The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1911-09-27
PRICE Of SUGAR
AND THE TARIFF

Under the head, THE Price OF
Sugar Uncertainty Whether the In
crease Is Necessary or Only specula.
tive the San Francisco Chronicle of
September IA contains the following
editorial:
The astonishing rise in the price of
sugar Is creating great deal of com
ment, and should it appear that it is
the result of combination Of refin-
ers, it will be a very bad thing, in
deed, for them
The price oil raw sugar FOR the world
has for some years back been fixed BY
the competition of sellers in the mar
ket Ct Hamburg, and the controlling
factor in that market is the German
crop, as this country takes the Cuban
sugar and other sugar-producing
countries have their regular markets,
with the SURPRISES competing IN Ham
burg.
There is no doubt that .he German
crop is almost a failure this year and
that there is a shortage of the worlds
supply such as must naturally and in
evitably result in some increase Of
price.
But the increase of price which has
taken place seems unreasonable. #
it is the result of the demands OF
growers, nothing can be done about it.
There is a shortage of hops this year
and the growers of this state who are
not under contract for term Of years
are selling at 40 cents pound or
holding" for a great deal more than
that, and the people of this state re-
joice in the prosperity Of our hop
growers.
And if the producers Of raw SUGAR
are in that position, we may fuss and
fume as much as we please, but we
shall have to pay the price for sugar
or go without it.
But if it should appear that the
sugar in the world has been mostly
contracted for by refineries at com
paratively low prices and that an eX
tortionCte price has been set, as is
charged, by an international comoina
ton of refineries, it will go very hard
with the refineries, at least of this
country, as soon as the people car
get at them.
In this country, as all know, sugar
beets are produced under contracts
with growers made. before the beec!
are planted, and the beet-sugar fac
tories stand to make enormous profits
One might say that it is their duty
to sell at reasonable prices as long al
the supply lasts, but that would bt
silly and benefit no one as long al
higher prices prevail elsewhere, foI
the sugar would be promptly Dough
by dealers and shipped to the highes
market.
The price of raw sugar must al
ways be at parity throughout tn,
world, although upon entrance to tn,
different countries the price is affect
ed by local tariff regulations.
Presumably a howl will go up tina
sugar must be placed on the free lis
in order to punish" the refineries 70
cornering the crop and "cinching" tn
people.
But that is precisely what the refiI
cries want. They have always clan
ored for free raw sugar and do now
They, of course, wish to preserv
their differential on refined sugar, bu
probably would give that up if the
could get free raw sugar.
Regardless of what is charged, tn
Tefneries may be in no combinatio
of any kind, international or othe
But if they are not, and if the hig
price of sugar is due merely to
shortage understood by the growers {
the world, the quicker and more clea
~ the American refineries make ths
understood by the people the bette
it will be for them.