry is
being built up in Hawaii. The indus
try is doubly important to Hawaii be-
cause if rightly protected it will afford
living profit to the individual farmer
or fruit grower.
wall has already reached the point
where competition regulates the price
and they will be able in the immediate
future to supply the entire consump-
ton in the United States
CITIZEN AGRICULTURAL POPULA-
TION.
The pineapple industry is also high
ly important to Hawaii because the
fruit can be grown on lands that are
! unsuited to other forms of tropical
agriculture; it is in fact a possible
means of largely increasing the citizen
J agricultural population of the Terri
tory. No industry in the islands is
better adapted to the farmer of mo-
derate means 1t constitutes one OF
the chief hopes of those DESTROYS of
seeing these islands settled by a pro-
gressive American population The
growing of pineapples is semihorticul-
tural and somewhat resembles fruit
culture in Southern California, which
has been brought to such a scientific
stage of perfection.
In order, however, to have this indus
try continue and grow, protection must
be given it approXimating that given to
= other fruits. American wages can not
be paid for semitropical fruit growing
in open competition with the cheap la
Dor of the West Indies and Singapore
; Nor can an American packer, limited
to high duty paid tin, sugar, machinery
/ and supplies, compete OPENLY with
packers having all those articles free
of duty. Ali that is asked is a tariff
that shall more nearly equalize the
difference in cost of production.
: DUTY-PAID SUPPLIES USED.
Practically all of the materials used
in the production of Hawaiian pine
apples and the manufacture of same
into canned goods are imported from
the mainland of the United States. Nc
' other article produced in Hawaii re-
quires so large a proportion of sucr
imported materials as canned pine
apples. For every ton of finished pro.
duct, worth, say SIS, it is estimated
that $50 represents the cost of mate,
= rials, all of which come from American
:, farms and factories. Nearly all OF
these materials, especially tin and SUI.
gar, enjoy the benefits of protection
and our pineapple Gamers must pay
higher prices for them in competition
with foreign producers using free ma
terials.
DIFFERENCE IN COST OF PRODUC
TON.
The price per dozen of the No.
can (known as 1 ga pound CAM o
. Singapore pineapple in New York
= without duty paid, is at present H.
cents. Subtracting the cost of freight
16 cents per dozen, gives a cost a
Singapore of 55.75 cents per dozen Tn,
corresponding No. can of Hawaiian
pineapple costs to produce under pres
ent conditions, +. o. b. Honolulu 81 147
per dozen, showing difference in cos
of production of SO cents per dozen.
Under present construction of tn
Dingley Act canned pineapples are al
entered as preserved in their owl
juice" and pay only 25 per cent duty a
valorem; this would be only IA cent
per dozen on the No. size can. TIL
duty under the proper classification c
fruits preserved in sugar would b
about 3S % cents per dozen.
1t will thus be seen that even tn
higher duty does not cover the differ
ence in cost of production and the Tia