The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-02-10

the United States can invest in indus
tries in Cuba, Mexico, Central and
South America where they have ad-
vantages that are not offered by Uni
ted States territory, and vet every prod
uct will be admitted into the United
States markets on the same basis as like
products of the so-called insular posses
sions of the United States. And a bet
ter inducement i offered to capital by
foreign countries than in the actual ter
ritory of the United States.
II am delegated by the Manila Mer
chants Association to go to the Uni
ted States and place the facts before
the trade and commercial bodies with
the purpose of enlisti,g the coopera
ton of these organizations and to in
duce them to demand of their repre-
sentatives and senators in Congress that
bill providing for absolute and un-
qualified free trade, between the Phil
lpplnes and the United States, be pass
ed at the first opportunity.
The bill they are framing in Wash
ington now is compromise measure
which provides for the free admission
of products to the United States with
the exception of sugar and tobacco, and
upon these two products there will be
limitation as to. the amount that may
be admitted. AS far as tobacco is con-
cerned it is not of so great Importance,
as the tobacco production is not great
and we have a good market for it now.
The tobacco production of the Philip
pines can never be a menace to the Uni
ted States. But as to sugar, there is
whole lot more Importance attached,
and it is of the most vital interest to
the Philippines.
Tobacco and sugar are the only ar
ticles produced in the Philippines for
export upon which there is a duty.
Anything else we produce is admitted
free to the United States, so they do
not afford any special inducement to
capital.
$4,000 tons of the grade of sugar we
produce today. It has lower polariza-
ton than others. The Philippines has
produced for export approximately $780,
900 tons year. Now, the United
Stats only buys as much as it requires
of this grade of sugar and that amount
is only percentage of the amount the
Philippines have to sell.
Gin order to produce such grade
of sugar as we can sell readily we
must install modern mills and equip
ment which means for plantation
of reasonable size an investment Of not
less than 81, 100000 gold. With limi-
tation of the amount of sugar that
might be exported, duty free, to the
United States from the Philippines, the
possibili of reaching the amount set
in this limitation is almost present, and
capital will not invest in the industry
with the prospect that it may have to
market its sugar to the United States
on he basis of the worlds parity.
l. GAS far as production of sugar is
concerned, in 1895 Hawaii produced
| l2l 900 tons; Porto Rico, $4,000; beet
| sugar (U.S.), 10000. Today Hawaii is
producing nearly 100000 tons and Porto
Rico 225,O00; there is somewhere be-
| tween 1000 and 900 beet sugar
| tons, which represents an increase of
several hundred thousand tons in the
| United States, and the United States
| has absorbed that entire increase and
was obliged to import more sugar from
| foreign countries in 1908 than it did
| in 1895. Since 1880 the per capita con-
sumption of sugar has doubled in the
| United States and the total consump-
| ton trebled.
SIT is incorrect to- say that Philip
pine sugar will interfere with Hawaii S
| production We are in the same boat
| with a unity of interests. We must
work together and show the American
| people that it will profit them to pro-
| duce every dollars worth of products
they can in the Philippines, Hawaii and
Porto Rico that they are today buying
| from Mexico, Central and South Amer
lean countries and from which they get
no compensation.
"The opening of free trade il the
| Philippines will mean that the manu-
facturer will have to carry large stocks
there to supply Orient markets. China
is developing very rapidly. The i'm
ports over there run into the several
hundred millions, and in few years
will reach billion. No European car
carry large stocks over there. If free
trade is given the Philippines the
American manufacturers can undersel
and will make the Philippines base
of supplies from which the Chinese
trade can be supplied directly. That
means American trade will dominate
the Oriental markets.
Mr.. Pitt proposes to lay before Presi
dent Taft the proposition of having
the American consuls in the Far Eas
hold a conference at certain stated
times at Manila, where American trade
conditions may be studied and discuss
ed and each representa- tive thereb,
keep in better touch with the suppl.
of American goods for Oriental mar
kets. This is similar to the plan III. ?
Wood, secretary of the Promotion Com
mittee, advocated, which was to hav'
conference of all American consul
, in Pacific ports at Honolulu.
Mr.. Pitt has been engaged in promo
ton statistical work at Manila for sew
eral years, and has written many ar
ticles of value on free trade and suga
development in the Philippines. H
is a Utah man, born in Salt Lake City
where for many years he was manage
J of one of the national financial agen
| cies. At the opening of the war h
served his country by enlisting in