The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1911-08-03

Kansas, on Jaly 20 entered into al
explanation Of the Dutch standard
sugar test. He had offered an amend
ment-which was finally defeated-tC
the reciprocity bill to which would
have had the effect of changing the
tariff and cutting out the Dutch stand
ard as test There was a long wran
gle over what the tariff actually is
today Leading Senators were appar
emily unable to figure it out, and
Smoot of Utah, after a long dialogue
couldn't agree with Bristow as to
what the duty is under the present
law, much of the confusion being ap
parently due to the mystery of the
Dutch standard Bristow contended
warmly for the abolition of the Dutch
standard, and proceeded to explain
and attack it as follows:
THE Dutch standard is a device
for testing the purity of sugar, that
was adopted more than century ago
by the Dutch merchants of Holland.
1t was a color test At that time the
color test was the only test known
for the purity of sugar.
ut consisted of seventeen bottles
of this type Cndicating), represent
ing grades of sugar from 8, which was
the lowest, to %, which was the high
est. This is No. s. That was the
lowest in commercial use-all cane
sugar, of course.
"The Dutch standard was never
used to measure the saccharine quail
ties of beet sugar. 1t was first de-
vised something over hundred
years ago. Then there was an ascend
ing scale from s up to %. That is
No. IL (exhibiting), the bottle l now
hold in my hand. This one Is No.
ID (indicating); this one is No. Is;
this is No. II; this is 25. This %
is pure sugar (exhibiting). Before
the centrifugal process of refining or
purifying sugar was invented or de-
vised sugars never were manufac-
tured as white as that, because the
old process of cleansing and purifying
sugars by settling was the only one
known. That is, a hogshead would
be provided with holes in the bottom
of it and the sugar would be dumped
from the boiling pan into the hogs
head and the molasses would settle
to the bottom and drain out of it and
the sugars on top were the purest
sugars. That process was used until
it was made as pure as it was possible
to make it under that process. Those
sugars are called now muscavado
sugars, and that process is used in
the crude form in many countries. 1t
is almost exclusively used in the Phil
ippines, where the sugars are very
crude up to this time, some improve
ment having been made in recent
years, l believe.
The Newer Method.
For a long time this Dutch stand
ard was the only process known 70
commerce for testing the purity of
sugar. If / remember rightly, about
thirty years ago-I may not be accur-
ate in my statement as to the exact
number of years-a scientist discov-
cred a process known as the polari-
scope process, by which rays of light
were passed through the melted strip,
and any impurty, such as water or
molasses, in the sugar DETECTED the
rays, so that it would measure with
absolute accuracy the saccharine
strength of the sugar. This has been
substituted by every organized gov
eminent on the earth for the color
test, with the exception of seven
All the countries never adopted the
Dutch standard absolutely. The Eng
fish government as I said this morn
ing, had a sugar test of its own, 1t
has discarded that now and follows
the polariscope test exclusively.
Abandon Dutch Test.
81 have examined the tariffs of III
nations, or | should say organized
governments, on sugar. and 40 Of the
III do not use a color test. A large
number of those that formerly used
the color test and the Dutch standard
as the prevailing test have discarded
it. | want to read a number of the
principal nations who have discorded
and no longer use the color test; The
United Kingdom of Great Britain,
Australia, the Bahamas, Barbados,
British Guiana, jamaica, Newfound-