The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1912-03-30
SUGAR QUESTION
IN THE HOUSE
tContinued IRON Page Nlnel

/ Mr.. Hinds-The United States Gov
eminent is prosecuting the American
Sugar Refining Co. under the Sherman
ANTITRUST law, and the ownership Of
stock in the beetsugar factories is
one of the conditions on which a con-
viction would be likely to be based.
They can not dispose of all that prop
erty at once They will have to dis
pose of it by degrees, and l think the
Testimony of MT Atkins indicates that
that is the purpose of his company.
What Happened in Europe.
The two industries are naturally an
.tagonistic. On any Scheme of eco
nomical production the beet-sugar in
dustry should not be connected with
the cane-refning industry. They are
naturally opposed On the continent
of Europe the beet-sugar industry has
entirely driven out the cane-re fning
industry, and there is a probability
that if the cane refners Of this country
do not receive some such advantage
as is contemplated in this bill they
will find a constant and growing com
petition with the beet-sugar industry.
OF course such competition, if not car
ried to destructive extremes, is Of ad-
vantage to the consumer.
Mr.. ]. NJ. c. Smith-The gentleman
is on the Sugar Investigating Commit
tee is he not?
Mr. Hinds-I was.
Mr.. J. NJ. c. Smith-Will the gentle.
man please give us his reason for the
rise in the price of sugar last year,
if he is able to say?
Mr.. Hinds-I will get to that pres.
emily.
The House Should Consider the Con
sumner.
Now, it is not the business of this
House to become the champion or the
partisan of either Of those two
branches of industry. do not quite
| agree with the sentence in the report
| of the majority of the Committee on
| Ways and Means which states that
| the cane refners are to receive a su
! perior or a more important considera
: ton than any other branch of this in
/ dustry. We should not shape our leg
islation for the purpose of favoring
one or the other or even for the pur
pose of umpiring the contest between
them. We should look at but ont
thing, and that is what legislation BY
us, what imposition of conditions b,
US, will result in the long run in en-
abling the American consumer to ge
: his sugar at the least expenditure
am not going to say expenditure il
dollars and cents, but l am going bacl
that currency which is the only rea
test of value, the effort put out b,
. the man who acquires the commodit
by his labor. There are a great md
titude of consumers to be considered
But we must not consider them Ell
tirely as consumers. 1t is essentia
for us to consider nearly every cor
- sumner and in the case of the grea
mass of consumers it is so-as pre-
Queer also, and on his ability to ge
fair return on what he produces dc
ponds his ability to become a col
sumner, Applause on the Republica
side
n That is the key to the whole ques
n ton before us. What does an Amer
can care if in the Empire of China h
can be shaved for a cent and a hal
get his hair cut for two cents, and hi
B shoulders rubbed and queue braide
free in addition? Laughter and al
- plause.1 1t amounts to nothing to
I, man on the soil of America. The que!
4 ton here in all these things is, VIVA
is the relation of the price to tn
money that you have in your poke
and your opportunities for replenisi
ing the pocket? 1t seems to me tina
!, that question is at the foundation {
IL this discussion.
Dc Sugar Really Cheaper in Americ
Than Elsewhere.
= The sugar cost in this country
q not the expense that cries most loudl
for attention. Anyone who cares t
\ examine this question for himself ca
3, readily see, from page IS of the repol
made by the sugar investigating con
u mittee (H. Rept., p. 331, I'd sess. 62
Cong), that the American people &c
refined sugar at wholesale-and tn
wholesale price is the real test i
tariff matters-cheaper in terms
D, money than the people of any othc
great nation except England. la
Is plause on the Republican slde.l
20 will insert as a part Of my remarR
the table given in the report of tn
sugar investigating committee, giviu
the wholesale prices of sugar in til
five great nations and showing thu
England's price is Al cents, approx
H,I n