Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1908-12-14
Says Philippines Can't
Produce Enough
To Worry
HIS REMARKS ON SUGAR
BEFORE TARIFF COMMISSION
Thinks People Are willing To Be
Charitable When 1t Docs Not
Cost Them Anything.
Postponement

Secretary Wrghts statement be-
fore the tariff commission is given in
photographic detail in copies OF the
hearing received in the last mail The
first part OF Mr. Wright's time before
the commission was given to state.
ment Of why he thinks the country
need not fear the sugar from the Phil.
ippines. His remarks are given rs
follows:
only just heard that the commit
tee wUs hearing arguments with ref
crence to these tariff schedules on
sugar and tobacco, as applied to the
Philippine Islands. | heard it only
about 10 O'Clock this morning. | want
t. say to the committee that we are
hardly prepared at this time to go
into that question. We are now hav-
ing Investigations made in the Phil
ippincs by experts. among them Mr..
ilurd, the internal revenue collector
for the islands. He is taking up this
question with great deal of care
WIN a Wow VI INN lllb b'lbi Z 'llN Npii
mittee the cost of production in the
Philippine Islands, their capacity for
increased production, and various
other matters which will enter into
any Intelligent consideration of this
question as applied to the Philippine
Islands.
1t seems to me that the whole OBJ
lection, If it has any force at all. lies
In the danger apprehended by the
producers of the United States. that
their market might be destroyed by
the inundation from the Philippine
Islands, and II that apprehension
could be relieved, If that is really
their fear, 1t seems to me that their
opposition would cease.
The custom house report from the
Philippine Islands shows that the to-
tai export of sugar for the year 1907
were llS,O0O tons, and it Is difficult
10 see, If all of that came to the
United States, just how that could in
any way affect the market here, when
IT Is considered that between 100
and 1900 thousand tons are annually
imported.
OF course, If there were an indef-
mite increase, | can readily under
stand how, in the course of human
events, il might affect the market
here: but until the Philippine ISL
ands took up the whole import Of
foreign sugars the market here, 1t
seems to me, evidently could not be
affected The Importance of that, |
think. can be made perfectly obvious
to every member Of the committee.
The last gentleman was good
enough to say suppose they all
feel the same way-that he had the
kindest, most affectionate feeling for
the Philippine people, but he did not
think 1t ought to be carried to the ex-
tent of destroying his market. 1t Is
astonishing, really, gentlemen, how
many charitable people there are in
the world when 1t does not cost them
anything.
But aside from that We can demon
strate, think to the satisfaction OF
the committee that there Is not the
slightest possibility of any large in
crease of production in the Philip
pine Islands in the near future. ip
many years. Economic conditions,
labor conditions. and all that are
such that it is utterly out of the ques
tion that there can be any large in
,rnnOa In tbn mann fitturn
Our purpose had been at the prop
err time to make suggestions of some
fair compromise about this matter
limiting the amount of sugar which
might be imported without duty, aS
an evidence of our good faith and oil
our actual belief that the market
here Is not in the least danger, anC
some gradual increase per annum
with maximum limit, ] think, W.
could agree upon.
1t is not possible that the Philip
pine Islands could supply the actua
increase in demand for sugar yea
by year, as it Is going on in thu
United States, and If | am correct II
that, 1t would seem utterly absurt
TO talk about Philippine sugar endan
ssrlng the American market unit
the beet sugar people and the cant
sugar people, in spite of this tarif
wall which has been erected, rails
about 100000 tons more than the!
ore doing now. When that tint
comes It will then be time enough Il
talk about putting up the bar
bars against the Philippine Islands
was informed moment ago tina
the total production of beet sugar II
the United States amounted TO 44o'
600 tons last year, Before the bee
sugar industry is In the slightest IA