The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1912-07-19
BEET SUGAR MAN
SEES TARIFF GUT.
Manager For Great Western
Company Says the Uncertainty
Is Hampering Business.

That the passing of free sugar bill
will give the beet sugar industry a
set back from which it will take years
to recover, and will put large num-
Der of the smaller concerns connected
with the industry out of business en-
tirely, is the opinion Of w. l.. Lawson,
a prominent beet sugar man from Colo
RADIO, now stopping at the Moana
Hotel. He adds that he expects tariff
cut of at least fifty per cent in the near
future.
Mr.. Lawson is manager of factories
at Sterling, Brush and Fort Morgan,
Colorado, owned by the Great Western
Sugar Company, corporation with a
capital of $SO0,OOO,000, and owning
nine factories in Colorado, one in Ne
braslSa and one in Montana
On account of the tremendous inter
ests involved the Great Western Sugar
people are naturally on the anxious
seat with regard to what is likely to
develop in connection with tariff revi-
sion. The three factories managed by
Mr.. Lawson will handle 100000 tons
of beets this year and the Great West
ern Sugar Company will this year
handle not less than 1,250,00O tons of
beets.
Retarding Business.
Interviewed on tariff possibilities
last night Mr.. Lawson said; "The
tariff agitation is retarding the beet
sugar business considerably. If the
policy of free sugar be carried out it
} will mean the closing down of the
great majority of the beet sugar fac
tories in the United States, The Great
Western Sugar Company would in all
! probability survive until conditions re-
adjusted themselves, but its business
would probably be cut in two.
, "Our company has been eagerly So
r licited by various districts to build fac
tories and we have definite plans for
) number of new factories in hand at
present and the necessary acreage
, guaranteed, but, while we are anxious
to build we can Z see our way to ex-
tend our operations until the existing
tariff agitation is cleared up.
will Cut Prices.
off free sugar passes it will mean
that the price of beets will be so cut
that the farmers will not grow them
and our acreage will in all likelihood
be reduced fifty per cent, and it will
A take many years to restore things to
a normal basis.
+ ''rhe beet sugar industry has been
the making of the agricultural district
of Colorado and has put farming in
that state on profitable basis. The
closing down of factories which would
| oh hn ha rnottlt nf frnn ciu y
would be a greater disaster than hap
pened to Colorado when the silver
mines were closed down.
90 In my own personal experience in
Colorado / have known land values to
Jump, in territory where factories have
been located, from $40 an acre to $3.50
an acre, and the closing of factories
would certainly result in land values
going back.
''rhe fear of adverse legislation is
what is holding the beet sugar indus
try pack at present. We are naturally
counting on the support of the cane
growers of the United States and Ter
ritories in this fight, as their interests
in the matter are, TO certain extent
our interests.
Stand Moderate Cut.
ate cut in the tariff and meet the new
conditions. 1T is the terrible uncer
tumty, however, as to what congres!
:. will do that is holding our hands ant
- hampering business aud which hai
changed cur slogan from expansion
to economy and retrenchment.
Mr.. Lawson states that he expects
good-sized cut in the tariff and thai
cut of fifty per cent would not sur
prise him greatly, though he admits
that such action would be very serious
from the beet men S standpoint. snt
that it would be disastrous to som'
companies at present in comparative
infancy.
Mr. Lawson, accompanied by hi
wife, arrived by the Honolulan an(
viii remain in the Territory until Aug
ust a. departing by the WilbeQmin'
on that date.
He is here on n purely pleasure triI
b but win take advantage of his visit t.
make a thorough inspection of cane
sugar methods which he has not here
tofore had an opportunity of studying