Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1909-03-25

- hibitive tariff on pineapples. We ad-
= = vocate rate of duty that will give
the Government an increased revenue on
the pineappes now imported and one that
will more nearly approximate the bare diff.
ference in cost of production, due to cheaper
labor abroad, and the use of duty-paid ma
terials, cans and machinery used by the
domestic packer.
Broadly speaking, we ask only a verbal
correction of paragraph 2G3 to make effec.
tive the original intent Of the Dingley Act
in respect to canned pineapples; and with
that we ask a correction of paragraph 26S,
eliminating the cubic-foot rate and adjust
ing the duty on fresh pineapples so that II
shall not render ineffective the duty on can.
ned pineapples; also in order that the cheap
pneapples OF the West Indies shall not drive
the Florida and Hawaiian fresh fruit out Of
the market.
Growth Of the Industry.
At the time when Hawaii came under the
full operation of the Dingley tariff through
annexation, the annual production Of canned
pineapples was less than 5000 cases.
Through the encouragement of the protec-
ton to the canned.pineapple industry afford
ed by the Dingley law as then construed
the production in Hawaii has increased I'M
til a total of 4l9072 cases was produced
this last season.
II is safe to say that practically all this
growth Of the industry was the result Of
protection and would not have been possible
without II.
Some IL companies are now engaged In
the growing and canning Of pineapples
They represent a capital investment Of
about si,5ooyooo. Ninety.five per cent Of
this capital Is American and only per cent
is foreign.
The stock in these companies Is widely
distributed throughout the islands. A con
siderable amount Is owned by individuals
on the Pacific coast and in the Eastern
States
But the companies above referred to by
no means represent the entire pineapple
industry of Hawaii. Individual farmers
grow pneappes and sell them to the can
neries, just as mainland farmers grow beets
and sell them to sugar.beet factories.
Thus through the benefits of protection
an important new industry is being built up
in Hawaii. The industry is doubly import
ant to Hawaii because If rightly protected
II will afford living profit to the individual
farmer or fruit grower.
The production in Florida and Hawaii has
already reached tne point WHeTe competition
regulates the price, and they will be able
in the immediate future to supply the entire
consumption in the United States.
Citizen Agricultural Population.
The pineapple industry is also highly Inn
portant TO Hawaii because the fruit can be
grown on lands that are unsuited to other
forms of tropical agriculture; 1t is in fact
a possible means of largely increasing the
citizen agricultural population of the Terri
tory. No industry in the islands Is better
adapted to the farmer of moderate means.
II constitutes one of the chief hopes of those
DESTROYS of seeing these islands settled by
u progressive American population. The
growing of pineapples is semihorticultural
and somewhat resembles fruit culture In
southern California, which has been brought
to such n scientific stage of perfection.
In order. however to have this industry
continue and grow, protection must be given
IT, approximating that given to other fruits.
American wages can not be paid for semi
tropical fruit growing in open competition
with the cheap labor of the West Indies