The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1912-03-30

seems to do, opens our market to the
bounty-fed sugar of Europe, which is
exported to countries that will receive
it with a premium paid to the export
er. We have not investigated that
subject.
But the effect of bounty-fed sugar is
VIGOROUSLY so disastrous that no
great civilized country is allowing it
in its markets except in limited
amounts, and even free-trade England
is included in the list Yet by this
bill we would turn the bounty-fed SUI
gar of Russia and Argentina onto the
markets of the United States, in COM
petition with the cane growers of
Louisiana and the beet-sugar produc-
ers of the West
Price of Sugar Would Be Increased.
We are opposed to this bill today;
first, because there has been no ade-
quate examination of a question so
important; and, secondly, because we
believe the facts of the situation show
indisputably that the effects of the
bill will not be to reduce the price
of sugar to the consumer for any
great length of time, but to increase
it. We are opposed to it not only be-
cause it will increase the price to the
consumer ultimately, but because 1t
Will - l., In
dustry of continental United States
and the industries of those depend
encies which within a few years have
been united to us, Porto Rico, the
Philippines, and Hawaii, and will dis
order the finances and economic con-
dition of that young nation of which
we are guardian-Cuba.
Those Who Advise Changes Of Duties.
have said that an inquiry was not
intended to cover the tariff question
and from this point of view was made.
quate. Many people came before us,
but they represented the Interests
almost entirely The managers of the
great company called the trust, the
other reineries of cane sugar, the
manufacturers of beet sugar, the own.
ers of cane plantations in Louisiana
and Cuba, the farmers who raise bpets
in the West, all came and stated the
case from their point of view. l dc
not think they intended to misrepre
sent, but no one could expect of them
absolute fairness of perspective The
ultimate" consumer did not come. He
is too busy with his daily vocation tc
study so complex a problem. He
seemed to have arrived one day wheT
a gentleman appeared who drew {
golden picture of the wealth coming
to the consumer from the removal ci
the sugar duty. But we found, wher
We examined him under oath, that he
was the agent of great refinery, cap
Citalized at 100000 and that the re
fnery was financing the literary por
ton of the movement In favor of this
bill. Out of all these conflicting con
ditions it is very difficult to reach {
conclusion as to the real interests o.
the absent consumer.
A Great Industrial Contest.
While the inquiry made by our in
vestigating committee was entirely
inadequate as to the tariff question, i
did show certain great basic condi
tons which we must take into &C
count 1t seems that the first anC
most important of those basic condi
tions is that there is existing at thin
time great contest between tive
branches of the sugar industry, the
cane refineries OF the seaboard anC
the beet-sugar producers of the inter
ior. When l speak OF the cane rein
ers of the seaboard l am speaking al
most entirely of the great American
Sugar Refining Co., which is called tn,
trust" With it are a few rivals
who, to use an expression given by
witness before our committee, q
along under the umbrella" of tn,
trust in the matter of prices to tn,
consumer. This is probably true as t
most if not all. of the Independent
refinerles.
Now. | have stated that there is tina
condition of antagonism between
those two great branches of our suga
industry ] think it is abundant!
proved by our testimony For in
stance, Mr.. Gilmore, representing thu
sugar rehner Arbuckle, said of tn,
beet sugar industry that its produc
came as far east as Massachusetts
and, to use his own words, did a 10
of damage in the market.
That testimony proves that there 4
= a real competition in the sugar busi
ness, and that the cane refiners of tn
seaboard fear the rivalry of the wesl
! ern industry. Mr. Gilmore furthe
!, said when they-that is, the sci
, ers OF beet sugar-come with hothous